The Heaton File

An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes, when he finds out his iniquity and when he hates. The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. He devises wickedness on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not abhor evil. (Psalm 36:1-4)

The Character Of The Wicked

There is a distinct difference between those who desire to serve God and those who have no desire to serve the will of the Lord. Sin separates man and God, and what a man does with sin determines if he will be separated from God in eternity. Satan has always been successful in gaining the hearts of most of the world. His wiles and allurements captivate men to seek pleasure in life without fear of eternity. His lie continues to permeate the consciousness of the human soul. There is no death, and man can be like God. David understood the way of sin and how it captivates the soul, leading it to reject God.

Sin takes away the fear of God. The wicked do not fear God or accept the consequences of rebellion against the word of God. They believe they are their own gods, serving their own needs and glorying in their own power. When the fear of God leaves the soul of man, eternity turns to the darkness of condemnation. God created man. Man did not create God. When the heart of man turns away from the word of his Creator, he denies the power of God to punish him and flatters himself with the lie that he can save himself. The greatest sin a man can commit is to become his own god with blind conceit. They refuse to see how wicked they are. They call evil good and good evil. The word of God is rejected as myths, fairy tales, and outdated.

Sin is a cancer of the soul that eats away the heart of what God created to be good. God created man for His glory. Satan deceives the hearts of the wicked to convince them to follow his glory. His deception has led most of the world to the darkness of perdition. Man ceases to be wise before God and follows his own wisdom to destruction. There is no fear of God in his eyes, and he does not view evil for the eternal ruin that it is. Everything in life is for the glory of the flesh. They refuse to turn from evil, lying awake at night devising sinful plans for the enjoyment of the flesh. Sin has a powerful sway over the hearts of men.

David understood the power of sin from personal experience, but he did not allow it to destroy him. He was a man after God’s own heart who fought the wiles of the devil by following the will of the Lord. The tragedy of sin is that most people in the world live for themselves, having no desire to seek God or follow His will. Jesus said the righteous are few. There are only a few who see sin for what it is. David’s oracle concerning the transgression of the wicked is a reminder of the power of sin. It is very powerful and eternally damning. Without understanding its great power, sin will be allowed to destroy the soul. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, sin can be eradicated by God’s grace. Know the power of sin. Understand its consequences. Do not allow Satan to have his way. Live for Jesus.

Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. (John 19:32-35)

He Did Not Abandon Jesus

As Jesus knew His hour was approaching to face the suffering of the cross, He told His disciples repeatedly what would take place in Jerusalem, where the chief priests, scribes, and leaders would treat Him cruelly and kill Him. Peter, James, and John were present on the mountain when Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus, talking about His death. When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, He took Peter, James, and John to stay with Him. Judas brought a detachment of troops to arrest Jesus, and when they bound Him with chains, all the disciples forsook Jesus and fled.

Jesus told His disciples they would abandon Him. Like sheep before a shepherd who has been struck, the eleven apostles fled in fear. But soon afterward, two of them, Peter and John, took courage and followed the mob to the house of the high priest. John was well known to the high priest and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. Peter stood at the door outside, but at the word of John was allowed to come into the courtyard. John never left Jesus’ side. Peter denied the Lord three times and went out weeping bitterly. Only John remains.

After the ill treatment by the religious leaders and Roman soldiers and scourging, the Romans led Jesus to Golgotha to be crucified. John was there with Jesus. He watched as they threw Jesus to the ground and nailed Him to the cross. John witnessed the agony in the face of Jesus as the soldiers lifted the Son of God to the cross and nailed His feet. Standing before Jesus were John, Mary, the mother of Jesus, and a group of women. Soldiers bargained for the final remnants of Jesus’ clothing.

Jesus languished for hours on the cross as John and Mary watched Him die. In the final moments of life, Jesus saw His mother and John, whom He loved, standing by and said to her, “Woman, behold your son!” He then turned to the only disciple who did not abandon Him and asked him to care for Mary, His mother. John agreed and took her to his own home. Jesus died. John and Mary watched the life go out of Jesus. As prophesied by Simeon when Joseph and Mary presented the baby Jesus to the Temple, a sword pierced deeply within the heart of Mary as she watched her beloved son die.

Three men were crucified that day. They suffered alike in the horrors of crucifixion. The man in the middle died, but finding the two robbers alive, the soldiers broke their legs to hasten death. When the soldier came to Jesus, he confirmed Jesus as dead by driving a sword in His side, piercing the heart. Jesus was dead. John watched the soldier pierce Jesus’ side. The beloved apostle wrote his gospel to tell the story of Jesus’ life and death. His gospel is an eyewitness account of the veracity of the story of Jesus Christ, who on the third day rose from the dead. John’s gospel confirms beyond a doubt what happened to Jesus, as he witnessed all that was done to the Son of God. And he saw Jesus on the third day, risen from the grave.

Everything that happened to Jesus fulfilled prophecy, but it also established a chain of evidence written down by a close disciple of Jesus proving the divine story. Many things in the life of Jesus are not recorded, but John affirms his gospel is given to prove that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Reading the testimony of John confirms the faith of those who accept and believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of the Most High God. There can be no doubt. The evidence is overwhelming. John did not forsake Jesus. What he saw and witnessed is a testimony to the grace and love of God through Jesus Christ. It took courage for John not to forsake his Lord. No greater faith can be shown than never to deny or forsake the Lord Christ.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:17-19)

It Does Not Matter What Church I Belong To?

Jesus was a controversial subject against the Jewish leadership’s influence over the people. He was in constant conflict with their hypocrisy and the demands they put on the people because He exposed them for who and what they were. They never denied His miracles, but they attacked His teaching. At every turn, they sought to discredit Jesus as a teacher to dissuade the multitudes from following Him. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God with power, the Son of Man, and the long-promised Messiah. His miracles proved His word, but many still could not accept that a carpenter’s son from Nazareth was the Christ.

Arriving in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His disciples who the people thought He was. Some people thought Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. Herod had beheaded John at the behest of his wife, who hated John for condemning their marriage. The prophet Malachi had prophesied four hundred years earlier that Elijah would herald the coming of the Christ. He did not suggest Elijah or one of the prophets would bodily rise from the dead, but that someone in striking resemblance would appear to announce the coming of the Christ. John the Baptist had been the fulfillment of the promise to show that Jesus was the Lamb of God.

Peter declared to the Lord that he believed Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the Living God. This was a bold and declarative statement revealing the nature of the establishment of the divine kingdom. Jesus commends Peter’s answer and declares that on the foundation that He was the Son of God, He would build His church. Nothing would prevent the establishment of His church. Peter would be given the keys of the kingdom (the church) to open the way of salvation for the Jews first, and also for the Gentiles. This would be accomplished by Peter when he, along with the eleven, preached the good news of Christ on the Day of Pentecost, where three thousand Jews obeyed the gospel. Later, Peter would teach Cornelius and his household that God had brought the gospel to the Gentile world.

Jesus declared the church’s importance by calling it His church. He said the church would be built on the confession that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus did not promise to build many churches but to build His church, the one true church, the church promised before time began. The church represents the wisdom of God and the eternal purpose which God purposed in His Son, Jesus Christ. Luke records the Acts of the Apostles, which describe the early church’s beginnings and growth. The Lord added to the church those who were saved. Paul and many disciples went throughout the Roman Empire, establishing churches in every city. The early writings of the Christians were letters to churches in places like Ephesus, Galatia, Philippi, Colosse, and Thessalonica, to name a few.

Jesus promised to build His church. Human wisdom has built untold numbers of churches. Jesus built one church of which He is head. The wisdom of man created churches that exalt that wisdom. Many in the world do not believe the church is important. They believe that when they get to Heaven, it will not matter what church they belong to, but whether they know Jesus Christ. Any church will do. Every church is right. If a man accepts Christ as his personal Savior, it does not matter which church he belongs to. All of this contradicts and countermands everything Jesus taught His disciples. If it does not matter what church one belongs to, why did Jesus say He would build His church, and the gates of Hades would not prevail against it? God added the saved to the church, so where are the saved if the church is not important? The New Testament is the doctrine of the church, and if it does not matter which church one belongs to, then the New Testament is void.

When the final day of judgment comes, and every knee will bow before the Almighty, the King of kings and Lord of lords will ask the question, “Did you belong to My church?” It may not matter in the minds of human wisdom which church one belongs to now, but there is coming a day when that will matter for eternity. There is one church. The Son of God built that church.

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands. (Mark 14:63-65)

When They Beat The Son Of God

The trial of Jesus before the Jewish and Roman courts was illegal on both judicial standards. Everything about the trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin illustrated the disdain and hatred of the Jewish leaders against Jesus. Taking the man from Nazareth before the Roman court was an illegal and improper procedure of jurisprudence. Not only were the procedures illegal in the legal courts, but the abuse Jesus received was also against the Law of Moses and Roman law. Before Jesus was scourged and crucified, He was abused by His accusers in a most humiliating manner.

False witnesses were brought to accuse Jesus to death. The chief priests and all the council tried to find evidence against Jesus so they could put Him to death. They knew Jesus was innocent of any legal challenge that would bring a death sentence. Pilate would later confirm this. Their goal was to kill Jesus by any means necessary, whatever the cost. They could not find any evidence. Many false witnesses spoke against Jesus, but their testimony contradicted one another. The trial had turned into a chaotic display of envy as many spoke against Jesus, and no one could agree on how Jesus had blasphemed God.

In a final desperate challenge, some men stood up and accused Jesus of plotting to destroy the Temple with the ridiculous claim to rebuild it in three days. But even those men could not get their stories straight. The High Priest questioned Jesus about the charges against Him, but Jesus remained silent. He did not need to defend Himself as His accusers condemned themselves by their testimony. Then the High Priest demanded that Jesus answer if He was the Christ, the Son of the Blessed. Jesus told the priest that He was, and that He would see Jesus come with power in the clouds of heaven. This rattled the High Priest, who tore his clothes, demanding condemnation of Jesus.

As the proceedings fell into chaos, the assembly of chief priests, elders, and scribes began to spit on Jesus. They blindfolded Him and began to beat Him. The mob scorned Jesus, demanding that He prophesy. Their beating of Jesus was not a mild gesture but a hard and forceful blow to His body as He sat blindfolded. What they did not know was that He could see them and knew their hearts. Jesus felt the hatred in their hearts as they lashed out at Him. He felt the sputum run down his face. Each blow rattled His head and body. The Creator of the world sat silent as men beat on Him and spit on Him. Even the court officers slapped Jesus with the palms of their hands. The language suggests Jesus was hit in the mouth and on his face.

The remarkable story of the Sanhedrin mob accosting Jesus was that within the power of the Son of God was to call down twelve legions of angels, numbering 72,000 angelic beings to defend Him, and He remained silent (In the Old Testament, one angel wiped out 185,000 in one night). God watched as men beat His beloved Son. The heavenly host watched as the Son of God was spat upon and beaten. None from Heaven dared intervene. The scourging and crucifixion were terrible, but Jesus was cruelly treated and abused from the very beginning. In all of this, He remained calm and composed to carry out the will of His Father. It was never His thought to strike down those who spit on Him. He would not have called intervention from the Heavenly hosts. Jesus took all the abuse because He had come to save those who spat on Him, beat Him, and would shortly kill Him.

Nothing is known about the men who treated Jesus so terribly on that Passover night. Did someone in that company later realize the man from Nazareth was the Son of God? Could anyone on that fateful night have come to believe in the gospel of Christ and been part of the early church? The heart yearns to believe someone in that vengeful mob would have come to know Jesus, but nothing is known. What is known is that when these men died, they came face to face with the One whom they treated so vilely that Passover night. Everyone will face Jesus. Most of the world spits on Jesus and beats Him with contempt because they refuse to submit to His will. If they do not believe He is the Son of God now, they will one day, but then it will be too late. Jesus is the Son of God. Do not reject Him.

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. (Revelation 22:14-15)

Dogs Excluded

The imagery of scripture can be hard to understand without a proper understanding of the cultural norms of the first century. As John completes the revelation of Jesus Christ to the persecuted saints, he draws attention to the glories of eternal life and to those who will be excluded from it. For those who do the commandments of the Lord, they will have the right to the tree of life and will be permitted to enter the heavenly Jerusalem where God dwells. Dogs, sorcerers, sexually immoral, murderers, idolaters, and all liars will not be allowed into the heavenly city. John invokes an image of the cultural view of how dogs prowled about “Eastern cities, without a home and without an owner, feeding on the refuse and filth of the streets, quarreling among themselves, and attacking the passer-by” (Vincent Word Studies).

Under the Law of Moses, dogs were considered unclean and used to denounce the corrupt moral hearts of heathen worship. What John was pointing out among the list of sinful practices that will damn a soul to eternal perdition is how those of an immoral character or morally impure will be punished with eternal destruction. Not everyone goes to Heaven. Jesus said that few will be granted entrance into the eternal kingdom. The immoral will not be saved. Like the dog, the sinful soul will be banned from the eternal city to dwell in darkness and fire, and brimstone. To call someone a dog was the utmost declaration of moral decadence. The Jews considered Samaritans “dogs,” and it is in part why Jesus used the Samaritans to illustrate the grace of God in the story of the benevolent Samaritan.

Dogs will be excluded from heaven because God will not allow anything that defiles to enter into His holy city. Literal dogs will not be in eternity because they are not eternal creatures. Still, John’s language is powerful in showing the degradation of those who refuse to obey the Lord’s commandments. Human wisdom holds that everyone “rests in peace” after death. Jesus said most people who die will find themselves as the dogs kept outside the city. They will not be allowed into eternal life because they lived according to the lusts of their minds and refused to honor God, obey His commandments, and follow the word of Christ.

The Holy Spirit explains the difference between those in the world and those in the body of Christ. For those in the body of Christ, they “do His commandments.” They submit their lives to the grace of God and follow His word in obedience. The world marches to a different drummer. It is clear that the lusts of the flesh fill the desires of the minds of the world. Sexual immorality pervades the minds of people in one form or another. Murderers do not always kill with a knife, but often with the tongue. Idolaters abound as the heart worships the things of this world, like wealth, power, prestige, and human glory. Lying is part of the business world or part of the fabric of life. It is not uncommon to lie about anything.

God judges all men. That judgment will be whether one is allowed in the holy city or kept out like the mongrels of the Orient. It matters how one lives in this life. To live like a dog (without Christ) will die like a dog (without Christ), according to the word of the Lord. There is a great day coming. Salvation will only come to those who do the commandments of the Lord.

You are my portion, O Lord; I have said that I would keep Your words. I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; be merciful to me according to Your word. I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments. The cords of the wicked have bound me, but I have not forgotten Your law. At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, because of Your righteous judgments. I am a companion of all who fear You, and of those who keep Your precepts. The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy; teach me Your statutes. (Psalm 119:57-64)

I Thought About My Ways

God reveals Himself through the natural revelation of the world and the special revelation of His word. He has never left mankind without His word to guide them, instruct them, and show them the path of righteousness. Hearing the word of God is not an intellectual exercise in doing things the right way, in the right manner, with the right purpose. The word of God is to change the heart. A person can read the Bible year after year for fifty years and still know little about its message. If the word does not change the heart, the word is merely serving as an exercise without purpose.

The psalmist who wrote Psalm 119 loved the word of God with all their heart, soul, mind, and body. It is clear how much the word of God changed them. He speaks of the change in every part of his life. The word of God was his portion, or everything he needed. He coupled prayer with the word to know the depths of God’s love and mercy. Reading the word prompted him to reflect on his life and the decisions he had made. He did not read the scriptures to read the scriptures but to learn how to change his life. Because he read the word of God and thought about his ways, he changed his life. That is the purpose of the word. Understanding the message from God will change the hearts and minds of those who imbibe its divine story.

God has always expected obedience from His children. Keeping the commandments of the Lord springs from the heart that has been moved by His message. Thinking about the word of God challenges the soul to emulate more fully the character of the Divine. Wicked abounds around the child of God, but they find refuge in the law of God. Time is of no importance to the faithful, as the psalmist suggests he rises in the middle of the night to give thanks to God. Losing sleep over the word of God comes from thinking about the word. The righteous judgments of the Lord are something to ponder in the still of the night.

Those who love the word become companions and friends of the righteous as iron sharpens iron. For the one who fears the Lord, there is no better company than those who fear the Lord. Together, they stand united in the word of God because of their love for it. People who spend many hours mining the scriptures cannot help but share their discoveries with others of like precious faith. The children of God are thinking people who ponder the word of God daily in their hearts. It takes a willing heart to open to the Divine message and apply the teachings of Jesus to everyday living.

The unfailing love of God fills the earth with His message. Jesus is the Word, and through Him all men can find the peace that passes all understanding. The Christian is someone who thinks about the word of God as they spend many hours harvesting the fruit of diligent Bible study. There is no book of greater value. If all the writings of man were destroyed, the Bible would remain untouched. What man possesses today is far beyond what the psalmist had. The completed revelation of God opens the portals of heaven for the mortal eye to glimpse the infinite glory of God. There is no greater message than the word of God. It takes an open heart to hear, understand, and apply the word to the heart. Think about the ways of the Lord and turn the heart to the testimonies and commandments of the Lord.

And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” (Luke 9:18-20)

Who Do You Say That I Am?

The coming of the Messiah did not present itself as the world considers greatness. To be born of a royal family is to receive the royal treatment of birth into nobility, prestige, and power. When a ruler is to bear a son, great pomp and circumstance accompany the news. At the birth of a child, news spreads far and wide with festivals and celebrations. The child is nurtured by royal privilege. He is cared for with meticulous care to prepare him to become a ruler. Everything in the child’s life is measured by who he is and which family he was born into. None of this was the case for the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Jesus was born to an unknown woman who was from Nazareth, a town of little reputation in the backwaters of Israel. By God’s providence, Jesus was in Bethlehem, the city of David, when He was born. No one knew of his birth. There was no announcement to the world that a king was born. No rulers came to pay homage to the newborn ruler and prince. Joseph and Mary could not find a house to care for Jesus. The Son of God was born in a barn and spent His first night lying in a manger full of straw. That night, some shepherds visited Jesus. A few years later, some wise men from the East brought gifts for the family. The family lived in Egypt for a while and then settled in Nazareth, where Joseph worked as a carpenter.

Very little was known about Jesus. He lived with his brothers and sisters and worked in the carpenter’s shop with His family. It was not until He was thirty years old that his mission became clear. The teaching of Jesus astonished the multitudes and concerned the Jewish leaders. He performed miracles no one denied. His presence was a powerful testimony to the word of God. Educated men tried to trap Jesus. His enemies tried to destroy Him. Government officials feared Him. There was no one like this man from Nazareth.

The question Jesus asked His disciples is the same question that must be asked today. Jesus had spent some time with His disciples when He asked them what the crowds thought of Him. “Who do the crowds say that I am?” The world had a view of Jesus. Many believed Him to be sent from God, but many more denied Him. They saw the miracles, but their hard hearts refused to accept the power of God. Eventually, the world would turn against Jesus and kill Him. Instead of seeing Jesus for who He was as the Son of God, the world saw Him as a dangerous contradiction to their desire to live in the flesh. They rejoiced that they had killed Jesus.

The hatred of the world did not change who Jesus was. They killed Him on a cross, but God raised Him from the dead. Their view of Jesus did not change; He was the Son of God. Jesus performed untold numbers of miracles, from raising the dead, curing all manner of disease, and casting out demons, and He never failed! Even His greatest critics never denied the miracles. Jesus was shown to be the divine Son of God through His teaching, His power, and His example. The world murdered an innocent man and stands condemned for it. Did it really matter what the crowds said about Jesus? Some thought He was John the Baptist. They were wrong. There were those who believed Jesus to be a resurrected prophet named Elijah. They were also wrong. Some thought He might be one of the old prophets raised from the dead. Again, the worldview of Jesus was wrong. He was the Son of God.

The only view that will matter in eternity is how the individual sees Jesus. If they believe as the world does, they will deny who He is. Jesus asked the disciples who they thought He was because that is where the eternal question is asked and answered. It will not matter what the world says about Jesus in eternity, but it will make an eternal difference in how I view Jesus. No one can stand before God and blame the world for what they believe. There will be no excuses offered for rejecting the proof of Jesus Christ. When all men stand before the I AM, the one question that will be answered is what the individual believes about Jesus. “But who do you say that I am?” is the most important question. There is only one right answer.

Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land. (Leviticus 25:3-5)

Trusting The Lord In The Seventh Year

When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses for the nation of Israel, the seventh day was a day of Sabbath rest, during which no one could do any work. This included servants and strangers within the gates. Six days the people could labor, farm, and travel, but the seventh day was a day wholly devoted to the Lord. The Hebrews found a man picking up sticks on the Sabbath, and after inquiring from the Lord what to do with him, took him out and stoned him to death. The Sabbath was a holy day, and God demanded respect for his word.

It took a lot of faith to work six days and then rest on the seventh day, when no work was done. This required much preparation on the sixth day and trusting the Lord on the seventh day. The lesson was to learn to trust in the care of the Lord God. This test became more evident when God instituted the Sabbath of the seventh year. While the people were gathered at Mt. Sinai, the Lord commanded Moses to tell the people that when they entered the land of promise, they would work the land for six years, pruning the vineyards, plowing and sowing seed in the fields, and gathering the bounty of the crops and fruits. But in the seventh year there would be no sowing, planting, pruning, or harvesting. For a whole year, the land was to lie fallow.

A farmer knows the need to prepare the soil, plant at the right time, and maintain the crops until harvest. Land is a valuable commodity. A good farmer will know the value of the land and the time required to provide an abundant harvest, including the proper use of the land. God commanded the Jews to work the land for six years, but they were prohibited from working the land on the seventh. The land would lie dormant for a year. No plowing. The vineyards would not be pruned. They were forbidden to gather the harvest from what came up naturally. Every seven years, the land would rest, and Israel would learn to trust in the Lord that year as they watched valuable land remain silent.

God provided for the people through His great wisdom. He explains to them that their concern about eating off the land in the eighth year will be difficult because the land has not been produced for a year. How will they eat when it takes so long to regain the produce and crops? If the people trusted in the Lord, He would command His blessings upon them in the sixth year, and it would bring enough produce for three years. They could sow in the eighth year and eat the old produce until the ninth year, or until the new produce came in. The key lesson for the people was to trust the Lord’s word that He would provide for them. It took a great amount of faith to let the land rest for a year without working the soil, planting new crops, or harvesting the fruit. What God wanted the people to learn was how to trust in the provisions of the Creator.

The Law of Moses has been abolished, and there are no requirements to let the land lie fallow every seven years or to observe a Sabbath day on which no work can be done. The lesson of trust remains. Human nature has difficulty trusting God and His word. There is a tendency to take charge of life’s affairs and trust no one. Putting one’s trust in a God who cannot be seen is difficult for the human heart. Those who have faith in God learn to trust His word and the providential hand of the Lord as true and righteous. God’s presence is seen in the universe but only through the eye of faith. Life can be challenging and hard. Those who learn to allow God’s presence to fill their hearts will learn that His word is true and His promises eternal. No matter what life brings, always trust in the Lord. Learn to let the land lie fallow for a year. God will provide.

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. (2 Corinthians 5:9)

What Is Your Aim?

Life without an aim is aimless. That goes without saying. Everyone has an aim in life, but often they aim too low. Without an ambition in life, there is nothing to live for. Many people have great ambitions and lofty goals. They are driven by their ambitions to succeed in finance, entertainment, popularity, fleshly pleasures, and to make a place for themselves in history. The world is filled with those who have no ambitions and those who have the wrong ambitions. A life is defined by the goals a person seeks, which determine how they live.

What the world refuses to accept is that all the goals of life are empty if there is no aim to prepare for eternal life. Denying there is life after death does not change the fact that there is life after death. One view of humanity is that the world is filled with people who will die and never exist again. That makes man nothing more than an animal. Those who deny creation by God believe humanity crawled out of a prehistoric slime and evolved like the animals, which makes them nothing more than a useless existence with no purpose in life. What is the point of life if all a person does is eat, sleep, and die?

The Christian has a completely different view of life because they have an aim in life. Life for the child of God comes with an eternal destiny. There is hope for life beyond the grave. The promise of eternal life changes the view of the drudgery of a sinful world and the sorrow, sadness, and despair that come from hopelessness. One of the remarkable characteristics of the Christian is there is a purpose to life that gives glory to God. What Paul wanted the saints in Corinth to realize is that the aim of life is to be well pleasing to God. This was in stark contrast to the world of the Corinthians.

Life in the ancient Roman world, and especially the city of Corinth, was characterized by the common phrase of someone who lived a life of debauchery and hedonism as “Living like a Corinthian.” This pointed to the wasteful lives of those whose sole goal in life was to imbibe in all the pleasures of the flesh and mind. Their aim in life was centered on themselves. Writing to Christians living in a city like Corinth presented its own challenge. Paul wanted the saints to rise above their world and make their aim to live righteous in a very unrighteous world. It required aiming one’s heart in the right direction with purpose and courage. Paul admonished the Christians to make it their goal and ambition of life to live in such a way that the Lord would say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Everyone has an aim in life, but most people are aiming for the wrong things. There is only one eternal goal: to be well-pleasing to God. Sadly, without setting the right goals and aims in life, eternity becomes a dark place for those unprepared. They realize too late how important it was to set their hearts to serve the Lord and to realize that man is an eternal creature. Humans make goals and aim for higher things. Animals have no goals, and they have nothing to aim for. People never cease to exist. Animals cease to exist. Which creature should be setting proper goals and aims in life?

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Romans 13:14)

Clothing Self With Jesus Christ

The purpose of clothing did not become necessary until after the fall of man. When God placed Adam and Eve in the garden, they were naked and unashamed. The first reaction when their eyes were open was that they were naked, and they became afraid. In a futile attempt to hide their nakedness, they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves, but it was of little use. Before expelling them from the garden, the Lord clothed them in animal skins. The imagery is striking. Clothing became a part of the curse as sin was revealed, and the sacrifice of an animal was required to clothe Adam and Eve.

Sin bears the heart naked before God. All the feeble attempts of man to cover his nakedness fall short of the glory of God. Adam and Eve could not clothe themselves to stand before the Lord. God demanded a sacrifice to clothe His creation, and that became the spiritual theme of God’s relationship with man. As man stands naked before God, condemned and ashamed, there is nothing man can do to clothe himself. The Gentiles could not save themselves (as a law to themselves), and the Jews proved that man could not live holy by keeping the Law. Jesus lived the Law in perfection, showing the pattern of righteous clothing that can only come from the grace of God.

Paul told the Roman saints to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” to imbibe in the principles of righteousness found in the Son of God. Righteousness comes from imitating the character of Jesus. Obedience is necessary to show one’s heart to the word of God and become like Jesus. Life becomes a pattern of clothing oneself with the teachings of the Holy Spirit without making provisions for the flesh. Satan desires men to remove the clothing of righteousness and believe there is glory in being unclothed before God. In the physical world, it is shameful to expose the body to nakedness. Fulfilling the lusts of the flesh (nakedness) will bring shame and the wrath of God.

Jesus clothed Himself with the glory of the Father. Everything He did was to show the blessings of His Father and His word. Walking in the footsteps of Jesus is putting on the garments of righteousness, showing the world how to put on the character of Christ without fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. Paul told the Ephesians saints to put on the whole armor of God to resist the darts of the evil one. Without the proper protection (clothing), the soldier would die quickly in battle. Going up against the wicked one without clothing (armor) would be certain defeat.

Clothing the heart with the word of God is to remove the deeds of the flesh and put on the shining armor of light or right living. People of God belong to the day who stand against evil with the proper clothing that will prepare them for battle. The character clothing of the Christian is not found in the lusts of the flesh. People of God wear the garments of righteousness. They are easily identified in a world naked of truth, righteousness, and holiness. Sin can only be covered through the will of the Lord and worn according to His design. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Do not clothe oneself with the provisions of the flesh. Dress in the robes of eternal life through Jesus Christ.