The Heaton File

Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. (Titus 2:9-10)

The Christian Slave

Slavery has been around since the beginning of time. Armies would not only conquer lands but also take the people into slavery for their own purposes. Slave markets were common. The Law of Moses forbade the ill treatment of slaves, protecting them from being oppressed and abused. If a man hits his male or female slave in the eye and the eye is blinded, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. And if a man knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth. Slaves had the right to rest on the Sabbath and to attend national festivals. Families that were heavily in debt could be taken as slaves to repay the money owed. The Law prescribed seven years before release.

Slavery under the Romans was very different from Jewish law. The Roman Empire’s economy was largely built on the backs of its slaves. There were fewer protections for slaves under Roman law that would allow the cruel treatment of the bondservant. The New Testament accepted slavery as a way of life, seeking to temper the consequences by showing the grace of God through the lives of godly slaves. The book of Philemon is a testimony to a Christian master taking back his servant, who, in his absence, had obeyed the gospel of Christ. Paul admonishes Philemon to show the character of Christ toward his servant, Onesimus.

The instructions of the Holy Spirit to slaves who were bound in Christ were to be obedient and do their best to please their masters. God never wanted slaves who were children of God to become rebellious. He tells the slaves not to talk back to their master or to steal from them. Their character must be entirely trustworthy in everything they do. They must show goodness toward their masters to show how the gospel destroys the shackles of slavery. This applied to slaves bound to both good and harsh masters.

The apostle Peter would tell slaves to follow the example of Christ, who suffered, leaving an example of righteousness to serve the Lord God above all men. When Jesus was reviled, He did not revile in return. Slaves must do the same. Jesus suffered and was threatened, but He did not threaten in return (He could have called twelve legions of angels). Slaves must show the character of godliness even if beaten to show the glory of God. The Holy Spirit commanded masters to no longer be harsh toward their slaves and to give up the use of threats. God warns masters who abuse their servants that He will repay them in kind in judgment.

Slavery was a reality the New Testament church faced daily. The gospel of Christ could change that both for the master and the slave. What the world saw in the lives of Christian slaves and masters was the joy of grace that allowed men to live together in peace and harmony. While slavery is gone in most parts of the world, the spirit of relationships is the key to understanding how to get along with others. Everything must be to the glory of God. There is a correlation between the attitudes of those in the workforce and their showing, in business, the godliness of the word of God, doing their best, and showing themselves trustworthy and good. By the example of Christians living by the gospel, the world can see how the Word can change families, communities, and the country. Let the light of Christ shine in every part of life – whether slave or free.

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? (Matthew 6:26-27)

Adding Cubits

Linear measurements were established using the proportions of the human body as guides, including the fingers, the palm, the forearm, and the distance from the tip of one middle finger to the other middle finger, with the arms extended. Four fingers equaled a palm, three palms equaled a span, two spans equaled a cubit, and four cubits equaled a fathom. The measure of a cubit was generally the length from the elbow to the end of the middle finger (sometimes only to the root of the hand at the wrist).

The cubit was a small unit, roughly 22 inches long. Jesus, the master teacher, uses a common story of everyday life to illustrate how short life is and how useless it becomes to worry about the affairs of life. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shows the disciples that laying up treasures on earth is an exercise in futility. Treasures of earth are destroyed by moths (garments), metal rusts, and thieves break in and steal. The heart must be singularly on the will of God, trusting the Lord to provide all things. Jesus emphasizes that no man can serve two masters. Trying to gain the riches of the world and the riches of eternal life cannot be done. Serving two masters is a life of conflict because it is impossible to serve God and mammon at the same time.

Life can bring its problems with caring for the family. Food must be gathered, provisions for nourishment must be made, and coverings must be provided to protect the family. All these things are necessary parts of life as man lives in a fallen world. When God punished Adam for transgressing the word of God, the Lord burdened humanity with the toil of life to provide for the family. Jesus is not suggesting that honest labor is a problem. Still, when the heart is so focused on providing the necessities of life, he forgets the necessities for eternal life, and he fails God, himself, and his family.

Becoming consumed with the worries of life is like trying to add even a small portion of life. Jesus taught that there was nothing a man could do to increase his stature even in the smallest degree. Paul declared to the Athenians that God has established the habitation of man. God created man to live on the earth, not the ocean. He can visit the ocean for a time, but is unable to sustain life without returning to his world. There is a lot of discussion about space travel, but humans cannot live in space as their home. The moon will never be a human colony. The point Jesus is making is that all the worry men put into life will not add one cubit or small measure to what God has created.

Nothing man can do will avert his appointment with death. Life is not about the world that is lived on earth. Eternal life is all that matters because that is all that will last. The birds of the air have no worries because they trust in the Lord and know He will care for them. They are not trying to add cubits to their lives. It is only man, made in the image of God, that deludes himself into thinking he can extend himself larger than what God has made him. A man can spend his life worrying about life and end up living a wasted life. There is no joy and no profitability to his worry. Stop trying to add cubits to something that will destroy the soul.

Then Jezebel his wife said to him, “You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” And she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. She wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, You have blasphemed God and the king. Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die. So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them. (1 Kings 21:7-11)

Obeying God Or Man

Ahab, king of Israel, did more to provoke the anger of the Lord than any of the kings before them. He intensified his evil when he married the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, whose name was Jezebel. Ahab and Jezebel destroyed the moral fiber of God’s people in the northern tribes with their ruthless and wicked lives. The blame for the evil that God saw was not just on Ahab and Jezebel. The people of the land were also wicked. This is demonstrated in the story of an innocent man caught between the petty desires of a spoiled king and the monstrous actions of his evil wife.

Naboth was a good man who lived a quiet life in the city of Jezreel. He had a vineyard which was next to the palace of Ahab. The king asked Naboth if he would sell his vineyard, and Naboth replied that he could not sell the inheritance of his fathers. This upset Ahab, and he went to his house with the sullen spirit of a spoiled child, sulking because he did not get what he wanted. When Jezebel found out what Naboth had done, she wrote a letter to the elders and nobles who lived in the city with Naboth, telling them to proclaim a fast and place Naboth with high honor among the people. Then, the elders and nobles would bring in two worthless men to falsely accuse Naboth of blasphemy, resulting in him being taken out of the city and being stoned to death.

Everything went exactly as Jezebel planned. Naboth was accused of blasphemy and taken out of the city, where they stoned him to death. Ahab got his vineyard, but the wrath of God would condemn both Ahab and Jezebel for what they did. Not only were Ahab and Jezebel guilty before the Lord, but also the elders, nobles, and people of the city. They were told to commit a heinous crime against an innocent man. Jezebel’s decree was wicked, and the people should have refused to commit such a crime. Their fear of Jezebel was greater than their fear of God. This fear turned to divine wrath when they faced the Lord God.

Peter and John were arrested for preaching that Jesus was the Son of God. They were arrested and brought before the Jewish council and warned to speak to no man in the name of Jesus. Peter’s faith told the council that he and John would speak the word of the Lord, regardless of the consequences. Later, the council arrested the twelve apostles, warning them not to teach in the name of Jesus. Peter again tells the council they must obey God rather than men. Paul explained to the saints in Rome to obey the government, but this was measured by the word of God first. The early church struggled against the persecutions that challenged what the will of the Lord required, but they remained steadfast in obeying God rather than man.

The people of Jezreel were told to commit a heinous crime. They should have stood for truth and righteousness to reject what Jezebel demanded. Accusing an innocent man of blasphemy like Naboth was the greater sin. God brought judgment upon the people because they were not innocent of the guilt of Naboth’s murder. Faithful people of God will obey the laws of the land until those laws reject the word of the Lord. God must be first in all things. This applies in the workplace if the company demands that someone go against the word of the Lord. Obedience to the word of the Lord comes first in marriage, parenting, society, and interaction with government. Jesus taught throughout His ministry to seek first the rule of God in the heart, allowing nothing to compromise the word of God.

So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.” (1 Samuel 1:9-11)

Giving Our Children To The Lord

Samuel was the last of the judges of Israel and one of the great prophets, considered as great as Moses. He anointed Saul as king when the people demanded a king to rule over them. When the Lord rejected Saul, Samuel anointed David as the next king. He was revered by the people, who would not offer a sacrifice without Samuel’s blessing. After the Lord rejected Saul, Samuel no longer counseled the king but became a spiritual father to David. His imprint on Israel lasted for many generations.

The birth of Samuel was a remarkable story of love, devotion, and consecration to the work of the Lord. Samuel’s parents were Elkanah and Hannah. The Lord had closed the womb of Hannah, but a second wife of Elkanah, Peninnah, had children. Because she had no children, Peninnah provoked Hannah every year the family went to the house of the Lord. On one occasion, Hannah came to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, and Hannah begged God for a son. If the Lord would look upon the affliction of Hannah and give her a male child, she would give him to the Lord all the days of his life. Her prayer was answered, and Samuel was born soon thereafter. When Samuel was weaned, Hannah took him to Eli, the priest, and left him there to minister to the Lord before Eli.

Hannah kept her word to give her son to the Lord. Samuel would become one of the greatest judges of Israel and a spiritual leader of the people. God does not ask of anyone to give their sons to the Lord as Hannah did. There is a principle that is found in the request of Hannah that bears a distinctive mark of faith in how to raise up children to be followers of God. Hannah was willing to literally give her son to the priesthood to serve the Lord. The formative years of training before Samuel was left to serve the Lord were vital to the kind of man he would become. Every parent who plans to train their children should have the same faith as Hannah did in giving her son to the Lord. The work of every parent is to “give” their children to the Lord to serve Him.

Giving children to the Lord is hard work. It takes endless hours to begin, even before birth, to create a home centered on the word of God. Children learn by example. They need to see, in the home, the importance of the Bible in daily life. Prayer should be something children are taught to do with ease. Worshipping the Lord is never a question of where the family will be when the saints are assembled. A benevolent hand should be demonstrated to the children on how to care for those in need. Children who grow up to serve the Lord are taught to serve the Lord from the beginning of their lives.

Every child must be cultivated to love the Lord with all of their hearts, souls, minds, and bodies. Parents must instill in the hearts of their children the love of God. Hannah made a vow to give her son to the Lord, and she literally gave him to serve the Lord. Every parent should vow to do everything they can to commit their children’s hearts to know the Lord, serve the Lord, and help others know the Lord. The reality of parenting is that there is only one lifetime to teach children, and it must be done while their hearts are tender to the word of God. Hannah leaves a powerful example of a parent’s love for their children. Give your child to the Lord. Eternity depends on it.

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.