The Heaton File

When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” (Matthew 8:1-4)

Tell No One You Were Healed

Leprosy was the most dreaded disease of Bible times. There was no cure and death was a slow and agonizing process. Lepers were required by the Law of Moses to separate from all people shouting out “unclean” if they walked among a crowd. Following his sermon on the mountain, Jesus was approached by a leper who came and worshiped him. What makes the story incredible is to turn the clock back a short time when the leper heard Jesus was in the area. He knew his disease was a certain death sentence. How long he had been a leper is not known. For all reasons, there was nothing that could be done for him. Hearing Jesus was in the area, the man resolved withing himself to seek out Jesus and beg for healing.

As the multitude followed Jesus, the leper approached Jesus. This immediately created an awkward situation as those in the crowd fell backward from the leprose man. No one would have come near him for fear of contracting the disease. It took great courage and faith for the man to come to Jesus and worship him. Also, the man’s faith was so great; he told Jesus that if he were willing, he would heal him of his impossible disease. This was an incredible measure of faith to come to Jesus earnestly seeking what he believed Jesus could do. He did not ask Jesus if he could heal him but that he believed Jesus could heal him. Faith on this level was rare for those who followed Jesus.

The Lord immediately granted the request with a heart of compassion as he put his hand on the man and healed. The first miracle was the touch of Jesus. Leprosy created a world where only other lepers would touch their fellow lepers. Family members would have to abandon their loved ones. Leprosy took away the joy of touching. Jesus did not hesitate. He put out his hand and touched the leper, and cleansed him of the disease. Immediately the leprosy was cleansed. The feeling of the man at that instant was remarkable beyond description.

After Jesus heals the leper of the most terrible disease imagined, the Lord gives him strict instructions. He tells the healed man not to tell anyone. The former leper must go and show himself to the priest according to the Law of Moses and make the appropriate sacrifice. To be proclaimed clean of leprosy, the man would take two living and clean birds, cedarwood, scarlet, and hyssop. Following the examination by the priest, the man could return home. Faithfulness to the law was required even for miracles.

When the man returned home, it would be clear he was no longer a leper. The Holy Spirit does not tell us how he explained to his family his healing. Jesus knew it would be evident to everyone the leper was no longer a leper. There could be many reasons for the man to be cured of leprosy. Jesus forbade the man from making a public proclamation of his healing.

There is wisdom in the request, as difficult as it might have been. At first glance, it would be hard not to tell everyone what great things Jesus had done. To be cured of leprosy was one of the great miracles of the Lord. Yet, Jesus told the man not to tell anyone. There was a subtle lesson in the request of Jesus for the man to remain silent. Being healed of leprosy was a powerful manifestation of the power of Jesus but the greater mission of Jesus was to cure the heart. The former leper would rejoice in being healed of such a dreaded disease but he still faced the reality of death. Instead of spending his life telling how he was cured of leprosy, he needed to share the news of the man who was God that healed him and gave him eternal hope. His spiritual healing was more important. Be humble. Live without the accolades and curiosity of men. Be a servant.

It would be hard not to tell everyone from the housetops to the mountains of the healing but the man learned a lesson about what is more important than physical healing. Seeing the power of Jesus should have changed the man’s life. There is much to the story that longs to be told. Did the former leper become one of the early servants in the Lord’s church a few years later? There is hope he brought his family into the kingdom of Christ. On more than one occasion, Jesus told those he healed to tell no man. The greater lesson points beyond the physical healing to the one who brought the power of the Divine to show the sonship of Jesus Christ. It was a blessing for Jesus to heal the leper. What made the miracle greater was the obedient heart of the man seeking the blessings of God. Tell no man you were healed but tell everyone you are saved.

And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the commandment of the Lord by his prophets. (2 Chronicles 29:25)

God Commands Musical Instruments In Worship

Music has been in the world from the beginning of time. Seven generations from Adam was a man called Jubal, the father of all those who play the harp and the flute. The appeal of music is part of creation as God formed man to be inventive to write music and invent many different kinds of instruments. When Moses gave the law to the people, there was music on stringed instruments, harps with eight strings and ten strings, lyres, cymbals, loud cymbals, timbrels, flutes, tambourines, lutes, trumpets, horns, instruments of fir wood, and sistrums.

David was a skilled harp player and invented many musical instruments. When David brought the ark to Jerusalem, there were singers and Chenaniah the music master with the singers accompanying the occasion. At the dedication of the Temple, Solomon had thousands of musicians singing and playing instruments. The book of Psalms is filled with musical instruments as praise to the Lord glorified Him with the sound of the lute, harp, timbrel, stringed instruments, flutes, cymbals, and clashing cymbals. Praise to the Lord filled the earth with musical instruments and singing. God was richly praised by the music of men worshiping Him with great fervor.

During the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah, a period of restoration swept across the nation. One of the most important acts of Hezekiah was to restore temple worship. The king repaired the temple and commanded the priests to make offerings to the Lord. He stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps. When the sacrifices were made, the Levites with the instruments of David and the priests with the trumpets began playing along with the singers as the sacrifices were made. They sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped. Hezekiah sought to restore temple worship to honor God. He gathered the musicians to play on the instruments of David according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for it was the commandment of the Lord by His prophets.

Musical instruments were used in temple worship by the direct command of God. Prophets like Gad and Nathan were divinely instructed to included musical instruments in the worship, and Hezekiah was obedient to that command. God commanded the use of musical instruments in the Law of Moses, and those who faithfully followed the law included musical instruments in their worship. Nearly three hundred years after David, the king understood the law of God. He gathered the singers and musicians to restore temple worship in accordance with the command of God.

When the New Testament church began on the day of Pentecost, there were devout Jews who became the first converts to the gospel of Jesus Christ. These men were well versed in the commands of the Law of Moses. The apostles’ preaching pricked their hearts, and they gladly received the word of truth. The first members of the church of Christ were Jews who were familiar with the use of instruments of music. They had long followed the commands and traditions of their forefathers in worship, which included musical instruments. For a short time, the gospel was taken to the Jews, but then the family of Cornelius became Gentile converts. Greeks used instruments of worship in their religion. The early church was filled with Jews and Greeks, and all of them were familiar with musical instruments.

Hezekiah restored temple worship and included instruments of music because it was a command of God. The New Testament church began with devout Jews and then Gentile converts who never once mentioned using instruments of music in worship. There is not a single passage of authority in the New Testament where the early church used an instrument in worship. The absence of musical instruments in the New Testament church is evident by the authority of God. At no time did the early church engage in worship with a musical instrument because God never commanded it. History shows the instruments were not introduced until much later and under heavy criticism. It was not until the 8^th Century the organ was introduced.

God commanded musical instruments in the Law of Moses. He never suggested the use of instruments in the New Testament. What the early saints did to worship God was to sing. That is the kind of music commanded by God. This was the only music mentioned by the early church. Authority matters in the mind of God, and when men do what He has not commanded, they sin. Musical instruments are never authorized or permitted in the New Testament church. As Charles Spurgeon said, “We might as well pray by machinery as praise by it.” 

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the Earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10)

Two Realities Few Believe

It is said that death and taxes are the two certainties of life but the two realities of life are found in Peter’s warning of the impending return of the Lord and the total destruction of the known world. Everyone agrees death is certain and every Spring taxes come due. Nobody likes paying taxes and everybody loathes what death brings. The certainties of life come with an accepted norm that all will die and the government will require its pound of flesh. Sadly, the greater reality beyond death and taxes is the eternal question of life being governed by a higher being that has reserved the known universe for destruction and the accountability of humanity. The day of the Lord is the most real thing a person can know. What the day of the Lord brings is the second most real thing that every soul should understand. Life for all humanity will end, and then comes a judgment.

Many pundits warn of the impending destruction of the world by global warming. Some have suggested a depletion of the ozone and pollution from fossil fuels or a host of other man-made calamities could bring the human race to an end. There is nothing further from the truth. Without reservation and any possible truth to the claim, nothing within the arsenal of man’s power could destroy planet earth. Nuclear holocaust, supposed global warming, and whatever level of air pollution is used to scare the population into believing the great lie of human power it pales in comparing who rules the world and the universe. Humanity can and never will destroy the world because that is left in the hands of the One who created the world and the universe.

God is coming back one day. He made that promise two thousand years ago and He has not forgotten. Death will take the lives of hundreds of thousands of people every day and this will continue unabated until the Lord God decides to send His Son. Oil spills will fill the oceans and skies will fill with pollution, but the power of nature will continue to cleanse and purify the environment as it has done from the beginning. Yes, man can harm the environment, but he can never destroy the planet. That judgment is left in the hands of the mighty God who formed the world from the abyss of nothing. When the Lord returns, planet earth will explode in a fiery ball. The moon will become a mass of dust, and the sun will burst into nothing. Every planet and all the stars will erupt in the fiery wrath of God, and in an instant – the universe will cease to exist.

When the Lord returns and the world is burned up and the universe destroyed, all life on Earth will also be burned up. The first reality is that when the Lord returns, every soul on Earth will lose their carnal bodies, but they will retain their spiritual image of the Almighty. When a man dies, his body returns to the dust from whence it came, but his eternal spirit returns to God who gave it. At the coming of Christ and the destruction of the world, the body will dissolve into nothingness amidst the burning heat of God’s wrath, but the eternal nature of man will be transported to the presence of the Creator – Lord, God Almighty. The Earth ends, but humanity does not.

There are two certainties that all men must consider. The certainty of the universe being destroyed is incredible and universal, but that is not the most important part of the story. The second certainty of the world’s destruction will be an instant in time and become the abyss of blackness again. The first certainty is the coming of Christ to gather all men together for a judgment of righteousness, truth, and justice. That is what all men should know and fear. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, and most will be unprepared. Disbelieving in the return of Christ and the destruction of the world does not change reality and its certainty. There is a great day coming. It will be a loud and powerful scene when the world explodes. The greater noise will be the sound of those unprepared to meet their God – and it will be too late. Two realities. Whether you believe the second one is not as important as whether you are prepared for the first one.

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” Therefore let no one boast in men. (1 Corinthians 3:18-21)

One of the effective tools of Satan in destroying the work of God is to infiltrate the church with the wisdom of men and neglecting the word of God. Human wisdom is an appealing philosophy that can corrupt the authority of scripture to resemble truth but not be the truth. In the church at Corinth, the carnal mind divided saints into camps of allegiance based upon a man instead of Jesus Christ. The church was filled with contentions as some appealed to their allegiance to Paul, while others claimed to follow Apollos, and others put Peter up as their favorite. Human wisdom corrupted the unity of the church over the factions of the word of men. The result was the church became fractured over doctrinal, moral, and issues of authority. Through the wisdom of the world, the Corinthian church had become filled with envy, strife, and divisions.

After showing the futility of their divisions, Paul declares to the saints the wisdom of the world is foolishness and must be rejected. The self-deception of human wisdom led the disciples to vain deceit in their wisdom rather than the word of God. Every time God’s will is supplanted with the word of men, chaos, and confusion follow. By the world’s standards, the Corinthians looked wise. Looking at the church through the divine eyes of the Lord, the Corinthians were foolish. The philosophies of men have never helped man achieve his potential. Party affiliations bring division. Seeking the glory of self-worth creates disharmony. Unity comes when speak the same thing by the word of God that is unchangeable. God does not desire for divisions to be in the church. Unity is found when all the saints are perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Jesus built His church on one foundation – the word of God. The church can only grow when men reject the “good ideas” of human wisdom for the one truth. God is not impressed with the world’s wisdom, and the Father calls it what it is: foolishness. Paul quoted one of Job’s critical friends who said, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness.” This is a telling quote as Paul used the criticism of human wisdom seeking to understand divine law. Eliphaz was wrong (as were his two friends) about what was happening with Job. From a human standpoint, the three friends of Job found cause to condemn him. When they sought to comfort Job with human wisdom, they failed. Then Paul quotes the psalmist who declares that God is a refuge to those who are righteous and seek the knowledge of God.

The word of men is where men find their boast. There is nothing to brag about in the wisdom of men unless it mirrors the word of God. Human wisdom has done many wonderful things to alleviate the suffering of humanity. What it cannot do is to relieve the burden of sin. Only the word of God can accomplish the destruction of the flesh. When human wisdom is used to solve the human equation and burden of sin, it fails miserably. The wisdom of the world is foolishness when it comes to eternal life. There is only one Author, one Truth, one Way, and one Life. Let no one deceive themselves. If someone thinks they are wise by the world’s standards, they need to become a fool to be truly wise.

Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge, who carry the wood of their carved image, and pray to a god that cannot save. Tell and bring forth your case; yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me. Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath. (Isaiah 45:20-23)

The contrast between the one true living God and a wooden carved image is stark. An idol is formed by a man who cuts down a tree, uses some of the wood to build and fire and cook his food, and the other part is formed into an image of a created being. He then falls down and asks his wooden carved image to save him. Isaiah declares those who worship idols are stupid or without knowledge. An idol cannot move itself. It requires its maker to carry it and protect it. There is no salvation in a wooden idol. The injustice of idolatry is there is no power, knowledge, love, grace, mercy, and justice. Idolatry is created by the imagination of man to fill his own desires. There is no God like Jehovah because He is a just God and a God that saves.

God is a just God, not because He does right things, but because His nature is Just. Everything about Him is right, and everything that is right derives its meaning from Him. There is nothing that God has done that is not just. When the world was formed, God declared that it was good. Through the just nature of a perfect Creator, the Lord created a universe that declares His glory through every generation. The sun, moon, and stars that fill the sky are the same sun, moon, and stars that filled the heavens gazed upon by Adam and Eve. Creation is a testimony of the character of God as being just. The world and its wonders are right because God is a just God.

The fall of man created the vacuum of morality that must find its meaning either by the will of God or the will of man. Sadly, since the beginning of time, the majority of humanity has accepted the will of man as the moral compass of what is right and wrong. The Bible is the testimony of how just God is. When the world was destroyed in the days of Noah, it was accomplished by the hand of a just and righteous God. It was right to destroy the world as well as save the eight souls in the ark. The destruction of Egypt when the Lord delivered Israel followed the divine pattern of a just God. Everything He did was an act of justice or rightness. God punished His own people allowing the Assyrians to destroy the ten tribes and the Babylonians to take the remnant captive. The rising and falling of nations like Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome were fulfilled with the divine will of a just God.

Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners giving His life a ransom for all men. God is a just God through the grace of a loving Father, allowing His Son to be killed by men on a cross. It was the right thing to do. An idol could not have saved man. No man could save another man. Only the blood of Jesus unfolded the abundant love of God to save worthless men from their sin. There is no other God like the Father who shows His will as just and His purpose to save man. There is none besides the one true living God. Jesus said He was the only way, truth, and life to the Father. Only a just God would open an avenue of grace through His only begotten Son. Nothing created by man can match the love of God.

The word of God is how men know the character of a just God. His word reveals all that God has done to man and for man. The word has gone out by the mouth of God in righteousness and will never return to Him void or meaningless. Most men reject God’s word, but this same word will be the book opened in judgment where every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, and the Father rules. His justice will be determined on the final day. All that stand before the Father at judgment will know He is a just God. When they hear the sentence of death to be cast into a lake of fire and brimstone, they will agree it is the right thing to be done. God is a just God, and His word is righteousness. Those who are saved will understand the depth of God’s love and how just a God He is. The forgiveness of sins is the hallmark of God’s love for a man to show that He is right when He takes away sin through the blood of Jesus. God forgives sins, not because it is the right thing to do; it is who God is.

God is a just God. There is nothing in man’s character that finds truth, justice, and love as it does in the nature of the Divine. Comparing God to anything created by man is useless. The word of God is true and righteous. Salvation is perfected in Christ. Grace embraces the worthless nature of sinful man before a just God who is willing to forgive. Everything God does, says, and promises is just. Everything.

And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. (Acts 11:26)

Be A Christian First

Jeff Himmel relates the story of when he was in business school, Japan was the dominant economic challenger in the world. During the course of study in world business affairs, the focus was given to learn the customs of the Japanese. One such custom had to do with how they introduced themselves to others. Whenever someone would ask the name of someone in Japan, they would first tell them the company they worked for and then tell them their individual name. For example, a man working for Yamaha would first answer where he worked before telling his name. His value of what he did in life was greater than who he was. Jeff made a great point in the spiritual world that this is how Christians should live their life.

Everything about the life of a Christian begins with being a Christian. When the disciples at Antioch were first called Christians, there was a reason. Something in the pagan world stood out in the minds of those who recognized the disciples as followers of Jesus Christ. The attitudes of the disciples of Antioch impressed the world with who they were following. A Christian is a person who is a follower of Christ. Apparently, this was evident by those who saw the Antioch disciples interact with the community, one another, and the Roman government. Christians paid their taxes because Jesus said to render to Caesar what belongs to him. As a disciple of Jesus, forgiveness was a common trait among those of the church at Antioch. In the face of persecution, the disciples of Christ did not revile in return but accepted their plight with joy to suffer like Christ.

Too many Christians follow the example of Nicodemus, who came to Jesus at night. John does not disclose the reason for the visit under the cloak of darkness, but many of the leading Jews hid their faith in the man from Nazareth. In a dark world of compromise, many of God’s people move easily among the shadows of the world without anyone knowing they are disciples of Jesus Christ. Everyone should be identified as a Christian first before any other information is given about a person’s life. If an employer does not know his employee is a Christian, they should be ashamed. The community must be able to identify every member of the Lord’s body by the life they live, and the message shared in their lives. Neighbors should not have to wonder where the Christian is going every Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday. As members of a local community, the home where the Christian lives are easily identifiable. Jesus warned those who were ashamed of Him in this life would be put to shame at the judgment.

Make a practice to let others know of the importance of Christ in your life. The disciples at Antioch were called Christians because their life reflected the glory of the risen Christ. Whether the name was given in derision or not, it was a name labeled after a manner of life that identified a person as a follower of Jesus. Let Jesus shine in your life. Show the world what is first!

But you denied the Holy One and the Just and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. (Acts 3:14-15)

The Prince Of Life

Not long after Pentecost, Peter and James go to the Temple to pray when they find a lame man asking alms from those entering the Temple. Peter heals the man, which causes quite a commotion among the people as they rush together to them on the porch, greatly amazed. Realizing an opportunity to preach Christ, Peter delivers a brief message about the power of Christ and the impact of the lame man being healed. His sermon is pointed, direct, and accusatory against the Jews for killing some days earlier Jesus of Nazareth. Peter boldly charges his fellow Hebrews of delivering up, denying, and killing the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead. Jesus of Nazareth was the fulfillment of the prophets who spoke of Christ’s suffering and dying. Although the people acted in ignorance, the death of Jesus was part of the divine plan.

Peter refers to Jesus as the prince of life. A prince is someone who is a commander or captain, someone with authority. The Greek carries the thought further in suggesting Jesus as the Author of life or the originator of life. Paul would later call Jesus the author and finisher of the faith in his letter to the Hebrews. Jesus was the prince of life or author as one who has dominion over life. All rule and authority was given to Jesus following His resurrection as He Himself declared to the eleven. Life emanates from the Son of God as the author of eternal life through His blood.

It was the irony of human tragedy that men killed the source of their life. Jesus created the world and formed man from the dust of the ground. The breath of life came through the hand of the one crucified at Calvary. God was nailed to the cross by His creation. Jesus tells Pilate that it was within His power to call twelve legions of angels to destroy all of humanity. This was the power of God ruling through His Son. As the prince of life, Jesus is more than the Creator. The spiritual character of humanity was tainted by sin resulting in death, both physical and spiritual. Jesus did not come to take away physical death but to give all men hope in eternal life. As the author of salvation, Jesus offers hope through His sacrifice that all men could have life and have it more abundantly. The prince of life can give life to a sinful body through the grace of forgiveness.

Barabbas had been released at the demand of the Jewish people to fuel their hatred of Jesus and have Him killed. Peter does not shy away from the accusation of the Jews denying the Holy One, asking for a murderer to be set free. As Barabbas was released from prison scarred with the burden of sin, the Son of God died on a cross to release all men from the wrath of God. Jesus was innocent of all sin, and Barabbas represented the worst in all humanity. When the prince of life was killed, the joy of eternal life was opened for all who would believe Jesus to be the Son of God. As the author of faith, Jesus is the one who reigns at the right hand of the Father with all authority and power. No one can come to the Father but through Jesus Christ. He is the only way because He is the prince of life. The truth of God is found in the message of the author of life. Life comes from the prince of life. Jesus is the prince of life.

Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. And the Syrians had gone out on raids and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:1-3)

Why Preach In A Sinful World?

During the days of the divided kingdom of Israel, every king, without exception of the northern tribes, was wicked. Among the vilest of kings was Ahab, the son of Omri. The Holy Spirit declared that Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him. He incited the wrath of God by taking as wife Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. After the twenty-two-year reign of Ahab, his son Ahaziah inherits the throne and follows in the evil path of his parents. Ahaziah did evil in the sight of the Lord serving Baal and worshipping him, and provoking God to anger.

Two years after becoming king, Ahaziah falls through the latticework of an upper room at his palace in Samaria and is seriously injured. He sends messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether he would recover. The Lord sends Elijah to tell Ahaziah he would die from his injuries. At his death, his brother Jehoram, son of Ahab and Jezebel, takes over the reign of the northern kingdom. Jehoram would be the last of the dynasty of Omri, ruling only twelve years.

For nearly one hundred years, the evil kings filled the land with wickedness from Baal worship, sacrificing children as burnt offerings, sexual immorality, murder, deceit, three kings assassinated, one king committing suicide, and Ahab killed in battle. Life in Israel is a cesspool of sin and incredible evil. There is nothing that can redeem Israel from the fate that is set before her. God sends men like Elijah, Elisha, Amos, and Hosea to warn the people and to preach the message of repentance, but it falls on deaf ears. The people refuse to repent, and the nation plunges further into wickedness.  In 722 B.C., the Assyrian army destroys Samaria, and the ten tribes are never heard from again.

Why would God send prophets to preach in a place like Israel? The world of the northern tribes was completely given over to do evil. Immorality was common, corruption was expected, and the political leaders were decadent despots seeking pleasure and power with no knowledge of God in the land. In this dark, dark world of sin shone a small light of God’s grace in the heart of a young maiden who believed in the impossible. During a raid from the commander of the Syrian army, a young girl from the land of Israel was taken captive. This unnamed maiden lived in the dark world of the northern tribes of Israel who never had a righteous king. Her parents raised her in the sinful world of Ahab and his sons.

When the maiden was taken captive, she became a servant of the wife of Naaman, a great and honorable man in the eyes of the king of Syria and a mighty man of valor. But Naaman was a leper. One day, the young maiden spoke to her mistress and told her if her master would seek the help of the prophet in Samaria, he could be healed of his leprosy. Where did the young girl find this kind of faith in a dark world of sin? Leprosy was not something anyone could be cured from, yet this maiden believed in the power of God to do the impossible. Jesus would speak of this young lady many centuries later when He said, “Many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.” Naaman was healed because a family living in the putridity of wickedness kept the light of truth and righteousness alive in their home and changed the course of divine history spoken about thousands of years later.

The world can be a dark place. Sin abounds in greater frequency, and the dark forces of Satan continue to overshadow a land that once had a sense of moral rightness and truth. Homosexuality is common, adultery and fornication are expected, political leaders lie, cheat, deceive, and corrupt the system, and the world seems to be spinning in a whirlpool of immorality and sin. What God needs are families – parents teaching their children – to be lights of truth, righteousness, holiness, and godliness. The northern ten tribes of Israel were destroyed, but righteous men, women, and children held to the gospel of truth in the one true God. Like the church at Sardis, there will always be the few who walk in white. When the world turns dark, that is the time for the lights of God’s people to shine brighter. Who knows? Maybe someone with leprosy (sin) may find the cleansing power of the spiritual Jordan and be cleansed of their leprosy (sin). Why preach in a sinful world? There are souls that need the saving message of God.

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:10-13)

Four For’s

There are four “For’s” in Paul’s letter to Rome explaining the mercy and grace of God’s love for mankind. Each one is an individual stamp of the plan to redeem men from sin. Paul had a deep desire for all men to be saved, especially for Israel. The problem many had with the preaching of Paul was while they expressed a zeal for God, they were not submitting the will of the Lord in righteousness. There was a need for obedience to be found in keeping the commandments of the Lord and for faith to dwell in the heart with all diligence. Part of the plan of salvation came from the verbal declaration of the Lord Jesus and the belief in the heart that God had raised Jesus from the dead. Salvation begins with these necessary ingredients.

‘FOR Number One’ is for the heart to believe in the story of Jesus. Hundreds of saints could testify, having seen Jesus resurrected from the dead. Believing unto righteousness accepts the word of the Lord, declaring Jesus of Nazareth as God’s only begotten Son. Understanding the right thing is to know Jesus was crucified, buried, and then rose the third day by the power of God. There are no doubts. The story of Jesus is not a myth but the manifestation of God in the flesh walking among men. Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life before suffering as an innocent lamb led to the slaughter. Through the blood of Jesus, redemption is found.

Belief is not all that is required. Confession is made with the mouth. It is not enough to think one believes Jesus is the Christ. There is a demand to vocalize that belief before others. This takes courage to let others hear with their ears a statement of belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. A testimony is declared of belief in the resurrection. Modern men deny the power of God to raise a man from the grave. Visit all the tombs of the notable religious leaders, and every tomb will be filled with bones. The tomb of Jesus has been empty for two thousand years. Three days after to righteous men sealed Jesus in a tomb; two disciples found the tomb empty. Confession with the mouth acknowledges that belief.

‘FOR Number Two” confirms Jesus to be the fulfillment of the word of God. Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah to bridge the writings of the Old Testament to the life of Jesus. Believing Jesus is the Son of God is accepting the truth of the prophets who spoke of the coming Messiah. Jesus was not a good man doing good things. He fulfilled scripture as the Chosen and Beloved of God to bring all men to Himself. Jesus is the Christ – the Anointed One. Believing and making that declaration does not bring embarrassment or shame. The heart that believes in Jesus as the Son of God boldly proclaims allegiance to the King of Kings. Believing Jesus is God’s Son is proven by scripture encouraging the child of God to accept the word of God as truth. There is no doubt what the scriptures teach about Jesus. He is the promised Christ.

‘FOR Number Three’ is the beauty of God’s grace. Salvation is not given to a select group of people. All lives matter in the scheme of redemption. God could have selected one race to be the chosen ones. He might have only picked the Jews as His redeemed. There are many possibilities of whom God would grant salvation, but He chose every race, every nation, every time, and every person to be offered the measure of grace to save them. The early converts to Christ were Jews, Ethiopians, foreigners, men, women, rich and poor, and even among the household of Caesar. There was no distinction made of who could be saved. The color of skin did not elevate or declare unworthy a needy soul. A Roman jailor was saved, a successful magician found grace, and the great persecutor of the church found salvation in the bosom of Christ. All lives matter to God.

‘FOR Number Four” is the eternal message from the beginning. The prophet Joel declares that all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. This message was from the beginning as men began to call upon the name of the Lord. There is a lot of confusion about what this means. Many think it just means to call (vocally) on God, and He will save them. Every time the idea of calling on the name of the Lord is found in scripture, it demands obedience. Calling on the name of the Lord is not a single act of declaration but a willingness to obey every command of God. Salvation by faith only has never been in the mind of God. No man has ever been nor ever can be saved only by ‘calling on the name of the Lord. If God’s name is called upon, the heart must obey. The final “FOR’ is where the heart turns entirely to the Lord in obedience to all God commands.

Four ‘FOR’S’ to consider.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. The more they increased, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame. (Hosea 4:6-7)

Knowledge And Sin

The relationship between God and man has always been related to what God has told man and how man reacts to the will of the Lord. Adam and Eve had the knowledge of truth but denied it. Humanity in the days of Noah was not ignorant of the will of the Lord and continued to reject truth for their own desires, resulting in their destruction. God gave Israel the written Law of Moses to remind them of His counsel where they were without excuse when He finally punished them. Jesus came to be the Word, revealing to the world the word of God in the flesh. Through the working of the Holy Spirit, the written word was preserved for generations to read and understand the knowledge of the mystery of God. In time, the knowledge of truth was formed into what is called “The Bible.”

Everything man needs to know about truth is found in the Bible. There is only one truth, one way, and one life, and all the knowledge of the Divine is contained in the sixty-six books of Genesis to the Revelation. Reading the mind of God, a man can know and understand the nature of his Creator, the expectations and desires of God, and the path of eternal life. Sin is a dominant part of the divine story beginning with the fall of man in the Garden of Eden to the exultation of the redeemed in the heavenly garden of the Revelation. What has destroyed the work of men is the ignorance of the knowledge of God. There is evidence for God in creation, but His nature can only be discovered on the pages of holy writ. Without that knowledge, no one can know God. When men reject the word of the Lord, they reject the will of God, and He will turn away from them. This is exemplified by God’s dealing with His own people – Israel.

Hosea is a prophet sent to the rebellious northern tribes of Israel. Every king of Israel was wicked (without exception). In the final days of the ten tribes, the Lord sent Amos and Hosea to turn the people’s hearts back to the one true God. Hosea’s life is used as an object lesson between God and Israel. The prophet lays out the charge against Israel in plain language, unambiguous, powerful testimony of their wicked hearts. There was no truth or mercy, or knowledge of God in the land. Israel was filled with swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and committing adultery because they had forsaken the knowledge of the one true God. Lack of knowledge kills. The people rejected God, denying His power and refusing to worship the only true and living God.

If men reject the knowledge of God, He will reject them. Sin is not the absence of truth but the rebellious heart leaving God’s will. Eve told Satan what the will of the Lord was and then ignored what she knew for her own selfish desires. Israel was not ignorant of the word of God. Many prophets were sent to Israel to turn their hearts back to God, but they were told to stop preaching and, in many cases, were killed for preaching the truth. When the word of God is ignored, sin reigns, and the judgment of the Lord awaits. The more the nation filled their hearts with ignorance, the greater the sin and the greater the condemnation. When a nation turns its heart away from the knowledge of God, doom is its future.

Knowledge and sin can either save or condemn. The righteous man knows the will of the Lord and changes his heart to defeat sin. Lacking the knowledge of the Lord allows the carnal spirit to prevail and sin to abound. It becomes a choice about what to do with knowledge. Those who will be saved in the day of eternal judgment are those who came to the knowledge of truth and obeyed. The vast majority of people will be damned to hell – not because there was a lack of knowledge – but because the knowledge delivered by God was rejected. Every page of the Bible reveals the love, grace, and mercy of God. Whether those words save or condemn will depend on whether you accept it or not.