The Heaton File

Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. (John 12:42-43)

Peer Pressure

There was no denying that Jesus Christ was a remarkable man who, by His presence and works of miracles, demanded attention. The Pharisees were the harshest critics of Jesus, but they never denied His miracles, and they never succeeded in trapping the carpenter from Nazareth in matters of God’s law. Jesus was thirty years old when He began His ministry, and when His life ended a few years later, He died a sinless man. The multitudes were astonished at His teaching. When Jesus healed everyone who came to Him, the people were in awe and fear. Soldiers were sent to arrest Jesus, but they returned, saying no one ever spoke as the man from Galilee. The testimony of Jesus Christ was crystal clear, such that no one could deny that He was the Son of God. Even Satan could not deny or tempt the Lord. And yet many denied Him.

Many among the Jewish ruling class witnessed the miracles of Jesus, heard His teachings, and believed He was the Son of God. They believed Him to be the promised Messiah. What Jesus taught was the pure word of God with no deviation or misrepresentation. The rulers were educated men knowledgeable of the Law of Moses. They listened intently to Jesus’ words and felt the power of His message in their hearts. The strings of their souls were pricked with the beauty of God’s word, and they believed Jesus to be the Christ. For the rulers to confess Jesus as the Christ would have been an incredible testimony to the grace of the Father of hearts changed by His word.

Many rulers believed in Jesus, but they faced a daunting task. How could they confess Jesus to be the Christ and remain in the place of honor and authority among their fellow Jews? They knew Him to be the Son of God. There was no doubting the power of His words or the evidence of His miracles. They knew if they hinted at any allegiance to Jesus, they would lose their place among the rulers. There were consequences to their lives if they confessed Jesus to be the Christ. As rulers, they help power – that would be lost. Through the power of their position, they were wealthy men of some note – they would lose that wealth. As rulers of the elite, they would enjoy a place of prominence among the people and other rulers, with respect and honor accorded to them and their family – they would lose all of that prestige.

Many rulers believed Jesus was the Christ, but because of the peer pressure of their fellow countrymen, they denied Jesus. They knew acknowledging Jesus would put them out of the synagogue. As rulers, they enjoyed the praise of men. Confessing Jesus as the Son of God would bring the reviling of their friends and neighbors. They had a choice to confess Christ and suffer the consequences or take the broad way with the throng of the crowd and enjoy the praise of men. What these rulers did was seek the praise of men, not realizing that praise would only last for a season. If they continued to refuse to confess Christ, they would stand before Christ with the praise of men on their lips and the wrath of God on their souls. There would be no praise of men in the eternal flames.

The praise of men is a strong song of the sirens appealing to the hearts and minds of many who believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and because of their love for the praise of men, they deny Jesus. Satan knows that if he can keep the heart believing the praise of men is more important than the praise of God, he will succeed in damning the soul to hell. He is very successful. The praise of men is but a vapor, but the praise of God is eternal. Whatever glories are received in this life are fleeting. Standing before God and hearing Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” is of greater meaning and importance than any praise men will give. Choose this day whom you will serve – the praise of men or the praise of God. Your eternal soul depends on it.

Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged.” (Romans 3:4)

Let Man Be A Liar

There are two kinds of wisdom. The first kind of wisdom is human reasoning, developed through investigation and philosophical conclusions that frame the understanding of the mind. Through human wisdom, man has been able to accomplish great things, but at the height of his intellectual prowess, he lacks the knowledge to go beyond the bounds of reasoning instilled in him by his Creator. The second kind of wisdom is what comes from the mind of God, and there can be no comparison between God’s wisdom and the knowledge man possesses. Human wisdom can send men into the vast reaches of space, but can man create a canvas larger than the universe he dwells in? Certainly not. Mankind was given dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth, but he cannot control the weather, the waters, the winds, and the rotation of the earth around the sun.

In Paul’s thesis to the Roman church about the relationship between Jews and Gentiles, he reminds the saints that the wisdom of God is far above any knowledge that man can possess. God chose the Hebrews to be His special people, not because they were more in number than any other people, but because He loved them. Why would God rescue a people of Hebrew bricklayers to be His mighty nation? God promised through Abraham to bless all nations, hinting at the salvation of the Gentiles. The Jews struggled with allowing Gentiles into a covenant with God, but that was because they measured God’s wisdom by their own standards. Jesus was killed by the wisdom of human reasoning to highlight the ignorance of man. The Jews screamed for Jesus to be crucified, and Pilate, knowing Jesus was innocent, condemned Him to die. Human wisdom failed at Golgotha, and divine wisdom reigned supreme.

The first thing a man must do when he comes to God is to remove his feelings of supremacy, recognizing that, at best, he is unable to measure up to the wisdom of his Creator. It is futile for a man to compare himself to God. Human reasoning is compared to divine wisdom as futile. When Paul wrote that God be true and every man a liar, he established that there is only one truth and that truth proceeds from the throne of God. Human wisdom cannot establish truth apart from God. Human reasoning is extremely limited compared to the omniscience of the Almighty God. Man, at best, must be a liar in the presence of the One who formed, created, and designed the universe. The wisdom of man is bound by the habitation established by God. He can never go beyond those boundaries.

Jesus Christ is the greatest example of God’s wisdom. No man could have created the man called Jesus. Human reasoning has never come within a billion light-years of imagining the story of God’s Son in the gospel. When human reasoning seeks to determine what is right and wrong, it fails miserably. God gave the world the Bible to express the eternal and divine truth of righteousness. There is nothing in the annals of human reasoning that compares. Men must stop listening to human wisdom for truth. God is the only source of truth. When men follow human wisdom to understand who they are, they boast in arrogant pride that will destroy them. Truth comes from God. Untruth comes from man. Every opinion of man is false if it is not based on the word of God. Human philosophy must be abandoned for the only way, the only truth, and the only life – Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6-8)

Foxhole Religion

A pilot and his navigator had been shot down and were adrift at sea in their tiny lifeboat. After several days without food, water, and any hope of rescue, the pilot began to pray. He said, “God, you know I haven’t lived a very good life. I’ve been a miserable husband and a terrible father. I’ve cheated, lied, and stolen, and haven’t had any use for the church. But God, if you’ll save us from dying out here, I promise I’ll never …” The navigator interrupted, “Don’t say another word. I think I see land.” Foxhole religion.

There is a Japanese proverb that says, “Once on shore, pray no more.” It is not uncharacteristic for a frightened man to change his promises after the danger has passed. There may not be any atheists in foxholes, but pull a man out of the fires of battle, and he may not be as ‘religious’ as he once was. This is because God becomes a secondary object of worship, like a life vest in case of emergency. A life vest is not very stylish, mostly uncomfortable, and more of an annoyance to wear. The only way a life vest is purposeful is when someone is thrown into the water. Then, and only then, does the vest come into use.

People use God like a life vest. He is not stylish, His will is uncomfortable, and expecting one to follow the commandments of the Lord is a nuisance to living a life full of energy and excitement. Few people walk around with God as their life saver. He only comes into use when there is danger. Take away the threat, and the moment of fear – God is no longer needed. Imagine how God feels to be used in such a manner. Actually, God is not amused because it is impossible to use God like that. The one who is fooled into believing foxhole religion is acceptable to God is a foolish man. Satan has done well to allow a man to believe in God, but only as a last-minute need, just in case.

It is foolish to think God is like a light switch that can be turned on and off at the whims of human desires. Religion is used as a crutch to satisfy the guilt of the human heart that knows the hypocrisy of foxhole religion. There is no commitment. Obedience to God is laughed at. When a man faces danger and he calls out to God for help, he forgets that God will not listen to those who never listen to Him. Foxhole prayers go unheeded, unheard, and unanswered. God is not amused. He will only listen to the prayers of His children who seek Him daily and ask His blessings. Prayer is a daily communication that is shared between a faithful heart and a God of grace.

Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.” (Numbers 15:37-41)

Making Tassels

Throughout the history of the world, God has left memorials for men to remember Him and learn from those memorials the grace and mercy of the Lord. Sometimes stones are erected as memorials. The smoke from the altars of Abraham marked his journey of faith with God. Moses erected the Tabernacle as a Testimony to the word of God. Sacrifices served not only the purpose of worshiping the Lord but also to remind man of the sacredness of life and the price of sin in the death of an animal. The greatest memorial came when Jesus died on the cross and rose on the third day. Before He was crucified, Jesus instituted a memorial feast called the Lord’s Supper to remember all the commandments of the Lord and the price of redeeming sinful man. This memorial remains an integral part of worship today.

When Moses gave the law to the Hebrews at Sinai, it included many memorials to serve as reminders for the people of God. Lest they forget the Lord on a daily basis, God intertwined a memorial in the garments of the Jews to keep the Lord’s commandments always before them. The law prescribed that the people make tassels on the corners of their garments as a reminder throughout the generations, reminding them of their covenant with God. They were also to include a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. The purpose of the tassels was to invoke the heart of the people to remember the commandments of the Lord and to do them. Tassels would serve as warnings not to follow after the harlotry of the nations around them. God brought them out of Egypt by His mighty hand, and they needed to remember where their salvation came from. The tassels would serve as that reminder.

One of the purposes of the tassels was to serve as a daily reminder to the individual and to others. The garments of the Israelites were required to have tassels. This was not a fashion statement that could be ignored. God commanded that the tassels be included on their garments along with the blue thread. As the person went about their daily activities, the tassels would remind them who they were and what they were in the eyes of the Lord. The tassels would also serve as a reminder to everyone else who saw their family and friends wearing tassels in their garments. Israel became a nation of people who wore tassels on their garments as a sign of the covenant between them and God.

The world would see how Israel dressed and notice the abundance of tassels in the garments. An observant person would see that all of Israel wore tassels with blue threads. This served as a distinction between the people of God and the world, separating them from the wickedness of a corrupt world. If a Jew were tempted to follow after the immorality of the world, the tassels would remind them who they were as people of God. It was the will of the Father that the tassels would stop the heart from seeking after the harlotry of the world. Sadly, in time, the tassels did not stop the Israelites from polluting the land with idolatry because they ignored the tassels and refused to honor the law of God, which required the tassels to be a sign of the covenant they made with God.

The requirement of tassels was abolished when the Law of Moses was no longer in effect. There are other memorials and reminders God has placed in His law to remind the people who they are. The memorial of the word of God serves as the testimony of God’s word. On every first day of the week, the people of God assemble to partake of the Lord’s Supper, a memorial feast instituted by Jesus for His disciples to observe until He returns. This tassel has the blood of Jesus flowing through it. Prayer and song serve as tassels to remind the followers of Christ who they are. These things should be part of the spiritual garment of the Christian that is worn each day as a reminder of the covenant shared with God. The world should see in the life of the Christian the spiritual tassels of God’s word at work in everything the Christian is and will be, amidst an evil world.

God told the Jews to put tassels on all their garments with a blue thread to remind them of who they were and what they were. The tassels never failed, only the people. God has placed spiritual tassels in the church today, and whether they succeed or not depends on the heart of the Christian. Wear the armor of God and don’t forget the purpose of the tassels.

And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into Hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:4-7)

Worth More Than A Small Bird

Fear is a very strong emotion. It can cause the heart to shrink away in dread from the presence of a greater force. Many things bring fear to the mind of man, like uncertainty, disease, death, and what other men may do. The inhumanity of man against his neighbor can bring about a life of fear, dreading the threats and intimidations brought on by the reprisals of death. When evil men persecuted the church, the fear of death caused many to deny Christ and give up their faith. Facing the sword or being burned alive brought great fear. The faith of many was not strong enough to withstand the blows of the fear of death.

An innumerable multitude of people gathered around Jesus to listen to His teaching. He warned them against the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders who pressured them to submit to doctrines and teachings that were their own and not the law of God. The Pharisees bound heavy burdens on the people to oppress them. Jesus tells the crowd that they should not fear the threats of the Pharisees, but rather fear God. If a man threatens to kill another if he does not submit to him, the reality is that death is all a man can do to another. What happens after death is beyond the control of the will of man. Jesus reminds the people that the one to fear is the one they face after death. What men say and do matters little, but what God says and does matters for eternity.

Fear must be understood in the context of consequences. A man can torture and kill a person, but that is all they can do. God is the One whom all men face after death, who decides the eternal fate of every human being. There is nothing that man can do either for himself or others after death. If a man dies condemned before God, he will remain in that state for eternity. In the story of Lazarus and the rich man, Abraham reminded the rich man that the eternal fates of all men remain unchanged. God is to be feared as the judge of eternity. But Jesus reminds the people that fearing God is not to bring dread to the heart, but joy, knowing how great God’s power is.

First, Jesus tells the people to fear God, who is able to cast someone into Hell, which He will do if a man is disobedient. But for the faithful children of God, there is nothing to fear because God will care for and protect His children from the power of Satan. Sparrows were sold in the marketplace for two copper coins. They were the most inexpensive offerings as they were so small. Jesus reminds the crowd that His Heavenly Father cares for all creation, even the little tiny sparrows. If God cares for the small creatures of the world, He will care for every person who remains faithful to Him. God numbers the hair on the dead. The point Jesus makes is that while birds are important to the Creator, the soul of man is of even greater value to Him.

Fear can bring joy when it is understood in the proper context. God has the power to destroy the soul in Hell, and that is sadly what will happen to most people in the world. Jesus shows that while there is a certain amount of fear in recognizing the eternal power of His Father, the child of God should remember that God knows and cares for all His people and that He will not forget the spirit of faith that dwells in them. God knows, He cares, and He protects His faithful followers. The child of God has an eternal Father who created the world. There is nothing to fear from a benevolent Father who is so powerful, mighty, and omnipotent. Fear is bound in the love of God to care for and protect the people of God. God must be respected and feared, but that brings joy, not dread.

It is a wonderful thought to know that in all the eight billion souls that walk on the face of the earth, God cares for every soul that is faithful to Him. It matters not whether the world knows the heart of the Christian – God knows. Many unsung heroes of faith walk quietly through life serving the Lord and loving His Son. The world may not recognize them, but the Father does. God will not forget the sparrow, and He will not forget His child. Do not be afraid of what men say or do because there is nothing they can do to change a heart determined to serve the Lord. What joy to know the love of God.

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:19-21)

Nocturnal Men

God created humanity to be creatures of the day. Nocturnal animals are active in darkness and often possess special adaptations for seeing in low-light conditions, including large eyes that facilitate low-light vision. The human body is not created to be nocturnal. God created light as the first of creation to establish the natural and spiritual nature of man. When God created Adam and Eve, He created them in His own image as spiritual beings that would never cease to exist, dwelling in the light. Sin brought the darkness of rebellion to the world, and Satan has been casting his shadow of evil over the world, destroying the lives of those who were created for light.

Jesus came into the world as the divine light of God to show the glory of the Father in a dark and perverse world. The Son of God came to bring light to all men, but the world did not want the light to expose their sin. They loved the darkness of sin above the Light of God and sought to extinguish the Heavenly Light. Jesus was killed on a cross as the world plunged into the greatest darkness of sin and rebellion. The earth shook and trembled because God had died. But on the first day of the week, the Light of God returned once more to shine in the hearts of men the glory and power of God. Jesus rose from the dead to bring eternal light to all men. The early disciples spread the news of the eternal light, and thousands obeyed the gospel. But most rejected the Light of God and continued in their sin.

The condemnation of the world is that men love sin. There is greater joy in the darkness than in the deeds of the light, which is contrary to the eternal makeup of humanity. Man was created to be a creature of the light to glorify God. Those who love sin hate the light because they are exposed to what they are doing in the darkness. Why are most people, according to Jesus, going to be lost? They love darkness. Sin is fun, enjoyable, and fulfilling for them as they scurry about in spiritual darkness, believing they will not suffer any harm for their actions. The pride of man does not allow the light to show what they are doing because they are ashamed. When Adam and Eve first ate the forbidden fruit, they hid in the shadows of the garden in shame. Nothing much has changed since.

Light walkers are those who seek the light to bask in the glory of the Heavenly Father. Their deeds are clearly exposed, but they invite the eyes of God to look upon their lives and see all that is in their heart, souls, and minds. People of light are not afraid of what God sees because they know He is a graceful and merciful God who forgives through His infinite love. Light exposes everything. Walking in the light demands full accountability. Those who seek the light of Jesus Christ are unafraid of what the Lord will see. For those who follow the truth, they come to light to show God their love for Him. There is no greater joy for the Father to see His children walking in the light.

The greatest tragedy is when children of the light return to the darkness. They were once enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift of God’s grace, but they long for the joy of darkness. Like a hog returning to the wallowing in the mud, a soldier of light casts off his armor to dwell in the darkness of sin. The tragedy is compounded because they refuse to return to the Lord to walk in the light. Darkness becomes their friend and their enemy. Without the light of Christ, there is no hope. The reality is realized too late when death comes and the darkness of eternal damnation overwhelms the soul. Those who live in darkness now will live in darkness in eternity. The soul that walks in the light will live in everlasting light. God created all men to be people of the light because the Lord is unwilling that any should dwell in darkness. He has prepared a place of darkness for the devil and his angels, but He desires that none of His creation be cast into outer darkness. And yet, Satan has convinced the majority of humanity to dwell with him in darkness, and most will. Are you walking in the light? If not, you are walking in darkness. You need to change places.

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.” (Job 1:8-10)

The Hedge Of The Lord

The trouble with the devil is that he can turn truth into a half-truth that becomes a lie. When Satan tempted Jesus, he quoted scripture, but to his own advantage. As the father of lies, Satan can never be trusted to speak the truth. In the story of Job, Satan makes a charge against God that was based on some truth that became a lie as the devil was seeking to impugn the character of God. The Lord asked Satan if he had considered the faithfulness of Job, that there was none like him on the earth. Job had a blameless character, being an upright man. He was not sinless, but he strove daily to be pure in the eyes of the Lord. Job feared God with godly fear and kept evil as far from him as possible. In the eyes of the Lord, Job was one of the most righteous men on earth.

Satan took the Lord’s blessing on Job and tried to turn it to his evil deeds. He accused God of protecting Job so much that Job was predestined to be saved without any effort on his part. The devil accused God of placing a barrier around Job that would not allow the wiles of the devil to penetrate; thus, Job could not sin because God protected him. Job was a blessed man above all men on earth. He had ten children, immense wealth, and Job lived a sanctified life of goodness through the blessings of the Lord. Satan accused God of creating a hedge around Job that disqualified his righteousness as nothing more than divine intervention. As in all cases with the father of lies, Satan was telling a half-truth.

God does place a hedge around His people. The nation of Israel was a protected people who were highly favored through the blessings of the Lord. Moses told the people that if they obeyed the Lord God, He would bless them above all nations. After leaving Egypt and wandering for forty years, Israel only lost one battle against their enemies. The Hebrews were not a nation of soldiers. At best, they were bricklayers. Only through the power of God were they delivered from Egypt and became a mighty nation. The Lord hedged in His people, but they chose to rebel against Him, and He removed that hedge when Nebuchadnezzar burned Jerusalem and the temple to the ground.

When someone obeys the gospel of Christ in baptism, they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. God places a spiritual hedge around the obedient soul that will not allow them to be tempted beyond what they can bear. Temptation is the common lot of all men, but it is dealt with differently for those in Christ. God is faithful and will not allow His children to be overwhelmed by the wiles of the devil. He places a hedge around His children to protect them. When the king of Syria sent his army to capture the prophet Elisha, a servant of the prophet became very afraid. Elisha assured his servant that God would protect them, and the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. The spiritual hedge surrounding them was the army of the Lord.

The Christian has a hedge placed around them by the power of God to protect and keep them from the evil one. This hedge is put there by the grace of God to be used by the Christian to stand against the wiles of the devil. God’s hedge does not keep the heart from temptation but protects the soul if the heart is willing to trust in the Lord to protect them. The hedge of the Lord is placed around the child of God to give them the power to resist the devil. This hedge needs the nourishment of the word of God and prayer to remain healthy. God never suggests He will protect the soul without the person making a diligent effort to walk in the light. Sadly, many fail to care for the hedge of protection given by God, and in time, the devil is able to regain the heart to his evil ways.

The protective hedge of God is found in the prayer of Jesus, asking God to deliver the soul from the evil one. An essential part of prayer is seeking the protection of the Father from the evil darts of the devil. Paul describes it as the armor of God. The armor will have no value if not worn daily. Every Christian is at war and needs protection. God places a hedge around His people to protect them and to give them a blessed assurance of hope. The devil can be resisted by the power of God. If God is for us, who can be against us? Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Thank God for the blessings of the hedge!

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19)

The Holy Word Of God

The Bible is the divine word of God revealed to the world to understand the will of God. In the beginning of time, God spoke directly with men. After the nation of Israel was established, the Lord gave His people a written law. After Jesus came and established His church, God gave man the written testimony of His will. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the canon of divine will was created in what men call the Bible. The sixty-six books of the Bible are the completed, perfected word of God for all ages to all men.

One of the greatest tools to spread the word of God was invented in Germany, around 1440, when Johannes Gutenberg invented the movable-type printing press. The Bible was the first book printed and was called the Gutenberg Bible (1455). Since that time, millions of copies of the Bible have been printed in every language on the planet, making it the most published book in the history of the world. The Bible has no rivals. There is no other book that has stood the test of time like the Bible. Throughout history, the Bible has retained its pure message. There are tens of thousands of early documents of the New Testament proving its authenticity.

The printing press changed the world, but it could also change the words at times through mistakes made by printers. In one 1631 printing of the King James Bible, the printer accidentally left out the word “not” in the commandment against adultery, so that it read: “Thou shalt commit adultery.” The printer was fined and the Bibles recalled. In a 1612 printing of the King James Bible, Psalm 119:161 says, “Printers have persecuted me without a cause.” “Printers” is supposed to be “Princes.” In a 1653 printing of the King James Bible, 1 Corinthians 6:9 reads: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit the kingdom of God?” There is supposed to be a “not” before “inherit.” In a 1763 printing, Psalm 14:1 says: “The fool hath said in his heart there is a God,” when there should be a “no” where the “a” is.

The mistakes of printers are unintentional, but when men change the words to teach another doctrine, that is denying God. Thomas Jefferson intentionally removed miracles and the resurrection of Jesus from the Bible to create his own version of scripture. Many religious groups teach doctrines that are not found in the Bible. It is imperative that a publisher certify the printing is perfectly in line with the word of God, and readers of the text have no less responsibility to hold accountable those who teach the word to teach what is written. Challenge those who teach to demonstrate their commitment to the Bible. Eternal life is contained in the words of the Bible. Truth comes from the Bible, not men. As Ronald Reagan said, “Trust, but verify.”

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8)

Trying To Hide From God

Hiding from God is a hobby that men have been trying to do since the Garden of Eden. The first time someone tried to hide from God, it was Adam and Eve who did so. When God created the garden, He placed two trees in the midst of the garden and told Adam and Eve they could eat all they wanted from one tree, but were forbidden to eat of the other tree. Nothing in the command of God was lost on the first couple, and they understood completely what God had told them. Satan deceived Eve into taking the forbidden fruit, and she gave some to Adam. The eyes of Adam and Eve were opened immediately, and they knew they were naked.

Realizing the shame of their nakedness, Adam and Eve fashioned coverings to hide their shame. Hearing the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, Adam and Eve hid themselves among the trees of the garden. The Lord God called to the couple, asking where they were – God knew where they were. Adam explained they heard the voice of God in the garden, and because they were naked and ashamed, they hid themselves. God had warned Adam and Eve that the day they ate of the forbidden fruit, they would die. At the moment Eve took of the fruit and gave some to Adam, God knew what had happened. The Lord God felt the separation between Himself and man because of sin.

Hiding from God seemed like a good idea at the moment, but there is no purpose in the creation seeking to hide from the Creator. God created Adam and Eve. As the Creator, His omniscience overshadowed everything Adam and Eve did. When the Lord asked Adam and Eve where they were, He was drawing out a confession from them. He knew they had taken the forbidden fruit, and He knew where they were and what they were doing. Repentance demands confession. There is nothing that can be hidden from the eyes of the Lord.

Adam and Eve had a son named Cain, who killed his brother Abel. Trying to hide things from God was a family tradition. After Cain killed Abel, and the Lord asked where Abel was, Cain pretended not to know where Abel was or what had happened to him. God had warned Cain about his anger. The moment Cain killed Abel, God knew. During the days of Noah, the world had become a corrupt and immoral place. God knew the wickedness of man was great and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The world tried to hide what it did from God, but to no avail. In the midst of the spiritual darkness, God knew the hearts of Noah’s family, and they found grace in His eyes.

Hiding things from God (or attempting to) is a family tradition handed down from generation to generation from Adam. David and Bathsheba tried and failed. The nation of Israel pretended to worship God and followed idols, which was met with disaster. Jesus walked among men and knew their hearts. Ananias and Sapphira, two Christians in the early church, tried to hide their greed from the Lord. God struck them dead as a warning to all who seek to hide things from Him. Nothing man can do will hide what they do from God. Jesus explained how men love the darkness because they are fooled into believing their actions are hidden. Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar that God knows what is in the darkness. Nothing is hidden from God.

Knowing that God sees all and knows all should change the hearts of men to walk more perfectly in the light of Christ. Trying to hide anything from God is the most ridiculous thing a man can do. It is possible to hide things from others, but the judgment of the Lord will lay bare all that man has done. He will judge the heart for everything that is done in life. If it is evil, God will judge according to His wrath. He will give grace when He sees the goodness of man seeking the glory of God. Live in the full knowledge that God sees all and He knows all. That is a comforting message of hope, of the care and love of God. How wonderful to know that God knows everything about me.

You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:24-26)

Does Faith Alone Save Us?

The doctrine of salvation is the most important question that must be answered according to the divine will of the Father, or eternal consequences will follow. There is nothing more pressing in the scheme of redemption than to know and understand what a man must do to be saved. A good Bible student will recognize that Satan has no desire for the world to know the real answer to what to do to be saved, and he has been very effective in his deceptions. One of the greatest lies he has told is to convince religious people that they are saved by faith alone. This lie is not new. The devil convinced Israel that they could follow after idolatry and God would still save them because they were the seed of Abraham. Satan lied, and God destroyed Israel.

There are many different denominations among the Protestant churches. Most follow some form of Calvinism, especially the idea that salvation comes by faith alone. The “Health & Wealth” religion of today touts a poisonous blend of the Bible with the cowardly doctrines of salvation through goodness and grace that convince thousands they are saved; when in the eyes of God, they are not. To believe that all a person has to do to be saved is believe in Jesus Christ is the most destructive and vile doctrine of the religious world. The reason is simple: the Bible does not teach the doctrine of salvation by faith only.

James was not addressing doctrinal issues, but the principles he employed to exhort brethren to care for one another are applicable. He writes that faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Believing Jesus is the Christ does not bring salvation because Satan believes that, and his demons believe, and they tremble! James declares that faith without works is dead. If a man thinks he is saved by faith alone, he is seeking to be saved by a dead faith – which cannot happen. Dead faith is dead. Abraham is an example of faith and works. God tested the patriarch, telling him to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham did not reply to God that he had faith, so why take the journey? Faith moved Abraham to act upon his belief in God, and he offered Isaac on the altar. Faith required works!

Rahab, a prostitute of the city of Jericho, was justified by works when she protected the spies sent into the city by Joshua. She believed the Hebrews served the one true God, and Rahab acted upon her faith. God did not save her by faith alone. No one has ever been saved by faith alone. The plain teaching of scripture, the divine will of God, the word of God, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit declares that faith without works is as dead as the body without the spirit. James never discounts the need for love, mercy, and grace, and religious people who discount salvation by faith and works will not be saved. They will die joyously, longing to see Jesus face to face and realize too late they are eternally lost. Salvation by faith only is a lie. Stop listening to the whispers of the devil. Read the Bible. Tell anyone who preaches or teaches faith only that they are telling a lie. Stand for truth.