The Heaton File

Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived fell into transgression. Nevertheless, she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control. (1 Timothy 2:11-15) Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. (1 Corinthians 14:34-35)

The Woman’s Role Is Limited

Women have always had a pivotal role in the plan of God for the world. It was not good for Adam to be alone and the Lord created the woman as a helpmeet. Satan deceived the woman leading to the fall of man. Noah’s wife and the wives of their sons helped save the existence of humanity when God destroyed the world with a flood. Sarah bore a promised son at the age of ninety by her one-hundred-year-old husband, Abraham. Through the lineage of Leah, the unloved of Jacob, Christ would come into the world. The mother of Moses instilled in her son a deep love for Jehovah. During the period of Judges, Deborah, a prophetess, judged the people of Israel leading to forty years of peace. The stories of Ruth and Esther find their place in the canon of holy scripture. Jesus would be born of a virgin named Mary who would become the first citizens of the New Testament church.

In the early church, women continued to have an influence for good in the plan of God. Crowds of both men and women believed in the word of the Lord and were brought to the Lord. Women labored with Paul in the gospel and many were commended such as Phoebe, Priscilla, Tryphena and Tryphosa and the unknown sister of Nereus. Lydia and a group of women praying by the riverside in Philippi were the first converts in the Gentile city. Women had a vital part in the growth of early church but they were restricted to what they could and could not do. There is never an example of a woman taking the role of the preacher or the evangelist or the role of leadership such as an elder or shepherd of the church. She has a role but it is limited by the Holy Spirit. The key to understanding the role of a woman in the church is to establish authority by the word given through the Holy Spirit and not the opinions or social pressures of society.

The religious world sees a large population of churches with women preachers, leaders, and priests. There are many capable and talented women who have much to offer in the spiritual discernment of the word of God but that same word limits the role of the woman. What is lost in the discussion of a woman’s role is that authority must be based on the word of God – not the word of men. What God says is the pattern. In two specific scriptures of divine authority, God says the woman is not allowed to take on the role of authority over a man. Women who profess godliness and good works are to learn in silence with all submission. Remember this is the will of the Lord, not the view of human reasoning. Paul gives the reason women cannot be preachers because God made Adam first, then Eve; and Eve was the one deceived by Satan. The woman was deceived and sin was the result. Paul goes back to the fall of man when God tells the woman her desire will be for her husband and he would rule over her. Part of the penalty placed upon the woman was pain in childbirth and if that penalty has not been removed, her submission to man has not been removed. Paul does not suggest women are inferior but through the Holy Spirit forbids the woman from taking the role of a preacher.

In the letter to Corinth, Paul affirms the role of the woman is important but again with limitations. She is to remain without a role of authority in the church and to be silent. He is not suggesting she does not sing but rather she remains in subjection in public worship. When a woman defies the word of God she brings shame upon the church. This is very hard for the religious world to agree and many churches refuse to accept the limited role of women in the church. Denying the authority of scripture does not make error truth. Women have a vital and important role in the church and there is much work for them to do. However, according to the authority of the Holy Spirit, women cannot take on the role of preachers, evangelists, and elders or shepherds without disgracing the church and sinning against God. Where is the authority? In every place the New Testament church speaks about a woman’s role, it denies them the authority of leadership. God said her role is limited.

Also you shall have a place outside the camp, where you may go out; and you shall have an implement among your equipment, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and turn and cover your refuse. For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you. (Deuteronomy 23:12-14)

The Law Of The Loo

There are hundreds if not thousands of laws contained within the Law of Moses. The Ten Commandments highlight the law with ten basic principles that serve as a preamble to the covenant made between the Lord and Israel at Sinai. There are laws governing the religious commandments of the priesthood, worship, sacrifices, and enumerations of consequences for rebellion against God. Included in the Law of Moses are social, economic, military, seasonal, and individual laws pertaining to the kinds of foods that are allowed and forbidden, types of clothing, marriage customs, and restrictions on travel. Every aspect of Jewish life was governed by the Law. Remarkably enough the Law also took into consideration sanitary measures when it came to the manner the people would relieve themselves.

The necessities of nature required action and the Lord did not desire for the camp to be filled with uncleanness. There is an old saying that says, “Cleanliness is next to godliness” and the Lord had this in mind when He wrote the Law of Moses. He did not want the people to be despoiled with the dirt of excrements and required the people to take certain measures to keep the camp clean. This served the purpose of hygiene for obvious reasons. Disease can spread through the inattentiveness of individuals not being careful about maintaining a level of cleanliness. The people did not understand the anatomic reasons for how disease spread through excrements but following the Law would help prevent the spread of plagues that could wipe out the whole camp. When someone went outside the camp to attend to their needs, they were required to take with them an implement with which to dig a hole and cover up it up. Considering the number of people traveling through the wilderness numbering around two-million souls, this would have a great impact for necessity.

General hygiene was one of the reasons God required the people to go outside the camp and dig a whole but there was a larger reason. The camp was a holy place where God’s holy people dwelt. He walked among His people to care for them and protect them from danger. It was not the intention of the Lord to walk among the camp and find excrements strewn around the camp. He did not suggest He would literally be walking upon the ground and find those things undesirable laying around but His desire for the people was to keep the decorum of cleanliness before Him to show godliness in their lives. A camp filled with the filth of the body would not be a place the Lord desired to visit. He incorporated into the Law of Moses, along with the laws governing murder, rape, false witness, and blasphemy (to name a few), the law of cleanliness for the camp. God did not give this as a suggestion to the people but rather emphasized the Law by reminding them that if He saw the unclean thing among the camp, He would turn away from them. The people had no choice but to obey the commandment of the Lord regarding how to attend to their needs as nature required. In the language of our English kinsmen, the Law of Moses contained a Law of the Loo. And God expected the law to be followed.

Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, ” ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Matthew 19:16-22)

He Did Not Like What Jesus Said

The heart of the rich young ruler was ready to secure a place in the kingdom of God. He came to Jesus seeking answers on how he might find eternal life. As a faithful Jew, the young ruler had sought all his life to conform to the rigid commandments found in the Law of Moses. He lived a pure and devoted life free from the entanglements of the world. Those who knew the young man would attest to his character as above reproach, his peers respected him for his shrewdness of financial wisdom and as a community, the ruler was held in high honor. There would be no doubt in the minds of any who knew or heard of this ruler that God had blessed him immeasurably. Everything seemed to be going very well for the son of Abraham. That is, until he met Jesus.

It was not the intent of the Lord to discourage or dissuade any man from serving the Father. What men failed to appreciate in Jesus was His divine nature that allowed Him to peer deep into the soul of a man and know what deeper challenges lay in the heart. Everyone saw the rich young ruler as a success of the blessings of God upon an Israelite. When the Lord looked into the heart of the man, there was a larger problem that others could not see. There is little doubt the man spoke the truth when he declared his allegiance to the Law of Moses in keeping the law from his youth. His blessings had become his curse. Jesus looked at the man and loving him, told him he lacked one important thing. The wealth he had attained had stained his heart with covetousness and eternal life could only come if he was willing to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor. Jesus did not suggest he give a tenth of his money to the poor or any portion to feed the poor. The Lord told him eternal life came at the cost of all he possessed.

Salvation for the rich young ruler would only come if he was willing to sell all his land, his house, his possessions, and take all of the money he gained and had and distribute to the poor. Only then, destitute of all worldly possessions, would the man be able to take up the cross and follow Jesus. There was not a partitioning or dividing. It was complete removal of all his wealth. He was a very rich man who needed to become very poor to enjoy the riches of Heaven. This was not something God demanded of every man. There were many righteous men who were very wealthy who served the Lord faithfully. Abraham and Job were two great patriarchs who were rich in goods but whose hearts were treasured in God. The young ruler who came to Jesus as a faithful Israelite and child of Abraham who loved his riches more than God.

The rich young ruler was sad at the words of Jesus and walked away. He turned away because of the word of the Lord. What Jesus told him to do he was unwilling to do. Did his rejection change the word of the Lord? When Jesus saw him walk away did the Lord call out to him and tell him that it would be okay for him to keep his riches but please come and follow Him anyway? How could Jesus allow a disciple to walk away? The word of God is a sharp sword that cuts both ways. Often it heals but more often than not it cuts deep. Many men refuse to obey the word of God because they love their riches more than God. To have treasure in heaven the heart must be empty of the treasures of the world. Jesus told the multitudes in the mountain sermon that it is impossible to serve God and mammon because the heart will be divided with loyalty. The ruler came to the right source, the right man at the right time asking the right question but when he was told what the word of God required, he walked away. Many hear the word of God and walk away. Their rejection does not change the word of God and the Lord will not change His word to accommodate their needs. His word stands. He is the only way, the only truth, and the only life because He is the only word.

Now Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. For they also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree. And there were also perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. (1 Kings 14:22-24)

The Fall Of A Great Nation

The zenith of Israel came during the forty-years of Solomon’s rule when the nation prospered and became a powerful and influential force in the world. Israel was the apple of God’s eye. The Lord blessed the people with the divine pleasures of His will as promised in the Law of Moses. There has never been a nation that had the personal hand of God working among them as the nation of Israel in the days of Solomon. Following the death of Solomon, the country became divided with Jeroboam taking the ten tribes of the north and the son of Solomon, Rehoboam, retaining the tribes of Benjamin and Judah to the south. It seems incredible that a shift could happen so quickly from the prosperous reign of Solomon to a divided nation that was corrupt, immoral, and filled with hatred. Israel was no longer the treasured nation of the Lord.

It did not take long for the people to turn away from the Lord and seek their own pleasures. Both Rehoboam and Jeroboam led the nation to be like the nations around them. The twenty-two-year rule of Jeroboam was marked by evil in the north. In the south, Rehoboam led the people of God to follow after the idolatry of the surrounding nations. The land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was filled with homosexuals. Egypt came against Rehoboam and ransacked the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace. They stole everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. Under the leadership of Rehoboam, the southern kingdom was reduced to the position of a vassal of Egypt. The kingdom of Judah sank more and more in moral and spiritual decay.

God allowed the rule of Rehoboam and Jeroboam to destroy His nation. The heart of the people had become hardened to the word of the Lord as they desired to seek after the hedonism of the world around them. Solomon had begun the process when his heart had turned away from the Lord. Rehoboam could have brought the people back to the Lord as Josiah would do many years later but he chose to cower to the whims of the people. Instead of listening to the sound counsel of the elders, the king favored the young men who had grown up with him. The policies of his government were based upon human wisdom instead of the word of the Lord. Immorality filled the land. Worship turned to the gods of men. Perverted persons, sodomites, and homosexuals were allowed to freely practice their craft. Israel became like the nations around them. God gave the people what they wanted and they suffered because of it.

The northern ten tribes of Israel would last for a little over two hundred years before the Assyrians destroyed them. Judah and Benjamin would be a nation for 345 years when the Babylonians would march against Jerusalem the third time, destroy the city and burn the Temple. Why did this happen? The kings of Israel and Judah led the people to commit sin and to seek after the folly of humanism, immorality, and self-gratification. Perverted people filled the land. Justice was measured by the political whims of arrogant hearts. Corruption guided the decisions of those in power with deceit, lies, hypocrisy, and abuse of power. Israel had been a people guided by the principles of truth and righteousness but no more. They rejected God and the Lord rejected them. He put men in office that would corrupt and destroy His nation because that is what the people wanted. In the end, the destruction of Israel came at the hands of the people who refused to hold their leaders accountable. Their destruction came by their own power and by their own making. The ruin of Israel was orchestrated by the will of the people.

So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (John 13:12-17)

He Is Teacher, Lord, And Washer Of Feet

Robert Ingersoll said of Abraham Lincoln, “If you want to find out what a man is to the bottom, give him power. Any man can stand adversity — only a great man can stand prosperity.” The 19^th-century British politician Lord Acton wrote, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” One of the strongest points of temptation is the sin of pride. It exalts the heart to a corrupt mind of arrogance, conceit, self-importance, and egotism. Leaders especially are tempted to take too much power for themselves wielding a strong hand upon the citizens. They always fall in time. Death is the great equalizer. Throughout history, great men have had great power over vast stretches of land with millions oppressed by their rule. There has never been a king who has possessed power like Jesus Christ.

The power of the Son of God was unlimited. Jesus was divine and through the power of the Holy Spirit, exercised dominion over disease, time, distance, death, and showed His rule over the spirit world in casting out demons. There was nothing Jesus could not do. He acted under the will of His Father. At no time did He go beyond the authority given to Him as the Son of God. His final plea to the Father in the garden was for the will of God to be accomplished, not the will of the Son of God. The cross is the emblem of complete surrender to the power that was not His. He died for the sins of all men because that was the requirement for redemption established by the word of God.

On the night Jesus would be betrayed by one of His own, the Lord rose from the Passover supper, took a towel, and girded Himself. He then poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the twelve men who He called His apostles. When He finished washing their feet, Jesus began drying them with the towel he had around him. After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing?” The twelve were amazed by their teacher and master washing their feet. Peter at first rebuked the Lord because he could not see what Jesus was trying to teach him. Jesus was their Lord and He was their Teacher, names of reverence which disciples of the Hebrew teachers were accustomed to offer to their masters. There was no doubt about the rule of Jesus in their lives but what they needed to see was that although He was Master and Teacher, Jesus had come to serve. He was a washer of feet.

Leadership begins with servitude. Jesus was the Son of God. He had the power to command the wind and the waves. With only three words, He brought Lazarus from the tomb. Through the will of the Son of God, Jesus commanded the demons with all authority. Yet, in the dimmed upper room of a Passover feast, the Son of God bent down and in a great act of humility washed the feet of twelve men. Incredibly enough, Jesus washed the feet of the man who soon would leave and betray Him. What was Jesus thinking as He took the dirty feet of Judas, caressed his feet with a gentle hand, and washed all the dirt away? When Judas stood before the Jewish council and sold his Lord for thirty pieces of silver, did he look down and see his clean feet? The Master and Teacher who was Lord of Lord’s washed the feet of His disciples to show them what love meant and to leave an example for them to follow.

True godly character comes from those willing to wash feet. Jesus was their Teacher but he washed their feet. He was Lord and He washed their feet. The twelve did not know that in less than 24-hours, their Teacher and Lord would be nailed to a cross. When Jesus washed their feet He was showing them a pattern of sacrifice that would be forever highlighted by His death on the cross. Jesus is Master and Lord because of the cross and because twelve men had their feet washed by the Son of God. Thank you Jesus for washing my sins away.

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. (1 Peter 2:15-17)

Post-Election Christians

The Holy Spirit is surgical when it comes to text and context. Many passages are listed in a specific order to emphasize a certain conclusion building upon one another drawing the mind to the absolute truth of God’s will. The Spirit does that through the writings of Peter. God’s will is the subject and focus of the passage for today. Being a good example before all men is the need to allow the light of Christ to shine for others to see. The Christian is bound as a slave of God to obey His word, His will, and His truth without reservation. First, honor must be given to all men. Second, the relationship of God’s people toward one another will show the world the disciples of Christ are united. Here comes the tough part: the king must be honored, respected, and recognized as one in authority established by the word of the Lord. This clause does not defer to noble and righteous leaders or seek a distinction between personal preferences in rulers, kings, presidents, or prime minister. The will of God demands the Christian honor the President of the United States. Why? Because they fear God!

Before the Holy Spirit tells the first-century saints to honor ‘Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus’ (his full name), He tells them God must be feared. Nero was known as a tyrant who lived an immoral, ungodly, and decadent life. Little if any of his life characterized righteousness at any level but he was the ruler of Rome and Christians living under his rule were obligated to honor him as their king. This did not suggest complete obedience to Nero without consideration of the will of God. Peter and the apostles established during the first persecutions that all Christians must obey God rather than men when the law contradicts the will of the father. Jesus honored Caesar by paying taxes. In so doing the Lord was not approving the life and morals of Caesar. Peter reminds Christians to honor the king because they feared God first.

It is hard to remember the object of the spiritual mission is to serve the Lord first when the world seems to be crashing down around the hearts of God’s people. Leaders are put in office who allow for the murder of millions of babies. They support and defend the repugnant lifestyle of homosexuality and pornography. Laws are added that remove God and the Bible from the consciousness of society. Religion is ridiculed and men and women with religious convictions are berated as fools. Individual rights are torn from the pages of civility with ruthless abandon. Churches are increasingly being scrutinized for what they teach and condemned if what they believe is against the norm of society. It is not the world of Nero but the present-day landscape of America.

The post-election Christians must face some harsh realities. The world is not moving in the direction of God. Society as a whole continues to move away from a faith in a Creator, the sanctity of the Bible, and the respect for religion. This is not a new philosophy that has suddenly appeared in the last fifty years. Someone remarked how bad the world has become. Folks, the world has been bad and messed up since Eve took of the forbidden fruit. There was a time in America when most people respected and honored God. Presidents prayed and read the Bible. Those days are long gone and may never return. Leaders in Washington have become more hedonistic in their corruption of character than ever before with platforms that deny the holiness of God. The word of God has not changed. Children of God fear God and honor whoever sits in the Oval Office because that is the will of the Lord. Be thankful that for the present time the church of Christ has not been forced into the corner of decision regarding laws forbidding the preaching of the word or assembling for worship. That day will come. But even then, obey God first and always honor the king. Above all things – pray. And pray hard.

For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:45)

Rejoice – The Sun Rose Today

Sunrise this morning came at 6:21 am. It is a cool morning with a Fall temperature of 60 degrees. As the morning rays began to filter through the dense woods, a rafter of turkeys sprinted towards the south field where corn was freshly dispersed pecking feverously for each succulent morsel. From a clearing beyond the tree line, two young deer bounded toward the corn scattering the feeding turkeys with their playful antics. As squirrels scampered around and the mist of morning settled thickly upon the ground, deer and turkey quietly grazed and pecked around the field unconcerned but for a moment’s alert attention to any danger that lay lurking beyond their sight. The morning slowly grows brighter as the sun eases itself above the horizon and tree line. Clouds fill the sky. Birds fly across the blue canopy with ease and grace. The world has awakened to a new day and everything seemed peaceful.

In contrast to the beginning of a beautiful day, humans are frantically preparing for the day. There is great consternation over the election of the night before that remains unsettled. Fear grips the hearts of the nation as one man or another will succeed in gaining the victory. Panic fills the minds of the masses who await the answer that will change the course of history forever – or at least that is what they are led to believe. It seems the events of the night before have brought about anxiety, worry, apprehension, and dread. Lost in the meat grinder of human foolishness is the reality that another day has begun, the sun has risen and the animals scurry about as they do each day and without a care in the world.

Human beings are a funny sort of creature. The birds do not plant or harvest or store food in barns, but God takes care of them. You don’t find worry lines on the brow of a bird. As a higher creation, human beings spend most of their life worrying about things they cannot change and trying to change things they cannot understand. The birds don’t worry because they know their Creator is in charge. Men worry because they forget who their Creator is. The sun rising each morning declares that God is still in charge and the world will continue according to the divine will. All of the affairs of men seem important for the moment but will fade to the memories of yesterday.

The sun does not rise again from the day before and will not rise again until the prescribed time of the next day. What happened yesterday is forever sealed in the capsule of time and unchangeable. Worrying about the sun rising tomorrow is futile as there is no promise of a new day. The sun rises only today and begins the day showing the glory of God. It is not dependent upon the fragile affairs of men. Electing a President does not change the rotation of the heavenly bodies. Animals are unconcerned about the events of a newscast or predictions of human affairs. Children of God learn from the birds of the air and the lilies of the field there is nothing to worry about. If God takes care of the birds and clothes the grass of the field, why should any man fear what the day will bring if God cares for him more than birds and grass? Take a moment and thank the Lord for a new day, a new sun, and a new opportunity to trust God more. Today is a beautiful day.

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10-11)

The Most Important Election In History

Today is Election Day in the United States of America. The rhetoric of candidates vying for a place in government suggests this election will change the world dramatically and profoundly in ways never seen before. Whether it is the highest office in the land to the local council seat, the process of an election day is a time of pitting ideas and philosophies against one another in the hopes of gaining the favor of the majority. The frenzy of campaigning is fueled by the idea this election is the most important of all elections. History points out the same rhetoric in every election since George Washington. All the candidates believe their time and their positions are paramount to earth changing and world-shattering decisions being made in their respective elections. The candidates for this year have emphasized the fearful expectation of consequence if they are not elected. When the dust settles after every election the world continues on its frantic pace of commerce, industry, and entertainment, and while things change in time, little of the fearful expectations of doom come to pass. The sun rises the day after the election.

There have been 58 presidential elections with 45 Presidents elected before today. There are four former Presidents still living including Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) who is 96 years old. The administrations of all the Presidents have carved their niche into the fabric of the American historical narrative and if the Lord wills, others will take their place in the years to come. One constant in all of these historical events is that one administration takes power and then another takes their place. Elections occur every four years and some men only serve one term while others serve two. Their elections are historical but short. Except for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected to four terms (dying in April 1945), all Presidents are limited to eight years. Each election is temporary. Monuments and libraries are established to commemorate the achievements of the election but in time are forgotten in the dust of history. The self-proclaimed “most important election in history” becomes only a passing page in the history of the United States.

There is one election that has eternal consequences and rewards. If this election is lost there are dire consequences. When this election is gained, there is the eternal reward. Jesus describes God’s people as the elect. Throughout the writings of the apostle Paul, the elect of God is spoken of as those who have obtained salvation in Christ Jesus. Peter and John include in their epistles the reference of a Christian as the elect. Peter exhorts the saints to follow after the graces of truth and righteousness to make their calling and election sure. He urges Christians to work hard to prove they are among the called of God and those chosen by His grace. Seeking after the eternal election will secure a place in Heaven, the eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ. If there was an election that had earth-shattering and eternal consequences, the election of grace is the most important election in history.

Elections of men come and go with time. The choice of whether one chooses to follow Jesus Christ has an impact far beyond this world. God sent His Son to open a way for all men to come to the truth and be saved. This salvation is not granted automatically or loosely. All those who desire to place their names on an election ballot must be qualified. To be a child of God a person must qualify themselves worthy of the blood of Jesus Christ. Without faith that God is and that He is a reward of those who seek Him, there is no election. Hearing the word of God is what brings about a heart of faith to believe and accept the teachings of Jesus, the Son of God. Through the message of the gospel, a man recognizes his sinful state and his need for the mercy of the Lord. With a humble heart and contrite spirit, the heart seeks forgiveness through the avenue of repentance. Acknowledging the need for grace, a man confesses with his mouth his allegiance that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Obedience is not yet full and his election is not yet complete. By the will of God and through faith leading to obedience, the man is baptized for the remission of sins where his sins are washed away. Rising from the watery grave of baptism, the man is now one of the elect of God. He is a chosen vessel sanctified to be a saint, a Christian, a disciple, and a follower of Christ.

The spiritual election of a man becoming a Christian is the most important in history – the history of the man. This is the most impactful decision he will make in his life. What happens after death will be determined whether a man has become one of the elect of God or not. Applying the Christian graces to his life, he will make certain and sure his election to eternal life. The spiritual election in Jesus Christ has an eternal reward that will never go away. Those who elect in God will reign as kings and priests in the presence of God. Sadly, most men will never be elected to the grace of God and Jesus told His followers that most men follow the broad and easy path. God’s gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. If those who are so concerned about the election today would be as concerned about their spiritual election, the world would be a different place to live. This election will pass and the world will continue if the Lord wills. Elect of God will never die. Eternity awaits them.

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. (Philippians 2:14-16)

Eternal Rhetoric

Rhetoric is persuasive speech or writing that communicates its point persuasively. Sin entered the world with a serpent persuading the Woman to doubt the word of God. In the beginning, all men spoke a single language uniting them against the will of God. After the flood, the Lord divided humanity through the means of languages establishing cultures and nations that filled the earth. The power of rhetoric has begun global conflict and brought peace to a troubled world. There is a great influence through the word to be used for good and to bring evil upon the fate of humanity. The Christian has a special role as an example of godliness in the manner of their speech. An effective tool for good can be the language of a child of God that does not grumble, complain, and argue. It is difficult to not be caught up in the rhetoric of the world that has a negative word for every moment with complaints, murmurings, and dissatisfaction.

Rhetoric that is befitting the character of godly men and women is tempered by the word of life. Jesus is the Word and His life fills the hearts of those who disciple under His teaching. Instead of being like the world, a Christian measures his speech to be seasoned with the eternal salt of grace. Speech that is without complaining and disputing cannot be criticized by others. Living in a crooked and perverse world is difficult enough without complicating the influence of God’s people by unchecked speech. One of the great attributes of the Christian’s grace is self-control. The tongue is a small thing that boasts great things and just a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. It is a flame of fire. Children of God control the tongue to show the glory of God.

Rhetoric that is of value is eternal speech. Holding firm to the word of life enables the tongue to speak the words of God in the hearts of the ungodly. There is no occasion for a charge against those who control their tongues. For the Christian, they will do everything without complaining and arguing as the ear of God hears all they say. Jesus reminded His followers that every word will await a man when judgment comes. There is nothing hidden from the mind of God. The words of influence are the words of the heart filled with the eternal word of God. Shining like bright lights in a dark world, the speech of the Christian is a pattern of goodness, kindness, charity, and love. Filled with the word of God, the world hears the heart of the saints praising God for the abundance of mercies given to them. There will be rejoicing with the Father sends His Son in the final day to hear the eternal rhetoric of His people singing praises to His name and glorify Him by His Word. Eternal rhetoric is persuasive speech or writing that communicates its point persuasively to a crooked and perverse world.

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. (2 Chronicles 20:14-15)

It Never Has Been Our Battle

Judah was in peril from the people of Moab, Ammon, and the people of Mount Seir as their armies had been drawn up to battle against Jehoshaphat. The king was afraid and sought the counsel of the Lord. A fast was proclaimed. All the cities of Judah came together to seek the Lord. They voiced their allegiance to the Lord who had fought their battles and won the victories. Now with the danger of the large army gathered before them, the people of Judah sought the voice of God. A Levite named Jahaziel came before the people of God and assured them the enemies of the Lord would be defeated. They would not need to fight in the battle. If they would stand still and seek the salvation of the Lord, their enemies would be vanquished. The next morning they obeyed the voice of God and the Moabites, Ammonites, and the people of Mount Seir were destroyed by the hand of the Lord.

There are many battles throughout the Bible story. One of the most important reasons for the telling of the stories is to show that when men put their trust in God, the battle belongs to the Lord. Jahaziel reaffirmed what had been true from the beginning of time. Trusting in the Lord is letting Him fight the battles. Victory comes to those who trust in His power, His will, and His knowledge to overcome Satan. Some of the Biblical battles were spiritual while many were nations against nations. Adam and Eve fought the first war against Satan and lost because they did not trust in the word of the Lord. Cain lost his battle with sin when he allowed hatred to kill his brother. The world of Noah was destroyed when humanity turned away from God and sought to fight the devil alone. Noah and his family gained the victory over sin when they showed their faithfulness to God.

The nation of Israel fought many battles against the nations around them from Egypt to the Philistines and great empires of the world. All of their successes came from the hand of the Lord. Their defeats were from faithless trust in their own power. The Egyptian army was drowned in the Red Sea by the power of God but Israel was defeated by the Canaanites when they refused to trust the power of God at Kadesh-Barnea. Throughout the forty years journey to Canaan, the Israelites struggled to learn the lesson that God fights their battles. The great city of Jericho highlighted the power of God to defeat all enemies and the same army was defeated by the city of Ai because of sin. There is no reason to be afraid or dismayed when the heart believes the battle is not in the power of man but the power of God.

The Christian must fight against the forces of evil every day. There are legions of temptations surrounding the heart, mind, and soul of the people of God. The conflicts of the past that pitted nations against nations are long gone but the greater battle remains. There is fear and trepidation from current events. Health concerns with a global pandemic cause hearts to become weak in the face of uncertainty. Political posturing has succeeded in filling the minds of citizens with unsettling dread of who will be the next President of the United States. Economic uncertainties drive the spirits of men to abandon God. Fear reigns – why? The COVID virus will come to an end one day. Whatever happens on November 3 will not change the fact that on November 4 God is still in control. There is one thing almost everyone will miss on Wednesday morning: the sun will rise and the birds will sing and there is nothing man did to make that possible. If the Lord wills, the sun will rise and the animals will scurry around like they always have without a care in the world. Why? Because God takes care of them. Next week, next month, and next year should be a time to remember the battle belongs to the Lord. Trust in God. Let the heart know the Lord is in charge. He holds our breath in His hand – why worry?