The Heaton File

But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29)

When Men Try To Justify Their Actions

The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the more familiar stories from the Bible but little attention is given to the cause of the parable. Jesus uses ever opportunity to teach the multitudes such as the sermon on the mountain or individually when Nicodemus came to the Lord at night to ask some questions. There were many reasons people asked Jesus questions but the parable of the Samaritan came from the dishonest inquiry of a lawyer who was trying to trap the Lord with His teaching so as to bring a charge against Him. A certain lawyer stood up and testing Jesus asked what he must do to be saved. Jesus was a masterful teacher as He simply asked the man what the law said he must do. Appealing to scripture to answer the lawyer, the Lord established the need for authority. The lawyer quoted from Deuteronomy and Leviticus as a principle answer and Jesus commended him for his knowledge. It was not the intent of the lawyer to ask a question about eternal life for his personal benefit but to lay a trap for Jesus to define the clearer meaning of a certain word or idea about ones neighbor. When Jesus commended the lawyer the man sought to justify himself and asked the probing question of how to define who a neighbor was. The Lord would give the lawyer a lesson he would never forget and prayerfully change his life as the story of a Samaritan unfolded. There would be no arguments after the story. The only conclusion the lawyer could leave with was that everyone was in need of the mercy of God and this was especially true of his Samaritan brethren.

Justifying oneself is an art crafted by the wiles of the devil to allow men to live like they desire in their own hearts. Before the lawyer was told the story of the Samaritan who helped the victim of a savage beating, he had made up in his mind a distinction existed between himself and other men. He knew the law taught to care for his neighbor but this could only be (in his mind) to care for a man who was his fellow Israelite. Anything beyond the bounds of mercy to a Samaritan (which was a half-breed of Jewish and Assyrian blood) or a Gentile (like a Roman) was not required. They did not deserve any love or attention because they were not the people of God. The blood of prejudice flowed in the veins of the lawyer who lived his life justifying his hatred of Samaritans and all others with scriptural vengeance. What he gained from Jesus Christ was the true meaning of God’s word that never taught for one race to hate or despise another race. Until the time after the flood all men were of one nation speaking one tongue. It was the division of the earth at the tower of Babel that created a world filled with different cultures, languages, races and nations. When Jesus came into the world as a Jew His nation hated the Romans who enslaved them and despised the Samaritans as a reminder of the wicked past in their own history. What is remarkable about the Samaritan people is they came from the nation of Israel following idolatry and God’s wrath upon them by bringing the Assyrian nation to punish His own people. As a result of the invasion by the Assyrians the people of Israel intermarried with the Gentile nation of Assyria thus forming the alliance of Jew and Gentile. A Samaritan was the vivid history of a rebellious nation of Israel. Regardless they were still God’s creation and made in the image of the Creator. The lawyer trying to justify himself would not change that.

Men try to justify themselves today with defining who a Christian is. Most consider a saved man anyone who walks under a sign that says Jesus Christ. Morality is judged by hearts that rationalize themselves into believing that God has made them to be what they are and that He would approve of their lifestyle. Churches with every brand name known to man are nothing more than man’s attempt to justify his desire to worship God in his own way. Within the body of Christ marriage, divorce and remarriage has been redefined to fit the mold of carnal justification to accept what the Lord clearly condemns. One of the greatest ploys of the wicked one is to convince people that if they justify themselves long enough God will change His mind and allow them to live as they desire. Sadly this idea will only last until the day of judging with the Lord God will thunder from His throne that His word is settled in Heaven and no justification by man has ever changed that. The lawyer tried to justify himself before Jesus to redefine who his neighbor was and the Lord brought the lawyer back to the only way, the only truth and the only life. There is only one way of knowledge and that is the law of God. It is a fatal flaw in man to justify himself because the ground he stands on is sinking sand. There is one truth, one church, one Savior and one God.

For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. (Hebrews 4:2)

Mixing The Word With Faith

This nation of Israel has been given to the world as a divine example of the struggle between God and man.  They were chosen as the apple of God’s eye but they always were challenged to be the faithful people the Lord desired. Their story is not unlike the way all men learn to come to God and serve Him in faithfulness. As the Hebrew writer exhorts the early Jewish Christians to remain in the body of Christ he reflects upon the history of Israel and their failures to remain faithful to the will of God. One of the key factors in their struggle was not that they did not have the words of salvation preached to them but they failed to take that message and apply it to their own life. Faith is necessary to please God. Salvation can only from the knowledge of the word of God. Faith and the word are not separate but two parts that are necessary for the completeness of man to find his worth before God. The Lord has always given man His word through commandments, testimonies, precepts, judgments and law. Whether orally transmitted or placed upon parchments of paper, the word of God has always been given to man to follow. The giving of His word is how the Lord shows His grace to man. What the Jews failed to do with the word was to mix or add faith and follow the commands of the Lord trusting in His promises that had been given to them.

Through the power and might of God Israel was freed from Egyptian bondage. The Lord showed His majesty in His deliverance of the people and continued to manifest His glory through the miracles and providence given to them in their journeys. When the nation came to the land of promise twelve men were sent to spy the land and bring back a report. The report ten men gave showed their lack of faith in the promises of God. Joshua and Caleb believed the power of God could overwhelm the land and urged the people not to rebel. What happened that caused the people to fear the giants of the land? All of the previous months of God’s word showing them His power, affirming His promises and letting them know there was nothing to fear is not mixed with a faith to trust God to conquer the land. They knew the word of the Lord and what He had promised them but because they did not have faith in God they were doomed to wander four decades in the wilderness. The word of God will have little effect if faith is not added.

The gospel of Jesus Christ has been preached for two thousand years. Many have embraced its teachings and obeyed the commands to be part of the body of Christ. Yet for many their lives are empty, meaningless and without purpose. They have the word of God, they hear it Sunday after Sunday, own numerous Bibles and their lives are with little joy in Christ. The problem lies in the fact that if the word is not mixed with faith all the preaching in the world will profit them little. Sermons that are preached on Sunday that do not move hearts on Monday will be useless. Reading the Bible through each year without applying the message of the word to daily life is without purpose. The word of God will lose its power if the heart of faith does not do something with what the Lord has spoken in the ear. Falling short of the promises of God will bring us to the same place the nation of Israel found itself as it came to the promised land the first time. Faith must be mixed with the word and the word must be mixed with faith in order for the challenges of life to be conquered. Students of scripture must make the word come alive in their life to receive the blessing of the power of the word. Application is the key to growth. Believe the power of God and His promises but make it real in life.

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15)

God Hears Us

Prayer is the greatest gift of man to stand in the presence of the Almighty Creator and make his heart known to the Father. Pleading the promises of an eternal God shows the mercy of the Lord to allow man the stand before Him and plead his case. Prayer is not a case for demanding but asking for what God has already granted by His grace. Many do not have a strong prayer life because they think praying to the Lord is a vending machine that after depositing the money of our words we will get whatever we desire. Instead of asking the favor of God we demand He give us what we believe to be rightfully our own. John the apostle defines the nature of prayer based upon the will of the Father not the whim of the one praying. There is a confidence in prayer promised by the Father. It requires preparation beforehand because in order to receive the blessings of the petitions sought the will of God must be known. Knowledge and prayer go hand-in-hand dependent upon one another. If prayer is pleading the promises of God the promises of God must be known first to issue the entreaties of prayer. Asking according to the will of the Father will better suit the answer of the prayer than demanding what God has never promised. The unique nature of prayer is that asking something from the Lord is a promise awaiting release by the word of the petitioner. Like a huge storage place the answers to prayer await the calling of the child to plead for its release. The story is told of the man given a tour of heaven and he came upon a large building with many shelves containing millions of boxes. When asked what this building was the answer was given the shelves contain all the unanswered prayers of the saints of God. How sad we do not take more advantage of the privilege to seek the blessings of the Lord in prayer.

Seeking the will of the Lord is having the confidence that anything we ask in His name He will hear us. That is a remarkable blessing to consider God will take the time and energy to hear my prayer. Of the six billion souls on the face of the earth the Father has all the time in the world to hear every word of my prayers and listen as long as I need to tell the Lord my desires. Knowing His will fuels my prayers to have the fervent desire of letting His grace live in my life to grow in the knowledge of His Son. He grants us His favor and answers our prayers. The Father knows everything we need before we ask but He wants us to seek Him and talk with Him about our lives. Prayer is a conduit of faith that measures itself by the amount of time we desire to speak with Him. We know He hears us and we know He will guide our lives. Talking to God is as natural as breathing. There is so much to tell Him. This comes from the knowledge of His word as we ponder the depths of the Bible. Prayers fail when the word fails. The greater the knowledge of God the greater our prayers. Spiritual growth is manifested in the manner of our praying through the continual knowledge of His word.

Knowing the will of God is not to have a body of information to send the Lord bullets of requests in some formal or rote manner. Spending time in Bible study shows the pattern of how God answers prayer, why He does not always answer prayer the way we think He should and what to expect in prayer. The people of God have been praying to Him since the beginning of time. Every story in the Bible is based upon the relationship of men to God. Often men tried to fool God in asking His favor when they refused to obey His will. The results ended in failure because asking anything from God must come from His word. Many stories fill the pages of God’s word of those who trusted in the word of God and saw their prayers granted. The Lord has not changed in the millennia of generations as He has dealt with men. When a man is in covenant with God and abides by His will, he may have the confidence that anything sought through prayer has already been provided. God will hear the heart of the child who knows and follows His will. Pray earnestly but study hard. Through knowledge of God’s will men learn to pray.

Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” (John 19:10-11)

The Conceit Of Man

It was a remarkable scene played out on the stage of human history that would never be repeated again. A weak despot ruling in the back-waters of the Roman Empire demanding answers from a common citizen born to poverty and demanding the itinerant preacher answer his questions or face the penalty of death. Regaled in his royal splendor as procurator of Judea, Pilate drilled Jesus with questions and was surprised at the manner Jesus dismissed his questions. There was no basis for the charges brought by the rabble crowd of Jews who demanded Pilate crucify Jesus. He would seek to have him released but the pressure of the crowd and threats of reports being sent to Rome brought great fear to the cowardly ruler. Pilate pressed Jesus to tell him where He was from and Jesus refused to answer. This confused Pilate as he reminded the man from Nazareth that as procurator of Judea the power to crucify and the power to pardon was in his hand. He had no doubt sent many men to their deaths. Pronouncing judgment on Jesus would be of little concern to Pilate. The irony of the answer of Pilate is eternal: he told Jesus the power to crucify Him and the power to release Him was in his hands. Imagine the surprise when Jesus looked Pilate in the eyes and answered that he had no power but the power given to him from above. What an incredible answer and what a powerful statement by Jesus. The Lord was facing a certain death that He knew was the will of His Father. He could have called twelve legions of angels to rescue Him in the blink of an eye but He left that power in the hands of His Father. What Pilate did not realize and what makes the scene of Jesus standing before him paradoxical to its core was a man saying to the Son of God that he had power to do with Jesus whatever he wished. How far removed from truth was this statement. Jesus did not answer in a haughty or prideful manner. It was the simple truth the only reason the Son of God stood before this Roman officer and allowed him to treat Him in the manner that had been done and what would be done was because the Creator, Lord, Master and God of all creation allowed it to happen.

Pilate, like so many people, live in the belief they have the power to do whatever they wish in any manner they may choose. The world is filled with men and women who go through life with no regard to others accepting a false notion of self-worth, pride and arrogance. Little do they know they sit in the same place as Pilate shouting to the world they have the power to give life and take life and the words of Jesus echo through the centuries reminding them of the One who is really in charge. How sad and tragic that man still shakes a fist in the face of God as if he is a god exercising power over life. The irony of the scene is likened to an ant shaking his fist (if he has one) in the face of a man. How ridiculous if one can imagine. Daniel reminded Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans that God held his breath in His hand as He holds the breath of all men in the palm of His hand (with room to spare). God is so great and man is so small and yet man believes he has the power to give life and take life. Pilate did release Jesus to be crucified and while he may have retired to his quarters satisfied he exercised his power over Jesus it would have become abundantly clear years later when Pilate died that he learned the meaning of the Galilean who stood before him that fateful day. The power of God is greater than the power of man – even a Roman ruler.

God has made every provision necessary for the happiness of man. The world is teeming with the physical blessings of a loving Creator that will care for the wants of man. Through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, the Father has given man the answers to his eternal needs and the promise of greater happiness beyond life. Man did not create the world and he does not sustain the world. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and by His word the world is held together reserved for fire until the day of judgment. The habitation of man is limited to space, time and the world defined by God and nothing man can do will change that. Man cannot create life and he cannot stop death. Everything cries out to the immortal words of Jesus that all power comes from above. Kicking against the goad will only bring harm to the one kicking. Pilate thought he had power but he did not. One of life’s greatest challenges is to believe the mistaken idea that we can do anything we want with our lives and it will not matter. That belief will last only until we die and then it will be too late to realize who has the greater power. Live your life to the fullest degree doing whatever you want to do however you want to do it and try to convince yourself nothing matters but what you demand out of life. Your life will be a miserable failure and your eternity an endless sadness. Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life and only through Him can you find happiness. Accept His power and authority and let His word guide your life. You will find joy in this life and when death comes (and it will) you can face your end as a new beginning. God has all the power. Submit to that power.

Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts.

I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word. I have not departed from Your judgments, for You Yourself have taught me.

How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

(Psalm 119:97-104)

Love And Hate

There are only two ways to approach the Bible: either one will love what he reads or he will hate it. The word of God is likened to a sharp two-edged sword that cuts to the discerning soul of its recipient. Few men can digest the word of God because it is a powerful testimony of the flawed character of the sinful nature. Like a mirror reflecting the absolute truth of a man’s soul, the Bible is a reflection of the failed philosophy of human wisdom and the decadent passions of the flesh. Truth is absolute in the word of God. There is only one way of righteousness, one body of truth and life can only come from one source. Everything in the word of God is measured by whether man chooses to obey his Creator or to reject Him. The righteous few hold to the word of God’s commandments while the majority of men follow the path of unrighteousness. Love and hate are the engines that drive the way man views the Bible. For the psalmist, his love for the truth of God’s word is a deeply emotional experience. He ponders the depths of its wisdom every day soaking in all of the riches of the message. His love for the word of God is to recognize the foundation of the laws given by the Lord. Faithfulness is law keeping. Obedience comes from a willingness to follow the commandments written down in the Bible. Without submission to the law man becomes an outlaw or a person outside the law.

Meditating on the commandments of God brings wisdom that excels the knowledge of those who oppose the Lord. The world is filled with disobedient hearts that will not submit to the will of God. Truth guides the heart in paths of righteousness gleaned from the wisdom of the Divine. Bible knowledge creates a mind that is wiser than those who oppose the word of God. There is great wisdom in the world but a knowledge of scripture is the greatest knowledge a man can gain. The psalmist proclaims how the word of God makes him wiser than his teachers because eternal truths are explained through the knowledge of the word of God. Great men of ages past have great wisdom but pale in comparison to Him who is eternal and abides forever. The ancients lived a short time and died. The Lord God is the one who formed the world and the soul of man. He lives throughout all the ages and sits above the circle of the earth ruling through His divine word. Keeping the precepts or teachings of God will give greater wisdom than any man or body of men can accumulate in ten thousand years.

The word of truth moves man from the ways of folly and mistakes of human wisdom. Reading the Bible will keep the mistakes of life to a minimum. There must be a spirit of restraint to protect the heart from pursuing evil by keeping the word of the Lord close to the soul. Danger comes from straying from the path of God’s instructions. There must be a determined will to not depart from the judgments of God and to bind the heart close-knit to the teachings of the Lord. Standing on the rock of salvation requires standing on the rock of salvation and not moving. The word of God is the only safe harbor to sail ships of life from and binding the mind, soul, body and heart to the reading of His laws, commandments, precepts and instructions will keep the soul from the harmful influences of Satan’s wiles. Two imperatives are given by the psalmist: he restrained his feet from every evil way and refused to depart from the judgments of God. That is devotion to the will of the Lord. What he was taught from the word of God would abide in his heart.

There are untold blessings for those who abide in the word of God. The heart that is filled with the word of God is a soul drenched in the riches of sweet truth plucked from the divine orchard of God’s grace. For the psalmist it is sweeter than honey. The word of God is a sweet delicacy of incredible taste as he ponders the wisdom of the word through the ages. Remarkably the Bible today contains so much more than what the psalmist had when he wrote this psalm and how much sweeter are the words of mercy found in the story of Jesus Christ. Regardless, his view of scripture must be mirrored today to find the joy of knowing the precepts of God to gain understanding. The final lesson is the more time spent in the book of the Lord the greater a desire to hate every false way. Truth reveals error. The knowledge of the Bible will make the heart stand firmly against the paths of unrighteousness. Love and hate: love the law of the Lord and hate every false way.

And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘Your neighbor as yourself.'” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:25-29)

Jesus And The Samaritan

When God created man in the garden it was not good that he should be alone. The Lord created the woman to fill that need but through procreation the fellowship of family and community would usher in a world filled with people. Fundamental to the happiness of mankind was the relationship of one man with another or the community of neighbors. In the beginning all men spoke the same language and formed a similar culture. Following the destruction of the world and all humanity save eight souls, God determined to divide men into national societies that would blend their own language, cultures and personalities with one another. While this dividing would spread man throughout the four corners of the globe, God always wanted the relationship between all men to be that of a neighbor. This would break down the barriers of national distinction bringing the community of the world together as one. Jesus came to earth and gave His life for every man regardless of color, nationality, gender or economic status. The sacrifice of Jesus was for the Jews and the Gentiles, slaves and free, Romans and Egyptians; all men of every nation. During His ministry Jesus had a difficult time teaching His fellow Jewish brethren to love their Samaritan counterparts as one. What made the Jew hate the Samaritan so much was he was a half-breed. During the conquest of the Assyrian Empire on the northern ten tribes of Israel the Gentile Assyrians intermarried with the people of God that created a race of people from Samaria that were part Jew and part Assyrian. This mixing of bloods was an abomination to the puritan senses of the orthodox Jews who demanded a pure line of righteousness. The Law of Moses had forbidden the marrying of Jews to non-Jews but repeatedly the people went after the nations around them. By the time of Jesus the Samaritans were firmly entrenched in the area north of Judah as the mongrel nation despised by the Jews.

A man comes to Jesus seeking to trap the Lord in His teaching. He has carefully studied the law and believes he has a legal entanglement that will entrap Him in his teaching. The lawyer knows if he can make Jesus admit a false representation of the law’s definition of a neighbor he will gain the upper hand on the Lord and find a cause of rebuke. His question is subtle but direct. The question is a leading question and he wants to know what the Lord thinks the law says about eternal life. Jesus is quick to direct the lawyer to the word of God. The Lord does not answer for Himself even though He is the Son of God and has authority from the Father to teach the will of God. He appeals to scripture not His own opinion. “What is written in the law,” is the question Jesus inquires of the lawyer. It would seem the man knows this is the question Jesus will ask and prepares to set his trap. The lawyer explains the law as given by Moses and Jesus does not expound on the answer but commends the man. Now the trap is sprung and the lawyer asked the meaning of the word neighbor. It is then Jesus gives the man a lesson he will never forget about God’s eternal purpose in the relationship of men towards their neighbor.

The story of the good Samaritan is filled with the images of the hypocrisy of the Jews and their disdain for the people of another nation. Robbers take the possessions of an innocent man leaving him for dead. A priest and a Levite pass by with little concern for the injured man. Arriving on the scene is a man of another nation; a man treated like a dog by his Jewish brethren and becomes the hero of the story. A man lies wounded on the road. He is made in the image of God and has been dealt a cruel blow by vicious scoundrels who prey upon the helpless and innocent. Two men who represent the righteousness of God and who should feel indebted to help any man turn a blind eye refusing to help a man in need. They are filled with selfishness and pride that will damn their souls for their disregard for a neighbor. It takes the example of a Samaritan to show the love of one man for another and to teach the lesson of who is the real neighbor. Jesus drives home the point to the lawyer when He asks, “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” It was then the heart of the lawyer sank in shame when he knew the only answer that could be given was the Samaritan. The admonition of the Lord was for him to do the same. Jesus reminds all men who the real neighbor is and there should be no doubt of the responsibility given to all men to have regard for one another. The best thing we can do for our neighbor is to teach them to gospel of Jesus Christ. Be a neighbor.

And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. (1 Kings 16:31)

Her Name Means Chaste

There are few women who have risen in history to the degree of debauchery, licentiousness and cruelty than the woman Jezebel who was wife to Ahab, son of Omri. She used her husband as a puppet to fill her dreams of conquest and murder to rule over the people of God for decades leading them deeper into the pits of idolatry and rebellion against the one true God. Her name is a synonym for everything that is evil but some render the origination of her name as something completely foreign to her life: chaste. Her name belied her nature and the kind of person she is remembered to be. A fanatical despot who ruled Israel through the cowardice of her husband Jezebel murdered the prophets of the Lord, took the people of God to the altars of Baal and caused Israel to sin in ways never seen before. Her husband Ahab reigned twenty-two years over Israel in Samaria and Jezebel outlived him by fourteen years. She influenced her son Ahaziah and Joram of Israel including her son-in-law Jehoram to walk in the ways of Baal and to do evil in the sight of the Lord. The legacy of Jezebel was carved on the historical stones of depravity as she led the northern tribes of a once proud nation to the debauchery of whoredom, witchcraft and wickedness.

There was a time when Jezebel was a sweet, kind and innocent little girl. All children come into the world pure and without sin. As a newborn, Jezebel had the purest of hearts. She had no malice in her spirit and her smile would melt the hardest of hearts. Little baby girls have a presence about them that bring out the good in people regardless of the evil that lies in the heart. Her father was a murderous ruler that served the god Astarte as priest. Jezebel came into the world with a name that meant “Chaste” but soon learned to live a life that was anything but virtuous. Her name meant she was free from carnal desires and she learned early her name would not define her character as she plunged headlong into the sensuous and base practices of idol worship. Ahab would secure her place in history as he married her against all the practices of previous kings and threw Israel into a spiral of moral repugnance to God. Together they would offer their firstborn son Abiram as a human sacrifice and later their youngest son Segub. Ahab would die in battle at the hand of an anonymous archer and Jezebel would be cast out of a window, trampled to death by horses and her body torn to shreds by dogs.

Names say a lot about a person and who they are. All men are defined by their names whether in honor or dishonor. A name like Dwight D. Eisenhower is held with respect while a name such as Adolf Hitler is despised. These two men met on the battlefields of history but the stories of their life are remembered in completely different ways. Jezebel was born with a name that could have defined her life but she chooses to live for the carnal pleasures of the flesh. When we stand before the Lord in judgment the only thing we will have is our name. It is written in the memory of God as being one of honor or dishonor. Men will inscribe names on monuments of marble but that never last. Women like Jezebel will leave their mark on the sands of time but that will pass away to oblivion. The name we have on the day standing before the great I AM is going to determine whether we see eternity in light or the damnation of hell in darkness. Jezebel was born with the name Chaste but she died with the name Lost. Her pleasures were gone, the carnal desires abolished and her cruel reign of terror over. Like all men and women who have walked on the face of the earth she will stand before the Judge on the last day and receive the penalty of her reward. Sadly as she is cast into the pits of hell she will reflect upon her name and realize how important her name could have been. What does your name mean? The better question is not what your name means but what meaning are you giving your name? In the end that will matter more than anything you have in this world.

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

He Cleanses Us From All Sin

Doubt would have us believe that because we are sinful creatures that God will not forgive us of all our sins. There are many sins we can easily see how the Lord would forgive but there are some sins that we cannot trust that forgiveness would be granted. These are major failures in our life. We knew better and yet we followed the path of rebellion. Looking at the manner of our life we reflect upon our training from godly parents who sought to instill in our hearts a love for God and see a path of destruction rebelling against the teaching of His word. How can He forgive such a rebellious heart and give us grace from a life that was wasted on the crumbs of unrighteousness? Hearts often grapple with the guilt of a life wasted and the enduring mercy of a long-suffering Lord. For some they never gain peace from the guilt of sin that burdens the heart and pardon feels like a distant reward never to be enjoyed. Life is dull and lifeless. Exhausted from the worry of the mistakes of yesterday the Christian life becomes empty. Ironically the burden of guilt is something that expresses the incredible love of God that is willing and able to forgive all sins and He will forgive every sin when a man comes to Him with a full heart of repentance. There are no limitations with the mercy of God. He has a name for every star in the heavens and He knows every part of our lives including all the terrible things we have done. Yet in the face of this knowledge the Lord God of love and mercy grants a cleansing from all sin through the blood of His only begotten Son.

The Bible is filled with imperfect people who needed the grace of God. All of the characters of scripture failed God. Some are recorded with great failures in life like David and Peter. The chapter of faith in Hebrews 11 is a testimony to the incredible measures of faith of the men and women who trusted in the mercy of God. Contained in this list is a former prostitute who became part of the lineage of Jesus Christ and the seemingly uncontrollable Samson. It is easy to see why Enoch, Moses and David are in the list but Rahab and Samson? Forgiveness. The Lord God of mercy and grace granted forgiveness to all those who served Him and loved Him. One of the reasons the Holy Spirit tells the story of so many people in scripture is to show the longsuffering and majesty of God’s forgiving love. There were many people who rebelled against the Lord and felt His wrath in their disobedience. The nation of Israel was granted many times the extended love of God and many did not change their lives – but many did and found salvation. Jesus did not die because we deserved anything. His death was measured by the enormity of our sin and He paid the price to redeem us from all of our sin. Every sin. Each sin. The big ones and the little ones. He gave His life to take away all of my sin and make me clean. There is nothing His blood cannot remove in my life. David committed adultery, deceit, caused a man to get drunk and murdered Uriah and then lied about the whole affair – and because of his penitent heart God forgave him.

Eternal life is granted through the forgiveness of all sin by the grace of a loving God who is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, of great kindness relenting from doing harm to those who seek Him. No sin is left when God forgives. Our Father takes away all the sin that has plagued our life and buries them in the bottom of the sea and removing them as far as the east is from the west. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from ALL sin. If God is willing to take away our sin we should have the faith to let Him. Satan wants to remind us of our failures but God wants us to see our victories in His grace. Sin does not have to have dominion over us any longer because God has shed His love in our hearts and granted the joy of cleansing through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. When God forgives it is total. Praise the Lord for His abundant mercy.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)

Fear And Knowledge

When a man does not have a fear of authority he feels impelled to do whatever he wishes. Having no fear of law enforcement drives the criminal mind to live a life outside the law because he believes he will never be caught. Even when he is caught he will find ways to evade capture or argue innocence. Rebelling against authority is the common factor of man’s nature and this is why the majority of men will be lost in eternal damnation. Jesus taught in the mountain sermon that most men will take the broad way that leads to destruction. Two reasons are given by God why this will happen: men do not fear the Lord and they do not understand the will of the Lord. The wise man declared long ago two essential elements to man’s nature must be to fear the Lord and to know the will of God to gain understanding. Why did Eve choose to eat the forbidden fruit? Satan convinced her to not fear God and to use her own wisdom to interpret the word of God. Every time man sins he fails to fear the consequences of the word of God and the punishment for disobedience. Like the criminal, sinful man believes he is above the law of God and does not believe he will be caught. There are many who do evil in this world that may never suffer the consequences of man’s law but there will be no one who stands before the judge of all men and not suffer judgment. The consequences of rebellion will be meted out in eternity.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom because it tells man who he is and what he is. Failing to appreciate his place, man believes he is the god of his world and nothing he does will have an impact on others or himself. Living without the fear of God is living life according to the fleshly desires of carnal man. What is right is determined by what man believes to be right. The world of Noah found themselves facing the wrath of God in the flood because they did not fear God. Man may not have a fear of the Creator in this life but when death takes the spirit before the presence of the Almighty he will understand a fear never felt before. Wisdom begins by having a fear of the Lord because His word is true. There are many blessings in following the will of God but there are severe penalties for those who choose to ignore the commandments of God. Satan whispers in the ear the Lord will not punish and this is the great lie. What happened to all the happiness he promised Eve in the garden? The only thing she got out of that experience was a momentary experience of pleasure and then guilt and shame filled her world. Wisdom begins with a healthy dose of the fear of God.

Learning about the Holy One will bring understanding. The Bible is written so that man can know the mind of God: His will, commandments, precepts, laws, regulations and purpose. Reading the word of God will also show the heart of man the depth of God’s love, grace, mercy, compassion and longsuffering. The Lord has always revealed Himself to man so that he can know how to live before God in righteousness, truth, obedience and love. Increasing knowledge of the holy character of the Father will create a greater love in the heart of the child. Everything man needs to know is found in the Bible so that he can be fully equipped to understand his own nature, how to deal with others and what to look forward to when life is over. The Bible is a book about the man who was made in the image of God who sent His only begotten Son to die for the sins of the man. Redemption is the central theme of the book. Man learns that he is special and that God loved him so much to give Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for sin. The fear of the Lord and the knowledge of the Holy One will change the life of anyone who recognizes the power of the word and molds their life in harmony with the will of the Lord. Fear and knowledge! Vital parts of life.

And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:15-29)

Help My Unbelief

The miracles of Jesus proved that He was the Son of God as no man had ever done what He did with such authority. There was nothing that the Lord could not do as He healed all manner of diseases, raised the dead, showed His power over nature and time and had authority over all the demons. His power was dominate over all things and His words spoke with the clarity of God the Father that no man could challenge. He gave this power to a few select disciples to heal diseases, raise the dead and cast out demons. His disciples were sent out to show the power of God through the miracles testifying of the gospel of salvation to be found in the man from Nazareth. On one occasion the disciples caused a stir because they were not able to heal a man’s son from demon possession. The boy had a mute spirit that afflicted him with convulsions, gnashing of teeth and foaming at the mouth. When the father pleaded with them to heal his son they were unable to rid the boy of the spirit. It must have been disconcerting to the disciples to be shown their power was limited and they were unable to heal this boy. A great discussion ensued that caught the attention of Jesus as the people pleaded with the Lord to heal the boy. It was also a hard time for Jesus to see His disciples failing to understand the gravity of their faith in believing in the power of God. The Lord asked the father how long the spirit had possessed the boy and he answered since childhood. Pleading with Jesus, the father begged the Lord to have compassion and help them. Jesus told the father if he believed anything was possible. Immediately through tears the father cried out that he believed and implored Jesus to help his unbelief. The Lord rebuked the spirit and healed the boy. Later when the disciples asked Jesus why they could not heal the boy the Lord showed them the power of diligent faith through fasting and prayer.

The father was not a contradiction when he told Jesus that he believed yet begged Jesus to help his unbelief. His plea was a pure definition of humble faith trusting in something that was impossible yet relying on the realities of anything being possible with God. Faith is never measured in a full cup. What the father was asking of the disciples and then of Jesus was impossible because no man had the power to overcome the demons. When the disciples tried to heal the boy they lacked faith. Jesus proved that He was the Son of God when He healed the boy of the spirit. The Son of God had the power to do what was impossible and the faith of the father was assured in the power of Jesus but he also knew the limitations of what he could ask of God. He pleaded with Jesus to help his unbelief which shows the power of his faith that with the Lord nothing was impossible. Faith should never be a haughty feeling of superiority that there is no need for greater faith. The disciples could not heal the boy and it seems they had forgotten the humility of faith to trust in God. Working miracles could have insulated the disciples from the heart humbled by the power of God. They had the power to heal the boy but not the faith. The father did not have the power but he had the faith. He wanted Jesus to have compassion on him and he humbled himself to the will of the Father.

Faith is measured by our trusting in the will of God and allowing the power of God to work in our lives. There will never be a time in our lives that our faith does not need to grow and become stronger. The measure of faith will increase in our life but like the body it will always be growing and getting stronger over time. Men of faith for many years struggle with sin just as those who have begun their journey of faith. All men are under the penalty of sin and need faith to increase each day to fight against the wiles of the devil. It is easy to become complacent and think that we have grown to a level that we do not need the word of God as much or to pray as often or serve the Lord with diligence. We can look at our Christian walk as we do our jobs that after a certain amount of years we can retire and relax. As soldiers of the cross when can we lay our armor down and stop fighting? The battle rages on and the battles are many. If a man is 90 years old serving in the kingdom of Christ for 70 years he still needs to ask the Lord to help his unbelief. Why? The battle continues to rage. There will always be another hill to conquer and a foe to vanquish. Rest comes when we enter the bosom of Abraham and the glow of heaven is in our hearts. It is then we lay our armor down when our faith is complete. Until then we cry, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.”