The Heaton File

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

The Challenge Of Coming Out

It is not easy to be different. One of the first needs of a child is to be accepted and be part of a peer group whether family or friends. The identity of self is defined by the relationships that are gendered over time and held in trust by the interaction of life. Friendships develop through the avenue of reciprocal interest and likes bonding the souls together as one. It will not be an easy task to separate those relationships that are common to man. The challenge for the child of God is a matter of allegiance. One of the principles of obedience to God is the need to put first all things godly and to separate the spirit of man from those things contrary to the teachings of the Lord. From the beginning of time God has required first place and first priority from His children. This moved Abram to leave his home of seventy-five years traveling to a place he had no knowledge of and trusting in the providence of the Lord. Joseph aligned himself with the true God in a pagan world and would be rewarded years later with authority in Egypt second only to Pharaoh. Daniel and his friends were forced to live in a heathen land as servants of the conquering king but they refused to defile themselves remaining pure from the pollution’s of the world. Jesus was tempted in all points and through the power of God lived a sinless life free from the defilement’s of a darkened world. The city of Corinth was a wicked and decadent place for anyone to live but especially for a Christian. Paul writes to the saints in Corinth and exhorts them to come out from among the influences of the evil world they lived in and be examples of purity in an impure world. That would be quite a challenge to accomplish but with God’s help it could be done.

The principle of fellowship is to whom the heart is bound. Relationships are built on commonalities and the challenge for the Christian is how far they allow their live to be wrapped up in the affairs of the world. Paul challenges the early disciples to examine whether righteousness should fellowship lawlessness. The two are not compatible with one another and serve a different end. This is not suggesting a person remove himself from the world but rather the interaction of spirit, soul, mind and body with those things that are contrary to the purity of God’s word should be muted. A child of God cannot serve two masters. Using a term of agriculture, the apostle asked a rhetorical question of whether a believer can be yoked to an unbeliever. There is a bonding that happens when one enjoins his life with the other. We may live in the same pasture but we do not need to be yoked to them. The stronger will dominates and when a child of God is yoked in fellowship with an unbeliever it will be the unbeliever that normally will have the stronger influence. Light and darkness do not have communion with one another. Belial is a transliteration of the Hebrew word of worthlessness and applied to Satan. Can anyone imagine Jesus and Satan yoked together? Why should the child of God and the child of Satan be yoked together? The believer and the unbeliever have nothing in common to share as one is saved by grace and the other condemned for rebellion. What agreement would the Temple of God have in allowing statutes of Zeus, Baal, Buddha or any other idol to be placed within its holy walls? The contrast Paul draws is clearly evident and challenging for the Christian to realize the importance of separating themselves from the influences of an ungodly world.

Each person that puts on Christ in obedience becomes a temple of the living God. The Lord dwells in the temples of the heart in each child that loves Him and obeys His word following His precepts and laws. Separation is essential to the character of the Christian to not fellowship the unfruitful works of darkness. God dwells in holy temples of the soul that have removed the trappings of the world from its walls. Paul exhorts the Corinthians to come out from among the darkness of the Corinthian world and stand for Jesus Christ as sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. This requires action on the part of the child of God to come out and to remove the influences of the world from their lives. Two things are noted in the exhortation: (1) be separate; (2) do not touch. There must first be a removal and then there must be a commitment not to return to the darkness of sin. Coming out from among the world is where God said He will meet with His children and share with them His glory. He will not give that blessing to those who remain in the world of darkness or refuse to come out from among the world. The challenge of coming out is the courage required to make that change in life.

Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth Aven. When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. And Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.” And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” (1 Samuel 13:5-14)

I Felt Compelled

The nation of Israel had demanded a king to lead them into battle and Saul would be their first ruler with disastrous results. It was only a few years after being anointed by Samuel that Saul proved to be a man who cared more for his own will than the commandment of the Lord. The Philistines would be a constant source of trouble for the young nation. Thirty thousand chariots of the Philistines along with six thousand horsemen and innumerable warriors stood against King Saul and his rag-tag army of Israelite’s. The men of Israel were terrified at the sight of the huge army of Philistines gathered against them and many of the Israelite’s hid in distress. Saul was no doubt concerned for his young nation and anxiously waited for Samuel to arrive to bless the people and give them courage. The prophet Samuel instructed Saul to wait seven days for him to arrive but Samuel did not come to Gilgal at the allotted time. Concerned he would lose his nation; King Saul took matters into his own hand and offered the burnt offering in the place of Samuel. As king of Israel Saul had the authority to carry out many duties but to serve as a priest and prophet of the people was not given to him. As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering Samuel came. It would seem Saul was excited to see Samuel and tell him he had taken it upon himself to offer the burnt offering for the people since the prophet had delayed his coming. In the mind of Saul it was the right thing to do considering the circumstance and surely Samuel would understand.

From the view of Saul there was a big problem. The Philistines had gathered against him with an incredible army that seemed invincible. There was little hope of winning the battle and with Samuel delaying his arrival the people began to leave in fear of the opposing Philistine army. For the king it was a watershed moment of decision to keep the people together and although he knew he had no authority to offer the burnt offering he forced himself to take the place of Samuel since it seemed a good idea to make the sacrifice. He probably performed the sacrifice in the right manner with the right animal. However Samuel rebuked the king for making an unlawful sacrifice and failing to trust in the will of the Lord. It was foolish for Saul to think God did not know what He was doing. Saul could not wait on the Lord when he offered the burnt offering. The king had failed to keep the commandment of the Lord regardless of the circumstance. Saul knew the law and understood he had no right to offering the burnt offering even if he thought it was a good idea and needful at the time. Being the king did not give him the authority. The thousands of Philistines set in war against them was not a reason to disobey the will of God. Having a good idea and feeling compelled to go beyond the law of God was not reason enough. What Saul did was what so many people have done in religion to go beyond what is written.

Circumstances do not change the law of God. The apostasy of the New Testament church is born from the illicit ideas of men thinking they know more than commandments of the Lord. There are many things that work well in the business world but do not fit in the church of God because there is no authority. Men go beyond the word of God because they feel compelled to help the Lord out with His plan (that in the minds of men is not going to work). Look at the denominational world of religion and see the chaos and confusion in the programs and teachings of man-made churches that like Saul are making unlawful sacrifices to the Lord. The sacrifice of Saul probably looked a lot like what Samuel would have done but Saul had no authority to carry out the sacrifice. It did not matter to God that Saul thought it was a good idea. There was no authority. From the beginning of time authority must be established in worship and without authority worship is vain. When men go beyond the word of God they go beyond the bounds of authority. Like Saul, religion has become foolishness because they refuse to follow the word of God. And like Saul, the religions of men will be cast down as refuse when the Lord appears because there is no authority for their sacrifices.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments. I am afflicted very much; revive me, O Lord, according to Your word. Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me Your judgments. My life is continually in my hand, yet I do not forget Your law. The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I have not strayed from Your precepts. Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, to the very end. (Psalm 119:105-112)

Light In A Time Of Darkness

The technology of man has brought many blessings that generations before could never have appreciated or dreamed possible. What is taken for granted with unmeasured ease is the ability to light the world in almost any environment. Houses are filled with lights, automobiles race across the landscape with ease because of the power of illumination and whether crossing the vast oceans or flying through the air, man has captured the power of light to fill his world with the brightness of day. It is only when the power goes out that lives are disrupted and frustrated because there is no light. What is ironic of this situation is that for eons of generations the ability of man to light his world was limited to a small space of his world using only oil lamps, wax candles or fire to bring some brightness to a very dark world. Darkness prevailed in the world because of the limitations of man’s ability to fill his world with light. The psalmist lived in a time where electricity was thousands of years away and his world was brightened by lamps and crude implements that cast long shadows through the darkness. It was vital to have these lights to see in the dark of night depending on the lamps to guide their footsteps. There is a certain imagery that is lost on modern man that men like the psalmist embraced with great ease. Having a lamp to light the way was a means of great joy and comfort.

Reflecting on the importance of light in the darkness, the psalmist illustrates the power of the word of God. He calls the righteous judgments of the Lord a lamp to his feet and a light to his path. There is a great power of spiritual darkness permeating the world and the only way to go through life with sure footing is to rely on the lamp of God to light the way. Danger awaits those who seek to walk in darkness. Keeping the righteous judgments of the Lord will help the soul be safe from the wiles of the devil. When affliction arises he will trust in the word to revive him and protect him. There will be no voice of complaint but a freewill offering of praise because the judgments of the Lord have taught the heart to walk in the path of light. The law of God is always present to guide the soul in the proper path. There are many dangers as the wicked lay snares to trap the righteous. How can a man know how to walk in darkness if he does not have a light to guide him? The precepts of God will keep the soul on the true path. This light must never go out but kept as a continual heritage forever. Like the physical world, the host of darkness will last until the end of the world. Spiritual darkness will fill the hearts of men until the coming of the Son of God and the need of keeping the word of God as a lamp to guide the soul is more present than ever before. Obedience comes from hearts filled with the light of God to perform the statues of truth, righteousness and godliness.

A final note about this portion of the psalm. Like so much of the psalm, the author emphasizes the many parts of the revelation of God to man. He calls the word of God the righteous judgments, word, law, precepts, testimonies and statues. Obedience does not come only from a heart of faith believing in the power of the Lord and His grace. The need of grace and mercy are key ingredients to find oneself pleasing to God but obedience to the judgments of the Lord is imperative. There are laws that must be kept, precepts obeyed, testimonies followed and statues bound in the heart. Too many of those who want to follow Jesus believe that having a faith in the Son of God is all they need to be found pleasing. The doctrine of salvation by faith alone without works is a dead faith. The psalmist understood this teaching long before it was emphasized by the New Testament writers. Salvation comes from taking the word of God and using it as a light to the path of life. Believing in light will not benefit a man who does not take the light with him into the darkness. The word of God is a lamp to the feet of those who carry the righteous judgments of the Lord in their hearts through study and application. Keeping the righteous judgments of God requires possessing the word in the heart. The prayer of the psalmist was for the Lord to teach him the judgments that will protect him, guide him and help him through the vale of spiritual darkness that encircles the world. There is personal accountability required of those who seek the favor of God. The word can only be a lamp to the feet when the light is in the hand of the one seeking to light his way. Without the word of God (judgments, law, precepts and statues) – how dark is the darkness. Light your world with His word – Jesus Christ.

Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18-19)

One Solitary Life

Dr. James Allan Francis wrote a powerful story about the life of Jesus. He writes, “Let us turn now to the story. A child is born in an obscure village. He is brought up in another obscure village. He works in a carpenter shop until he is thirty, and then for three brief years is an itinerant preacher, proclaiming a message and living a life. He never writes a book. He never holds an office. He never raises an army. He never has a family of his own. He never owns a home. He never goes to college. He never travels two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He gathers a little group of friends about him and teaches them his way of life. While still a young man, the tide of popular feeling turns against him. One denies him; another betrays him. He is turned over to his enemies. He goes through the mockery of a trial; he is nailed to a cross between two thieves, and when dead is laid in a borrowed grave by the kindness of a friend. Those are the facts of his human life. He rises from the dead. Today we look back across nineteen hundred years and ask, what kind of trail has he left across the centuries? When we try to sum up his influence, all the armies that ever marched, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned are absolutely picayune in their influence on mankind compared with that of this one solitary life. (“The Real Jesus and Other Sermons” © 1926 by the Judson Press of Philadelphia (pp 123-124 titled “Arise Sir Knight!”).

The apostle Paul described what Jesus did as the one person who changed the history of man. In the Garden of Eden the act of one person lead to the separation of the creation from the Creator resulting in condemnation. Because of the obedience of Jesus to fulfill the work of His Father one man’s righteous act resulted in the justification of life for all those who would come to the cross. While the actions of Eve in the garden brought sin and sorrow, the death of Jesus ushered in the victory over sin and joy of eternal life. The singularity of each act shows the power of how one act can bring heartache, misery, death and condemnation; yet in the single act of Jesus suffering for the sins of all men and giving His life a ransom justification is offered to all men. Salvation would not come through the multitude of sacrifices as if the blood of the millions of animals sacrificed could redeem man. God would only accept the greatest death and His love was so unbounded He willingly offered His only begotten Son as the one sacrifice and hope for man. One God offered one Son to redeem the one act of man that resulted in his condemnation. By one man’s disobedience all men have suffered from the foundation of the world and thanks be to God by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous. There is glory and power in the one act of grace that was given by the one Father through the death of one Son.

Eternal life is not given to the mass of humanity because they are a part of humanity. Salvation is singular. Through the action of one person sin came into the world and by the sacrifice of one person righteousness was glorified to give man hope. The irony of the judgment day is that all men will be gathered before the throne of God filling the heavenly hall with the billions of people that have ever lived and yet eternity will be measured by the action of one person – me. My parents will be there but I will be judged alone by my actions. All of my family will be gathered and I will stand alone before God to be judged by what I did – not what others have done. Everyone I have known and will know will be with me at judgment and I cannot vouch for them or them for me. One solitary life will stand before the Lord God and that will be me, myself and I. As one solitary life died to save me I will stand as one solitary life before the one solitary Lord God and Father. What will my one solitary life reflect?

And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord. (2 Chronicles 12:14)

The Fall Of Rehoboam

Solomon brought the nation of Israel to its zenith in the forty years of his reign. The kingdom had been united for 120 years when Solomon died and his son Rehoboam took control of the nation. Heading the advice of younger men the new king introduced a spirit of rebellion among the people resulting in ten northern tribes breaking away from Judah and Benjamin forming the northern kingdom of Israel. All of the kings of the northern kingdom were evil and would take the nation to oblivion. Much of what Rehoboam did for the southern kingdom was good for the people strengthening the kingdom, filling the cities with stores of food, oil and wine and making them very secure from enemies. But like many men who seek to do well and please God the king soon forsook the Lord and all Israel along with him. Five years into the rule of Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen and people without number. The Egyptians took the fortified cities of Judah and besieged the city of God. A prophet of the Lord named Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and told him the reason the Egyptians stood outside of Jerusalem is because the king had forsaken the Lord and this was the consequence for rebellion. Rehoboam had a choice: repent and receive the mercy of God or rebel and be destroyed. He chose to humble himself and beg for the kindness of the Lord. Seeing their humble hearts, God granted them some deliverance and allowed Shishak to only take the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house. The Egyptians took everything including the gold shields from the Temple that Solomon had made. Rehoboam humbled himself and the wrath of God was stayed but he paid the price of rebellion. The reign of Solomon’s son was only seventeen years when he died at the age of 58 years. He is remembered as a king who did evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.

The family of Rehoboam was rich in history and spiritual legacy. His grandfather was David, a man after God’s own heart. Solomon, his father, was blessed by the Lord with incredible wisdom and elevated the small nation of Israel to a superpower among the nations. The wealth and prosperity of the world Rehoboam grew up in was unmatched by any known kingdom. There were so many things the son of Solomon should have seen and learned in his childhood to impress upon him the power of God’s grace and power but when he fortified himself as king of God’s people he turned his heart away. His epitaph is inscribed with the words, “He did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.” It did not matter he was the grandson of David or the son of Solomon. He had to make his own way with the Lord and somewhere along the way his heart was not fully prepared to serve the Lord. His father had written the wisdom literature that proclaimed that from the heart come the issues of life but Rehoboam had not prepared his heart. He enjoyed the bounty of his father’s material blessings and this lead him to forget the bounty of his spiritual father. Goodness comes from a heart that is prepared to seek God and Him alone. It does not come from national pedigree, spiritual heritage of families who served the Lord or the circumstances of life. Righteousness will only spring forth from a heart that has been prepared and is prepared to seek the Lord. Many years later when the final death blows of the southern tribes of Israel are executed upon God’s people, four young men will prove the worth of preparing their hearts to seek the Lord in the bondage of Babylon. Daniel and his friends took a stand against defiling themselves because their hearts were prepared from the Lord.

Serving God has always been about the heart. Abraham was a man who sought the Lord with his heart trusting in the words of the Lord to guide him and tell him where to journey. The Law of Moses was not a physical law that did not require preparation of the heart. There were multitudes of sacrifices demanded of God but the heart was always at the center of worship. Drawing all men to His Son, the Lord demands worship to be in spirit and truth because the heart is still the center of pleasing God. Rehoboam did evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord and that is the same reason many do not follow the Lord today. They believe they can serve God any way they want without dedicating their hearts with complete obedience. Rote religion is very common as the people of God go through the motions of worship without any regard to truth. As long as certain acts of worship are accomplished religion is fine. Sadly without the heart this form of religion is vain and useless. Rehoboam had all the advantages of a spiritual heritage but failed to prepare his heart to worship God.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

Designed By God

In the early days of the automobile a man’s Model-T Ford stalled in the middle of the road. He couldn’t get it started no matter how hard he cranked nor how much he tried to advance the spark or adjust things under the hood. Just then a chauffeured limousine pulled up behind him, and a wiry, energetic man stepped out from the back seat and offered his assistance. After tinkering for a few moments the stranger said, “Now try it.” Immediately the engine leaped to life. The well-dressed individual then identified himself as Henry Ford. “I designed and built these cars,” he said, “so I know what to do when something goes wrong.” God, as our Creator knows how to “fix” us when our lives are broken by sin. (Author unknown)

The Bible is the mind of God revealed to man to guide him, instruct him and the manual that describes what makes man special and unique. Unlike the animals of the world, man is an eternal creature that will never cease to exist. Made in the image of God, man is in the character of the divine that when life begins it will never cease. The mortal body is merely a frame that houses the life of the individual through a period of time but will eventually die. What remains is what man has always been and that is eternal. As Creator of heaven and earth and the designer of man, God has the right to tell man how to live. The Lord alone is the maker of man with the authority of creation to tell man where to find happiness, joy, fulfillment and lasting peace. From the beginning of time the struggle of man has been to believe he is his own god pursuing his own will apart from God. The results are always tragic because man refuses to pattern his life after the design given to him by his Creator. All men are made in the image of God. If there are problems in a man’s life the only place he will find the answer is in the knowledge of the One who created him. All the tinkering of man to fix himself will come to naught.

Happiness for man comes only from his willingness to listen to the word of God, his Creator. All of the questions that man has can be answered from the word of God. The challenges of life that press hard upon the spirit of man can be relieved through the knowledge of the will of the Lord. Marriages are made whole through the teachings of Jesus Christ. Families are united as one through the practice of the principles of godliness, holiness and purity found in the mind of God. Troubles in the work place are solved through the relationship of living a Christian life. Hope for tomorrow and understanding the frailty of life with the reality of death are solved in the word of God. Man has longed believed he is the sole center of his universe and this is where the tragedy of man has come full circle. When man replaces his Creator with his own selfish desires as the center of his life he worships a god of clay and straw. Life can be complete only when God is the meaning of life, the purpose of living and the hope of what lies ahead. The Lord God made us – He knows how to fix us.

This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. (2 John 6)

What Is Love?

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association publishes a study guide called the “Matthew Manual” that is used to help people find ways to contact their neighbors and share with them what they must do to be saved. On page 20 of the booklet a discussion is given about “Legalism or Love.” The article states, “Legalism, or living by the letter of the law, is the cause of much division and contention in the church and in families. Our selfish attitudes can drive people away from us and the Lord. Only a gracious, loving attitude can bring unity, healing and forgiveness. The Holy Spirit is the source of God’s love, and He dwells in each believer. ‘The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.’ 2 Corinthians 3:6.” One of the sources of contention with the majority of the Protestant churches that embrace one form or another of Calvinism is the idea that salvation comes only by grace or through faith. Most Christian denominations believe a man is justified by faith only and that by wording what is commonly called “The Sinners Prayer” that God will grant forgiveness. Law keeping is condemned as salvation by works. Trying to save oneself through works is viewed as a failed attempt to gain merited favor from God. Nothing is further from the truth of God’s word.

John is known as the apostle of love. His gospel and three epistles preserved by the Holy Spirit are clear declarations of the love of God through His Son Jesus Christ. Some of the more familiar passages that people know from the Bible come from John’s writings. When John writes about love in his first epistle he shows that love comes from being a commandment keeper. Obeying the law of God is how love is expressed in the life of the child of God. From the beginning of time the Lord has expected man to love Him and keep His commandments: each one is dependent upon the other. In the Old Testament the people were told to follow the precepts, laws, commands, teachings, instructions and testimonies. Did this leave out love? No – because God wanted His people to love Him with all their hearts, soul and minds. It is not possible to love God with keeping the words of His commandments. It seems those who emphasize love without legalism suggests as long as one loves the Lord Jesus then they do not have to follow His will. This would be like trying to explain to the law enforcement officer that following the laws of the road is not necessary as long as the person has love in their hearts. Obedience to the law is required as much as love for truth. Jesus said that He was the way, the truth and the life not because He wanted men to love Him as the way, truth and life. His will is the only way man can walk; His truth is the only body of truth; and the only way eternal life can be granted is by those who love Him and keep His commandments.

What is love? John says that love is walking according to the commandments of God. He further emphasizes this has always been the will of the Lord from the beginning of time. Walking in the will of God is keeping His commandments. Faith comes by hearing the word of God and love is seen when a person obeys the commandments of the Lord. Jesus told His disciples that if they loved Him they would keep His commandments. Is it possible to be saved without living by the letter of the law? History points out that when men decide to live according to their interpretation of the grace of God without keeping the commandments there is a tragic result. What is missed by those who oppose keeping the letter of the law is that works alone cannot and never have saved man. Martin Luther resisted the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church when the only emphasis was salvation by works alone. Man cannot be saved by his own merits. What Luther did was go to the other extreme of believing salvation comes by faith only. John says that love is necessary and keeping the commandments of God are necessary. If a man loves Jesus alone and does not obey His word he will not be saved. When a man believes he can keep the commands of God without a heart of love he will also be found lacking. Love is walking according to the commandments of God.

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)

I Am The Bread Of Life

One of the basic needs of man is bread. The Lord told Adam before casting him out of the garden that by the sweat of his brow would he eat bread indicating that food necessary for life would only come through toil. Bread is not confined to the product of wheat or barley but a common word including the basic needs of man for food. The body is created in such a manner that without sustenance death will occur. Life is in the food that is ingested to give the body strength, energy and sustain good health. The wrong kinds of food will do harm. Proper nutrition is vital to a longer life and energy to allow the body to function as God created. From the beginning of time man has known the necessity of food and its function in the cycle of life. What man has failed to appreciate is while the physical food is necessary to sustain life in the body God has always offered man the spiritual manna to sustain his eternal life. This comes from a failure to acknowledge the true nature of man as a spiritual creature inhabiting a fleshly tabernacle. All of the attention is given to the physical side of man. Eating properly, exercising and taking supplements are part of the health crazed world that spends billions of dollars each year to maintain a level of youth no matter the age. The sad reality is that when all said and done man dies. There will never be a secret pill to take life longer than the habitation established by God in the mortal body. Man is born and then he will die. Everyone celebrates a day of birth and everyone will lay the body down in death – everyone.

Jesus came to offer man a greater blessing than the physical manna of life. His purpose was not to feed all humanity on the crumbs of bread He could recreate by His power. He fed more than five thousand people with five barley loaves and two small fish. But they were hungry again the next day and became frustrated Jesus had left and could not be found. When they discovered Him on the other side of sea at Capernaum they wanted to know when He had come and why did He leave. His answer is one of the great treatises of scripture that His Father has been telling men since the beginning of time. Life is not about the bread that perishes. Eating a full meal today will be enjoyable and filling but as the body is designed to process the food and then eliminate it hunger will return. What Jesus offered was something that would never diminish or go away. He told the crowd that He was the bread which came down from heaven like the manna of old when God fed the rebellious nation of Israel. The manna was a gift from God that no man could take credit for. Found within the white coriander seed that tasted like wafers made with honey was everything man needed to live along with the water provided by God. Life was in the manna. Jesus tells the multitude that He is the bread of life and the flowing fountain of water where man will never hunger or thirst. The woman at the Samarian well of Jacob learned Jesus was the everlasting fountain of life. Jesus is the bread of life where man will never hunger. He is the water of life as a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. As the bread of life there is nothing man needs but Jesus Christ.

God provided all men the bread of life but few men will come dine at His table. It is tragic to see a sumptuous feast prepared for all those who would come and yet few are willing. There is a cost to come to the table but by the grace of God all things are provided that man needs. Jesus Christ is the bread of life because He is all man needs. Like the physical food, the word of Christ must be ingested to have benefit. The bread of life requires consuming and meditating upon. Bread wrapped up in a package sitting on a shelf will have no benefit. A Bible sitting on a table unopened and seldom gleaned will have no lasting impact on the life of the holder. Jesus as the bread of life requires the consumption of His nature, His glory and His teaching to be infused in every part of life. Weak spirits and disinterested hearts come from not abiding in the word of Christ and letting the bread of life fill the capillaries of the soul will grow the spirit to fill with the Spirit of the Father. Many are sick and weak in the church because they have not feasted on the bread of life. Jesus came to give Himself as the manna from heaven. Let His word dwell in your mouth, your heart and your mind to grow thereby through the knowledge of His love. The more you feast on the bread of life the less hungry for the appetites of sin you will desire. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.”

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.