The Heaton File

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:2-11)

Governing The Passion Of Self

There is an animal that is more difficult to control than any of God’s creation. That creature lies within the soul of man and is the agent of goodness or wickedness. It is the part of man that declares his free moral agency allowing him to be accountable for his life. Established by the Lord by separating him from the beasts of the field, the struggle of self-will makes man a moral creature accountable for his words, thoughts and actions. The passion of the spirit of man can make him to be a creature of worship toward his creator or it can lead him down a path of self-destruction. Giving the ability to choose right and wrong the condition of the heart decides what the will of man will do. Self-control is learning how to guide the desires of the heart towards what the Lord wants man to do. More often than not man will choose to follow his own self-will because he believes he knows more than God and the appeal of the flesh is better served with no limits. Disciplining the passions of lusts is very difficult. As the fruits of the Spirit manifest themselves in the life of the child of God, the need to restrain the free spirit of man is more apparent. The forbidden fruit looks appealing and desiring to become wise man allows self-restraint to be forgotten. Self-control is learning how to control the creation of man’s inner desires for good.

The passions that drive a man were placed there by God. It is what separates us from the animal world. Right and wrong are determined by the manner we control the will of self. Placed before man is the choice of life or death and the control of the passions will either come from obedience to the word of God or abandoning the Lord for self-gratification. What makes self-control so difficult is the willingness to follow the path of righteousness but the temptation to enjoy the temporary fruits of sin overtakes the heart. David failed to control the feelings of self when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. He further lacked self-control when he devised a plan to cover up his sin and in the end lost control of every part of his life. A choice was made and he made the wrong choice. The heart of the problem was the lack of self-control. Without the governing influence of the word of God, there is no guidance and the devil wins.

Self-control is where character comes from. Peter shows that knowledge is a vital part of the growth of the Christian but without the discipline to implement that knowledge in the proper manner, sin will have its victory. Self-control is dependent upon knowledge and will need to be fortified with a spirit of perseverance. Self is hard to wrangle as it wiggles around seeking its own enjoyments. The wiles of the devil can only be defeated when the spirit is controlled with the strength of God’s word and the steel character of goodness protecting the way. Every sin can be defined by the lack of self-control. Growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ comes from the character building exercise of discipline. Learning to control the heart from anger, jealousy, passions, sinful lusts and a host of maladies that challenge the character of righteousness will change the person of God into a valiant soldier of Christ. Battle worn veterans in the war with Satan know that controlling self is where victory is found.

The graces defined by Peter present a complete picture of the Christian model of righteousness. No one character is more important than the other but without self-control there will be failure. Self-control is a key to fighting the passions of sin that destroy character, reputations, families and the work of the Lord. Faith must be fortified with the discipline of placing the will under the hand of God and forging a heart guided by the knowledge of truth established with a mind of perseverance. The great men and women of scripture have one thing in common: the presence of self-control. Every story of failure can be laid at the feet of lacking self-control. The word of God trains the mind to control the passions in the proper context. Finding the courage to stay the course and allow the Spirit of God to possess the soul will bring greater victory. Eternal life is rest from the weary battle of self-control. Learning to put self in its proper place will bring everlasting joy in this life and the life to come.

You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out. And you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them. But I have said to you, “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples. You shall therefore distinguish between clean animals and unclean, between unclean birds and clean, and you shall not make yourselves abominable by beast or by bird, or by any kind of living thing that creeps on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine. (Leviticus 20:22-26)

Separate From The World

It is not easy to be different. The world is a tough place to separate oneself from because of the peer pressure, desires and temptations that allure the soul to follow after what everyone else is enjoying. As Israel prepared to enter Canaan, the Lord gave them strong admonitions about the world they would face. Throughout the giving of the Law, God impressed upon the minds of His people how important it was for them to be separate and not follow after the iniquity of the nations before them. When Abraham had come into the land, he had been promised Canaan when the iniquity of the people had come full and that time had come. One of the reasons the Lord brought His people to the land beyond the Jordan is to punish the nations because of their wholesale wickedness. The people engaged in gross immoral acts that were a stench before the nostrils of the Lord. They offered their children to idols as burnt offerings, followed after mediums and spiritualists, cursed father and mother, committed adultery, incest, bestiality, homosexuality and filled the land with violence. Canaan was not given to Israel because they were a righteous nation. God was bringing judgment against the land because they were so filled with wickedness that a cleansing needed to take place. At the same time the Lord warned His own people that they must remain separated from the influences of the immorality of the land lest they also were destroyed.

The Law of Moses was very clear about the penalties of being like the nations around them. Any child of God that followed after Molech (god of Ammonites) was to be put to death. If a child cursed father or mother they were put to death. The man and woman who committed adultery were put to death. Incest required death. Homosexuality was punished by death. Marriages of incest were burned with fire. The people of the land committed sexual acts with animals and the Lord demanded death on His people that practiced such things. God told the nation of Israel to consecrate themselves and be holy and to keep His statutes. He was their God and He would rule over them if they did not become like the nations around them. If they disobeyed the word of the Lord the land would “vomit them out.” They were not to walk in the ways of the nations that were before them. He abhorred what the nations were doing. Consecrating themselves from the peoples of the land would mean they distinguished between clean animals and unclean animals. They were to be holy to Him and to Him alone. Sadly their history would prove to be unholy.

As the centuries unfolded for the children of Israel they never quite rid the land of the immoralities warned against by God. In time the people did exactly what the Lord had commanded them not to do. They began to follow after the idol worship of the nations and served the Baal and other gods of men. Sexual immorality became rampant among the nation as fornication and adultery were common. Homosexuality was accepted along with bestiality. Parents were ridiculed as the home crumbled. Every man did what was right in his own eyes as personal rights became the rule of law. Nakedness was the accepted norm in the fashion world of ancient Israel. There was no distinction of those things that were clean and unclean. Warned repeatedly by God to change their ways, Israel fell into moral chaos and finally met their destruction at the hands of the Assyrians and Babylonians. The apple of God’s eye was destroyed because they had failed to separate themselves from the appealing temptations of the world.

The church faces a crisis as more and more of God’s people are no longer separating themselves from the world. It is hard to tell the difference. Children are being offered on the altars of selfishness, pride, and arrogance and are becoming self-centered lovers of themselves with no barriers to correct them. Spoiled with the desires of everything they want they have no interest in God. Sexual freedoms are no longer frowned upon as young people freely engage in premarital sex with parents giving their blessings. Children are born without the bonds of marriage because it has been accepted in the land that God is not real. Incest is accepted through the channels of pornography and adultery is a common practice in marriage. Homosexuality is a national pride and more challenges are found in the church of the Lord of those who have followed its seditious path of unrighteousness. Bestiality is over the horizon as acceptable. In all of these things the church is being plagued by those who refuse to separate their hearts from the desires of the world.

There was a time when women dressed modestly with shamefacedness. Now it is not unusual for the dress to be very short, the neck lines plunging with shoulders and backs exposed to glorify the body. Sensual dress is the market of the day. Women old and young will wear shorts to church services and in some cases very short shorts. Belly shirts, tight fitting pajama type clothing or expressive clothing of an immoral world fill the pews. Swim wear covers less than underwear. The Christian woman is clothing herself in the dress of the world or the lack thereof. And like the nation of Israel that was warned by God to separate themselves; consecrate themselves; be holy and make a distinction between what is clean and unclean; the church is being crushed by the influence of the nations that do not love God or keep His word. It is hard to be different and to set oneself apart from a world gone mad with lusts. Sadly, if separation does not take place in this life there will be a separation in the next life that is eternal. God’s people have always battled with the influence of the world but the challenge remains the same. There must be separation. Consecration requires sanctification and sanctification demands a choice. We must be holy to God because He is holy and He separated us by the blood of Christ that we should be His and His alone.

For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him. (Leviticus 20:9)

Cursing Father And Mother Brings Death

The highest of God’s creation was the formation of man and woman and the establishment of the home. From this place the world would be filled as the man and woman multiplied and families spread throughout the land. Adam and Eve had two sons named Cain and Abel. Sadly, the tragedy of sin quickly filled the hearts of their home when Cain killed his brother Abel. Many children would be born to Adam and Eve but none bore the stain of heartbreak more than the banishment of Cain. Noah would raise three sons in a world so wicked it would be destroyed by the Lord. He and his wife worked hard to instill in their three sons a respect for God and love for truth. The examples of Ham, Shem and Japheth show their honor given to the parents in believing in the flood and following through with the warnings of destruction. It is incredible that not only was the family of Noah saved but also his three daughters-in-law. The wives of Ham, Shem and Japheth also honored their father-in-law by believing in the flood. When the Law was given to the people of Israel, the Lord had much to say about respect for parents. The sanctity of the home was very precious to God. Capital punishment was meted out to those who committed murder, adultery, idolatry, blaspheming the name of the Lord and failing to keep the Sabbath holy. Included in the law of capital punishment was death to anyone who cursed their parent.

It is clear God expects great respect to be given parents. One could argue the penalty of death to those who commit murder but in the eyes of the Lord there is no difference in a murderer than one who would curse their father and mother. Death is the sentence of a man who curses his father or mother showing the disdain of the Creator to any that would trample the sacredness of the home. The Lord will not accept those who would insult or trample upon the paternal dignity and authority of the home. Rebellious children were put to death, not tolerated. The message is not so much the execution of the child but the view of God toward the home. He demands respect and honor be given to parents who have borne the children into the world. While the Law of Moses has been abolished the feeling of God’s wrath upon those who would trifle His design of the home remains the same. Under the Law of Moses judgment came in this life. At the judgment bar of God He will bring about swift punishment upon those who do not honor the home.

Cursing father and mother is the highest level of disrespect. Fathers are commanded to bring their children up in the training of the Lord and when a child curses their father they curse God. In the creation man and woman were formed as the agents of procreation with the command of the Lord to teach respect and honor to the children so they would honor the parent. Ultimately this would reflect upon the child’s view of God. If a child does not honor their father and mother they will not honor God as Father. The penal sanctions of the law criminalized the actions of the child to the parent. There is wisdom in the will of God to enforce such laws as the foundation of any society. Jesus affirmed this view in His teaching showing God’s view of cursing father and mother is sinful.

The respect of children for parents must begin in the home. It must be seen the purpose of teaching children to honor father and mother forms the basis of a child’s view of God. If the child does not learn to give honor to the parent they will not obey the Lord. A child left to themselves will grow up without God. Parents who allow their children to talk back to them and disrespect them teach them to dishonor the word of God. Spoiled and unruly children grow up with the attitude the world owes them everything. When this reflects upon their understanding of the Heavenly Father there will be no hope for their soul. Some children curse their father and mother because their parents have allowed that behavior to form the child’s heart. The home will be filled with shame. Children who learn to honor their parents will know how to honor God. Too many children grow up cursing God because they have cursed their parents. Godly homes must teach children how important it is to love and respect God and His word. Saving a child’s heart in the home will save their soul in eternity. Children must obey their parents in the Lord because that is the right thing to do.

Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him. (Luke 13:10-17)

The Infirmed Man

Jesus was the great miracle worker showing the power of God through healing, comforting, casting out demons and raising the dead. No time in the history of man has there been such an incredible demonstration of immediate reversal of physical calamity. There was no disease Jesus could not conquer. His cures were complete. The visual evidence of the miracle was purposed for the hearts of men to see Him as the Son of God. Thousands were healed. At times single individuals received the welcomed touch of the great Physician. Some the Lord warned not to tell while others He healed in the presence of hard hearted Jews intent on destroying Him. Jesus could heal the body but many He could never change their hearts to see Him for who He was.

On a certain Sabbath Jesus was teaching in the synagogue when He saw a pitiful sight of a woman so infirmed she could not stand straight. He knew she had suffered in this manner for eighteen years. What a miserable existence to be unable to stand straight or sit with any comfort. Sleeping may have been the only respite from her misery as she endured many years of incredible pain and discomfort. What of her family? Did she have a husband who cared for her or children that concerned themselves with her welfare? We are not told but it was clear Jesus saw a need and His heart filled with compassion at the sight of this poor woman. Calling her over to Him, He declared her loose from the infirmity, laid His hands on her and the warm feeling of healing swept over her body. The pain was gone and the crippling malady that plagued her for eighteen years was immediately removed. It must have startling to her mind to be in such agony one moment and feeling the gentle touch of Jesus as her body became whole. She glorified God for many reasons. Her infirmity was gone and she knew the only way that was possible was by the power of a loving God. How great was her thanksgiving and how joyful she could now live a full life. As her friends and family saw her they were astonished that she stood straight and tall. This woman was no longer infirmed.

Watching the events in the synagogue was a man in a place of authority among the Jewish people. As ruler of the synagogue he possessed a position of great authority and prestige. The people would come to him for spiritual advice and it was under his leadership the synagogue was conducted according to the traditions of the fathers. When he saw what Jesus did he became indignant. It is possible he knew the woman infirmed for eighteen years and may not have given much notice to her wretched state. There was nothing he could do and she was probably not important to him. Along with the crowd gathered that Sabbath he witnessed the woman healed immediately by the power of Jesus. He saw her glorify God and praise Him for the wonderful blessing of healing. The heart of the ruler great dark as he boldly declared to the crowd that healing should not be done on the Sabbath day. If anyone wanted to be healed let them come the other six days but he reminded them the Sabbath was not a day for healing.

Jesus was incredulous. Here was a man serving as ruler of the people and witnessing an amazing miracle; and he accuses Jesus of profaning the Sabbath. The Lord shames the ruler and those who sided with him that if they had an ox or donkey that needed a drink of water that they would – on the Sabbath – take their animal to a trough of water. If they had such compassion for an animal, why would they not have compassion on a child of Abraham to be loosed from her infirmity? One of the most remarkable things that happened with the miracles of Jesus is no one denied the miracle. The ruler did not say the miracle did not happen. He thought (in his hypocritical mind) that Jesus should restrict His healing to six days. In the story of the woman infirmed for eighteen years we find the real story is the man who is infirmed in his mind to deny the power of Jesus as the Son of God. She was healed but the ruler was infirmed.

The Bible has stood for centuries under the barrage of criticism and rejected by the wisdom of man. But it is still here and continues to change lives because of its power to heal the broken and contrite heart. Many look at the word of God with derision and scorn but they cannot deny its reality. In the face of a world that denies the power of the word it remains the only hope for removing the infirmity of sin. Those who are blessed by its message find relief. For the masses that reject the word – infirmity remains.

They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. (Revelation 22:4)

What Does God Look Like?

As the teacher walked around the classroom, she noticed a little girl intently drawing on a piece of paper. She asked what she was doing and the little girl said, “I am drawing a picture of God.” “Well nobody knows what God looks like,” the teacher replied. With the innocent face of youth the little girl looked her teacher in the eyes and said, “They will when I get finished.” Indeed no man knows what God looks like. Moses saw the passing glory of the Lord while at Mount Sinai but was told that no one could see the face of the Lord and live. Jesus is the only man who could claim to know what the Father looks like because He was God. Images of God range from an old, white bearded man sitting on a glorious throne to a wrathful creature passing out judgment to a cruel world. Idol worship is based on man’s desire to create an image of God as he sees God to be. A totem is the creation of man to make God like himself. In the end all man has done is form an image of what he thinks God should look like according to his fleshly desires. God is not a relative figure that can be manipulated at the whim of man.

It is clear from scripture that no one knows what God looks like. This does not remove the truth that while in the flesh we cannot know what God looks like the promise is given that one day we will see Him face to face. It is then we will know exactly what He looks like and what a day that will be. According to Jesus, most men will not want to see His Father face to face because there will be no hope for them. Passing into eternal darkness the final image imprinted on their minds will be the radiant beauty of the God they chose to disobey and disbelieve in. For the saints who have died in Christ it will be a time of untold joy and reward. They will look deep into the face of God and feel an immense eternal happiness of His love. His eyes will sparkle with the grace of His mercy and no one will be able to take their gaze away from the radiant light of His presence.

There are many things to look forward to in death but the greatest must be the knowledge that the saved will see God face to face. Pain has gone away, sorrow has been removed and the gentle hand of the Father will wipe away all tears. The music of the eternal ages will echo throughout the temple of God as angels and saints sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” All the trappings of mortality are given up for the spiritual plateaus of eternal joy as the face of God is imprinted on the minds of the saved. His name is sealed upon their foreheads. The children of the Father are home. There is no need for sun because He is the light. Joining the Heavenly realm the Son of God is seen face to face as well as the Holy Spirit. In this life we read of Jesus the Christ but we have never beheld His visage. The Holy Spirit has been a spiritual giant throughout the pages of God’s word but now we speak to him face to face. All of the saints of the ages will be gathered around the Father as we look into the face of God with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Samson, Dorcas, the early apostles and Paul. We will gaze upon the face of God and see Him as He is. What a day that will be when we all will see His face.

So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?” Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.” But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel. (Acts 2:12-16)

The Church In The Old Testament

Jesus is the Head of the church. He purchased the redeemed by His blood and became the Savior to all those who believe in Him. The New Testament is the testimony of God’s divine plan to establish His kingdom among men so they may serve Him and open the doors of salvation to the lost. Luke records the events of the Day of Pentecost when the twelve apostles ushered in the beginning of the church through the power of the Holy Spirit. Three thousand people obeyed the good news of Christ and the Lord added to the church those who were saved. The ministries of Peter and Paul fill the book of Acts as the infant church grew spreading its borders to farthest reaches of the world. Every generation is blessed by the existence of the church of Christ in every corner of the world as God’s love shines in the hearts of His people.

What is seldom recognized among many in the religious world is the church was in the eternal mind of God. Paul will prove them in his writings but looking at the events of Pentecost and the reaction of the people establishes the foundation of the church came long before Peter’s stirring message. Jesus had told the apostles to remain in Jerusalem and they would be endued from on high with the Holy Spirit. Ten days after the Lord ascended to the Father the Holy Spirit came with great power to the city of Jerusalem and the twelve apostles. A sound came from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind. Tongues as of fire appeared upon each of the apostles and being filled with the Holy Spirit they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterances. These events astonished the people and they were unsure what it meant. Part of the confusion was seeing common Galileans speaking in all the different languages of the world. Some were perplexed while still others disbelieved mocking what they saw. There were those who thought the apostles were acting like drunken men.

In a sweeping statement of inspiration, Peter begins to explain the events as a fulfillment of something Joel wrote eight hundred years before. This is vital for the Jews of that day to see what was coming to pass was clearly stated in the ancient holy scrip. Peter will quote from Joel and the prophet David to prove that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God. When he explains that Joel prophesied of this day it shows the church was in the mind of God long before the period of the New Testament. The church of Christ was not an afterthought because the Jews killed Jesus. God had planned for the church to be established on this day before the world was formed. Among the evidences of testimony was the writing of Joel. The key word in the answer of Peter is when he said “THIS” is what was spoken by the prophet Joel. There is no doubt the establishment of the church is referenced by Joel as Peter explains. The glory of the church is finally revealed on the Day of Pentecost and salvation has come to Jew and Gentile alike through the blood of Jesus Christ. What we are part of today is what Joel spoke about in his day because the church of Christ is the glory of His Son. Thank you God for you great hope in the body of Christ.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:2-11)

Virtue Needs Knowledge

When God created man, He formed a creature that was in His own image. This was a distinction that would separate man from the animals because man would be accountable to the Lord for his actions. The creatures of the world react through a natural order of instinct with no knowledge of right and wrong. Only in man is found the moral virtue of righteousness. Because of this knowledge of morality man finds himself answerable to his Creator with a judgment of eternal goodness or wrath. Life after death only comes to the creature man as animals cease to exist in death. Man was created as a free moral agent choosing whether he would obey God or fall to his own passions. The tree of knowledge of good and evil in Eden was where man fell from the grace of God beginning his long journey of redemption. Eve made a choice based upon the false knowledge spoken to her by the devil. Adam assumed the same as he took of the fruit. Immediately the reality of their nakedness was revealed to them and they felt their shame and fear. Hearing the Lord walking in the garden, Adam and Eve hid themselves because they were guilty. Knowledge led them to know their need of salvation.

From the time of the garden the power of knowledge has brought man to God. Without understanding the will of the Lord there was no hope for man. Every generation knew the difference between right and wrong because God revealed His word to them. In the days of Noah man decided to reject the truth and lived as a law to themselves. Noah saved his household because he obeyed the word of God. Through Moses the law was given to the children of Israel. They could read and understand the will of God because knowledge was given to them from God. Their choice to obey or disobey was based on whether they accepted the truth and acted upon the knowledge of the Lord. Jesus came into the world as the Word because He was the embodiment of knowledge. He declared Himself as being the only truth, the only way and the only life. No one will come to the Father unless they come through the Word. Faith will only come from hearing the word of God. Knowledge is the foundation of believing in the promises of God.

Virtue is the moral excellence given by the Lord for man to follow. This cannot be done without knowledge. Everything man needs to know to be saved is revealed within the pages of the Bible. The divine power of God has given to man all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Apart from knowledge man cannot know these things. Faith alone cannot save without knowledge. Adding knowledge to virtue is imperative for man to know what to do to be saved. Obedience can only come from a continued examination of the will of God in the hearts of His people. One of the most grievous problems in the lives of many Christian’s is the absence of knowledge. There is an assumption that baptism automatically instills everything a person must know to grow in virtue, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love in the heart. Peter will remind the readers that knowledge must abound. Most in the church are in a spiritual kindergarten of the word. When there is a lack of knowledge virtue lags. Self-control is hard to manage because of a lack of knowledge. Children of God fall by the wayside because they are ignorant of the blessings of God. Temptation destroys lives that are not filled with knowledge.

It is impossible to know the will of God without the knowledge of the will of God. The written word is given to man so that he can read and understand the mystery of the Lord. Knowledge is the power of salvation embedded in the heart that will establish walls of defense against sin and enable the heart to find peace in the presence of God. Reading the words of God must happen on a daily basis so that the heart will fill with the abounding love of His grace. Virtue is the moral compass and knowledge is the points on the compass. True north comes from a study of the word of God. Life without knowledge is an aimless life leading to nothing. Taking time to be holy requires taking time to grow in knowledge. Knowledge is power. Know the word of God and you will be strengthened in His might.

Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. (1 Corinthians 5:7)

The Joy Of Our Passover

When the Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt, the Lord sent Moses to deliver the people through a series of powerful plagues purposed to show the Pharaoh the glory of the God of Israel. Ten plagues swept across the land and it was the last and final plague that set an eternal precedent of the coming of the Seed to save all men. The nation of Egypt had been ravished by the destructive hand of God. In the final act of God’s judgment against the Egyptian nation, the death of the firstborn would testify to the mighty power of the Lord on those who would oppose Him. As in all of the plagues, the Hebrews would be spared the fury of the Lord. There was nothing the Hebrews had to do with the first nine plagues but the final pestilence would be different. God would strike dead every firstborn of man and beast. Moses instructed the people to take a lamb without blemish of the first year and after four days kill it at twilight. They would take some of the blood and put it on the doorposts and lintel of the houses where they ate the lamb. When the Lord came that night to strike the firstborn in the land of Egypt (both man and beast) and He saw the blood on the door and lintel of those who served Him, He would ‘pass over’ them and the plague would not strike them. This became the Feast of the Passover celebrated on the 14^th day of the first month (Abib or Nisan) followed by the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The night of the Passover would have been a terrifying ordeal to be a part of. When the hand of the Lord passed over the land, a great cry rose throughout Egypt and there was not a house where there was not one dead. So terrible was the plague, the land was filled with the mournful cries of families who lost loved ones. Only the Hebrews were spared but this was because of the sign of the blood. The people of God were saved because they believed and obeyed the word of the Lord. Faith alone did not save them but the obedience to the blood of the lamb sacrificed for the salvation of their lives. With this backdrop, Paul shows how Jesus is our Passover today and what vivid lessons are seen in this parallel.

All men sin and fall short of the glory of God. Under the hand of sin, we suffer eternal death separated from the Lord because of the rebellion against righteousness. There is nothing we can know or do of ourselves that can save us. Only through the grace of God will man find a way of escape. Like the deliverance of Israel, the judgment of God was coming upon Egypt. His grace told the people of the terrible dreaded hand of death descending upon the land. The grace of the Lord also told the people what they must do to be saved. Only by following the word of God would there be hope in the face of destruction. Grace being extended toward the people, they acted in faith by sacrificing the lamb in accordance with the word of God and sprinkled the blood where God told them. Grace, faith and works came together on that terrible night to save those who heeded the word of the Lord. The blood of the lamb only saved those who had obeyed the voice of God. Salvation came when the Lord saw the blood and He passed over. Death came to others because there was not blood. It did not matter whether a family believed or hoped in deliverance. If there was no blood God did not pass over.

Jesus is our Passover because He shed His blood as the Lamb for our sins. Through baptism the blood of Christ washes us from our sins. Washed in the blood of the Lamb we become blood bought people. Grace is found in God sending His Son for the sacrifice to redeem men and grace is found in the words of Jesus telling men what they must do to be saved. Grace alone cannot save because man has not ‘put the blood on the door and lintel.’ Obedience to the will of the Lord in baptism is where man comes in contact with the blood. Through faith, repentance, love, confession and a heart willing to take up the cross of Jesus Christ, salvation is found in the burial of baptism where the blood of Jesus takes away all sin. In the same figure as the original Passover, the blood becomes the evidence of salvation. When God sees the blood in the heart of the Christian, He passes over and blesses the child with eternal life. Jesus is our Passover because without His blood there would be no hope. Grace, faith and works are seen in our obedience to the gospel message.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. (Colossians 3:12-19)

The Marriage Of Eden

The relationship of the husband and wife is forged in the design of God when He formed Adam and Eve. Everything created by the Lord was very good. He intended for the home to be a place of love, peace and harmony. Before the sting of sin, Adam and Eve lived in a world without shame walking with God in the cool of the day. After the fall of man, the home began to be filled with the influence of selfishness, pride, evil lusts and bitterness. In the New Testament Paul addresses the challenges faced in the home leaving a pattern of happiness for the husband and wife.

God designed the home to be a place of perfect harmony. This can only be done when the man knows his place in the home and the woman accepts her role in the home. The man is to love his wife and not be bitter against her. For the woman, she is to submit to the man as appropriate for someone who serves the Lord. Each of the admonitions addresses a peculiar role of the man and woman. There is a greater tendency for the man to be bitter against his wife if he forces headship upon her. She is more likely to resist the leadership of her husband if she does not have a heart to obey the Lord. The will of the Father is for the man to learn to love his wife as he should and for the woman to accept submission to the man because that is the command of the Lord. How can this be done with the design of happiness intended by the scripture? The answer is found in the verses preceding the instructions for the man and woman.

One of the characteristics of a Christian is how different their lives are from the world. A child of God is one that is chosen of God or someone who is called the elect of God. This makes their lives distinct from the people of the world. They live holy lives as beloved of the Father. The husband that pleases the Father is a man who recognizes his role in the family as one governed by his relationship with God. When the wife views her place in the marriage as one established by the Lord, she will see how as the elect of God she glorifies Him by her submission first to Him; then to her husband. She is a holy person and beloved of the Lord. The role of the husband and wife is measured by their election, holiness and relationship of being the beloved of God. Because of this they are filled with tender mercies toward one another. This means they have a heart of compassion in their love for one another. No man can be bitter against his wife if he shows her the love of tender mercy. Submission is not a cruel master but one the woman is willing to enjoy as she shows her compassion and love to her husband. They are kind to one another – something that is sadly missing in many marriages. Humility is how the man sees his relationship of headship in the home and the woman is thankful to God with a heart of humility as she obeys His will. Meekness brings strength to the marriage as longsuffering will provide stability and longevity to the trials faced in the holy union. Bearing up with one another helps the man and woman understand their roles in the home.

One of the most important parts of the husband learning to love his wife and not be bitter against her is to learn the power of forgiveness. The woman will be graced with greater love when she infuses the spirit of forgiveness in her submission to the man. This is a key element to a happy marriage. It is based on the same love that Christ forgives. If we are to forgive others why should we not forgive our spouse? Paul makes a special point about this matter of forgiveness. Forgiving one another is not a choice. We must do it. Christ forgives us and we have no choice in our marriage. This can be done when we – above all things – put on love. Making love the center of marriage will bring about the bond or glue of perfection. Marriages will be more peaceful when we allow the will of God to rule our hearts. There will be more to be thankful about.

How does one have a happy marriage? Before Paul admonishes the wife to submit to her husband and the man to love his wife, he sets forth the foundation for a happy home. The reason homes are filled with anger, distrusts, fighting and rebellion is because the heart of the home is not built upon the word of Christ. His truth is to reign in the center of the home. The word of Christ is to dwell richly in all wisdom in the leadership of the man and the submission of the woman. There must be teaching and admonishing from the word of God. The husband does all he does in the name of the Lord Jesus. Every wife will find greater joy when she submits to the will of the Lord doing all they do in the name of the Lord Jesus. The home will be filled with thanksgiving when this pattern is followed. Seeking the things that are above will transform the home into a paradise of Eden. It will be like the home of Adam and Eve before sin ruled. Therefore as the elect of God, wives submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord and husbands love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.

When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (Luke 7:9)

It Made Jesus Marvel

There is no doubt that Jesus is the Son of God. John’s gospel is dedicated to the proof that Jesus of Nazareth was the Word and the Word was God. Luke writes about the one who was deity that took on flesh. Throughout his gospel, Luke will show many of the human sides of Jesus declaring his humanity by emotions and feelings that all men share. Jesus would grow tired, need to eat, feel pain, sleep, become angry and to the amazement of the reader – the Son of God can be surprised. A Roman officer had a servant who was very sick and ready to die. Luke tells of some elders of the Jews being sent by the centurion begging Jesus to heal the servant. As the Lord approached the house where the sick man lay, word came from the Gentile soldier that Jesus would not need to enter his home but say the word and the servant would be healed. What background the centurion had and connection with the teachings of Jesus is unknown. It is evident he had such an incredible faith in the power of Jesus that he believed the man from Nazareth could bring his servant back from death with only a word. This astonished Jesus.

Luke says that Jesus marveled at the faith of the centurion. To marvel after someone is to be taken back by the action of another. The Son of God did not expect this kind of faith coming from a man who was not a Jew. Sadly, the contrast given by Jesus was His desire to see this kind of faith among His own people. Because of the centurion’s faith, the servant was healed and there was great rejoicing in the home of the Roman official. There is a desire to know more about the soldier and how this impacted his life. What is known is how his story impacted the life of Jesus. It was a struggle to help the Jews see Jesus as the One sent from God. They were so blind in their prejudices and traditions they could not see the man from Nazareth as the Son of God. Often Jesus would come in conflict with the leaders who constantly sought to catch Him in His words denying the miracles that happened before their eyes. Time would come when the people would be chanting for the death of Jesus and the cross would take His life. What happened when the centurion in this story heard what they did with Jesus? He had such incredible faith it caused Jesus to marvel but now news came the man from Nazareth had been crucified. He must have been very sad to know the people could not see what he had seen and what he believed in the power of the word of the Lord.

Faith is found in many forms. The centurion believed that Jesus could heal by just saying the word. This is the kind of trust needed to see clearly the power of God. There are no miracles of healing today as this man experienced but the incredible faith of the most unlikely person resonates today as a beacon of where our trust should be. There are many things that dampen our faith. The centurion loved his servant very much and first believed that Jesus had the power to heal. That by itself was the first measure of great faith. As Jesus approached his home, the man took his faith beyond the limits of most men to suggest that his servant could be healed with just a word and Jesus did not have to be present to accomplish the healing. So strong was his faith in the Lord he went beyond the normal measure of faith accepting the impossible. Through his faith the servant was healed. Can we find such faith in our lives to trust in the Lord through the difficult times? When the impossible stands before us can we have the faith of the centurion to believe in the power of God? Will our faith cause Jesus to marvel?