A Different Gospel

Posted on February 19, 2025 by heatonkent

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6-9)

A Different Gospel

The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Paul declared the message of the gospel in his letter to Rome. When the church began in Jerusalem, the twelve presented the story of Jesus Christ as revealed to them by the Holy Spirit. The church began to grow as more people heard the story of Jesus Christ and God’s saving grace. Thousands obeyed a simple message of hope and love in the story of Jesus. Men and women were baptized for the remission of their sins. The church was experiencing growth with people of God spreading the word of the Lord throughout the Roman world. Satan was taking notice.

One of the first books (letters) written in the New Testament was Paul’s epistle to the churches of Galatia. The region of Galatia was the central region of the peninsula of Asia Minor. Paul had visited this area on his first missionary journey, establishing churches as he went. It did not take long for Satan to seek harm against the church of Christ by false teachers preaching a false Christ. Many of those who brought trouble to the church were brethren who sought to force the Law of Moses upon the faithful in matters such as circumcision. They were perverting the gospel. Imposing the regulations of the old law with the new law was false teaching.

God has always condemned those who would trifle with His word. Satan’s first response to the human story was to question the word of God. The evil one asked Eve if God really meant what He said. Adam and Eve discovered the word of God does not change with the whims of human wisdom. God destroyed the world in the days of Noah because men turned away from His word. The nation of Israel was given a law written down in statutes, commandments, precepts, and testimonies, and the Jews failed on every point because they went beyond the word.

Apostasy is born from the seeds of human wisdom seeking to improve and change the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul notes that the heresies being taught were not another gospel because there was only one true gospel. Anything else is error. Teaching matters not found in the word of God is a troubling problem leading to the destruction of souls. Perverting the gospel of Christ distorts the story of God’s grace. When men change the gospel, they invoke the wrath of God. Paul even suggests that if an angel appeared to a man teaching a message different than what was revealed by the Holy Spirit, they would be accursed. This cursing is no mild threat. It is the eternal flames of a vengeful God upon those who change His word.

The religious world is filled with churches touting their claim to love Jesus and serve God. How can it be that Jesus built one church, and yet today, there are multitudes? The answer lies in the doctrines that are taught, which are not based upon the gospel of Christ. There is no doubting the authority of the Bible. When men teach matters not found in the Bible with the proper understanding of scripture, they are accursed and cursing those who follow them. So many religious people have little concern about the authority of scripture. They follow men, long-held traditions, family pedigrees with religious groups, and their desires.

A different gospel leads to a different end. Some have deceived themselves into believing that all roads lead to Heaven. Jesus died and opened one road to the Father. Many will travel the roads of a different gospel content to believe what a man (or angel) has taught. The great tragedy is their different gospels will lead to the same end. There will be no joy, peace, hope, or home in Heaven for travelers on a different road. If an angel is accursed for teaching a different gospel, what do you suppose will happen to men who follow the same pattern? The end is the same. It is a horrifying lake.

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The Liberty Of God

Posted on February 18, 2025 by heatonkent

Therefore thus says the Lord: “You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and every one to his neighbor. Behold, I proclaim liberty to you,” says the Lord “to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine! And I will deliver you to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth.” (Jeremiah 34:17)

The Liberty Of God

Slavery was not condemned in the Law of Moses, but there were strict rules governing the treatment of those enslaved. A bondservant must be released from obligation in the seventh year of his service. During the year of the Jubilee, all slaves were to be released regardless of their time as slaves. His property was also returned to him with a liberal amount of food and livestock. Darrell Hymel writes, “The Hebrew slave was not a victim of a harsh, cruel system. Hebrew slavery actually served a social purpose for the destitute, allowing them a source of food and shelter.” Slaves were treated as hired servants who were not to work on the Sabbath. Masters were commanded to treat their slaves without severity for fear of God.

In the final days of Judah, the remnant faced the Babylonian army led by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. God warned the people through the prophets of the impending doom and destruction. Jeremiah told Zedekiah, king of Judah, that Nebuchadnezzar would burn Jerusalem and all its cities with fire but that he would escape death. The Lord told the king he would be spared and taken to Babylon. During this tumultuous time, Zedekiah implored the people to set free their male and female slaves (Hebrew) and that no one should keep a Jewish brother in bondage. The people agreed and set their slaves free.

After setting their slaves free, the people changed their minds. They made the male and female slaves return, whom they had set free, to serve as slaves once again. This displeased the Most Holy God. Jeremiah reminded the people what the Law of Moses commanded. At the end of seven years, every man should set free their Hebrew brother. The people did this but then reneged on their covenant. Taking the Hebrews back into slavery displeased God, and He brought His divine wrath upon them.

Jeremiah suggests the Lord sheathed his sword when the people let their slaves go free. When they enslaved the people again, the sword of the Lord came out of its divine sheath. God’s wrath would be brought against His people for their flagrant disregard of His law. The promise God made was to give the people a liberty they would never forget. This liberty was the liberty of the sword, pestilence, and famine. God’s wrath would be let loose among the people for their blatant disregard for His word. The sword of God would bring a pestilence upon the people, leading to a famine. God’s wrath was to be meted out against the evil hearts of the people.

The lesson in this story is how God’s wrath is equal to the rebellion of the people. They gave liberty to the slaves and then took that liberty away. It was a harsh thing to set the people free only to enslave them once again. Because of their evil hearts, God brought His own liberty to the disobedient in the form of a sword, pestilence, and famine. God’s wrath is against all unrighteousness. The mercy of God justifies punishment. His divine wrath gave liberty to the disobedient in the form of their own doom. God has no desire for any to perish. His love has been given to bring men to Christ. Most people are unconcerned about Jesus Christ. The world is filled with people who do not believe in God or His only begotten Son.

Liberty for the world is to do whatever the heart pleases. Life can be filled with all the pleasures of the flesh, eyes, and pride of life. The world can enjoy all its liberties, but the Lord’s liberty will soon recompense the evil. An eternal punishment is the liberty God will give to all those who refuse to obey His will. It will not be a sword, pestilence, or famine. The liberty of the Lord is a lake of fire and brimstone that no one will escape.

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Break A Twig

Posted on February 17, 2025 by heatonkent

Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.” (Genesis 4:8-10)

Break A Twig

A missionary to Africa relates the story of a custom in certain parts, such as asking every chief for his losako or a life motto. One day, an old chief asked a missionary what his losako was. Repeating in the African language, the man said, “Love the Lord will all thy heart.” The missionary then asked the old chief for his losako. The old chief slowly and reverently repeated, “When you pass through the jungle, be very careful to break a twig so that the next man can find his way.”

When God asked Cain where his brother Abel was, Cain replied indignantly, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain had killed his brother, and the Lord knew this very well. How Cain responded showed his evil heart, but his answer revealed a divine truth. God created man not to be alone but to share in a communion of brotherhood. It begins at the family level when Eve is brought to Adam, establishing the family. Children create a union of fellowship, and then communities become a place where friendships and relationships create a world of brotherhood.

The Tower of Babel is a story of the origin of languages and the beginnings of nations and communities. God created man to care for one another and to leave a path for others to walk. The human spirit cannot thrive in isolation. There is a need for people to be with people. The wisdom of the old chief was to show the importance of how one life can help another life, and those lives can benefit a community. Individualism can destroy a community when no one cares for others. Selfishness is not godly. Neglecting those who need care does not glorify God.

In the Law of Moses, God commanded the edges of the fields to be left for the poor and the needy. One of the reasons God punished Israel was for abusing the downtrodden and destitute. Jesus taught the first commandment was devotion to God, followed by the command to love one another. The Christian is benevolent, showing God’s love by breaking twigs through life so that others can find the way. Everyone needs everyone in life. Children need guidance to know the way of truth. The lost must learn how to find salvation in Jesus Christ. Breaking a twig for the next person leaves a path for others to follow.

God has provided everything needed to find peace, happiness, and eternal joy. Each individual becomes a trailblazer to help others find Jesus Christ. How can we love the truth and keep it to ourselves? From a benevolent heart to care for others, we show the love of Christ so that others can find the way to eternal life. The church is a place of fellowship united for the purpose of showing the grace of God.

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God Sees The Heart

Posted on February 14, 2025 by heatonkent

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah. (Judges 11:1)

God Sees The Heart

The period of the Judges was a volatile time of wickedness by the people of God, oppression as a form of divine judgment, and the grace of God to save His people. It was a circular series of events where God’s people would engage in idolatry and wickedness, leading the Lord to bring a foreign enemy to oppress the land for many years. When the people repented and cried out to the Lord, a deliverer would be raised by the hand of God, and the land would have peace for a while. Judges like Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Barak, Gideon, and Samson fill the pages of God’s word with courage, wisdom, and trust in God.

Following the death of Jair, a Gileadite who judged Israel for twenty-two years. The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They began to worship and serve the gods of Syria, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and the Philistines. The children of Israel forsook the Lord and did not serve Him. To punish His people, God delivered them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites. For eighteen years, the affliction upon Israel was heavy. Finally, the hearts of the people relented and sought the forgiveness of the Lord. They put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord because the soul of God could no longer endure the misery of Israel.

The man God chose to deliver his people was a man with a stained past. Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor. He had excelled in combat and was known as a great warrior. His skills had brought many victories for the people of God. However, Jephthah was the son of a harlot and was despised by his half-brothers, who eventually drove him away. Jephthah fled to the land of Tob, and worthless men joined him as raiders. When the children of Israel faced the Ammonite army encamped in Gilead, the elders went to Jephthah, begging him to lead them against the enemy.

Jephthah’s pedigree was not of his making, but it almost became his ruin. When the men of Gilead came to him seeking his leadership, he reminded them how they had driven him away because his mother was a harlot. He could have remained in obscurity as a leader of rebels the people looked upon with disdain. Instead, God uses Jephthah as the savior of His people to free them from the oppression of the Ammonites. God delivered Sihon, king of the Ammonites, and all his people into the hand of Israel with a very great slaughter. The people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

Many people have stained histories that God uses for His glory. Moses was an Egyptian prince wanted for murder and was a shepherd in Midian when God called him. He became the great prophet and leader of the nation of Israel. Rahab, a gentile woman from Jericho, was a harlot listed in the genealogy of Jesus, along with Ruth, a gentile woman from Moab. Jesus chose a hated tax collector named Matthew as one of His chosen twelve. Saul of Tarsus tried to destroy the church before God used him to spread the gospel throughout the world. The only pedigree God is concerned about is what is in the heart.

Life for Jephthah would have been harsh growing up as the son of a harlot. He became a savior for the people of God because he believed in the power of God. What a man becomes should not be measured by his past if he believes in the grace and forgiveness of God. Paul regretted much in his life for what he did to the Lord’s church, but it became his fuel to do more for the work of the Lord. You have a past. Do not let your past define who you are today. With God’s love and grace, everyone can be a leader in the work of the Lord. Get busy. There are souls to save.

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A Hard Thing To Say But True

Posted on February 13, 2025 by heatonkent

If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! (1 Corinthians 16:22)

A Hard Thing To Say But True

The church at Corinth had a lot of problems. Reading the epistle, it is a wonder why God had not removed the candlestick from the divine room of blessings. The church was divided by carnality, prejudice, hatred, false teaching, immorality, infighting, division, and chaotic worship services. Paul addressed each one head-on with the force of divine authority. No quarter was given for the sin that plagued the church of God at Corinth. The apostle put the church and its problems in the cross-hairs of divine truth. When it came to the end of his letter, Paul left it in the hearts of the saints with perfect clarity and simplicity.

After writing about all the problems plaguing the church, Paul summed up the need of the hour. In one simple yet powerful sentence, the apostle laid it all on the line. Yes, the church had a problem with brethren exalting preachers above Christ. That was not the problem. The church acted like a bunch of babies in their relationships with one another. That was not the problem. Some of the saints had written Paul about morality questions, and the apostle addressed each one. That was not the problem. Every story Paul outlined in his letter was of great significance to the corruption of the church, but none of those things was the problem. The underlying problem with the church at Corinth was by their actions; they let the world know they did not love Jesus Christ.

When it came to the deep-seated problem in the church, Paul reminded them the greatest commandment of all is to love God with all the heart, soul, mind, and body. The Corinthians saints had failed miserably in this matter. Their problems veiled the deeper issue of failing to love God as they should. Paul’s statement was harsh and to the point. If a man does not love God first, he will be cursed. He does not suggest cursing in the worldly view. Paul wanted to turn the minds of the Corinthians away from the petty issues of brotherhood to the greater command of love to the Lord. Churches filled with strife have failed to remember who the church belongs to. A judgment will be brought against such unloving brethren.

Paul’s statement also highlights a problem on the individual level. When brethren become weak and refuse to follow the will of the Father, they fall out of love with God to a place where they no longer love God. The reason the man at Corinth with his father’s wife needed to repent was not because of social status or influence. It was foundationally because he did not love God if he continued in his sin. The way to demonstrate a love for God was to repent. By God’s grace, the man repented when he put God first in his heart. That is the problem and the solution to sin.

If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, he jeopardizes his soul and eternal life. That needs to be clearly stated to those who trifle with God’s word. How often are brethren acting in sinful ways with only kind admonitions to repent without the reality of their actions explained? Paul’s letter to Corinth is an example of how to have a godly conversation with people about sin. The first thing Paul said was he was thankful for the brethren. He then illuminated each problem the church faced with the proper use of authority. Near the end of his letter, he appealed for unity as a body of Christ. Paul showed them the hope of heaven and the promise of eternal resurrection. As he closed out his letter, he sternly warned that the church at Corinth needed to love the Lord God.

If you do not love the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be accused in a lake of fire forever. Jesus told His disciples that if they loved Him, they would keep His commandments. If you are not keeping the commandments of the Lord, you do not love the Lord Jesus Christ, and you do not love God. Stop kidding yourself. A great day is coming. Only those who love the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved. Heed the warning of God. If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, he will be accursed.

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Tears In A Bottle

Posted on February 12, 2025 by heatonkent

You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book? (Psalm 56:8)

Tears In A Bottle

God created man with tear ducts before there was a need for tears. As the result of sin, grief, and sorrow darken the world with its infusion of grief over the loss of loved ones, sin, regret, and the trials of life. Part of the consequences of sin was the pain of childbirth placed upon the woman. Adam and Eve mourned the loss of their son Abel, who was killed by their firstborn son, Cain. Shedding tears are a part of the fabric of life that will never go away until the coming of the Lord. The psalms are filled with grief. Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet and wrote a book about the sorrow of divine judgment. “Lamentations” is derived from the caption in the Latin version or Vulgate.

The Holy Spirit made a significant point to show the Son of God weeping at the tomb of Lazarus. Jesus had delayed his arrival at the home of Lazarus, arriving after Lazarus had died and was in the tomb for four days. The power of the resurrection was affirmed when Lazarus came out on the fourth day completely whole. Jesus knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead, and yet He still wept openly before a family He had drawn especially close to. Death is filled with sorrow and crying. The consequence of sin can bring tears to the eye. Jesus wept.

The psalmist David wrote about an experience when fleeing the wrath of King Saul when he sought refuge with Achish, the king of Gath, a Philistine city. David became fearful of Achish and escaped to the cave of Adullam. His fear was well-founded. The experience left David troubled, and he sought comfort from the Lord in his prayers and psalms. When he became afraid, David trusted in the Lord. He knew that God watched over him and protected him. David also described a beautiful relationship he shared with the Heavenly Father, that God would take his tears and place them in a bottle.

The joy of God’s comfort is knowing that the Father knows all the cares and worries of His children. When His children cry, the Lord God collects their tears in a bottle so they will not be forgotten. David had enemies all around him, from Saul and his army to the Philistines. He knew that his sorrow was heard in Heaven by the great Shepherd who would never forsake him or leave him. It was a joy to David to think of God taking his tears and keeping them in His divine care. The reassurance that God knows and cares about the sorrows of the heart is beautifully described as tears in a bottle.

David’s lament shows the power of God’s love to remember the suffering of His people. The suffering of Jesus is the divine story of love from a Father who knows the pain of His children. There is nothing that God cannot soothe and bring peace to in man’s experience. Grief is a natural part of life and serves a purpose. Often, the feelings of loneliness overwhelm the heart, burdened with sadness, but God knows and understands. When His children cry, He takes their tears and puts them in His bottle to remember and bestow blessings upon them. It is of great comfort to know that as God “looks into” the bottle of our hearts and sees our tears, He remembers our grief and knows our needs.

There are many ways the Holy Spirit describes eternal life. It is called a paradise, a place of immense beauty, everlasting life, and eternal joy. In the Revelation of John, one of the profound descriptions of eternal life is when God wipes away the tears from the eyes of the faithful. Death is destroyed. There will be no sorrow and no crying – and no more need for tear bottles. All of those bottles will be taken away. Until then, the faithful, like David, know that God numbers their wanderings, putting their tears into His bottle and writing their names in His book. Put your trust in God, and do not be afraid. Walk before God in the light of the living. Let God put your tears in His bottle.

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The Problem With Patience

Posted on February 10, 2025 by heatonkent

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4)

The Problem With Patience

James has a positive view of life when he suggests having joy in the face of various trials, testing the faith of the faithful. This would be radical language in a time when the persecution of the church was a reality for so many. James addresses his letter to the saints that were scattered abroad. There were many undergoing the trials of persecution because of their allegiance to Jesus Christ. James wants them to have joy in the face of such trials, letting it produce the character of patience in them. The need for steadfastness has always characterized the people of God. Enduring life’s hardships and remaining faithful to the Lord was why Jesus told those who desired to follow Him to take up a cross. There is a price to be paid to be a Christian.

It is impossible for trials not to come when one desires to live godly in an ungodly world. James wants Christians to have a proper view of the trials of life. Trials will come, and the people of God must accept the character-building trait of their trials, producing patience. Then, patience should have its perfect work in the heart of the faithful to be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. So, the conclusion is that trials are good for the soul. Suffering for the cause of Christ is not only expected but desired. Patience comes from the trials of life so that the heart can be made stronger than it was. That is the problem with patience. It comes from trials.

Vincent’s Word Studies defines patience as “the heroic, brave patience with which a Christian not only bears but contends.” The trials that come upon the faithful develop a character of joy to face whatever the world brings against them. Jesus did not stoically go to the cross. He bore the cross with faith and courage, knowing the end result. His suffering was but a brief time compared to eternity. Death was the door that opened the miracle of resurrection. Suffering for Christ is a brief trial compared to eternity. Facing the trials of life with faith and courage and knowing what fruit is born from those trials is where joy comes.

The problem with patience is that it requires trials so there can be a perfection that molds the heart and soul to the love of God. Those who endure the trials of life with faith find their lives complete, not empty. There is a fullness of God’s grace that fills the heart of the suffering to know that God has not abandoned them. No greater love can one find than that given by the Lord God. During those trials, wisdom from God is liberally given to those who seek the favor of the Lord. There is a crown of life promised to all who endure temptation. God has promised a crown to those who love Him. Courageous faith moves the soul to trust in God’s will to endure life’s trials. Finding joy in patience is not easy, but the reward is eternal. It puts life in perspective to know the true value of living for Jesus Christ. The problem with patience is what it takes to get it. Thank God for His grace that rewards those who wait.

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Facing Criticism

Posted on February 9, 2025 by heatonkent

Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?” (1 Samuel 17:28-29)

Facing Criticism

Skeptics are never satisfied. When Robert Fulton first showed off his new invention, the steamboat, skeptics crowded the riverbank, yelling, “It will never start.” It did. It got going with a lot of cranking and groaning, and as it made its way down the river, the skeptics were quiet for a moment. Then they started shouting, “I will never stop; it will never stop.” If Fulton had listened to his critics, he would have never changed the course of travel and industry.

One of the great stories of the Old Testament is how David defeated Goliath. As a shepherd, David was unaccustomed to the battlefield and had no formal training in combat. He was a shepherd, a tender of sheep. Being a shepherd was not a passive job and came with many dangers. When David went to the battlefield to find his brothers and bring them provisions, the young shepherd saw and heard Goliath bellowing his challenges to the army of Israel.

Goliath was a giant of a man. He stood over nine feet tall and wore a bronze coat of mail weighing one hundred twenty-five pounds. The iron spearhead at the end of his spear weighed fifteen pounds. He was the champion of the Philistine army while not himself a Philistine. When David saw Goliath, the giant had presented himself for forty days with no one from the army of God ready to fight him. David took issue with Goliath’s conduct and asked those in the army who would kill the challenger. Elias, David’s oldest brother, was angry at David, accusing the shepherd boy of pride and insolence.

When Saul, king of Israel, heard of David, he sent for him. Saul was also surprised at David’s insistence to have Goliath killed. The king reminded David he was no match for the might of Goliath. David was a young man, and Goliath was a seasoned man of war. David told Saul that he may have been a shepherd, but he had protected the flock from predators in these duties. On one occasion, a bear took a sheep out of the flock, and David went out after it and struck it, saving the sheep. When the bear rose against David, the shepherd boy took the bear by the beard and killed it. Shortly afterward, David went out and killed Goliath.

Skeptics and critics can keep us from being the people we need to be in Christ. If David had listened to his critics, he would never have gone into the valley of Elah. When we have God on our side, we have a majority of One. God can do all things through our lives when we open our hearts to His will. We can make Satan flee. Temptation can be overcome. Prayers can embolden our lives to greater service. Nothing is impossible with God. Do not let the world hinder your growth in Christ. Be a David and have courage to stand for truth.

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A Notorious Prisoner

Posted on February 7, 2025 by heatonkent

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. (Matthew 27:15-16)

A Notorious Prisoner

The Romans, who subdued Jerusalem’s Jewish population, knew the need to keep the city pacified to maintain peace. There were many conflicts erupting in the city and around Judea when Jewish patriots fought against the Roman occupation. Many of the criminals had been caught and crucified. The prisons were full of insurrectionists accused of sedition and treason. A custom developed by the Roman authorities to release one prisoner of the people’s choosing during the feast of the governor sought to pacify the population.

Jesus was brought before Pilate, governor of Judea, by the Jewish council seeking to have the man from Nazareth executed. Pilate knew there was no legal basis for the claims made against Jesus and that only for envy had the council delivered Him for crucifixion. In an attempt to appease the people, the leaders, and possibly his own conscience, Pilate reminded the crowd of the custom to release anyone they desired. He offered them a man called Barabbas, a known criminal and murderer, or Jesus, a man claiming to be the King of the Jews.

Nothing is known about Barabbas apart from holy writ. He appears briefly in scripture but at the most pivotal time in history. Barabbas was a well-known prisoner who had committed robbery and was accused of murder in a rebellion. He languished in prison with his fellow conspirators, waiting for certain death on a cross. Every day drew closer as others were led off to their deaths. The day of execution had come for Barabbas as he waited for the Roman guard to lead him to the place of scourging before being nailed to a cross. The Roman guard went to the cell where Barabbas was kept and called his name. Barabbas knew his time had come. He had heard the shouts of the crowd but probably could not discern the meaning.

The Roman guard took Barabbas out of the prison and, to the shock and surprise of the murderer, set him free. Another man was scourged and led to Golgotha, where He was crucified between two thieves (possible accomplices of Barabbas). He would die that day and be buried in a rich man’s new grave. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead. A little over a month later, the New Testament church began in the city of Jerusalem. The silence of the scriptures would suggest that after Barabbas was released from prison, he returned to his fellow robbers and continued his life of crime. Nothing is said in the books of the New Testament about the man who was released in the place of Jesus. Whether he knew Jesus or cared is not known.

Barabbas was a man of the world who lived preying on others. He did not have a jailhouse conversion and became a disciple of Jesus. From the world’s view, the man in the middle of the three crosses was a convicted criminal who deserved to die. The disciples who gathered around the cross and the Roman centurion recognized Jesus as more than man but not Barabbas. Like the world, he could have cared less about the man from Nazareth. There was nothing special about the death of Jesus from a worldview. A man died, and they buried Him.

The story of Barabbas is more revealing of the worldview than many want to admit. Jesus took the place of a robber and a murderer. Barabbas did not care. He only wanted to be free. His life was not concerned with Jesus of Nazareth. It would be fifty days before Peter preached a sermon about the risen Messiah. Those who responded to the gospel were devout men. Barabbas was not a devout man. There are more than eight billion people on the planet, and the vast majority of them are not devout, not concerned, and care nothing for Jesus Christ. Like Barabbas, they do not care that Jesus took their place to save them from the wrath of God. It would be heartwarming to think that Barabbas became a Christian, which is the same feeling God has about the world. He is not willing for anyone to perish. But too many people care nothing for Jesus and will never know how Jesus set them free until it is too late.

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Sleeping In Church

Posted on February 6, 2025 by heatonkent

For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. (1 Corinthians 11:30)

Sleeping In Church

The early church experienced phenomenal growth in the first days of the kingdom. Three thousand souls were added to the church on the day of Pentecost; later, the number of men came to be about five thousand. The first converts devoted themselves to the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, and worship. Fear came upon every soul as the apostles showed the power of God with miracles. If anyone lacked the basic necessities of life, the saints helped other saints, praising God and having favor with all the people. Men like Barnabas sold land and brought the proceeds to the church. The first days of the church were filled with unity and love. But that would not last.

Luke describes the early church as united, but trouble was brewing, and Satan was beginning to work his evil in the hearts of the saints. Problems with members of the church brought division. In the church of God at Corinth, the body of Christ was plagued by many problems, such as allegiance to certain preachers, carnality, sectarianism, open sexual immorality, brethren suing one another, questions of marriage, refusal to abide by cultural norms, mockery of the Lord’s Supper, division over spiritual gifts leading to chaos in the worship services, and teachers denying the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What was the reason for such problems? The answer Paul gave pointed to those who were asleep in church.

Jesus died to build His church. The Holy Spirit warned of the apostasy that would come as men left the teachings of Christ for their own doctrines. When Paul rebuked the Corinthian church for abusing the Lord’s Supper, he gave a reason why the brethren had failed in their worship. The Lord’s Supper is a hinge-pin to the problems that plague the local church. Instead of the reverent communion of discerning the body of Jesus Christ, the Corinthian Christians were creating an unworthy atmosphere of worship. This was caused by brethren who were spiritually weak and sick among them. Many of the saints were spiritually dead. Paul was not talking about physical weakness, sickness, or death. He reproved the brethren for the weakness of their faith. The worship service at Corinth had become a three-ring circus by brethren who failed to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. They were spiritually asleep and nearing spiritual death.

Sleeping in church has always been a problem when the members doze off (some even snoring). A greater problem is the unseen number of people sitting in the pew with their eyes wide open who are spiritually weak and asleep. They have little or no interest in the things of God. Their lives are empty shells of materialism, pleasure, and recreation. When the Lord’s Supper is passed, they have no feelings of guilt or remorse over the death of God’s Son. They take some bread, drink some juice, and go about their lives like always. Paul warned the Corinthian church about those who were sleeping in their faith. God will bring judgment upon those who sleep.

When people sleep in church, they fail to realize how close the judgment of God draws near each day. It is time for brethren to awaken from their spiritual slumber and grow in Christ. Sleeping in church comes from not knowing God in the heart. Righteousness is a learned character that comes from study and application. Paul would use the sleeping metaphor to arouse the saints from their spiritual lethargy to “arise from the dead.” If someone sleeps too much, they will die (spiritually). When the Lord returns, do not be found sleeping. Spiritual slumber will lead to the wrath of God. Wake up. Be alert. Watch and pray. And again, watch.

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