The Heaton File

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. (3 John 11)

Imitation

The apostle John was conflicted as he wrote to his beloved brother in Christ, Gaius. The church was filled with love and concern for others. Gaius was a man of integrity, honor, and a benevolent heart. These are the kinds of people that show the love of God in their hearts as servants of the Most High God. However, there was another man in the local church that John had no words of commendation to give. Diotrephes was a man who loved to be in charge, taking on a preeminent spirit of lording over the brethren. When John, an apostle of Jesus Christ, wrote to the church, Diotrephes refused to acknowledge the apostle. Jesus had given the apostles authority to guide the church in its infancy. Men like Diotrephes began to lord over the church with their own authority.

John would not allow Diotrephes to be a narcissistic leader of God’s people. Diotrephes had made evil accusations against John and others. His charges were unfounded and ungodly. He boasted a haughty spirit against those who came to minister to the church. His boldness was so great, he put people out of the church at his discretion. John assured Gaius when the aged apostle came, he would deal with Diotrephes. He exhorts Gaius and the brethren not to follow the prideful attitude of men like Diotrephes.

Lording over the church is evil and against the pattern of the New Testament church. No man has the authority to rule the church in their own way demanding the brethren cower to his authority. John says the example of these men should not be followed. In the church was a man called Demetrius, who had a good testimony from the brethren and was known for his stand for truth. This is the kind of man the brethren should imitate. John does not want the brethren to imitate the evil character of those who seek preeminence. The apostle exhorts the church to find men like Gaius and Demetrius to imitate. Imitation means to copy the behavior of an individual and replicate their example as a model of life. Men like Diotrephes should not be imitated.

The apostle Paul challenged the brethren at Corinth to imitate his life as he sought to imitate the life of Christ. Imitation comes with a cost of accountability when seeking to imitate Christ. John wants the brethren to imitate what is good and reject the bad example of men who seek to rule over the church. Demetrius had a good testimony and should be imitated. Diotrephes was an example of those who should not be imitated. It is important to find the right kind of people to emulate. The ultimate example is Jesus Christ, but there are many brethren who, not being perfect, seek perfection in their lives and are worthy of imitating. There are also some brethren whose lives should not be imitated or followed. They do not seek the welfare of the kingdom of God but their own agendas. These men should be rejected. Imitation is important. Do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. Those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God. 

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 3:36)

Belief And Unbelief

John the Baptist was clear about his role in preparing the way for the Christ. Some of his disciples came to him complaining the multitudes were flocking to Jesus rather than John. It could have been an opportunity for John to exalt himself among the people, but he reminded them he knew the purpose of his work. He clearly stated he was not the Christ as some might have assumed. His role was to go before the Christ, preparing the way. As the role of the Christ increased, the work of John decreased. The ministry of Jesus was less than three years, and the work of John was much less but needful. John sought to magnify the will of the Father through Jesus without accepting any glory for himself. Pride could lift up the hearts of some men to seek the praise of men. John wanted only to exalt the name of Jesus Christ as Savior.

The work of John was limited, and the work of Christ was unlimited. When John baptized the multitudes, he did not change the Law of Moses or seek to supersede its laws. Salvation for the Jew still came through obedience to the Law. John did not change that. His baptism was unto repentance to turn the hearts of the people toward the true way. Everything that John did would diminish when the work of Jesus was finished. At the death of Jesus, a new covenant was established whereby all men could be saved. That covenant was not established on John. The work of John the Baptist was critical. John taught salvation came through Jesus Christ.

When the disciples of John came to him complaining about those who were going to Jesus, he declared salvation was only in the Son. He taught those who believed in the Son had everlasting life. If a man refused to believe Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God, he would not see life, but the wrath of God would be upon him. The gospel declares only two paths a man can walk: a belief that Jesus is the Christ; a denial Jesus is the Son of God. There is no other choice. Everlasting life will only be given to those who obey the will of the Father in believing Jesus is the Son of God. When Philip and the Ethiopian traveled down the road and the eunuch desired to be baptized, the evangelist told him he could be baptized if he believed Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. The Ethiopian responded and found everlasting life. This pattern of conversion is found throughout the story of the early church.

Belief and unbelief are the choices men make. There is no middle road. Either a man believes with all his heart Jesus is the Son of God and is willing to obey the commands of Christ, or he denies the teachings of Jesus. The consequence of unbelief is there is no everlasting life. A man who refuses to believe and obey the word of God will face the wrath of God. When the heart believes Jesus is the Son of God, obedience leads them to do all God has commanded. As a result of this pattern of belief, everlasting life is granted. The choice is limited. Anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life. Belief demands obedience. Unbelief requires nothing. You have two choices. One choice will bring happiness. The other will bring eternal misery. What will you choose?

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:14-15)

The Agency Of Death Becomes The Hope Of Life

Near the end of the wilderness journey, Israel spoke against God and Moses about the lack of food and water and having to eat manna. They called the manna “worthless bread.” God had provided the people with food and water for forty years, and they were ungrateful. Angered by the continual complaining, the Lord sent serpents among the people, and many of the people of Israel died. Considering the number of people was over one million souls, the number of serpents must have been incredible. Realizing their sin, the people pleaded with Moses to intercede. They asked God to take away the serpents, but God refused. Moses was told to make a fiery serpent of bronze and set it on a pole. When a serpent bites someone, he can look at the bronze serpent on the pole and live. Serpents continued to afflict the people of Israel, and when they looked upon the bronze serpent, they did not die. After a time, the serpents disappeared.

God used the symbol of death to give life to the people. The people begged God to remove the serpents. Instead of taking the serpents away, the Lord created a test of faith to see if the people would obey. Looking upon a bronze serpent has no medicinal value. If a person does not take immediate medical attention to a snake bite, they can die. The cure from God was to find the bronze serpent made by Moses and look upon it with faith. How ironic when a man was bitten by a serpent, he gazed upon a bronze serpent to save him. God used the agency of death to become a symbol of life. He was teaching the people of Israel the power of His grace.

There was nothing the people could do to fend off the serpents. With more than a million people in the camp, the infestation of snakes must have been tremendous. They begged God to remove the snakes, and the Lord refused. Only when the people obeyed the will of the Lord in faith could they live. What was killing them became their avenue of salvation. The reason for their fear was a rebellion against God. Salvation came from the power of God in the bronze serpent lifted up by Moses. Life could only be given to those who believed in the power of the bronze serpent. If a man were bitten by a serpent and begged God to save him in his tent, he would die. God could have saved the man in his tent, but that was not His will. Only when the man left the tent and came to the bronze serpent could a man live.

Jesus tells Nicodemus that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews. He was well-versed in the story of the bronze serpent. Jesus uses this story to show Nicodemus how salvation would come to all men through the death of the Son of God. Like the story of the bronze serpent, Jesus would take on the agency that was killing all men to save them. Jesus took on all the sins of the world in His blood. He was innocent and sinless, yet He became life. God demands obedience to the cross of Jesus Christ for salvation. A man refusing to come to the cross of Jesus is like a man bitten by a serpent and refusing to find the bronze emblem crafted by Moses. The cross is foolishness to the world, but for those who are called, it is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Many refuse to obey the will of the Father. Jesus died to become the symbol of life through the image of death. The debt incurred on the cross can never be paid because salvation is beyond the wisdom of men. Only through God’s grace in the message of the cross can a man find life. Through the blood of Jesus Christ in the waters of baptism, will sins be washed away. Refusing to be baptized is denying the power of the cross. There is no other way to have sins washed away. Faith only can never save any more than faith only could save a man bitten by a serpent. Grace alone never saved those bitten by serpents. Obedience to the will of God is how the people of Israel lived. You must come to the cross and see your sin to find hope and eternal life.

And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God and being fully convinced that what He had promised, He was also able to perform. (Romans 4:19-21)

The Lord Gives Life To A Dead Body

Abraham was eighty-six years old when he had a son by Hagar, handmaiden to Sarah. Ishmael would not be the son of promise because the birth of Isaac would be achieved only by the power of God. The Lord promised Abraham, at seventy-five, he would be a father by Sarah, who was ten years younger. Abraham would reach the age of one hundred before the promise was fulfilled. Sarah was ninety when she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Eleven years passed from the original promise given to Abraham and Sarah to have a son, and Sarah supposed the Lord had forgotten his promise. She is the one who proposed for Abraham to have a child through Hagar. After Hagar was pregnant, she began to despise Sarah, and the conflict between Sarah and Hagar increased.

Ishmael was born when Abraham was eighty-six, but he was not the son of promise. The miracle of Isaac’s birth was how the Lord formed in the womb of a ninety-year-old woman a child conceived by a man one hundred years of age. Abraham’s body was dead, and Sarah’s womb was dead. It was impossible for Abraham to conceive a child. Sarah was far beyond childbearing age, and at the age of ninety, her womb was dead. No human science could have changed that. Sarah could not have survived a pregnancy of nine months and delivered a healthy baby without the power of God. The birth of Isaac was accomplished solely by the will and power of God.

The birth of Isaac was a testimony of faith. Abraham may not have understood the mechanics of how he and Sarah would have a child, but his faith resided in a deep love for the word of God. Twenty-five years had passed since the Lord first made a promise. The word of God never fails, and Abraham believed that. He knew he could not conceive children. Sarah knew her womb was dead. There was no procreative life in Abraham or Sarah. Abraham was not weak in faith. He did not doubt that God could give them a son. Knowing his own body was beyond his ability to conceive a child did not diminish his faith in the word of the Lord.

Abraham had a deep resolve about God’s word. Most men would argue and doubt the promise of a son after a man’s body is dead. Abraham was strengthened in his faith that God could accomplish the impossible. And he faced the impossible task of having a son, but he was fully convinced the Lord would make a way. The faith of Abraham was so great, he believed God could bring life out of a dead body. And this truth would be tested years later when God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering. Again, Abraham’s faith in the word of God is absolute. God tells him to kill his son, and he almost succeeds but is stopped by an angel of the Lord. Abraham believed God would raise Isaac from the dead because God had already shown he could bring life from a dead body. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, evidenced by the unseen.

Two stories define the faith of Abraham. First, he believed God could give him a son, although he and Sarah were barren and their bodies dead. Life came from two dead bodies when Isaac was born. Second, Abraham believed God could raise the dead. He had faith that when he killed Isaac, God would bring him back to life. He told his servants he and Isaac would worship, and they (plural) would return. Faith in the Christian must be like Abraham, who believed in the power of God to give life to a dead body. There can be no doubt you will die. Whether your death will begin in life depends on whether you have the faith of Abraham. God can make your dead body be raised in life if you do His will. If you do not believe in the power of God, your dead body will be the beginning of a deadness in eternity without hope and life. The choice is yours. Do you believe God can make a dead body have life?

Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. (Exodus 2:23)

Remembering The Good Old Days

The time of the Egyptian bondage for the Hebrews was a time of oppression and slavery. Brutal slave drivers ruled over the people, wearing them down with arduous labor. The Hebrews were forced to build cities for the king. There was no mercy given to the children of Abraham. Their lives were bitter with hardships. As slaves of the king, the Hebrew people were forced to make bricks and do all the work in the fields. Pharaoh demanded his people to crush the spirit of the Hebrews. They were mistreated, abused, persecuted, and afflicted with heavy burdens. As the burdens became great, the people of cried out with groans and cries of affliction to God.

God sends Moses to deliver the people from their bondage. When Moses first meets with Pharaoh, the king rebuffs the request of Moses and Aaron. He punishes the people by telling the taskmasters of the people and their officers that straw will no longer be provided for them to make bricks. The Hebrews must gather their own straw, and the quota of bricks would not diminish. Pharaoh afflicts the people with a greater affliction. When the people did not meet their quotas, they were beaten. Angered by the affliction, the officers of the children of Israel complained to Pharaoh, who demanded they gather their own straw and never diminish the required quota. As the officers were leaving the presence of Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron. They complained to God’s messengers they had put a sword into the hands of the Egyptians to kill them. Their lives had become intolerable.

The spirit of the Hebrews was filled with anguish and the cruel bondage of their Egyptian taskmasters. Life for the children of Israel was a painful and miserable existence of bondage and fear. Burdened under the weight of the Egyptian demands, the Hebrews groaned to the Lord for deliverance. Through His power, God delivered the people with a strong hand showing His glory to Pharaoh and the Egyptian nation. The Hebrews also saw the power of God in the plagues, the crossing of the Red Sea, the destruction of the Egyptian army, and miracles throughout the forty years of wilderness wanderings. What the people of Israel failed to remember was the bondage of their servitude in Egypt.

When the people stood before the Red Sea, and the Egyptian army prepared to destroy them, they cried out to Moses in fear, complaining he should have left them in Egypt. They said life was better to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. God delivered them. A few months after escaping Egypt, the people complained against Moses and Aaron because they had no food. They told Moses they would have rather died at the hand of the Egyptians as they sat by pots of meat and ate bread to the full. If they recalled their former days, they would have remembered how much affliction Pharaoh put on them. Those were not days of full pots of meat and bread. The bondage of Egypt was harsh, and the people suffered. Complaining to Moses, they longed for what they thought were the good old days – which were not good at all.

The Hebrews complained at Rephidim. God gave them water. When the people came to Taberah, they again complained to the Lord, and He destroyed some of them. They complained they wanted meat to eat as they remembered the fish they used to eat for free in Egypt. And they remembered all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. Almost every time the people grew weary, they would complain to Moses and the Lord about how good their lives had been in Egypt and how terrible their lives were now in the wilderness. They did not acknowledge how God delivered them, how He provided quail and manna in abundance for them. The only thing the people could do was complain about missing the good old days. There was nothing good about the days before. They just remembered things differently.

It is easy to dwell in the past and believe the former days are better. For Israel, the latter days of their time in Egypt were filled with the harsh dominion of taskmasters. When they complained to God, they tried to act as if the former days were glorious. They wanted to recreate their suffering as a time of great feasting. Nothing was further from the truth. The fickle hearts of people can complain to God with their mouths full. Trying to think of days gone by as better denies the glory of God, and for all He has done. Living in the past – clouds the mind to see the power of God. It is not a good idea to drive using the rearview mirror. More often than not, the good old days are not as wonderful as imagined.

Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. (2 Timothy 3:8-9)

Jannes And Jambres

The apostle Paul was facing death as he wrote to Timothy. It is a stirring letter of admonition and encouragement. He exhorts Timothy to be a good example to others as a minister of the gospel. The work of preaching was a difficult task in a world hostile to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Paul warns Timothy there are dangers among the brethren of those who would cause shipwreck the faith of the saints. The world opposes the teachings of Christ, but there are also men in the church who will resist the truth. Paul reminds Timothy of Jannes and Jambres and how they opposed Moses.

Nothing in scripture is known of Jannes and Jambres. Paul is the only writer who refers to an incident these men had with Moses. A commonly held view is Jannes and Jambres were part of the magicians of Pharaoh that stood against Moses and Aaron. Biblically, this story would fit the scenario. The Hebrew language suggests the names are of Egyptian origin. Whether they were individuals that withstood Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh, some important things are known of them.

Moses was the leader, lawgiver, and prophet of Israel. He was the spokesman and servant of the Lord. Resisting Moses is tantamount to resisting God. Jannes and Jambres were men who opposed God. Their hearts were not devoted to the Lord God. The motives of the men were selfish. Whatever occasions presented themselves in the work of Moses, these two men were adversaries of the purpose and will of God. These men opposed and resisted the truth. There was only one truth, and that was the word of God. Jannes and Jambres would not follow the one true way and life. The minds of Jannes and Jambres were corrupt and depraved. Their faith was a counterfeit belief without God. They opposed Moses and the will of God. In their actions, they sought to destroy what God had established. They failed.

Truth is older than error. Those who oppose truth will fail in time. The folly of unrighteousness becomes apparent over time, and whatever Jambres and Jannes did to resist the work of the Lord, their actions proceeded no further. Truth is always victorious. There will be times of evil that will wax worse and worse among men, but after some time, unrighteousness will come to naught. It will end, and God’s word will reign supremely. Nothing can overshadow the light of God. Jannes and Jambres tried and failed miserably.

The other characteristic of the folly of Jannes and Jambres is how their evil works are manifest to others. Everyone will see how foolish they are to oppose the will of the Father. Pharaoh resisted the word of God and was made a fool. He attempted to destroy the people of God with his army and was defeated soundly. The Philistines sent their greatest champion, Goliath, against the army of God, and a young boy named David defeated him. Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome stood against the kingdom of God and now inhabit the dust bowl of history. Persecution never destroyed the church but made it stronger. Through the centuries, critics of the Bible have sworn the destruction and annihilation of God’s word. They are forgotten; the word of the Lord endures.

Jannes and Jambres are mentioned once in scripture and left in the empty memories of time. They were probably great men of their day, wielding influence and power. Wherever they are buried, they are forgotten. History does not know them. Their story is dead. Opposing God makes one a fool. Moses has been remembered for thousands of years and will continually be mentioned and written about until the Lord comes. You have a name. Will your name be like Jannes and Jambres – whoever they are? Or will you join the ranks of the faithful and have your name inscribed in the Book of Life to be remembered by the Lord God Almighty? It depends on whether you accept the will of God or oppose it. You decide.

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. (1 Peter 4:12-13)

It Should Not Surprise Us

The life of the righteous has always been in contrast to those who serve their own gods. When men become their own gods, they digress into an oblivion of selfish love, satisfaction, and pride. Without exception, ethics determines those who live according to a moral compass of truth will be persecuted by those who do not. Morality becomes the freedom of choice to do what is right in one’s own sight. Without exception, those who live for their self-interest will persecute any who walk according to a strict set of rules because of the judgment of righteousness. In the first century, the church suffered greatly from the religious world, government, and societal views.

Peter reminds the saints of the dispersion that suffering for the name of Christ should not come as a surprise. The world does not believe in God and will not accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God. As a result of the hatred of the world for divine truth, those who follow Christ will be persecuted and ridiculed, and mistreated. Before Paul became an apostle of Christ, he led an intense persecution against those of the Way, dragging men and women off to prison, casting his vote for people to die, and causing havoc in every city on those who claimed Christ as Savior. The Jews persecuted the Christians. For nearly two hundred years, the Roman government persecuted Christians. The church did not disappear but increased in number.

There is no joy in being persecuted. Untold numbers of saints were killed. There were many of God’s people who lost everything they had in this world. The life of a Christian was a life of a vagabond for many. Churches worshiped in secret. Clusters of the faithful were found sprinkled throughout the world in constant fear of those who would find them. Peter tells his fellow saints; this should not surprise them.

Persecution is not something strange to the lives of the faithful. Serving Jesus Christ is best understood by seeing what men did with Jesus. There was a time the Lord enjoyed a period of popularity, but that soon faded. Jealous men began to plot against Jesus. Envy filled the hearts of the Jewish leaders as they sought ways to kill Jesus. They eventually succeeded when they convinced the Roman government to crucify an innocent man. Jesus was not only innocent of any crime worthy of crucifixion, but He had also never sinned against God. He healed untold thousands. His teachings were powerful messages of hope, love, grace, and righteousness. He was not readily accepted by those who wanted to live according to their fleshly desires. Jesus always sought the good of all men, whether they were lepers, tax collectors, or a Samaritan woman of ill repute coming to the well of Jacob. Everything about the life of Jesus was for the good of others; and they killed him.

The reason it should not come as a surprise for the Christians to be looked at with disdain is because that is what they did with Jesus. Everything about the life of Jesus was good, but people hated Him. Jesus taught His disciples they would also be hated. If men persecuted Jesus, they would persecute His followers. What the Christian must master is the realization of persecution. They should not be surprised those in the world are hateful. It is not some strange thing that is happening to the saints of God. Instead, Peter admonishes the faithful to rejoice in being like Christ in suffering for righteousness. That is a good thing. If you must suffer for anything, suffer for doing the will of God. The joy that comes with suffering is knowing the glory that comes afterward. It will probably not be in this life, but that makes no difference. Life is short. Eternity is endless. Suffering in the short term gets over. Glory in the eternal is without measure.

What is the end of the story? When hard times come against the faithful, they should not be surprised. There is a need to endure to the end to receive a crown from the Father. What happens in this life is of no importance. Endure suffering, and the Lord will reward you in the life to come. That is where you will find exceeding joy and happiness without end. Be strong. Have courage. Endure. The best is yet to come.

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. (Jude 20-23)

Important Characteristics For The Beloved

Often, people want a quick checklist to help them develop a good character. There are many such lists in the Bible that a Christian can use to help create a pattern of holy character, and Jude is no exception. With just over sixty words, Jude presents a pattern of discipleship that any Christian should seek to emulate in his life every day. Contained in these few nuggets of divine truth, anyone trying to form their lives in the image of Jesus Christ will find a wealth of information to help them become a better person and shining examples of godliness in their life.

Jude speaks to the beloved who are in Christ. The term “beloved” is the same endearment God used for His Son when Jesus was baptized and at the Mount of Transfiguration. In the parable of the wicked vinedressers, Jesus alludes to Himself as the beloved of the Father. Paul often referred to his brethren as the beloved. God looks upon His children as His beloved, as a Father endears Himself to His children. Jude refers to his brethren three times as his beloved because he cares for them and their relationship with the Father. The characteristics Jude outlines are how one can enjoy the paternal blessings of a loving and compassionate Father who cares deeply for the affairs of those who seek His favor.

The essential character of the beloved is to build oneself up in the most holy faith. God wants His people to grow in the grace and knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ. Much like constructing a building with a proper foundation, secure walls, and a permanent roof, the life of the Christian must be built on the rock – Jesus Christ; the teachings of the apostles; and the grace of God covering his life. Building requires action and activity. No house is built by itself. It takes daily effort to build the heart to be forgiving, compassionate, and passionate about Jesus Christ. Faith comes from hearing the word of God through an everyday experience of God’s voice. No Christian can build themselves up without the word of the Lord dwelling in their hearts. First things must come first – build the faith in the word.

Prayer is the concrete that holds a building together. Many of God’s people dwell in a spiritual kindergarten when it comes to prayer life. The result is the building is wobbly and unstable without the mortar of prayer filling the cracks and spaces of life. Praying in the Holy Spirit is taking the sword of the Spirit (the Bible) and talking to God, seeking His counsel. Those who are beloved of the Father deeply desire to speak with the Father. Knowing that God listens to every prayer and He blesses His children with all their needs according to His divine reassures the Christians they are loved and beloved of the Father.  

Keeping oneself in the love of God is where the walk of obedience shows the beloved’s faith. The Lord has always required His people to obey His commands, precepts, laws, and judgments. Grace is the love of the Father for His children, and works evidence the love of the disciple to the Father. No one can be saved by faith alone. Building oneself up in the most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit requires action on the part of the beloved. Without works, faith is dead. The Christian must show the Father how much they love Him and thank him for looking upon them as the beloved.

Jesus came to save the lost and called all men to repentance. He gave His life for ransom to take away the wrath of God, redeeming those who would obey the will of the Father. The debt owed to God for His love and the price of redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ can never be repaid. God’s mercy comes without measure. Eternal life is a divine blessing given by the love of the Father to creatures who do not deserve one crumb of mercy – yet man has been granted to be called God’s beloved and to bask in the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. The joy of being the beloved of the Father is to know how much the Father loves His children. Mercy fills the soul of those who see the love of God. They feel His immense grace to forgive sinful men.

How can you live a full life in Christ? Build yourself up in the most holy faith, pray without ceasing, walk in the love of God, and recognize the grace of God to redeem you from His wrath. The final admonition of Jude is for the individual to have a love for others. There are those who are overcome by sin that need to be pulled from the fire. Jude suggests having compassion for some, but others must be saved with power. Eternal life can be lost so easily. Do not waste time. Show God’s love for those who need a compassionate heart. Others deal with them directly and forcefully to save their souls lest they perish. Time is fleeting. Now is the day of salvation. Follow Jude’s pattern of spiritual growth. To God be the glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.

Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. (Matthew 28:11-15)

The Great Lie

When the Jewish rulers realized the tomb of Jesus was empty, they had a problem. Jesus had told His disciples that He would be killed in Jerusalem but raised from the dead on the third day. The claim of Jesus to come from the grave was not an idle threat to the minds of His enemies. They knew that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead and that after four days, Jesus called him out of the tomb. The possibility of resurrection became clearer when Jesus died, and the rulers went to Pilate demanding a guard be placed at the tomb. Jesus died on Friday, and on Saturday, the chief priests and Pharisees came to Pilate concerned the disciples of Jesus would come and steal the body away and claim He was resurrected. They demanded Pilate make secure the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (where Jesus was buried) until after the third day lest what they called the “last deception” be worse than the “first deception.”

It was unknown to the Jewish leaders they completed the divine will of God when they demanded a Roman guard. If the guard had not been placed, an argument could be made that, somehow, the disciples stole the body of Jesus. Placing a Roman guard at the tomb of Jesus removed any doubt the tomb was empty through the power of God. The tomb was guarded and secured by the might of the Imperial Roman Army. The disciples could not have mounted an attack against these seasoned soldiers who knew if they allowed anyone to steal the body, they would face certain death. They sealed the tomb and set the guard.

On the first day of the week, two women came to the tomb of Jesus. A great earthquake shook the earth, and an angel of God descended from heaven and rolled back the great stone sealing the tomb. The guards shook in fear as they had never seen the power of God before. As the women stood in awe of the splendor of the power of God, the angel told them Jesus was not there but had risen, and they must tell the disciples. The women went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to tell the disciples what they had seen. When the women left, the soldiers guarding the tomb realized they had a serious problem. The body they were guarding was gone, and they faced certain death.

Leaving the tomb, the soldiers entered the city and told the chief priests what had happened. Assembling the Jewish leadership, the chief priests and elders faced a terrible dilemma. Jesus claimed He would rise from the dead on the third day. The first day of the week had come, and the tomb of Jesus was empty. His claim for the world to find an empty tomb on the third day had come true. Did they think about the event of Lazarus and realize the truth of what Jesus said? The chief priests and elders were in a dizzying quandary of despair to admit Jesus had risen from the dead. They also began to hear reports of family members returning from the dead and filling Jerusalem. The city had dead people walking about that were no longer dead.

The only solution the Jewish leaders could find was to pay the soldiers large sums of money, bribing them to keep quiet about what they knew and to lie about what happened. Remarkably, the cover story was the disciples of Jesus came and overpowered the Roman soldiers while they slept and stole the body of Jesus. The soldiers took the large sums of money and told the story as given to them by the Jewish leadership. It is difficult to understand how they explained that to their fellow soldiers and were not court-martialed or killed. If the governor happened to hear the soldiers were sleeping and lost the body of Jesus, the Jewish leaders would appease him (probably with more money). The fear that began when Jesus died became the greatest lie when the tomb was found empty.

Lying has its own wings, and how large the wings of a lie can take a story to incredible heights. The soldiers told the truth about what had happened, but the Jewish leaders wove the deceitfulness of lies in an attempt to cover up the truth they had to admit. One has to wonder what became of the soldiers. It is clear to the Bible student the Jewish leaders could deny Jesus rose from the dead but in reality; they knew He had risen. The power of God thwarted their efforts to secure the tomb, and they knew it. The greatest lie comes when the truth is evident, and man’s heart refuses to admit what he knows is true. This is like those who deny the Bible as the word of God. Each generation tries to destroy the Bible, and yet it remains. Truth remains. Lies fall.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Without Jesus

Man cannot live without Jesus. It is possible to live without Jesus, but the conclusion of life is marred eternally when Jesus is not the focus of life. Many absolutes are definable by strict guidelines of definitions, but the idea that man can live without having Christ in their life is an impossibility. Saying that Jesus is not necessary for life suggests that air is not required for life. Man cannot live in the vacuum of space because there is an absence of air. Death would be instantaneous if an astronaut were circling the earth and journeyed outside his craft without his protective and life-giving gear. Jesus said no man could live without Him, no more than a branch can survive separated from the vine. The vine supplies the branch’s nutrients to grow and become strong. If the branch is cut from the vine, the branch will die. Jesus supplies all the needs for the spirit of man. When men cut themselves off from Jesus, they die.

Life can only come from the one true source. Jesus is the only source of eternal life and the only answer to how one must save themselves. The only truth is Jesus Christ. There is no other way but the way of Christ Jesus. Life can only come (no exception) from the Son of God. God reminds man that he is only a branch whose existence is dependent on the grace of the Lord. Man does not know how to walk in his own way. History is filled with graveyards of broken promises and dreams of human wisdom. Men turn away from God to find a higher calling and find a destroyed world instead. When there is no judge in the land, every man will do what is right in his own eyes. This is when the branch tries living apart from the vine. The days of Noah declare the glory of human wisdom and the wrath of God upon the ignorance of men.

Without Jesus, there would be nothing to live for. Life becomes a tedious toil of futility if there is no promise of life after death. Jesus left His eternal home to open the portals of eternal life to all men. Sadly, the world has little interest in Jesus. They have no desire to be included with the vine and be like the vine. The vine of a muscadine grape will bear muscadine grapes in the branches. Life in Jesus will bear eternal life. Without Jesus, there is no hope of eternal life. Abiding in Jesus Christ brings life where much fruit is born. The abundance of God’s grace will fill the heart and mind of the one who seeks the sustenance of divine glory.

Abiding in Jesus is accepting the one true vine as the only source of life. Serving the Savior is not found in other vines. Life comes from the one trustworthy source of hope and joy. The Bible is the declaration of the eternal vine. Jesus Christ is the central character of the Bible as the only source of life. God is the one true God, and there can be no other. Man is only a branch that depends on the vine for everything. The breath of life comes from the grace of God. Without the power of God, life cannot exist. Remove God, and there is nothing. When the wisdom of men exalts itself above the wisdom of God, the vacuum of destruction follows.

You have no life if your life is not filled with Jesus Christ. It is possible to live without Jesus, but you are only holding your breath until you can survive no longer. Life comes from the Son of God. There is nothing man can do to save himself apart from Jesus Christ. Let Jesus come into your life. Obey His word. Accept His rule. Live for Jesus. Without Him, you can do nothing.