The Heaton File

Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? (1 Corinthians 15:29)

The Baptism For The Dead

There are passages in the holy writ that challenge the Bible student, and Paul’s letter to Corinth fits that bill. The essential part of Bible study is ensuring a text provides the context. Paul wrote a letter to the church, not a book. His style and approach were to write to the Corinthians about things they had written to him and to address serious problems that arose in the church. There are many subjects in this letter. Some of the discussions in Paul’s letter relate to apparent concerns, while others come from a background only the Corinthians knew. When Paul wrote about the conduct of husband and wife, it was in response to some things they had written to the apostle. Nothing further is known about this correspondence but what Paul reveals in this part of the letter.

It is also important to know that Paul did not write in chapters and verses. The “book of 1 Corinthians” is nothing more than a letter written by the apostle to the church at Corinth. As someone said long ago, “We are reading someone else’s mail.”  The style of writing and the measure of the Greek language has a bearing on how a passage is read. Punctuations are added by translators and by those who publish the Bible. When unpacking a series of passages, these factors must be considered to understand their meaning best.

The question of what Paul meant about those baptized for the dead has created a myriad of answers and discussions to its meaning. It is recognized as a difficult passage but not a text that is without understanding. Consider the context is the first order of business in trying to flesh out the teachings of Paul. Beginning in the part of the letter where Paul mentions the baptism of the dead is paramount and essential to understanding what he may refer to. Without this foundation, there can be no full understanding of the text. One of the glaring problems at the Corinthian church was the teaching that the resurrection had passed, and there would be no other resurrection. Some were teaching that there was no resurrection of the dead. Paul argues that if there is no resurrection of the dead, Jesus did not rise from the dead, and there was no hope.

Eleven times Paul mentions death in the first Corinthian letter. All of the references are in the section of his letter where he writes about the resurrection. He first established that Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus died, was buried, and rose on the third day. Many people saw Jesus alive after the resurrection. Paul saw Jesus with his own eyes. The question he poses to the doubters of Corinth is if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, why would a child of God believe otherwise? Paul outlines the consequences of denying the resurrection of Jesus. The end is a useless and empty faith if Christ has not risen.

Paul affirms that Christ is risen, and every part of the doctrine of Christ rests upon the fact of the resurrection. Christ became the firstfruits by the resurrection of the dead. He was given all authority and power by the Father when He became Lord and Christ. The New Testament church is built upon the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Without the resurrection, Christ is nothing, the church is invalid, and faith is empty. When a man denies the resurrection, he voids the very act that brings a man into a covenant relationship with God – baptism.

The question of the baptism of the dead can only be answered by its context. It is clearly evident and strongly argued in scripture against the idea that anyone can be saved for another. Everyone will give an account of themselves before God. The soul that sins shall die. Mormonism is built upon the false teaching that many embrace. If a man refuses to accept the resurrection, he makes the power of baptism void. Paul’s letter to the Romans explains how baptism is being buried into the death of Christ Jesus. Denying resurrection denies the purpose of baptism. Earlier, in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul asked what good it would be for those who had died (literally) in Christ if there was no resurrection and baptism meant nothing. All those baptized into Christ (spiritually dead) and died physically had no hope – if there is no resurrection of the dead.

There is no baptism of the dead in a literal sense (to be baptized for someone else). That is a false doctrine and a lie. Paul wanted to reassure the Corinthians of the hope of salvation found in the resurrection, first experienced in baptism and then in death. Why be baptized if there is no resurrection of the dead (literal dead)? Thanks be to God, who gives victory through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets. “But woe to you who are rich, For you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full, For you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, For you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets. (Luke 6:23-26)

Four Woes

The sermon on the mount is a fundamental framework of the kingdom of God. Matthew’s account is a longer version of a sermon Jesus preached throughout Israel. Luke has a similar rendering of the sermon in his book with a few additions and lacking material from Matthew’s account on other parts. One notable inclusion of Luke is the four woes pronounced by Jesus to His disciples. The woes are not meant to be matters of judgment but rather lamentations of sorrow over the plight of those whose hearts were not devoted to the Lord.

Covetousness has always been a challenge of faith for God’s people. Many warnings are given throughout scripture showing the danger of greed and the desire to be rich. Jesus laments those trapped in the futile effort to find happiness in the possessions of this world. One of the deceitful temptations of seeking riches is to believe that life will be complete if only one possesses the right amount of money. Riches cannot buy a baby’s smile. Money does not bring happiness. The commerce of money is necessary for life, but at the end of life, money will not change anything. If a man puts all his happiness in the amount of money he has, he will be a sad and miserable person.

In contrast to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the soul full of the worldly pleasures of this life will only find famine. These people do not desire the spiritual manna of God’s word. They live their lives seeking the joys and pleasures of life. There is no regard for eternal consequences. The motto of this type of person is that whoever dies with the most toys wins. Jesus laments the empty lives that fill themselves with the drudgeries of life without purpose. God created man for His glory. Man decides to live for his own glory, which becomes his demise. Woe to those who are full because they will always find themselves hungering.

The frivolity of life is the favorite pastime of most people. Life has little purpose except to eat, drink, and find merriment. This is the opposite of those who mourn and weep for righteousness’ sake. It is sad to Jesus to see so many who waste their lives seeking the pleasures of life and not preparing for the judgment of God. Life is filled with laughter and the superficiality of seeking things carnal. There is no hope found in this life. Jesus mourns the souls who waste a lifetime seeking the enjoyment of life and only find misery and hopelessness.

Courting the favor of men is a temptation of pride. Seeking the accolades and favors of men will only end in an empty vacuum. Jesus uses the example of those who spoke well of the false prophets to gain favor with them and to be known among all men. This was a useless expression of false humility. When the godly refuse to admonish the ungodly and commend them in their spirit, danger awaits. Jesus reminds the disciples how the fathers of old sought to please the false prophets by encouraging them in their wicked ways. If all men (of the world) speak well of the righteous, the righteous have something to fear.

Jesus is not lacking in offering woes upon the miserable condition of the people who have fallen to the wiles of the devil. He provides a perspective on how to live. Most men live for themselves, seeking riches, pleasure, entertainment, and fame. This is sad to the heart of Jesus, who sees the consequences of all things as a wasted life. Through the knowledge of the word of God, life is measured by those things that last and have worth. It is to this measure that Jesus rejoices. If Jesus looked at your life, would He declare four woes or four blessings?

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! (James 2:19)

Dead Faith

The religious world is a world of religious diversity and non-unity. There are as many ways to find God as there are modes of faith described through human wisdom. Satan has thoroughly filled the landscape of religion to be a potpourri of appeasing and appealing theology to soothe the fragile consciousness of those who seek God. As the father of lies, the devil created the greatest lie perpetrated on the human race. He does not object to someone believing in God and sometimes encourages such a belief. How he deceives the hearts of the unaware is to convince them to trust that God will save them only if they believe.

The modern world calls it salvation by “faith only.” Nothing is expected or demanded, but the heart must accept Christ as a personal Savior and believe He is the Son of God upon that acceptance. Based upon a feeling of joy in accepting Christ, the individual rejoices that he is now saved in Christ and Heaven is the glory awaiting them in death. There is nothing further from the truth. The blinded hearts of the deceived accepting the doctrine of salvation by faith alone die expecting to see the Lord in glory; finding only the misery of a false doctrine perpetrated by Satan.

Few passages can be any more explicit than the declarations found in the book of James. The text’s subject matter is about the relationships found in the body of Christ, but the application of such principles is rooted in the question of salvation. If a man can be saved by faith alone, it must be concluded that demons will also be saved – and with greater clarity.

Will a man be saved because he believes there is one God? Impossible. During the ministry of Jesus, the demons proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God. The Lord refused the demons to acknowledge who He was, but they knew and trembled in His presence. If there is any being that knows without doubt Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God – the demons know. This knowledge does not save them even if they tremble. James shows that salvation by faith alone is impossible. He does not deny the power of grace, faith, love, forgiveness, and mercy. He affirms that belief alone or faith alone cannot and will not save one person.

The only time faith alone is found in the Bible is when James writes that a man is justified by works and not by faith only. There is a dead faith, and faith only is a dead faith. Sadly, thousands of helpless souls follow the religious dogma of faith only (sinner’s prayer) and have no hope of Heaven. Believing there is one God is the beginning of faith that saves but refusing to go beyond the acceptance of God’s existence cannot save. Noah believed in God, but that alone did not save him. He accepted the grace of God and moved with godly fear in preparing the ark to the saving of his household. If he had thought faith only would save him, he would have died in the flood with the millions of others who rejected the word of God. Do you believe there is one God? That alone cannot save you. Salvation will only be found by those who do the will of the Father.

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all. (Genesis 14:18-20)

He Gave Him A Tithe Of All

It was not uncommon for regional kings to go to war against one another. In the days of Abraham, four kings decided to go to war against five kings. For twelve years, Chedorlaomer king of Elam had ruled over all the kings, but after twelve years, the five kings rebelled. In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and his allies captured the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, taking all the goods of the cities with their provisions and people as captives. Included among the number of slaves was the nephew of Abraham and his family. Lot moved his family into Sodom when he and Abraham agreed to separate their flocks from one another. Sodom was an excessively wicked and evil city.

When Abraham heard that Lot was captured, the patriarch gathered three hundred eighteen of his trained servants born in his house and attacked the forces of the five kings. God delivered the kings into the hand of Abraham. Lot and his family were rescued, along with the people taken from Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham destroyed the alliance of kings taking all of their possessions along with the provisions and goods from the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Holy Spirit does not tell the worth of the goods returned from the two cities, but it would have been a staggering amount. Lot’s material wealth was such that he and his uncle, Abraham, needed to separate to allow their flocks to survive. Abraham and Lot’s possessions were so great that the land could not support them.

After Abraham returned from defeating the five kings, he was met by Melchizedek, king of Salem. Melchizedek was not only the king of Salem but also a priest of God Most High. Melchizedek blessed Abraham for his great victory, and Abraham gave the king of Salem a tenth of all he had. A tithe is a tenth of something and was part of the worship of God before the Law of Moses. Abraham recognized the importance of Melchizedek as a king and priest. Giving him one-tenth of what he had (including all he had captured) was immense. There was no hesitation on the part of Abraham. He honored God with his giving to show glory to God Most High.

The Law of Moses would establish a covenant with the Jews about tithing. It is clear tithing was a part of God’s law before Moses. When the early church was established, tithing was taken away as a command. From the days of Abraham (and before) to the modern world, God Most High has required of His children to return to Him what they have gained in this world. In the early church, the Holy Spirit directed that giving must come from the heart as a man will purpose. Moses gave a tenth. The Law of Moses required a tenth and more. In the Law of Christ, the decision is left to the individual as a test to see how much a man will give.

Giving has been a delicate question because of the covetous desires of the heart. While tithing is no longer a command of God, some think it gives them the license to give sparsely and minimally. Failing the test of giving can bring judgment on the heart. Abraham is an example of a heart willing to give to God Most High all He desires. The amount of the gift to Melchizedek was enormous, but without hesitation by the hand of Abraham. What is offered today is measured by the heart. It really is not so much the amount of what is given but what is kept. At best, as an example only, if a man gives ten percent of all he has, he keeps ninety percent for himself. Abraham was not concerned about numbers. He had defeated five kings by the power of God, and he was giving glory to God Most High for His grace and mercy. What you and I have is only by the grace of God and His mercy. Think more deeply when returning to God what He can take from us. Give cheerfully. Abraham did and never regretted it.

So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6-7)

Overcoming Sin

Satan deceived the woman in the garden to disobey the command of God, and when Adam took the forbidden fruit, the world’s fate was sealed. The righteousness of the Lord could not abide the transgression of Adam and Eve, and they were expelled from the garden. Nothing is known of the first years of life outside the garden, but the first child born in the world was called Cain. Another child was born, and they named him Abel. In time, Cain and Abel grew to adulthood. Following the command of God, Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to the Lord.

From the beginning, God has required worship in spirit and truth. Adam and Eve understood this, as did Cain and Abel. Cain brought the offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord as an acceptable sacrifice as he was a tiller of the ground or farmer. Abel shepherded flocks and brought to the Lord the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. There does not seem to be anything wrong with the sacrifices, but the heart of Cain was evil. God respected the sacrifice of Abel and refused to acknowledge the sacrifice of Cain. Because God refused to accept the offering of Cain, the firstborn son became upset and full of anger.

Sin had troubled man from the first day Adam and Eve walked out of the garden. In the passing of time, before the offerings of Cain and Abel, Satan sought to destroy the creation of God. The devil had gained a foothold in the heart of Cain. He had a wicked heart. His jealousy and hatred for his brother increased daily because Abel’s sacrifices were more excellent than Cain’s, and God accepted Abel’s offerings. Sin also comes with a warning. When Cain’s heart turned dark toward Abel, the Lord came to Cain and warned him. Cain could have changed his heart and found love for his brother. He refused the admonition of the Lord and killed Abel.

God did not leave Cain without an avenue of escape. Rarely has the Lord come to a man about to commit a terrible crime and warned him directly of the consequences. God comes to Cain and asks him why he is so angry and dejected. Sin does not have to conquer the soul. A penitent heart can change angry hearts and bring joy. If Cain changed his heart and did the right thing, God would accept him. The problem with sin is how deeply entrenched the tentacles of evil can reach the spirit of a man. If Cain did not change his heart, dire consequences would occur. God warns Cain that sin is crouching at the door of his heart to murder his brother. Satan was eager to control Cain, and Cain was allowing it.

Sin does not have to have dominion over the heart. God tells Cain he can win this battle. Warning him of the consequence of uncontrolled anger, the Lord reminds Cain he can subdue sin and be its master. Evil can be overcome, and Cain could win that battle if he chooses. Sadly, Cain’s heart was full of hatred, and it came to pass when Cain was talking with his brother in the field; Cain attacked Abel and killed him. Satan rejoiced. Cain murdered his brother. The devil’s evil plan had taken wings, and the world would be held under the sway of sin. Many generations later, God would destroy all life on earth because the intent of the heart was only evil continually. The only souls saved during the devastating flood were the eight found in the ark.

There is no reason to sin, and man is without excuse. The three-fold plan of Satan is clearly defined in scripture as the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. There is no doubt about how the devil operates. God offers a three-fold plan to defeat Satan. It is possible for a man to do well. He can do the right thing. Secondly, he must choose which path to follow. Will the heart seek the path of truth and righteousness or the broad way of destruction? Sin is a choice. Man cannot blame God or others for his decision. Sin is personal. The third part of God’s answer is that man can rule over sin. Sin can be mastered. There is no excuse for sin to have dominion over a man’s heart. God has given men the ability to reject, refuse, and deny sin. Cain killed Abel because his heart was evil, and he refused to bring it into subjection.

Cain killed Abel, but his murderous act did not happen without warning. It is possible to do the right thing. There is a right path to choose. Sin can be defeated. Jesus lived a perfect life because He overcame the power of sin. We should not use sin as an excuse to sin. It is possible to sin less in life if we have the will. Choose to do the right thing. Sin crouches at the door. Don’t open the door. Stay away from the door. Remove yourself far from that door. Master the spirit to serve the Lord. Don’t sin.

There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. (Luke 16:19-22)

They Both Died

Life is unfair, but death is not. No greater contrast is seen than a man who lives a sumptuous life enjoying all the benefits the world can offer and a man who lives in such abject poverty only the dogs have mercy. Death has no inequality. The rich man’s choices were self-created to serve the passions of his carnal desire. Everything he did was about the satisfaction of his needs. Whatever business he had in life gave him the greatest power of wealth. He lived life to its fullest measure. Accompanied by five brothers, the legacy of the rich man’s family was known as one of the most blessed families on earth.

At the gate of the rich man sat the antithesis of his wealth. Lazarus was a poor man begging for crumbs. The body of Lazarus was covered with sores. His life was of misery and despair. Every day was a struggle to stay alive. Just a short distance from where the beggar lay dying, the rich man filled himself with all the finer things of life. Hunger wracked the stomach of Lazarus with sharp pains. The sores covering his body burned with intensity. When the dogs came up to Lazarus, they knew his suffering and licked his wounds, easing his misery. What a contrast between the rich man and the poor man.

Death is feared and misunderstood, but one thing death does to all men is bring reality. Rich men die just as certain as poor men. It matters not how much money a man has; he will die. Power will not change the destiny of a man. Arrogant and proud men die. The poor die. Their plight is different in life, but death is the one equality shared across the human divide. All men die in the same way. A man lying in an expensive bed with his rich friends surrounding him will die like a beggar will die on the street surrounded by dogs. The cruelest man on earth will die the same way the righteous man will. Life is gone, and eternity begins. And that is where the difference begins.

There can be little doubt when the rich man died, his funeral was an elaborate display of his accomplishments in life and his wealth. The community of friends enjoyed a feast in his honor, lavishing great words of praise on the rich man. His five brothers mourned their brother’s passing with fond words of memory. Soon the funeral was over, and life returned to its normal pace. All of the wealth of the rich man was gathered by his family and distributed among them. The rich man remains unnamed and unknown. When Lazarus died, only the dogs took notice. A few days may have passed before someone noticed he had died. When did the ones who laid Lazarus at the gate discover his dead body? There was no funeral of great pomp and circumstance for the beggar. A place was found, and his body was interred. No headstone. He died, and few took notice. Death changed the story of the rich man and Lazarus.

The rich man died unnamed, but God preserved the beggar’s name. Lazarus died, and God took notice. Angels carried Lazarus to the bosom of Abraham. No angels carried the rich man. He just died and was found in a place of torment. Death brought equality to the rich man and Lazarus. The poor man did not get what he deserved in life, while the rich man enjoyed all the bounties of life. Death gave the rich man what he deserved and blessed Lazarus with what he believed. Even in a state of abject poverty, Lazarus was a righteous man. He lived a faithful life devoted to the God he trusted. Death was a blessing because it brought equality.

The rich man and Lazarus died. They both died. What happened next is the real story. You are either the rich man or Lazarus. What you have in this life will be taken away. Have you made yourself ready for death? You will die – that is certain. Where you spend eternity – that is your decision.

I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. (2 John 1:4-6)

Love And Commandment Keeping

There is a feeling among many religious people that God is a God of love, and as long as a person loves God, eternal life is guaranteed. Commandment keeping is frowned upon as salvation by works. The idea is that if a person loves God, he can live in accord with his own desires, and God accepts this because the person loves God. Salvation is only measured by God’s love and the person’s love. To keep rules and regulations is inhibiting the grace of God. The result becomes people feeling good about their religion because they ‘love’ God but never do anything expected of them.

John is considered the apostle of love. His final three epistles abound with the story of love, with more than forty references to the attribute of love. Four times in the second epistle, John speaks of love, and three times, he connects commandment keeping with love. It was a joy for John to write about those walking in the truth. Suggesting a person is walking in truth shows the necessity of works on the part of the disciple. The Christians were walking in truth according to the commandment from God. Love and law keeping go hand in hand. John admonished his readers to follow the new commandment to love one another. Loving one another is commandment keeping. If a man is not saved by works (commandment keeping), then he cannot love others.

During the ministry of Jesus, the people asked Jesus what they must do to work the works of God. The Son of God told them that God’s work is to believe He was the Son of God. If a man cannot be saved by works, he cannot be saved by belief. Commandment keeping is showing the love of man toward God. John declares that love is walking according to the commandments of God. James discussed in his letter how that faith without works is dead. It is also true that if a man says he loves God and does not follow the commandments of God, he is a liar (John established this in his first epistle).

Love and commandment keeping cannot be separated. Obeying the will of the Father is a demonstration of the love one has for God. Refusing to do what God says demonstrates the heart lacks love for God. Jesus loved His Father and obeyed His Father’s command to die on the cross. Without commandment keeping, Jesus would have never saved mankind. He expects the same measure from His disciples, who say they love Him. Loving Jesus is where the heart begins to know the love of God. Keeping the commandments of God shows how much a man loves God. Do you love God? Check your commandment keeping.

For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. (Ezra 7:10)

Ezra’s Three-Fold Plan

The destruction of Solomon’s Temple occurred in 586 B.C. when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and carried off the people. Seventy years passed according to the word of the Lord before the Jews were allowed to return to their homeland. The first captives to return to Jerusalem faced great hardship as the city was in ruin, with walls destroyed and the gates burned. It would take nearly twenty years to complete the second Temple under great persecution. Zerubbabel and Jeshua spearheaded the restoration along with the brethren, priests, and the Levites.

Ezra was a priest and skilled scribe in the Law of Moses who lived in Babylon at the time of the second temple’s building. About fifty-seven years after the temple’s completion, Ezra came to Jerusalem. He was on a mission for the Lord. The work of restoring worship and the teaching of the Law was paramount to the work of Ezra. With the blessing of King Artaxerxes, Ezra brought papers of authority to establish himself and to bring silver and gold to buy bulls, rams, lambs, grain, and drink offerings to offer on the altar of the house of God. He prayed to the Lord for safety on his journey, refusing the escort of soldiers and horsemen from the king.

One of the first things Ezra faced when he arrived in Jerusalem was the intermarriage of the Jews with the people of the land. This distraught Ezra greatly, and he begged for the grace and mercy of God to forgive the people. While Ezra prayed to the Lord, the people gathered and wept bitterly for the transgression of the people to intermarry with the people of the land. A decree was made for the people to put away their pagan wives, and in solidarity, the pagan wives were put away.

The story of Ezra’s return to Jerusalem is one of faith, courage, devotion, and dedication to the word of God. How did this priest and scribe journey to Jerusalem without an armed escort from the king? Facing the many problems of the people, including the intermarriage with pagan wives, how could Ezra hope to affect change and bring the heart of the people back to the Lord? It all began before Ezra left Persia. The Holy Spirit says that Ezra prepared his heart to do three things: he would seek the Law of the Lord; he would do what the Law of the Lord said; and he would teach the people the Law of the Lord.

Faith begins in the heart, but faith without works is dead. Ezra had faith in God and prepared his heart to serve the Lord, but he had a huge task ahead of him. He had to seek the Law of the Lord to understand what God required of him. Faith comes from hearing the word of God. It does not come through osmosis and magically appear. A heart must be devoted to seeking, reading, and knowing what God’s word says. No one can know the word of God without opening the word of God. Ezra was a diligent seeker of what the Law of the Lord said.

Knowing the word of God was not enough. The second part of the ‘Ezra-Plan’ was to do what God said. Understanding the word of God will have no value if the heart is unwilling to practice what the law says. Whatever the Law of the Lord said to do, Ezra planned on doing it. When faced with the reality that many of God’s people had married pagan wives, Ezra sought the Law to know what to do. He read the Lord forbade the people to marry from other nations. After seeking the Law of the Lord and finding out what God required, Ezra did what the Lord said. He was not just a hearer of the word; he was a doer of the word of God. The people put away their foreign wives in accordance with the Law of the Lord. Ezra sought the word of the Lord and did what the Law of the Lord required.

Finally, as a priest and scribe, Ezra taught the people what the Law of the Lord said. The book of Nehemiah describes how Ezra took the Book of the Law of Moses and, in the presence of the people in the open square that was in the front of the Water Gate, Ezra read the word to the people from morning until midday. He read the book distinctly, gave the people the sense, and helped them understand the reading. Seeking the Law of the Lord and doing it also required teaching the people the Law. The people needed to know the statutes and ordinances of the Lord, and Ezra accomplished that.

Ezra lived five hundred years before the church began in Jerusalem at Pentecost. His three-fold plan is the foundation of the New Testament church. The people of God must seek the Law of the Lord, do it, and teach statutes and ordinances in the church. That is how the church grows. The lost are brought to Christ by disciples who prepare their hearts to teach the word. They show the word in action, and they show the word in practice. Prepare your heart. Seek the Law of the Lord. Do what the Law of the Lord says. Teach others the Law of the Lord. Thank you, Ezra.

What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:1-3)

Abraham In The New Testament

Abram was seventy-five years old when God called him to go into a land of promise, which he would receive as an inheritance. Twenty-four years after the Lord called him, Abram’s name was changed to what he would be known by as Abraham. No single character is the central theme of the Old Testament than Abraham. God made three promises to Abraham. He promised to make of him a great nation, to give him land for his descendants, and through his blood, all nations of the earth would be blessed. The final promise is the Seed promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Abraham is also a central character of the New Testament. Eleven books include him in their story. The four gospels often record Abraham’s story, with Jesus mentioning the patriarch many times. Luke, Paul, James, and Peter refer to Abraham in their writings. Each story has a backdrop showing Abraham’s faith as a lesson for the Christian. The New Testament writers relied heavily on the story of Abraham to show the character of the child of God. Stephen uses Abraham in his defense before the Jews. Paul preached about Abraham throughout his journeys. Abraham was the foundation of Paul’s argument in Romans of justification. In the Galatians, Paul shows the promises of Abraham fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Writing to Hebrews, the author of the book reminds the Jewish Christian of the spiritual heritage of Abraham and his faith. James and Peter mention Abraham to the New Testament Christians as an example to follow.

A great storehouse of character building is found in the stories of the Old Testament. Abraham’s life is idyllic to understand the character of the New Testament Christian. He lived many thousands of years ago, but his faith shines through the vale of time as one who trusted in God for everything. Why would a seventy-five-year-old man leave his family at the urging of a voice? Where did faith come from to believe a man of one hundred years could produce a son with a woman ten years his junior? When God told Abraham to kill his only begotten son, Abraham did not waver. He immediately obeyed God’s voice to do something against everything he believed and what he believed to be an abomination to the One who demanded it. Faith moved Abraham to trust in the word of the Lord.

Paul argued in his letters about a problem that has plagued God’s people for generations. Men often equate salvation to works and believe they can do enough works to justify themselves before a righteous God. Abraham proves that being justified by the Law of Moses fails. He was justified apart from the law. Faith reigned in the heart of Abraham as he obeyed the word of the Lord. James would use the same example of Abraham to prove that a man is not saved by faith alone. God told Abraham to kill his son, and Abraham’s faith did not prove himself before God. He rose early the following morning and traveled three days to Moriah, where he took Isaac and offered him as a burnt offering before God. He believed and knew God would raise his slain son from the dead. Abraham was not allowed to kill Isaac as the angel of the Lord stayed his hand. Faith alone did not save Abraham, and God’s grace alone could not save him. Abraham was justified by faith and works.

It is impossible to be saved by faith alone. The grace of God alone cannot save a man. Abraham’s story shows the power of faith, the need for grace, and the works of his faith that justified him before God. No man can be saved unlike Abraham. If you want to know what to do to be saved, read the story of Abraham (Genesis 11-25). It will help you learn how to become a Christian and serve the Lord as a disciple of Christ.

And after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers. (2 Chronicles 11:16)

Setting The Heart To Seek The Lord

Following the death of Solomon, his son, Rehoboam, reigned in his place. The forty years of Solomon’s rule was a period of immense wealth and prosperity. Israel was at peace as God blessed His people. Rehoboam inherited a kingdom blessed beyond any nation on earth. Sadly, the cost of the prosperity of Solomon’s kingdom came at a cost to the people. After Solomon died, the people hoped Rehoboam would ease the burden of his father’s rule. Instead, Rehoboam made the burden greater, leading to a revolt led by Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Jeroboam had fled to Egypt after he revolted against Solomon. Because of Rehoboam’s harsh rule, ten tribes gave their allegiance to Jeroboam, and the northern kingdom was formed.

When Israel divided between the ten tribes in the north and Judah and Benjamin in the south, the priests and the Levites left their common lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem. Jeroboam created a false religion of convenience for the people of the north, but Rehoboam maintained control of the Temple built by his father. Jeroboam had rejected the priests and Levites who served according to the Law of Moses. He set up a different priesthood allowing anyone from any tribe to serve. Jeroboam set up two calves of gold in Bethel and Dan. He made shrines on the high places, changed the feast days, led the people to follow idols and other gods, and molded images. Jeroboam polluted the land with the wickedness of the nations around them.

As the northern tribes began to follow the idolatry of Jeroboam, there remained the faithful and true among the people of God. From all their territories, the priests and the Levites took their stand with Rehoboam. Leaving their ancestorial homes, the priests and Levites came to Judah and Jerusalem. Seeing the faith of the priests and Levites, many of the people set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel, and they, too, left their ancestorial homes and families for Jerusalem. The first three years of the southern kingdom of Judah were a time when the people followed the way of David and Solomon. Judah was filled with people who set their hearts to seek the Lord.

Moving from their territorial lands of the north to Jerusalem was an incredible example of faith. When Joshua conquered the land more than four hundred years before, the land was divided by tribes for people to dwell. According to the Law of Moses, the tribal lands always remained in the family of the tribes. The people of the northern tribes had lived on their land for more than four hundred years, and they abandoned this land for the security of the faithful few in Jerusalem. They walked away from homes, gardens, burial plots, and family. Turning their backs on everything they knew for generations took great faith.

The Holy Spirit explains why the faithful left their homes in the north for Jerusalem. They had purposed in their hearts to seek the Lord. Their decisions were not based on which tribe they belonged to, where their homes were located, how many years they had toiled on the land, or the comfort of friends and neighbors. The multitudes that left their homes in the north set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel. Jeroboam was turning their land into a place of wickedness, and the faithful refused to bow their knee to Baal. Many faithful remained like the little maiden of Israel captured by Naaman, the Syrian. But these people set their hearts on doing what was right and paid a high price.

There is a spirit in the people who left their homes which is the core of the Christian life. The world is a dark and wicked place growing darker each day. What the Lord needs to see are the spirits of the faithful who are setting their hearts to seek the Lord God – regardless of the cost. There was no question where their loyalties belonged. No one could deny the faith of those who left their homes. What did their neighbors say when they heard they were leaving? Were they laughed at, mocked, and ridiculed for leaving their northern homes? It did not matter because they had set their hearts on seeking God.

I must set my heart to seek the Lord. Nothing else matters. If I lose my job because I have set my heart, praise God. When times of trouble arise, and I must make a decision, mine will be to set my heart on the Lord. If the Lord requires me to give up all I have and give to the poor to follow Him, I set my heart to seek the Lord. Nothing stands in the way of my seeking the Lord because my heart is set – period. Face to the wind. Courage in my heart. Standing fast with the Lord God Almighty. My heart is set.