The Heaton File

So Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael; and all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. (Genesis 17:23-27)

Willing Obedience In The Face Of Great Pain

At the age of seventy-five, Abraham had been called by God to leave his family and go to a land shown to him by God that he would never possess. The Lord promised to make Abraham a great nation, and he would never see its fulfillment. Like a vagabond wandering the earth, Abraham moved from place to place, never having a permanent home for his family. Twenty-four years after God called him, Abraham was faced with a command from God. The Lord’s covenant with Abraham involves great pain for himself and his family. Thirteen years earlier, he had a son by his wife’s handmaiden. Now God requires Abraham to circumcise himself, Ishmael, and all the males in his tribe, including servants. Abraham had been through a lot in obedience to the Lord for the past twenty-four years. The promise of a son by Sarah seemed remote and impossible at best. Abraham had given up so much for his faith in God, and now he must physically injure himself and all in his family to serve the Lord.

The promise of a son through Sarah caused Abraham to laugh because he would be one hundred years of age and Sarah ninety. He thought Ishmael would be a suitable answer to the promise of God. The Lord affirmed to Abraham that Sarah would have a son and that the covenant would be established through Isaac. God promised Abraham that all He had said would come true. A ninety-year-old woman couldn’t have a child as it was equally impossible for a man of one hundred to impregnate a woman. Everything God told Abraham was impossible! There was nothing to base his decision on but the faith he had in the promises of God. What the Lord demanded of Abraham was a very painful surgery and would take time to heal with great discomfort. His thirteen-year-old son would also have to suffer under the knife. Every male in his household would need to be circumcised. Why would God require such a cost for obedience? In human wisdom, it was a high price to pay for faith.

After God left Abraham, there was no hesitation to obey the word of the Lord. At the age of ninety-nine, Abraham was circumcised. Ishmael and all who were born in the house of Abraham were circumcised. The faith of Abraham was on full display as an excruciating act was done in accordance with the word of the Lord. Abraham did not hesitate. He did not argue with God about the painful reality of cutting off the foreskin. No words were pleading for another way. Obedience did not come by faith alone. Abraham never argued with God to accept him as a good man and allow grace to be given without the painful consequence of circumcision. The word of the Lord required circumcision, and Abraham did not hesitate.

It is fair to place the story of Abraham in a modern context with how people react to the word of God. If many people today are put in the situation of Abraham, they will refuse to obey. The word of the Lord requires baptism for salvation – a very pain-free act – yet so many people argue, fuss, debate, and deny the need. They decry baptism as a work and believe they can be saved through faith alone. It was clear in the mind of God that Abraham was a man of faith, but that would not save him. He was told to mutilate himself physically, and Abraham did not hesitate. The pain of circumcision did not dissuade Abraham. He obeyed God unconditionally. So many people today would have refused circumcision. The apostle Paul told the saints at Colosse that baptism is a spiritual circumcision, but the difference is baptism is painless; still, people refuse. Be honest with yourself. If you do not believe baptism is essential for salvation, it is clear you would have refused what God commanded Abraham. No circumcision – no covenant – no salvation. No baptism – no covenant – no salvation.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2)

The Holy Spirit: A Member Of The Godhead

The Bible is the mind of God, revealing the goodness and severity of the Lord. It begins with declaring God as the Creator and ends with the promise of seeing God face to face. Jesus said the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and Psalms declared His glory, and man finds in the new revelation the life of Jesus, the propagation of His teachings, and the applications of God’s law in the hearts of believers. God and Jesus are central characters of the Bible from Genesis to the Revelation. Lost in the shuffle of truth seekers is the other part of the divine nature known as the Holy Spirit.

Moses begins the creation story with the Spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters. The Holy Spirit continues to hover over the message of God’s word throughout the Old Testament and is fully revealed in the New Testament. Denying the story of the Spirit of God neglects the greater part of the divine Revelation. A student of scripture cannot understand God the Father and Jesus the Son without knowing the one Jesus called the “Finger of God.” The Holy Spirit is as much a vital part of Revelation as the Father and the Son. He has His place in the divine record to glory the Father as Jesus glorified the Father.

The Holy Spirit is not just an influence or impersonal power or emanation. He is alive and divine and powerful and full of personality. Possessing attributes of divinity, the Holy Spirit is an essential part of man’s salvation. His place in the scheme of redemption is preserved throughout scripture as the agency of the revelation and the incarnation of God’s Son on earth. Jesus and the Holy Spirit shared a special bond in their work of the earthly mission of the Christ. When the church was established, it began with the Holy Spirit. As the church spread throughout the world in the early days, the Holy Spirit was the fuel driving the engine of God’s divine will. Through His special gifts given to men, the Holy Spirit affirmed and confirmed the word of God as true. The joy of the Christian was found in the gift of the Holy Spirit shared by all those who were baptized into the body of Christ. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, the divine word could not have been completed. The work of the Holy Spirit continues today. He is the way to spiritual fulfillment for those who come to the blood of Jesus Christ.

Throughout the scriptures, God the Father is always magnified as the one true God. Jesus was also God but He was not the Father. Like Jesus, the Holy Spirit is God but not the Father nor the Son. He has His own divine attributes that show Him to be divine but separate from the Father and Son. The Holy Spirit is part of the Godhead or the Divine Nature. Paul refers to the Godhead in his sermon to the Athenians (Acts 17:29) and in two of his epistles (Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9). The Greek words “theotes” and “theiotes” translate “Godhead” as being “deity, the state of being God; divinity; the divine nature or essence.” Moses begins Genesis with God (Elohim) in the plural, yet it is used in the singular (Genesis 1:1). When God makes man in His image, He declares a plurality in the Godhead when He says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).

There are three persons identified who possess the divine nature or deity and constitute the plurality of the Godhead. The three were present at creation (Genesis 1) and the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:16-17). Matthew records the words of Jesus that all men should be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-20). On the night Jesus was betrayed, He tells the eleven the Father will send the Comforter after He (Jesus) leaves (John 14:16-18; 15:26; 17:3-5). Peter said in his sermon to the household of Cornelius that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 10:28). Paul mentions the Godhead in Romans 15:30, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 2 Corinthians 13:14, and Ephesians 2:18; 4:4-6.

The relationship of the Godhead is seen when the nature of God is viewed as divine. God the Father is divine, but He is not the Son nor the Holy Spirit. Jesus is divine, but He is not the Father nor the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also divine but is not the Father nor the Son. Each one of the Godhead is divine (deity, God) but possesses personalities that distinguish them one from another. The Holy Spirit is vital to the Godhead, a divine being. Throughout Biblical history, his work is essential to God’s eternal plan. Get to know the Holy Spirit.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! (Matthew 23:23-24)

Justice, Mercy, And Faith

The professor presents a large glass jar before his class. He fills the jar with large rocks until there is no more room for the rocks. He asks the class if the jar is full, and they reply that it is. He then pulls out a jar with gravel and begins pouring the gravel into the jar. After he puts in all the gravel he can, he asks the class if the jar is full. Again, they say the jar is full. Finally, the professor brings out a jar of fine sand and begins pouring the sand into the jar containing the large rocks and gravel. When the jar is full of fine sand, the class responds the class is full.

The lesson the professor impresses upon the students is there are things in life that are essential before other things begin to clutter up life. If the fine sand had been poured in first, there would have been no room for the rocks or gravel. Pouring in the gravel at the wrong time would have hindered the rocks from being included. The rocks represent the important things in life: family, friendship, and relationships. The gravel is those essential things that will help in life, like jobs, homes, possessions, etc. Putting the fine sand represents all the things of life that are good to have but not as necessary. The order of importance is what will make the difference.

Jesus used a similar illustration when He rebuked the religious leaders for spending so much time on the small matters of life while neglecting the weightier matters of the law. Under the law, there were tithing requirements. The Pharisees had become so strict in keeping with the law that they gathered the tenth sprig of every garden herb and presented it to the priest. Jesus did not condemn them for this but highlighted their hypocrisy in neglecting matters of the law with greater consequences. The need for justice, mercy, and faith were the large rocks in the jar of the professor: they must be done first! Treating their fellow man with justice was more important than a sprig of mint. When the Pharisees gave alms, they made a great noise of trumpets blaring while showing no mercy to the needy. Their faith was not towards God but their self-righteousness.

Many things in life are essential to the character of the Christian. Going to worship services, attending Bible classes, reading the Bible, and such things are vital ingredients to a healthy and prosperous spiritual life. When these matters begin to overshadow the relationship of justice, mercy, and truth toward others and God, the sacrifices become invalid. Someone may ask if a brother or sister is faithful. Unconsciously, the answer is that, yes, that brother is faithful; the reason that conclusion is given is that they attend all the church services. Faithfulness is not determined by sitting on a pew. The Jews were very particular about making sure the correct amount of mint, anise, and cummin, were measured correctly and presented in accordance with the law. At the same time, they treated their brethren with contempt, disregard, and prejudice. As Jesus would tell them, they strained out a gnat and swallowed a camel.

The weightier matters of the law must be placed in their proper order. Justice, mercy, and faith must come before all things and exercise in the life of the Christian with priority. Too many of God’s people live on mint, anise, and cummin and neglect what God wants out of their lives. They live unproductive, unloving, and fruitless lives. The Christian must seek the higher things in their duty toward God. Showing justice to the needy, having mercy on the downtrodden, and trusting in the will of God is where true worship comes. Be careful of the gnats, and don’t let the camels choke your life to no value.

So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:4-5)

Remove Your Sandals

In certain cultures of the eastern world, the custom of removing shoes or sandals before entering a home or place of worship is common. For some, this is because of the dirt that accumulates on footwear that would be tracked into the house, insulting the hosts and going against the norms of culture. In many places, it is a sign of respect in the presence of someone considered divine. The customs vary from place to place, with regulations determined by the local culture. Moses was a shepherd accustomed to wearing sandals as he tended the sheep. On one occasion, the eighty-year-old former Egyptian prince was tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law. Moses led the flock to the back of the desert and came to mount Horeb. As he approached, he saw a curious thing when a bush was burning with fire but was not consumed. As he drew near, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame. Intrigued, Moses turned aside to see the burning bush. When God saw that Moses turned aside to look, the Lord spoke to Moses and told him not to draw near and for him to remove his sandals. This frightened Moses, and he hid his face.

There was nothing special about the ground Moses stood upon, but what made it holy was the presence of the Lord. God told him the ground was holy ground and he must remove his sandals. While the text does not say, Moses certainly obeyed the command of the Lord. Moses stood before the Lord barefoot. The symbolism was clear to Moses as he talked with God. He understood coming before the Creator of the world was an object of devotion by the creation. God must not be considered a good friend or a person of equality with men. Removing footwear was often done before the presence of great nobility to show honor and respect. How much more honor and respect to show the Lord God Almighty.

When Joshua was preparing to go against the city of Jericho, the Commander of the army of the Lord came to the son of Nun, demanding he remove his sandals. Joshua was told the ground was holy ground. Joshua did so. Moses was chosen to deliver the Hebrews from their Egyptian bondage, and Joshua was preparing for the conquering of the promised land. In both stories, the ground was sanctified by the presence of the Lord as a great plan was about to be unfolded. The communion of God and man was to be joined as one in a holy convocation. Worship is where God and man come together to deliver the soul from the bondage of sin, looking forward to the final deliverance of the soul to the eternal land of promise.

There is a symbol of the removal of that which defiles in the act of worship. Worship does not require the removal of footwear, but it does require the removal of those things that defile. In a symbolic measure, coming to the place of eternal communion begins by removing the sandals of life. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must come to Him in spirit and truth unshackled by the affairs and distractions of the world. One of the great needs of the human spirit is to recognize the holiness of coming in the presence of the Almighty. It is easy to develop a casual attitude, even a total disregard for the holy importance of worship. The early church assembled on the first day of the week to worship, and that pattern must be followed for the church today. When the saints gather to sing, worship, and commune in the death of Jesus Christ, God must be considered holy.

Worship on the first day of the week is considered an option that can be disregarded. Excuses abound about why saints will not obey the will of God to assemble. If they stood before the burning bush, they would offer the same reasons for not removing their sandals. The time of worship can become a weariness as it was in the days of Malachi, where the people worshiped the Lord with both sandals on (in a figure of speech). God is holy, demanding His people know they are standing on holy ground when they worship. Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, were struck down for treating the Lord with disrespect. It would be considered an act of disrespect to enter the home of some cultures in the world with shoes on; how much more to dishonor God by the worldly defilements that we bring to worship.

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ “(Matthew 13:24-30)

The Eternal Harvest

Farming has been a part of the human experience from the beginning of time. Seeds are planted in the ground with the expectation of harvesting a crop and enjoying the fruit of the labor. Harvest is when the crops are gathered together and always comes with certain diligence required to enjoy the bounty. When Adam and Eve were cast from the Garden of Eden, God told Adam the ground would become a battlefield of thorns and thistles. Only by the sweat of his brow would man enjoy the bounty of the harvest. At the time of harvest, a separation would be required to remove the weeds that had grown profusely among the good seed. Men developed means to separate the grain and the weeds because the weeds were useless and unproductive for consumption. While the grain would be taken to market to be sold or used in homes for food, the weeds were bundled and burned. There was no use for the weeds.

Jesus used everyday pictures to fortify His teachings as parables. A parable is a means of painting a picture that everyone can see and understand. Parables are simple images with deeper meanings. It was common to see fields planted in wheat where men had sown the good seed in the ground. Over time, the grain would grow full as a blanket of golden kernels covering many acres of ground. Also, tares or weeds would grow among the wheat. If a man was unfortunate to have a vengeful enemy, a man might come and sow weeds among the wheat field to diminish the bounty of a man’s crop. There was little that could be done with the weeds. If workers tried to go through the field and take all of the tares out, they would risk pulling up many good stalks of wheat. The wise farmer would leave the tares until harvest. Jesus used that time of harvest to make an eternal lesson. Like the farmer who waits until harvest to remove the tares, the Heavenly Father waits for the day of judgment to separate evil men from the righteous.

The parable of the wheat and tares is a declaration by Jesus that a day of separation is coming. Many religious people believe that everyone will be saved and that God would never permit anyone to suffer. Jesus refutes that idea in the parable of the wheat and tares. There are two kinds of people in the world: those who are like the wheat (saved) and those who are like the tares (lost). They grow together in the same field, enjoying the same sunshine and rain and the blessings of God. Jesus said a day is coming when all men will come to the eternal harvest. On the day of harvest, those who are saved will be taken away from those who are lost. The lost will be burned. Those of the ‘wheat’ will be gathered into God’s eternal home (barn).

Jesus taught there is eternal judgment. Not everyone will be saved. Many will be the tares at harvest, which will never enjoy the fruits of eternal life. The good seed is the heart that will hear and obey the word of the Lord, living faithfully to the will of the Father. When the harvest comes, and the tares are separated, these will be those who lived in the freedom of a ‘tare-filled’ life doing whatever they wanted. The tares are burned. So it will be for those who do not obey the will of the Father. You are either an ear of wheat or a tare. Tares can become wheat when they repent and obey. That is a marvelous change that can take place within the heart of any man who desires to enjoy the blessings of heaven. What must I do to be saved? Stop being a weed and become fruitful in the kingdom of God. Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, and you will no longer be a weed! Praise God.

Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (Matthew 8:5-9)

The Centurions

Certain men stand out in the Bible narrative, deserving notable observation for their place in the divine story of revelation. Great men like Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and David are obvious choices for telling the storyline of God’s plan to redeem man. One group of men not so likely to be visible on the pages of holy writ are soldiers of the Roman army. Rome came to power before Jesus was born and ruled the world with an iron fist for nearly one thousand years. God described the Roman Empire as an empire of iron. The Roman army was the premier fighting force of its age, brutally and totally subjecting nations to its power. No one could stand before the army. Throughout the story of Jesus and the early church, centurions become a visible story of God’s redeeming grace and mercy. A centurion was a Roman officer in charge of one hundred men with sixty centurions in a legion. Their role was vital to the success of the Roman army.

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him to heal a servant that was very dear to him. The servant was sick and on his deathbed. Symptoms of the servant’s sickness were paralysis and terrible pain. This grieved the Roman officer, who came to Jesus believing the man from Nazareth could heal him. The centurion’s faith was remarkable because he believed Jesus could heal the servant without coming to his home. Jesus only had to speak the word, and the centurion knew his servant could be healed. The faith of the Gentile moved Jesus to say He had not seen such faith among His own people. There was a deep faith in the heart of the Roman army officer to accept – unlike many among the Jewish leadership – that Jesus of Nazareth was a man of divine power. Because of the centurion’s faith, the servant was healed that very hour.

The story of Jesus ends at Golgotha, where the Roman government has carried out the execution of three criminals. Roman soldiers were specialists in the art of crucifixion. Jesus and the two thieves were put under guard by the Roman army to carry out the scourging of the victims, including the mocking and torment of the accused and the long process of crucifixion. A centurion was placed in charge of carrying out the will of Pilate. Jesus was scourged under the watchful eye of the centurion. The cross was placed on the back of Jesus, and He carried His cross to the place of execution with the centurion leading the procession as the authority of the Roman Empire. When Jesus was brought to Golgotha, the centurion carefully examined the process of nailing Jesus to the cross as his soldiers had done many times before. After Jesus and the two thieves were secured to their crosses, they were lifted up between heaven and earth to die a miserable and horrible death. As the men slowly died, the centurion watched over the proceedings as the four soldiers divided up the final earthly remains of the man from Nazareth.

Most men cursed and pleaded for mercy as the torture of the cross killed them. This was not the case with Jesus. The man from Nazareth was in agony and unbearable pain but showed a calm and deliberate spirit of compassion and forgiveness. As Jesus died, He etched on the heart of the seasoned Roman soldier a message of hope and love. When Jesus died, and the earthquake moved the earth, the centurion said, “Truly this was the Son of God.” The centurion knew the man in the middle was a righteous man. Joseph and Nicodemus would late come and ask the centurion for the body of Jesus, and he would grant their request. What thoughts went through the mind of the centurion as his soldiers took the body off the cross and he watched the two nobles carry away the dead body of Jesus? The scriptures do not tell what became of the centurion but hope lives he saw the light on that dark day.

Nearly seven years have passed since the death of Jesus, and another centurion comes to the story of God’s redemption for the world. The early church thrived under persecution, with thousands obeying the gospel. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the church began with three thousand devout Jews being added to the church. For the next few years, the focus of evangelism was only to the Jews, but the day of the Gentile was coming. It began in Joppa when the apostle Peter received a vision that would change his life and the world. In the vision, the Lord showed Peter that the kingdom’s keys would be offered to men considered unclean. A centurion in Caesarea had sent servants and a soldier to bring Peter to his home to teach them the words whereby they could be saved. Peter comes to the house of Cornelius and, by the grace of God, opens up the door of the kingdom to the Gentile world. Cornelius was a Roman officer attached to the Italian Regiment. He was a good and just man and well respected, but Cornelius was a lost man. God’s grace brought salvation to his household. The world was an open field to teach the gospel, and it all began with a Roman centurion.

A centurion was charged with the scourging of Paul to determine the cause of a riot in Jerusalem, but when Paul told the centurion of his Roman citizenship, Paul was released. When a plot was discovered that some of the Jews were going to kill Paul, he informed a centurion of the plot, and Paul was taken to Caesarea under heavy guard. Later, Paul appealed to Caesar to hear his case and was put under the guard of a centurion of the Augustan Regiment named Julius. The trip to Rome was quite eventful, and Julius succeeded in bringing Paul to Rome. Centurions played a large part in the story of Jesus and the early church. Unlikely participants but important to the story.

And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘Made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?” (Matthew 19:4-5)

Jesus And The Woke Movement

It seems incredulous a discussion of how many sexes there are is considered a controversial subject on college campuses or anywhere for that matter. Recently, a professor at the University of Southern Maine was challenged by graduate students for saying that “two biological sexes exist.” One student commented the professor’s statement felt like a “personal attack.” Whether the personal attack was offensive to a boy or girl is not known; the boy or girl is uncertain which DNA he or she possesses as identity traits. This comes on the heels of politicians being unable to define what a woman is. In short, the world has an identity crisis at the biological and spiritual level, destroying common sense and needing awareness of the Creator.

One of the consequences of a godless world is the acceptance of absurdity. Refusing to recognize the male and female does not remove the reality that, in all things, there are only two sexes. An elephant has a bigger brain than most humans because he knows there are two sexes of animals. It is not likely the world will ever see a transgender elephant because even the animals know their Creator. At the core of the so-called “woke” generation is the rejection of God and the Bible. The world’s agenda to debate the issue of the sexes shows the depth of ignorance and refusal to recognize a basic understanding of science at the biological level. Following the science would discard any discussion of how many sexes there are in the world.

Jesus said God made a male and female. He should know – He was there when it happened. Moses recorded the creation of the creatures of the water and the birds, saying that God created them “according to the kind” and said these creatures were to be “fruitful and multiply,” suggesting a means to procreate. This was said of the land creatures also. Then God created the man and woman or male and female. When the Lord brought Eve to Adam, the first man (male) said that what he gazed upon would be called “Woman” (female) because she was taken out of man (male). God also told the man and woman to multiply and established the means to procreate in biological certainty. Later, Moses writes that Adam knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” Jesus refers to this story to affirm there are two sexes: male and female. He also suggested the only way a child is born is by a male and female. The pundits of the woke generation deny how they themselves entered the world.

Refusing to believe there are only two sexes does not change the natural law established by the Lord in the beginning. What it does is deny the presence of an eternal being. Calling a male a female does not change the fact. Biologically, God has established specific organs that can only be found in either a male or female. A man who identifies as a woman still has a prostate, and a woman can believe she is a man, but she still possesses ovaries. Why? God made male and female for a reason and with a design that cannot be changed. There are two absolutes in life: no one has a choice in their birth, and no one can change death. Conception determines the sex of the child, and when a man or woman dies, they die the same sex they were born. Denying this does not change God’s law.

The world is clearly turning further away from God in the constant human experiment of man becoming his own god. The conclusions remain the same as it has from generations past. Human wisdom is made the fool, and the folly of denying two sexes is the noise of feeble men (and women) who show themselves to be the stupidity of common sense. Have you not read that God made them male and female at the beginning, and the only way children are born is by a father and mother? Nothing man says or believes will change that. Nothing!

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Glorify God In Your Body

As the Creator and Savior, the Lord God desires His children to glorify Him in every part of their lives. Worship has been central to the relationship between God and man. Cain and Abel understood the need for worship when they offered their gifts to God. Abraham worshipped God throughout his life as he built altars for the Lord. The Law of Moses established for the Jews a pattern of worship governing the lives of the Hebrews. Jesus told the woman at the well His Father sought those who would worship Him in spirit and truth. The early church thrived in worship as they assembled in praise of the Father. Glorifying the Lord is found in every part of worship, but it is not contained within the walls of a building.

Paul wrote to the saints in Corinth, urging them to refrain from the practice of sexual immorality so common among the Corinthians. The world accepted fornication and adultery, but the Christian could not defile his body with the lust of the flesh. Paul explained the body was the temple of the Holy Spirit. It mattered what the Christians did with their body. Sexual immorality sinned against the body that was to be used for the glory of God. Worship was not only the praise of God through the spirit but the way the body is used in everyday life. What is striking about the appeal of Paul is to consider the body as part of the glory that must be given to God.

It is easy for some to ignore the counsel of the Lord concerning the body. The argument is made that it does not matter what a person does with his or her body. To glorify God is to sing the right songs in the right spirit, take of the supper properly, and offer prayers in the appropriate pattern; but there is more to glorifying God than what is done in public worship. The greatest example of glorification to the Father is what Christians do with their bodies. This includes how a body is dressed, whether it glorifies God or not (most often, it does not). The subject of modesty has been placed on the back burner of insignificance because judgments cannot be made about what is modest and what is not. God said to glorify Him in the body and the way some women dress, God is not the one being glorified.

Glorifying God in the body comes from the speech of the Christian. Do the words that proceed from the mouth give honor to God? Crass jokes, filthy language, angry outbursts, and gossip do not glorify the Lord when His people follow the ways of the world. Drunkenness is not only a sin, but it abuses the body that is to be used for the glory of God. Smoking does not glorify the body. Some tattoos do not give glory to Jesus Christ. There are many things the world does with the body that is without control, but the Christian learns to buffet his body to bring it under subjection for the glory of God. It matters to God what His people do with their bodies.

Jesus died to save men from sin, and when He died, He purchased the bodies of His disciples to be used for the glory of His Father. Paul clearly reminds the Corinthian saints their bodies belonged to God and their bodies had been bought at a price. He reminds them their bodies do not belong to them but to the Lord. God must be glorified in the body so the world can see the consecration of a pure life; not only in spirit worship but also in the example of the body. How is God glorified in your body – it matters to the Father.

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

Like A Corinthian

When Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthian church, he was writing with a backdrop of a city and empire filled with sexual immorality. Corinth was the seat of government for Southern Greece and a city of great wealth. It was noted for its opulent, immoral, and brutal habits of the people. Paul was not unaware of the challenges the New Testament Christians faced as they lived in the midst of such immorality. Living a holy life in the midst of such unbridled lust was not an easy task. Paul mentions a list of sins that show the depth of spiritual darkness pervading the city. If the list is connected to certain brethren at Corinth, it included those who indulged in sexual sins of fornication, idolatry, adulterers, homosexuals, and sodomites. This list of sins would be indicative of the nature of a place like Corinth.

The immorality of Corinth was so great and well-known to behave in an immoral manner was called “behaving like a Corinthian.” Corinth was home to the temple of Aphrodite, the Greek female god of love that “employed” thousands of prostitutes. Corinth became well-known for bad sexual behavior. To live “like a Corinthian” meant to become a drunk often or to visit prostitutes. Imagine a church of God in this city and the challenges faced to keep a moral compass for the saints who had to live in the midst of such putridity. Paul’s letter to Corinth was a stern letter to write as the apostle knew the darkness the people of God faced.

Throughout the letter to Corinth, the apostle addresses the many problems that impacted the church. One of the things he never suggested was for the saints to leave Corinth. He wanted them to learn to shield themselves against the onslaught of immorality. Warning them of the consequence of sin, Paul reminds the Christians those who practice such immorality will damn their souls. The church existed in a place where immorality was visible, constant, and accepted. It would take great courage to keep pure hearts in such a world. At every turn, sexual immorality was rampant from the common man to the courts of Rome. The child of God must rise above the filth of the world and remain clean.

There is an increasing movement in this country for the acceptance of the vocal minority of those who accept same-sex morality. The LBGTQ movement’s agenda has placed the morally degrading act of homosexuality and its multicolored offspring in every part of society. There are few commercials that do not include some form of the same-sex agenda, including selling house paint, dating sites, insurance, and generic commercials. It is impossible to watch television without being bombarded with the obvious. The subliminal hints of Satan’s minions fill the minds of the worldly to the point of oversaturation. It will probably not get better but will continue to drive headlong to the pits of darkness and despair. The people of God need to prepare for a greater battle of living in the city of Corinth.

Jesus died to remove God’s wrath, but He did not remove sin. It is clear the mission of the adversary. The devil is to fill the world with his insidious and malevolent doctrine of sexual immorality. Sadly, many of God’s people will be taken hostage by the roaring lion, who will destroy their souls with pornography, acceptance of homosexuality, and sexual immorality in all forms. Learning to live in a dark world is to keep the light burning in our lives and homes and for the church to remain apart from the world. It may not be possible to turn the pages of history to a time when the word of God measured morality, but there is no excuse not to stand for truth. There will be days of conflict, and more vocal opposition is coming. In our misguided, woke world, it becomes more militant to stand against righteousness and truth. The child of God will stand for truth. Protect the family. Do not allow the symptoms of a dying world to bring death to your family.

Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!” … When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.” (Acts 11:1-3,18)

Accepting The Grace Of God With Joy

The relationship between Jews and Gentiles during the early church period was a volatile and caustic feeling of distrust and prejudice. It was forbidden by law for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. Eating with someone outside the Hebrew covenant was unheard of. No self-respecting Jew would consider going into the home of a Gentile and sitting down to a meal to enjoy their company. It was not done. Jesus spoke to a woman at a well in Samaria, and she was shocked. He would talk to her, a woman, and that a Jew would have anything to do with a Samaritan. When the kingdom of God began at Pentecost, three thousand devout Jews became the first Christians. It would be more than five years before the door of the kingdom would be open for non-Jews. Peter was promised that he would receive the keys of the kingdom by Jesus. The first lock was turned at Pentecost in Jerusalem, and the second lock was opened in a home in Caesarea.

Peter was staying in Joppa with a friend named Simon, who lived by the sea and was a tanner. Thirty miles north of Joppa was the city of Caesarea, the capital of the Roman province of Judea. Caesarea was also the seat of the governors or procurators and the headquarters of the Roman troops. The Roman centurion of the garrison was a man named Cornelius. He was a devout, God-fearing man who gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God. By the grace of God, Cornelius was instructed by an angel to send for Peter. Cornelius was a religious man, but he was not a saved man. The angel told the centurion that when Peter came, he would tell him words by which he and all his household would be saved. Obeying the heavenly command, Cornelius sends for Peter. A few days later, Peter came to the house of Cornelius. It was an awkward meeting at first. Cornelius met Peter and bowed down at his feet, and worshiped him. Peter forbade Cornelius telling him God had revealed that there was no partiality among men in salvation.

When Peter left Joppa, he took with him six men to accompany him. Peter reminded Cornelius that a Jewish man was not to keep company with someone from another nation. However, God had shown the apostle that all men must come to the gospel, including the Gentiles. After Peter preached the word to those in the household, they were baptized for the remission of their sins. What a remarkable experience for Peter to baptize Cornelius and his household – Jews are baptizing Gentiles. After the baptism, Peter and his company stayed for a few days. That would have also been awkward as Peter and his companions experienced eating and sleeping in the house of a Gentile. The spiritual discussions must have been rich.

Hearing of what Peter did in Caesarea, the apostles and brethren in Jerusalem were upset and concerned. When Peter came up to Jerusalem, his fellow Jews contended with him about what he had done in Caesarea. The Christian Jews were very upset at Peter and demanded an explanation. They criticized him for going into the home of a Gentile. There was no small dispute about the matter as they disagreed with any Jew going into the house of Cornelius, a Roman centurion. Peter found himself before a disagreeable audience who could not fathom the incredulous actions of a man like the apostle Peter. The anger was palpable. Peter was in a great deal of trouble as the Jewish brethren demanded an explanation of why he went into uncircumcised men and ate with them. The one question that was not asked was about the baptism of Cornelius and his household. Because of their prejudice, the apostles and brethren could only see Peter eating with Gentiles.

Peter explained how the vision had come to him in Joppa. Three men came from the house of Cornelius, imploring him to go with them. He could have refused, but the Holy Spirit assured Peter the Lord wanted him to accompany the soldier and two servants of Cornelius, and he obeyed. Peter related how the baptism of the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and his household, as with the twelve apostles at Pentecost. He could not argue with the divine plan of God. Seeing this as divine approval from the Lord, Peter baptized Cornelius and his household in water. When the brethren heard of how Peter had come to the house of the Roman centurion, they did not argue with Peter or condemn him. Some brethren could lay a charge of hypocrisy against Peter for his actions. The anger of the brethren could have continued to fuel the flames of controversy. But none of those things happened. What happened next was as remarkable as the baptism of the Gentiles.

Hearing the story as told by Peter, the brethren who began the inquiry with disbelief and anger rejoiced and glorified God that the gospel was to be taken to the Gentiles. They did not respond with controversy and did not argue any fine points of law about whether it was lawful to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised. The acceptance of the Gentile was an incredible leap for the Jewish Christians who had remained separate from those of the uncircumcised all their lives. Now the church of Christ would be filled with Jews and Gentiles sitting next to one another singing, praying, taking the same bread and fruit of the vine, and growing in Christ together. What a joy in the spirit of unity when brethren come together under the same canopy of God’s grace.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is not just for a particular group of people based on ethnicity, skin color, language, nationality, gender, or economic status. Peter opened the door for all men to come to know the saving grace of God. It does not matter if they have rings in their noses and tattoos on their body or if they come from another nation. The Muslim needs the gospel of Christ. A Jew needs the true Messiah. The religious neighbors who follow churches established by men need Christ. Prostitutes, homosexuals, murderers, and criminals of all types need the gospel. Jesus died for all men to bring all men to Christ – even Cornelius and his household of Gentiles. Look around. Everyone needs Christ. Rejoice when a sinner is turned to the Lord.