Category: human viewpoint / human wisdom / philosophy

Saved or Lost? #14

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you” (Galatians 4:19,20 KJV).

Are these people really saved—or really lost?

The saints in Corinth were exhorted: “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:33,34). Greeks by culture, the Corinthians had let their heathen neighbors adversely influence them. While members of the Body of Christ, the Corinthians were listening to pagan philosophers (among other false teachers). Too focused on the world’s “wisdom,” they had been distracted from “the knowledge of God.” Therefore, their Christian lives were asleep. Certainly, they should be ashamed—to the point of reforming. How deceived or misled we truly are if we think we will always be faithful to the Lord, that we will never disregard His words to us!

In 1 Corinthians 10:1-14 (which you would do well to read in your own personal Bible study), the Holy Spirit through Paul reminds these saints of how ancient Israel forgot what the LORD God did for them and forsook what He had told them. Verses 11-14 recapitulate: “[11] Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. [12] Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. [13] There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. [14] Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” That is, “Be careful to be grateful to God, lest you saints at Corinth wind up like the apostate Israelites centuries ago!” Actually, the Corinthians were already dabbling in false religion, “fellowshipping with devils” (verses 20,21)!

Saints, we too had better be attentive to the many spiritual perils around us….

Saved or Lost? #13

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you” (Galatians 4:19,20 KJV).

Are these people really saved—or really lost?

Imagine walking down a dilapidated alleyway. You notice a beggar holding a tin can and asking for spare change. The weather is cold and wet, and he shivers as he is scantily dressed in dirty, odious rags. He seems like he has not eaten a decent meal in quite a long time. Nearby is a cardboard box—his shack, in which he sleeps on soiled blankets with the very rats you see scurrying about. “You know,” he announces, “I was not always like this.” Surprised, you reply, “Oh, is that so?”

He continues, “Once, in a land faraway, I was king with untold riches and expansive real estate, but I grew tired of being a member of the royal family. So, one day, I rose from my throne, threw aside my regal apparel, and vacated my castle.” You interrupt him, “This is ridiculous! Utter madness! Why do you not go back where you belong?! You are miserable out here and liable to die! Let me help you return home.” Angrily, he stretches forth his hand, and, pointing to the filth and debris around him, he exclaims, “This is the neighborhood and this is the lifestyle I prefer, and you will not make me leave it! If you do not want to support me where I am, go away!”

Friend, stop and think. There is the king, a man with royal blood in his veins, now dwelling in a foreign land and living like a pauper because this is what he has chosen and he is quite content where he is. As silly and weird as it is, this is the life of so many genuine members of the Body of Christ. They have never been taught, or refused to see, the spiritual riches they have in the Lord (victory over sin, set apart from the world). Failing to appreciate their identity, they forsook what God did for them, and, deceived, they usually fight you to stay in the mess they are in….

Saved or Lost? #12

Monday, September 12, 2022

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you” (Galatians 4:19,20 KJV).

Are these people really saved—or really lost?

Imagine a person born in one country who moves away to now live abroad. While he or she will adopt another culture (including new attire, food, language, and habits), his or her genetics are still the same. No matter the behavior, the nature has not changed: that person will always be a native of the original country. As another example, consider the water molecule—always two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Yet, depending on conditions, water can assume diverse appearances: solid (ice), liquid, or gas (water vapor). Regardless of its temperature (cold, hot, or room temperature), whatever its phase (solid, liquid, or gas), water remains a group of water molecules because that is its nature.

A believer in Christ—though redeemed from sin, though sanctified (set apart) for God’s purposes, though a temple of the Holy Spirit—can choose not to walk in that identity and thus resemble someone he or she is not (lost, unsaved, non-Christian). As we do the work of the ministry, we regularly encounter these people—sadly, more often than we would care to do so. These are precisely the subject of 2 Timothy 2:25,26: “In meekness [we are to be] instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance [change in mind] to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

“Those that oppose themselves” are just that—living contradictions. “I may be an adult, but I want to act like a child!” “I may have God’s Book to teach me, but I will think and do what I wish!” These are Christians whose minds and actions are incompatible with life in Christ. Instead of guarding themselves, they have fallen into “the snare [trap] of the devil,” “taken captive by him at his will.” That was exactly the Galatians’ dilemma in today’s Scripture….

Saved or Lost? #11

Saturday, September 10, 2022

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you” (Galatians 4:19,20 KJV).

Are these people really saved—or really lost?

In one of the Bible’s four chief epistle-handbooks dealing with local church ministry (1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon), we find this useful spiritual counsel: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

The Christian worker is not (!) to engage in a “war of words” (“must not strive”). Frequently, “ministry” is nothing but someone’s flesh motivating them to write or speak mean-spirited statements so as to aggravate people with opposing views. “But be gentle unto all men.” We can be firm (uncompromising) about the truth and yet remain kind and tactful. “Apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.” The Christian worker must be able to patiently teach sound Bible doctrine, for extensive ignorance or un-learnedness needs to be overcome in the hearts and minds of his or her audience. Usually, “ministry” is just someone’s denominational doctrine (more frivolity and error) compelling them to recruit new church members (other mindless slaves to their group’s hierarchy).

“In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” The Christian worker should be “meek”—humble not proud! If under the Holy Spirit’s control, and he or she has studied and believed sound Bible doctrine, verses will be mastered that very few people ever grasp. The Christian worker is to reach out to that colossal group abiding in darkness, that they hopefully be corrected. This errant crowd even includes fellow members of the Body of Christ….

NOTE: We temporarily break away from this devotionals arc to bring you a special study, but we will return the following day with more advanced studies on this same theme….

Saved or Lost? #10

Friday, September 9, 2022

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you” (Galatians 4:19,20 KJV).

Are these people really saved—or really lost?

Ponder Colossians 2:6-10, also addressed to believers: “[6] As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: [7] Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. [8] Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. [9] For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. [10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:….”

Though we can have victorious Christian living by learning and believing the words of God’s grace (verses 6,7), there is a “beware” (“watch out!”) we dare not overlook (verse 8). Satan’s evil world system can and will disrupt the Holy Spirit’s work in us. Philosophy, church tradition, Scripture not rightly divided, et cetera, are just some of the Devil’s highly efficient tools to distract the Christian from sound Bible doctrine. While we lack nothing in Christ (verses 9,10), we can be fooled into thinking we need rites, rituals, ceremonies, traditions, or experiences, to “enhance” or “perfect” our Christian life (for examples, Galatians 3:1-5, Galatians 4:9-18, Galatians 5:1-12, and Galatians 6:12-15).

Colossians 2:8 cautions us that evil men will “spoil” us—as in “spoils of war,” or robbery or plundering. One of the most ingenious military strategies involves confusing the enemy, causing that opposing army to believe a lie (something about themselves, their location, the rival group, and the like). We are in a spiritual battle, beloved (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:12-18; 2 Timothy 2:3,4). Therefore, never should we forget that Satan (Hebrew for “adversary!”) will use whatever means necessary to isolate our hearts and minds from the truths of God’s words rightly divided, for those truths are the only means whereby we are protected from satanic wiles or tricks….

Keep Your Fork! #12

Saturday, August 20, 2022

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6,7 KJV).

Will Heaven be a boring place? (It is a resounding “NO!”)

Dear saints, we “keep our fork” because we know “dessert” is coming: Heaven is real, it is organized, it is defiled, and it will be restored (here is our eternal destiny as members of the Church the Body of Christ). Even the “best thrills and chills” that life on Earth has to offer us do not compare to what lies ahead for we who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ alone as our personal Saviour. Only the depths of God’s infinite wisdom are the limit!

It has been estimated that there are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all of Earth’s beaches. (Try to wrap your mind around that!) These celestial bodies, where the angels live, are mostly unknown to us because of their extreme distances from us. There are innumerable worlds—planets, bodies of rock, ice, and gas—no human has ever visited. Father God has deemed them our realm of influence in the ages to come. Therefore, we must receive glorified physical bodies that can function in outer space.

“For our conversation [lifestyle reflecting citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things [the offices of government!] unto himself” (Philippians 3:20,21). After reflecting on God’s magnificent plans for us in the ages to come (covered in the first three chapters), the Apostle Paul burst into a doxology or praise of God: “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20,21). May we too reply with a hearty, “Amen!”

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What is a ‘sop?’”

Keep Your Fork! #11

Friday, August 19, 2022

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6,7 KJV).

Will Heaven be a boring place? (It is a resounding “NO!”)

For many, “church” is just a “humbling” place where someone prattles in monotone about superstitious nonsense. Yawns can be frequently heard, and sagging heads and closed eyes can be seen regularly: here, it is a sin to whisper anything save a prayer. (Now we see why this strict, ceremonial setting is usually abandoned for an assembly “more exciting.” At this new “church,” dancing, jumping, lifting of hands, singing for hours—such entertainment, such “praise and worship”—will attract newcomers indefinitely!)

Though religion is tiresome and Christendom dull, life in Christ (whether now or in Heaven) is something else entirely. According to today’s Scripture, we the saints in the Body of Christ are bound for the heavenly places. In God’s mind, we already share in Christ’s influence there. We have been ascended and we sit together (as in seats of authority) in heavenly places in Christ. Father God’s purpose or intent in the endless ages to come is to “shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Grace, all that He can do for and with us through Christ’s finished crosswork, can be appreciated to some degree now, though its fullest extent surpasses our finite minds.

Furthermore, it is not merely “grace” but “the exceeding [beyond, above] riches [resources, treasures, reserves] of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” How we are so undeserving, but what Father God will do in and through us in eternity future is something so exceptional that it will take a literal forever to completely fathom it. His kindness to involve us in what He is doing and will do with His beloved Son—instead of letting us go to a permanent Devil’s Hell that we have so merited as sinners—is something that still escapes our total comprehension even now.

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

Keep Your Fork! #10

Thursday, August 18, 2022

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6,7 KJV).

Will Heaven be a boring place? (It is a resounding “NO!”)

Prior to the Apostle Paul’s execution, he wrote: “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18). This loops back to chapter 2: “[8] Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: [9] Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evildoer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. [10] Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. [11] It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: [12] If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: [13] If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”

Remember, there is a kingdom in Heaven (currently defiled by Satan’s angels, but a kingdom nonetheless). Jesus Christ, heir to King David’s throne, will extend His earthly government into the heavenly places—and here is our “inheritance” and destiny as members of the Church the Body of Christ (recall Ephesians 1:8-12). “Eternal glory” is the praise and honor the Lord Jesus Christ will receive in and through us because of the fulfillment of our Father’s “eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11).

To wit, Father God’s plan to exalt His Son throughout the endless ages to come involves our appointment in the heavenly offices of government and Israel’s appointment in the earthly offices of government. All saints—filled with Christ’s life and teaching His doctrine—glorify Him by “reigning with him” in their respective roles. As today’s Scripture reveals, Heaven, like Earth, will be a realm of intense activity and profound instruction in eternity future….

Keep Your Fork! #9

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6,7 KJV).

Will Heaven be a boring place? (It is a resounding “NO!”)

Obviously, Heaven is where angels live (see Matthew 24:36, Mark 12:25, Luke 2:15, Revelation 12:7, et cetera). Yet, they can (and do!) look down at our tiny planet and watch us as we go about our daily routines. Ephesians 3:9-11 informs: “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:….” To wit, Paul’s goal in ministry was to reach everyone, every nation, he could with the Gospel of Grace, so more human souls would believe and join the Body of Christ. God’s “manifold [multifaceted, complex] wisdom” would then be displayed in these saints’ lives, and the angels of Heaven would view and learn spiritual truths!

By God’s design, while angels have intellects far superior to our own, they must rely on believers in Christ to learn Bible truth (especially that which pertains to our salvation, which they can never experience themselves). First Peter chapter 1: “[10] Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: [11] Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. [12] Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”

As our ministry on Earth involves teaching angels Bible truth, so will our ministry in Heaven….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Was Christ’s earthly ministry an ‘epic failure?’”

Keep Your Fork! #8

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6,7 KJV).

Will Heaven be a boring place? (It is a resounding “NO!”)

Read 1 Corinthians chapter 6: “[1] Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? [2] Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? [3] Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? [4] If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. [5] I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? [6] But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. [7] Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? [8] Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.”

The Corinthian assembly was so filled with human wisdom—especially Greek (pagan) philosophy—its members were unable to settle even the pettiest disagreements amongst themselves. Actually, these genuine Christians (!) had taken each other to the heathen courts of law so lost people (judges) could render verdicts for them. Imagine: God’s people appealed to Satan’s people for advice! One rhetorical question the Holy Spirit asked through Paul to prompt the Corinthian Christians to come to their senses is: “Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” Here, “judge” means “rule, govern” (cf. the 12 Apostles “judging” Israel’s 12 tribes in Matthew 19:28). If we saints will rule the angelic kingdom in Heaven, we are quite silly to seek unsaved governmental officials to determine what is good and fair among us….