Category: Gentiles

Emulation #2

Thursday, November 2, 2023

“If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them” (Romans 11:14 KJV).

What is “emulation?”

Consider Romans 15:8-12: “[8] Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: [9] And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written [Psalm 18:49], For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. [10] And again he saith [Deuteronomy 32:43], Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. [11] And again [Psalm 117:1], Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. [12] And again, Esaias saith [Isaiah 11:10], There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.”

In the above passage, Paul quoted assorted Old Testament verses which you would do well to read (Psalm 18:49; Deuteronomy 32:43; Psalm 117:1; Isaiah 11:10). Regarding each verse, Israel has risen to kingdom glory, and the nations or Gentiles are attracted to God’s light in Israel. You may also see Isaiah 60:1-3, Zechariah 8:20-23, and Matthew 5:13-16. God would use converted Israel to minister to the world. Christ’s earthly ministry was thus to Israel, as Romans 15:8 already stated: “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises [covenants] made unto the fathers:….” Gentile salvation—the salvation of the nations—was no secret in time past.

What was a secret in prophecy was God’s salvation and blessing going to the world without converted Israel. This is mystery, Paul’s ministry and message, as found in today’s Scripture and its context: “[11] I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. [12] Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? [13] For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:….” It is in this setting that “emulation” is used….

ARCHIVED: “Should Christians observe All Souls’ Day?”

Emulation #1

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

“If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them” (Romans 11:14 KJV).

What is “emulation?”

Read today’s Scripture in context: “[11] I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. [12] Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? [13] For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: [14] If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.”

At present, the nation Israel is fallen before God. In other words, the God of the Bible is currently reaching the world without converted Israel. He is not forming the nation Israel today, but rather developing the Church the Body of Christ. This is the Apostle Paul’s ministry and message. Salvation and blessing are being extended to the Gentiles or nations without Israel’s kingdom, without Israel’s covenants, without the prophetic program. Understandably, this was extremely offensive to the Jewish people in Paul’s day and it is still unpopular now—even among “Christian” church members. It is most inconvenient for a Jew to accept the fact that he is no different from a Gentile in God’s eyes. Nonetheless, the Holy Bible is true.

“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:11-13). By proclaiming this truth, Paul was “provoking to emulation” a certain group of people, to the intent he would “save some of them.”

Let us search the Scriptures for more insight into this principle….

ARCHIVED: “Should Christians observe All Saints’ Day?”

God’s Profaned Name #6

Sunday, August 13, 2023

“And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes” (Ezekiel 36:23 KJV).

How was God’s great name “profaned among the heathen?” In what way will He “sanctify” it?

Re-read today’s Scripture. The word “profane” means “make common or ordinary.” It is the opposite of “sanctify, set apart, hallow, make holy or special.” Whereas JEHOVAH God’s name was unique, distinct from the gods and goddesses of heathenism, the nation Israel misrepresented Him amongst the Gentiles to whom belonged those idols. You can consult the Prophet Daniel’s prayer of confession in Daniel 9:3-20, which was said in obedience to Leviticus 26:40-46. Like Daniel, the Prophet Ezekiel looked forward to the day when Israel would be restored to the LORD’S service.

The context of today’s Scripture—Ezekiel chapter 36—prophesies how the LORD will take Israel from under the Old Covenant (Law of Moses) and put them under the New Covenant. Curses give way to blessings, as sin is replaced with righteousness; wrath fades and grace overflows. Read the verses that follow today’s Scripture: “[24] For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. [25] Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. [26] A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. [27] And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. [28] And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.”

Here is how God will “sanctify” His great name that the Jewish people soiled while under the Dispensation of the Law of Moses….

God’s Profaned Name #5

Saturday, August 12, 2023

“And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes” (Ezekiel 36:23 KJV).

How was God’s great name “profaned among the heathen?” In what way will He “sanctify” it?

The word “name” denotes all that the person, place, or thing is. For example, read Exodus 34:5-7: “And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”

When the LORD proclaimed the name of the LORD, it was not God repeating over and over, “The LORD! The LORD! The LORD!” No, rather, it was an enumeration or listing of everything the LORD was and is—He is full of mercy, grace, longsuffering, goodness, truth, and so on. These are His attributes, characteristics, or traits. All that He stands for, all that He does, all that He believes is wrapped up in His great name.

Once Israel officially became the LORD’S nation coming out of Egypt and the Red Sea, whatever they did would either exalt the LORD’S name (righteous living) or tarnish it (sinful living). Unfortunately, like all sinners, they were not perfect, so the (Mosaic) Covenant of Law was doomed right from the start. God knew it, but they refused to accept it. When their evil deeds finally resulted in eviction from the Promised Land (a poor reflection of JEHOVAH God’s name), they continued their sinful acts in the Gentiles’ lands (another poor reflection of JEHOVAH God’s name). In the eyes of the non-Jews, the God of Israel (the one true God) was no different from their idols. Israel so miserably (!) failed (!) to be God’s light to the world, but God in His faithfulness will accomplish His will in the Earth through Israel regardless….

God’s Profaned Name #4

Friday, August 11, 2023

“And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes” (Ezekiel 36:23 KJV).

How was God’s great name “profaned among the heathen?” In what way will He “sanctify” it?

After Israel’s departure from Egypt, her people chose to enter a covenant relationship with the LORD God: “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel…. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD” (Exodus 19:5,6,8). Obedience would bring blessings, but disobedience would merit curses, as elaborated on later in Leviticus chapter 26 and Deuteronomy chapter 28.

True to His promise to remove the Jewish people from the Promised Land because of their habitual violation of the Law of Moses, the LORD God meted out the fifth and final course of chastisement or judgment (see Leviticus 26:27-39; Deuteronomy 28:62-65; cf. Leviticus 18:24-28; Leviticus 20:22-24). Now, as this curse took effect, the land of Palestine would be vacant, with the Israelites exiled or scattered to Assyria (north) and Babylonia (east).

Nevertheless, the LORD God states in today’s Scripture how the Jewish people continued their evil ways outside of Palestine. As they lived amongst the heathen or Gentiles, the Israelites were not reflections of the Creator’s will. When the nations observed this nonsense, they could not help but snicker and mock. Instead of, “What a wise and understanding people” (Deuteronomy 4:6), it was “What a foolish and clueless people!” Israel did not walk in her identity the LORD gave her coming out of Egypt (separation from sin, Satan, and the world). She wanted to be like everyone else—and she indeed thought and acted like everyone else.

Israel “profaned” the name of the LORD in this manner….

God’s Profaned Name #3

Thursday, August 10, 2023

“And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes” (Ezekiel 36:23 KJV).

How was God’s great name “profaned among the heathen?” In what way will He “sanctify” it?

When He brought them out of Egyptian bondage, the LORD had indeed taken the nation Israel unto Himself, making them His special people in the Earth: He had “sanctified” them, “hallowed” them, or set them apart positionally. Consequently, they were to be “holy” practically—in their daily living. As He was isolated from the gods and goddesses of the Gentiles (idols), so the Jews were to be separated from the Gentiles (nations). “…I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people” (Leviticus 20:24). “And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine” (Leviticus 20:26). This is why He gave Israel “unusual” laws to obey and “strange” rules to observe.

By watching the Israelites conduct themselves according to the Creator’s will, the Gentiles (without that one true God) were to be impressed and interested. See Moses’ advice to Israel in Deuteronomy 4:5-8: “Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?”

Nevertheless, because of sin, there was an adverse reaction to what the LORD had spoken to Israel….

The Damsel and The Spirit of Divination #7

Sunday, June 25, 2023

“And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour” (Acts 16:16-18 KJV).

Behold—a slave girl, an evil spirit, a vexed apostle, and a mighty God!

Though captive to Satan and men, the slave girl was not without hope. While the Devil and his angels are powerful, they were no match for the Lord God Who ultimately delivered her. Although her human masters fumed how their “prophetess” was now profitless; though they caused Paul and Silas to be publicly beaten, imprisoned, and tortured (all contrary to the laws of Rome); they inadvertently provided God’s preachers an opportunity to minister to yet more unfortunate souls in Philippi!

Read verses 25-40 (those which follow today’s Scripture). For example, “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them” (verse 25). Though suffering immense mental, physical, and emotional pain, Paul and Silas talked to the Lord and sang hymns! Their cellmates also heard the Gospel of Grace. Once a major earthquake rocks the area, the jailer—under such extreme conviction—approaches Paul and Silas, asking in verse 30, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Their answer was short and direct, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (verse 31). Released from prison, they proceed to minister to the jailer’s household and convert them too!

Saints, the lessons we can draw from this are simple. Though the world, the flesh, and the Devil interfere; by the might of the Holy Spirit, we can exercise God’s wisdom in successfully navigating those challenges (distractions, offers of compromise, persecution including physical violence, and so on); which will allow our testimony to have a far greater impact it otherwise would have never had.

The Damsel and The Spirit of Divination #6

Saturday, June 24, 2023

“And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour” (Acts 16:16-18 KJV).

Behold—a slave girl, an evil spirit, a vexed apostle, and a mighty God!

Though the young woman has been saved from Satan’s prison, and converted to the Lord’s family, her masters are most displeased because they have lost their source of income. Having no desire to believe the Gospel of Grace and be delivered from the Devil themselves, they proceed to persecute Paul and Silas. God’s people did not compromise with an evil ministry (religion), so Satan switches tactics to involve the government.

Keep reading: “[19] And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, [20] And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, [21] And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.” Hiding behind the guise of “apprehending criminals,” the slave owners bring Paul and Silas before court officials for indictment and punishment. What follows is illegal according to Roman law.

“[22] And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. [23] And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: [24] Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.” Publicly and severely caned, or mercilessly beaten with rods or sticks, Paul and Silas are thrown into a jail cell, where they are subsequently tortured (legs forced apart and secured in the “stocks”). Indeed, ministry has its challenges….

The Damsel and The Spirit of Divination #5

Friday, June 23, 2023

“And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour” (Acts 16:16-18 KJV).

Behold—a slave girl, an evil spirit, a vexed apostle, and a mighty God!

The devil-possessed damsel has bothered Paul “many days.” A habitual distraction from the Lord’s work, her preaching has become such a nuisance the Apostle must stop her now. “But Paul, being grieved [anguished, pained], turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.” The power was not in the name of Paul, but in the name of Jesus Christ.

Upon hearing this pronouncement, the evil spirit must leave the poor girl alone. He departs, rendering her useless to her masters because she can no longer communicate with the spirit world. She symbolizes the Gentiles or nations, how they can be delivered from satanic bondage by approaching the one true God through the Apostle Paul’s ministry. See also Acts 14:8-10, the crippled Gentile world now made spiritually whole or healthy via Christ’s heavenly ministry through Paul.

In Acts chapter 9, but recorded only in Acts chapter 26, the Lord Jesus Christ’s commission of Saul of Tarsus was as follows: “[17] Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, [18] To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” However, the Gentiles would not necessarily receive this information gladly. In fact, the slave owners in Philippi are not happy at all with Paul, for they are comfortable in their spiritual darkness….

The Understanding Darkened #5

Friday, June 16, 2023

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:…” (Ephesians 4:17,18 KJV).

How can today’s Scripture aid in our understanding of the wild world around us?

With Israel’s temporary fall and God’s salvation and blessing coming to us Gentiles via the Apostle Paul’s ministry (Romans 11:11-14), the “Dispensation of the Grace of God” has been given to us in the 13 Pauline Books of Romans through Philemon (see Ephesians 3:1-11). This information is designed to bring us out of the darkness of our ancestors (Acts 17:30,31). See also Colossians 1:25-29, Colossians 3:1-17, Philippians 1:9-11, Philippians 2:14-16, and even the context of today’s Scripture (Ephesians 4:11-24).

Titus 2:11-14: “[11] For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, [12] Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; [13] Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; [14] Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

As suggested in today’s Scripture, and Romans 1:19-32, the dear people of our world languish in a gigantic spiritual trap. Wherever the Lord’s ministry through Paul has penetrated these last 20 centuries, the response has been overwhelmingly negative (as in, refusing to believe the Word of God’s Grace—or, if initially receiving it, failing to keep it pure and continue with it uncorrupted). Even lost souls acknowledge human society is increasingly deteriorating each and every day. Though they struggle mightily to identify the causes and try to correct the situation with additional manmade solutions (works-religion, philosophy, science, politics, and so on), they are wasting their time without the renewed mind we have in Christ. Their only hope of making sense of this sinful world and escaping it, is if we who know the truth then share it with them (2 Timothy 2:2,24-26). Life apart from the God of the Bible is certain ruin… the understanding darkened.