Forgiveness—a fundamental tenet of the Christian faith. But oh how many of us Christians are failing at this very substantial principle? It seems that we are failing to realize that violation of this principle is a sin and can keep us from entering the Kingdom of Heaven. But please don’t take my word for it, let’s see what the Word of God says about it as we take a look at the Bible and Forgiveness.

What is Forgiveness?

For starters, what is forgiveness? Forgiveness is the act of excusing or pardoning another in spite of his or her slights, shortcomings, and errors.

As a theological term, forgiveness refers to God’s pardon of the sins of man.

The Bible teaches that God completely forgives sin. In Psalm 51, we have David’s plea for forgiveness for his sin with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband.

Ps 51:1, 7, 9:

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. KJV

After David was rebuked for his transgressions by the prophet Nathan, David went to the only One who could forgive him and make him clean again.

Let’s look at this promise from God regarding our sins. Heb 10:14-18

14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

This passage includes two quotations from Old Testament Prophesy regarding the new covenant that arrived after Christ. This new covenant guarantees that sins will be effectively and completely forgiven (vs. 17) because no additional sacrifice for sins is needed (vs. 18). The blood of Christ is the “one offering” for the remission and forgiveness of sins (vs. 14). This forgiveness is a crucial part of the gospel message. To be forgiven is to be identified with Christ in His crucifixion and resurrection.

The Conditions for Forgiveness

This forgiveness is granted by God’s grace but it is not unconditional. In order for God to forgive sin, four conditions are necessary.

The first is sacrifice. A life must be taken as a substitute for that of the sinner. Lev 17:11 reads: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” In the Old Testament, the sacrifices entailed the shedding of blood of animals for the atonement (penitence) of the sin of the soul.

New Testament Scripture confirms this by stating that “without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Heb 9:22) and we see in the passage above (vs. 14), that Christ is the one offering for remission.

So we see that the first condition has been covered by God through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The next three conditions are upon us. Therefore, the second condition is a sinner must approach God’s sacrifice in a spirit of repentance. Let’s look at Mark 1:4:

4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ and he preached repentance to prepare the way. A sinner must repent (turn away) from his or her sins to receive forgiveness. The Scripture reads in Prov. 28:13

People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.”  Therefore it’s not enough to confess sins but to turn away from them in order to receive from the Lord. For more on repentance, please read the article: Repentance and Sin on this website.

The third condition is: a sinner must have faith. In order for a sinner to confess, repent, and receive mercy from the Lord, the sinner must believe in God by faith; the sinner must believe that God exists in the first place. Scripture clearly tells us in Heb 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Faith is the initiator of the Christian’s journey. [Don’t leave home without it!] For more on faith, please read the article: What is Faith about—The Incontestable Engine of Christian Doctrine on this website.

The next and final condition: the sinner must be willing to forgive. Jesus
said in Matt 6:14-15:

14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

God’s forgiveness of us demands that we forgive others, because grace brings responsibility and obligation. If we don’t forgive others, we will not be forgiven of our sins either. Let’s recognize this and look at what Jesus said in Mark 11:25-26:

25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

This is for an ongoing follower who is praying. Jesus said if you have an issue with someone, forgive them so that the Father in Heaven may forgive that follower (the one who’s praying). But if that follower doesn’t, he or she won’t be forgiven of their sins either. We are to walk in forgiveness. A forgiving spirit serves as evidence that one is a true follower of Christ. Jesus placed no limits on the degree to which Christians are to forgive their fellowmen (Luke 17:4). Forgiveness is a duty and a command that Christ takes very serious; to the point that if we don’t obey it, our sins won’t be forgiven.

Jesus is the epitome of forgiveness and He exemplified it perfectly.  After being brutally beaten and crucified on the cross He said “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.  Luke 23:34

Just to be clear, none of these conditions are to be met solely upon the beginning of the Christian journey, but throughout the journey. We must always have faith, we must always repent, and we must always forgive others. After all we are all born into sin, and we all fall short (Rom. 3:23). So is it wise to practice a behavior that won’t allow us to be forgiven?

This is where the rubber hits the road; because there are countless professing Christians lacking in these areas; especially in when it comes to forgiveness. Instead of walking forgiveness many are walking in unforgiveness.

What is Unforgiveness?

Unforgiveness is the opposite of forgiveness. Unforgiveness is when an individual is disinclined or incapable to forgive someone for betraying, hurting, or breaking their trust or otherwise causing them some deep disturbing pain. Last but not least, unforgiveness is sin. This is why we are not forgiven of our sins if we practice it.

Now let’s face it; there are a lot of people dealing with some emotional pain as the result of another and this is not a laughing matter. But those who are walking in the Spirit of Christ can overcome this distressing situation. For those who are not, there is nothing but trouble when traveling down the road of unforgiveness. It is a manifestation of the flesh and it is a blessing blocker.

What are the Consequences of Unforgiveness?

Well, one consequence has already been covered. But to elaborate, when we walk in unforgiveness; harboring it in our hearts, we are sinning. In addition, we aren’t forgiven for our other sins. Therefore, we are living in a state of sin. It is not possible to be in God’s favor while we are in a sinful state.

Unforgiveness wears many hats:

• Anger—this is generally the first reaction
• Holding a grudge—after being angry for a period of time, it becomes a grudge
• Revenge—this anger has become so intense that you just want to get even and you won’t be satisfied until you do.
• After being angry, holding a grudge and desiring revenge that hasn’t been accomplished, you just get bitter and miserable. This has the same effect as constant worry.

How can a person with this unfavorable spiritual condition have favor with God and Christ?  You can’t; unforgiveness is an evil  spirit. This is why Jesus said again in Mark 11: 26″ But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Keep in mind that this anger doesn’t only have an effect on the person holding the anger, but it can affect others around them as well. It can ruin innocent relationships; causing collateral damage. It can wreak havoc in a personal relationship (marriage, friendship, parents, employer, etc.).

I can tell you from experience, if you want to put a relationship on a slippery slope, any relationship, hold a grudge. Understand that it accomplishes absolutely nothing but negativity.

In addition to damaging ourselves spiritually, unforgiveness causes physical damage as well. Unforgiveness puts undue stress on the body. As a result, an unforgiving spirit can manifest itself into numerous physical conditions. Medical evidence shows that unforgiveness can lead to:

• Cancer—61% of cancer patients have forgiveness concerns
• Low self-esteem
• Lack of self-love stem from not forgiving oneself or self-acceptance; yes we must forgive ourselves.
• Bitterness— this causes an increase in the risk of depression
• Sleep deprivation and anxiety
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease

It’s just not worth it! Let it go!

This is a serious situation. Unforgiveness is an insidious sin and many don’t realize how damning it is. But understand, no matter how much one attends church, studies and know the Scriptures, or gives to charity, if they are harboring an unforgiving spirit, they are living in sin and an unfavorable spiritual condition.

I can attest the insidiousness of this condition. Not until I was born again and the Spirit empowered me to release my unforgiveness did I realize what a weighted burden I was carrying. Believe me, it is a great release!  Forgiveness is a gift to ourselves; the greatest gift we can give ourselves after receiving Christ.

How to Overcome Unforgiveness

First, we must know that Christ forgives. Therefore, we must pray for forgiveness and the strength to overcome our unforgiveness. Forgiveness isn’t an easy accomplishment when we have been terribly hurt. But with the power of the Holy Spirit, nothing is impossible. For more on the Holy Spirit, read the article: All about the Holy Spirit on this website. After praying, try these below:

The first step is to be aware of the negative emotions that we feel towards the other person including anger, hatred, bitterness, hurt, and oh yes, jealousy. Awareness will help to acknowledge the need to forgive. As mentioned earlier, holding on to the negative emotions is highly toxic and not good for health.

Next release the emotional pain by making a deliberate decision to forgive and let go; we must consciously set our minds to it. Now again this isn’t easy and this process may take time; especially if this ongoing pain has been in existence for a long period of time and due to different emotions that we have to process. Some unforgiveness is aged and has been embedded in our spirits and souls.

True forgiveness is when we forgive and forget. However, because we are imperfect human beings and although we may forgive but we may not be able to forget, the initial resentment and pain is gone. Therefore, even if it is a struggle to forget, it’s very important to forgive by letting go of the emotional pain that has been produced. Then the rest will fall into place

Take responsibility for that part that we played. We can’t control anyone; the only person that we can control is ourselves. Therefore, did the other person really mean to hurt us or did we over react? Do they know that they hurt us? Did we play any part in the situation? Is there something we may have done to avoid the situation? Taking legitimate responsibility for why we got hurt enables us to reflect on how to not put ourselves in the same situation again.

When we discover what part we played, we must be willing to forgive ourselves, move on and learn from the experience.

It may help to talk it over with the person. Sometimes people are unaware that they’ve offended you and that you’re harboring unforgiveness. It may help for you to let them know how you feel. It can aid in releasing the hostility and resentment.

If that isn’t feasible, write out your feelings on paper. You don’t have to send it or present it but it is still expressing how you feel and can help with release.

Last but not lease, continue to pray. We must pray for strength to overcome

the temptation to harbor any unforgiveness in our hearts both presently and in the future., because situations are likely to arise that will cause dissension. But with the power of the Holy Spirit, we shall overcome!

Questions, comments and concerns are welcomed below.

Blessings!

This article is not solely a condemnation of homosexuality. Rather, a balanced and candid observation of the Bible and homosexuality in relation to sin.

What is Homosexuality

Homosexuality is the quality or state of being a homosexual. Without getting too technical, a homosexual is an individual, male or female, that has a tendency to direct their sexual desires toward another of the same sex.

Last but not least, homosexuality is a sin and is therefore sinful behavior.

What is Sin

Sin is transgression of God’s Law and will either by omitting to do what God’s law requires or by doing what it forbids. John 3:4 reads:

4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Sin can occur in several forms. For example, the transgression can occur in thought. 1 John 3:15 reads:

Whosoever hateth
his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Also, Matt 5:27-28

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust
after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

So we see that we don’t have to engage in a physical act to commit sin, but we can do so by harboring a sinful thought.

The transgression can occur in word, Matt 5:22

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

The transgression can also occur in deed Rom 6:23

23 For the wages of sin is death…”

Therefore, take note that sin can occur without committing a physical act by: thoughts, words, as well as deeds.

Sin separates us from God.

Homosexuality is sin

The Bible is clear: homosexuality is a sin. Let’s look at the Scriptures. Lev 18:22

22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

A man is not to have sex with another man as he would with a woman. It is an abomination. An abomination is a sin that God considers particularly detestable. Other practices that fall into this category are: idolatry, the sacrificing of blemish animals, the practice of magic, witchcraft and spiritism. Hebrew words translated abomination for the most part have the meaning of “impure,” “filthy,” and “unclean”-that which is foul-smelling and objectionable to a holy God.  After all, He destroyed an entire city because of homosexuality.

Homosexuality is condemned throughout the Scriptures and there are other Old Testament Scriptures that address it. But there are some who will say: that’s Old Testament and we are free from that law because we are in the New Testament. So, let’s go to the New Testament.

Rom 1:26-27

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

This passage describes the sexual actions between women with women and men with men as “unseemly” or shameful and indecent acts. Again—New Testament Scripture.

A Closer Look at Sin

We’re going to look at another New Testament Scripture. 1 Cor. 6:9-10

9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders (10) nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. NIV—I used a modern translation for clarity.

Once again: New Testament Scripture addresses homosexuality as a sin. Further, homosexuals will not inherit the Kingdom of God—they will not make it into heaven.

But…wait a minute…neither will the other sinners listed. Homosexuality isn’t the only sexual sin; “the sexual immoral.” The sexual immoral includes fornication; sex outside of marriage and how popular is that today? I am sure that a significant percentage of the US population engages in this practice.

What about “adulterers;” not exactly a rare occurrence these days. Prostitutes and all of the other non-sexual offenders listed in verse 10 will not inherit God’s Kingdom. While they may not be homosexual sins, they are heterosexual (straight) sins. However, sin-is-sin. The Scriptures are very balanced and this one is no exception. None of these will inherit the Kingdom of God (Heaven) as they are classified as “wicked.”

The Issue with Homosexuals

The issue with homosexuals is they want their lifestyle to be fully accepted.

To accomplish this, they first repel that it is sinful in spite of what Scripture says and even go as far as to disbelieve Scripture as a whole and that’s ok; if you’re not a Christian. There’s more on that to follow.

Further, they make the excuse: they were born that way. Well, that is Scriptural! Let’s take a look: Ps 51:5

5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. NIV

In this psalm Scripture, David reflects on the fact that we are sinful at conception and therefore born with an inherent sinful nature—all of us! This sin nature manifests itself in the various behaviors listed above in verses 9 and 10 of First Corinthians 6. This is why God sent Jesus: to redeem us [John 3:15]. To continue with the 1 Corinthians passage, verse 11 reads: “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from these vices if we accept Him and follow Him as our Savior.

Therefore, being born into any sin is a given but it is not an excuse to remain in that sin. The Lord has provided a way for us to repent of our sins and to be “justified” before Him. The Scriptures make no excuses for sin and makes it clear that we all
are guilty initially and need to be saved from sin. Rom 3:23 reads: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Again: “the wages of sin is death.” This is why we “must be born again” to inherit the Kingdom of God. [John 3:3]

For more on being born again read the article: What Does It Mean to be a Born Again Christian on this website.

Another piece of reasoning I hear often is: God is a God of love and He loves everybody. Well, that is true; He does. But He hates sin; He loves the sinner but hates sin. This is obvious in John 3:16-17:

16 For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

God loves the sinner so much; and hates sin so much; that He sent His only Son to save the world from sin. God does not and will not excuse sin—any of it.

God loved Adam and Eve. After all, He created them.  But when they sinned, He handed down judgment against them and consequences were experienced.  These sin penalties have been passed on to the present and we need a Savior which has been provided.

However, sin is so accepted in society these days. Sin is ubiquitous and pervasive in the land and homosexuals feel that since straight sins are so accepted in society theirs should be also. But take note of what the Scriptures warn: Prov 14:34

34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. NIV The more sin a nation embraces, the greater the consequences and the ultimate disgrace.  We must be careful of what we embrace.

A Warning to Christians

Christians as a whole are quick to condemn homosexuals. But…why? Are Christians angels? Are they perfect? Hardly! There are professing
Christians that are guilty of the same activities listed in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 making them highly hypercritical. Scripture deals with this also.

Matt 7:3-5

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. NIV

Here Jesus uses a bit of hyperbole to make the point: before you condemn the sin in somebody else’s house (life), look first at your own and correct it. Then you can address and help somebody else’s.

There are other passages of Scripture that make it clear that Jesus took issue with hypocrites. We must be careful.

What personally astounds me is the fact that Christians are split over homosexuality. Some condone it because: “it’s been around since forever.” Well, that’s true; so have all of the other sins. Homosexuality was a sin then and it’s a sin now just as all sin.

There are homosexual priests in some denominations. This is confusing. Church leaders are to set an example for the flock [1 Tim. 4:12] and should not be openly engaged in sin. They should not be liars, thieves, adulterers, fornicators—but they can be homosexuals?

Some churches are even performing same sex marriages—really? What is the Scriptural justification for that? Somebody please tell me! There is no wonder that God has allowed a virus that has even stopped worship gatherings. The world has infiltrated the church.

There are professing Christians engaged in same sex marriages including Christian ministers. Based just only on the Scriptures I’ve shared, is this justified? Here’s another one: Gen 2:23

24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. NIV

A man joins his wife and a wife is united with her husband. I don’t understand the confusion. How does a representative of God and the Bible not get this? God created and married Adam and Eve; not Adam and Steve or Eve and Eva. How does any Christian not get this? This is not rocket science!

For the non-believers, the natural beings, it’s understandable. After all, they are “spiritually discerned.” [1 Cor. 2:14] But for Christians these thoughts and actions are reprehensible and is the epitome of hypocrisy. While Christians shouldn’t be too quick to criticize homosexuals, we shouldn’t join them either as we should not join any other sinful behavior.

Obviously the difference is between professing christians and practicing Christians.

But understand this: society can condone homosexuality and legalize same sex marriage until the chickens come home, but it is not the will of God and there will be a price to pay.

To the professing Christians I say this. Take a look around, we are living in the last days and it would be good idea to take an inventory and get your house in order. Don’t just read the Word, apply it. [James 1:22] Remember what Jesus said in Matt 6:24: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise

the other…” You can’t stay on the fence forever.  Don’t make excuses for your sins and make changes; or pay the price.

Practicing Christians aren’t sinless but they don’t maintain a sinful lifestyle. To a practicing Christian, sin is an accident, almost involuntary; yielding only because the flesh can be so strong. They confess, repent and move on—in Christ.

To the practicing Christians I say this: do your best to stay in the will of God. Remember we are to bear one another’s burdens. Therefore, when you witness someone that is straying says: “don’t judge me” remember what the Scripture says in Gal 6:1-2:

1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

We who are spiritual should observe and gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path without condemning.

All questions, comments, and concerns are fully welcomed below.

Blessings!

What is Treasure

Treasure is something of great worth or value such as money, jewels, and precious metals. It can be wealth of any kind or any form; in a word—riches. But It can also be something non-material or not of a physical nature: conceptual or spiritual. So…what do you treasure?

What is your Purpose

What in your life makes you feel like it’s worth getting up in the morning? What keeps you going day after day? What do you really live for or what is your reason for living?

A Time of Despair

This pandemic we are experiencing has been a time of despair for many and the statistics are startling: income is cut off and unemployment is at a record high, businesses have been shut and some or many may not reopen, schools and places of worship are closed, in many places we are shut-in with no socializing, no sports, no concerts, no clubs, and no shopping (except for food).

Crimes are increasing. There an increase in drug abuse, strained relationships resulting in domestic violence, anxiety and alcoholism. Worst of all, there is an increase in suicides. This is indeed a time of despair with no real end in sight.

The Cause of Despair

The cause of the despair is what we depend on, what we trust in and our reason to exist has been slammed. Many are on the verge of losing everything they’ve hoped for. This is the cause of great despair.

But there is an answer. If you are a regular reader of this website, you know where I’m going…the Scriptures

The Bible is packed with wisdom and we are going to look at the wisdom of one individual in particular; King Solomon, Son of David.

When Solomon first became king, the Lord appeared to him in a dream and asked him what he desired. Solomon asked for wisdom and it was granted, and God added riches and honor that no other king possessed. [1 Kings 3:5-15]

Solomon became the wisest of all men. [1 Kings 4:29-34] He is the major author of the book of Proverbs and is the author of the book of Ecclesiastes. Both books are packed with astounding wisdom. Ecclesiastes is basically an essay on life.

In the first chapter, Solomon addresses the vanity (emptiness) of life. The reason for this emptiness will be covered later. As a result of this discovery there is evidence of despondency as he wrote in Eccl 1:17-18

17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Solomon realized that the more humanistic wisdom gained, the more sorrowful he became in his spirit. So he decided to pursue another route.

Next Solomon reveals what happened when he tested the true meaning of his great accomplishments in Eccl 2:1-17

1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:

5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:

7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. KJV

Solomon started out by seeking laughter and found it to be meaningless (vs. 2). He then turned to alcohol thinking that he could continue to pursue wisdom while indulging in wine (vs. 3).

Next, he went on to acquire material things (vss. 4-10).

In verse 11, he did an evaluation and looked at all he had accomplished only to discover that it was meaningless, with no profit; it was like chasing the wind and he was left with a feeling of emptiness.

In verse 12 we see that even though he was a king and on top of the world, he had a vexed spirit.

In verses 13 and 14 he discovered that wisdom is better than folly (foolishness) yet the wise and the foolish share the same outcome; “that one event” is death.

Since both will die, in verse 15 Solomon asks: since he will end up the same as the fool, what was the value of all his wisdom? He concluded that it was all so meaningless.

In verse 16 he also concluded that both the wise man and the fool would be forgotten and the wise man wouldn’t be remembered any longer than the fool.

In verse 17 King Solomon reached the drastic conclusion that he “hated life” because everything is meaningless. Imagine: the man that literally had it all—hated life!

Now this is a sad commentary on life isn’t it? Is it any wonder why there are so many miserable rich people in the world?

Now I mentioned earlier that the more humanistic wisdom Solomon gained, the more sorrowful he became in his spirit. There are two kinds of wisdom: Godly wisdom and the wisdom of the world. Humanistic wisdom is wisdom without God and it is the commonplace in the world today.

The world is very materialistic with the focus being on things and stuff; financial gain and the accumulation thereof. So much so that when this accumulation and this focus is halted, there’s nothing left but despair. We begin to hate life and some of us decide to end it.

So the reason for this despair, this desperation, this hopelessness; is life without God. Solomon came to the realization of this through his experience. Later he wrote in Eccl 3:11

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. NKJV

Solomon acknowledged that God has placed eternity in the hearts of man. Even though man lives in a world of time, we have Intimations or hints of eternity. Instinctively and unconsciously we think in terms of eternity or forever. But we just can’t figure it all out and when we limit our focus and place it entirely on the finite—the natural-material things we leave a void that cannot be filled. No amount of alcohol, drugs, sex, shopping, movies, television, videos, travel, or work can fill this void. When we focus on these things, it’s like chasing the wind. It’s “vanity and vexation of spirit.”

The Answer to Despair

Is there an answer? Of course there is! Scripture gives us sound advice how to avoid this empty state.

Solomon reached the conclusive answer. But before we get to that lets look at some more Scriptural wisdom.

2 Cor 4:18

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

So the things, the stuff that I listed above are temporal-temporary and have limited value. When we die, we can’t take them with us. Even while we are living their value is temporary. Material things don’t last and we often lose interest in them before they cease to exist. Temporal things also include hardships, trials and sufferings which are also not to be our main focus making them our demise. We are to deal with them and keep it moving.

But the things that are unseen-the eternal things, such as Christ and our eternal destination; those are the things we are to focus on. With this mindset, we will not despair when the temporal things are threatened. Therefore, this void that God has placed in our hearts need to be filled with Christ—our Savior

Let’s look at some advice from the wisest man that ever walked the earth—Jesus!

First, we have a warning.  Luke 12:14

Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

I could write an entire article on this one verse alone!  Anyway, contained in this Scripture is a stern warning against covetousness which is an intense craving and desire for more and includes both material things and fleshly indulgence.  Jesus wants us to realize that life isn’t measured by how much we own; our possessions—a beautiful home, the latest clothes, a new car, property, money and  wealth.  While these things are nice to have, they are not the whole of life.  There are happy poor folks who are probably happier than the rich—as we saw with King Solomon.

This Spirit of covetousness has infiltrated the world and is a principal instrument in Spiritual Warfare.  But just as we reboot our computers for a fresh start, we must reboot our minds and flush out this spirit.  For more on Spiritual Warfare, read the article: All About Spiritual Warfare.

Next we have some advice.

Matt 6:19-21

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Jesus is addressing the fact that there is no security in material things. Material things can be destroyed by elements of nature (moth or rust), weather, corona virus, etc. and are poor investments. The best investments are treasures in heaven because they are the only ones that are not subject to loss. The treasure we put our trust in is where our hearts are.

We must keep in mind that we cannot do both completely for Jesus said in Matt 6:24: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Mammon represents money and the natural things it buys. We cannot put our sole focus on both—period.

So after all was said and done, Solomon reached a conclusion and ended his essay on life.

Eccl 12:13-14

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Bottom line: our duty is to fear God and keep His commandments. Our duty is to keep our focus on that.

And to conclude with a Word from our sponsor—Jesus Christ: Matt 6:31-33

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

So brothers and sisters let us not despair but pray; let us not devalue our lives to the point that we deem them worthless because of our earthly circumstances. We must be wise and not be fools as the worldly.  But let us keep our focus on the things above: the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and not on things of the earth and He will take care of us. Amen.

Questions comments or concerns are welcomed below.

Blessings!

We are living in difficult times.  In fact there have always been difficult times.  But they have reached a crescendo with the Covid19 pandemic we are currently experiencing.  However, Christians have an advantage over the rest of the world.  We have access to a source that enables us to look beyond this and every other encounter of adversity we may face.  We have Hope.  But what is the reason for our hope?

What is Hope

Well, there are two meanings: the world’s and the Biblical.  The world’s definition is to want something to happen or be true; it is basically a wish without any belief or confirmation that it will materialize.  The Biblical meaning however, according to the Nelson’s Bible Dictionary: a confident expectancy. In the Scriptures, the word hope stands for both the act of hoping

and the thing hoped for.  Biblical hope is not wishful thinking, but a firm assertion about things that are unseen and still in the future.

Hope sets apart the Christian from the unbeliever, who has no hope.  Scripture makes this clear when it references the prior state of individuals before accepting Christ in Eph 2:12

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:

Undeniably, a Christian is one in whom hope lives (1 Peter 3:15; 1 John 3:3). On the contrary to Old Testament hope, the Christian hope is far superior.  Heb 7:19 reads:

19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

The law is the Old Testament which was introductory in that it prepared us with having knowledge of sin and that we needed a savior.  The New covenant (New Testament) ushered in a”better hope” because it assures us complete redemption and brings us into the very presence of God.

What is the Reason for Our Hope

Now that we know what hope is, what is the reason for our hope?  Scripture says that we must always be ready to give an answer for the reason of the hope in us.  [1 Pet. 3:13]

Our hope is in Jesus Christ.  As pointed out in the Scripture above (Heb. 7:19), before Christ we only had the Law which made us guilty and separated from God because nobody can keep the Law perfectly.  But with the arrival, death and resurrection of Jesus, we now have hope because we have been reconciled with God.  Let’s look at one more Scriptural confirmation of this great truth.  Rom 3:20-25

20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

God sent forth Christ Jesus to be a propitiation (a sacrifice through an offering) for when we transgressed the Law in the past.  “all have sinned” everybody needs Christ.  But this hope only applies to, as verse 22 states: “upon all them that believe.” It’s all about faith.  For more on faith, read the article: What is Faith About.

The law condemns and convicts, it does not give the power to obey.  Only the Holy Spirit we receive by accepting Christ as Savior can give us the power to obey the law.

So it is by maintaining faith in Jesus that we have this hope, this expectation, this assurance, that we are free from the enslavement of sin and its consequences.

But, why?  Why do we need to be free from the enslavement sin?

What are We Hoping For

There are two things in our lives that are undeniable: death and taxes.  For the sake of this article, we are going to focus on the former: death.  For starters, death is certain and we need to cease being in denial of it.

Moving on, when death arrives, there is one destination: eternity (Heb 9:27).  But there are two directions to eternity: eternal life or eternal death (damnation).  Those of us who have faith in Jesus have the hope of eternal life with God.  Those who do not, the unbelievers, have the ultimate destiny of eternal death with Satan.  The former is heaven and the latter is hell.

Christians must keep their focus; their hope, on the ultimate destination—heaven.  We must keep this hope in spite of what is going on around us and what we may be going through.  In my observation, we do not maintain our focus on our ultimate destination.  Nowadays I rarely hear the word Heaven or hell for that matter.  Preachers and teachers aren’t preaching  and teaching it because it is not what people want to hear and they are becoming people pleasers instead messengers of God.  This has been prophesied in Scripture: 2 Tim 4:3 reads: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” Preachers and teachers need to take heed because there is a judgment awaiting those that lead the sheep astray (James 3:1).  That’s I’m going to say about that—for now—stay tuned.

There is an expression which says something to the effect: don’t be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good.  But I also say: don’t be so earthly minded that you are no heavenly good.

The fact of the matter is we are so ingrained in our pasts (childhoods and experiences) and the present; the earthly things, that we totally lose our

focus on our heavenly destiny.  This is the work of Satan; to take us off course and it is so dangerous.  This is Spiritual Warfare.

Everything has a proper time and a proper place in our lives; including our trials and tribulations.  Scripture, as always, tells us the proper perspective we must have on our trials.

Let’s take a look: 2 Cor 4:14-18:

14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Paul begins this encouragement (vss. 14 & 15) by focusing on the resurrection and the fact that the same God that raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us up and all of this is to the glory of God.

In verse 16, in spite of our earthly experiences, we never give up.  Even though we are dying on the outside, our spirits are being renewed every day—our trials strengthen us.

Paul describes our afflictions as light and short in comparison to eternity and they result in earning us a glory that outweighs them forever.

We are not to focus on the things that are seen or the troubles we see now.  We walk by faith, not by sight. [cf. 2 Cor. 5:7] But we are to focus on the things that cannot be seen: the eternal because they last forever.  This is where our primary focus should be—our eternal destiny.

So for the balance of this article, the focus is going to be on our ultimate destiny—Heaven!

 Our Ultimate Hope

We are now going to take a look at the book of Revelations—Yes Revelations—that mysterious book that no one wants to tackle because of the judgment it contains.  Here again you probably don’t hear may sermons or teachings from the book of Revelations.

So for a brief background, Revelations was written by the apostle John who was exiled to the island of Patmos as a result of persecution.  At this time Christians were undergoing intense persecution.  While in exile, he experienced a series of visions that depicted the end of the present age and the coming of God’s future kingdom.  Its mystique is the result of the use of images, symbols, and numbers.

After the judgments were completed, an angel escorted John to see the New Jerusalem.

Rev 21:10-27

10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

So we see that the New Jerusalem will be a glorious city for it will have the splendor of a jasper stone.  Jasper is a stone that excels in splendor.  It is a stone of physical force and power.

12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

We see here that the New Jerusalem will be a walled city with gates guarded by angels.

14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The New Jerusalem will be a city of untold stability with twelve foundations—wow!

15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

The angel that was escorting John had a golden measuring stick to measure the city, it gates and walls.  The measurement was twelve thousand furlongs which is 1,500 miles in all three directions (width, height, length).  This city will be enormous!  Just for some perspective.  The span is from Main to Florida, and the Atlantic (in the US) to 600 miles west of the Mississippi.  The walls-1500 miles high!

And note that this is only Jerusalem and doesn’t include the rest of the new earth.

Remember there will be no seas in the new earth (Rev. 21:1) so there will be plenty of land mass around.

17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

Next, the angel measured the thickness of the walls and they were 144 cubits which is 216 feet.  Nothing will be able to penetrate these walls!

18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

The city will be pure gold—so pure that it will be clear.  Imagine streets of pure gold!  No asphalt or concrete but gold—pure gold!

19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

Now remember in verse 14 there were twelve foundations and we see here that each foundation was made of a precious stone and they will be different colors.

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

The high walls will have twelve gates made of pearls.  Each gate will consist of one huge pearl.  Talk about pearly gates!

22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

There will be no temple for God and the lamb (the Son of God) will be present.  In the old earth, the temple represented the presence of the Lord, but with Him being present the temple won’t be needed.

Because of this presence of God and the lamb, their glory will provide plenty of light making the sun or the moonlight unnecessary.

24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

All of the righteous and the kings of the earth shall enter the city and no one of an impure nature shall enter the city but only the saved; the righteous which are written in the Lamb book of life.

This is a magnificent vision of what is to come.  Now just imagine, this is only the capital city; not the surrounding areas or where the righteous and “the kings of the earth” will reside.  After all Jesus said in John 14:2 “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”  I may not live in a mansion now, but I’m looking forward to the one in heaven!!

Let’s now go to 22:3 of revelations.

3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

There will be no more curse. Remember the old earth was cursed because of the original sin which bought great trial to mankind.  But in the new earth, there will be no trials because there will be no more sin.  That means no more sickness, death (no more corona virus), crime, heartache or sorrow. There will be no further imperiling of the soul.  Everything will be perfect!

This is the reason of our hope; our heavenly hope.  To be able to witness this for ourselves; to be with and in the presence of our Lord—forever!

Scripture informs us that we (Christians) are strangers and pilgrims on earth. [1 Pet. 3:11]  Our citizenship is in heaven and we are only here for a short time.  Therefore we cannot allow what we experience here to be our main focus because our destiny is heaven—the new earth!

We must not allow Satan, the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2) to

distract us and take our focus off of our ultimate destiny.  And above all, we who follow Christ, must follow the advice  given to us in the Scriptures in Col 3:1-11:

3 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. NLT

The Scripture says: “since you have been raised to new life with Christ.”  For any reader who has not accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, take note of verse 6.  I urge you to do so immediately!

So…be encouraged brothers and sisters!  We must hold on to our hope in spite of what is going on!

We must continually press on toward the prize: heaven!

Questions, comments and concerns are fully welcomed below.

Blessings!

Is God and Jesus the same?  Is Jesus God?  These are questions that engage a lot of discussion.  During these difficult times it is of particular importance to understand as much as we can about Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Most of us in our knowledge of Jesus have only scratched the surface about Him.

A discussion of this sort is futile without consulting the Scriptures.  Therefore that is exactly where we are going.

One of the clearest explanations of who Jesus is in found in John 1:1-3

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The Scripture starts with: “In the beginning.”  So, when was the “beginning”?  This is a translation from the Greek word, En archē  [pronounced en ar-chay’] which means before there was a beginning. This is a statement of eternity; it doesn’t mean from the beginning but eternity past.  God is preexistent and has no beginning, He just was and just is
and just will be.

So “in the beginning was the Word.”
 The word “Was” in this passage is translated from the Greek word ēn [pronounced heyn] which is often used to express deity.  It means to be or I am. To be means everlasting existence, without commencement or basis.  God used this term as reference to Himself when He was commissioning Moses. [Exodus 3:14]

So we see that from eternity past, God who has always been in continuous existence was “the Word.”  The “word”
represents the course of action by which God makes Himself known, proclaims His will, and brings about His purposes.  It was the commanding Word of God that brought creation into existence (Genesis 1:3), and destroyed the world through the flood (Genesis 6:7), announced impending and future acts of judgment (Exodus 9:20-21, I Kings 2:27), as well as His commitments and promises to His blessings (Genesis 15: 1, 4) and even particular instructions (Joshua 8:27).

To sum this up, the “Word” is God’s expressed will.  Therefore this “Word was with God.” And “the Word was God.” The word “with” is translated from the Greek word pros [Pronounced: pros] and carries the meaning of both being with and acting toward.  Therefore (the Word) was both with God and acting with God in total agreement.

And verse 2 ties this thought up by saying “ The same was in the beginning with God.  The eternal God and the eternal Word existed from eternity past.

Verse3 addresses God’s sovereignty in creation.  “all things were made by him.”  If it isn’t verbalized by God’s Word; if it doesn’t come from the mouth of God it simply won’t exist.

Verses 4-13 go on to address the arrival of Christ and then we come to verse14 which reads:

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

So here we have it.  “The Word was made flesh.”  This is the manifestation of Christ.  “The Word;“ the same “Word” in verse 1 was made flesh and blood.  This is God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.   He became a man.  No greater message could ever be announced to man.

So we see that Christ is preexistent. This means He was there before creation. He has always existed with God.  He was and is face to face with God forever.  God’s speaking of His Word reached a pinnacle in the sending forth of His Son.

Here we witness in Scripture how God and Jesus is the same.  But Scripture confirms itself so we’ll look at more confirmation of this fact.  Col 1:12-15

12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

In this passage, Paul is encouraging the Colossians to be thankful to God for the gospel of His Son Jesus that has delivered redemption trough the shedding of His blood which allows for the forgiveness of our sins.

Next he addresses Christ’s preeminence.  Verses 15-18 reads:

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

The Greek word translated “image” eikōn [pronounced i-kone’] means the exact image, the very person of God. It means that Jesus Christ was the very depiction of God—God in every respect. It means that Jesus Christ was the perfect manifestation or revelation of God.  God is unseen, but Jesus has revealed God to the world. He reveals God by being the exact image, as the perfect depiction of God.

He is the “firstborn of every creature.”  There are teachings that use this phase to base the doctrine that Jesus was a created being.  However that is baseless since John 1:1 states: “…and the Word was God.” And John 1:14 states:  “and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”  

Firstborn means: priority, superiority, preeminence, supremacy. Firstborn in this context is Jesus Christ is above all things. Therefore the word “firstborn” does not mean that Jesus Christ was the first created being of the universe. It means that He was in existence before all creation and is the Supreme Being of the universe.

Verse 16 confirms Jesus’ sovereignty in creation: “all things created” “were created by him, and for him.”  This is the same proclamation stated in John 1:3 in reference to God.  Therefore, Jesus in conjunction with God is the creator of “all things.”  This illuminates Genesis 1:26 where it reads: “And God said, Let us make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness…: 

So, who was He speaking to? God was speaking to Christ His Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  This is the Godhead; the Trinity.  For more on the trinity click the article: All About the Trinity.

There are more revelations in this passage (perhaps in a future article) but the point for now: Jesus is the perfect revelation of God because He is the Word and He is God.

Phil 2:5-8

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

This passage illuminates the humility of God.  Jesus Christ is the supreme example of humility. To sum up this up, the passage says that Jesus Christ is God, nevertheless He humbled Himself and became Man to save humanity.  Jesus Christ is the Person who dwelt in all the glory of perfection, but He humbled Himself and came to this corruptible world.

Just think of the enormous step down that Jesus had to take to become a Man. It is utterly impossible for us to comprehend the humility it took.  However, this is exactly what He did.

Let’s look at some acknowledgements Christ Himself made of His deity.

John 10:30:

I and my Father are one.

Here Jesus was staking His claim before the Jews.  The claim of Jesus was that He is “One” with God, specifically, He is God Himself. But Jesus was not claiming to be the same person as God. The word “one.” means thing, not person.  Jesus is of the very same thing, of the very same substance as God.  He was claiming to have the same nature of God, to be One with God…in nature, substance, essence, being, power and glory.

There is no doubt  that this is exactly what Jesus was claiming.  His claim was perfectly understood by those standing around Him as indicated in the verses that follow (vss. 32-33). They wanted to stone Him for blasphemy.

Col 2:8-10

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:

This was Paul’s warning to the Colossians to not be influenced the false teachings of men instead of Christ’s.  Because in Christ was God and we are complete in our union with Him because He is the head of every ruler authority.

One more: John 14:8-11

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

Anyone having problems understanding the union of God and Christ should not despair.  The disciples didn’t either until they were indwelt with the Holy Spirit.  But here we have the unmistakable testimony from the Man Himself: “I am in the Father, and the Father in me.”

Jesus Christ is not the same Person as God the Father, but He has the same perfect nature. Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person in the trinity. Therefore, the person who has seen Jesus Christ has seen the Father in all the fullness of the Father’s nature—that person has seen in Jesus the very embodiment of perfection, the perfect embodiment of Being, both perfect love and perfect righteousness.

God was inside Jesus, and Jesus was inside God. This can be called the joint Indwelling Presence of God and Christ, each dwelling in the other. This simply means that each has the nature and being, the Spirit and Mind of the other. Each has the Presence, the very Being and Spirit of the other dwelling within Him perfectly.

Note the point Jesus was making. The proof that He was the manifestation of God, that He was the One who came to earth to reveal God, is clear: God’s presence is not only with
Him; God’s presence is in Him. He Himself is God. He Himself; His Person, His Being, His nature, His character, His love, His care, His just dealings, all that He was—revealed exactly what God is. Note also that Jesus asked Philip a question: “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?”

The conclusion: Jesus Christ is the express image, the exact representation, the perfect manifestation, the very Person of God Himself. There is no other person who can bring us near God nor any other life-style to follow in

reaching God. Jesus Christ is the Sovereign Majesty of the universe who came to earth as God to save men.  And as Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 [cf. 1 John 5:20]

Amen!

All questions, comments and concerns are welcomed below.  I am waiting to answer and address them.

Blessings!

This is the sixth article in a series of articles about spiritual warfare. In the last article, Spiritual Warfare: Conditions of the Mind 3, I covered the conditions: the judgmental, critical and suspicious mind, and the passive mind. In this article: Spiritual Warfare: Conditions of the Mind 4, I will be covering the final condition.

I’ve covered of late, the conditions of the mind.  The conditions of the mind that manifest themselves as a result of Satan’s spiritual attacks when we don’t fight successfully or we don’t fight at all.  Therefore, these conditions have all been negative.  Anything that comes from Satan is negative.  His purpose and plan is to destroy the bretheren in any way that he can.  But all is not lost!  [Praise God!]

The last area of this segment is positive.  It is a condition of the mind that results in our being sober and vigilant warriors against our enemy—Satan in the battle for our minds.  It is a condition of the mind that results from the renewing our minds, as the scripture commands us to.  This condition of the mind is: the Mind of Christ!

So what exactly is the mind of Christ?  The mind of Christ is: the views, feelings, and disposition of Christ.  This is the direct result of what happens when we are influenced by his Spirit.  This is the Holy Spirit He promised us

in John 15:26 which reads: “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.”  niv

When we receive this Spirit and open our minds to it we develop the mind of Christ.

Now this is a condition of the mind that is available to everyone who accepts Christ as Lord and Saviour.  Now notice I said: is available to.  There are many who have accepted Jesus, but don’t have his mind because they simply have not allowed themselves to be influenced by his Spirit.  They are still walking in their flesh.  Let’s look at a passage of scripture that explains this in detail.  Romans 8:1-11

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Moving to verse 3

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who [walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.]

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Now this goes back to what I mentioned earlier.  Those who have accepted Christ as Lord and savior but haven’t renewed their minds, and think fleshly.  But those who are influenced by the spirit of Christ mind the things of Christ—have the mind of Christ.  Now the rest of this passage tells the results of these two conditions of the mind.

6 For to be carnally [or fleshly] minded is death; but to be spiritually minded [to have the mind of Christ] is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Verse 7 says: the carnal or natural mind never did obey God’s law and it never will.  Let’s see why.  Let’s temporally move to 1 Corinthians 2:14

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The point here: the things of the spirit simply bounce off of a natural mind.  [Like a bullet proof vest]  This happens because the natural mind is

spiritually discerned or spiritually separated.  So even if we have accepted Christ, if we are walking around, continuing in our natural selves—in our naturalness, we cannot receive the things of the spirit.  We’re no better off than the natural man, if we’re going to maintain a natural mind.  Satan knows this, so this is why our mind is the battlefield.  This is what spiritual warfare is all about.  Once Satan is controlling our minds—pulling the strings of our thoughts, we are in serious trouble as we see in Romans 8.  Let’s go back there to verse 8

8 So then they that are in the flesh [cannot please God.]

We simply cannot please God if we’re in the flesh.  It says: they.  So there are no exceptions.  Now the balance of this passage states the results of being in the spirit, or having the mind of Christ.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.  Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Now notice it says: “any man.”  So this includes those that profess Christ but don’t have His Spirit.

10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.  [cf. 2 Cor. 4:14]

So whatever state of mind we may be in; whatever negative condition of the mind we may have, if we allow the spirit of God that raised Christ from the dead to dwell in us, we will have the mind of Christ, and our mortal bodies will be quickened, or given new life.  This is what being born again is truly about.  But it is a constant battle and we Christians must constantly be on the defensive to keep our mind of Christ.  [1 pet 5:8]

Now what is behind God giving us the mind of Christ?  Well Just as God is a God of judgment, He is also a God of love; and with His love comes mercy and grace, that results in restoration.  This is why He sent His son:
to redeem us, and restore us.  So we’re going to take a look into the mind of God, and see what His restoration is all about.  We’re going into the Old Testament first, and then confirmation in the New Testament.

Ezekiel 36: this chapter contains prophesy that concerned the restoration of Israel.  But it contains principals that apply to Christians—today.

Let’s look at verses 21-27

21 But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.

22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.

23 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.

God sent the word to Israel straight up: that He wasn’t restoring them because they deserved it, but to protect His Holy name.

God is concerned about His name, so He must keep His promises.  He is not a man that he should lie.  [Num 23:19]  He made a covenant with Abraham that through him, “all families of the earth be blessed.”  [Gen 12:3]  That was why God moved Israel out of Egyptian bondage in the first place.  Let’s look at Deuteronomy 7:7-8.  This is Moses to Israelites

7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Therefore it’s all about God and none of us.  Now for us today, the same applies.  Now although we are God’s creation, many of us before we came to Christ, profaned, or dishonored God’s name by the things that we said and did.  So the fact is: God didn’t send His son to redeem us because we deserved it, but because He loved us, and His mercy and grace, and His covenantal promises.

Now back to Ezekiel 36:

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.

Before Christ, God’s people, Israel had become entrenched in ungodliness.  But God wasn’t only concerned about His people, but the whole world.  To allow His people to remain in sin, and be permanently destroyed by their enemies, would lead the other nations to conclude, that their pagan gods were more powerful than Israel’s God.  [Isa. 48:11]  So to again protect his holy name, God would return a remnant of his people to their land.  Now this is what we today call sanctification, separated unto God.  When we accept Christ we become part of God’s remnant, separated from ungodliness and paganism.  Let’s look further:

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.

Now this is God’s principal of restoration.

Now let’s look at New Testament confirmation of this: 1 Corinthians 2:10-16.  Now this has to do with spiritual wisdom.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Now watch verse 12

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Moving to verse 16

16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

So by receiving the spirit of God, we receive the things of God through Christ, giving us the mind of Christ.  This is the result of God’s principal of restoration.

If we accept God’s spirit, we will have to Mind of Christ.  After all the scriptures tell us in Romans 8:29: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”  It is God’s desire for us to be changed to the image of His son Christ.  The only way for us to accomplish this is to have the mind of Christ.  Therefore, we must learn to discern life and death within ourselves.  Jesus has made arrangements for us to be filled with life, by putting His own mind in us.  We can choose to flow in the mind of Christ which is life, or a mind in the flesh, which is death.

So now that we’ve look into the mind of God regarding restoration, how do we benefit from it?  By moving in the mind of Christ.

So once we have the mind of Christ, how do we move and flow in this positive condition of the mind?  What is the life application for us today?

The first and foremost thing we must do is think positive.  Let’s look at what God says in His word about this: Philippians 4:8

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

I addressed this in an earlier article regarding the conditions of the mind; the importance of positive thinking.  But enough can never be said about the power of being positive.  God through His prophet Amos said: “Can two walk

together, except they agreed?”  [Amos 3:3]  God is positive, and if we want to flow with Him, we must get on the same wave length, by thinking and being positive also.  So we must have a positive outlook and attitude.  Maintain positive thoughts and expectations.  Engage in positive conversations.

Jesus endured many difficulties including personal attacks—being lied about, deserted by His disciples when He needed them the most, being lonely, misunderstood and a host of other discouraging things.  Yet, in the midst of all these negatives, He remained positive.  He continued to display a positive outlook and attitude.

The mind of Christ in us is positive; therefore, anytime we get negative, we are not operating with the mind of Christ.  Psalm 3:3 tells us that God is our glory, and the lifter of our heads.  He wants to lift everything: our hopes, our attitudes, our moods, our heads, hands and heart.  Our whole life!  He is our divine lifter! 

God want to lift us up, and the devil wants to press us down.  Satan uses the negative events and situations in our lives, to depress us.  The dictionary definition of the word depress is: to lower in spirits: sadden.  Something that is depressed is: something that is sunk below the surrounding region

—hollow.

Now we regularly have the opportunity to think negative thoughts.  Satan sees to that.  One of the easiest things for us to do is think negative—to have negative thoughts.  But we must realize that they will only press us down further.  Being negative won’t solve our problems; it will only add to them.

The second way to move in the mind of Christ is: to be God minded.  Now let’s first look at this in scripture: Isaiah 26:3

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Now what this verse is saying is: no matter what is going on with us, or around us, if we keep our mind on God and Christ, we will be in perfect peace.  This—
is moving in the mind of Christ.  Jesus had a continual fellowship with His heavenly father.  It is impossible for us to have full fellowship with anyone, without having our mind on that individual.  So if we want to have fellowship with Christ, if we want to move in the mind of Christ, then we must be God or Christ minded.  Another thing that this scripture points out is: if we can shift our mind off of our situations, and onto the Lord, that means we trust Him.  Nothing pleases God more than for His children to trust Him.

Another way to be God minded is to meditate on God and His works.  Now we find this in the psalms.  Let’s look at Psalms 63:5-6.  This passage is about meditating on God.

5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Let’s now look at Psalms 77: the focus here is on God’s works.  Verse 12

12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

Let’s now move to Psalms 143:5

5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

Let’s look at one more: Psalms 104:33-34

33 I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.

So we see that the psalmist David wrote frequently about meditating on God, His goodness, and His works.  It is tremendously uplifting to think on the goodness of God, and all the marvelous works of His hands.

Meditating on God, and His ways and works, will have to become a regular part of our thought life if we want to experience victory.

The third way to move in the mind of Christ is: to know
that God loves us.  Now let’s look at this in scripture: 1 John 4:16

16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Now the scripture says: “we have known.”  This is to understand, recognize, and be conscious of by observance and by experience.  It goes on to say: “and believed.”  This is to adhere to, and put faith in, as well as rely on, the love that God has for us.

Now the same thing that hold true of God’s presence, is true of His love.  If we never meditate on His love, we will never experience it.  Now this is very easy to say and acknowledge.  But the fact is, very few of us really know how much God loves us.  Because if we did we would act a lot differently than we do.  We must be conscious of God’s love which means not just lip service, but it should be something that we are actively aware of.

All of us know John 3:16 and that’s fine.  But it goes beyond that—it’s a little deeper.  God did and does love the world, but He also loves us as individuals.  Many of us—too many of us have an unconscious and vague understanding of the fact that God loves us.  But the love of God is meant to be a powerful force in our lives; one that will take us through even the most difficult trials into victory.

One of the advantages of accepting God’s perfect love is the lack of fear.  Let’s look a verse 17 of 1 john chapter 4

17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

The word perfect in this scripture is translated from the Greek word that means to complete.  That is to say: accomplish or consummate; to mature.  Once we know and acknowledge—have faith in God’s love, our love is made perfect.  This gives us boldness and confidence, as we anticipate Christ’s judgment of the world.  [1 John 4:4]  There is no fear in a Christian who is walking in God’s love.  Let’s move on to verse 18:

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

So there is no fear in love.  We can’t love God and accept His love, and be fearful—be tormented by fear.  After all, Scripture clearly tells us in 2 Tim 1:7: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  This is what God has given us. Therefore, fear comes straight from Satan.  After all, fear is: False Evidence Appearing Real.

I’m going to close this segment of accepting God’s love as part as having the mind of Christ with a passage of scripture.  Romans 8:

Now this is a passage amongst others that we should review when trials come upon us.  Verses 35-39

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Moving to verse 37:

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God and Christ come in a package-a most dynamic package.  You can’t have one without the other.  So in order for us to have the mind of Christ, we must accept the love of God.

Moving into our third way to move in the mind of Christ is: to have an exhortative mind.  To exhort is to encourage.  The person with the mind of Christ thinks positive, uplifting, edifying thoughts about others
as well as about himself, and his own circumstances.

The ministry of exhortation is greatly needed in the world today, especially after 911 and even more with the new Corona Virus.  Everybody needs to be encouraged.  The scriptures tell us in Heb 3:13: “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”  You see, this is why having the mind of Christ is needed to defeat Satan.  Because he moves in the deceitfulness of sin and anybody can get caught up.  So we must send thoughts of love toward other people, and speak words of encouragement to them.

Now everybody doesn’t have the ministry gift of exhortation, but anybody can learn to be encouraging.  The simple rule is: if it’s not good, don’t think or say it.  In other words: if you don’t have anything good to say to somebody, don’t say anything at all.  Thoughts and words are containers, or weapons, for carrying creative or destructive power.  The scriptures say that: “life and death are in the power of the tongue.”  [prov. 18:21]  So words can be used against Satan and his works, or they can actually help him in his plan of destruction.  I’m going to close this point with a scripture.  Ephesians 4:29

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

So we are to speak communication that exhorts, or builds one another up in the body.

A fifth method for moving in the mind of Christ is: to develop a thankful mind.  A person flowing in the mind of Christ will find his thoughts filled with praise and thanksgiving.

Many doors are opened to the enemy through complaining.  Some people are physically ill and, live weak, powerless lives because of complaining.  Complaining is a disease that attacks the thoughts and conversations of people.  Again: “life and death are in the power of the tongue!”

We cannot live a powerful life without thanksgiving.  Complaining in thought or word is a death principle, but being thankful and saying so is a life
principle.  The Scriptures instructs us over and over in the principle of thanksgiving.  Let’s look at a few.  Psalms 100:4

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

When we enter into the presence of the Lord, we are to enter with thanksgiving and praise—not complaining and grumbling.  Let’s now look at Hebrews 13:15

15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Again we are to continually, from the fruit of our lips, give thanks unto God.  Let’s look at one more Ephesians 5:20

20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Now the scripture says: “giving thanks always for all things unto God.”  We are Christians: the Christians of God are to be a grateful people.  We are to be filled with gratitude not only toward God, but also toward people.  When someone does something nice for us, let them know that you appreciate it.  We must show appreciation in our families, among the various members.  Now I know this isn’t easy, but so often we take the things that God has blessed us with for granted.  As bad as things may seem to us, they can always get worse.  A sure way to lose something is to not appreciate it—taking it for granted.

Now again the scripture says: “giving thanks always for all things unto God.”  So we should meditate daily on what we have to be thankful for, and recite them to the Lord in prayer.  When God knows that we appreciate Him, he’ll do even more.

The final area that I’m going to cover for moving in the mind of Christ is: be word minded.

God’s Word is His thoughts written down on paper for our study and reflection.  His Word is how he thinks about every situation and subject.

Let’s look at John 5:38

38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

Now let’s look at this same scripture from the Amplified Translation.  It reads:

And you have not His word (His thought) living in your hearts, because you do not believe and adhere to and trust in and rely Him whom He has sent.  [That is why you do not keep His message living in you, because you do not believe in the messenger whom He has sent]

Now in this scripture, Jesus was reprimanding  some unbelievers.  In this amplified translation, it’s clear that God’s Word is a written expression of His thoughts; and that people who want to believe and experience all the good results of believing, must allow His word to be a living message in their hearts.  This is accomplished by meditating on the Word of God.  This is how His thoughts become our thoughts—the only way to develop the mind of Christ in us.  Remember the Bible says in John 1:14: that Jesus was the Word made flesh.  This would not have been possible had His mind not been filled with the Word of God continually.

Meditating on the Word of God is one of the most important life principals that we can learn.  I can’t emphasize enough how important this principal is.  It is a life principle because meditating on the Word of God will minister life to us, and ultimately to those around us.  Let’s look at this in scripture.

Joshua 1:8

8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

In this verse, the Lord is telling us plainly that we will never put the word into practice physically, if we don’t first practice it mentally.  It says:” but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein.”  Meditate first, and then do.  When we meditate on God’s word, we receive the mind of Christ, allowing us to live victorious and productive lives.

In conclusion, in order for us to be sober and vigilant Christians, we must have the mind of Christ.  We must: think positive, be God minded, truly recognize God’s love, be thankful, and, be Word minded.

The only way to accomplish this is to change our minds.  The Scripture

informs us in Rom 12:2: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  kjv
So the moral of the story is: we must renew our minds, fight the good fight; and move in the mind of Christ and God!

Questions, comments, and concerns are welcomed below

Blessings!!

It is time to recognize—God is speaking and trying to get our attention.  The majority of the world has no idea of what is really going on with covid19.  The purpose of this article is to take a good look at covid19 and God.

God is calling a time out!

God has taken complete control from man.

Let’s just take a look: the world, especially the major centers has come to a screeching halt.  Practically all of commerce is shut down.  The only

businesses that are operating are the ones that supply essential needs.  The stock market has all but collapsed, schools are closed, no malls-no unnecessary shopping, no entertainment-Hollywood is shut down-no theater-no movies-no sporting events-no hanging out with friends, and for the majority no work.  Outside of necessary errands (i.e. groceries and medical appointments) we must stay indoors (as was with the Passover).  Last but certainly not least, there’s no worship: no temple, no mosque, and no church.  The people of God cannot gather together to worship on this most holy week of the year.  Sadly, people all over the world are dying by the tens of thousands.  At the moment, man cannot control this occurrence.

Simply put: God is trying to get our attention. Because He is being ignored because of the influence of “the Prince of the Power of the air”, Satan [Eph 2:2.  I am currently writing a series of articles on Spiritual Warfare and I am pausing that series because we are witnessing this warfare right before our eyes.  The political leaders are even acknowledging this event as war with an unseen enemy!  But they still aren’t acknowledging God.

These are frightening times (for some).  But no so for the true people of God.  For the people of God these are serious times but there is nothing to be afraid of.  Because we understand what is going on.  We simply must keep our focus on God and be a peace.  The Scripture says in Isa 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

Therefore, we are not to be afraid.  Only the ungodly, the worldly, are to be fearful.  God’s Word also says: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.“[Isa 41:10]

In that Scripture God is encouraging His people not to be afraid because no matter what happens He will uphold us with His right hand.  The right hand is a symbolic term for strength.  God upholds us with all of His strength.

The world has become far too distant from God; ignoring Him and His Commandments.  We are a stiffnecked people. [Acts 7:51] God is trying to get our attention!  But are we listening?  Are we paying attention?  Are we heeding the warning?

We aren’t even listening to each other.  Citizens have been ignoring the warnings and advisories of the government concerning the virus: to stay in place, to keep distances from one another.  So they have to be enforced by the authorities simply because they aren’t listening or refuse to listen.

But this is right in line with what Jesus prophesied concerning His return.  In Luke 17:27-30

27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.  NIV

People insist on carrying on with life totally oblivious to the things of God, even His return. As a result, many will be blindsided when He returns as was the case with covid19.

The almighty dollar is the new religion.  It is the total focus of the world these days.  It is hard for me to fathom that there was actually a conversation on sacrificing the most vulnerable of the population for the sake of the economy! Do we value the dollar over human life?  Have we any moral conscience at all anymore?  Is this supposed to be wise thinking?  What Paul wrote to the Romans applies to us today.  In Rom 1:22 he wrote: “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”  We have become so blinded, and so single minded when it comes to the dollar.

A Sign of the last days

Covid19 is just another sign of the end times.  In Matthew 24, the disciples asked Jesus what would be a sign of His return and the end of the world.  In verse 7 it He said: For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”

Covid19 is a pestilence.  Pestilences are deadly diseases, viruses, plagues, and epidemics/pandemics.  These have been occurring from time to time but they are becoming more frequent and deadlier.  The same applies to earthquakes.

In verse 8 He said: “ All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

Additionally, the book of Revelations Chapter 4 contain prophesies of the mayhem to come

For more on the end times see the article: https://thechristianadvocate.org/the-bible-and-end-times/

God is not to be blamed

Scripture reads in Rom 8:22: “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”

The trials of the world are the result of the sin entered into the world through man.  The curse of sin upon all creation has brought much suffering.  Had sin not entered the human race there would be no suffering.  This suffering will continue and intensify until the return of Christ.  The complete coverage of this consequence is found in verses 19-23.

Closing

I am going to close with two Scriptures.  First, 2 Chron 7:14,

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 

It would be a glorious time if the nations would humble themselves and pray, seeking the face of God and repenting so that He can heal the lands.

Second, Ps 46:10

10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

It is time to be still and acknowledge God.  It is time to acknowledge Him and His Son our Lord and Savior.  It is time to turn from the wickedness that is so pervasive among us.  It is time to “be still” and know God.