Matt 24-25 Jesus & the End Times - P1

Matthew 24:1-2 1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

  

Jesus final words on final things

In Matthew 24:3, Jesus is answering three main questions from the disciples on Bible prophecy or what is sometimes called "eschatology" (study of last things) 

1. "Tell us, when will these things happen"

2. "and what will be the sign of your coming"

3. "and of the end of the age?"
 

What prompted this line of questioning was the disciples admiration of the seemingly indestructible grandeur of Herod's temple.  They had witnessed The Master enter into Jerusalem days before in Matthew 21, presenting Himself as Israel's King.  By His parable about the Wedding Feast in Matthew 22, it was clear that the nation had rejected their invitation to come and be the Messiah's bride.  Further actions from Jesus  led to the denouncement of the Pharisees and temple system in Matthew 23, with the journey from the temple to the Mount of Olives in Matthew 24.  Undoubtedly the disciples were thinking that their Master had come to overthrow Rome and to deliver both they and the nation from its tyranny.  Furthermore, looking at the grandeur of the temple overwhelmed them.

As Jesus would deliver his "last words on last things", it is important to realize that this message, called "The Olivet Discourse", provides the cornerstone for understanding what Bible teachers call "eschatology" or "study of last things" (i.e Bible prophecy).  What Jesus was going to do was to bring together the major themes of eschatology from the Old Testament and show how all history and prophetic fulfillment is culminated in Himself. 

For today at least, I want the reader to consider the three questions raised by the disciples in Matthew 24:3 as an outline of this majestic sermon by Jesus here in Matthew 24-25.

Understanding the flow and outline of Matthew 24-25

1. "Tell us, when will these things happen"  Matthew 24:1-41
The "these things" refer to Jesus' comments in Matthew 24:2 of not one stone of Herod's temple being left upon another.  What Jesus aimed to do in Matthew 24:1-41 was to answer when and how that was going to happen.  To the disciples, Herod's temple seemed indestructible, since it had taken over 40 years to build.  Yet Jesus predicts in Matthew 24:4-14 what would be the historic destruction of that very temple in 70 A.D.  Then with a seamless transition, Jesus uses the prediction of the temple's destruction as a template to point his disciples and us to the farther future in Matthew 24:15-20.  By the time you reach Matthew 24:21-31, you realize you are no longer in the first century times following Jesus' ascension and the Temple's destruction, but now you are witnessing the yet to come tribulation period. As Jesus finishes out answering this first question, He uses the parable of the fig tree in Matthew 24:32-41 to summarize both His near prediction of Herod's Temple's destruction in 70 A.D and the future Great Tribulation. 
 

2. "And what will be the sign of your coming" Matt 24:42-25:30
The answer to this second question has Jesus the Master preacher moving onto his second point concerning His second coming.  Matthew 24:1-41 is the warm-up and first point to what is the central theme of Jesus' final sermon: Readiness for His Second Coming.  As you read Matthew 24:42-25:30, you see statements about "readiness":

a. Matthew 24:42 - "Therefore be on the alert"
b. Matthew 24:44 - "be ready"
c. Matthew 25:10 - "who were ready"
d. Matthew 25:13 "Be on the alert then"

To reinforce the readiness necessary for His Second coming, Jesus uses several parables:

a. Wedding attendants of a Jewish bride (called virgins, comparable to bridemaids) who were awaiting for the arrival of the Bridegroom coming for the bride.  Five were ready and five were not, revealing that truly saved people will be eager for Christ's return, whereas those who are pretenders and not saved will think they have plenty of time. (Matthew 25:1-13)

b. Another parable about a group of three servants given a certain responsibility over oversight to the Master's money.  Two of the servants made their master's money gain interest, since they were anticipating His immediate and imminent return.  The last servant was not expecting His master, and thus demonstrated his lost condition.  (Matthew 25:14-30)

c. It is worth mentioning that Jesus also tells the parable of the fig tree in Matthew 24:32-41 with this same general sense of "being ready".  Though those verses occur in a different part of his sermon, yet as only Jesus the Master Preacher can do, all parts of His final message has a unity and purpose.  Be ready!

 

3. "And of the end of the age?"  Matthew 25:31-46
With the first two questions answered with some necessary overlap in the points, Jesus moves onto answer the disciples third question from Matthew 24:3.  By this point in His message, Jesus is in the far future, near the end of time and history itself.  I won't get into too many details on this final part, however we can make a couple of quick observations:

a. There are two groups of people gathered before Jesus: the Sheep and the Goats.  The Sheep are believers and the Goats are unbelievers. 

b. Because God progressively reveals His truth in greater and greater detail as time goes on, what we must understand is that Jesus is summarizing the theme of judgment.  No mention is made for example of His 1,000 year reign - a period of time that is more specifically dealt with in Revelation 20.  For Jesus' purposes in His sermon, the Millenial reign is not the focus, in so much is His answering of the final question: "and the end of the age"? As the master preacher, Jesus kept zeroed in on His main points, and did not deivate.

c. What amazes me about this final section is how personal Jesus is going to be in the judgment of believers and in the judgment of unbelievers.  Every word, deed and action will be reviewed.  When you consider the billions of people who have ever lived, you would think that such a judgment would take almost an eternity.  Yet Christ is demonstrating the fact He is truly omniscient, being able to handle such information with ease, effort and accuracy. 

Tomorrow we will take a closer look at this sermon of Jesus in understanding how it enables us to understand other scriptures that deal with end times (eschatology).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The situation that prompted the disciples to ask Jesus these three questions stemmed from their admiration of the grandeur of Herod's temple. Undoubtedly in the wider context of Matthew 21-25, Jesus had entered into Jerusalem to present Himself as Israel's King and the casting out of money changers in the temple. (Matthew 21) Matthew 22 has Jesus presenting the parable of the Marriage feast, where He illustrates the people's true attitude towards Him in rejecting His invitation to them to be His bride and subjects. With the prophetic/eschatological overtones thick in Jesus' words and actions, He then denounces both the temple system and the Pharisees with a series of woes in Matthew 23. With all of these words and activities preceeding the conversation in Matthew 24, it is no wonder the disciples thought that maybe Christ had came to deliver them from Roman Tyranny and usher in the Kingdom.

As we think further on prophetic themes in scripture, I felt it necessary to introduce the reader to Jesus' sermon on the subject - what is commonly referred to as "The Olivet Discourse" in Matthew 24-25.  When we speak about the subject of Bible prophecy or "last things", Bible teachers use the term "eschatology" ("eschatos" = final or last things and "ology" = study of).  In eschatology, questions about such subjects as Christ's return to what happens to people when they die to the future state of Israel, the church, the millennium and Eternity are raised. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poem: From Age to Age

Poem: From Age to Age

The Trinity existed before the time He invented

He alone was not alone, and in Himself was contented

The Father thought of ages to come and the Son in turn agreed

The Spirit worked forth life, hovering over what had been decreed

The Beginning age was creation when existence suddenly became

God began history's march with His glory being the aim

The first couple were created and then rebelled, choosing a tree over Him

The curse pronounced, death set in with the future looking

grim

God granted coats to cover nakedness caused by sin and shame

Thus began the second age: The Old Covenant age by name

The Patriarchs and Prophets foresaw the promised hope to be

By faith they believed the promise from God who reigns eternally

Silence passed from Malachi to Matthew with hope fading fast

Would the promise made by God ever come to pass?

Then in time The Champion was conceived in a virgin to

bless

Born in a stable, veiled in fraility, this God in human flesh

He lived, He taught to His cross, was raised and then ascended

In His Name the Spirit came, from the Father the Dove descended

The Old Covenant, former age closed, the work forever done

The church was born, hope rekindled, the present age begun

2,000 years has come and gone, and we lift our eyes on high

Awaiting the Savior to return, our redemption draweth nigh

When He comes, this age will end, the church will defy the ground

To Him resurrected saints will be gathered, with glory rushing around

Then comes wrath, the cosmos shakes, the earth a darkened mass

Quaking, shaking, fearsome sounds, Christ is coming fast

Hording armies will raise their swords to fight the Eternal King

With one swipe of His terrible sword their defeat in history will ring

The Kingdom Age, a millennium long, Christ will reign alone

He'll judge the nations, reign with peace, with majesty on His throne

As that fourth age ends and the sun is setting, the enemy will be let

loose

To lead a final war against the King, with the nations 

in his noose

The Final Judgment will then commence, unbelievers raised to

contempt

Sadness will swell, tears wiped from those who by

faith are exempt

Heaven and earth will be made anew, Christ and His church shall be

The glorious saints, in resurrected form will praise Him eternally

Top 12 Scriptures in Bible Prophecy

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Genesis 3:15 is significant for three reasons: First, it is the first mention of the Gospel; secondly, it contains the first promise and thirdly, it is an example of the first Bible prophecy.  On that last point I want to focus our attention today as we consider what I believe to be the top twelve verses, sections of scriptures or even Bible Books for studying Bible prophecy.  I recognize that my listing here is more my own list, and should not be taken to be "The Official Top Twelve".  Second, I recognize that more able Bible Students and Scholars than I may have a different list of candidates in their own "Top Twelve".  Frankly, I welcome the interraction and always desire to learn and know how to communicate God's Word better.  Then finally, with there being over 800 Bible prophecies in God's Word, there is no shortage of material when it comes to what God has to say about End Time events. 

With that said, I will for sake of space simply list the top 12 passages with some minimal commentary. May this list enable the student of scripture to start their study in Bible prophecy. For convenience's sake I will list the passages in their order of appearance in the Bible (i.e their canonical order).

A Listing of the Top Twelve Scriptures in Bible Prophecy

1. Genesis 3:15.  This one verse is the first prophecy in scripture and lays out the entirety of redemptive and prophetic history - the cosmic conflict between Christ and His Sovereign Kingdom versus the defeat of Satan and his secondary kingdom.

2. Genesis 12:1-7.  God's promise to Abraham sets the stage for God's program for bringing Christ in to the world in His first coming, as well as His Second coming.  God promised Abraham a "seed", which refers to Israel, ultimately Christ and then all of those redeemed in saving faith.  Second, God promised Abraham a "land", which refers to the nation of Israel, and of which will be the focal point of many prophetic events.  Then God promised Abraham a blessing, whereby through Him all of the nations would be blessed. 

3. 2 Samuel 7:13-16.  God's Covenant to David is an extension of the "seed" promise to Abraham, and bridges the distance between Abraham and Christ.  Not only is it vital for understanding Christ's identity in His first coming, but even more importantly is a cornerstone passage for what will occur when He returns to set up His Kingdom following His second coming.

4. Psalm 2 and 110.  I put these two passage together, since they occur in the same Bible Book and are referred to by scholars as "Enthronement Psalms" or "Messianic Psalms".  These two chapters depict the prophetic (or sometimes called eschatological) intent of God's covenant with David.  Psalm 110 is the most quoted passage in the New Testament, making it a cornerstone passage in the study of Bible prophecy. 

5. Jeremiah 31-33.  These three chapters in Jeremiah outline the predicted New Covenant Age, and correspond to the "blessing" aspect of God's promise to Israel.  Some Bible teachers believe that the New Covenant has been inaugurated or spiritually initiated in this current church age, with the full physical manifestation expected at Christ's return, when He restores the nation of Israel. 

6. Daniel 9:23-27.  I refer to this as the Bible's most amazing prophecy, simply because of its depth and range of coverage - spanning from the days of Jerusalem's Exile to Babylon, through to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ all the way to His second coming.  More could be said, however we also see prophecy's villain - the Anti-Christ and of course the Reigning Hero - Jesus Christ.

7. Daniel 11-12.  These two chapters cover all of history from the close of the Old Testament up until the time of Christ's return.   Daniel 11 details the time between the Testaments and then the final rebellion prior to Christ's return. The doctrines of resurrection receive their greatest treatment in all of the Old Testament in Daniel 12.

8. Matthew 24-25.  Jesus' Olivet Discourse, where He preaches His series on major Prophetic themes, is perhaps the true heart of what will be the New Testament's explanation of Prophecy from the Old Testament.  

9. 1 Corinthians 15:20-58.  This masterful section of verses gives what is perhaps the most concise chronology of major prophetic events in the New Testament.  The value of this passage is in how Eschatology or Prophecy is practically and doctrinally shown to connect to what Jesus accomplished in His First coming.  Furthermore, Bible prophecy is shown to be integral to the over all message of the Gospel.

10. 1 Thessalonians 4-5. It is in these two chapters we come to understand the doctrines of Christ's catching away his church - or what is better known as the rapture of the church.  Christ's second coming is spoken of extensively in these two chapters.  Another chapter that can be read in concert with these two chapters is 2 Thessalonians 2.

11. 2 Peter 3. This grand chapter in Peter's second letter helps the reader tie together the events of Genesis to the Prophetic Events of the New Testament.  We see God's heart for unbelievers, evidence for the worldwide flood and the prediction of the final closing of history in preparation for the New Heavens and New Earth.

12. The Book of Revelation.  I put the whole book, since it is God's final word on prophetic themes.  No study of Bible Prophecy is complete without seriously considering the interpretation and message of this Book. 

I could had listed other passages, however the aim of today's blog is to give you a sample of what is in God's Word when it comes to studying Bible prophecy.  I am sure as you do your own study, you will find other passages that you can add to your own list.  Remember, it is our privilege and duty as Christians to give reason for the hope that is in us. (1 Peter 3:15)   

Picturing Calvary's Alphabet - Deuteronomy 19-21

Hebrews 2:14-15 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

Christ's work pictured and predicted in the Old Testament
The cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the central acts of history and the Bible.  When we look at the Old Testament - we can divide all the 39 books of that part of the scriptures in the following ways:

1. Genesis - Song of Solomon (Pentateuch, Historical Books and Poetic Books) picture the work of Christ

2. Isaiah to Malachi (Major and Minor Prophets) predict the work of Christ

Thus the Pentateuch (Genesis to Deuteronomy) picture the work of Christ in Abraham's giving of Isaac (Genesis 22), the tabernacle (Exodus 25-40), the sacrifices (Leviticus 1-7), the brazen serpent on the pole (Numbers 21) and the cities of refuge (Deuteronomy 19). 

The Historical books (Joshua - Esther) picture Christ in disguise by such episodes as when He appeared as the Angel of the Lord to Joshua (Joshua 5:23) and Gideon (Judges 6:11-18).  Christ is pictured by the life of David in regards to his kingship or by Solomon in terms of his royalty (Matthew 12:42).

Then in the Poetic Books (Job - Ecclesiastes), we see Christ pictured as the bridegroom (Psalm 45, Song of Solomon), The mediator (Job 9:33) and the Divine Son (Proverbs 30:4-5). 

In the Major Prophets (Isaiah - Daniel) we see Christ predicted as the Lamb of God (Isaiah 53), the Son of Man (Daniel 7). 

Whereas in the Minor Prophets (Hosea - Malachi) we see predictions of His birth (Micah 5:3), His entry into Jerusalem on the week of His crucifixion (Zechariah 9:9), His crucifixion (Zechariah 12:10), His resurrection (Isaiah 53:10) and Return (Malachi 4:1-6). 

Christ's work portrayed & explained in the New Testament
In like manner, we can take the 27 books of the New Testament and discover how they portray and explain Christ's completed work:

1. The Gospels portray Christ as King (Matthew), Servant (Mark), Perfect Man (Luke) and God in Human Flesh (John).

2. Acts, the Epistles and Revelation all serve to explain the outworkings and accomplishments of Christ's finished work.  In Acts for example, we see nearly 20 sermons preached in the early church, with half of them centering around the resurrection.  The 21 New Testament letters describe Christ's work as providing justification (Romans), Sanctification (1 & 2 Corinthians), Forgiveness and Adoption and New Life (Galatians-2 Timothy), as well as salvation having been planned before time began (Ephesians, 2 Timothy 1:9, Titus 1:2).  Revelation of course tells us that Christ's second coming is made possible only because He was the Lamb who was slain. (Revelation 5)

Tracing how the Bible communicates the centrality of Christ's cross and resurrection will enable us to understand the pictures of Calvary given to us in Deuteronomy 19-21.

Deuteronomy 19-21 pictures four reasons for the cross
In Deuteronomy Moses is preaching his final sermon series to a generation of Israelites ready to cross over to Canaanland.  What he is writing about in Deuteronomy 19-21 provides pictures of the four reasons Christ came.  As you will see, some of these passages are actually spoken of in the New Testament.  So why the cross?  As we will see, the pictures of Christ's accomplishments will be presented in alphabetical order: A,B,C & D: 
Asylum from Wrath.  Deuteronomy 19:4-7
The cities of refuge were revealed originally in Numbers 35 as six cities where those who accidently killed a fellow Israelite.  The one who did the unintentional taking of a life was called "the manslayer".  By the laws of that day, a relative of the one slain to claim the right to exact vengance on the manslayer, pursuing him or her to kill her (thus that relative was termed "the avenger").  To curb what would be the killing of people who didn't mean to kill another person, God ordained "cities of refuge" whereby the manslayers could flee and be protected from the legal right of the avenger to "avenge" the death of their relatives.1 

Hebrews 6:18 uses this imagery in its description of Jesus Christ - "so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us."  Numerous other New Testament texts describe Christ as the only refuge to whom the sinner can flee to escape the avenging wrath of God. (such as Romans 5:9-10 and 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9).2 

Bearing of our sins. Deuteronomy 19:15-19
Deuteronomy 19:15 tells us - “A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed."  As you go down through the text, you discover details of how a Jewish court proceeding is supposed to go, and penalties that follow if protocol is not followed.  Amazingly, this text shows the injustice that Christ suffered in His three Jewish Trials and three Gentile trials.3   Thankfully Jesus came to bear our sins, in our place, upon Himself. (Isaiah 53:3-4,7; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Peter 3:18) He paid the ransom for sin to the Father. (Mark 10:45; Romans 5:8-10)

Conquering of Satan.  Deuteronomy 20:1-4
In a seemingly obscure passage on rules for warfare, we see a beautiful picture of how Christ our High Priest was brought to us at salvation in Deuteronomy 20:2-4.4  Christ came to destroy Satan's work and tyranny, thus setting free all who by grace through faith believe. (Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8)  Christ defeated the devil at the cross and rendered ineffective the power of his bondage and cruelty over Christians. (Colossians 2:11-15) 

Delivery from the Curse.  Deuteronomy 21:23
Galatians 3:13 actually quotes Deuteronomy 21:23 with these words - "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”.  Here is a question: "Why didn't Jesus just come down on a Friday, get his finger pricked to put blood in a vial, and then go back up to Heaven by Sunday?  Why did He have to come, live, die and raise from the dead?  One reason: to reverse the curse.  The Old Adam by his disobedience brought a curse upon all humanity and our world. (Genesis 3)  However the New Adam, Christ, brings life and exemption from the curse of spiritual death upon all who by grace through faith believe. (Romans 5:19; 1 Corinthians 15:21ff)5

Would you and I praise the Lord this day for the reasons He came!

End Notes_______________________

1.  The place of the Avenger in ancient Biblical history had its beginnings in the Covenant spoken to Noah in Genesis 9:6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man."  Undoubtedly man had taken this principle and exploited it to exact vengence in both just and unjust ways.  God spoke to Moses in Exodus 21:14 of how He was going to make provisions of refuge for manslayers among the Israelites.  According to Deuteronomy 19 and the more detailed passage in Numbers 35, the manslayer would live in the city of refuge until the death of the then reigning high priest. Once that occured, the avenger no longer had legal right to kill the manslayer, and thus the manslayer was "free" to return home.  I put "free" in quotes, since there could always be the fear of retaliation from the Avenger even though the Law of God prohibited him from pursuing the manslayer any further.  As commentators have noted, being that Jesus Christ our High Priest ever lives, we thus have an eternal safe refuge in Him protecting us from the wrath of a Holy God and Just God.  Amazingly, the One in whom I find refuge is that Holy One who because of His death, is the basis for the Father's declaration of my innocence in the Divine Refuge of His Son. (Romans 8:1)   

2.  Unlike the unintentional sinner in Deuteornomy 19, we all sinned intentionally, and deserved the penalty assigned by God's law - death. (Romans 6:23) However Christ came and died as the believer's high priest, meaning that the penalty of the law is arrested at the gate of grace wherein the sinner enters by faith into Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 6:18) Inside Jesus there is safety and outside of Christ there is wrath waiting. (John 3:16, 36)

3. We know that the Jewish priests and Sanhedrin tried to get false witnesses to testify against Jesus - resulting in their testimonies contradicting one another. (Matthew 26:25-29) Furthermore, the Jewish people themselves gladly exchanged a known criminal for Jesus, gladly accepting the curse of innocent blood in order for their wishes of crucifixion of Jesus to occur. (Matthew 26:25-26) Then of course when Pilate washed his hands of Christ in Matthew 26:24, he represented every Gentile. If Christ had not uttered on the cross in Luke 23:34 "Father forgive them", the wrath of God would had been poured out on them and us rather than Him.

4. Deuteronomy 20:2-4 reads -  2“When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people. 3“He shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, 4for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

5. The Curse had to be reversed for all who believe in God, by the shed blood of Christ through the drawing of the Holy Spirit at Mount Calvary, otherwise we born into this world would still fall under the curse demanded by the Law revealed at Mount Sinai. (Hebrews 12:18-24)

Do Judge (rightly)

Matthew 7:1 1"Do not judge so that you will not be judged."

John 7:24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment"

Review from yesterday
Yesterday we concluded that the only time we are not to judge is when we judge wrongly.  Wrong types of judgment include judgment that is ill-informed, done with the intent to harm, ignorant of scripture and ill-timed.   These are the type of judging prohibited by scripture.  As we noted also, we hear constantly the cry of of people, inside and outside the church, to not be too judgmental. What was it that Jesus was exactly teaching in Matthew 7? Was He telling his listeners and us to not excercise any judgment whatsoever? Like yesterday's blog, I included John 7:24 which sheds light on the intent behind Jesus' words.

Aim of today: Judging rightly
I would like us to take some moments to reflect on Jesus's words and other scripture to understand that it is not only the Christian's right, but duty to judge correctly.  As you go down through Matthew 7 and other passages, you discover the right kinds of judgment:

1. Christian's have the right and duty to judge when they aim to help their brother

We as Christians are to look for ways to stimulate one another onto love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24-25) This is important, since as Christians we have a duty to warn one another of destructive tendencies we may see in one another. (Galatians 6:1; Jude 22-23) Matthew 18 is the most detailed passage in God's Word that spells out how the church is to function with this right kind of judgment. Whenever I refuse to rightly judge a fellow brother or sister who is wallowing in known sin, I'm not interested in loving them nor building them up.

2. Christian's have the right and duty to judge when they are informed

What is interesting about Matthew 7 is how much Jesus actually urges us to excercise the right kind of judgment. In Matthew 7:1-4 he warns against judging others whenever our only aim is to destroy that other person. However in Matthew 7:5 we see Jesus instructing us to proceed ahead in dealing with our fellow brother once we have removed the "log" out of our own eye. Getting rid of our own blind spot will greatly aid in us being able to have a clearer perspective on a given situation.1

3. Christian's have the right and duty to judge whenever they consult God's word in its context

By what basis was Jesus teaching his listeners about the difference between right and worng judgment? Notice Matthew 7:28-29 "And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes." This spells out why many in his audience were exercising wrong judgment - they never consulted the scriptures in their context. Its not enough to take a verse and apply haphazardly, since such a practice is just as bad as not consulting the scripture at all. Appropriate use of scripture in discernment and judgment requires using it in the right context.

4. Christian's have the right and duty to judge whenever they do so with patience

This final principle in judging rightly is gained from looking once again at Matthew 7:15-20. Jesus tells us we have the right to judge a person's profession of faith based upon the fruit of their actions. The question is: does fruit take time to develop or does it develop the next day? Discernment is necessary when knowing when to address a professing Christian that has went a period of time without bearing fruit.  Jesus' urges us as Christians to be mindful of spiritual fruit - however we must remember that sometimes it takes a while for good fruit to develop.2 Whenever we exercise patience, the Lord promises He will guide us so that perchance that person may be granted repentance to escape from the snare of the evil one. (2 Timothy 2:24-26)

Conclusion and benefits of judging rightly
As we conclude this short study on judging, we can note the following.  First, a Christian should not judge when they have ill-motives, lack of all the information, are ignoring the scripture or impatient.  Secondly, we discovered today that Jesus and the rest of scripture tells Christians that they have the right to judge when they aim to build up, have all the information, are using scripture in context and have patience.  When we judge in the manner prescribed by Jesus and the other biblical authors, we will function in spiritual maturity (Hebrews 5:14) and be equipped to issue the call to faith and repentance mandated by the Gospel. (Acts 3:19) My prayer is that these blogs have aided you in thinking through this important subject of practicing proper judgment. 


Endnotes:_________________

 1 Furthermore, Christians are told by Jesus that they have the ability to judge and call people to repentance: "Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:20) That is a judgment call that entails having the information gained from watching a persons lifestyle and behavior - which Jesus does advocate.

2 So then, what happens when we don't see the good fruit develop? Furthermore, how long should we go until we tell that person we don't see fruit developing? Whenever you gain all the information, have the motive to be constructive and have consulted scripture in context, you will have the basis upon which to approach that person. Timing is everything. Certainly to not do anything is unacceptable.

Do not judge (wrongly)

Matthew 7:1 1"Do not judge so that you will not be judged."

John 7:24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment"

As a Christian, I constantly hear cries everywhere to "not judge". In fact, when someone denounces what is a patently immoral action, people will rise up and say: "Don't judge that person" or even ask the question: "who are you to judge"? Some well meaning Christians will even cite Matthew 7:1 as proof that as Christians, we need to exercise love and not judge other people.  Is that accurate?  What was it that Jesus was exactly teaching in Matthew 7? Was He telling his listeners (and us) to not exercise any judgment whatsoever? If you will notice in the opening of today's blog, I included John 7:24 to  shed light on the intent behind Jesus' words. I would like us to take today and tomorrow to reflect on this topic of judging.  Today we will focus Jesus's words and other scriptures to understand first of all what it means to wrongly judge.  The premise of this blogger will be that only wrong types of judgment are prohibited in scripture. 

What does it mean to judge in general?
When you do a word study on the Hebrew and Greek words translated "judge" or "judgment", you gain the following meanings: "to discern, to guide correctly, to reach the right conclusions with the right perspective." To not exercise judgment in any circumstance takes away the Christian's responsibility to exercise discernment between right and wrong which lies at the heart of spiritual maturity. (Hebrews 5:14)  However, for many people, whenever they see Jesus plainly say: "Do not judge", they conclude that judging is prohibited.  Only without reading the rest of Matthew 7 or other scriptures could one reach such a conclusion (ironically, to reach any conclusion, you have to judge!) The Bible never once prohibits people from judging. The only thing the Bible prohibits is judging wrongly.

Wrong kinds of judgment
So what happens when people judge wrongly? Consider what constitutes incorrect forms of judgment:

1. Judging with the intent to harm is wrong judgment
Jesus is not prohibiting judging others in Matthew 7, rather He is prohibiting the wrong kinds of judgment. Often we will make pretty positive assessments about ourselves and yet find ourselves tearing down other people. In Matthew 7:5 Jesus warns: "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye."1

2 Judging with Incomplete information is wrong judgment
Scripture tells us of another type of wrong judgment: namely judgment that operates on incomplete information or surface level facts. The prophet Samuel for instance went to the house of a man named Jesse to anoint the next King of Israel.2 God warned Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7 "But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” With this counsel Samuel ended up anointing the least likely candidate: David. Jesus' comments in Matthew 7:1-5 also address this type of wrong judgment.  In order to judge correctly, I need to be made aware of my own blindspot which is getting in the way of having all the information!

3. Judging that ignores God's Word is wrong judgment
As we saw above, Samuel's judgment had to be corrected by God's known will - the word of God, in order for Him to correctly judge and discern who would be the next king of Israel. When we come to John 7:24, the wrong kind of judgment is contrasted with the right kind of judgment. The Christian who attempts to discern or judge without giving the scriptures a second thought can run the danger of judging wrongly.3 Thus the righteous judgment being advocated by Jesus in John 7:24 and Matthew 7 is a judgment that consults scripture within its proper setting and context.

4. Judging impatiently is wrong judgment
In 1 Corinthians 4 the Apostle Paul is dealing with a group of arrogant people at the church who need to be admonished. As you read down through the chapter, it is very clear what his pastoral duty is: confront the sin. Though the duty is clear, Paul is also aware of the fact that if not carried out in the right timing - the admonishment could backfire. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:19 - "But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power." Paul is guarding himself against the wrong types of judgment we looked at already: namely judging with the intent to harm, judging with incomplete information and judging that ignores God's Word. Paul has all the facts and He has scripture and Apostolic authority. However he is exercising the much needed attitude of patience and timing. Right judgment, excercised at the wrong time, has the same net effect as wrong judgment.

Tomorrow we will consider right types of judgment, and why the Christian has the duty and right to judge rightly. 

Endnotes:_________________
1 James 5:11-12 gives a similar warning to his readers, warning them not to "speak against" their brother. True and correct judgment aims for what is right or just, whereas wrong judgment has no regard for the well-being of the other person. Destructive judgment and hypocritical judgment are variations of this first type of wrong judgment, which Jesus here in Matthew 7 is denouncing.

2 For Samuel, he thought he was going to anoint a man who was like King Saul: tall, prominent and strong. Jesse had seven sons who in the eyes of men were fit candidates to be the next king of Israel. Jesse had all of them pass before Samuel, who thought "surely this one is the Lord's anointed". (1 Samuel 16:6)

3 Certainly we have the ability to reason and to observe, however those are the means by which we gather information about whatever we are about to judge. However what authority or base are we using to evaluate the rightness or wrongness of something? Psalm 19:8 reminds us: "the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes."

Fellowship with God Strengthens Assurance

1 John 1:7  but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Relationship and Fellowship with God
What is the difference between your relationship with God and your fellowship with God? Relationship has to do with the eternal security of my salvation rooted in Christ's completed work.  Relationship is looking at your post-salvation-life from a vertical, God-to-you perspective.1 The idea of fellowship on the otherhand views your post-salvation-life in a horizontal perspective, that is, from a you-to-God perspective.  Fellowship is dealing with how close you are to God in your day to day walk. 

An Illustration
To illustrate this distinction, let's say my wife and I have a difference of opinion.  Our relationship is based upon the marriage vows that state: "till death do us part."  The relationship will not be in jeopardy if she and I differ over a matter.  However, our fellowship or closeness to one another can vary from day to day or moment to moment, depending upon how much we communicate, how much time we spend and whether or not we immediately resolve differences.2 

What particular ways do we find fellowship with God to be the strength of our assurance?
In the Apostle John's little ltter of 1 John, we find some 70 different statements in 105 verses about the topic of assurance of salvation.  John talks about the impotance of fellowship some four times in 1 John 1:5-2:6, the focal text of today's blog.  In the above opening verse of 1 John 1:7, I underlined two phrases: "fellowship" and "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin".  I did this because John here is reminding us that our Eternal security rests in Christ's finished work, whereas our fellowship or awareness of our assurance of salvation rests upon our proximity to Christ Himself. 

How is it that your fellowship with God is determinitive of the level of assurance you can enjoy as a Christian in your salvation?  Consider the three main thoughts below from 1 John 1:5-2:6

1. Closeness to God clarifies Assurance.  1 John 1:5-7
Relationship to God is based upon the cross, whereas fellowship is measured by how close I stay to the cross.  One of the phrases we find John repeating throughout these verses is the phrase: "if we say". (1 John 1:6, 8, 10, 2:4,6)  These statments have to do with those who are claiming to be Christians.  John's point is to exhort His readers to evaluate the nature of their claim.  Do they walk in the light as He is in the light? If not, then their practice will demonstrate what they profess.  Only when we are intentional walking close to the Lord will we then have clarity as to how healthy we are as Christians.  

2. Confession of sin restores assurance.  1 John 1:8-2:2
Notice what this second thought is not saying: namely that confession of sin will restore salvation.  In the larger doctrine of perseverance, we have two aspects; eternal security and Assurance.  Eternal security cannot be lost for a Christian, since by faith they are resting on the completed work of Jesus Christ.  Thus Eternal security fits in the relationship aspect of salvation, which we have already discussed.  Assurance on the other hand can fluctuate, and even at times be virtually non-existent in a Christian's life who is persisting in unrepentant or hidden sin.  1 John 1:9 is key, since the sin between me and my closeness to God is keeping me from enjoying the immediate awareness of His presence in my life.  Once you confess your mess, the Bible says you will be cleansed from all unrighteousness.  Much like if I apologize to my wife, our closeness is restored.  The relationship was never in jeopardy, since it is based upon an institution ordained by God - marriage. 

3. Commitment to the scriptures proves assurance.  1 John 2:3-6
Time and time again John draws the link between our level of assurance and our level of exposure the Word of God.  Not only exposure, but obedience to what we have been exposed to.  Are you and I walking out the measure of light we are given from the scriptures?  If anything, this was the main reason why John wrote this little book, as stated in 1 John 5:13 - "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."  That underlined phrase "you may know" occurs over 25 times in this little letter.  Unless you and I have our noses in the book, and in turn take the book in our hearts, we will never defeat the doubts in our minds.  I know who I am and whose I am because of the Bible. 

May you and I dear friend walk in closer fellowship with God so as to enjoy greater assurance. For as we do, we can rejoice in the fact that because of Jesus Christ, our salvation is eternally secure. (John 10:27-28; Jude 24-25) 

End Notes__________________

1.   God the Father planned salvation and set His affection upon you in eternity past. (Ephesians 1:3-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13) The Son agreed to come in the virgin birth as a man, live a perfect life of 33 years and purchase your salvation by way of crucifixion and affirming His accomplishment by way of His resurrection. (Ephesians 1:7-10; 1 Corinthians 15:1-5)  The Holy Spirit then agreed He would apply salvation, convicting you, calling you and convincing you of Jesus Christ, which in turn you then believed and are saved. (John 16:8-11; Ephesians 1:11-14)  The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, in it's Article V,  refers to the Father's planning as His "Purpose of Grace", with The Son's Purchase and Spirit's Application of salvation included under Article IV: "Salvation".

2. Relationship is fixed, defined by someone outside of us - namely God.  God ordained marriage and of course He is the Author of salvation.  He ordained grace as the base and faith as the means of receiving such grace.  The cross is the grounds of the relationship and God's glory is the end-goal of the relationship.  Christ alone is the Mediator between the believer and God.  Fellowship on the otherhand will vary depending upon how much I hear God in prayer, take time to study His word and live obediently to what He says.   

Mon 3/4Poem: The God Who is and is known

The God who is and is known

 

God in of Himself, uncreated glory

 

Chose to create everything to reveal His story

 

He is One in essence, unending and bright

 

The Eternal God who dwells in uncreated light

 

He who is One reveals Himself as Three

 

Father, Son, Holy Spirit - the Holy Trinity

 

The Father is God who loves

 

Eternal in His activity

 

He directs His love to the Son, Equal in Divinity

 

The Son is the Beloved, with the Father in perfect unity

 

He is the one who reveals the inaccessible Deity

 

The Father planned all things in the wonder of His will

 

with the Son agreeing to perform His work, the cross to fulfill

 

History was made by the Father and entered into by the Son

 

To finish in history what in eternity had been begun

 

The Father and The Son, united in perfection

 

The Father being light and the Son His reflection

 

For such Perfect Love to have been in constant activity

 

A Third Person had to be sharing in the union of Deity

 

The Holy Spirit is the love between the Father and the Son

 

Equal to the two, all three being One

 

The God who is, has revealed in His word

 

He has sent forth the truth to be spoken and heard

 

The Spirit opens the truth in the sacred scriptures

 

Come by faith to Jesus, the source of endless treasures

 

The Spirit's call proclaims the truth: salvation has been won

 

The barren cross and empty tomb, Christ's work has been done

 

The Gospel tells you plainly, make your heart His throne

 

Praise God Who is and Who desires to be known

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Behold your God - Isaiah 40

Isaiah 40:9 "O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!" (KJV)

Isaiah 40 is among the greatest chapters in all of the 1189 chapters of God's Word.  In one chapter we get thoroughly introduced to the God of sacred scripture.  In today's blog I want to give you the reader an outline of this marvelous chapter, with the aim to make you more eager to know and pursue the God of glory. The chapter begins with God being the source of comfort and ends with the same truth.  May your Lord's day be blessed as you reflect on Isaiah's words in this fortieth chapter of His book.

What kind of God is the God of the Bible and Who is he revealed to be in Isaiah 40?  

1. God is the Personal God.    Isaiah 40:1-9

God is the Personal God that is the One True God.  Isaiah 40:1
This Personal God is God the Father.                       Isaiah 40:2
The Father is made know by the Son.                       Isaiah 40:3-5
The Son is revealed in scripture by the Spirit.           Isaiah 40:6-9

2. God is the Powerful God.    Isaiah 40:10-26

All-Good God (Omni-Benevolent)                             Isaiah 40:10-11
All Wise God (Omni-Sapient)                                    Isaiah 40:12
All Knowing God (Omni-scient)                                 Isaiah 40:13-14
Infinite                                                                        Isaiah 40:15-17
Self Existent (Aseity)                                                 Isaiah 40:18-20
All Present (Omni-present)                                        Isaiah 40:21-22
All Powerful (Omni-potent)                                       Isaiah 40:23-26    

3. God is the Providing God.   Isaiah 40:27-31

He is able to provide                                                Isaiah 40:27-28
He knows how to provide                                        Isaiah 40:29
He knows to whom to provide                                 Isaiah 40:30-31

To God be the glory! May you and I dear reader find our strength in Him as we enjoy Him!

T.R.U.E Love that waits and succeeds - P3

1 Timothy 6:11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

Yesterday we featured details about the message behind a very important movement called "True Love Waits".  As a pastor I plan on preaching on this subject at our church this Sunday in lieu of what will be our youth pledging themselves publically to abstinence until marriage.  The message, based out of 1 Timothy 6:6-16, will  propose that: true love that waits and is faithful succeeds when you and I are a t.r.u.e man / woman of God. I would urge the reader to look back over the past couple of posts to review how we have defined the term "man of God", as well as gain an understanding of the message of "true love waits". 

Today I want us to interract with 1 Timothy 6:6-16 to understand Paul's message to young Pastor Timothy, urging him to be the man of God to that flock.  The principles we glean from this text can be used in gaining victory in the realm of moral/spiritual purity.  Thus in regards to "True Love Waits", we can be spiritually/morally and physically pure when as t.r.u.e men and women of God we consider the following four truths...

Trust in the Lord.  1 Timothy 6:6-11a
Paul writes beginning at 1 Timothy 6:6 "But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment."  Godliness in this passage simply means a man or woman of God who is trusting in God.  The last word in that passage - "contentment", is the motive that plays a major role in moral decisions.  Often whenever people are seeking fulfillment or contentment, they will attempt to attain it at whatever price. 

Scripture is very clear - there is only one way to be content - through Jesus Christ. Paul writes in Philippians 4:12-13 "know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."  People will spend hundreds and thousands of dollars to achieve lasting contentment - only to find that the the pleasure of the moment dwindles, requiring "more stuff" or "more excitement".  As the middle verse of the Bible tells us in Psalm 118:8 - "it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." 

As you go down through 1 Timothy 6:7-11, Paul warns Timothy about what happens when people try to find contentment outside of trusting the Lord: "ruin and destruction". (verse 10)  The godliness spoken of in 1 Timothy 6:6 is repeated in 6:11. A man or woman of God who is true to God and entrusts their future or current circumstances to Him are those who are trusting the Lord.  But notice secondly what we find in these verses, namely the man/woman of God also must....

Run faith's race.  1 Timothy 6:11b-12
Paul gives Timothy the command: "pursue!".  The Greek word translated "pursue" refers to "run or aggressively chasing after" and could be translated - "keep on aggressively chasing after righteousness, faith, love, perserverance and gentleness."  A man or woman of God who is operating in true love will not only wait but succeed in their relationships and life because of the fact they are running the race of faith.  Success here is measured not by immunity from trouble in so much as it is marked by persistent faithfulness and reliance on the power of the Lord. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Passages such as Philippians 3:12-14 and Hebrews 12:1-2 urges Christians to run the race of faith.  As we run, we are also to "fight the good fight of faith" and hold onto our place in the race, not retreating back or losing our spot.  Moral and spiritual purity is not sprint but a marathon.  Like any good marathon runner, you need to be replenished with water.  Truly the water of the word, which communicates all of the qualities explained by Paul in 1 Timothy 6:11 is what you daily need if you aim to succeed as a t.r.u.e man or woman of God. (Ephesians 5:26; 2 Timothy 3:17)  So a true man or woman of God, in order to both wait and be faithful before and after marriage and in life, must trust God, run faith's race and thirdly.....

Understand God's Word.  1 Timothy 6:13-14a
Paul's kicks his words to Timothy up a whole bunch of notches when he reminds the young pastor that everything he is writing is done in the presence of God and of Jesus Christ.  In verse 14 he tells Timothy, the man of God, to "keep the command without stain or reproach until Christ's appearance."  The more you study and apply God's Word to your life, the more you will understand who you are and whose you are. (Joshua 1:18; Psalm 119:11) 

Is Paul saying here to understand and obey God's word without sin?  Hardly.  Only Jesus did that.  Frankly, who of us can say we have kept every word of scripture perfectly?  It is important to understand that Paul is not advocating obedience to God's Word in sinless perfection, rather he is advocating what the Bible calls "blamelessness".  A blameless person is someone who lives their life in such a way as to not be subject to accusation.  Blamelessness has to do with my conduct or behavior, which can be pure before men and the Lord.    Psalm 101:3 explains how to be "blameless" - "I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me."  In a commitment like true love waits, what you allow your eyes to see or not to see can make all the difference in what you do. (Matthew 6:22)

Can we keep the commands of scripture in such a way as to build a testimony of faithfulness over time?  Absolutely!  God's grace is available for every command He gives us.  1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds us -  "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." Moral and spiritual purity in the realm of our physical relationships is perhaps the greatest test of how much we view ourselves to be in the eternal presence of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.   In understanding God's word, we aim to read it, memorize it and meditate upon its words so as to have correct thinking. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)  With the above points about what it means to be a t.r.u.e man/woman of God who aims to succeed in true moral/spiritual purity, lets consider one final thought...

Endure till Jesus Comes.  1 Timothy 6:14b-16
Unless we understand that all of our efforts in godliness have an eternal significance, we will become quickly discouraged.  Jesus Christ's second coming is the main motivation used in the New Testament for encouraging Christians to live holy and moral upright lives. (1 Thessalonians 4:18; 1 Peter 1:5; 1 John 3:1-3)  A man or woman of God is someone who trusts in the Lord, runs faith's race, understands God's word and endures untill Jesus returns.  His second coming signals the end of this age of grace and the finish line for every child of God. (Titus 2:13)  Christians we will be rewarded and judged based upon their level of faithfulness before Christ's throne. Such a realization should motivate us to carry out such commitments as "true love waits". (Matthew 12:36; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11)