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Sunday, 19 April 2009

  • The Backslider

    Prov 14:14 "The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above."

    Introduction

    One problem that Christians have to deal with during their Christian life is backsliding. Everyone does it! It does not matter how mature you are spiritually.

  • Are you finding it easier to make excuses not to go to church?
  • Do you go to church less now than you used to?
  • Do you pray or read the Bible more, in times of crisis?
  • Does the preaching of God's Word affect you less?
  • Do the songs sung in church mean less to you?
  • Do you think less of spiritual things and more of worldly things?
  • Do you speak less of God in school or on the job than you once did?
  • Is it becomming easier for you to listen to a questionable joke instead of just walking away?
    • If the answer to any of these questions is YES, then you are backslidden!
     

    A. What causes a Christian to backslide?

    1. Solomon

    1 Kings 11:1-2 "But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites; from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love."

    1 Kings 11:4 "For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David."

    1 Kings 11:6 "Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD, as did his father David."

    Solomon backslid because of the evil associations he kept. I could be your associates at work, your friends, what you listen to on the radio, or even your family.

    • You could quit your job, move to the middle of nowhere and become a hermit, however, it was once written that "No man is an island".  God doesn't command us to isolate ourselves, He commands us to, '"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.' Matthew 28:19-20

    2. Amaziah

    2 Chr 25:1-2 "Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a loyal heart."

    2 Chr 25:14 "Now it was so, after Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the people of Seir, set them up to be his gods, and bowed down before them and burned incense to them."

    • Amaziah was successful because he did what God had commanded him to do by a prophet concerning those he had hired to subdue the Edomites. God then gave him a great victory over the Edomites. But because he began to worship some of the gods that he took from the Edomites, and he thought he was a great general, God took his life in Lachish. (2 Kings 14:8-14, 19)

    Rev 3:17-19 "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'; and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent."

    Self-sufficiency is the fatal danger of a lukewarm state
    thou sayest--virtually and mentally, if not in so many words.
    increased with goods--Greek, "have become enriched," implying self-praise in self-acquired riches. The Lord alludes to Hosea 12:8. The riches on which they prided themselves were spiritual riches; though, doubtless, their spiritual self-sufficiency ("I have need of nothing") was much fostered by their worldly wealth; as, on the other hand, poverty of spirit is fostered by poverty in respect to worldly riches.
    knowest not that thou--in particular above all others. The "THOU" in the Greek is emphatic.
    art wretched--Greek, "art the wretched one."
    miserable--So one oldest manuscripts reads. But two oldest manuscripts prefix "the." Translate, "the pitiable"; "the one especially to be pitied." How different Christ's estimate of men, from their own estimate of themselves, "I have need of nothing!"
    blind--whereas Laodicea boasted of a deeper than common insight into divine things. They were not absolutely blind, else eye-salve would have been of no avail to them; but short-sighted.Gentle and loving irony. Take My advice, thou who fanciest thyself in need of nothing. Not only art thou not in need of nothing, but art in need of the commonest necessaries of existence. He graciously stoops to their modes of thought and speech: Thou art a people ready to listen to any counsel as to how to buy to advantage; then, listen to My counsel (for I am "Counsellor," Isaiah 9:6), buy of ME" (in whom, according to Paul's Epistle written to the neighboring Colosse and intended for the Laodicean Church also, Colossians 2:1,3, 4:16, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge). "Buy" does not imply that we can, by any work or merit of ours, purchase God's free gift; nay the very purchase money consists in the renunciation of all self-righteousness, such as Laodicea had (Revelation 3:17). "Buy" at the cost of thine own self-sufficiency (so Paul, Philippians 3:7,8); and the giving up of all things, however dear to us, that would prevent our receiving Christ's salvation as a free gift, for example, self and worldly desires. Compare Isaiah 55:1, "Buy . . . without money and price."
    of me--the source of "unsearchable riches" (Ephesians 3:8). Laodicea was a city of extensive money transactions [CICERO].
    gold tried in, &c.--literally, "fired (and fresh) from the fire," that is, just fresh from the furnace which has proved its purity, and retaining its bright gloss. Sterling spiritual wealth, as contrasted with its counterfeit, in which Laodicea boasted itself. Having bought this gold she will be no longer poor (Revelation 3:17).
    mayest be rich--Greek, "mayest be enriched."
    white raiment--"garments." Laodicea's wools were famous. Christ offers infinitely whiter raiment. As "gold tried in the fire" expresses faith tested by fiery trials: so "white raiment," Christ's righteousness imputed to the believer in justification and imparted in sanctification.
    appear--Greek, "be manifested," namely, at the last day, when everyone without the wedding. garment shall be discovered. To strip one, is in the East the image of putting to open shame. So also to clothe one with fine apparel is the image of doing him honor. Man can discover his shame, God alone can cover it, so that his nakedness shall not be manifested at last (Colossians 3:10-14). Blessed is he whose sin is so covered. The hypocrite's shame may be manifested now; it must be so at last.
    anoint . . . with eye-salve--The oldest manuscripts read, "(buy of Me) eye-salve (collyrium, a roll of ointment), to anoint thine eyes." Christ has for Laodicea an ointment far more precious than all the costly unguents of the East. The eye is here the conscience or inner light of the mind. According as it is sound and "single" (Greek, "haplous," "simple"), or otherwise, the man sees aright spiritually, or does not. The Holy Spirit's unction, like the ancient eye-salve's, first smarts with conviction of sin, then heals. He opens our eyes first to ourselves in our wretchedness, then to the Saviour in His preciousness. TRENCH notices that the most sunken churches of the seven, namely, Sardis and Laodicea, are the ones in which alone are specified no opponents from without, nor heresies from within. The Church owes much to God's overruling Providence which has made so often internal and external foes, in spite of themselves, to promote His cause by calling forth her energies in contending for the faith once delivered to the saints. Peace is dearly bought at the cost of spiritual stagnation, where there is not interest enough felt in religion to contend about it at all.(Job 5:17, Proverbs 3:11,12, Hebrews 12:5,6.) So in the case of Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33:11-13).
    As many--All. "He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. And shalt thou be an exception? If excepted from suffering the scourge, thou art excepted from the number of the sons" [AUGUSTINE]. This is an encouragement to Laodicea not to despair, but to regard the rebuke as a token for good, if she profit by it.
    I love--Greek, "philo," the love of gratuitous affection, independent of any grounds for esteem in the object loved. But in the case of Philadelphia (Revelation 3:9), "I have loved thee" (Greek, "egapesa") with the love of esteem, founded on the judgment. Compare the note in my English Gnomon of BENGEL, John 21:15-17.
    I rebuke--The "I" in the Greek stands first in the sentence emphatically. I in My dealings, so altogether unlike man's, in the case of all whom I love, rebuke. The Greek, "elencho," is the same verb. as in John 16:8, "(the Holy Ghost) will convince (rebuke unto conviction) the world of sin."
    chasten--"chastise." The Greek, "paideu," which in classical Greek means to instruct, in the New Testament means to instruct by chastisement (Hebrews 12:5,6). David was rebuked unto conviction, when he cried, "I have sinned against the Lord"; the chastening followed when his child was taken from him (2 Samuel 12:13,14). In the divine chastening, the sinner at one and the same time winces under the rod and learns righteousness.
    be zealous--habitually. Present tense in the Greek, of a lifelong course of zeal. The opposite of "lukewarm." The Greek by alliteration marks this: Laodicea had not been "hot" (Greek, "zestos"), she is therefore urged to "be zealous" (Greek, "zeleue"): both are derived from the same verb, Greek, "zeo," "to boil."
    repent--Greek aorist: of an act to be once for all done, and done at once.  - (A. R. FAUSSETT)

    3. Demas:

    2 Tim 4:10 "for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica; Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia."

    Some accuse Demas of apostasy, but the word used here is egkataleipo (used 12 times in the New Testament), which means: to desert, forsake, or leave. It is not he word apostasia, which is used only twice in the New Testament (Acts 21:21 & 2 Thes 2:3), from which we get the word apostasy.

    1 John 2:15 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

    We do not know why Demas left Paul; God doesn't tell us. Some believe he was affraid of persecution, others believe that he left for personal interests. He may have been a Thessalonican. We do know that he was a co-worker with Paul during Paul's first imprisonment and he "loved this present world".

    4. Peter:

    Matt 26:69-75 "Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee." But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying." And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth." But again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the Man!" And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you." Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!" Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly."

    Peter was affraid he might be taken with Jesus and beaten.

    5. Left "First Love"

    Rev 2:4-5 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place; unless you repent."

    Jesus is telling the church a Ephesus to "remember" and "repent". Do you remember what it was like when you first were saved, how you couldn't get enough of the things of God. Or how you had to tell everyone what God did for you. Sadly, many today are just "church time christians". The only time they think of God is when they're in church and they can't remember the last time they told someone about Jesus. Remember the parable of the "Wheat & Tares"? (Matt 13:24-30, 36-43) Perhaps you should: "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?; unless indeed you are disqualified." 2 Cor 13:5.

    B. The harm Backsliders cause

    1. Eccl 9:18 "Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good." a. Achan - In Joshua chapter 7 God give the tragic story of the sin of Achan and its consequences.

    Josh 7:1 "But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, ..., of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel."

    Josh 7:13 "Get up, sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the LORD God of Israel: "There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you."

    1) What were the accursed things Achan took?

    Josh 7:21 "When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it."

    When the city of Jericho was destroyed, Joshua commanded:

    Josh 6:17 "Now the city shall be doomed by the LORD to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it."

    2) What was the penalty for his disobedience?

    a) God's hand of blessing was withdrawn.

    Josh 7:3c-5 ".... 'Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.' So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water."

    b) Achan, his family and everything he owned was destroyed!

    Josh 7:24-25 "Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. And Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day." So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones."

    2. Unconfessed, unrepented sin in a Christians life breaks our fellowship with God.

    a. Our prayers are not heard.

    Isa 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear."

    b. Both physical and spiritual blessing are witheld because of sin.

    Jer 5:25 "Your iniquities have turned these things away, And your sins have withheld good from you."

    c. There is no rest for the backslider

    Job 3:23-26 "Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, And whom God has hedged in? For my sighing comes before I eat, And my groanings pour out like water. For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes."

    (1.) "He had no comfort of his life: My sighing comes before I eat, v. 24. The sorrows of life prevented and anticipated the supports of life; nay, they took away his appetite for his necessary food. His griefs returned as duly as his meals, and affliction was his daily bread. Nay, so great was the extremity of his pain and anguish that he did not only sigh, but roar, and his roarings were poured out like the waters in a full and constant stream. Our Master was acquainted with grief, and we must expect to be so too.

    (2.) he had no prospect of bettering his condition: His way was hidden, and God had hedged him in, v. 23. He saw no way open of deliverance, nor knew he what course to take; his way was hedged up with thorns, that he could not find his path. (See Job 23:8; Lam. 3:7).

    2. Even in his former prosperous state troubles were continually feared; so that then he was never easy, v. 25, 26. He knew so much of the vanity of the world, and the troubles to which, of course, he was born, that he was not in safety, neither had he rest then. That which made his grief now the more grievous was that he was not conscious to himself of any great degree either of negligence or security in the day of his prosperity, which might provoke God thus to chastise him." (from Matthew Henry's Commentary)

    d. A ruined testimony.

    2 Pet 2:6-8 "and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds);"

    Gen 19:14 "So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, "Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!" But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking."

    Only Lot's two daughters gave heed to his warning and survived with him, but Lot was so backsliden that his two daughters got him drunk and committed incest with him. The results were the Amorites and Moabites who plagued the nation of Israel for years!  

    C. The Remedy for backsliding

    1. Jer 4:1-4a "If you will return, O Israel," says the LORD, "Return to Me; And if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, Then you shall not be moved. And you shall swear, 'The LORD lives,' In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; The nations shall bless themselves in Him, And in Him they shall glory." For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: "Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, And take away the foreskins of your hearts,..."

    What does it mean "break up your fallow ground"?

    a. The Jews were commanded not to plant their fields in the seventh year. This was a reminder that God's land was entrusted to them.

    Exo 23:10-11 "Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove."

    Lev 25:3-4 "'Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the LORD. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard.'"

    During this year of fallowness, the land became hard and overgrown. In order to make the fields usable for planting again, the ground had to be broken up and plowed deep. The weeds had to be uprooted and removed so the wouldn't return to spring up and choak the newly planted crops.

    2. What is a Christian to do?

    Hosea 10:12 "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."

    a. First, (Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy) recommit and rededicate your life to the Lord and He will welcome you back into the fold.

    Rom 6:13 "And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God."

    Psa 4:5 "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD."

    b. Second, (break up your fallow ground) confess your sinful, backslidding ways.

    1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

    c. Always remember Prov 11:6 "The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust."

    2 Cor 9:6 "But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully."

    Gal 6:7-8 "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life."

    Rev 2:5 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place; unless you repent."

Sunday, 05 April 2009

  • Counterfeit Christians

     

    Matt 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"

    Strong, chilling words! We live in an age of easy believism. Radio and TV preachers ask listeners to pray a simple prayer and then say that if the listener prayed the prayer, they were saved! Now, that might be true in a very few cases, but I fear a great many people will go to Hell thinking that when they prayed that prayer they were saved but they were really lost! What a horrible thought! If Christianity were declared illegal, would there be enough evidence to convict you of being a Christian?

    I'm going to tell you of two men whose spiritual lives are given in the Bible. See if you can tell me which was saved and which was lost.

    The first man preached the gospel, healed the sick and performed miracles. The second man, lived in the city. His neighbors didn't bother him except when they thought he had something they didn't. He never won anyone to Christ.

    I'll tell you who the two men were at the end of this message.

    2 Cor 13:5 "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?; unless indeed you are disqualified."

    Let's take a look at this verse piece by piece.

    Examine — peirazo — from the base word — peira —

  • a trial, an experience, an attempt
  • to attempt a thing, to make trial of a thing or of a person
  • to have a trial of a thing
  • to experience, to learn to know by experience
  • in other words: to test (objectively), i.e. endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline:
  • assay, examine, go about, prove, tempt (-er), try.

    • What are we to test or scrutinize? "... whether you are in the faith."

    "We should examine whether we be in the faith, because it is a matter in which we may be easily deceived, and wherein a deceit is highly dangerous: we are therefore concerned to prove our own selves, to put the question to our own souls, whether Christ be in us, or not; and Christ is in us, except we be reprobates: so that either we are true Christians or we are great cheats; and what a reproachful thing is it for a man not to know himself, not to know his own mind!" (from Matthew Henry's Commentary)

    First, has you life been changed? — 2 Cor 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." For some people this can be a hard thing to determine. You may have grown up in a Christian family, but this doesn't save you. You may have been baptized, but baptism doesn't save you. You may have been a church member for as long as you can remember, but church membership doesn't save you.

    God gives the believer a new heart. — Ezek 36:26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."

    Second, do you show "the fruit of the Spirit"? Gal 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

    One sure test of weather you are "in Christ" is your love for God's people. 1 John 3:14 "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death." This doesn't just refer to the people with whom you attend church. It applies to ALL Christians EVERYWHERE. It is VERY troubling to hear of preachers criticizing other preachers, or lay people pointing the finger at other professing Christians because of the way they dress, what music they listen to, or even where they go to church! How do you KNOW they aren't Christians? 1 Sam 16:7 'But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For [the Lord does] not [see] as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."' 1 John 4:20-21 'If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also."  

    Do you delight in God's Word? Jer 15:16 "Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts."

    Do you delight in what God has freely given you? Isa 61:10 "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."

    Are you at peace with God?   Rom 5:1-2 "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Isa 48:21-22 "But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace," says the LORD, "for the wicked."

    Do you work patiently in God service? 2 Pet 3:15a "and account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--" Jesus is our example.

    Do you want to please God? The Holy Spirit seals and dwells within the believer.

    Eph 4:30 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."

    1 Cor 3:16 "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

    Do you have a kind and affectionate spirit? Rom 12:10 "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;"

    Are you faithful to God? 1 Cor 4:2 "Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful."

    Matt 24:45-51 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

    Are you faithful to God's house? Heb 10:24-25 "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

    Are you considerate when a brother stumbles? Gal 6:1 "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."

    Do you watch what you say or do, or quickly answer without thinking?  Prov 16:32 "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city."

    Prov 17:28 "Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive."

    Prov 25:28 "Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls."

    James 1:26-27 "If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."

    John the Baptist condemned the Pharisees and Sadducees calling them a "brood of vipers". At least 12 times in the Gospels, Jesus says "Woe to you,..." when referring to the Pharisees, calling them hypocrites many times! Matt 23:27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness."

    You may say that you are saved because God has given you many blessings. Watch out! Matt 5:45b "....He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Rom 2:11 "For there is no partiality with God."

    The apostle repeats the command, ".... Test yourselves...."  and then go on to say,"Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?; unless indeed you are disqualified."

    The Greek word for disqualified is adokimos and means:

    • not standing the test, not approved: properly used of metals and coins
    • or, that which does not prove itself as it should: unfit for, unproved, spurious, reprobate;

    the idea being a spurious conversion. This is a grave warning to all who name the Name of Christ!

    The Lord used parables to teach and warn His listeners. Let's look briefly at two, the parable of the Sower (Matt 13:3-9, 18-23) and the parable of the Ten Virgins (Matt 25:1-13). First, the parable of the Sower. This parable is one where the Lord later explains the parable to His disciples, and I'll comment on the explanation.

    Matt 13:19 "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside." — This is a person who hears a sermon or reads a tract and since he doesn't understand it, he rejects it as foolish. 1 Cor 1:18 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (KJV)

    Matt 13:20-21 "But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles." Our churches are full of this type of person. Their salvation is only shallow and without root. Rom 11:18 "do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you." John 15:1a,6 "I am the true vine,.... If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned."

    Matt 13:22 "Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful." This verse has given me a lot of trouble over the years and much has been written about it. Some believe that this represents the "carnal" Christian and for many years that was what I believed. However, it always troubled me. I believe the Holy Spirit wouldn't let me continue to hang onto the belief that I was "just a carnal Christian." One of His many responsibilities is the sanctification of the believer. What is "a carnal Christian"? 1 Cor 3:1-4 "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?" The most simple truths of the gospel, as to man's sinfulness and God's mercy, repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, stated in the plainest language, suit the people better than deeper mysteries. Men may have much doctrinal knowledge, yet be mere beginners in the life of faith and experience. Contentions and quarrels about religion are sad evidences of carnality. True religion makes men peaceable, not contentious. But it is to be lamented, that many who should walk as Christians, live and act too much like other men. Many professors, and preachers also, show themselves to be yet carnal, by vain-glorious strife, eagerness for dispute, and readiness to despise and speak evil of others. (Matthew Henry)   I believe that much of what is called "carnality" in the church today is unfruitfulness!   Titus 3:14 "And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful." Do you call yourself a "carnal" Christian? If that's what you are holding onto, then, I dare say, you may not be a true believer! James 2:17 "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." The apostle goes on to prove that true faith produces good works. Heb 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

    To those who are truly saved but still carnal I say, some of you will be ashamed at the coming of Christ. 1 John 2:28 "And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming."

    Now let's turn to the parable of the Ten Virgins. Let's notice they were all virgins (ie. faithful church members?); that is they were undefiled by the world. Matt 25:2-4 "Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps." Some people have taught that the oil represents the Holy Spirit. It is true in many places oil does represent the Holy Spirit, but not in the context of the parable. If this were true then the Holy Spirit could be bought or worked for. (Matt 25:9) Others teach that this passage teaches that you can loose you salvation; (Matt 25:11-12) the five foolish virgins weren't allowed to enter into the wedding. Nowhere in scripture does it teach that you can loose your salvation! What this parable does teach is that the five wise virgins were prepared; they had extra oil for their lamps. The key verse is: Matt 25:10 "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut." ARE YOU PREPARED?! ARE YOU READY?!

    Finally: Phil 2:12-16 "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain."

    • Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention the identities of the two men I spoke of at the beginning. You may already have guessed but, the first was Judas Iscariot. The second was Lot.

Saturday, 07 March 2009

  • Jesus went where?

    Where Was Jesus' Spirit When His Body Was in the Tomb?

    Introductory Thoughts

    We who are evangelical Protestants take some pride that our doctrine is completely Bible-based. In our minds, we are the children of the Reformation, and Sola Scriptura is both our heritage and one of the basic doctrines of our Faith. We like to think that we do not have extra-Biblical traditions, in distinction from the liturgical, traditional churches such as the Roman Catholic Church. To a great degree, all of these things are true. However, though it may be uncomfortable for us to admit, traditions do exist within our communions, some extra-Biblical, and some with a dubious Biblical basis. Sometimes these traditions hold as much or more authority than doctrines which are central to the Faith. In this writer’s own experience, pulpit committees in some circles are often more highly concerned with a pastoral candidate’s position on traditional denominational shibboleths than on the vital issues of the Faith, and more churches split over traditions than over "real" doctrine.

    In examining the historical background for some denominational traditions with little or no basis in scripture, this writer has come to the conclusion that these extra-Biblical teachings usually achieve initial popularity, and then the status of accepted tradition, for several reasons, but one reason stands out. Perhaps the primary appeal of extra-Biblical traditions is that these traditions are usually emotionally satisfying—they have a particularly dramatic appeal; in the pastoral slang of my denomination, they "preach well." Traditions with this emotional appeal become memorialized in songs and hymns, they become the regular fare of revivalist preachers, they become part of dramatic productions and devotional books, and so forth. While evangelical teachers and preachers decry extra-Biblical religious traditions (especially those of "the other guy"), we often acquiesce to and quietly ignore our "harmless" traditions to keep congregational peace so we can concentrate on central issues of the faith. As a pastoral practice, this idea is not necessarily a bad one. However, these traditions can get out of hand, and when traditional beliefs develop and grow to the point where they negatively impact vital Christian doctrine, they are no longer harmless, and must be dealt with. Currently, in some evangelical circles, there are two traditional doctrines which have thus mutated into a dangerous form: the "slain in the Spirit" doctrine, and the doctrine which we will call "the Weekend in Hell," (the teaching that Jesus, during the three days that His body was in the tomb, made a trip to Hell, or, in the modern version, spent the whole weekend in Hell). This paper will deal with The Weekend in Hell.

    A. What Is "The Weekend In Hell" Doctrine?

    The source of this myth is an addition to the Apostle’s Creed, made by pagans in the 6th century church. Some have tried to justify this myth through oblique references in some scriptures, but there is simply no substance to the teaching.

    1. What was the nature of Jesus without the veil of His flesh? What did the disciples see on the mount? If Jesus had gone to Hell and walked around, the demons would have been hiding from Him the whole time.

    2. Jesus demonstrated His DIVINE power during His life on Earth—he demonstrated His authority over every realm while in the flesh, and it was not through "WORD FAITH", it was through His divine power and Godhood.

    The "Traditional Weekend in Hell" is a tradition of long standing in Christendom, and though eminent commentators have long denied its Biblical basis, "weekend in Hell" has survived as a popular belief. This is probably because in its older form, "weekend in Hell" was not considered sufficiently dangerous to warrant much effort to contradict it. Additionally, there are scriptures which can be read in such a way as to lend Biblical credence to "weekend in Hell", so it was perhaps not considered a totally extra-Biblical teaching, just a mistaken interpretation and application of difficult passages.

    It is not certain when or where the "weekend in Hell" teaching first originated, but it crept into the Apostle’s Creed around the year 750 A.D., after first appearing in an Arian creed in 360, and in some other creeds and doctrinal statements. The older version of "weekend in Hell" held that Jesus visited the abode of the dead to preach to the "spirits in prison." There were variations of this; some held that He visited the abode of the righteous dead only, to announce their liberation. Others believed Christ visited the abode of the wicked dead, and preached, as Peter said, to the spirits who were disobedient in the days of Noah. In the older version, the "weekend in Hell" teaching had an air of triumph, as Christ visited the nether regions to announce His victory, and there were no elements in the old version of "weekend in Hell" which undermined vital doctrine.

    However, in the twentieth century, the "weekend in Hell" doctrine has mutated into a form which is of concern because it has serious implications for the most vital doctrine of the Christian faith, the Person and Work of Christ (Christology). This mutated form of "weekend in Hell" originated with the real father of the "Faith Movement," the faith healer E. W. Kenyon, and has been continued and embellished by the modern leaders of the Faith Movement, especially Kenneth Copeland. Through the Faith Movement’s influence in charismatic circles, the "weekend in Hell" doctrine has begun to slip into popular Christian songs, and has become a featured part of some Christian dramatic productions. In the modern version of the "weekend in Hell", the problematic but triumphal doctrine of the visit of Christ to the abode of the dead is turned into a full-scale attack on the efficacy of the Cross. In the Faith Movement version, Christ dies spiritually on the Cross as well as physically, and is transported to the abode of the wicked dead to be tormented by demonic forces for three days as a final payment on the atonement. In the Faith Message version of the "weekend in Hell", Jesus is abused by demons for three days, and wanders around hell in disgrace as a kind of "wormy, washed-up shell of a spirit," until God allows Him to speak the "faith word" and overcome His enemies. This is not only preached over the airwaves and published in tracts and books, there are several popular Easter plays which have been produced showing this theme. In one I saw on Christian TV, black-clad demons torment a weak pitiful Jesus in Hell, then, with loud crashing music, Jesus is "born again" in Hell, and dispatches the demons with a flashing sword. This is great Hollywood—but it is also quite incorrect; in fact, one might call it blasphemous.

    In the Word-Faith version of this, the myth far exceeds the Catholic version, and becomes a travesty, a kind of sick joke.

    In the Word-Faith version of the "trip to hell," Jesus is abused by demons for three days, and wanders around hell in disgrace as a kind of wormy, washed-up shell of a Spirit, until God allows Him to speak the "faith word" and overcome His enemies.

    The Word-Faith teaching on this is that Jesus died Spiritually and had to be born again in Hell.....this is sheer and unadulterated blasphemy!

    The whole myth of the trip to hell is just that—a myth. I know that it has been immortalized in song. I know that preachers have constructed emotional sermons on it, but IT IS A MYTH! I know famous Christian singers have put together dramatic productions about it, but IT IS A MYTH!

    1. There is no more validity to the myth of the trip to hell than there is to the Mass.

    2. There is no more validity to the myth of the trip to hell than there is to the perpetual virginity of Mary.

    3. There is no more validity to the myth of the trip to hell than there is to Mary being worshipped.

    4. Jesus’ suffering ended on the Cross....it was not added to in the days following............

    In order to understand the doctrine of the "weekend in Hell", and to demonstrate that it is a dangerous doctrine that both grows from and leads to heresy, we need to examine the elements of the myth, and then see what the scriptures really say about where the Spirit of Jesus was while His body was in the tomb.

    B. The Elements of the Weekend In Hell Doctrine—There are several component parts to this doctrine, and in order to understand it, we need to look at each part.

    1. Preliminary to the entire idea of the "weekend in Hell" is the idea that Old Testament believers were held captive in Hell, and could not be let loose until Jesus came and got them. a. The first thing we have to imagine is that the abode of the dead Old Testament saints is somewhere other than heaven, or the very Presence of God. I am aware that this is commonly taught, but there is simply no scripture at all which even remotely informs us that there is such a place. The spirits of the Old Testament saints went to be with God when they departed this earth.

    Eccl 12:6-7 "Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it."

    b. Enoch and Elijah were bodily assumed up to heaven, and from his appearance with Elijah on the mount, Moses’ spirit was also in heaven.

    Gen 5:24 "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him."

    2 Kings 2:11 "And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven."

    Luke 9:29-32 "As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him."

    c. Not only that, but consider the following passage:

    Matt 27:50-53 "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many."

    If Jesus was to suffer in Hell for three days to finish the atonement, what is happening here? Why are these saints rising? They are rising as a witness of the completeness of the Cross; these saints are foreshadowing what Christ Himself will do in three days. Just as we will experience in the translation of believers and resurrection of those who sleep, the spirits of these Old Testament saints came from the presence of God to collect their bodies.

    2. The second part of the "weekend in Hell" doctrine is that Satan owned "the keys" to death, hell, and the grave, and that Jesus had to go win them from him.

    Answer these questions from the Bible—

    a. What were the keys? Keys are only mentioned in eight Bible verses, and seven of them have some bearing on our subject.

    Isa 22:22 "The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open."

    Matt 16:19 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

    Rev 1:18 "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."

    Rev 3:7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":"

    Rev 9:1 "Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit."

    Rev 20:1 "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand."

    b. When did Satan ever have keys???

    There are NO Biblical references that the Devil ever had any keys to anything.

    c. Where was the soul and spirit of our Lord during the three days His body was in the tomb?

    Luke 23:43 "And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.'"

    Luke 23:46 "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit": and having said thus, he gave up the ghost." (KJV)

    John 19:30 "...It is finished!"

    The only thing the Devil had in the three days the Body of Christ was in the tomb was a headache—because he knew Christ’s Soul and Spirit were in the presence of the Father, and THEY WERE NOT IN HELL!

    d. Furthermore, God opens and shuts, and no one stops Him in going either direction.

    Isa 22:22 "The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open."

    Isa 45:1 "Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held; To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:"

    Rev 3:7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens:"

    e. Did the Devil EVER have the power of life and death? Did Satan EVER have authority to sentence anyone to Hell? The answer is "NO!" God alone has, and has always had, that power and authority.

    C. The Misunderstood Passages—There are only two passages which can be construed to teach the "weekend in Hell" theory: 1 Pet 3:18-20 and Eph 4:8-10. Let’s look at them one at a time.

    1. 1 Pet 3:18-20 "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine long-suffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water." a. Let’s answer some questions about this passage which will help us understand it. (1) Who are the "spirits in prison?" The answer is obvious from the context—those who were disobedient in the time of Noah. Are any others included in this verse? No. Are any righteous dead included in this passage? No. The only people mentioned are those who were disobedient in Noah’s time. If Christ did make a "trip to Hell," the only people He spoke with were these.

    (2) How did Christ preach to these "spirits in prison?" Does it tell us that He personally traveled to talk to them? Again, the answer is obvious from the context: it was "through the Spirit," i.e., through the Holy Spirit, (1 Pet 3:18).

    (3) If we buy the "trip to Hell" theory, what is Christ supposed to have said to these people? Did He offer them a second chance at salvation? No. Did He just go to gloat? No.

    (4) How, when, and in what form was the message delivered to the "spirits in prison Who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine long-suffering waited in the days of Noah,". To what were they disobedient?

    2 Pet 2:5 "and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;"

    I submit to you that the antediluvian "spirits in prison" were disobedient to the message sent to them through the preaching of Noah, and that Christ had, in the time of Noah, preached to them through the ministry of the Spirit (2 Pet 1:19-21). Christ had spoken to these people through the preaching of Noah, which the antediluvian world ignored. This passage is not talking about some "weekend in Hell," but is comparing the time of Noah with Peter’s time, as the following verses illustrate:

    1 Pet 3:20 "who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us; baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,"

    As to the old world, Christ sent his Spirit; gave warning by Noah. But though the patience of God waits long, it will cease at last. And the spirits of disobedient sinners, as soon as they are out of their bodies, are committed to the prison of hell, where those that despised Noah’s warning now are, and from whence there is no redemption. Noah’s salvation in the ark upon the water, which carried him above the floods, set forth the salvation of all true believers. That temporal salvation by the ark was a type of the eternal salvation of believers by baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew Henry).

    2. Eph 4:7-10 "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He ascended"; what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)"

    a. Now, the common interpretation of this verse by those who support the "weekend in Hell" theory is this:

    (1) He led captivity captive—that is, He loosed all of those poor Old Testament believers from Hell. Of course, this requires the development of an entire false cosmology about eternity—see the second major section of this paper, below.

    (2) Now this, "He ascended"; what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? The common interpretation by the purveyors of this doctrine is that this means Christ went to Hell (the lower parts of the earth).

    b. Dealing with the second part first; when Christ ascended, from where did He ascend? Did Christ ascend from Hell? No, from outside Jerusalem (Acts 1:9-11). What happened when He ascended? "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." (vs.8) Ten days after His ascension from outside Jerusalem, He gave the church the gift of the Spirit, and through that the gifts of the Spirit. This is talking about the only ascension of Christ mentioned in the Bible, that which is recorded in Acts 1:9-11. Now some may say, "But, to what does this "lower parts of the earth" refer?" Some automatically assume that "lower parts" refers to Hell. But the use of the phrase in the Bible does not bear this out. There are only five other instances of this type of terminology which I could discover in the scriptures:

    Psa 63:9 "But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth."

    Psa 139:15 "My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth."

    Isa 44:23 "Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, And glorified Himself in Israel."

    Ezek 32:24 "There is Elam and all her multitude, All around her grave, All of them slain, fallen by the sword, Who have gone down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth, Who caused their terror in the land of the living; Now they bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit."

    Eph 4:9 "(Now this, "He ascended"; what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?"

    The Hebrew phrase tahton ’erets to which the apostle’s…... (the lower parts of the earth), answers, is used for the earth in opposition to heaven, Isaiah 44:23; probably for the grave in Psalms 63:10; as a poetical designation for the womb in Psalms 139:15; and for Hades or the invisible world, Ezekiel 32:24. Perhaps the majority of commentators take this last to be the meaning of the passage before us. They suppose the reference is to the descensus ad inferos, or to Christ’s "descending into hell." But in the first place this idea is entirely foreign to the meaning of the passage in the Psalm on which the apostle is commenting. In the second place, there as here, the only descent of which the context speaks is opposed to the ascending to heaven. ‘He that ascended to heaven is he who first descended to earth.’ In the third place, this is the opposition so often expressed in other places and in other forms of expression, as in John 3:13, "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man who is in heaven." John 6:38, "I came down from heaven." John 8:14, "I know whence I came and whither I go." John 16:28, "I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world; again, I leave the world, and go to the Father." The expression of the apostle therefore means, "the lower parts, viz. the earth." The genitive is the common genitive of apposition. Compare Acts 2:19, where the heaven above is opposed to the earth beneath; and John 8:23. (Charles Hodge. Commentary on Ephesians).

    While Psa 63:9 may be inferred to mean Hell, it is by no means certain. The other two references refer (a) to the womb as a metaphor, and (b) to lower elevations as opposed to mountains. There is little to go on, therefore, but certainly nothing to suggest that we may interpret "lower parts" to mean Christ went to Hell. I believe that the descent into the "lower parts of the earth" refers to the entire Humiliation of Christ, followed by His triumph. Indeed, if one compares Eph 4:8-10 with Phil 2:5-11, the relationship between the two passages becomes obvious. Christ descended to earth in humility, but He ascended to heaven in victory. For a masterful exegesis of this passage, I refer the reader to Christian Unity: an Exposition of Ephesians 4:1-16, by Dr. D. M. Lloyd-Jones, pages 156-161. Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes his explanation of this passage by saying:

    "This exposition and explanation avoids all confusion and unnecessary speculation about what our Lord may of may not have done after His death and before His resurrection. These speculations have crept into our creeds, but they have no real scriptural warrant."

    c. "He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)" (vs.10) So, what does it mean that He "descended?" He "came down" when He came to Earth, to be born in the womb of the Virgin Mary

    John 17:5 "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."

    Could the Ephesians 4 passage mean that Jesus took a weekend excursion to Hell? Only if you bring that meaning with you, it is not found in the exposition of the passage.

    D. The Heart of the "weekend in Hell" doctrinal error—Who is Jesus? The heart of this entire myth, of the "weekend in Hell" is a misunderstanding of Who Jesus Is. The central answer to the whole set of heretical teachings which surround this popular myth about Christ is to return to the Central Doctrine of Christianity—the Person of Christ.

    1. First, what was the nature of Jesus without the veil of His flesh? What did the disciples see on the mount?

    Matt 17:1-9 "Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid." When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."

  • Without the veil of His flesh, Christ’s essence as God the Son, the second Person of the Trinity, shone forth. Who is Jesus? Jesus is God. He is the God-Man. While His body lay in the tomb, wherever the rest of Him was, you can be sure of one thing — His Deity was not veiled in flesh for those three days. If Jesus had gone to Hell and walked around, the demons would have been hiding from Him the whole time, and Satan would have been thinking about adding a basement so he could hide!

    2. Jesus demonstrated His DIVINE power during His life on Earth. He demonstrated His authority over every realm while in the flesh, and it was not through "WORD FAITH", it was through His divine power and Godhood. (I'll cover this next.)

    3. On earth, His humanity did not displace His deity, but instead, His Godhood was veiled by His humanity.

    Heb 10:19-20 "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,"

    a. When His flesh was torn, the veil of the temple was torn.

    Matt 27:51 "Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,"

    Mark 15:38 "Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."

    b. On two occasions, he raised the veil of His humanity —

    (1) On the mount of Transfiguration, He allowed the disciples with Him to see His Glorious being as it really was. (see above)

    (2) John 18:4-6 "Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, "Whom are you seeking?" They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am [He]." And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, "I am [He]," they drew back and fell to the ground." (The He in brackets was added by the translators) As an old puritan might have said: "He lift up the hem of His veil but a bit, and knocked them all down."

    • E. So where was His Spirit While His Body was in the Tomb? Let's let Jesus Himself tell us....

    a. He was in Paradise

    Luke 23:43 "And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.""

    (1) Now there are some people who will try to say that "paradise" is something other than the Heaven where God is. However, only other two instances of "paradise" are in the Bible, and they obviously apply to Heaven:

    2 Cor 12:4 "How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."

    Rev 2:7 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."

    b. Jesus' Spirit was with the Father

    Luke 23:46 "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost."

    Was the Father in hell? I don't think so!

    c. Furthermore, when the Cross was finished, the sacrifice was finished, and there was no more suffering to be done!

    John 19:30 "...It is finished!"

    F. The Bottom Line — Believe the Bible, not myths

    Isa 8:19-20 "And when they say to you, "Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter," should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (emphasis mine)

    1 Tim 1:4 "nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith."

    1 Tim 4:7 "But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness."

    2 Tim 4:4 "and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."

    Titus 1:14 "not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth."

    2 Pet 1:16 "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty."

    ***The only thing the Devil had in the three days the Body of Christ was in the tomb was a headache—because he knew Christ’s Soul and Spirit were in the presence of the Father, and they were not in HELL!

    ***And the Devil, unlike the TV preachers, had heard Jesus say, "It is finished!"

    © Charles T. Buntin

Sunday, 22 February 2009

  • Has the world wide economic recession affected you?

    Has the world wide economic recession affected you?  And if so, how?
    The company I work for has been forced to lay-off at least 80% if its work force not just because of the recession, but because of other external factors.  I've been one fo the lucky one , so far, but I don't know for how long.
    I've been thinking about the world's economy and here are some facts according to Bloomberg.com and other sites.
    1. Energy prices continue to fall, except for electricity prices on the West Coast (4:00 pm, 2/21/09).
    2. Commodity futures are all falling except for copper.  I guess the value of the penny continues to rise as well.
    3. Toyota will be shutting down all of its domenstic plants for 11 days in February and March and for 30 days from January to March in America.
    4. Japan's industrial output declined 9.6% in December 2008.
    5. The news isn't much better in the UK.
    Could the next step be unification of the world's money?  We alread have debit cards, MasterCard©, Visa©, and American Express©.  People are already used to using plastic instead of money for buying and selling.  Perhaps, in the hope of stabilizing the world's economy, money, as we know it, would be eliminated in favor of a card system.
    Could it be that God is preparing the world for the coming of the man of sin, 2 Thessalonians 2:3?

Sunday, 15 February 2009

  • Is there life after death? If so, what happens when we die?

    I'm not going to try to answer these questions, however, there have been two blogs about these subjects: Who Goes to Heaven: Is Christianity Fair? and Can Those Who Have Never Heard the Gospel Go to Heaven? that attempt to find the answer. Christians have been taught that there are only two possible final destinations, heaven and hell. I'm not going to look at heaven here, but there are many interpretations of hell.

    The first is the erroneous doctrine of soul sleep. This doctrine teaches that upon death the soul, weather good or evil, sleeps in a dreamless state awaiting the resurrection. This idea contradicts the teaching of the rich and and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. You need only read the passage to see that the rich man, Lazarus and Abraham were conscious.

    The next erroneous doctrine is actually two doctrines: Annihilationism and Conditional Immortality. Conditional Immortality teaches that when the person dies, the soul dies with him unless he has been granted eternal life. Annihialitionists believe that those cast into the lake of fire will cease to exist even if they only suffer for a short period of time while they're being incinerated. This idea contradicts the teaching of Revelation 20:10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

    The last is the orthodox teaching that hell is a place of eternal torment and suffering. This brings up the favorite question of atheists, how can a good God torture his children? Not all men are God's children! (see Matthew 13:38, John 8:37-47, Ephesians 2:2-3) The weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth is the result of the knowledge that the damned could have been with God but refused His offer of salvation. This is the final prison of the damned. The Greek word Gehenna refers to this place. It is also called the lake of fire in Revelation 20 & 21.

    The correct doctrine about life after death is found in the following verses: Hebrews 9:27-28 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.; 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.; and in the teaching of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31.

    While researching an answer to Can Those Who Have Never Heard the Gospel Go to Heaven? I came across the following: How can those who never heard about Christ be saved? The answer to both questions, is an emphatic NO! John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Either Jesus was telling the truth; or He was the greatest liar who ever lived and those who died believing in Him died for nothing and we should all throw our bibles on a great big fire!

    Here's something else I found at Future History:

    Let’s begin by revisiting a parable through which Yahshua described His kingdom: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind [literally: family], which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:47-50) It’s disturbing enough to find that “bad fish” are swimming with the “good” ones, though we saw this very thing in the parables of the mustard seed and the wheat and tares. These “bad fish” can even be found within the nominal church, as Yahshua made all too obvious in His seven letters in Revelation 2 and 3.

    But there’s more here than meets the eye. A subtle differentiation between two types of “bad fish” in this passage is totally lost in the English, a distinction that is important to our understanding of mankind’s prospective eternal destinies. The fish that were characterized as “bad” are simply “thrown away.” By contrast, “wicked” fish are “cast into the furnace of fire” where there will be “wailing and gnashing of teeth.” We ordinarily assume these are the same souls, but they’re not. The word translated “bad” is the Greek sapros. It means rotten and decayed, putrefied, decomposed, thus unfit and worthless. A fish that is sapros is dead, and judging by the stench, has been for some time. “Wicked,” on the other hand, is the Greek word poneros, meaning one causing pain, peril, and trouble, someone who is diseased, malignant, seriously faulty, evil, morally corrupt, vicious, even one who derives his wickedness from supernatural evil powers. Fish that are poneros are very much alive—and they’re dangerous. Thus there are not two but three kinds of fish: the good, the lifeless, and the evil. And there are three corresponding potential destinies: (1) eternal life with Yahweh (a very good thing), (2) death (a bad thing), and (3) everlasting punishment like that reserved for Satan and his demons (something infinitely worse than bad). That may come as a shock, but as we’ll soon learn, it’s a theme that’s as ubiquitous in scripture as it is hard for us to see.

     What do you think?

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ekklesia

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  • For many years I've been concerned about the church and its methods and teaching. I've attended many churches over the years. When I was a child I attended a Methodist church. I was married in a Roman Catholic church but never went to mass because my mother had taught me "Methodists don't do that." When my wife and I were saved, we went to a Fundamental Baptist Church. Later I attended a charismatic community church. Lately we've attended a conservative pietistic Christian denomination with Mennonite roots.

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