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Holy Faith

           

“Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a man child with the help of the LORD."  And again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.  So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground.  And Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell (Gen. 4:1-5NAS).” 

 

Why was Abel’s offering pleasing to God while Cain’s was not?  This question has been debated down through the ages.  The answer lies in the true meaning of the word faith. 

 

The author of the letter to the Hebrews writes,

“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks (Heb. 11:4 NAS).” 

 

 What does the writer mean “by faith he offered a better sacrifice than Cain?”  Why was God not pleased with Cain’s offering?  It seems like a “good thing” to do.  How did Able know what to offer?  Did Cain have the same knowledge?  If Cain and Able both knew to bring an offering to God, then certainly both knew exactly what to bring.  If so, how did they obtain such knowledge? Did their father Adam teach them or did God Himself speak directly to them?  The answer to all these questions, and many more, lies in the true meaning and understanding of the word faith.

 

There are many kinds of “faith” in the world, but there is only one “holy faith” (Jude verse 20).  “Holy” designates the pure faith that is from the one and only true Almighty God and is holy as He is holy (Eph. 2:8ffNAS).   In contrast, all other “faith” is of man and cannot be pleasing to God. 

 

The word “faith” found in the New Testament of the Holy Bible is translated from the Greek word pistis, meaning primarily, "firm persuasion;" a conviction based upon hearing (akin to the Greek word peitho, meaning "to persuade").  

 

The Apostle Paul writes,

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ {the Anointed One} (Rom. 10:17NAS).” 

 

So it must be that firm persuasion that brings about conviction and conversion comes from hearing God—not man.   Thus to have faith one must hear the word of God, hence the word of God is the corner stone of faith.  And also, throughout the Holy Scriptures the word “obey” is related to the idea of hearing.  And obedience is doing that which one has heard, thus fulfilling the will of God 

“By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith (Heb. 11:7NAS).” 

 

We see from this Scripture concerning Noah that God spoke by His Spirit, Noah heard His word, and because he reverenced God he believed God and obeyed Him.  Noah, after hearing and believing God, went to work doing exactly as God, by His Spirit and Word, instructed him.  He did not do his own “good thing” as Cain did; Noah, like Abel, was truly obedient to God and it was reckoned to Him as righteousness.   

 

“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going (Heb. 11:8NAS).” 

 

God, because of His great love for man whom He had created, had mercy and desired to redeem mankind (Eph. 2:4NAS).  By God’s elections He chose Abram (Abraham).  Again we see three elements at work just as we saw with Noah.  God, by His Spirit, spoke, (1) Abram hears the Word of God.  (2) Abram believes God.  And (3) Abram obeys God.   In the Holy Bible these three elements are called faith. 

 

“By faith Abraham {believed}, when he was called {heard}, obeyed, by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.  By faith {hearing, believing and obeying God} he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;”  (Heb. 11:8-9NAS). 

 

Had Abraham heard and believed without obeying he would have died in his father’s house without ever accomplishing righteousness that is by faith.  

 

The Apostle James writes,

“What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him (James 2:14NAS)?”  “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself (James 2:17NAS).” 

 

Obedience to the word of God is doing the works of God, thus fulfilling and giving life to ones faith.

 To Abraham was born Isaac, and to Isaac was born Jacob (later named Israel), and to Jacob was born twelve sons who were the forefathers of the twelve tribes of Israel.  These were the men of faith who were the beginning of the nation Israel.   These men lived by hearing God speaking by His Spirit, believing and obeying His Word from a heart of love; thus the very foundation of the nation Israel was build upon the “Rock;” God speaking by His Spirit, thus the Word of God was the “corner stone” and men of faith was the nation.”  

“ (As it is written, "A father of many nations have I made you") in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.  In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, "So shall your descendants be.  And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform.  Therefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness (Rom. 4P17-22NAS).” 

 

Abraham never forgot whom he had heard and believed; therefore the object of Abraham's "faith" was not God's promise (the promise was the occasion of the exercise of faith); his "faith" rested on God Himself.   The promises would not have meant anything to Abraham apart from believing that God loved him and that He was fully able to deliver on His promises.  

 

From the Holy Scripture we have learned that the very first element of faith is what God has spoken by His Spirit and caused the hearer to understand. The second element of faith is a firm conviction that God’s word brings about causing the hearer to be established in an unshakeable love, trust and belief in Him.  Element one and two brings about the third element which is, a full acknowledgement of God’ revelation of truth with complete surrender and obedience to the will of God from a heart of love.  It takes all three of the above elements to constitute faith.  If any one of the three is missing it is not faith. 

 

Note: Prominence is given to one or other of these elements according to the context in which it is used, but all three elements are always present in holy faith.  

 

The entire works of God and all that He commands has meaning and purpose.  When His people do as He commands they fulfill His purpose.  It appears then that the writer of the letter to the Hebrews is telling us that Able was instructed of God and caused to understand what He desired Able to do.  Able, in reverence, believed and surrendered his own will to do the will of God; thus he obeyed and pleased God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.  In doing according to God’s instructions Abel fulfilled God’s purpose in the offering of his sacrifice.  Cain, on the other hand, apparently was instructed by God and caused to understand the will of God but he chose to do his own “good thing.”  Cain’s offering was just an empty, meaningless ritual and he failed to please God.  

 

“----Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous (1 John 3:12ffNAS).” 

 

All the elements that make up faith were present in Able but were not present in Cain.  In his disobedience he failed to do the works of God; thus Cain rejected the gift of faith; therefore he was not reckoned as being righteous (or in right standing with God). 

  

As we continue our study we will test our definition of faith. 

 

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen  (Heb. 11:1NAS).” 

 

Let us substitute our definition for the word “faith” in this verse of Scripture.  Now hearing, believing and obeying God from a pure heart of love is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.   Hearing God, believing and obeying Him from a heart of love brings total trust, peace and assurance of the things promised and hoped for and a deep, firm conviction of the presents of things though they are not seen. 

 

“For by it {faith} the men of old gained approval (Heb. 11:2NAS).”   

 

And again we substitute our definition, ----For by hearing, believing and obeying God from a pure heart of love the men of old gained approval.  The Scripture testifies of their love and devotion even to death.  In our next verse prominence is given to the first element of faith. 

 

“By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible (Heb. 11:3NAS).” 

 

If we substitute only the first element the reading would be proper but it would not be faith.  For example-- By hearing God we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.  It is possible to hear God and understand His message, and even believe Him, but if we do not love and obey Him it is not faith. 

 

A simple agreement with a known truth is not faith!!  Even the demons believe God and know His truths but they do not love Him, nor do they do His good works; they do not have faith.

 

“By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God (Heb. 11:5NAS).”  

 

By hearing, believing and obeying from a pure heart of love Enoch was pleasing to God. 

 

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Heb. 11:6NAS).” 

 

He who comes to God must believe that He is Almighty God who has authority and power over all; and that He is the Creator and Father of us all, and He is fully able to deliver on all that He promises. 

 

The Apostle Paul asks,

“How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach unless they are sent (that is, called of God and anointed with His Spirit to preach)? Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things (Rom. 10:14-15NAS)!”  

 

Thus “----hearing {comes} by the word of Christ {the Anointed One} (Rom. 10:17ffNAS).” 

 

The anointed preaching of the “good news” of salvation through Jesus Christ gives life to the ear of the dead (dead because of sin) soul of the hearer causing him to be able to hear the convicting word of God spoken by the Holy Spirit.  It is the Spirit that speaks the word of God through the preacher and persuades, convicts, gives life to and teaches and guides the hearer---“So faith comes by hearing------ (Rom. 10:17fNAS).” 

 

Paul also writes,

“Thus, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘But the righteous man shall live by faith’ (Rom. 1:15-17NAS).” 

 

The righteous shall live by hearing, believing and obeying God from a pure heart of love.

 

In the book of Matthew we find these words,

“He {Jesus} said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’  And Simon Peter answered and said, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.’  And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven’ (Matt. 16:15-17NAS).”  

 

According to Jesus God the Father had revealed to Peter that He was God’s Son.  Peter evidenced his conviction with the words, “Thou art the Christ {the Anointed One}, the Son of the living God.”  What was Jesus’ part in Peter’s revelation?  Jesus was flesh and blood but was anointed with the Spirit of His Father to speak His word.  It was the anointed teaching of Jesus that quickened the ear of Peter to cause Him to hear the convicting message from the Holy Spirit of the Father.  By His Spirit God spoke to Peter through Jesus---Peter heard, believed and obeyed by following Jesus and became His devoted apostle even unto death.  

           

Jesus continues His discourse with Peter,

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it (Matt. 16:18NAS).”  

 

What “rock” is Jesus speaking of?  It is the same Rock that was the foundation of the nation Israel---God speaking by His Spirit, the hearer believing and obeying from a pure heart of love.   His church He speaks of is His nation; God the Father being the foundation “Rock” and His Son, the Word of God, is the corner stone, and men of faith are the church.

 

"My sheep {people} hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand  (John 10:27-28NAS).” 

 

Death, the gates of hell, shall not prevail against His children of faith.

 

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:1-2NAS).” 

 

Included in the “cloud of witnesses” is our Lord and Savior; He kept faith with the Father ‘til death on the cross, fulfilling the Father’s purpose.  Jesus, the Living Word of God, is the author, the beginning, the corner stone and the perfecter of holy faith; He is our example.

 

“--- You, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life (Jude 1:20-21NAS).”

 Jake

Hearing His Voice 

One of the greatest needs of man today is to be able to hear and recognize the voice of the Savior that he may have faith.  Salvation is by grace working through faith (Eph. 2:8); and faith is hearing God, believing and obeying Him from a heart of love.  The Word of God is the “corner stone” of faith; to believe in His Word is the root of righteousness, and one must hear to believe (Rom. 10:17).  And also, throughout the Holy Scriptures the word “obey” is related to the idea of hearing.  And obedience is doing that which one has heard, thus fulfilling the will of God 

In the following Scripture our Savior tells us that His followers hear and know His voice,

 

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.  But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.  To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.  When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.  And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers (John 10:1-5NAS).” 

 

Here Jesus warns us of false teachers, men who have selfish motives.  He declares Himself to be the true Teacher and His people know His voice and they follow His instructions.  A voice is an expression of thought in words of understanding, but not necessarily vocal. If we are expected to hear and follow His instructions we must know His voice.  Then how are we to know His voice that we may follow Him??  Is the Scripture His voice???  Are we to interpret the Scripture and decide for ourselves what He is saying?  Not according to the Scripture (2 Pet. 1:16-21)!!   If we do that, are we not basing our faith upon the wisdom of men (1 Cor. 2:1-5)??

 

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you  (John 14:26NAS). 

 

The Holy Spirit teaches us through the writings of the Apostle Paul how to hear His voice. 

 

 "---Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.  For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.  For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so {likewise} the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words  (1 Cor. 2:9f-13NAS).” 

 

When we set our minds on the things of the spirit and yield our will to the things of God the Holy Spirit speaks the thoughts of God to our spirit in words we understand.  It is thought transference by the Holy Spirit from the mind of God to the mind of those who are spiritual, to those who have love and faith toward Him through His Son.  Therefore the Holy Spirit is the voice of our Lord speaking to us the word of God and so revealing to us the very mind of God; thus we know the things freely given to us by our Heavenly Father.  

 

How else are to be instructed by God??  Certainly not by our own intellect---that would be of the flesh!!!! 

 

“For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, (set their mind on, or rather yield their will to) the things of the Spirit.  For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him (Rom. 8:5-9NAS).”

The wisdom of man cannot achieve faith; faith and love are gifts from God through hearing God’s Son, The Word of God, by His Spirit (1 John 2:27).  Even if a student reads, memorizes and tries to intellectually achieve understanding of the Scriptures he has not heard the voice of God, therefore he cannot have the love of God or the faith that is from God.  Hearing the Word of God by His voice is the beginning of faith.

 

The Apostle Paul writes, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Rom. 10:17NAS).” 

 

And Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me;  (John 5:39NAS).” 

 

Therefore we understand that the Holy Scriptures were not given to man as his tool or instrument for his own interpretation and understanding; they were given as instruments of the Holy Spirit (the voice of our God) for leading us to Christ Jesus (the Word of God) for justification, regeneration and sanctification.  

 

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and are Life (John 6:63NAS).” 

 

In summary, the Holy Bible is the textbook or written word given to us by the Holy Spirit; and it is He that is the voice that speaks, teaches and reveals the Living Word, Christ Jesus, to us (John 14:26).  

 

Jesus said, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God (Rev. 2:7NAS).” 

 

To he who the Holy Spirit has taught the knowledge that produces obedience that leads to spiritual awareness and alertness, it is he that overcomes. The first time a person hears the voice of his Savior is when the Holy Spirit is convicting him of sin.  It is the Word of God anointed with the Spirit of God that causes the ear of the dead soul of man to hear.

 

Hearing leads to believing, and believing to obedience, and obedience is a positive active response to the will of God.  As the hearer responds in sorrowful repentance the Holy Spirit, speaking the Word of God, continues to do His work in him giving life to the his soul.  

 

As the believer prayerfully studies the Scripture the Holy Spirit reveals the deeper mysteries of God to him in a thought transference process from God’s mind to his; thus God creates, by His word and Spirit, a “new creature” in His image.

 

“But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.  But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man.  For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him?  But we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:14-16NAS).”  

 

“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Rom. 8:14NAS).”

  Jake

Good News         

The word “gospel” is used quite frequently in the New Testament therefore we thought it to be beneficial to explore its meaning.  First we begin with a paragraph from Nelson’s Bible Dictionary.  “In the second century, the word gospel came to be used for certain writings in which the "good news" or story of Jesus Christ was told. These writings were written in the first century, but they became known as "gospels" much later. Mark was the first to write such a story (Mark 1:1), and in so doing he invented a literary form that we call a "gospel." The New Testament has four versions of the one gospel: the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.”  (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary) (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Nelson’s Bible Dictionary also tells us that the Greek word translated “gospel” means “good news.”  This is the definition of the word “gospel” upon which we will base our brief study. 

The “good news” is not news of a “new plan of salvation,” nor does it announce Jesus as “new Savior,” but the good news is about the fulfillment of God’s plan of redemption for mankind.   Jesus came as an evangelist or messenger bearing the good news; but He is much more than a messenger of the gospel, He is the gospel!!! The good news of God was present in His life, in His teaching, and His atoning death.  God had his plan in place before the fall of man, but it had been kept a mystery {Rom. 16:25-27} until it was fulfilled in the coming of the Messiah and announced by Him.  “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.  And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book, and found the place where it was written, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel {good news} to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.  And He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon Him.  And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing {Luke 4:16-21NAS}.’”

 In announcing the gospel Jesus proclaimed, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me.”  This anointing of the Spirit of the Father was His credentials, and by the Spirit of the Father He would speak with authority and power.  His words and deeds would loose the captives, cause the blind to see, and set free the oppressed.  And He would declare, “Today is the day of salvation {Heb. 3:7},” now is “the favorable year of the Lord.” 

As we examine our Lord’s words we think, maybe Jesus was speaking of the financially poor, but He was likely speaking of the spiritually poor as well.  The good news was further proclaimed and explained by Jesus when speaking with the financially wealthy Nicodemus {John 3:1}.  When Nicodemus came to Jesus he was spiritually bankrupt.  Even though he was a teacher of the Law and the Prophets {John 3:10} he did not have access to the wealth of the kingdom of God.  The mystery of God’s plan was first revealed while Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus.  This mystery was the concept of a new birth for man.  And Jesus said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God {John 3:3}.” And then He explained the “Law of the Spirit of life {John 3:5-8; Rom. 8:1-2};” and He also spoke of His Father’s love for mankind and of His sacrificial death {John 3:14-17}. Through the preaching of the good news of the possibility of a new birth to Nicodemus, He provided him with the enlightenment to enter the kingdom of heaven and to the wealth therein, if he would believe {John 1:4}.  Thus we see that the gospel is for the financially wealthy as well as the poor.  Although He tells us it is more difficult for the rich to enter into the kingdom of heaven {Matt.19:23-24}, His word also teaches us that He is no respecter of persons {Gal. 3:28-29}; salvation is for all who believe {John 3:16}

When He spoke of the captives His gospel was a proclamation of liberty, like that to Israel in Egypt and in Babylon.  When Israel went into Egypt they were a small company of peoples, about seventy-five souls {Acts 7:14}.  They were there four hundred and thirty years.  During that time they became a large nation of people enslaved to the Egyptians, but all of them were born into that enslavement and did not know any other life.  They were blind, miserable, poor and downtrodden and in darkness {ignorance}, without a way of escape.  In this we see a likeness of the people of today, born into and guilty of sin, born enslaved, bound by the chains of darkness {ignorance}; for these there is the gospel {the enlightenment}, the good news concerning Jesus.  By the merit of Christ, the Living Word of God, these captives may be loosed from the bonds of darkness and of guilt, and by his Spirit and grace from the bondage of corruption. It is a deliverance from the worst of servitude or slavery, which all those shall have the benefit of that are willing to believe and submit to Christ as their Head {Eph. 1:18-23}, and are willing to be ruled by Him.

And so the gospel, or good news, is of the saving work of God in His Son Jesus Christ and it is also a call to faith in Him.  The Apostle Paul exclaims,  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek {Rom. 1:16NAS}.”  Here the anointed Apostle boldly declares the power of God’s word; for he himself has experienced salvation and a personal relationship with his Savior {Acts 9:3-6}.  Thus he proclaims with certainty that the anointed preaching of the gospel has the power to cause the ear of the dead souls in sin to hear, and the power to bring faith to the hearer {Rom. 10:17}. 

And of this faith he says,  “For in it {the gospel} the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘But the righteous man shall live by faith {Rom. 1:16NAS}.’”  Through faith the gospel reveals the trustworthiness, integrity, faithfulness, the holiness and the righteousness of God.  And it is those who are of faith in Jesus, the Word of God, that are by grace “reckoned” as righteous before God.  This faith we speak of is NOT an intellectual agreement to a theoretical truth. Faith is trust placed in a person, Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God.   Faith is hearing Him, believing Him and obeying Him from a pure heart of love.  Faith by any other definition is not faith at all; any other faith is a speculative faith based upon a theoretical and false gospel, or rather it is no gospel at all {2 Cor. 11:4}, and has no saving power.

            And so we conclude our brief look at the word “gospel” with these thoughts.  The gospel is NOT a biography intended to provide information about a historical character. It is the evangelical proclamation of the life of Jesus and His saving power through faith.  Thus the gospel is both “good news” and a call to faith.  It is a message of God’s gift of His Son in the atonement for sin.  The good news is the anointed message of our Father’s love, mercy and grace brought to us by His beloved Son {Eph. 2:4-10}. 

 

 

 

Jake

 

Likened Unto the Days of Noah

 

“Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them (Gen. 6:1NASU),” [When men began to multiply] It was not at this present time that men began to multiply, but Moses, the inspired man of God, speaks now of a fact which had taken place long beforehand in the days of Cain’s wonderings. There is a distinction made here between mere men and those called the sons of God, it is generally believed that the immediate posterity of Cain (Gen. 4:16-24) and that of Seth are the reference here (Gen. 4:25). The first, Cain’s descendants, were mere men, such as fallen nature may produce, degenerate sons of a degenerate father, driven by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the boastful pride of life (1 John 2:16). The others, the descendants of Seth, were the sons of God, not angels, as some have imagined, but such as were, sons of righteousness according to faith. The descendents of Cain were apostates from the true God, the latter, Seth’s seed, were those among whom the worship of the true and living God was preserved and cultivated for a season.

 

We continue to read in verse two,

“that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose (Gen. 6:2NASU).”

 

The sons of God, the descendents of Seth, being overcome by lust of the flesh (James 1:14-15), began to marry the ungodly daughters of the descendants of Cain and they bore children of unbelief. Thus the sons of God became fewer in number until there was only Noah who found favor with God (Gen. 6:8).

 

“Then the LORD said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years’ (Gen. 6:3NASU."

 

[My spirit shall not strive with man forever]

It is only by the influence of the Spirit of God that the carnal mind can be subdued and destroyed, but those who willfully resist (Heb. 10:26-27) and grieve that Spirit must be ultimately left to the hardness and blindness of their own hearts, if they do not repent and turn to God.

 

[because he also is flesh]

“He” is referring to the sons of God who, through sin, has become like the heathen family of earth-born men.

 

God delights in mercy, and therefore a gracious warning is given. Even at this time the earth was ripe for destruction, but God promised them one hundred and twenty years, an interval for opportunity to repent; in which Noah, a man of righteousness, would preach to them (1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 2:5); if they repented in that interim---well if not, their abomination would bring about desolation; they would be destroyed by a flood.

 

“The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. (Gen. 6:4NASU).”

 

Note: For the translations of Hebrew words in the next four paragraphs I relied upon the commentary of Adam Clark.

 

[The Nephilim (rendered giants in KJV) on the earth]

Nephilim: nªpiliym, from naaphal, meaning, "he fell;" those who had apostatized or fallen from the true God. The Septuagint translate the original word by gigantes, which literally signifies earth-born, and which we, following them, term giants, without having any reference to the meaning of the word, which we generally conceive to signify persons of enormous stature. But the word when properly understood makes a very just distinction between the sons of men and the sons of God; the sons of men were the nephilim, the fallen earth-born men, with the “beast of the field (Gen. 3:1)” and satanic mind; and they bore children likened unto them. Then there were the sons of God, who were born according to the oracles of God born from above, children of the kingdom, because they were children of God. Hence, we may suppose originated the distinction between sinners and saints, the former were termed gigantes (Greek), "earth-born", and the latter, hagioi , i.e. saints, persons not of the earth, or separated from the earth.

 

[Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown]

“Those were” is referring back to the Nephilim or the fallen who became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. “giboriym, which we render "mighty men", signifies properly conquerors, heroes, from gaabar, "he prevailed, was victorious." and 'ansheey hashem, "men of the name," anthroopoi onomastoi, Septuagint; the same as we render men of renown, renominati, twice named, as the word implies, having one name which they derived from their fathers, and another which they acquired by their daring exploits and enterprises.

“It may be necessary to remark here that our translators have rendered seven different Hebrew words by the one term giants, viz., nephilim. gibborim, enachim, rephaim, emim, and zamzummim; by which appellatives are probably meant in general persons of great knowledge, piety, courage, wickedness, etc., and not men of enormous stature, as is generally conjectured.” (Translations taken from Adam Clark’s commentary).

 

Now we turn to the book of Matthew, Jesus is speaking and saying,

"For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah (Matt. 24:37NASU).”

 

[For the coming of the Son of Man]

In the days before the flood it had never rained before for the earth was watered from the fountains beneath the earth. Thus Noah’s preaching about an impending flood was, most likely, largely looked upon as foolishness. Moreover he was probably even jeered while building the ark. Today the warning of the coming of Christ in judgment is of an event that has never occurred since the beginning of time; thus it is largely ignored by the sinners of the world.

 

[will be like the days of Noah]

In the days of Noah through detestable and loathsome acts the sons of God were decreasing in the earth and the sons of men were increasing until there was no glory of God being manifesting in the earth and God was sorry that He had made man (Gen. 6:5-7); man was no longer fulfilling the purpose for which he was created; the salt had become tasteless (Matt. 5:13) and the light had been snuff out (Matt. 5:14).

 

 “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark (Matt. 24:38NASU,”

In Christianity the saints have looked upon the men and women of the world and took unto themselves unbelieving spouses and have bore children of unbelief. They are eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. They wallow in immorality with the world and then they sit in the pews and occupy the pulpits listening to and preaching messages of peace and prosperity and of God’s magnificent love and ignore the warning of the impending judgment that is about to come upon them. The salt is no longer preserving and the light is growing dim; and they will not understand until that day when they stand before the Lord saying, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME , YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS' (Matt. 7:22-23NASU);”

 

In the beginning it was Adam the son of God through sin that brought judgment and a curse upon the world. In the days of Noah it was the abominable acts of the sons of God that brought about the destruction and desolation of the flood. It was the abdominal acts of the religious Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees that brought the desolation of Jerusalem and all Israel in 70AD (Matt. 24:15). And it is the abominable acts, the great apostasy, rebellion against the faith, (2 Thes. 2:3), of the sons of God that will bring God’s wrath in the end of this age making the earth desolate (Dan. 12:11).

 

“For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER? Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right (1 Peter 4:17-19NASU).”

 

Except for the mercies of God even the elect would be destroyed.

“Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short (Matt. 24:22NASU).”

 

So will the coming of the Son of Man be.

 

Jake Sanford

 

After considering several different articles on religion the following statements seem appropriate.  (1) Religion is a cause or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.    (2) Formal religion is a ritualistic practice or worship expressing a belief in a deity and/or other objects of human affection and devotion. (3) Organized religion involves a code of ethics and a philosophy accompanied by creeds and doctrines.  It can be ceremonial, symbolic or both in external expressions of beliefs. Most religions are based upon superstitions, myths, fables, and false teachings derived from traditions, dreams, visions or imaginations and have no meaningful lasting benefit.  One who pursues a cause or activity with zeal or conscientiousness is said to be religious.  Considering the above the conclusion could be made that it is possible to be religious about most any or every thing. 

“And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious (the translation could be suppositious) in all respects.  For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you (Acts 17:22-23NAS).”   

There are many different religions in the world today just the same as it was the day Paul went into Athens.  There are those who call themselves Christian and those who call themselves by some other name.  Within the Christian group there are many different denominations or religions.  

Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.  For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it (Matt. 7:13-14NAS).”   

The broad gate certainly includes many of the different religions of the world and, of course, worldliness. The narrow gate is the gate of righteousness entered only by the ones that have been made righteous by grace through faith in Christ.  Many of the religious worship a God they do not know because they have never had a personal experience with Him; they have only had an emotional, ritualistic religious experience.  They believe what they think they know about God but know not God.  They are perishing because they follow after false teachings, myths, fairy tales, superstitions, dreams and other religious concoctions. They are in need of the knowledge of the truth; but most of the religious reject the truth because they are enjoying what they are doing and to accept the truth would require a change in their life styles and fleshly pleasures.    

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children  (Hosea 4:6NAS).” 

It was to God’s people who had drifted away from righteousness by faith and had become bound by ritualistic religion that Jesus spoke the following words.

 

“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things, and do not do them.  And they tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.  But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries, and lengthen the tassels of their garments.  And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called by men, Rabbi’ (Matt. 23:1-7NAS).” 

 

When Moses lead God’s people out of Egypt into the wilderness God gave them laws of worship of Him that would replace the heathen religions they had learned while in Egypt.   Every law of worship, the tabernacle and all the instructions God gave them was a message in type of the promised Messiah who was to come.  They were to understand the message by revelation from God and carry out each sacrament in obedient expectation and hope in the coming Messiah.  In doing so their acts of faith was reckoned unto them as righteousness.  Deceitful men soon crept in and began to add to and take from what God had commanded the people to do and they completely forgot the message of promise and drifted into meaningless ritualistic religious worship.

 

In the following scripture Jesus is proclaiming that He is the promised Messiah and that He is the fulfillment of the law and the sacraments. 

 

"All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.  Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and My load is light (Matt. 11:27-30NAS).” 

 

When He addresses “all who are weary and heavy-laden” He is speaking to those who have been lead into all types of meaningless ritualistic worship. 

 

The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth warning and telling them to avoid deceitful men. 

 

“But what I am doing, I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds (2 Cor. 11:12-15NAS).” “But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ‘In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’  These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.  But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life (Jude1:17-21NAS).” 

 

After the first apostles went to be with the Lord deceitful men crept into the early Christian Church and turned the church toward the study and adoption of codes of ethics, philosophy, creeds and doctrines; God’s peoples focus shifted away from the simplicity of the gospel and something within them died.  They incorporated heathen religion, worldliness, fables, myths and fairy tales into the church worship distorting the truth and polluting the name of the one and only true God.  These men were as the Scribes of the ritualistic religion of the Jews.  Debates and division soon consumed the presbytery just as it did the people that became known as the Pharisees, Sadducees and other sects of that time; and now the present so called “church” is no longer one body; they have become many different bodies or denominations known by many different names.  Each group has their own code of ethics, philosophy, creeds and doctrines and their own ritualistic ceremonial symbolic worship but know not and do not the will of God.  Therefore we conclude that ritualistic religion is likened unto a spiders web, it entangles the prey while the adversary sucks the very life out of the victim; leaving nothing but a carcass of dead works. 

The apostle James contrast the religion that is unreal and deceptive to that of the “pure and undefiled;” the only religion accepted by the Holy and Divine true God. 

 

“If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless.  This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world  (James 1:26-27NAS).” 

 

When Jesus was talking with the Samaritan woman at the well during their discourse He explained to her pure worship.  He never mentioned idols, rituals and other traditional forms of worship.   

 

The woman said to Him,

“Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.  Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father.  You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.  God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:20-24NAS).” 

 

“Pure and undefiled” religion is very simple; the believer has a love for God and a love of his fellowman; he has been made righteous by God’s grace through faith and is being sanctified through obedience to the word of God; love motivates him to the work of service that God has prepared for him to do. There are no required traditional religious rituals to embrace, no chants, no sounding gongs or clanging symbols; only the expressions of joy and the worship and praise of God the Father through His Son Jesus from a pure heart of Godly love.

 The church has need of repentance from the dead works of tradition and ritualistic religion and return to the simplicity of the good news concerning the Kingdom of God.  Jesus died in our stead because of sin.  He was resurrected because of our justification and reigns because of righteousness.  Only by God’s grace through faith in Christ Jesus are we justified and cleansed from sin, thus are we made the righteousness of God.    There is only one kind of faith that God’s grace works through---that is divine faith.  Divine faith is a gift from God.  He speaks, we hear, believe and obey---that is divine faith.  Faith works by love.  God first loves us, we have a revelation of that love and love Him in return; obedience is an expression of love.  This is the gospel of our Lord and Savior; pure and simple.    

Religion does not lead to righteousness nor does it express or reflect righteousness. The religious believe what they think they know about God.  The righteous know God, or rather are known by God; they hear Him, believe Him, obey Him and are a reflection of Him.    

 

Jake Sanford

All who live in God’s kingdom have been, by grace through faith, born of His law; and by grace through faith, live by the rule of His law; and by grace through faith, are protected by His law.  They have been and are being judged by His law.  Judgment is the process through which the purity of the kingdom of God is preserved.  Sin is defined, judged, condemned and cast out by the Law of God in each individual that enters God’s kingdom, there-by preserving the purity of the kingdom (see Gen. 3;  & 1 Cor. 5 & 6).   

Through repentance sin is cast out, NOT THE INDIVIDUAL.  The individual is only cast out if he refuses to turn away from sin. Thus judgment is an act of love, mercy and grace protecting all that live in the kingdom from the destruction of sin.   

 

Because of God’s love for His children He has a zero tolerance for sin.  God’s church, His children, is His kingdom and His Word is His law.  It is because Jesus, the Word of God, is the “corner stone,” and God the Father is the “rock” and foundation of the children of His kingdom the destructive forces of sin will not prevail against them.   

 

If judgment of sin is by the word of God then who executes or carries out judgment in God’s kingdom?   In Adam’s case it was God Himself who executed judgment in accordance to His law (Gen. 3).   In Noah’s case it was the preaching of the word of truth from a heart of righteousness that judged and condemned the world (Heb. 11:7).  

 

But what about judgment in the church?? 

When Christ ascended He gave gifts to men--- “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13NAS).”   

 

The “five fold ministry”, as it is commonly called, is the executive branch of the kingdom of God.  Their job description is pretty well set forth in the above verse.  As these men that are called, anointed and sent by God, teach the word of God, sin is defined and the hearer is convicted by the Spirit of God of sin and is guided to a sorrowful repentance by the same Spirit.  In this manner sin is judged and cast out through contrition and repentance.  Thus he continues to grow until he reaches maturity.  When sin is revealed and there is no repentance the hearer is judged by the word of truth as one with his sin and condemned and a sure deterioration sets in (Gen. 4:3-8).   

 

But if someone has been taught the word of God but continues in sin, what should be the response of the congregation of which he is attending?   For the answer to this question we turn to the teachings of our Lord, who says;

---- "And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.  But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.  And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer.  Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matt. 18:15-18NAS).”   

 

Executing these instructions is an act of love, for if we have the love of Christ we would do these things in hope of seeing the brother/sister restored and sin properly judged and cast out.  Withdrawing fellowship from the un-repented sinner is for the protection of the congregation of people from the destruction of sin; for to continue in fellowship with this rebellious person the whole congregation is one with this person in sin (1 Cor. 6:15-18).  

Did the early apostles practice this?   They certainly did!!  The apostle Paul took such action against sin in the church at Corinth and exhorted the church to join him in this act.   

 

“It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife.  And you have become arrogant {over-confident or self-righteous}, and have not mourned instead, in order that the one who had done this deed might be removed from your midst.  For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.  In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.  Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?  Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.  Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.  I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world.  But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one.  For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?  But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves (1 Cor. 5:1-13NAS).”   

 

Peter also rebuked and pronounced the word of judgment to Ananias and Sapphira who, because they refused repentance they were one with their sin, thus they suffered death (Acts 5:1-12). 

 

A congregation of people that claim themselves to be children of God, but yet do not execute judgment according to the word of God and the convictions of the Spirit, but rather tolerate sin, have become as the people of Corinth.  They are a disobedient, obstinate, arrogant, conceited, over-confident and self-righteous people whom God Himself will judge (Heb. 10:26-31). 

 

 

If sin in an individual is allowed to remain it will rob him of his joy and eventually destroy that person (Heb. 6:4-8).  If a person in sin is allowed to remain in a congregation his sin will rob that congregation of its joy and eventually destroy the whole of that people (1 Cor. 5:6NAS).   

 

God hates sin because it destroys His creation, His people whom He loves.  If we are truly His children we too hate sin because it destroys our brothers and sisters and is an enemy to our Father.  LOVE HATES SIN!!  If we have the love that is from God we will be obedient to the truth, become living vessels of the truth, preach and teach the truth that sin be judged, cast out and destroyed. 

 

Jake Sanford

 

 

In studying God’s holy Word it is important to keep the Scripture in its context. And, context is the part of the text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.

For the greatest value in study, context should extend to the entirety of scripture. In other words, all of scripture when kept in context fits together. For example, to see the harmony from the Old Testament to the New Testament and the consistent message of the Christ is a tremendous blessing!

A word or passage taken out of its context can become distorted for lack of support and lose its value as truth. Also, there must be consideration given to who is speaking, the subject matter, the circumstances, the time setting, and to who is the message directed or intended. This is also considered as part of the context of the word or passage being studied.

Keeping this in mind we will explore some scripture on the subject of judging, not from a civil legal standpoint, but from a biblical and spiritual perspective. This subject, we must say, that has been highly misunderstood because it has been read and/or taught out of its context.

First let us look at the word, "judge". The dictionary definition of the word "judge" is: to form an opinion based upon knowledge. Biblically speaking, to judge is to correctly discern wrong from right or evil from good by the aid of the Scriptures as taught by the Holy Spirit.

One would glean from these that, in order to judge, one must be qualified. Also, let us consider the object to be judged: is it the person, their deeds, the manner in which they speak, and/or what they teach?

After the opinion has been formed, then comes the action to be taken as a result of the findings. Again, let us consider the object of such actions; is it the person, their deeds, the manner in which they speak and/or what they teach? If the object is the person, then let us state from the beginning, concerning a man’s soul it is not in the hands of man to exonerate and exalt or to condemn and punish; that is reserved for his righteous Creator.

I was always taught that, in speaking or writing, to start on a positive note, then take care of the negative, and end with more of the positive. Here we have already started with the positive, now we will take care of the negative and end with the positive.

In the scripture we find that there are two types of judging spoken of, righteous and unrighteous, we will look at unrighteous judging first.

Looking in God’s holy Word to the Gospel According to John, chapter 8, beginning in verse 15: “You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me (John 8:15-16 NASU).”

[After the flesh]
You judge according to appearance; according to your carnal and corrupt minds; not in the spirit of the Scriptures nor according to the discernment of the Spirit.

In the preceding verses we find that Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees who do not believe in Him (v. 13). They look upon Him as a mere man and reject Him; because they are of the flesh they judge according to the flesh. Thus they are not qualified to judge things of the Spirit; theirs is an unrighteous judgment. After making their erroneous judgment they desired to condemn Jesus. The object of their evil judgment is not what Jesus is teaching or even who He claims to be, the object is Jesus, they desired to put Him to death.

[I am not judging anyone]
These Jews, to whom Jesus was speaking, were in the habit of judging rashly and harshly of all; but this was not the purpose or disposition of the Savior. This expression is to be understood as meaning that he judged no one after the manner of carnal man; he did not come to censure and condemn men from a carnal nature. [but even if I do judge, I am not alone in it] His judgment would be a qualified righteous judgment; according to the discernment of the Spirit.

Isaiah prophesied of Him saying, “And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear; but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked (Isa. 11:3-4 NASU).”

Now let us look at Matthew, chapter 7, beginning in verse 1; "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 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." (Matt. 7:1-5 NASU).

[Judge not, that ye be not judged.]
Here Jesus is teaching all His disciples, including present day disciples, not to judge in the same manner as the Pharisees, Sadducees and their Scribes. The context makes it clear that the thing that our Lord condemns here is the tendency of the carnal nature to look unfavorably on the character and actions of others, which lead invariably to the pronouncing of rash, unjust, and unlovely, unqualified judgments upon them. No doubt it is the unrighteous judgments so pronounced which are here spoken of; but what our Lord aims at is the arrogant spirit of the flesh from which they spring (see Rom. 2:1-4).

Luke also records our Lord speaking of judging with the object to condemn. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned (Luke 6:37).” The Lord is saying here, let the object of your judgment be mercy that you may have grace to pardon.

It is the in-bred nature of degenerate man to elevate himself. Often, it is by way of depressing others. That is why he is so quick to judge and condemn others. In his carnal depraved state he loves himself so much until he is blinded to his own faults. Not seeing his own faults, he judges others with the evil intentions to condemn, thus he judges himself as well because he is found guilty of the same crime. What ever punishment he sees fit for others, he will receive for himself (see James 2:12-13).

[you hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye]
How can he who walks in darkness lead others into the light? One who pretends he is in the light and yet walks in darkness is a hypocrite. His teachings and judgments are void of the Spirit, thus his works are evil and unfruitful; he is not qualified to judge good and evil for he does not even recognize his own evilness.

[then you can see clearly to take the speck out of your brothers eye]
First let him be converted and walk in the light as the Lord is in the light and then he will be qualified to lead others to and in the light (see James 3:1-2). After removing the “log” out of his own eye his nature changes, the object of his judgment is the “speck” in his brother’s eye that he may by grace remove the speck that his brother may see clearly.

This brings us to the subject of righteous judgment.

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

Here Jesus is telling His disciples to judge, but not to judge from the carnal spirit, according to what the eyes see, but to “judge with righteous judgment.” Righteous judgment is found only in the Holy Scriptures as taught by God the Holy Spirit. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:15-17 NASU).”

“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted (Gal. 6:1 NASU).”

[even if anyone is caught in any trespass]
How is one caught in his trespass less someone judge his deeds, his manner in which he speaks and/or teachings? Again, when Jesus is teaching His disciples not to judge, He is speaking of not judging according to the flesh; and not judging to condemn the person.

[you who are spiritual]
But he who is spiritual is to judge the deeds, manner of speech and/or teaching with mercy and grace. The Holy Scripture, as taught by the Holy Spirit, should always be the plumb line used for “reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness.”

Also, he who is spiritual always prays for guidance from God’s Holy Spirit to guard himself against error that he too “may not be tempted.”

"In the letter to the Hebrews we read, “But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil Heb. 5:14 NASU).”

The biblical definition of the word, "discern", is: the ability to detect or perceive good and evil. Discern is akin to the word judge in the sense that with either you must be able to detect or perceive the presence of good or evil from the evidence presented.

Then who should judge? The mature, the one who has had the “log” removed; the one who practices what he teaches. Then how should he judge? “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36 NASU).”

Never judge with intentions of condemning the person; that would be of the flesh. One should always judge by the Scripture with the aid of the Holy Spirit and in love, mercy, grace, gentleness and pureness of heart; thus seeing clearly to remove the “speck” from his brother’s eye that he might be restored in righteousness.

“Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned (Titus 3:10-11 NKJV).”

[reject a divisive man]
Here to “reject” means to turn away from. A divisive man condemns himself and one who is spiritual should not be caught up in his condemnation through fruitless debates and endless arguments.

And “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person (Col. 4:5-6 NASU).”

[let your speech always be with grace]
Let the child of grace minister from his inner peace and his speech will always be seasoned with grace. And let the joy or your salvation be your strength (Neh. 8:10).

“I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say (1 Cor. 10:15 NASU).”



Jake Sanford