Amos 5:21-24

 I hate, I despise your feast days,
And I do not savor your sacred assemblies.
Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them,
Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings.
Take away from Me the noise of your songs,
For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.
But let justice run down like water,
And righteousness like a mighty stream.  Amos 5:21-24

Israel's religion was going nowhere. The people were not righteous, moral, or just in their dealings with one another, so their playing at religion, though sincere, was despicable to God.

In the list of sacrifices in verse 22, the sin offering is not mentioned, suggesting that the Israelites felt they had done no sin that required forgiveness. This shows that they were not in contact with God; they had no relationship with Him. If they had, they would have been aware where they had fallen short, and they could have repented.

Amos includes three other offerings that the Israelites gave but God would not accept. Knowing what they represent gives us insight into how the people were falling short in their spiritual lives.

The burnt offering teaches total devotion to the Creator. It was completely burned up on the altar, typifying the offerer being completely devoted in service to God. This offering corresponds to the first four commandments, which show love and devotion toward God.

Similarly, the grain offering, also called the cereal offering, meal offering, or meat offering, teaches total dedication and service to man. It was offered in conjunction with the burnt offering. The grain offering typifies the last six commandments, which regulate our relationships and love toward our fellow man.

The peace offering represents one's fellowship upward to God and outward to man. It was primarily given in thanks for God's blessing. When this offering was made, God, the priest, the offerer, and his family and friends shared in a common meal and fellowship, as all these parties ate part of the sacrificed animal.

But from God's reaction to their offerings, it is clear that the people of ancient Israel were not devoted to God or to their fellow man. Nor were they in true fellowship with either God or man, and therefore they could not see their sins. They did not see the holiness of God and compare themselves to it. If they had, they would have seen that they needed to make changes in their lives, but in judging themselves solely against other men—an unwise thing to do (II Corinthians 10:12)—they felt no need for repentance.

They did not understand what God really wanted of them. They may have appeased their own consciences with their church attendance, hymn singing, and sacrifices, but they went home and continued to oppress and cheat and lie. True religion is

1) A relationship with God (Matthew 22:37). Without a relationship with Him, we cannot know Him or understand His purpose for us.
2) Submission and obedience to God as our part of the relationship (James 4:7-8). In offering to make the covenant with the children of Israel (Exodus 20-24), He proposed to them. They accepted their obligation—to obey Him—but they were unfaithful in fulfilling it. As the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16) and the future Bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7-9), the church must not fail as ancient Israel did.
3) Real love for God's truth (II Thessalonians 2:10). Israel neither loved nor sought God's truth.
4) Moral integrity (I Peter 3:8-12). Living in righteousness and holiness shows love toward God and man.
5) Social responsibility (James 1:27). Israel, as a nation of this world, had a responsibility to ensure that their care of their fellow Israelites was acceptable in God's eyes. The church, a spiritual organism, is not of this world, and as a body, has no responsibility at this time to change society—only ourselves. We must take care of our brethren within the church now, and we will have our chance to help this world in God's Kingdom.

These five points will not "buy" us into the presence of God, but rather they are five proofs that we follow true religion. Remember Jacob's dream. God chooses us and meets us at the foot of the ladder, making a difference in our lives. He gives us a way of life to follow, and we pledge to follow it. Thus, true religion is not a way to God but a way of living from God.

I John 1:7

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

We know what walk means. It implies how we conduct our lives. I John is a letter written to a church congregation, and he is instructing church members that fellowship hinges on walking in the light. This is how we are to have fellowship with one another.

The context of this instruction is quite interesting. Protestantism focuses heavily on the initial forgiveness of sin that takes place upon belief at the beginning of salvation. Thus, their evangelists have altar calls. People come down before the altar and confess their sins and accept Christ as their Savior. Once they do this, these people are considered "saved" and "born again." Their doctrine—that of eternal salvation—continues in this vein, that is, once that occurs, salvation is basically assured. So a great deal of emphasis is put on the initial repentance and forgiveness of sin.

However, notice this verse in its context. John writes, "If we walk in the light. . . ." An individual cannot walk in the light until he is called and converted. This walking occurs after conversion. He continues, "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship. . . ." The fellowship depends on what we do after the initial repentance. Amos writes, "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?" (Amos 3:3). It cannot be done. We do not have fellowship with people that we do not agree with. Agreement is shown by the way that we conduct our lives—by the way that we behave under our belief system.

". . . and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all unrighteousness." This phrase, in context, is the game-breaker. The apostle is teaching that further cleansing, further forgiveness, hinges on our obedience to God after we are converted, for "walking in the light" is synonymous to being obedient or living righteously. Forgiveness after conversion works exactly the same way as the forgiveness we were given before we were converted. It hinged on whether we had repented and had begun obeying God.

Clearly, salvation is a process!

What we must understand here is that forgiveness, cleansing, and even fellowship is not a once-for-all act; but it is a process—even as growing in the grace and knowledge is a process, even as the writing of God's law on our heart is a process. Cleansing is a process. The quality of the fellowship depends upon all of these things. So, if we walk in the light, we have fellowship and His blood cleanses us.

Ecclesiastes 7:8-10

The end of a thing is better than its beginning;
The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry,
For anger rests in the bosom of fools.
Do not say,
"Why were the former days better than these?"
For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.  Ecclesiastes 7:8-10

Solomon compares patience and hasty anger. We become frustrated easily and frequently. Often, doing a good job is superior simply because it has been done well and does not have to be inspected by someone else to check and double-check the quality of workmanship. How often does a person's temper feed into the way and the quality of the job? God is clearly suggesting that a person's temperament has a distinct effect on the quality and consistency of his workmanship.

Does an angry person make a good spouse? Does an angry or impatient person make a good employee? Does an angry person make a good church member? Does a driver burning with road rage make a good driver? Most of the time, anger is not wisdom. Anger can be good if it is used at the right time, is controlled, is directed toward the right ends, and is not simply an expression of personal, willful frustration because things are not going as expected. Notice how the following verses confirm anger's ability to hinder good:

» Proverbs 14:17: “A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated.”

» Proverbs 14:29: “He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly.”

» Proverbs 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.”

» James 1:19-20: “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

Solomon expressly states in Ecclesiastes 7:9, “Anger resides in the bosom of fools.” He describes an anger ready to burst out at even slight irritations because a person's pride convinces him that even slight irritations simply should not happen to such a wonderful person as he is. He explodes because of his impatience.

From impatience, it is often but a short step to bribery, which Solomon mentions in verse 7. A bribe is often given or taken because the individual wants to hurry the process of achieving his goal. The recipient convinces himself it is merely a shortcut. It is a means of getting the job done quicker. However, in reality the bribe is a trap that binds him by indebtedness to another and ultimately, to shame.

Do not be misled by the word “end” in verse 8. It does not necessarily suggest a job that is finished. Rather, Solomon is thinking of the outcome, the fruit produced, or the quality achieved. Some things that do not seem to start well actually become quite productive. There is a saying: “All's well that ends well,” which is the sort of end Solomon means, one that is quite important to growing and overcoming.

Many times, we fear becoming involved with even the first small steps of overcoming a character flaw to improve our conduct, so we procrastinate. We often find, however, that once involved in disciplining ourselves and taking some small hesitant steps, we are encouraged because more good is happening than we ever thought possible. Some insignificant beginnings have endings of major consequence.

A clear example is found in the fact that Jesus Christ was born as a babe, in a second-rate, occupied, and enslaved nation and into an insignificant family—but that “project” will end in the awesome things written in Revelation 22 with billions of glorified, immortal persons gathered into one awesome Family. This illustration feeds into this principle and the overall thoughts about how we think about life now that we are in the midst of our calling and have a much clearer view of how things are going on Planet Earth.

Matthew 11:2-3

And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Matthew 11:2-3


 Because the prophet Isaiah foretold the Messiah's exercise of miraculous power (Isaiah 35:4-6; 42:7), John the Baptizer asked for such a sign of Christ. Jesus replied: "The blind receive their sight and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them" (verse 5). His miracles provided proof of who He was.

Christ came into the world, not only as God's personal representative on earth, but as God manifest in flesh. He was Himself a miracle in human form, and His miraculous works are bound up inseparably with His life. When we accept the miracles of His prophesied birth, sinless life, and glorious resurrection, then any other miracle is possible. Born holy, undefiled, and separate from sinners (Hebrews 7:26), He was conscious of His God-given responsibility to bless and relieve mankind in miraculous ways.

In describing Jesus' healing miracles, Luke, a doctor, emphasized the power of God by saying, "The power of the Lord was present to heal them" (Luke 5:17), and "the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all" (Luke 6:19). Similarly in Acts, Peter describes "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38).

One could say Christ's miracles were parables in deeds, just as His parables were miracles in words. God designed His miracles to symbolize His power to meet spiritual needs, as well as physical and material ones. Jesus' recorded miracles are real-life experiences of what it means to be under the wonderful rule of the powerful but merciful King of God's Kingdom.

Revelation 11:4

These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands standing before the God of the earth.  Revelation 11:4



This verse tells us that these two are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands "standing before the God of the earth." Why are they described as "the two lamp stands"? Timing is vital to understanding this. Revelation 10 and 11 are internally chronological. At this time, the seven thunders have ceased, and the Two Witnesses have been raised up. They are the sole effort God has going as far as witnessing, preaching, and proclaiming His way on the earth.

What does a lamp do? It gives light (Matthew 5:14-16). What are the Two Witnesses doing at this time? Revelation 11:4 says that they are the two lamp stands that stand before the God of the whole earth. What are they doing? They are lighting the whole house, as it says in Matthew 5. What is the house? Who comprises the house of God? The church! The two olive trees put their oil in the reservoir, and it feeds the whole church - to do what? To make light! At this time, though, the church is hidden in a Place of Safety, and not even Satan can get to them, as far as we know. We know that certainly no men can get to them.

So, we could say that the church's light is at that time under a basket. Who is left to be light to the world? The Two Witnesses! They are, at this point, the two lamp stands. All the eyes of the world will be drawn toward these two prophets. They are the only ones that will be doing good works at that time; they are the only ones that will be publicly glorifying God in heaven.

That is why they are called the two lamp stands. They are the only ones remaining to shine spiritually during Jacob's trouble and the Day of the Lord. They will be, in effect, raising Cain all over the world. The whole world hates them, and they will rejoice when these two are dead - because they cannot stand the fact that these two shine so brightly for God.

At this point, the seven churches are out of the picture, so the lamp stands cannot represent churches. They picture these two bright lights for God. Not only will they be supplying the church with oil, but they will also be shining brightly as witnesses to the world as a result of the good works that they do.

The Names of Christmas

As I was arriving for work the other morning, a woman arriving for work as well responded to my "Good morning" with, "Merry Christmas." I waved politely and walked on. Her well-wishes reminded me that we are deep within the time of the year when such words are thrown about with wild abandon (though with far less abandon than in previous years due to political correctness). Also in the air are the songs, hymns, carols, and stories that accompany the celebration of Christmas, and these mention Yule, Yuletide, Noël, the Nativity, Advent, the Feast of the Incarnation, and so forth. And these are just the names for this holiday in English!

Anyone with a rudimentary understanding of etymology soon realizes that these terms, like most English words, have been borrowed from other languages. In fact, "Yule" and "Yuletide" may be the only true English words among them, coming from the Old English word, géol. None of them originate in the Bible, certainly not in the context of any kind of biblically mandated celebration to be held at the dawning of the winter season. So what do these words really mean?

We will begin with "Yule." It refers to a twelve-day winter festival of feasting, drinking, and sacrificing observed for centuries by Germanic peoples throughout northern Europe. Indisputably, the celebration has pagan origins, associated with the Norse god Odin, one of whose names is "Yule Father" (he is also called "the Yule One"). The word "jolly," a term that we immediately associate with Santa Claus, has its roots in "yule." "Yuletide" is simply the time or season of Yule.

Yule has been connected with the pagan Wild Hunt—the passing of supernatural hunters or the dead across the sky, led by Odin—which is thought to portend some kind of catastrophe or mark some unfortunate soul's descent into the underworld. Another association is the Anglo-Saxon Modranicht ("Mothers' Night"), an all-female fertility rite observed on what is now Christmas Eve, which may have involved some sort of sacrifice. The Yule log, eating ham (the Yule boar), and singing carols on Christmas all derive from this Germanic festival.

Like "Yule" and "Yuletide," "Noël" identifies not only the day of Christmas (and its carols) but the season preceding it. "Noël" and "Nativity" are both derived from the same Latin word, natalis, meaning "of the birth." Rome celebrated a winter festival that was called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, "the Day of the Birth of the Unconquered (or Invincible) Sun." The name points to the festival's date, the day of the winter solstice, when the sun's light, having reached its nadir, begins to regain its strength—to the Romans, it was the sun's "birthday" or "rebirth-day." While the date of the winter solstice has regressed to December 21 over the centuries, in pre-Christian times it fell on December 25.

It is thought that the Roman Catholic Church appropriated this festival into Christianity since its date coincides with a traditional, allegorical calculation that, since Jesus, like other great men, must have been conceived on the same date that He died (by their reckoning, March 25), the date of His birth nine months later would have been December 25. Though modern scholars attempt to downplay any association between the "Christian" observance of Christmas and the pagan celebration, a line in a Christmas-day sermon by Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430) suggests otherwise: "Let us celebrate this day as a feast not for the sake of this sun, which is beheld by believers as much as by ourselves, but for the sake of Him who created the sun." It appears that Augustine felt it necessary to remind his parishioners that the "Christian" observance of the day had, for them, superseded the pagan one.

Some Christmas-keepers begin to feel the excitement as early as Advent. This first season of the liturgical calendar has its origins in the fifth century and possibly earlier. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas (late November or early December). In modern times, to celebrate Advent, people keep an Advent calendar, light a wreath, give gifts, pray a daily devotional, set up Christmas decorations (particularly a Christmas tree), sing special carols, attend special services, etc. The most devout fast for forty days before Christmas in the manner that some fast during Lent, going without a particularly tempting food.

The term "Advent" derives from a Latin word, adventus (equivalent to Greek parousia), which means "coming," referring in Scripture to the second coming of Christ. However, in the twelfth century, due to the preaching and writing of Bernard of Clairvaux, it began to be popular to speak of three comings of Christ: in the flesh, in a believer's heart, and in His glory. Today, this tripartite distinction has all but disappeared, as the modern Advent focuses almost exclusively on preparing for the commemoration of the birth of Christ, that is, for Christmas. Granted, some readings for the period do concern Christ coming as Judge at the end time.

Advent, despite its quasi-scriptural name, has no basis in the Bible. God's Word speaks of Christ's parousia only in terms of His second coming, His "glorious appearing" (I Thessalonians 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; II Thessalonians 2:1, 7-9; Titus 2:13; etc.). His return to this earth as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:11-16) has no biblical connection to the month of December or to these modern Advent practices. There is certainly no scriptural command to keep it or anything like it.

What about "Christmas" itself? It is clearly composed of two words, "Christ" and "mass." It comes as no surprise, then, to know that it originated in an Old English phrase, Cristes Maesse, which means "Mass of Christ." Mass, also known as Communion or the Eucharist, is commonly defined, for instance, from the Cambridge Dictionary, as "a religious ceremony based on Jesus's last meal with [H]is disciples." This definition, though, obscures the fact that the Catholic Church believes the Mass to be the exact same sacrifice that Christ offered at Calvary. In effect, He is offered in sacrifice each time the mass is taken. (However, compare Hebrews 6:6, where the author warns about re-crucifying the Son of God, and Hebrews 9:24-28, where he writes that His sacrifice was done once for all).

This name, then, has disturbing connotations, especially in light of the emphasis on the "baby Jesus" in Christmas festivities and decorations. Despite the obvious dating error, "the Feast of the Incarnation" ("the Feast of His Coming in the Flesh") would be a more accurate name for the holiday than "Christmas," which most people do not realize can suggest a repeated sacrifice of an infant Christ accompanied by jollity, festivity, and crass commercialism. The biblical commemoration of His death as our Savior, the Christian Passover, is a solemn observance, and the bread and wine mere symbols to remember His broken body and shed blood.

Names are important—and even more significant than just identifiers. Names mean something, and the names of Christmas reveal just what the holiday is all about.

Hebrews 10:4

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.  Hebrews 10:4

Do we grasp a serious ramification of this statement? It was never possible for animal blood to remove sins! If it was not possible in Paul's day, it was not possible in Old Testament times either. No one, including the Old Testament heroes, was ever forgiven through an animal sacrifice, nor was anyone saved by works of the law. Forgiveness and salvation by grace were not new to the New Testament.
The offerings were continuously repeated and detailed portrayals of what sin does - it kills - and what Christ's sacrifice would accomplish - reconciliation with God. Hebrews 10:3 says they served as reminders of sin. They were and remain as teaching vehicles since their spiritual purposes are shown elsewhere in God's Word. Hebrews 10:5-10 adds:

Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come - to do Your will, O God.'" Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the law), then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

How can a person truly live by every word of God if he casts these things aside as useless to daily life? How do they apply to us today? They apply in the spirit, which is their true intent. Jesus Christ is the object of each of the offerings, that is, they portray His activities as a man. However, three of them, the burnt, grain (or meal), and peace offerings, do not deal with sin. Only the trespass and sin offerings depict Christ's death for our sins.

Very briefly, the whole burnt offering pictures Jesus Christ's total devotion to God. His life was completely consumed as an offering to God every minute He lived. It pictures His fulfilling the first of the two great commandments of the law (Matthew 22:37): Jesus loved God with all His heart, soul, and mind.

Along with the burnt offering, the meal offering represents Christ's dedicated service, but this time to man, fulfilling the second of the two great commandments (verse 39): He loved His neighbor as Himself. Sharing His consuming love for God showed His consummate love for man.
The peace offering represents the fruit of all of Jesus' sacrificial labors on behalf of God and mankind, including those symbolized by the sin and trespass offerings. The peace offering shows God, the High Priest, and man fellowshipping together, sharing a common meal in peace and thanksgiving.

Before leaving Jesus' example, we need to consider whether we are ever tempted to think that Jesus dream-walked through life like an actor on a stage. Do we ever feel that He must have had it easy because He was also God, and so could easily overcome any temptation that crossed His path? While it is true that, even as a man, He never stopped being God, He was also a man and thus encumbered with human feelings, and that nature within Him opened the door to sore temptations. Hebrews 2:16-18 reflects this, as does Hebrews 4:15-16.

It is important on several fronts to allow this reality's impact to affect us. Why? Because Jesus is our example, and we are to follow in His footsteps. Even though He was the Son of God, His Father did not lay out an easy course for Him. For instance, He rarely escaped almost continuous confrontations by angry people. By itself, this was a great burden. The pressure from this trial culminated in His crucifixion and all it entailed.

Jesus had to work at succeeding in His responsibilities. Each day was a sacrificial offering for Him on behalf of God and men. Thus, He is our example in this too. He gave of Himself, laying down His life for His friends, not only as an offering for sin, but also in daily service as a servant.

It will become clear that He did not engage in this labor so we could escape the responsibilities of our assignments. If we are to walk the same path behind our Example, does it not follow that we will face the same basic difficulties He did? God promises that our responsibilities will be in measure to our gifts (I Corinthians 10:13; Romans 12:6-8), but He did not do it all for us.

Do we not have work to do to follow Him? Once a person is converted, can anybody keep the commandments for him? Can a person be a proxy for another before God? Can anyone live any part of life for another? People can do things on another's behalf, but they cannot live life for anybody else.

Matthew 13:45-46

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.  Matthew 13:45-46



The first four parables of Matthew 13 are darkened by an ominous cloud. In contrast, the last four cast light on the assurance of a positive future for the saints. In this second of the chapter's third pair of parables, Jesus reveals more secrets to His disciples regarding the high value God places on the church. The Parable of the Pearl (verse 45) particularly reveals the high cost to God of acquiring potential members of His Kingdom.

Until we are baptized members of God's church with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we cannot understand the full meaning and purpose of God's plan. As Asaph writes, "When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me - until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end" (Psalm 73:16-17). This parable helps us understand God's perspective.

Between the Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Parable of the Pearl, we can notice this distinction: The Treasure is made up of units of precious things, such as coins and gems of various kinds, although they are collectively one treasure. The Pearl, however, is a single object. These two illustrations - both of which conclude at the same place, the completion of the purchase - represent different aspects of the same truths: the costliness of the Treasure or Pearl, and the joy of the Purchaser.

The merchant is seriously and deliberately searching the world to secure the best and costliest gems. It is his livelihood, and he is diligent to travel extensively because he knows his efforts will be rewarded when he finds the best and purchases them. Since Christ is the One who seeks the sinner (Luke 19:9-10; John 6:44), the merchant cannot represent the members of God's church (Romans 3:11). The Shepherd seeks the sheep, not vice versa.

The use of the word "seeking" (Matthew 13:45) helps identify the merchant as Christ, as it means "to depart from one place and arrive at another." Jesus did this Himself to pay the price for the pearl. He departed from heaven and arrived on earth to complete His mission (Philippians 2:6-7; II Corinthians 8:9). He gave up everything - He sold all - to possess us!

Unlike other gems, pearls are produced by a living organism, an oyster, as the result of an injury. It usually begins forming around a grain of sand or an egg of some parasite that invaded the oyster. The oyster protects itself by layering the irritant with nacre (mother-of-pearl) until, out of pain and suffering, it forms an object of great beauty. The offending party actually becomes a gem of great worth.

In a similar way, spiritually, we are an irritant, a parasite due to our nature and sins (Romans 3:23-26). However, because God loves us, we are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, and gradually, we can become a thing of beauty, clothed with the righteousness of Him who bought us (Romans 3:24-26; Ephesians 2:13). As long as the pearl - the church - remains in the oyster - the world - it has no value. In fact, the pearl has no real intrinsic worth; its value resides in the immense cost paid for it.

God's grace is essential in understanding this parable (II Corinthians 9:15; Romans 6:23). The merchant is willing to buy the pearl at an exorbitant cost. No one can buy salvation or the Kingdom of God or eternal life for himself. Grace would not be grace if one were able to barter with God (Luke 7:41-42). According to Scripture, we have no righteousness, no talents, no goods, nothing that is of any value in purchasing such a priceless gift from God (Isaiah 64:6). Peter's denunciation of Simon Magus clearly shows that no one can buy what belongs to God (Acts 8:17-24).

Further, we do not choose Christ but He selects us (John 15:16; Luke 19:10). Since He is the merchant, the price paid was His life, and the church is the pearl. The church is one body (Ephesians 4:4), composed of those He has sought out through the ages to be a habitation of Christ by His Spirit and who will be His bride at His return.

The Pearl presents a wonderful picture of the purchase of the church in preparation for the Kingdom of God. It is encouraging to know that Jesus does not seek us in reluctant fulfillment of duty. Nor is He groping in the dark, hoping that we will respond to His plea, but He seeks us out with an efficient, organized, pre-planned goal in mind. He pursues us as a man courts a woman to be his bride, willing to spill His own blood as her purchase price (Acts 20:28). What greater price could have been paid for the church than the life of Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice?

Exodus 19:1-2

In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai.  For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before the mountain.  Exodus 19:1-2


These and the following verses reveal that the Israelites progressed by various stages to the Promised Land. Slavery in Egypt was a type of being part of the world. Coming out of Egypt was a type of redemption or justification. The journey through the wilderness was a type of sanctification, and entering into the Promised Land was a type of salvation.

We see several clear steps in this process. Which took the longest time? Their sanctification! They came out with a high hand: "Yeah! We're free. Everything is fine. This is going to be a lark!" But where did they do all their crying? Where did they go hungry? Where did they experience pain? Where did they quake with fear? Where did they have their greatest tests? Where did they fail? In the wilderness, in the type of sanctification.

Why did they fail? Hebrews 4:1-2 makes it clear: They failed because their faith broke down during the portion of God's plan called sanctification. We might say today, they couldn't hack it. They could not endure to the end. Thus, as these verses say, their bodies were strewn from one end of the wilderness to the other.

As mentioned, being freed from Egypt pictures redemption or justification, but there was a great deal more to come. They had to walk for a lifetime - roughly 40 years - before they approached the Promised Land. Walking out of Egypt was only the beginning.

So it is with us and the receiving of our inheritance.

One of the first things that God did after He freed Israel was to enter into a covenant with them and to reveal His laws to them. There is a parallel, a pattern, here. Many want to do away with the laws of God, but if we do that - from the clear pattern shown in the Old Covenant - then we are destroying the rules of the game. It is nullifying part of the very elements necessary for our purification, which prepares us to inherit the Kingdom of God.

The revelation of the law was necessary to prepare Israel and to set down the rules for their relationships between themselves and with God. The law was designed to prepare them to be fit to live in their inheritance. It did not save or redeem them - God did that. The law's purpose was to prepare them.

Exodus 20:4-6

You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.  Exodus 20:4-6

Some do not perceive the differences between the first and second commandments. However, the first stresses the uniqueness, the matchless distinctiveness of the Creator God. It draws attention to our obligation to the One without whom there would be no life or hope at all. He is also the Source of truth, right values, and standards that will produce right relationships and peaceful prosperity so that life is not merely lived but has the potential to contain great peace, joy, and accomplishment. Thus, the first commandment deals with what we worship.

In contrast, the second commandment covers the way we worship. The Father and Son are unique Individuals who come into our lives from beyond this physical realm. They are absolutely holy, pure, and undefiled, uncreated and eternal. An idol, on the other hand, is someone or something of any other realm that we make and value, giving it devotion that rightfully belongs to the Creator.

John 4:24 instructs us regarding the way God desires that we worship Him: "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." The second commandment regulates a specific area of idolatry; it deals with God's spirituality. It thus involves our manner of worship in faith, most obviously in that it prohibits the use of physical "helps" or "aids" in worshiping the invisible, spiritual God.

John 1:18 states that no man has seen God at any time. Deuteronomy 4:15-16 provides an Old Testament parallel:

Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female.

Since no one has ever seen God, whatever is made to picture Him would be a work of man's hands and a lie. It is helpful to recall that the Holy of Holies contained no representation of God. The Bible frequently uses the image of an altar to indicate the worship of God, yet, except for the Temple's brazen altar, even they were to be made of simple turf or uncut stones (Exodus 20:22-26). Additionally, the second commandment prohibits the use of anything that represents God or could become an object of veneration. Thus, it prohibits any kind of likeness of Christ such as crucifixes, pictures, and statues.

Numbers 33:52 commands the Israelites, ". . . then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places. . . ." This destruction was not to be wanton, but God intended it to involve only religious, worshiped things. Why?

Any representation of God changes Him into a different god from what He really is. Egypt, from whence Israel came, worshiped oxen, heifers, sheep, goats, lions, dogs, cats, monkeys, ibis, crane, hawks, crocodiles, serpents, frogs, flies, beetles, sun, moon, planets, stars, fire, light, air, and darkness. Very likely, an Egyptian could come up with "good" reasons why he did so. A man wrote in an email that he did not care whether the Bible said not to worship as the pagans do through the use of Christmas and Easter. He was going to do it anyway because it was his way of praising God. He is worshiping a god of his own design.

Idolatry, then, denies the true nature of God, so obedience to this commandment determines the way we worship. It must be in spirit and in harmony with His nature, which the Bible reveals. Knowing God's true nature is important because we become what we worship. Thus, this commandment covers idolatry in a form in which the true God is worshiped through either a false image or a corrupt practice. This false representation perverts His reality. If we idolize, we become the wrong thing.

John 8:28

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things."  John 8:28 

He may have been talking to His disciples directly—and not to the crowds—when He said this. It was not until after Jesus died, was buried, and was resurrected that His disciples first believed—really believed! Later on, Peter and John ran pell-mell to the grave where Jesus had been interred. Peter goes in. He looks and sees everything there—except Jesus. John peers in the doorway, and the gospel says, "And then this disciple believed." John was the first to believe. It took seeing the grave clothes folded up neatly in the sepulchre and no body of Jesus Christ in sight for him to finally get it. That act fulfills this little prophecy of Jesus': "Then you will know."

What momentous events they had just experienced—and they did not understand and believe. They did not really believe when He came into Jerusalem and was lauded by all the people, exactly fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah. They did not see it when He gave the Last Supper, changing the symbols. They did not recognize it when one of their own betrayed Him with a kiss. He even gave the sop directly to Judas after John had asked Him, "Which one of these is it going to be?" He saw it go from Jesus' hand to Judas' hand or into his mouth. The fulfillment was just a few minutes away from His utterance, and they still did not believe! They still failed to see how it was all coming together.

Of course, there was the crucifixion. How many prophecies were fulfilled in the crucifixion, in His burial? And they still did not believe! The three days went by and still no belief. They had God-in-the-flesh leading them through all these prophecies, and they still did not get it—until that point when comprehension dawned on John.

It is arrogant and puffed up of us to think that we have prophecy figured out. In many cases, we do not have the mind even of the disciples. We do not have the teaching from the very mouth of God as the disciples had. Of course, they were not converted at the time. But if they could not get it, seeing these things happening right before their eyes, will we be able to see prophecy working out in our time any more clearly? Are we so much more advanced?

We can know the possibilities, but we cannot be certain of the exact progress and timing of prophetic events. Until the prophecy is fulfilled, we should not be dogmatic. We must always approach these things with humility. Because we are clay in the Potter's hand, He gives us what we need to know. And, in many cases, what we think we need to know is not really "need to know" until after it has already happened. God has His own ways, and He is working out His purpose.

Matthew 25:32-33

All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.   Matthew 25:32-33


The sheep are given eternal life, but the goats are cast into the Lake of Fire. It is clear from this section of Scripture that we want the attributes of sheep and not those of goats!

What is it about goats that causes God to use them in such a negative light? Goats are capricious. They are impulsive and unpredictable, devious and contrary. If they are not poking their heads through fences, they may be standing on their hind legs, stretching for those tender leaves just out of reach. Goats are never content with what they have.

They are experts in opening gates and squeezing through small gaps because they hate to be confined. Fences that will handle sheep, cattle, and horses will not hold goats. They will work tirelessly to spring themselves from any situation they deem inhibiting.

Consequently, goats are not very good followers. "Gregarious behavior" is a term that refers to the flocking or herding instinct which is found strongly in sheep, cattle, and horses. Again, this quality is rather weak in goats; they prefer leading or going off on their own. Meat packers use this instinct in sheep and goats to their advantage. They will train an old goat, appropriately called a "Judas," to lead sheep to the pens for slaughter. A well-trained Judas will lead group after group of sheep to the slaughter all day long.

A sheep follows its Shepherd, peacefully moving forward with the flock. He is content to be led because he has faith in Him. A sheep responds to his Shepherd's voice and goes where He directs. On the other hand, a goat follows only its own lead, creating disunity when he comes in contact with others in the flock. Because of his independent nature, he often finds himself in contention with the Shepherd for leadership of the flock, leading some astray. A goat often eats things—a symbol of ingesting spiritual instruction—sheep would avoid because they have no real value and cause sickness.

Goats are not inherently evil, but some of their traits could be deadly—spiritually—if found in a Christian. A Christian who is unpredictable, who thinks he is above it all, who independently does his own thing, who wants to take over, has trouble functioning in a group, or does not want to be led, is exhibiting the characteristics of a goat—one Christ says will be cast into the Lake of Fire!

Hebrews 11:8

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.  Hebrews 11:8


We are involved in an awesome adventure, but we are blind to many particulars that will affect us. What is emphasized from Abraham's life is his trust in God. Trust is the most powerful fruit, the strongest, clearest evidence, of belief. Trust is faith in action, setting a truly converted person apart from one who believes only intellectually. The Christian must live his life by faith.

Lack of trust is a major reason why young people "go bad" in their teen years. They do not really trust their parents. Rather, they trust other teens; they trust what they see in movies extolling the popular culture; they trust what they hear songs saying to their emotions. They trust their own thoughts and their own experiences, but Mom and Dad are low on the influence scale.

Notice, however, what Jesus says of Abraham regarding this principle: "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad" (John 8:56). Abraham saw Christ as the Savior and Author of eternal salvation in his mind's eye and demonstrated his trust in this fact through his conduct. Abraham's proceeding on despite not knowing where he was going demonstrates that he put himself unreservedly in God's hands. He actually performed what he said he believed despite its potential cost. His feet, as it were, gave proof of what was in his heart by where and how he walked.
Jesus teaches this principle in Matthew 16:24-26:

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Abraham did this to a degree few have even come close to matching. To deny ourselves is to set aside our claims on the day-to-day use of our time and energy in favor of another. Often God's commands seem demanding, even severe, but accepting God's calling has placed the burden of this responsibility squarely on our shoulders.

There can be no doubt that Abraham's neighbors thought he was loopy, even as Noah's neighbors undoubtedly thought he was crazy for building an ark. People of the world cannot truly understand the actions of one who walks by faith because their perspectives on the value of things are usually quite different. If confronted with similar knowledge and circumstances without God's gracious calling and gift of faith, the unconverted will adjust through compromise and self-justification. They will rationalize that under their "special" circumstances, God would surely not expect such things of them. The world of the unconverted is governed by its limited, carnal senses and feelings, not by faith in God's character. They walk by sight.

The Crazy in Christmas

Many years ago, while talking to an acquaintance, the subject of Christmas came up. I told him up front, "I don't celebrate Christmas." He replied, "What? Are you crazy?" But the question should be, "Who is really believing something crazy?"

When we moved into our new neighborhood, our neighbors came over to present us with Christmas gifts. My former wife and I at first tried to be gracious and discreet about our beliefs, but as we talked to the couple, she started looking around the house, asking, "Where is your Christmas tree? Where are all your decorations?"

We immediately confessed that we do not celebrate Christmas, and the neighbors were stunned! "What?" they asked. "Don't you believe in God?" The neighbor's wife had never heard of such a thing! They did not stay any longer than they had to. The secret was now out in our new neighborhood; we were officially peculiar. The last thing she said as they drove away was, "I'll pray for you!"

Jesus Himself tells us in John 4:24 that we must worship God in spirit and truth. Where is the truth in Christmas? For that matter, what is the Christmas spirit and where does it come from? People try to point to the first chapters of Matthew and Luke for authority to celebrate it, but nowhere in God's Word is there any command to celebrate Jesus' birth. He specifically tells us to commemorate His death (I Corinthians 11:23-26), but do most Christians keep the Passover?

My normal reply to someone who asks me why I do not celebrate Christmas is, "Why do you celebrate it?" Nine times out of ten, people will answer that it is Christ's birthday. "Okay," I reply, "if it is Christ's birthday, why do you give gifts to everyone but Him?" Is that not normal birthday etiquette? The wise men who followed the star to the house where Joseph and Mary were staying brought Jesus gifts (Matthew 2:9-11). The magi did not come to see Him and exchange their gifts with each another! This seems like a logical argument to me, but normally, the response I get is something like, "That's crazy! That doesn't make any sense."

About Christmas, Harper's Bible Dictionary reads: ". . . the annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus, celebrated on December 25 in all churches except the Church of Armenia, for which it is January 6. . . . The actual date of Jesus' birth is unknown. There is no evidence of celebrating the nativity before the third century." Nothing is offered in the way of Scripture to support any sort of command to celebrate Christ's birth. There is no proof offered to support even His being born in December.

In contrast, under "feasts" in the same dictionary, scripture after scripture is listed to support the commands to observe the feasts of God. Further, those scriptures tell us how and when to keep these feasts with the specific months, days, and duration. This contrast should indicate to us that the spirit Christmas comes from is not God's. Christmas has been added to Christianity by this spirit as one of his tools to continue to deceive the whole world (Revelation 12:9).

What about some of the traditional Christmas practices that people use in their celebrations? Just who is on the wrong side of the truth?

One of the more obvious lies associated with Christmas is Santa Claus making gifts at the North Pole and delivering them down people's chimneys on Christmas eve. These gifts are said to be made by elves and delivered by flying reindeer in a single night to the entire world! Even though adults know that this tall tale is a lie, they say, "It's okay. It's all in fun."

The modern portrayal of Santa is that he listens to children's wishes and then brings gifts to the "good children." My parents were not called into God's church, so I had a few years in which I believed in this character. Funny thing is, I do not remember one kid in our neighborhood who did not get something for Christmas—and I know for a fact that they were not all good kids! This sounds a lot like easy grace and ignoring God's law and judgment.

Probably the most widely used object in the celebration of Christmas is the evergreen tree. It is plain after even a little research that this tradition has its roots in pagan practices. Numerous websites devoted to pre-Christian religions contain this paragraph on the Christmas tree:

The Christmas tree has its origins in the practice of bringing a live tree into the home so the wood spirits would have a place to keep warm during the cold winter months. Bells were hung in the limbs so you could tell when an appreciative spirit was present. Food and treats were hung on the branches for the spirits to eat and a five-pointed star, the pentagram, symbol of the five elements, was placed atop the tree.

A different origin story is that a monk, preaching in Germany in the seventh and eighth centuries, concluded that, since the tree had a triangular shape, it represented the trinity. Another idea is that a tree decorated with roses in Latvia in the 1500s was associated with the Virgin Mary. Notably absent from all these ideas is any authority from the Bible.

God says in Amos 5:1, 21: "Hear this word which I take up against you, a lamentation, O house of Israel: . . . I hate, I despise your feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies." Verse 21 certainly pertains to God's holy days, as He laid them out in Leviticus and other places. The people of modern Israel have profaned these days by rejecting them altogether.

But the phrase "your feast days" can also include festivals instituted by humans, holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, in which people try to mix the worship of God and Christ with pagan traditions. A popular sign put up by churches in the days preceding Christmas is "Keep Christ in Christmas," but the fact is that He was never in it. If He had ever been in it, the Bible would endorse it. Far from endorsing it, the Bible warns us not to add anything to its instruction (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Revelation 22:18).

It is obvious that Christmas is not a biblical festival, and in fact, has its origins in paganism. On subjects like these, we must test the spirit from which these things come (I John 4:1), and we do it by comparing it to the truth found in God's Word. God's Spirit and His truth cannot be separated; they work hand in hand. A person or practice that has the wrong spirit will not reflect the truth, and something that is false will not come from God's Spirit.

Psalm 33:4 conveys an important principle: "For the word of the LORD is right, and all His work is done in truth." Christmas fails this test. It does not contain the truth of God, so it cannot be a work of God. If you do not keep Christmas because you follow the truth, you are by no means crazy.

Revelation 2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15

"I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars" Revelation 2:2

"I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan." Revelation 2:9

"I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells." Revelation 2:13


 "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first." Revelation 2:19

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,"These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Revelation 3:1

"I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name."  Revelation 3:8

"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot." Revelation 3:15

To each church in the letters in Revelation 2 and 3, Christ says, "I know your works." People with an incomplete knowledge of Christianity will argue almost endlessly and quite vociferously that no works are needed for salvation. These people are simply, if energetically and zealously, confused.

Salvation is indeed a free gift; it cannot be earned by anyone's works. But that does not mean Christianity has no works. Why would Christ say, "I know your works," if He did not expect people to have them as part of their way of life, as part of Christianity, and if He was not, in most cases, disappointed at the way that the people were working? Christianity does have works as a major part of its makeup.

Salvation and grace and works in an understandable and accurate way. He said, "If I freely offered to give to you one million dollars, but you have to meet the condition of walking across the room to get it, you haven't earned the money by simply walking across the room. You worked during the walk, you met a condition, but the money was still a gift. If the gift had not been offered in the first place, no amount of walking across the room would have earned it. You could have walked from here to Tokyo if you wanted to, and it still would not have earned you that gift. The gift had to be freely offered first."

Think of this in terms of eternal life. No amount of work, no degree of quality of work, can earn that gift for us. We do not have immortality inherent in us, for immortality is something that must be given as a gift. This is what God offers us. He offers us the opportunity to be born again into the Kingdom of God, thus receiving the gift of eternal life. It must be given and received as a gift. However, it is given on the conditions of faith, repentance, and remaining loyal to Him and to His way.

It is in the area of loyalty that works play a major role. We show our loyalty by the way we talk, what we talk about, who we fellowship with, and what we do with our time, our knowledge, and energy. In short, we show our loyalty by our works—that is, by our conduct—and what we produce with what we have been given.

Romans 8:7

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.  Romans 8:7

The carnal mind is the nature in which a person's conduct is based until God acts to convert or transform him; it is man's deceitful heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Once an individual is called, and the Father and Son have revealed Themselves and some of Their purpose to him, this verse succinctly describes the major impediment to our submitting to Them. This resisting influence from within each of us is the major barrier to perfect deference and compliance to Them.

Of course, Satan and the world also influence us, but the major impediment to our responsibly submitting is what is already part of our characters even as we are being converted. We quickly revert to carnality when confronted with something that we do not want to do.

What element in our carnality drives our resistance? Solomon states in Ecclesiastes 1:2, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." Vanity implies something that is useless and impermanent, like vapor rising from a pot of boiling water, and therefore something of little or no value toward accomplishing God's purpose for mankind. The "all" in Solomon's statement includes us.

Notice this evidence regarding mankind's unconverted state from Psalm 39:5-6, where David writes:

Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah. Surely every man walks about like a shadow; surely they busy themselves in vain; he heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them.

In Psalm 62:9, he adds, "Surely men of low degree are a vapor, men of high degree are a lie; if they are weighed in the balances, they are altogether lighter than vapor."

These are blunt statements, showing that unless something is done to change the value of what we are in reality, what good reason does God have to work with us?

But there is more from God's Word that paints the picture of our unconverted value and the strength of our natural resistance to Him even more acutely. The aforementioned Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" "Above all things" implies all things considered evil. This by itself is a vivid comparison—and God does not lie—but He goes beyond that by adding that man's heart is not merely wicked but desperately wicked. This means our heart is without care for danger and recklessly, badly, extremely, furiously, impetuously wicked.

Jesus adds force to this word-picture by confirming in Matthew 15:17-20 that the heart is the place from which our evil resistance to God is generated. However, an irony comes into play because the heart is the same place that generates to us in our thoughts the belief that we are really something good! This is quite an effective combination in producing sin. It occurs because our hearts produce self-esteem with the result that our ideas and actions—our very lives—are focused on self-satisfaction. To meet that need, we will sin as a way of life.

What is Repentance-Part Three

In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus defines the two great commandments of His law—the two highest principles: "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Because sin is the breaking of the law (I John 3:4)—including these two great commandments—sin can also be understood as any failure to love God or our fellow man perfectly. Sin goes beyond breaking the letter of the law to breaking its spirit, which is summarized as love toward God and man. This is a high standard indeed!

It is no wonder, then, that under the New Covenant God says that He will put His laws in our minds and write them on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10; 10:16). Those laws define sin, and thus they define how we have turned, and continue to turn, away from God. Because He wants us to walk with Him, it is an absolute necessity that we understand God's law to know when we have transgressed—so we can repent and return to Him.

Another example of the continual need to repent is quite serious. It is found in the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3, which are applicable in numerous ways:

• They applied to first-century churches.
• They have applied to seven church eras throughout history.
• They will apply to seven end-time churches seen in John's vision of the Lord's Day.
• They apply to seven attitudes that can exist at any time.

Their application could also be a combination of some or all of these. The sobering fact is that Christ tells five out of the seven churches to repent (Revelation 2:5, 16, 22; 3:3, 19)! These are groups of believers who have been called by God and given His Spirit, yet five out of seven—71%—are out of alignment with the Head of the church in ways critical enough that He has to point them out and tell the people to change.

From what Christ says to these congregations, chances are good that we are also in need of repentance. If we consider the letters from the standpoint of attitudes, a 71% chance exists that our approach to God is in need of a significant change. If we look through the lens of seven end-time churches or groups, the same 71% chance exists that our group needs to acknowledge sin and return to God. But if we consider the letters as applying to church eras throughout time, there is a 100% chance that we are in need of repentance in this final, Laodicean era. This is a broad and inexact analysis, but it is still worthy of consideration.

This does not mean that the churches in Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) and Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13)—those He does not criticize—are without sin, for all of God's people sin. It indicates that they are actively repenting of and overcoming their sins so that they are not in disagreement with God over the right way to live. Even though they certainly stumble at times, they readily acknowledge their sin and are determined to get back on track so that nothing separates them from God. However, for the other five churches, Jesus must tell them that they are going the wrong way and that He will act with strong judgment if they do not turn back.

These letters teach critical lessons about repentance:

• The first is that Jesus Christ is exceptionally serious about our turning from sin, in contrast to the popular conceptions of a Savior who is essentially unconcerned about conduct.
• A second lesson is that repentance should be an ongoing practice, as we all have a tendency to veer off the right path.
• A third lesson is that, even among those with God's Spirit, it is easy to be blind to the areas of life in which we have turned away from God. It is natural to believe that we are in good standing with Him, even as He insists that we are heading the wrong way—which is the crux of the matter in the letter to Laodicea. God is not keeping the right way to live hidden from us. The problem is that we have such a difficult time consistently seeking first the Kingdom of God and God's righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Only two out of the seven churches appear to do that.

The essence of the gospel message brought by Jesus Christ and His servants is preparation for the Kingdom of God. The first step in that preparation is repentance. It is not the only step, as much needs to be built on that foundation, but without that initial and continual step, we will not be fit for God's Kingdom. We will still be in opposition to God over the right way to live.

Seeking first the Kingdom of God begins with faith and repentance, and repentance depends on our having the right understanding of God's instructions for living. As we seek that understanding and grow in it, we will be struck with remorse over the ways in which we frequently fall short. But that remorse—called "godly sorrow" in II Corinthians 7:10—is a positive thing because it motivates us to turn to God more fully and to take another step in living as He lives.

What is Repentance-Part Two

As we saw in Part One, the biblical words translated as "repentance" indicate a thorough moral adjustment of an individual's thoughts, words, and deeds. While the word itself focuses on the change in heart and behavior, what is actually being repented of is sin, the reason repentance is necessary in the first place. Recall that John the Baptist preached repentance for the remission of sin (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3). Jesus Christ said He came to call sinners to repentance so they would stop being sinners (Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32). To understand repentance, then, we must understand what sin is, since sin is the behavior that we need to turn from when we repent.

I John 3:4 provides the Bible's basic definition of sin: "Everyone who commits sin breaks God's law, for that is what sin is, by definition—a breaking of God's law" (J.B. Phillips' Translation). Simply put, sin is acting contrary to the way that God says to act, as contained in His law.

So, when John and Jesus came preaching repentance, they were telling their audiences to turn from breaking God's law—to stop doing those deeds that God's law defines as sin. When Paul told the men of Athens that God "now commands all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30), he was saying that it is incumbent on all people to turn from breaking God's law. When he declared on all of his journeys that both Jews and Gentiles should repent, turn to God, and then do works befitting that repentance, he was clearly upholding the law of God as the basic standard of Christian conduct. The works he spoke of are deeds that are in alignment with God's law rather than opposed to it. In short, everywhere Paul went, he told people to stop sinning, turn to God, and lead lives that exhibited their earnest desire to follow God and conform to His law (see Acts 20:21; 26:20).

Mainstream Protestantism generally holds that God's law has been done away through Christ's death. However, if His law has been abolished, then sin itself has been "done away"! Romans 3:20 teaches that "by the law is the knowledge of sin," and Romans 4:15 says that "where there is no law there is no transgression." Yet, the New Testament writers have a great deal to say about the presence of sin, demonstrating that a law still exists and it is being broken.

Even more confounding to Protestantism is following its own assertion to its conclusion: If there is no law, then there is no sin, and if there is no sin, then there is no need for a Savior! Though they may not say it outright, false ministers who claim Jesus did away with His own law are really implying that we do not need to be saved from anything, making the role of Savior obsolete for the past 2,000 years!

The only reason a man would need to accept Christ as Savior is if he needed to be saved from something—something like sin, which the Bible plainly asserts is defined by God's law. In that brand of Protestantism, repentance is a hazy and undefined idea because its adherents hold God's law in such low esteem. Hundreds of millions of professing Christians claim to have repented and received forgiveness, yet each week they continue, for instance, to break the fourth commandment with rarely a second thought. So much for doing works worthy of repentance! If they had truly repented, they would have changed so that they would not continue to break the Sabbath so cavalierly.

Because Christians must contend with the reality of sin on an ongoing basis (see Romans 7:23), repentance is not limited to our initial conversion but is also an ongoing activity. Notice what Jesus teaches in the model prayer:

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:11-15)

Notice that He gives this as an example of daily prayer: "Give us this day our daily bread" (verse 11). Immediately on the heels of this daily request is a request for forgiveness, which is just another way to describe the process of repentance. Jesus is not talking about forgiveness of a monetary debt, but the forgiveness of the life-debt that we incur when we break God's law, "for the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). In verses 14-15, our Savior uses the word "trespasses," but a trespass is simply another term for a sin. The ongoing forgiveness of our sins, therefore, depends on our ongoing forgiveness of the sins against us. And do not forget that Christ includes all of this within His pattern of daily prayer.

Anytime we sin, then, we must repent. Anytime we become aware that we have transgressed God's law, we have to turn from that sin, seek God's forgiveness, and begin doing the opposite—the works that are in alignment with God and His instructions. It is a basic Christian principle, but we can begin to see how often it must be applied when we broaden our understanding of sin.

Part Three will explore, not just this broader view of what it means to violate God's law, but also how serious the Head of the church is when He commands the end-time churches to repent.

What is Repentance-Part One

 The gospel accounts show that God gave John the Baptist the responsibility to "prepare the way of the LORD, make His paths straight" (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4). When he preached the good news of God's Kingdom—fulfilling his commission of preparation—John's basic message was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matthew 3:2). He preached a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins as the foundation of the gospel message (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3).

When Jesus Christ began to preach a short time later, He began with the exact same words: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17), and "Repent, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15). After He began drawing disciples to Himself, He reiterated His message, saying that He did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance (Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32).

After Christ's death and resurrection, He told His disciples that it was necessary "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:46-47). Years later, preaching to the men of Athens, the apostle Paul informed them that "God . . . now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness . . ." (Acts 17:30-31).

On the whole, repentance has fallen out of favor in mainstream Christianity. It is commonly elbowed into the shadows, with the spotlight shining brightly on accepting Jesus and believing that God will forgive all of one's sins. But using the Word of God as our guide, we find that neither genuine baptism nor remission of sins can occur until the individual repents. He cannot genuinely accept Jesus Christ as Savior until he repents. What is more—as we will see in Part Three—the book of Revelation shows that repentance is a critical issue for the end-time church.

Jeremiah 31:18-19 provides a basic sense and example of repentance:

I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself: "You have chastised me, and I was chastised, like an untrained bull; restore me, and I will return, for You are the LORD my God. Surely, after my turning, I repented; and after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh; I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated, because I bore the reproach of my youth."

These verses appear amidst a sobering yet encouraging prophecy about the northern tribes of Israel. The prophets often refer to Ephraim, the chief tribe of the northern kingdom, in a way that encompasses all ten of the northern tribes. This particular prophecy concerns the Second Exodus, when a humbled remnant of Israel will return to the Promised Land and make the New Covenant with God. But, as verse 19 shows, a major part of the process of Israel returning to God is repentance.

The Hebrew word for repent here, nacham, means "to relent; to change one's mind; to be grieved." In this passage, Ephraim is grieved by his sorry spiritual state after having turned away from God, and he begins to change his mind—and thus his approach to life. After being chastened severely in the Great Tribulation, Ephraim asks God to restore him, not to wealth or power or prestige, but to the covenantal relationship from which he has strayed.

All of the actions in verse 19—punishing oneself and feeling shame and humiliation—are part of repentance. From this, we can see that the grief involved in repentance is of such a quality that it leads to a change of mind, resulting in a change in direction and behavior. Simply feeling remorse is not repentance, because such a reaction never goes beyond an emotional response into concrete action.

Verse 19 also mentions that Ephraim accepted God's instruction, which indicates that he sought an explanation for how the tribes of Israel have deviated from God's standard. As a result of knowing and acknowledging the correct standard, they will, as it says, beat themselves in penitence. Israel will be ashamed and humiliated because of what he allowed himself to do in the foolish days of his youth. His repentance, due to God's chastening and forthright instruction, will motivate the remnant of Israel not only to be sorry, but also to turn from its previous, sinful ways and back to God's righteous way of life.

It may be surprising to learn that repentance is mentioned five times more frequently in the New Testament than in the Old, giving an indication of its continued relevance under the New Covenant. A rich example is found near the end of Paul's testimony to King Agrippa:

Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. (Acts 26:19-20)

Paul recounts that he followed Christ's instruction, preaching repentance, turning to God, and performing appropriate works everywhere he went. Verse 20 is unwelcome testimony for those who think that Paul taught a "no works" theology, because out of his own mouth he testifies that the repentant need to do specific works.

This verse contains both the verb and noun forms of the Greek word for "repent" (metanoeo; metanoia). Both forms denote a radical, moral turn of the whole person, away from sin and to God. Like the Hebrew word, the Greek words give the sense that repentance involves turning, changing, not merely "feeling sorry." Paul preached a repentance that involves turning away from sin and to God, then continuing on that path by performing appropriate works.

Other translations render the last part of verse 20 in a variety of ways. The English Standard Version ends the verse with "performing deeds in keeping with their repentance." The Holman translation offers "do works worthy of repentance." The New English Translation reads "performing deeds consistent with repentance." And finally, The New International Version translates the last clause as "prove their repentance by their deeds." They all agree on and underscore the fact that real repentance will always include a change in behavior. A measure of individual exertion will always be involved in changing the way a person conducts his life.

In Part Two, we will consider the reason we must repent: sin.