Romans 3:20 & 4:15

"Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin". Romans 3:20

"because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression."   Romans 4:15

Together, Romans 3:20 and Romans 4:15 produce a general principle that covers, not just biblical morality, but also secular. Laws reveal to us our religious and/or civic duties. In reference to God, law awakens us to a consciousness of sin. Through God's laws we become aware of the contrast between what we do and what we ought to do.

By enacting laws, our legislators tell us what is moral, right, and good in secular areas of life, but instead of calling a transgression of the state's laws "sin," we call it "crime." In many cases, crimes are also sins. The difference between secular law and God's law is that the latter contains clear moral values and reveals our duties toward the Creator God. Where do people get their ideas regarding what is moral?

We must conclude that religion, law, the state, and morality are each parts of the same family. Thus, every system of law is a system of ethics and morality. Since law establishes standards of conduct, those standards are the establishment of religion, a way of life we are to be devoted to following. Therefore, in truth, there can be no absolute separation of church and state.

This point escapes most Americans, but not every American. For instance, some journalists have clearly identified communism as a religion. In such a system, the government is the god. At the height of the Roman Empire, the Romans made no bones about this principle, declaring and demanding under the penalty of death that Caesar be worshipped as a god. This is part of the "divine right of kings" principle. Beware, because this idea is about to be reborn:

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. (Revelation 13:11-12)

When the Beast arises, he will be accorded this honor that belongs only to God.

In the Western world, a new religion is rising. It is not really new, but it has a fairly new name: secularism. It is a type of idolatry, one that has been increasingly challenging this world's Christianity over the past century, and it is gaining ever more strength in numbers and devotion here in America. The war between it and this world's Christianity is virtually over—with Christianity rapidly becoming irrelevant. Persecution in the courts is already an established fact, and outright persecution on the streets cannot be very many years away.

Luke 6:46

But why do you call Me "Lord, Lord," and not do the things which I say?  Luke 6:46

This verse poses a question that we need to answer correctly to make righteous use of our knowledge of God. A powerful influence works in us to justify why we do not conform to God's way more thoroughly, despite what we know. If we must learn any lesson in all of life, it is that God is God, and His Word is sure. Virtually everything in life on this earth is under the sway of Satan, working through carnal-minded men at enmity against God. The Devil's way is designed to influence men's thinking to believe that man is supreme, while simultaneously giving lip service to God as if they know Him.

What does the Bible reveal about this? Do men not have power, knowledge, and will? Of course! But what happens when they come into conflict with God's will? What happened when man tried to build the Tower of Babel? Or when Pharaoh attempted to keep Israel in slavery in Egypt? Or when Balaam sought to curse Israel? Could the Canaanites thwart Israel's invasion of the land? Did Saul manage to kill David? Could Jonah resist God's command to preach to Nineveh? Could Nebuchadnezzar execute Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Did Herod succeed in slaying the infant Jesus?

Proverbs 19:21 says, "There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the LORD's counsel—that will stand." Do we consult with God before we launch into pursuing our plans? Many times, we fail to do this because He is so far from our thinking in practical, everyday situations that we do not consider if He has any plans for us as part of His will.

The Clocked Stopped and the Whole World Changed

Sometimes you hear something that grabs your attention. I recently heard on a radio talk show an elderly lady remembering a certain event in her life. One of the things she said about it was arresting: "The clock stopped and the whole world changed." She was speaking about sinking of the Iolaire off the Isle of Lewis in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, which remains to this day the second-largest loss of life at sea involving a British ship.

Iolaire was carrying sailors, mostly Lewis islanders who had fought in World War I, back to the Scottish island. She left the mainland port of Kyle of Lochalsh late on December 31, 1918. But at 2:30 AM on New Year's Day, as the ship approached Stornoway, not far offshore and a mile from the safety of Stornoway Harbor, she struck the infamous rocks, "The Beasts of Holm," and eventually sank. Two hundred and five people lost their lives.

The woman recalled feeling her grandfather's tears falling onto her face as they absorbed the enormity of the tragedy. This life-changing event affected every person on the Isle of Lewis, a trial that cut to the core of the islanders' souls. In the blink of an eye, their lives turned upside down. As she said, the clock stopped and their whole world changed.

Trials come in many forms, and when we are shaken by a big one—when the clock stops and the whole world changes for us—what is our response? Of course, the best response is to stand fast in our faith in the face of a fiery trial. How do we do this? Why should we do it?

In short, we should stand fast because God's Word says that a bigger and brighter future awaits all mankind, and if we want to experience it, we need to endure to the end. But the following three points will help us answer these questions more fully.

First, we must realize that trials are par for the course. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

Trials and adversities come in many shapes and sizes, and called out of this world or not, we, as flesh-and-blood human beings the world over, have experienced, are experiencing, and will experience again—right to the finish line—all kinds of difficulties. It is called "life." But when life smacks us hard on the head, do we stay on the path? God promises that He will make a way of escape.

When the Israelites were fleeing Egyptian slavery, a way of escape was made in the form of a pillar of cloud and fire, and it was the Lord, Jesus Christ, who was in that cloud and fire. All they had to do was to follow it. God made a way of escape then, and He makes one today. Jesus is called the Truth and Life, but He is also called the Way (John 14:6). Our responsibility is to follow that Way. As the Israelites were called out of Egypt, we have been called out of the world, and knowing, believing, and understanding that truth means developing a relationship with Christ and following Him.

Second, many have gone before us and suffered trials. Notice Hebrews 12:1-2:

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Many have gone before us, doing their best to follow Christ's example. We, like them, must follow with endurance. It is not only the big trials that may hinder us, but we also stumble because of our inherent, human weaknesses, which we think we have conquered, but from time to time they rear their ugly heads.

What sin easily ensnares us? What is our spiritual Achilles' heel, so to speak?

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, describes the spiritual armor that we need to withstand Satan and his devices. Notice one in particular in Ephesians 6:15: ". . . and having shod your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." To the Roman soldier, boots were very important. Unlike other parts of his armor, they were used every day, and in battle they took on an even greater role. The boots' soles were studded to provide grip in whatever terrain they found themselves in. In our spiritual battle, we also need "boots" to stop us slipping, and when the going gets tough, we dig in.

Third, we know we should stand fast because we have hope. When we understand and truly believe, we soon realize that God's way is the only hope of all humanity. Our hope and desire is to endure and enter the Kingdom of God, and for our fellow man, family and loved ones not yet called, we have the hope of their resurrection and eternal life in God's Kingdom.

Paul speaks of this hope in Titus 1:2, writing of our "hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began." This wonderful future is part of His plan, and our God of joy does not and cannot lie. Our hope is a sure hope!

We hope that all will embrace God's way when they are finally shown it for the first time. This way works. Their way does not. We look forward, hoping that Satan will be bound soon. We hope for the healing of the world—a world not influenced by Satan, a world restored! No disease, crime, poverty, hunger—all the world's ills and all the ugliness that we humans create shall be wiped clean!

But the path that we travel is narrow (Matthew 7:13-14). We have slipped, stumbled, and fallen from time to time, but we are still on the path because we believe in the hope that God has for us. So, we keep our minds on the coming Kingdom of God and focus on the big picture and on His promises for all mankind.

As physical beings, we are subject to the highs and lows that come with being so. But the God who has called us to a greater understanding has not called us to fail. Our minds have been opened, and a way of escape has been offered to us. God has given us the spiritual boots we need to dig in when times get tough. We have the examples of many who have gone before us—people we have known, those we know through the Scriptures, and ultimately, Jesus Christ, who had the most severe trial of all yet stood fast until the bitter end.

One day soon the clock will stop, and the whole world will be changed. That is a day we can all look forward to with confidence because we have been given the eyes to see it properly. When it comes, the world will be changed for the good, changed for the better, and changed forever.

Jeremiah 17:19-27

Thus the LORD said to me: "Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, by which the kings of Judah come in and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; and say to them, "Hear the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates.  Thus says the LORD: "Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; nor carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.  But they did not obey nor incline their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear nor receive instruction.  "And it shall be, if you heed Me carefully," says the LORD, "to bring no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work in it, then shall enter the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, accompanied by the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall remain forever.  And they shall come from the cities of Judah and from the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin and from the lowland, from the mountains and from the South, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, bringing sacrifices of praise to the house of the LORD.  "But if you will not heed Me to hallow the Sabbath day, such as not carrying a burden when entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched."  Jeremiah 17:19-27

For years, the folk of the Kingdom of Judah walked in the footsteps of their brethren in the Kingdom of Israel. However, a number of them then took a different path. The result of that change, of course, is in itself proof that God's Sabbath is a sign pointing to Him and His creation.

Jeremiah 17:19-27 records God's promise to a Sabbath-keeping people. Here, He warns Jerusalem's inhabitants to "bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; . . . nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers" (verses 21-22). If they heeded, God continues, "then shall enter the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, . . . accompanied by the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall remain forever" (verse 25). Conversely, Sabbath-breaking will have dire consequences: "But if you will not heed Me to hallow the Sabbath day, ... then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched" (verse 27). (For the fulfillment of this prophecy, see Jeremiah 39:8; II Chronicles 36:19.)

The people of Judah did not heed God's warning and, as a result, "kings and princes" no longer sit "on the throne of David" in Jerusalem. God moved the Davidic monarchy northwest to the British Isles, and the people He moved to Babylon. Jerusalem burned.

Those who returned from Babylon after seventy years did not learn their lesson. Nehemiah must have stood aghast at the Sabbath-breaking he witnessed among post-exilic Jews. Nehemiah 13:15, 17-18 bears the record. Nehemiah

. . . saw in Judah some people treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. . . . "What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster [i.e., the destruction of Jerusalem] on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath."

Both Ezra and Nehemiah worked assiduously to teach the people to keep holy God's Sabbath. It was during this time that the people of Judah took a different path than those of Israel. For, while Israel never (no, not to this day!) returned to the practice of Sabbath-keeping, the descendants of the tribe of Judah (with Levi) came to keep it—albeit not perfectly. [After the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Jews' religious leaders became so zealous in their desire to observe the Sabbath properly that they made it a burden. They eventually lost perspective: Failing to grasp the spirit of the fourth commandment, they created hundreds of "do's and don'ts" to define its letter. By Christ's time, their fanaticism had grown to the point that the Sabbath had itself become an object of worship. Christ had to devote a fair portion of His ministry to teaching the people that "the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27).]

They kept it throughout the hideous Maccabean period and throughout the long Roman occupation later. They kept it after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. They kept it in the Diaspora—during the Dark Ages, the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment. They kept it whether they dwelt in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, or later, America. Many keep it to this day. Because they do, they know who they are! They know who their patriarchs are.

Like a neon sign, the mark of the Sabbath, identifying Jews as worshipping the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, shines brightly through the ages, through the darkness of ghetto and oven, even piercing the murky gloom of today's secularism and humanism. To a good extent, the experience of the Jews shows that God's mark, the Sabbath, does in fact identify a people as worshipping the God of the patriarchs.

Had the northern ten tribes "remember[ed] the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8) even half as well as the folk of Judah do, they would today have a fair idea of their roots. Having forsaken the keeping of the seventh-day Sabbath, the peoples of the Kingdom of Israel came, over time, to forget the God of their fathers, as well as His revelation and His prophets.

"Beware," one of those prophets declares, "lest you forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 6:12). Forgetting the God who separated them from the other nations, ten-tribed Israel, scattered and wandering, became separated from their God and ultimately grew to be like other nations. Becoming like them, Israel became lost among them. Beware.

Jeremiah 28:12-17

Now the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "Go and tell Hananiah, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron."  For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. I have given him the beasts of the field also."'" Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, 'Hear now, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie.  Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the LORD."  So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.  Jeremiah 28:12-17

God charges Hananiah with causing the people to trust in a lie, as well as inciting rebellion against Him. His transgressions were so grievous that God killed Hananiah two months later—a month for each year in his false vision (Jeremiah 28:1-4).

Hananiah's prophecy urged rebellion against God in a couple of ways. First, Scripture is clear that God had installed Nebuchadnezzar in a position of power over this area of the world. Though not a godly man, he filled a position that God had given him, thus to resist his rule was to rebel against the God-ordained order. When Hananiah predicted deliverance in just two years, it encouraged Judeans to think that they did not have to submit to this foreign king. In this way, he encouraged them to disregard God-instituted authority.

Second, Hananiah's lie subtly altered the reason for their crisis. He redefined the foreign domination from something that God deliberately caused (as told by the prophets) into something that He merely allowed and would soon remedy. The false prophet shifted the explanation of their pitiful circumstances from something that God had orchestrated due to the sins of His people into a time-and-chance problem that He would reverse.

This removed any need for self-examination. It exonerated the nation and its leaders, removing any thought that the people had misbehaved themselves into this crisis by rejecting God. By eliminating any thought of cause-and-effect regarding sin, Hananiah was in fact encouraging them to continue in their disobedience. Without any apparent consequences for sin, the mind begins to reason that sin is not the problem. Hananiah told them everything would be fine, but God saw it as teaching His people to rebel.

Something similar is happening today in a small way. Some are promoting an idea that the world is actually getting better. It is not a widespread belief, but some have taken such a rose-colored view of God that they believe mankind's best days are just ahead. They are convinced that there will not be catastrophe and death leading up to Jesus Christ's return.

To arrive at such a notion, one must nullify the pattern of God's prophets, just as Hananiah did. One has to find new meaning even for the words of Jesus Himself in places like the Olivet Prophecy where He plainly says that "unless those days are shortened, no flesh would be saved [alive]" (Matthew 24:22). Under this view, the bulk of Old and New Testament prophecies become either merely symbolic or already fulfilled, including all of Revelation. And a person must really cherry-pick his evidence to maintain the belief that circumstances in the world are improving! Some are actually doing this for the sole purpose of giving hope. However, like Hananiah's prophecy, it is a false hope.

Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.  Matthew 5:9

Most of us are not at all adept at reconciling warring parties, but that is not the kind of peacemaking Jesus is concerned about for us now. His idea of peacemaking revolves around the way we live. It was Adam and Eve's conduct that shattered the peace between man and God. Cain's conduct broke the peace between him and Abel and him and God. As it is with all of us, conduct makes or breaks the peace!

As mentioned earlier, Paul commands us, "As much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:18), an arduous task at times, considering human personalities. The thrust of Paul's exhortation implies that, far from being a simple task, complying with it will call upon our constant vigilance, self-control, and earnest prayer.

Though human nature guarantees that peace-breaking "offenses must come," it is part of Christian duty to ensure that our conduct produces no just cause of complaint against us (Matthew 18:7). It is first for our own peace that we do so, for it is impossible to be happy while involved in arguments and warfare. Some Christians are more competitive and contentious than others, and they need to beg God doubly for the spiritual strength to restrain their pride and anger and to calm them. Paul warns, "'Be angry, and do not sin': do not let the sun go down on your wrath" (Ephesians 4:26). Though pride may be at the base of contention, rising anger within one or the other person in a dispute is frequently the first sign that the peace is about to be broken. Paul's warning is necessary because anger is so difficult to check and equally difficult to let go completely before the peace is broken, and bitter and persistent hatred soon replaces the anger.

Paul quotes the first phrase of this verse from Psalm 4:4, then modifies the second phrase to give it a more immediate and practical application. "Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord" (Psalm 4:4-5). This is exactly the course Jesus follows when taunted and vilified by those whose ire He had aroused. Notice Peter's testimony:

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: "Who committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth"; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. (I Peter 2:21-23)

If we follow Christ's example, the one reviling or threatening soon finds himself without an opponent. God, then, advises us to be passive in the face of contention. In the Kingdom, however, we will likely be a great deal more proactive, just as Christ is now as our High Priest. He will be even more active when He comes as King of kings to fight against the nations and establish His peace.

Since it is true that "blessed are the peacemakers," it logically follows that God curses peace-breakers, a fact all who desire to be peacemakers must keep in mind. Contention produces the curse of disunity. When Adam and Eve sinned, both unity and peace were shattered, and God sentenced them to death. Regardless of the justification, it is impossible for sin to produce either godly peace or unity. It is therefore urgent that we be diligent not merely to guard against the more obvious forms of sin but also bigotry, intemperate zeal, judging, impatience, and a quarrelsome spirit, which provide a basis for Paul's counsel in Romans 14:19.

Patterns of Resistance (Part Two)

In Part One, we learned that among the patterns woven through God's Word is a typical pattern of resistance against God, one that resides at the heart of every human sin:

1. Man elevates his standing in relation to God, so that he fails to submit to His will.
2. Man lies to himself about pattern number 1.

We also saw how Romans 8:7 and Jeremiah 17:9 teach principles that support this all-too-human template for keeping God at arm's length and perpetuating sinful ways of living. Eve's encounter with the serpent in Genesis 3 provides the archetype of how this works when individuals face temptation and allow themselves to succumb to sin rather than reject it.

In these patterns of resistance, the perfect vicious circle occurs. It begins with elevating ourselves in relation to God, which leads to our failure to submit. Separated from God by these sins, we then proceed to lie to ourselves about it, neglecting any opportunity for repentance. So we continue on, our sinful patterns of resistance unabated.

And it is not just our sins, but also those of millions of others doing the exact same thing. Adam and Eve's progeny followed a path of sin that led to the great Flood and the destruction of humanity, save for one family. Directly afterward, the men of Babel continued down the same path, desiring to build a high tower to heaven to supplant God altogether.

The Israelites, despite being chosen by God, did no better. During their wilderness journey, they constantly demonstrated patterns of resistance. God Himself called them "stiff-necked." They complained incessantly, questioning God's will and judgment. Nadab and Abihu failed to take God seriously enough, elevating themselves by trying to bring Him to their level (Leviticus 10:1-3). Korah questioned God's judgment and His appointed leadership (Numbers 16). Even Miriam and Aaron rebelliously questioned God's choice of Moses (Numbers 12).

All these examples show the same pattern of self-elevation, followed by a failure to submit, while lying to themselves that they were justified in doing so. It resulted in the scattering of over a million dead bodies throughout the wilderness over the next 40 years.

Even Moses, described in Numbers 12:3 as the most humble man on earth, fell prey to the pattern of self-elevation and failure to submit when he struck the rock at Kadesh (Numbers 20:1-13). Because of his God-appointed role as a shepherd to millions, he had to be judged more sternly, being denied the reward of setting foot in the Promised Land.

The New Testament is loaded with examples of the Pharisees and the Sadducees elevating themselves in relation to God and failing to submit to Him as He walked among them. They lied to themselves that they could improve on the Word of God by "enhancing" His sacred law. Their patterns of resistance led to the most heinous sin of all, the crucifixion and murder of their very own Creator.

We can be certain that every one of these persons or groups was convinced that their actions were easily justified. They probably thought they were acting in a good and reasonable fashion.

These patterns were not confined to the past, nor are the elect immune to them. Today, the many assemblies of God's church continue to fragment into increasingly smaller pieces. Independent Christians continue to elevate their own personal agendas over the "the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). Some are resisting God's call to assemble each Sabbath and to respect and support those whom God has appointed to lead His flock. Satan is licking his chops.

As they did in the first century, false ministers are creeping in. They, too, are following the predictable patterns of resistance to God by elevating or preaching the gospel of men, for as John Ritenbaugh says in "The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part 24)," "Gospels that are ‘of men' always elevate man at the expense of God." We can expect these false teachers to encourage these patterns of defiance toward God in others.

Satan the Devil is nothing if not brilliant and cunning. Since we are each carrying around our natural enmity against God within our incurably sick and deceitful minds (Romans 8:7; Jeremiah 17:9), and since we are each traveling at a slightly different pace on a unique path toward God's Kingdom, it is easy for the Adversary to fool us into believing that we should place more emphasis on following our personal agendas, thinking we are following Christ.

Once we decide that our agendas, our own patterns of worship, are worthy of elevation, and we unknowingly become separated from and resistant to Christ's help through His Holy Spirit, then one of our defensive mainstays, our self-examinations, become mere exercises in vanity—it is like the fox guarding the henhouse. But, as daunting as it sounds—and it is daunting—there is always hope. The solution is simple but difficult—in fact, the hardest thing we will ever have to do. And it is supposed to be.

First, we must recognize our limitations, and second, we must submit. We have to surrender willingly to the perfect patterns designed and lived by our Creator—"the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6)—knowing that such a life will at times bring us embarrassment, humiliation, loss, sorrow, pain, and suffering.

In addition, we must recognize that our personal agendas must radically change if we are to please God. Comparing our ongoing sanctification to an old house, a minister once said that we are getting, not just a renovation, but being torn down, brick by brick, board by board, nail by nail, and completely rebuilt on a brand-new foundation.

Moreover, we must develop a greater sense of urgency. We must assume that just as we near the end of this year's Pentecost count, we could also be nearing the end of our physical lives. There is no time to waste!

These patterns of resistance do not have to lead us to our doom. If we learn to recognize them, they can actually help to point us away from ourselves and toward the Kingdom. Remember, we were designed and created by a perfect and all-powerful God who is and always has been completely in control. His perfect love has and will continue to direct all of His little flock, conforming us to His perfect pattern if we will but submit and follow.

This may be restating the obvious, but those who truly love God never tire of.

Patterns of Resistance (Part One)

English novelist and essayist, George Orwell wrote, "Sometimes the first duty of intelligent men is the restatement of the obvious." The claim of intelligence notwithstanding, sometimes it helps to state or restate the obvious. This is important to keep in mind as we explore a few truths about us that perhaps seem obvious but may have hidden themselves right before our eyes.

Many exciting and interesting patterns are woven into the very fabric of God's amazing creation. In fact, from creation week in Genesis through the centuries of Israel's history to the mysterious imagery of Daniel and Revelation and the actual footsteps of God in the Gospel accounts, we can learn so much about our Creator God by studying the patterns of His great works and words. But as fascinating as it is to study His patterns, we should not avoid taking a closer look at our own patterns—the patterns of human beings.

God obviously works in patterns, so it is only logical that a study of His creation, mankind, would also reveal some easily distinguishable patterns of behavior. His patterns are obviously beautiful and perfect, reflecting the special love that only God can truly express. Man's patterns, though modeled after those of our Creator, have become corrupted through sin, along with our very nature. That makes a huge difference.

As we are nearing the end of the fifty-day Pentecost count this year, many of us are also considering the end of our own walk, as mortality begins to sneak up on us. It is natural, as age increases, for a person to feel the end creeping up on him or her, and we begin asking how, when, where, and what is to be our end. What are we doing here? Why did God call us? How soon will this age, this present evil world, come to its end? How much time do we have left?

These are all important questions that should spur us toward a deeper examination of ourselves, "considering our ways" (Haggai 1:5, 7), of our relationships with God and each other, and of the very Word of God—the Holy Bible—written for our guidance and admonition.

In this context, we will consider a few ideas on two patterns of human life—the less-than-admirable ones—patterns of resistance to God. By identifying these dangerous, carnal templates, we can place a bit more emphasis on them in our daily lives, and with God's help, begin to eliminate their wicked impact on our journey of sanctification into the image of Jesus Christ.

There are two major patterns of resistance that work interactively, and they can be said to be a root cause of every sinful act man has ever committed:

1. Man elevates his standing in relation to God, so that he fails to submit to His will.
2. Man lies to himself about pattern number 1.

Two scriptures, Romans 8:7 and Jeremiah 17:9, provide biblical principles that undergird these patterns of resistance. They are truths that apply to every man and woman on the planet, and almost all of the billions who have ever lived have not realized that these verses apply to them. Even for true Christians with years of conversion behind us, because of the constant drag of human nature, we still feel their terrible accuracy.

Romans 8:7, written by the apostle Paul, remains one of the finest lines ever inspired by our Creator: "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be." Consider that final phrase, "nor indeed can be." As long as we are in the flesh, made of physical matter, we have a carnal mind—a carnal spirit that is absolutely unable to be subject to the law of God.

We have heard this repeatedly over the years, but have we ever really stopped to consider its ultimate implications? It is no fun to meditate or dwell on our negatives, but this verse implies that, even with God's Holy Spirit working within us, we are fighting a losing battle if we choose to ignore this fact. What a sobering thought! Our human spirit was not designed to be impervious to evil, for that would have precluded our need to develop righteous character as God requires of all of those who are to experience eternal life with Him.

But, even with its designed limitations, our nature still was not created to be evil—in fact, just the opposite (see Ecclesiastes 7:29)! We realize that along with the remainder of creation, our human spirit was judged by our Creator to be good, even very good (Genesis 1:31). But it did not remain as it was created; it was corrupted by sin.

In Genesis 3, in the account of humanity's first transgression, the first pattern of resistance is revealed. Satan manages to convince Eve that eating of the fruit would make her as wise as God (Genesis 3:5). In verse 6, Eve succumbs to the temptation: "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of the fruit and ate." Quite simply, she was attempting to elevate herself in relation to God, and in doing so, she "achieved" the first pattern of resistance, becoming the first to fail to submit to the will of God.

Immediately afterward, she lied about that first pattern, declaring in verse 13, "The serpent deceived me," trying to blame her sin on Satan's lie. But the truth is that she was allured and charmed by the notion that by ignoring His command, she could elevate herself and become like God. Satan did not make her sin. Deceived—by Satan and herself—she chose to. How did Satan know what to do, and why was it seemingly so easy?

On to Jeremiah 17:9, the companion scripture to Romans 8:7: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" God's Word Translation catches its essence: "The human mind is the most deceitful of all things. It is incurable. No one can understand how deceitful it is." Consider the phrase, "most deceitful of all things." and all the evil, terrible, wicked things in our world. Yet God says that the human heart—the carnal mind—is more deceitful than any of those other things. And it cannot be cured.

Do we ever really take the time to consider that? We certainly do not bear it in mind every day, as we should. Again, even with God's Holy Spirit working within us, we are still fighting a losing battle if we fail to consider its full implication.

Eve's mind was pure when Satan first approached her in the Garden, but he knew just how to corrupt it instantaneously—with a lie it would want to hear, one her mind would want to believe. And so it did. If we are not careful, we, too, can still be deceived into believing a similar lie.

Next time, we will look further into these very human patterns of resistance.

Amos 4:6-11

Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities. And lack of bread in all your places; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the Lord. "I also withheld rain from you, When there were still three months to the harvest. I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city. One part was rained upon, And where it did not rain the part withered. So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water, But they were not satisfied; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the Lord. "I blasted you with blight and mildew. When your gardens increased, Your vineyards, Your fig trees, And your olive trees, The locust devoured them; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the Lord. "I sent among you a plague after the manner of Egypt; Your young men I killed with a sword, Along with your captive horses; I made the stench of your camps come up into your nostrils; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the Lord.  "I overthrew some of you, As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the Lord. Amos 4:6-11

God's people were very busy making money, accumulating things, and practicing their religion. But God was also very busy—sending famines, droughts, blights, locusts, epidemics, warfare, and possibly earthquakes in judgment for their unrighteousness (Amos 4:6-11). He hoped that they would heed these "minor" warnings before He sent the rod of His anger against them (Isaiah 10:5).

Rain fell on one part of the country and not on another. When it rained, it rained too much, causing floods. In other places just enough rain fell to deceive the people into feeling a sense of hope—that it was not so bad after all.

We see this in the United States. Natural disasters—insurance companies call them "acts of God"—are growing more frequent and more intense, killing many and causing billions of dollars in damage. Floods ravaged the Midwest in 1993, while drought killed crops in other areas. After a year or so of good rainfall, California fell back into drought conditions—only to suffer from floods a year later! Fires rage over thousands of acres after periods of drought, destroying forests and homes. Sudden earthquakes, storms, tornadoes, and extreme temperatures destroy homes, businesses, and lives.

It never seems to get quite bad enough to send the nation into a real tailspin, but it is just enough that, like the Egyptian Pharaoh of the Exodus (Exodus 7:13-14), we continue to harden our hearts. We fail to repent. If the unrepentant attitude continues, the "natural" disasters will intensify, bankrupting the nation economically. Since money seems to be the nation's foremost god, the true God will hit where it hurts most.

The vast majority of Americans have become so far removed from God that they lack the eyes to see and the ears to hear the warnings He sends. Educated in a system that fundamentally denies God, they lack understanding. They interpret God's warnings as natural events—just nature running her course. An earthquake or flood or drought is viewed as "nature doing her thing."

Rather than heed the warning and repent, Americans turn to their other false gods—science and technology—to bail them out. "Design better levies to protect us from floods," they cry. "Seed the clouds to produce more rain." "Engineer stronger buildings to withstand more powerful earthquakes." "Science will someday give us the ability to predict—even stop—earthquakes." Americans have eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear (Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 13:14-15).

In these disasters, God is saying something quite different—something vitally important. He is warning the people that they have a responsibility, and if they fail to live under their covenant with Him, He has the power to correct them so that they will repent. So, in fairness and mercy, God lays a simple choice before them: "Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!" (Amos 4:12). Their choice is either to face their sins and repent, or face the wrath of a just God.

To bring about His purpose, God is active in His creation, especially among His people, whether physical or spiritual Israel. "If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?" (Amos 3:6). Is God involved in our lives? Do things happen by chance to the people of God? This world would have you believe that God really is not aware, that He does not care or even exist! But He says, "I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things" (Isaiah 45:7).

Is God involved? "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:29-30). Do we see God working in our lives? Events do not happen accidentally to God's people, of whom God is very aware. He is very concerned and thus very involved.

Psalm 119:165

Great peace have those who love Your law,
And nothing causes them to stumble.  Psalm 119:165


What does "great peace" mean? "Peace" automatically suggests an absence of war, no battling, no fighting. Under temptation, a battle always rages, even if we are winning. In such a case, no peace exists, much less "great peace." As an illustration, initially, the U.S. in Iraq won every battle handily, but it was still war. The spiritual war we fight is caused by temptation from Satan, our human nature, and the world. Remove temptation, and war stops. What remains is great peace.

How do we achieve not just peace, but "great peace"? The last half of Psalm 119:165 tells us: "nothing causes them to stumble." What causes a human to stumble? Temptation! This means that we have to be sheltered from it. The American Standard Version renders this phrase, "they have no occasion of stumbling," Young's Literal Translation puts it as "they have no stumbling-block," and the Rotherham's Emphasized Bible reads, "nothing to make them stumble." All of these renderings mean that not even the opportunity to stumble is presented. Other scriptures mention protection from stumbling:

Psalm 121:3 (NLT): He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.
I John 2:10: He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
Jude 24: Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. . . .

God through the gift of His Holy Spirit is the only power in the universe that can accomplish such a feat. If God does not place that shield around us, we have no hope of success. Alone, we are powerless in the face of temptation. We overcome it not by our strength, but by God's power, the shield of faith (I John 5:4) given to us as His gift (Ephesians 2:8). It is our only sure defense.

To acknowledge God and to pray always are to be in alignment with one of Christ's most basic principles, a principle found in Matthew 6:33—to "seek first the kingdom of God" in all things. Praying always is stepping out in faith, believing that if we seek God first, He will add all the things we need (Philippians 4:19), including the strength to overcome, to finish this journey, and to enter His Kingdom.

When faced with the myriad decisions we have to make during each day, if we are not acknowledging God's presence, we have placed ourselves in the position of fighting our battles on our own. Israel made the same mistake, choosing the hard road in their fight, one littered with bodies. We probably all know of some bodies that now litter the spiritual road we have walked. We veterans carry scars from the battles we have lost.

Our battles to overcome are more like skirmishes than battles. In fact, we experience our most severe temptations and trials in everyday events like eating, conducting business affairs, or relating to others in the family or community. Luke 16:10 acknowledges this: "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much."

What better way to win those little skirmishes than to have an invincible Champion, God, in the van of the battle? Because these skirmishes are in the myriad of details we deal with every day, only striving to pray always during the day gives us that unyielding first line of defense.

Our deceitful human nature has in its arsenal countless ways, reasons, and excuses to avoid confronting the real issue of life—overcoming and allowing God to form and shape us into His image. Just bringing God into the picture unleashes forces that will not only help us to overcome, but will also protect us from the pitfalls that litter our path (Psalm 91:12). It is this striving to pray always that a Laodicean naturally avoids because he feels no need.

Numbers 22:24-25

Then the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.  And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam"s foot against the wall; so he struck her again.  Numbers 22:24-25

 
What does God do? His first attempt to get Balaam's attention fails—not with the donkey, but with Balaam. The man is totally oblivious to what is going on. So God narrows him in or hedges him in. The path that Balaam was taking led between two hedges or walls. There was enough room,however, for the donkey to turn aside, which is what she did. She turned away, but in doing so, Balaam's foot became crushed against the wall, causing him pain. Perhaps God thought that a little pain would help him come to his senses.

However, Balaam does not think about God at all. He thinks, "You stupid donkey! Why did you do that to me?" He does not say anything at this point but beats the poor donkey. His injury does not cause him to consider at all that God may be trying to get his attention. It never comes to mind that God may be telling him something. He takes all his pain and rage out on this innocent donkey, which was only trying to obey God.

Think of the donkey in terms of this passage:

But my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord; in You I take refuge; do not leave my soul destitute. Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, and from the traps of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I escape safely. (Psalm 141:8-10)

The donkey who saw God would have avoided the trap and escaped, if it were not for Balaam controlling her. He made her go back into the trap—and on to his own ruin.

Acts 21:21, 25

but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. Acts 21:21

But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality."  Acts 21:25

The speaker is James, our Savior's brother. "They" is the Jews, and "you" is the apostle Paul.

Verse 25 is a quotation taken from the conference in Acts 15, and the subject, according to verse 21, is the customs. The controversy did not involve the civil laws or the Ten Commandments. Instead, it involved the ceremonial additions, as is clearly shown in context by what Paul did.

The context shows what these customs were. Paul made the offerings required at the conclusion of a vow. It is clear that the passage is speaking about the ceremonies. It is also entirely possible that the controversy over these customs also involved the oral traditions of the Pharisees, which they were so devoted to.

There is no evidence that Paul ever taught any Jew to forsake Moses. To do so, he would have to preach against God. There is no evidence that Paul ever told them, "Do not circumcise your children." He certainly preached that keeping the law could not justify a person before God. His writings clearly state that we are justified by grace through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8).

Plainly, Paul's own actions in Acts 21 testify that, though salvation or justification could not be won through keeping these things, keeping them was not destructive unless one depended upon them for justification or salvation. In addition, there was no hesitation on Paul's part to do them. Scripture gives no indication that he argued with James; in fact, we see a unity of mind between them. There is no indication of reluctance either, that somehow it would destroy Paul's faith in Jesus Christ, or that it would compromise him in the eyes of any Christian, Jew or Gentile, who might witness it.

This teaches that first-century Christians understood this issue. They clearly understood what we seem to have such a difficult time understanding nineteen centuries later. Nothing this God of love that we worship requires of us is bad for us. Sometimes what He requires may be difficult to bear, but it is not destructive to His purpose or thoughtless in any way. It is always intended to strengthen us.

Deuteronomy 6:4

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! Deuteronomy 6:4


The word "God" here is Elohim. It says, "The LORD our Elohim is one LORD." This phrase is not normally grammatically correct—a plural noun [Elohim] with a singular verb, "is." Elohim is the plural of both El and Eloah. El and Eloah mean "mighty One," "strong One," or "powerful One" according to Brown, Driver, and Briggs. Elohim, being either of these two words in the plural, therefore means "strong Ones," "mighty Ones," or "powerful Ones."

Just from these definitions, Elohim consists of at least two powerful beings. But, as the New Testament shows, Elohim is not limited to two. It can actually signify an unlimited number, so Elohim is a group or assembly of powerful beings.

It is jarring to the ear to say "Gods is," because there is a plural noun and a singular verb, but it is not incorrect. Consider "United States of America." States is plural, but one does not say, "The United States are going to war." One says, "The United States is going to war." One uses a singular verb with a plural noun. Grammatically, we are speaking of collective nouns.

Elohim is plurality in one, and because the sense is singular, it calls for a singular verb. However, everyone using it knows that it is plural and represents many in unity. Our culture forces us to look for a singular being, but Elohim is not singular.

In the New Testament, it becomes very clear that Elohim is a kingdom, consisting of many! Elohim always acts in a singular way. There is never any divisiveness, only agreement.

We have no problem at all saying or hearing, "The United States is bordered on the north by Canada," or, "The United States is in the northern hemisphere," or "The United States delivered a sharp memo to the Japanese today." We always speak of the United States in the singular. We speak of it as an composite of many rather than a singular entity.

When Moses wrote this verse, it was no more discordant to a Hebrew-speaking person, no more grammatically wrong, than it is for us to say, "The United States is. . . ." Elohim, "the powerful Ones," is a Family of at least two divine beings, and many sons and daughters coming into it. A family, whether human or divine, is a unit of many individuals joined as one.

The Bible reveals that a nation is nothing more than a family grown great. This is why we have the Table of Nations in Genesis 10, which shows the forebears of the nations after the Flood. They began with one man and one woman, and they grew great. So it is that Elohim is one institution—a Family—growing ever larger and more complex until it becomes a nation, the Kingdom of God. We see, then, that this is what Elohim is developing.

James 2:18, 26

But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. James 2:18

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.  James 2:26

Testimony of beliefs without the works to prove them is invalid.

If we are put on trial for our beliefs, the Court will say, "We want to see your faith in action." If the Bible requires something, it is God-ordered. If it is God-ordered, it should be a conviction. If it is a conviction and God-ordered, not to do it would be a sin, disobedience to God. Before we state that what we believe is a conviction, we must be prepared to say that its opposite is a sin.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 is a clear command from God to give our children a Christian education. Are we prepared to say that not to do so is sin? After all, God orders it. How are we doing it? What have we provided for our children's Christian education? How much time are we spending doing it? If we have children, we can be sure these questions will be asked.

If we say we are against unrighteous themes in movies and TV (adultery, fornication, murder, pornography and obscenity made to seem attractive, justified, right and good), or that we believe good and righteous themes should not be debased, then we can be sure the next question will be, "Do you own a TV set?" Yes, we answer. "How much did it cost?" Several hundred dollars. "Where do you keep the TV?" In the living room. "Why there, where it is available to the whole family? How much time do you watch it each day? Have you ever heard obscenity on your TV? Have you ever seen sin exalted? Why do you invite into your home these things you claim are contrary to your beliefs?" A sharp attorney will ask such pointed questions, and our lifestyle could condemn us unless it matches our beliefs.

The Court will concentrate on looking for whether we live our beliefs. We must live up to what we say we believe. The Court will not demand that we be perfect, but that we consistently show by our lifestyle that we are living by what we believe.

Matthew 24:28 and Luke 17:34-37

For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.  Matthew 24:28

I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left." And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?" So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  Luke 17:34-37

In addition to a wake of vultures being a symbol of God's judgment of shame, a gathering of vultures also indicates a diseased spiritual condition. In Revelation 18:2, Babylon the Great is described as being “a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird.”

Vultures are undoubtedly at the top of the list of unclean and hated birds! End-time Babylon is the focal point of demonic spirits, which are likened to unclean birds. Both of them prey on the sick and the injured, and they gather where death is.

Even so, our greatest threat is not the Tribulation at the end! As bad as it will be, far worse is being spiritually unprepared when Christ returns and being judged as unworthy to enter the Kingdom. This is what the Parable of the Ten Virgins and the Parable of the Wedding Feast describe. This is the substance of the warnings about Christ's return being like a thief in the night—coming when He is completely unexpected. This is why He warns us against neglecting so great a salvation and against being led astray by the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the pleasures of life. Jesus warns us to keep us on the path of life, so that we do not fall to the birds of prey that stalk the spiritually dying.

We are given the charge to come out of Babylon, so we do not share in her sins or in her judgment (Revelation 18:4). If we have a discerning heart, we should have a good idea of what will attract the vultures, as it will be giving off the smell of spiritual death. God gives us that discerning heart, so we can make good choices.

Do we really believe the scriptures about the swiftness of Christ's return? It is easy to look at world events and compare them to our understanding of prophecy; we know that things are bad and getting worse—but the end still seems to be just over the horizon. Because it is not here yet, it is easy to conclude, even subconsciously, that there is no need to become serious just yet.

However, this conclusion is filled with assumptions. One is that our understanding of end-time events is correct! A second assumption is that, even if we do have correct understanding, we will never lose it through deception. A third is that our faith will remain constant until the end. A fourth is that, when we do decide to get serious, that we will have ample time to build character, take on the image of God, and complete our sanctification. A fifth is that our Creator will go along with our agenda of pushing Him off until the last minute.

These are a lot of assumptions! If we are misjudging these things, we may hear those terrible words, “I never knew you; depart from Me” (Matthew 7:23)!

If we are delaying the time to start seeking God, the vultures may be eyeing us as ones who may not spiritually survive what lies ahead. Perhaps all of us have seen this happen to people we care about. If we are spiritually sick or injured, there is no time like the present to seek our Healer and Protector to beat off the hated birds!

In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, the foolish ones thought they had more time. They were probably aware that their reserves of oil were not as full as they could be, but they may have assumed that they could always attend to that later. They did not count on falling asleep. They did not count on life happening, that something would prohibit them from taking care of preparations they had put off.

A lesson we can draw is that, if we are not putting everything we have into our calling right now, how much time is left does not matter. If that is the case, we may find ourselves, like the foolish virgins, suddenly awake and realizing we cannot get ready in time. What we claimed we wanted will have slipped through our grasp, one day at a time.

Judgment is coming on the world, but it is on the house of God right now (I Peter 4:17). A gathering of eagles—a wake of vultures—is a symbol of God's judgment on those who stubbornly resist coming into alignment with Him. Vultures will literally gather for those who rebel against God in the final battle (Revelation 19:17-21), and they are metaphorically already circling those who cannot tear themselves away from Babylon—those who are on such good terms with the world that they are giving off the scent of spiritual death.

The multitude of warnings and prophecies means that it is a possibility for us, because it is a certainty for some. Yet, with all that God makes available, there is no good reason for that judgment to fall on us.

You Shall Love Your Neighbor-Part Three

In Part Two, we saw that both God the Father and Jesus Christ have modeled how we are to love one another. After giving the pattern in the life of Jesus shown in the Gospels, we are instructed "to walk just as He walked. . . . He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him" (I John 2:6, 10). How we show love to our neighbors reveals whether we are walking in the light or not.

God's instructions to Israel in Leviticus 19 help us learn the right perspective on loving our neighbors. Notice the first three verses:

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.'" (Leviticus 19:1-3)

Verse 2 is a kind of specific purpose statement for all of the nation of Israel then and for the Israel of God today (Galatians 6:16). God thunders that His people shall be holy—different and separate from the world around them—because God Himself is holy. The people are to reflect the God they worship. When others see the people of God, they are to see an image of God Himself in how they treat one another. In this way, God's people represent Him to the world. So Jesus teaches His disciples, "You are the salt of the earth. . . . You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:13-14, 16).

Then, in verse 3, God gives the first and most important of the physical instructions in how to treat others. It begins with one's parents, as they are the neighbors that children come into contact with first and most often. Children see their parents in the same way as we come to understand what God is to us, and we learn to love God by loving them. So our first lessons in loving our neighbors happen within what should be the friendly confines of the family.

It is interesting that the duty of showing reverential love to one's parents is connected to the proper observance of the Sabbath. This indicates a link between the fifth and fourth commandments. We show love to neighbor, first of all, by revering our parents, and we show love to God, first of all, by keeping His Sabbaths. They are foundational starting points for proper interactions within those two most important relationships.

In Leviticus 19:9-10, we see another instruction on loving fellow man:

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

Loving one's neighbor expands from the family to take in "the poor and the stranger." Obviously, this is showing concern and giving charitably to the disadvantaged of society. We are to learn to give with an open hand to others (Deuteronomy 15:7-11), not hoard the product of our labors. Love for neighbor includes generosity and looking out for the welfare of others, as needed.

Leviticus 19:13 brings up another situation in which we can choose to love a neighbor: "You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning." In other words, employees are to be paid on time, and the employer—whether he runs a huge corporation or is paying to have his lawn cut—is not to withhold a worker's wages. The employee needs the agreed-upon money to support himself and his family.

Verse 14 brings up another point: "You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD." This injunction deals with our thinking and compassion. We are not to make fun of the handicapped or do anything to take advantage of their condition. A deaf person cannot hear or respond to a curse, and a blind person cannot avoid an obstacle.

The intent goes further than this, however. God intends that we understand that we are never to exploit anyone's disadvantages. We should never take advantage of the simplicity, ignorance, or inexperience of another. We are instead to treat our neighbors as we would want to be treated if we were in their circumstances. Is that not the Golden Rule? "And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise" (Luke 6:31).

Leviticus 19:15 regulates our making of judgments: "You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor." In general terms, we are to be just, judging circumstances by their merits. We are not to judge a matter to benefit ourselves, nor are we to allow the social status of the parties involved to sway us one way or the other. God desires equity under the law, and making equitable judgments is a way of showing love to neighbor.

The next verse concerns telling stories about each other: "You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people" (Leviticus 19:16). The Hebrew word beneath "talebearer" describes more literally a "peddler," one who trades in gossip and spreads it all over the countryside. This is a sure way to sow discord among neighbors, doing no one any good. It is a terrible evil that destroys relationships. If we want to show love for others, we must put an end to rumormongering and gossip, for, as the apostle James writes, "[The tongue] is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:8).

These are some of the ways we show love to our neighbors, and in so doing, we reflect the loving nature of God Himself, setting ourselves apart as His people. The apostle John writes, "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world" (I John 4:17). Can we say this about ourselves in how we treat our neighbors?

You Shall Love Your Neighbor-Part Two

A well-known principle of Bible study is that repetition is among the best forms of emphasis. If God states something once, it is important, and if twice, it is even more important. The Bible contains the phrase that we are to "love the LORD your God with all your heart" five times (Deuteronomy 6:5; 11:1; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). We had better take it to heart!

However, we are told to "love your neighbor" eight times (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:43; 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8). The additional repetitions do not make this command more important than the one to love God, but they perhaps suggest that we tend to neglect loving our neighbors and so need to be reminded of it more frequently. It may also suggest that learning to love our neighbors is more difficult than we tend to think.

What is this love that we are to have and show fellow man? The Greek word for "love" in this command is agapao (Strong's #25), "to have a warm regard for and interest in another, cherish, have affection for." This seems like a rather general definition of any kind of love, but Jesus elevates it to an unconditional love, a heartfelt response to do good for another as the occasion requires, no matter who the other is, whether family, friend, enemy, or person on the street.

Showing this kind love to our neighbor, then, goes far beyond wishing him well but extends to actively doing him good. It does not mean doing what will please him, but choosing to benefit him by showing him favor and good will. The outworking of this love may involve expressions of kindness or providence, or it could even be giving discipline and punishment. Its emphasis is on doing what is good for him, not on whether it will necessarily please him.

Then we must ask, "Who is my neighbor?" This question is asked of Jesus, and He replies with the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. The text tells us that this expert in the law wished to justify himself, that is, show himself to be in the right on this matter and thus excuse his behavior. He had no argument regarding loving God, and as for loving his neighbor, he may have indeed been a good neighbor as instructed by the Pharisaical interpretation of the law.

Generally, that interpretation essentially boils down to "love your neighbor as long as they are not Gentiles." Some Pharisees carried this to extremes, turning it into hatred for any racial, ethnic, and religious group but their own. They despised Samaritans (thus Jesus' use of a good Samaritan in His parable) and called Gentiles "dogs" and probably other derogatory names.

We do the same today. We will love our neighbors as long as they are friends or coworkers or of the same race, ethnic group, or social status. We will love our neighbors if they follow our team, political views, or social causes. But that is not what God wants of us!

This can be seen in the parable. The story is of a Jew traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho on business, a journey of about fifteen miles. Robbers hold him up, beat him, and take everything he has, even his clothing, leaving him by the roadside half-dead and bleeding.

First, a man of his own nation, no less than a priest—a man who represents the love, compassion, tenderness, and kindness of God to the world—happens by. Of all people, one would think he would be the first to stop and help the battered traveler. Yet, he passes by on the other side, diverting his eyes, as if he never saw the man in need.

Then comes a Levite, one whose God-given task was to serve in the Temple. He not only sees the wounded man but also takes the time to walk over and examine him. But like the priest, he offers no help, scurrying to the opposite side of the road and continuing on his way.

Finally, a despised Samaritan happens by, and his heart goes out to the suffering man. Without thought for himself, he begins to clean him, pouring wine on the wounds to disinfect them and oil to promote healing. Then, putting him on his beast, he walks beside it until they arrive at an inn where the injured man could receive care and rest. He spares no expense and promises to repay the innkeeper for his troubles in helping the man get back on his feet.

Jesus ends the story, asking the rhetorical question, "So which of these three was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" The lawyer, being an intelligent man, whose training had been the proverbial "straining out a gnat", now had to acknowledge the camel he had heretofore swallowed (Matthew 23:24). With a simple story, Jesus had given him a broad picture of the intent of this second great commandment. So the lawyer answers, "He who showed mercy on him."

It was the Samaritan, loathed by the Jews as heretics and religious frauds, who forgot all the antagonisms and abuses against him and showed mercy, kindness, and care—love—to the wounded Jew lying helpless by the side of the road. Only he displayed the love of neighbor that God expects of His people.

Jesus' instruction for the lawyer—and for us today—is, "Go and do likewise."

Spiritually, this has been done for us. We, like this Jew in the ditch, were wounded unto death, left to waste away. The world  passed us by, even those closest to us and those who claimed to be God's representatives, never giving us the help we needed. Then God, despised by this world, walked by and tended to us, paying for our care. He paid the ultimate price, giving His only begotten Son to save us and the whole world (John 3:16-17). We could say that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the pouring of wine and oil to disinfect and heal those wounded by sin. It enables sinners from every strata of society, upon belief and repentance, to be justified, to pursue sanctification, and ultimately, to be glorified.

So we see that God the Father and Jesus Christ are the perfect examples, the embodiments, of what it is to be a neighbor. The psalmist writes of God, "The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" (Psalm 147:2-3). Jesus' mission was not just to preach, but also "to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed" (Luke 4:18). This is how They express Their love to us.

I Peter 2:21 tells us that we are to follow in our Savior's steps. Christ has given us the instruction and the example of how He expects us to live and how we are to treat each other. More on this in Part Three.