His ministry is exploding, His popularity expanding, and His teaching exposing, but His opponents are exasperating. Luke relates the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. His antagonists had already reasoned in their hearts that Jesus was a blasphemer (5:20), and now they will get more vocal in their criticism. They represented what was, the status quo. As it was, the Pharisees and scribes held sway over the people and kept them in line with their self-serving interpretation of the Old Law. Jesus comes along and changes their rules, sharing God’s truth, God’s values, and God’s priorities. It clashed with their comfortable norms.
JESUS CHANGED WHO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO FOLLOW GOD (27-30). This starts with His calling of Levi, the tax collector. A hated class, publicans not only collected taxes from their fellow-Jews for the Roman Empire, they lived well by taking more than was required by Rome (cf. 19:8). So, they were considered traitors and thieves. Jesus gave Levi the chance to overcome his sinful past. He expands that opportunity to others, whom the Pharisees and scribes call “tax collectors and sinners” (30). This “rabble” was beneath these spiritual “giants,” but not beneath the Son of God. He wanted them to follow Him. What a needed reminder for us as we seek “prospects” to follow God today.
JESUS CHANGED HOW ONE SHOULD LOOK AT THE LOST (30-32). Instead of hopeless and useless, Jesus saw them as spiritually sick, but valuable, souls in need of His healing. The compassion He demonstrated in helping the physical outcasts like the leper and paralytic He now shows to the spiritual outcasts like the tax collectors and the other people at Levi’s table. If anyone ever had a reason and right to look down on sinners, it was Jesus. But that seems to be the farthest thing from His mind. How do they look from our point of view? How do we show it?
JESUS CHANGED WHAT KIND OF OUTLOOK A FOLLOWER CAN HAVE (33-35). That Jesus could so freely enjoy a fellowship meal with this “rabble” clashed with their own concept of “faithfulness” (the Pharisees had disciples, too, 33). It wasn’t that John’s approach pleased them any better (see 7:30-35), but they attempted to use John’s methodology against Jesus to pit them against each other. Jesus alludes to what lay ahead for Him, when He would no longer be with them, and what lay ahead for them when they would be persecuted for their faithfulness to Him. Though there would be tough times ahead, He wanted them to focus on the joy they could experience in their daily walk with Him. This is so helpful to us, not to worry about the troubles of the future but to strengthen our relationship with Jesus each day. This helps us now and later.
JESUS CHANGED WHERE PEOPLE SHOULD TURN FOR TRUTH (36-39). While the scribes and Pharisees wanted people to submit to their shallow righteousness and tainted view of the Law of Moses, Jesus wanted people to accept the new revelation He came to earth to bring. He came to fulfill the law, both to reveal it and accomplish it (Mat. 5:17-18; Luke 16:15-17). What He was teaching could not be superimposed on the Old Law; such a patchwork approach did not honor the Law and did not accurately represent Jesus’ teaching. There was perfect harmony between them, but His new way was superior in every way to it. To these religious leaders, whose pride and position were at stake, that idea was repulsive. But for those truly in search of God, this was what they were looking for!
We’re 2,000 years removed from this cultural situation. However, we must still be very careful that we do not allow the traditions and customs that we inevitably establish to be on a par with Jesus’ doctrine. That requires diligent, regular Bible study. It means approaching God’s Word without a tainted, preconceived point of view. Evaluate based on what it says, not what we prefer. This will change who we approach, how we approach them, and what we approach them with. But, oh what a great “product” we have to share!
Have you heard about Iwao Hakamada’s case? Maybe you have heard about someone innocent who was prosecuted for something they did not do. How is that not the spiritual situation for us? What does the Bible say about this?
Neal Pollard
Iwao Hakamada was a professional boxer convicted of murdering his employer and employer’s family in 1966. In 1968, he was sentenced to death by a Japanese court. The conviction was based on a confession Hakamada said was coaxed by threats, beatings, and twenty days of relentless police interrogation.
He maintained his innocence from death row for almost 45 years, with 30 of those years in solitary confinement. But it was more than 600 pieces of evidence disclosed by a prosecutor that triggered a retrial. He was the world’s longest-serving death row prisoner. But on September 26, 2024, 88-year-old Hakamada was set free (much info gathered from amnesty.org).
I don’t know about you, but finding out about this led me to multiple reactions–sadness, outrage, sympathy. An entire lifetime of freedom and experiencing what most take for granted was lost due to injustice. An innocent man was treated as guilty, and a sentence of death loomed over him every day. He knew he had not done what he was accused of, but those with the power in this situation concluded that he had. Or they tried to keep his innocence concealed.
Have you considered our condition? Every accountable person in the world is on spiritual death row unless or until he or she is set free (2 Cor. 1:9). There is no evidence to overturn or bring acquittal (Rom. 5:16). We are guilty as charged (Rom. 3:23; 5:12). The offense will probably not be murder, but it is just as critical!
What is incredible is that the One who will stand as our Judge in the last day (John 12:48) has done everything in His omnipotent power to set us free (Rom. 8:2; Gal. 5:1). Some run toward His rescue when they are young, then use that freedom to serve (Gal. 5:13). Some wait and others are not even aware freedom is possible until much later in life. All of this latter group would tell you they wish they had made the decision sooner! But no matter what the evidence is against you, you can be freed from the sentence (John 5:24; 1 John 4:17).
What keeps us from realizing the true reality of our spiritual debt to God? Are we ever like Simon the leper?
Neal and Kathy Pollard
Neal Pollard
Why did Jesus speak in parables? The disciples wondered just that (Matthew 13:10). The Holy Spirit records four answers. First, Jesus used parables because not all would receive the mysteries of the Kingdom by direct revelation (13:11). Further, He did so because many hearts were dull and eyes and ears were closed (13:13-16). Those with faith would accept His teaching, but unbelievers would not understand. Then, He used parables because the prophets foretold that He would (13:34, 35). Finally, He did because there were things hidden from the foundation of the world that He must reveal (13:35).
What relevance, then, do the parables have for the modern Bible reader? Now, the parables exist as part of that written revelation. Through them, one can see prophecy fulfilled. The mystery that has been kept secret for long ages past (cf. Romans 16:25) can now be known. Thus, the parables are of paramount importance as practical instruction today.
Jesus’ parables come out of many settings. He spoke them during private talks with the disciples, in public sermons, and on the occasion of miracles and healings, but maybe the most effective parables were borne out of situations where His enemies tested him. The parable in Luke 7:41-42 is such a one. Consider four key words that aid one to better understand the so-called “Parable of Two Debtors.”
Content
The actual parable is two verses in length, as man has divided scripture. Jesus expended a total of thirty Greek words (43—NIV; 40—KJV; 34—NAS). The parable is filled with simple images that are easily comprehended. He presents the characters, a moneylender and two debtors. He presents the situation, that one owes about 500 days wages while another owes 50. He presents the predicament, namely that neither had the ability to repay their debt. He presents the lender’s response, who graciously forgives both of them. He presents the debtors’ reactions, which is left for the hearers to interpret but is easily discerned.
Two men in debt needed help beyond their ability to resolve. The lender is also the forgiver. Jesus uses financial problems to illustrate spiritual problems. How appropriate, since most people, regardless of time or geography, have suffered financial reverses. One national survey found that seventy percent of all worries involve money (Collins, Christian Counseling, 531). Suppose a person owed a single creditor $100,000 and the creditor called in the entire debt at once. The debtor is unable to pay, and the creditor sends back news that the entire debt is totally expunged from the record. How would that person feel toward the creditor, compared, say, with one who owed $1000 but whose debt was also forgiven. The parable teaches the principle of greater debt, greater appreciation, and lesser debt, lesser appreciation.
Context
The setting of the parable gives it its meaning. Jesus uses the parable to illustrate two very different people before His eyes. Consider them.
The first person is a Pharisee named Simon. One scholar points out that:
The Pharisees were the largest sect of the Jews. They grew out of an older party, the Chasidim, the Pious ones, and became the “Separatists” of ancient times. They took the name “Pharisee” probably during the rule of John Hyrcanus, BC 135-110. They favored a narrow religio-political policy, in distinction to the Sadducees who wished to see the Jews a nation among the Nations (Robertson, na).
If the Jews labeled themselves “conservatives” and “liberals,” it could be commonly agreed that the Pharisees were the former and the Sadducees the latter. While Jesus had no quarrel with their strict interpretation of the Law (cf. Matthew 23:3), He often rebuked their heart and attitude (Matthew 23:3-5). Simon the Pharisee apparently had no glaring, outward sin problems, but was guilty in Luke seven of some severe heart problems.
The second person is a woman of the city and a known sinner. Some have theorized that she was a prostitute, but nonetheless not likely to have been on Simon’s “A” List. She brings an alabaster vial of perfume, a long neck bottle Jewish women wore as an accessory around the neck and broken when festive occasions called for its use. Simon had invited Jesus for a meal, but she had “crashed” the party. It took a lot of courage for her to come where she was obviously not welcome.
When Jews ate their meals at dinner parties, they would have reclined on low couches. They leaned on their left arm with the head toward the table and the body stretched out away from it. They removed their sandals before taking this position. This is the way the woman would have found Jesus. Her emotions seemingly overcome her and her tears fall on His feet. She wiped His feet with her hair, which means she would have had to unbind her hair. This was a social taboo for Jewish women. By this point, one sees that she cared more about honoring Jesus than pleasing the crowd. She performs a slave’s task, tending to His feet.
After the parable, Jesus asks a remarkable question: “Do you see this woman?” Obviously, Simon knew she was there, but he did not see her properly. G. Campbell Morgan writes, “Simon could not see the woman as she then was, for looking at her as she had been.” There are a lot of Simons in the world who refuse to let those who become Christians forget what they once were (cf. 1 Pet. 4:4). Yet, the worst Simons can be in the church, refusing to let penitent, forgiven brothers and sisters forget their past.
The story ends with Jesus informing Simon that He had forgiven the woman’s sins. In Matthew 9:3, when He forgave the paralytic’s sins, the scribes thought Jesus a blasphemer. Yet, He does not gloss over the woman’s apparent immorality. He calls them her “many sins” (Luke 7:47). In this, He rebukes Simon for “loving little” and implies that He stood unforgiven.
Contrast
One owed much and one owed less.Both of them, however, are sinners and are in a greater debt than they can repay. Such has always been the case, as it is today (cf. Ecclesiastes 7:10; Romans 3:10,23; 1 John 5:19). Yet, the difference between the two debts is obvious.
One was forgiven much and one was forgiven less. The word “forgave” (Luke 7:42) is different from “forgiven” in verse forty-eight. “Forgave” (7:42) is from the same word family as the word translated “grace” throughout the New Testament. The word “forgiven” means “let go” or “release,” and when used in legal terms meant to be freed from an office, marriage, debt or obligation. The forgiveness Jesus offered was an act rather than a nebulous concept. It was a conditional gift she could enjoy eternally. She sought forgiveness, while Simon did not. She received it, but he did not.
One was humble and one was proud. Jesus praises the sinner and condemns the religious leader. Why? In a word, “Attitude.” The parable in Luke eighteen illustrates this well, verse fourteen pronouncing the sinful tax collector justified and the pompous Pharisee not justified. Jesus saw great potential in a “Big S” sinner who knew it than in a “little s” sinner who did not.
One loved much and one loved little. Jesus implies this in the parable and makes Simon explicitly admit it. The natural response of every forgiven person should be “much love” (cf. 1 John 4:19).
Conclusions
Consider some practical lessons one can glean from that parable for today.
No one is worthy of forgiveness.Both debtors in the parable did nothing to merit forgiveness. No one today is worthy (cf. Titus 3:5). To understand God’s grace, one must see himself as a sinner in need of it.
Not all sinners grasp the seriousness of their sinfulness. Simon was no less a sinner, but he acted like he was. Likewise, some of the hardest people to win to Christ are good, moral, but unsaved people (cf. Matthew 7:21-23).
No one can repay his debt.Not just the two fictional characters in the parable. Not just Simon and the woman. Everybody needs Jesus (Micah 6:7).
Sins of attitude are as deadly as sins of action. Ask the elder brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). Among the lusts of the flesh, wherein is listed murder, adultery, and fornication, one also finds outbursts of anger, disputes, and envy. Sins of attitude will keep one out of heaven as surely as will sins of action (cf. Romans 6:23).
Jesus freely forgives those who seek it.That is the good news and bottom line of this parable. Jesus’ forgiveness is available to everyone (Titus 2:11; 1 Timothy 2:6). Yet, one must seek it like the sinful woman did!
I’m trying to convince my wife (Janelle) that she needs to make a podcast/Youtube series that would provide a nurses perspective on the many kinds of medicines used in the Bible as well as the medical practices of ancient cultures mentioned in the Bible. Would their medical practices actually work or make things worse? If you think that would be interesting as well, please send her a message and let’s all annoy nurse Janelle until she makes it happen.
On a similar note, this article was written after researching a few of these bizarre medical practices.
DID YOU KNOW…
The use of dragon bones in medicine is a fascinating aspect of ancient beliefs, particularly if you view these “dragons” as possible examples of humans and dinosaurs co-existing. However, what’s really strange is the fact that various societies around the world all decided to use the bones in such a unique way— medicine.
For example, in medieval Europe, people sometimes discovered large bones and believed them to hold magical properties. Powders made from these bones were used as talismans or medicinal remedies.
During the Middle Ages, alchemists often incorporated “dragon” substances in their potions and elixirs. They believed that dragon bones could enhance the efficacy of their concoctions or serve as some sort of protective charm.
Some Mesoamerican civilizations had legends about dragon-like creatures, and they used the large fossilized bones in rituals and their medicinal practices because they believed the remains held mysterious power.
An article in the Associated Press in 2007 had this to say about the ancient Chinese:
“Villagers in central China spent decades digging up bones they believed belonged to flying dragons and using them in traditional medicines. Turns out the bones belonged to dinosaurs…
The calcium-rich bones were sometimes boiled with other ingredients and fed to children to treat dizziness and leg cramps.”
The Bible has an interesting account about “magic” bones in 2 Kings 13:20-21. This passage recounts the power of God working through the prophet Elijah— even after his death.
Here’s a brief summary for those who might be unfamiliar with this incredible account:
The prophet Elijah made a significant impact (perhaps the most significant) in Israel. Even after his death his prophetic legacy was admired by the people, but Elijah would perform one last miracle from beyond the grave. Some men were burying a man when they saw a raiding party coming. In haste, they threw the deceased man into the tomb where Elijah’s bones lay and when the dead man touched the bones of Elijah he came back to life and stood on his feet.
While there may or may not be anything to the medicinal benefits of dinosaur bones as claimed by ancient cultures, there’s no need to speculate where the power was coming from in our biblical account. It’s obvious that it was God’s hand at work and not the prophet’s bones. The same can be said of baptism or even our Bibles. The power isn’t in water found in a baptistery or words on a page because we know the source is actually our Savior. The cure to the world’s greatest disease isn’t some secret recipe that utilizes dragon bones. What we need is what we already have and it’s widely available.
“Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”
All he said was what was true. For prophesying that Judah would he devastated by Babylon, Jeremiah was cast into the dungeon of the king’s son (Jer. 38:1-6). He was suspended by cords which surely cut into his armpits. He soaked in unsanitary mire. He was left there to starve to death. Were it not for the compassionate heart of Ebedmelech, Jeremiah likely would have died.
The book of Lamentations, written by Jeremiah, is entirely filled with his sorrowful cries because of God’s punished people. The book can be seen as five, distinct mournful poems. Each poem reflects a different facet of the common sorrow [chapter one, the physical suffering of Judah; chapter two, God’s scolding of Judah; chapter three, Jeremiah’s spiritual suffering because of Judah’s sins; chapter four, the spiritual suffering of Judah because of their sins; chapter five, Jeremiah’s supplications for contrite Judah] (F.D. Hemenway., 454).
In Lamentations 3:55, the weeping prophet tells the Lord, “I called on Your name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.” This image is identical to the words of the psalmist, who says in Psalm 88:6, “You have laid me in the lowest pit, In darkness, in the depths.” Heman seems to complain that he has been placed there because of injustice and not because of his iniquity. Our minds are called back to Dothan, where jealous brothers cast Joseph into an empty pit. The sins of Joseph’s brothers caused him to look up from his pit.
But, no doubt or question arises about why Judah is in this figurative pit from which Jeremiah cries. Though Jeremiah has lived godly and has not deserved suffering , he realized he stood among a nation of people who failed to obey Jehovah. So, from the low dungeon of despair, Jeremiah says several things.
“You Heard Me When I Cried” (Lamentations 3:56). From this statement we see that THE LORD RECOGNIZES HIS PEOPLE! David knew this (Psalm 6:8; 18:3-6; 66:19), as he often exclaimed that “God has heard me.” Paul’s inspired conviction of hope was “the Lord knows them that are His ” (2 Tim. 2:19). To the Corinthian brethren, Paul said, “But if any man love God, the same is known of God” (1 Cor. 8:3). In verse 56, Jeremiah finds comfort in calamitous times. He also makes an impassioned plea that God not turn away from His crying, Because Jeremiah was a child of God, he was assured that God would, in some way, answer him.
“You Drew Near When I Called” (Lamentations 3:57). THE LORD RESPONDS TO HIS PEOPLE! Jeremiah recognized the “Shepherd” aspect of the Lord. One can clearly envision the cradling Arms of the Almighty, scooping up His lambs injured by their own choices and giving them comfort in their repentance (cf. Psalm 23). James would teach us that God draws near to us if we draw near unto Him (James 4:8).
“You Have Pled The Causes Of My Soul” (Lamentations 3:58). Truly , THE LORD REPRESENTS HIS PEOPLE! David prayed that God would plead his cause and deliver him (Psa. 119:154). The prophet Micah patiently waited for the representation of the Lord on his behalf. He said, “I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me” (Micah 7:9). He who, in the flesh, experienced humanity represents man before God as mediator (1 Tim. 2:5).
“You Have Redeemed My Life ” (Lamentations 3:58). THE LORD REDEEMS HIS PEOPLE! A suffering Job rejoiced, ” I know that my redeemer lives, and that he shall stand upon the earth at the latter day” (Job 19:25). Jeremiah, knowing the mercy of the Lord, confidently spoke of how God had preserved his life in times past. In a greater sense, Christ is the means of mankind’s redemption from eternal condemnation. That prolific passage, Titus 2:11-14, proclaims that God’s saving grace has appeared to all men in the person of Christ, “that he might redeem us from all iniquity.” Christ’s incorruptible blood redeems the faithful obedient one (cf. 1 Pet. 1:18). Part of the enchanting song sung by the adorers of Christ includes the words “…For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9).
“You Have Seen My Wrong” (Lamentations 3:59). Additionally, we learn that THE LORD REPRIMANDS HIS PEOPLE! God sees all that we do, though many think that God only sees the good we do. Others think that God only sees other people’s wrongs, and still others think that God only sees non-Christians’ sins. God sees everything everyone does every instant everywhere and every time. How wonderful and reassuring this is to those who walk in the light. How fearful this is for those who walk in darkness. God, in His justice, will punish all whose wrongs are not covered by Christ’s precious blood.
Obviously, God’s people had sown iniquity. Jeremiah rebukes his brethren throughout the book of Jeremiah because of their idolatry, hypocrisy, failings in the home, materialism, and stubborn wills. Through the Babylonians, Judah reaped the captivity. But, as Jeremiah prophesied, Judah would not be captive forever (Jer. 30-35). God heard the cries of Jeremiah from the low dungeon of despair.
Christians have the confidence that God will deliver them from the Pits of Persecution, the Dungeons of Despair, and the Cells of Sin. What hope!
In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Paul reminds his readers that, though we live in the world, we don’t fight the same way the world fights; instead, he says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God…”
In that spirit, I want to share an argument that I’ve come across somewhat recently that argues against God, and how to counter it.
The argument goes as follows: First, God knows all things; therefore, He knows what He can say or do that would convince any particular person to believe in Him. Second, God can do all things; therefore, He is able to do whatever would convince any particular person to believe in Him no matter how hard it may seem by human standards. Finally, God has stated in the Bible that He wants “all men to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). However, not everyone believes in God; therefore, He either doesn’t know what can convince someone, can’t do what would convince someone, or is lying about His desire for everyone to come to the knowledge of the truth.
At first, it can seem like a strong argument, but there are cracks in its façade. First, it’s true that God does know all things. In fact, He knows more about people than they know about themselves. Richard Dawkins used to say that he would only be convinced that God was real if he ever heard that trumpet call and saw Jesus coming down from heaven with the angels and the resurrected saints on the Day of Judgment. Nowadays, he says that even if he saw that, he would assume he was hallucinating. I saw another prominent atheist, when asked if there were any evidence that could convince him of God’s reality, ultimately responded that even if he were to see the stars in the sky move and arrange themselves to spell out “Believe in me, John,” that he would more likely believe that aliens were messing with him. There are some people who will refuse to believe no matter what evidence is presented, and in those cases, God will allow people who don’t love the truth to exchange it for a lie (Romans 1:25).
Furthermore, God is interested in something far deeper than some mere mental assent. He doesn’t want people to simply believe that He exists or even believe that He is powerful or even good and just leave it at that. Adam and Eve believed that God exists and must have been convinced of His power (He had made the world) and even His goodness (He had given them everything), but did that stop them from sinning? Cain talked with God, but still murdered his brother. The Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai were convinced of God’s existence and power, but they still made a golden calf to stand in for the Lord of heaven and earth (and that against His express command). Even the demons believe in God as James tells us, but God wants more than our acknowledgment. He wants our love and He wants our faith. And He deserves it, too!
Because the second point is that God can do all things, and He has done the unimaginable just to prove how much He really loves us. He became flesh and blood. The infinite God wrapped up in a finite, mortal shell. I can’t understand any better than I could understand turning myself into an ant. And then to sacrifice Himself to save us from our own sins!
The people who demand that God prove His existence to them in some miraculous way are arrogant. It reminds me of the Pharisees who, after Jesus had done numerous miracles, still asked for a sign. God wants everyone to come to the knowledge of the truth, and He has done everything necessary to show that. The ball is now, so to speak, in your court.
Walvoord and Zuck observe, “This is perhaps the best-known section in the Book of Isaiah. Several parts of this passage are quoted in the New Testament: Isaiah 52:15 in Romans 15:21; Isaiah 53:1 in John 12:38 and Romans 10:16; Isaiah 53:4 in Matthew 8:17; Isaiah 53:7–8 in Acts 8:32–33; Isaiah 53:9 in 1 Peter 2:22; and Isaiah 53:12 in Luke 22:37” (BKC, 1106). This chapter is the most recognizably Messianic of the entire book of Isaiah. It is the completion of the fourth Servant Poem, in which the prophet reveals three crucial facts about Him.
The suffering servant would be overlooked (1-2). Why? Given the prelude of this Servant (52:13-15), this is a surprising fact. This exalted and glorified One is described now as a tender shoot, a root out of dry ground, with no stately form or majesty, and without an attractive appearance. The message about Him and from Him is deemed unbelievable (1). He grows up among the people, who cannot but see Him only as a carpenter, Mary’s son, with younger brothers and sisters, and, thus, a cause of offense (Mark 6:3). He is “this man” (Luke 7:39). The root out of dry ground takes our minds back to Isaiah 11:1, the tender shoot of Jesse. Physically unremarkable, financially modest, and without any sort of commending pedigree, He was an average, ordinary-looking Man among men.
The suffering servant would be oppressed (3-10a). Beyond His humble circumstances, His contemptible appearance, combined with His relentless effort to spread His unconventional message backed by undeniable miracles, led to His opponents doing all within their power to punish and silence Him. Graphically, Isaiah foretells what those among whom He dwelled dispatched of Him (or so they thought). His oppression was vicious. It led Him to experience despising, forsaking, grieving, sorrowing, and condescending (3,7). His oppression was vicarious. It led Him to experience things for us, things we deserved to experience but that He went through on our behalf (4-6,8). James Smith gives us a concise chart of this:
OUR EXPERIENCE
HIS EXPERIENCE
Griefs
Bore
Sorrows
Carried
Transgression
Pierced Through
Iniquities
Crushed
Peace
Chastening
Healed
Scourging
Smith, James E. The Major Prophets. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1992. Print. Old Testament Survey Series, 149.
His oppression was voluntary (7). Reading the fulfillment of this in the gospels as Jesus stands before Pilate and His many accusers, He chose not to speak to defend Himself. He knew that as a sacrificial Lamb, He had to submit to their torture and injustice. His oppression was violent, as we see from the many words associated with the death He would die (9). His oppression was victorious (9-10). It accomplished the Divine purpose, in which He played a part as God the Word. He successfully became the blood offering for our sins (10). But that last fact points us to the last major point of the chapter (10b-12).
The suffering servant would be an overcomer (10b-12). As this was the premeditated plan of heaven, the Godhead knew that death could not keep Him down and the grave could not hold Him (1 Cor. 15:54-57). That’s why the Lord was “pleased” to allow such cruelty to occur. After being made a guilt offering for our sins, “the Lord would prolong His days” (10). Notice how the vicarious nature of the suffering Servant’s sacrifice would satisfy divine justice and solve humanity’s spiritual debt problem.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 says, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
How many tools do you use during the day? I own several toolboxes and each one of them contain different tools for different jobs. Sometimes we limit our understanding of tools as those we would find in a toolbox. God’s toolbox (church) contains far more tools than what can be contained in a single toolbox.
When you say tools, most people think hammer, screwdriver, and tape measure. What about the tools in the kitchen? The whisk, measuring cup, and mixing bowl. Or the tools on your desk, pen, paper, and a stapler.
God has many different tools in His toolbox. Each one is special and has a special purpose. You wouldn’t use a whisk to hammer a nail, but in the kitchen the whisk can be very useful. Most of us expect to find a hammer, screwdriver, or wrenches in a toolbox. We do the same thing when it comes to God’s toolbox, we expect him to use the elders, deacons, preachers, or the Sunday school teachers.
God wants to use each and everyone of us. God created us unique and different. He wants us to use our gifts for him.
Think about the tools you use each day and how they could be used by God in your hands. For example, a hammer could be used as part of a missionary trip to help build or rebuild housing for those in need. A pen could be used to write an uplifting note to someone who needs encouragement.
Now think about other tools, gifts, or abilities God has given you that can be used for His glory. Maybe it’s the ability to lead singing, teach a class, or maybe it’s the ability to help someone in need.
Now hold your Bible in your hands. This is the most powerful tool that God has given us, and we need to make sure it’s in our toolbox for everyday life. The passage in 1 Corinthians 12 talks about different gifts, different services, and different activities. Someone may have the same gift like teaching, but one may be better suited for teaching in a closed one on one setting, where the other may be better at teaching a class room of people, others may be more suited to teach by writing articles or doing on-line Bible lessons.
God has created us uniquely with our own personalities, experiences, knowledge, and abilities. He has also placed us in unique situations where we have our own area of influence. We each know and can reach people for God, that others may not know or who can’t relate to.
In Galatians 2:20, the Apostle Paul states, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” This concept speaks to the core of what it means to follow Jesus and to experience a true relationship with the Father.
Identity
To be “crucified with Christ” is identification with Jesus in His death on the cross. This concept is not merely theoretical; it speaks to the reality of what happens when we follow Christ. It involves a change where the old self—marked by sin and separation from God—is put to death. In this sense, it represents a fresh start, a new beginning in our life
Freedom
One of the most powerful implications of being crucified with Christ is the freedom it brings from the power of sin. As Christians, we believe that through Jesus’ sacrifice, we are no longer bound by our sinful nature. Instead, we are free to live in a way that reflects God’s love and righteousness. Romans 6:6 emphasizes this by stating, “We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with.” This freedom allows us to break free from guilt and shame, and serve God with everything in us!
Change
Being crucified with Christ also speaks to the transformation that occurs in our lives. When we follow Christ, we are not only forgiven but also made new. This transformation is an ongoing process, allowing us to reflect Christ’s character in our lives. The Spirit works within us, producing the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, etc. Crucify yourself with Christ, and what used to define you will be no more. You are a totally new person in Christ!
Perspective
Living out the truth of being crucified with Christ requires daily surrender. It means recognizing that life is no longer about our own desires but about living in accordance with God’s will. This surrender can be challenging, but it is essential for spiritual growth. It forces us to let go of our worries and fears, trusting that God is in control.
Ultimately, being crucified with Christ calls for a life of faith. It means trusting in Jesus for every aspect of life, knowing that He is present and active. Living by faith helps us to navigate life’s uncertainties with hope and confidence, rooted in the promises of God.
Nowhere in the Bible are we told to remember Abraham, Isaac or Jacob. We are not commanded to remember Ruth or Rahab, David or Joshua, but we are commanded to remember Lot’s wife!
What is there to remember? She was married to Lot and she lived in Sodom.
These cities were notorious for their wickedness and moral decay. Before God’s judgment came on Sodom and Gomorrah, she, along with her husband and two unmarried daughters, was forced from the city. God sent angels to urge Lot and his family to flee the city. They were all commanded not to look behind them as they fled (Gen. 19:17), but she disobeyed and was instantly killed and transformed into a pillar of salt.
Apparently, there is more to the story, and Jesus gives us that insight. Her glance back at the city represents more than just curiosity, it was longing for a life she was leaving behind. There are some lessons that can be learned from Lot’s wife.
Our assignment from the Lord is that we remember her. But before we jump into our main scripture, we need some context.
In Luke 17, Jesus has just been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God will come. His answer is to warn them to be ready because the coming of the kingdom is like the flash of lightening that instantly lights the sky. It is compared to the coming of the flood in Noah’s day and to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Lot’s day. On the day of the flood, people got up and did exactly what they always did.
They got dressed, ate some food, went to the market. Others were at their wedding ceremony, celebrating. Then suddenly, their world ended. This is exactly what happened to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was just another day, until it wasn’t.
Those who hear are warned to be ready to go when the Lord comes, and they are warned against turning back for anything.
Then, in the midst of His teaching, the Lord tells those listening to Him that they should “remember Lot’s wife.” Luke 17:32. These three words spoken by the Savior invite us to examine our hearts, our choices, and our relationship with God. What can we remember about her?
Remember Her Privileges
She had valuable relationships. To fully appreciate the significance of Jesus’ words, we need to revisit the story of Lot and his wife as recorded in Genesis 19. Lot was a man chosen by God to be saved from the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah due to the rampant wickedness of those cities. He had the privilege of being a part of God’s redemptive plan, meaning that Lot’s wife also had this privilege. She was exposed to divine revelation.
She lived with Lot, who was visited by angels sent from God with a clear message of warning. She was part of a family chosen for deliverance, witnessing firsthand the miraculous intervention of God. This is a privilege many long for—to experience the direct guidance and presence of God in their lives. The problem is that privilege without action leads to complacency.
Lot’s wife had the incredible opportunity to flee the city of Sodom, to escape its destruction. She had the chance to step into a new life and avoid the burning sulfur in her future. Not many receive such a clear opportunity for redemption. Yet, the very opportunity given to her was met with hesitation. Lot’s wife was part of a family that was chosen for salvation. She had the privilege of being surrounded by those who were meant to protect her spiritually.
Lot, as her husband, was a righteous man who had made the choice to follow God. However at times his faith was a little cloudy, Peter still calls Lot a righteous man.
With privilege comes the responsibility of choice. Lot’s wife had the opportunity to escape and start anew, but her heart was still tied to the life she was leaving behind. Her choice to look back was a rejection of the new life God was offering her. How easy it is to cling to the past, even when we know it is harmful.
God has blessed us with so many privileges in Christ like salvation, grace, prayer, and forgiveness. But how quickly we often throw it all away. Lot’s wife is a reminder that regardless of what privileges you may have, you can still choose to look away and let sin take control. It also doesn’t matter who is in your life, you will have to answer for your own choices. Lot’s uncle was Abraham, and that meant nothing to his wife. She was warned about the future. But she didn’t seem to believe the word of God. We have also been warned, and God gives us the choice to turn to His Son, or turn back to a life of sin.
Discussing a spiritual problem with one of our excellent elders, we were trying to pinpoint how our subject could be making the choices they were making. I said the problem starts with “s” and ends with “n.” He quickly said, the solution also starts with “s” and ends with “n.” Look at the difference at not just a single vowel, but what is represented by both.
Sin is a “contrary desire” (Gen. 4:7). Sin is “against God” (Gen. 39:9). Sin blots one out of God’s book (Ex. 32:33). Sin can be doing what God has not commanded to be done (Lev. 5:17). Sin is to act unfaithfully against the Lord (Lev. 6:2; Num. 5:6). Sin causes one to become guilty (Lev. 6:4). Sin is “impurity” (Lev. 16:16). Sin is to act with hostility against God (Lev. 26:24,28). Sin is to go astray (Num. 15:28). Sin is “doing evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke Him to anger” (Dt. 9:18). Sin is “transgression” (Josh. 24:19). Sin is to forsake the Lord (1 Sa. 12:10). Sin is linked to guilt (2 Chr. 28:13). Sin is synonymous with “rebellion” (Job 13:23). Sin can make one “full of anxiety” (Ps. 38:18). Sin is spiritual filth (Ps. 51:2). Sin is an injury to self (Pr. 8:36). Sin is “a disgrace to any people” (Pr. 14:34). Sin weighs one down with iniquity (Is. 1:4). Sins are like a heavy mist (Is. 44:22). Our sins testify against us (Is. 59:12). Sin withholds good against us (Jer. 5:25). Sin brings spiritual death (Ezk. 18:4,20). Sin is to “act wickedly” and turn aside from God’s commandments and ordinances (Dan. 9:5). Sin is “impurity” (Zech. 13:1). Sin a “fault” (Mt. 18:15). Sin brings death (Jn. 8:21; Rom. 6:23; Js. 1:15). Sin is enslaving (Jn. 8:34). Sin is common to all (Rom. 3:23). Sin can come to reign in our bodies (Rom. 6:12). Sin is “whatever is not of faith” (Rom. 14:23). Sin is synonymous with “trespasses” (Eph. 2:1). Sin may be led on by various impulses (2 Tim. 3:6). Sin is perverting and self-condemning (Ti. 3:11). Sin is “deceitful” (Heb. 3:13). Sin is “entangling” (Heb. 12:1). Sin is knowing the right thing and not doing it (Js. 4:17). Sin is “unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 5:17). Sin is “of the devil” (1 Jn. 3:8).
Oh, but the Son! The passages about Him exceed even those about sin! The Son came to take away sins (Rom. 11:27; 1 Jn. 3:5). He came to destroy sin’s power (1 Jn. 3:8). The Son condemned sin in the flesh (Rom. 8:3). The Son cleanses us from all sin (1 Jn. 1:7). That only begins to scratch the surface of the power of the Son to absolve us of the guilt of sin, if we desire to put sin away and come to Him.
What will give us the strength and heart to turn from the sin to the Son? Maybe the difference is in those vowels, “I” and “O.” When I truly understand my debt, I will deal with this problem. Sin is a spiritual debt “I owe.” I cannot pay it. But the Son can (Col. 2:14)! As the song suggests, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.” Yet, to exchange a debt of guilt for a debt of gratitude is the difference between a life of misery and a life of fulfillment, the difference between an eternity of regret and an eternity of rejoicing.
The Bible is devoted to alerting us to our problem, but equally devoted to sharing the solution! May we have the humility and honesty to seek it!
Jesus chose the Passover as the memorial that his sacrifice would fulfill. He is the perfect lamb whose blood saves us from death. Israel was protected from the angel of death through the lamb’s blood on their doorpost, and we’re saved from death through the blood of the lamb. Death is the consequence of sin. By saving us from sin, he saves us from death’s permanence. When we say that he saved us from our sins and he saved us from death, we’re saying exactly the same thing. The two are interchangeable. Without sin there is no death. Without forgiveness of those sins, there is no life.
Because of Jesus’s sacrifice and because he came back to life, taking a position at the Father’s right hand as our perfect high priest, he will save us from our own Egypt — this earth. Being saved from death isn’t where the Exodus story ended, right? Israel was also saved from a dysfunctional country. The Jewish people saw this parallel eight centuries before YHWH came to earth as Jesus (Is 65.17, 66.22). They were looking forward to the return of Eden, the perfect creation of the first time — before man had to fight the earth for food, and before woman had to experience pain in childbirth and submission to her husband.
Peter makes the comparison between the first destruction of earth and the second, and quotes Isaiah and Jesus when he says, “But according to his promise, we are waiting for a new heavens and a new earth where only goodness can live” (II Pt 3.13). This new earth does not have the curse God put on this earth when humanity sinned (Rv 22.3; Rom 8.15ff). The wording used II Pt and Rev 21, 22 strongly suggests a literal understanding of this teaching. The use of γης for earth (instead of κοσμος), the use of καινην for new (instead of νεος, though this is only suggestive and not something that stands alone as proof), and the use of παλλιγγενεσια (return to a former state) in Mt 19.28 all point to a literal understanding of this promise.
We can add to this the fact that the word “heaven” is ουρανος — a word that was primarily understood to mean “sky” by Greek speakers from the Classical period on. In its plural form — usually the dative plural ουρανοις or genitive plural ουρανους — it could be the realm of the stars (it also means “skies” when context demands). It was understood to be the place where God lives. Jesus said as much in Mt 6.9, 6.14, and 6.32 (and fifteen other passages, mostly in Matthew). Our ultimate destination is not figurative. No figurative interpretation appears to have existed before the Docetics and other gnostic groups came to prominence in the mid-to-late 1st century.
Salvation is not some intangible platitude or vaguely-defined ethereal existence. How would that produce effective anticipation or hope? It had to make sense to the people it was written to, and it had to use language native to their thinking. If not it wouldn’t have been as powerful.
One of our young people who was recently baptized asked Kathy to help her solve a mystery that perplexed her to no end. Her Bible class teacher took her and the other students on a tour of the building, ingeniously including a trip to the baptistery and baptismal preparation room. Among the towels, garments, and other items, she noticed two black, curly wigs hanging on the wall. Her question for Kathy was, “Why are those wigs hanging there?” Kathy’s wise answer is that they were probably put there a long time ago, perhaps for older women getting baptized whose hair was brittle or thin. They might have looked baldish when they came up out of the water with wet hair, and the wig would disguise that. Yet, between them, Kathy and Kamdyn could not completely solve the conundrum.
Sometimes we have “wigs” hanging around. They may be traditions that were started in other times for specific reasons. You may have seen communion covered by runners or tablecloths going back to times when buildings didn’t have air conditioners and the cloth was used to keep the flies off. The circumstances changed, but the cover remained.
There are many traditions we honor that are fine and acceptable, but which are only expedients and may be a mystery to our young, new Christians, visitors, and the like. That is not to disparage them, but it is to say that we should be ready to discuss them. Whether that is standing before a song or Scripture reading, leading a specific number of songs before prayer, having an invitation at the end of a sermon, having the Lord’s Supper before the sermon (or vice versa), ending worship with a prayer or a song (Mat. 26:30), the way those leading in worship enter the auditorium, or any number of habits and customs congregations settle into, we should never let these simply settle into our subconsciousness.
Periodically, it’s good to explain and discuss these whether in brief form during the course of our services, at greater length in a Bible class on hermeneutics (Bible interpretation) or another textual or topical class, and certainly in one-on-one conversations.
It is also good to ask if and how we might vary or alter some of these customs, periodically or even permanently. There are acts of worship we are commanded to engage in each Lord’s Day (Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2), but for how long and in what order? The Word of God is to be reverenced, but does standing inherently do that? What the people did in response to Ezra was spontaneous, and they followed it up by bowing low with their faces to the ground (Neh. 8:5-6).
Let’s remember that these traditions are good, or at least they are neutral. The point is to keep them from becoming mysteries hanging on the walls of our faith or our worship. Let’s continually ask what we are doing and why.
Every normally functioning person is acutely aware of something wrong within them. Most people subconsciously or consciously understand that they’re horribly wrong somehow. Historically we’ve tried to fix this in different ways. The Pharisees and Sadducees are two archetypal mentalities among religious people — one extreme goes to the right and mandates excessive behavioral restrictions in an attempt to earn God’s favor through what is not far from asceticism. The other side says, “What’s the point in dwelling on it?” and mostly ignore the problem.
The problem with both groups is that they cannot control their bodies’ enslavement to sin. Paul warns against the legalist and traditionalist by saying, “These rules may seem to be wise as part of a made-up religion in which people pretend to be humble and punish their bodies. But they don’t help people stop doing the evil that the sinful self wants to do” (Col 2.23). He warns against those who show no self restraint when he said, “So do you think we should keep sinning so that God will give us more and more grace? Of course not!” (Rom 6.1).
Right now reality is enslaved to death. Death is still a thing because sin is still a thing. Death was not a part of earth’s reality until sin was. Sin introduced death to earth, and it hasn’t left us since. Sin is a proof that we will die — everyone carries that proof because everyone is going to die at some point.
We carry a different proof with us, though. We still have the proof of sin because we’re all still going to die (Hb 9.27). But we also carry proof of immortality. Paul makes it very clear in I Corinthians 15 that our death is no different from a seed being planted. It is planted as one thing, it comes back to life as something much more impressive. So death is imminent for each person because of sin, but our death brings us life! Just like sin is transcendent proof of imminent death, grace is transcendent proof of imminent immortality!
The Pharisees placed an unbearable amount of teachings on the people. They forced traditions and self-made commands on every person to the point that they became weary. They did this to gain power, to appear holy, and to validate their egos. Jesus dealt with the Pharisees on numerous occasions, but the condition of their hearts was too far gone. They refused to let go of the teachings they had forced on the people.
In Matthew 11, Jesus warns the cities where He performed many miracles but the people refused to believe and change. He mentions several cities by name who refused to obey the Son of God. Turns out, these cities were heavily influenced by the Pharisees. Jesus ends this section by saying, “it will be worse for these people on the day of judgment than for Sodom.”However, after this harsh teaching, Jesus offers an invitation. He uses three significant words to call us to Him. He invites us to “come, take, and learn.”
Considered by many to be the greatest invitation ever offered, these words have the power to change your life. The false teachings of the Pharisees had called the people to embrace their rules and regulations. They were no longer rejoicing in their faith. They were forced, instead of seeking after God. Following God had become more of an obligation than an adoration, lacking a genuine hunger and thirst for God. They showed up at the synagogue because it was just a habit. Worship was not something that they longed to do; it was something they HAD to do in order to acquire God’s blessing.
At this point in Matthew 11, Jesus is addressing people who have lost their longing for God. To a group of weary men and women, Jesus says, “Come to me, take my yoke, and I will give you rest.”
“Come To Me” (28)
You ever had someone over and they just wouldn’t leave? What do you do? Do you drop hints? Do you just hope that they decide to leave soon? Do you perform the classic stretch, yawn, and look at the watch?
This can be a tricky situation, especially if the people that are there are the ones that would stay all night if you let them. There are actually many cultures where guests will not leave until you tell them to. I read about a missionary group that traveled to the island of Yap in Micronesia. They invited some locals over for supper at the home they were staying in. After several hours the conversation died down, and things got a little awkward. The missionaries kept wondering when these people would leave.
At this point they were just sitting in silence looking around. Finally, a local missionary came over and told the others, “Here in Yap, guests will not leave until you tell them to.” So that’s exactly what they did, they told their guests “it’s time for you to leave” (after which everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief).
In Matthew 11:28, Jesus does the exact opposite. Rather than telling us to leave, He implores us to COME. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Look at who Jesus invites to come to Him: the labored and the heavy laden. Both of these words in context are a description of what happens when you try to work your way to salvation. The Pharisees forced traditions and commands on the people so that they would be saved. This mindset and lifestyle is a burden. In case we have forgotten, Galatians 2:16 says, “Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”
If you are trying on your own deeds instead of trusting in Jesus, that will make you weary.
This mentality the Pharisees forced on the people is still seen today. It is wearying, but it is also a heavy burden. The word used here is, “phortizo” means to “load up something on an animal or to load cargo onto a ship.” The Pharisees had laid many burdens on the people and their religion did not give rest and peace. No human religion can give peace to the heart. In Matthew 23:4, Jesus says this about the Pharisees, “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.”
Weariness like this comes from trying to earn salvation on your own. Salvation comes through Christ, which is why He implores the weary and heavy laden to come to Him!
We remind ourselves that chapter breaks are an artificial addition inserted many centuries after the Bible books were written. This chapter is a prime example. Paul is drawing a conclusion in verse one based on what he’s said in 5:16-21. As God “appealed” to the Corinthians through Paul and Timothy (5:20), Paul makes an “appeal” to them not to receive God’s grace in vain (1)–another way of expressing the reconciliation process Paul has just detailed in the last several verses. As the messengers of this reconciliation and grace, Paul again sets out to defend their work and their motives.
He asserts, “We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry” (3). We don’t know all the reasons why their ministry faced fault-finders, but most who actively serve the Lord will have plenty of detractors. Paul’s opponents resorted to some pretty nitpicking and petty criticisms (see 10:10). I have had the displeasure of hearing elders, deacons, other preachers, and church workers come under fire from self-appointed spiritual analysts, and it usually tells me more about the critic than the criticized. But how much good work has been unfairly tainted by hypercritical people? Moved by the Holy Spirit, Paul goes to the trouble to counter these unnamed “analysts.”
THEY WERE EARNEST IN THEIR APPEAL (1-2)
Seeing themselves as God’s ambassadors (5:20), they urged the Corinthians not to throw away the great gift of salvation they had received (1). He quotes Isaiah 49:3, where Isaiah also feels like his words were falling on deaf ears and he himself was rejected (49:1-6), to remind them of how precious this salvation is (2). Paul is affirming that they were engaged in ministry to help the Corinthians successfully cross the spiritual finish line. It was urgent! They cared about them.
THEY WERE MINDFUL OF THEIR INFLUENCE (3-9)
In no other letter does Paul so specifically and so frequently refer to the price he paid for serving Christ (see also 4:8ff; 11:23ff; 12:10). He was mindful of not just his exhortation, but just as much his example. So they commend themselves “in every way” (4): he lists ten difficulties (4-5), nine spiritual attributes (6-7), and eight contrasting situations (8-10). They put their work and their character under the microscope, asking the Corinthians to consider their faithful discharge of their divine duty. They understood that souls and eternal destinies were at stake, so they pursued their work with great carefulness. We do well to be mindful of our example and our efforts to win people to Christ and help them mature in Him, too!
THEY WERE GENUINE IN THEIR AFFECTION (11-13)
Paul was moved by more than his duty to God. He unashamedly declares his affection for these Christians. While he felt they had not always reciprocated his affections, he humbled himself to ask that they open their hearts as wide to him and he and his coworkers had to them.
More times than I can count, I have seen elders serve from sincere motives, spending hours and expending emotion, to help a struggling brother or sister only to have these men’s love and motives unfairly questioned. The same is true of other, hardworking Christians. Our job is to strive to live above reproach knowing we will be unfairly criticized. It is also important for the critic to take personal inventory, asking if they have considered the spiritual consequences of their maligning. When we all decide to pull together and work for the same important goals, so much more gets accomplished! If you’ve faced unfair criticism, remember that God has a perfect record of your deeds. Even if others misunderstand, God doesn’t!
There’s a story told of a man who came forward every Sunday to ask for prayers.
He continued responding every week for several months. Every time he would confess this same sin he would say, “Lord, take the cobwebs out of my life.”
Finally, one Sunday, the man responded again with the same sin, and asked for the cobwebs to be taken out of his life. To which the preacher responded, “just kill the spider already.” Often, we come to God asking for forgiveness from the same sin time and time again, and yet we continue to leave the source of temptation in our lives.
Sin always requires forgiveness. Forgiveness requires repentance. Repentance requires change! Repentance is a topic we are all familiar with. The word repent/repentance is used over 170 times in the Bible It is stressed as a part of the process by which we are forgiven of our sin. Verses like Acts 2:38 come to mind when we hear this word. To repent means to change your mind which leads to a change in direction. It means to feel remorse for sin, and it includes a change in lifestyle.
When faced with temptation, true repentance is choosing not to sin. When caught in sin, repentance is a godly remorse. It is sincerity in your desire to “go and sin no more.” We understand this. It’s important for the born again Christian, but also for those who are wanting to be immersed and added to the body of Christ.
We know what it is, but we also need to realize what it isn’t. Repentance isn’t just feeling sad. Paul tells us that worldly remorse is just feeling sorry that you were caught. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” Godly grief that leads to repentance is remorse that you have sinned against the God of our salvation.
Worldly repentance is hollow and empty.
It isn’t feeling remorse just because you were caught doing what you shouldn’t. True repentance is so much more. True repentance does not regret parting with sin, false repentance does. True repentance hates sin, false repentance hates the consequences of sin. True repentance accepts godly counsel and accountability, false repentance avoids accountability.
Our goal must be to practice true repentance, and we can’t fool ourselves. We are ALL in need of forgiveness, but we must be willing to confess our sins, to hate the sin, and change our lives to mirror Christ.
Why Is repentance needed? Whether it is in relationships, in the church or in the world, God will not forgive us if we are unwilling to change sinful behavior.
Repentance isn’t just guilt, although guilt can sometimes motivate us to repent.
In Luke 13:3,5, Jesus tells those who come to him to repent or they will perish. In this section several people come to Jesus to talk not about their own sins, but the sins of others. It’s a whole lot easier to see the faults in others rather than the blatantly obvious faults we have in our own lives.
Here the people have done exactly what we continue to do today, talk about the sins of others rather than their own. But Jesus tells them they are horribly mistaken. There is power in repentance, and twice in this one conversation Jesus tells them to repent.
If I am honest, there have been far too many times I have failed to just “kill the spider.” I am ashamed of the sin I continued to feed all the while pointing out sin in everyone else’s lives. God will look at each and every one of us. He sees our sins and there is no one to blame but ourselves. Repent. Before your conscience is seared or the end comes. Repent.
Unity is not instinctive, or else we would not have so much instruction about it in the Bible. Paul clarifies why he is and is not writing this letter to them. He says it is not to shame them, but rather to admonish them (14). Admonish means to provide instruction in order to correct a behavior or belief (to provide instruction as to correct behavior and belief (Louw-Nida 414). It also carries with it the idea of counseling against improper actions. That sounds pretty negative unless you see how Paul does it. He writes like a father (15) to his beloved children (14). I don’t know about you, but I can endure quite a bit of correction from someone who I am convinced is doing so out of genuine love and interest in my soul.
Paul was in a unique position among other voices of influence, in that he had actually been the one to teach many of them the gospel and help bring about their salvation (15). A “tudor” in New Testament times was more a person who led a student to and from school, who also supervised the student’s conduct (BDAG 748). Paul contrasts himself with that, and you can see a huge difference between someone hired to look over your shoulder as opposed to a loving parent who had a vested interest in your success.
Paul’s interest in their spiritual success is further proven by the measures he takes to see to it these Christians were reminded of what he taught them. First, Paul sends one whom he has taught and trained (Acts 16:1ff) and who actually worked with Paul among them at the beginning of the church’s existence (Acts 18:5ff). Timothy was going to do follow up study with them to help remind them of the apostle’s inspired instruction (17). For Christians to have their best shot at success, they will need to hear the same subjects from “the whole purpose of God” (Acts 20:27) on many occasions.
Peter will write to another audience and say, “Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you” (2 Pet. 1:12). He goes on to say “I am writing to you” for the purpose of “stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder” (2 Pet. 3:1). Why preach and teach about worship, gender roles, sexual morality, baptism, marriage, self-control, attitude, evangelism, and the like year after year? Simply because we forget, new Christians are added to the kingdom, young people come of age and need to learn what we already know, and external pressures and rival teaching can tempt us to abandon the truth. Paul, knowing this, was ready to personally and through other teachers make this effort to help Corinth, like Colosse, “continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not move away from the hope of the gospel” (Col. 1:23).
Biblical instruction is also key to provide attitude adjustment. Arrogance had shown its ugly head at Corinth (6,18-19). Do you know who Paul says has to really work at fighting arrogance? Those who have knowledge, especially knowledge without love (8:1; 13:2). Paul understood the true nature of God’s kingdom (20), and this motivated him to do whatever was necessary to further their knowledge but also their application of their knowledge (21). Look ahead in chapter five at what Paul is about to write the Corinthians. They are arrogantly embracing someone who was living in egregious sin (5:1-2). They knew better, but they were not doing better!
Instruction is about way more than Bible stories, facts, and memory verses. It is about letting the word live in your heart, keeping it in your heart, and living it in your life. How does God get that done? Through continued teaching, over and over again. What does God accomplish through it? Among the many personal benefits it yields an individual, it also helps produce and preserve unity in truth! May we never buy into the idea that growth requires abandoning God’s pattern and plan in order to appease people’s fleshly desires.
It’s not as if an all-powerful and all-knowing God doesn’t hear the sinner, but He won’t respond or act on their requests or the content of those prayers in a desirable way.
However, there’s at least two exceptions:
He will answer prayers that lead one to salvation.
A “sinner’s” prayer that furthers God’s Will in the world.
For Example:
God, in accordance to His plan to bring the gentiles into the fold, heard the prayer of the unsaved Cornelius (Acts 10:30-31).
“DOES HE HEAR THE PRAYERS OF SINFUL SAINTS?”
Quick Answer:
God will answer a particular kind of prayer. A prayer to guide the lost back home or to lead one to Salvation. This applies to sinners in both camps— the wayward Christian and the non-Christian (Matt. 6:33).
THE NOT-SO-QUICK ANSWER
God hears the prayer of the one(s) who leave His presence— but seek forgiveness or direction.
EXAMPLES & EVIDENCE
What about Jonah?
“In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry” (Jonah 2.1-2).
What about Israel?
“The anger of the LORD burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years.
But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them” (Judges 3.8-9).
ANSWERED PRAYERS ARE CONDITIONAL
God won’t answer prayers that are lifted up by those with selfish motivations
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:2-4).
God won’t hear the prayers of the man who isn’t living peacefully with his wife
“You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered” (I Peter 3:7).
Scripture Teaches Us How To Pray With Constant Success
Live righteously. The righteous have a more potent prayer (James 5:16).
Wise up. The one who doesn’t know how to make it through a trial is guaranteed wisdom if he asks God for it (James 1.5).
Juliana Koepke was 17 years old when she boarded a flight with her mother and 90 other people in Lima, Peru, on Christmas Eve, 1971. The plane had a terrible service record and her father urged his wife and daughter to wait for a better one, but they wanted to be reunited for Christmas. That was the disposition of the airline and flight crew, too. So they pressed on, even as severe weather stood between them and their arrival at Iquitos. A lightning strike broke the plane apart, ultimately killing every crew member and passenger except Juliana. She survived a fall of 10,000 feet, landing in the Amazon Jungle still strapped to her seat.
She suffered a broken collar bone, deep gash in her arm, an eye injury, and a concussion. The near-sighted Juliana lost her glasses and one of her sandals. She then walked through the dense Amazon Jungle for 10 days and finally found shelter in a hut that night. Local fishermen found her and took her by canoe to civilization. She used the survival skills her parents had taught her since early childhood and combined it with her sheer will to survive. Now 70 years old, she continues her parents’ work of biological research to this day in the same jungle where she survived the crash. There were things she had no influence over that helped her survive the initial crash, and the help of others was indispensable to her survival. But being saved from death, she didn’t give up until she was ultimately rescued.
Don’t you think our circumstances are similar, in a figurative sense? We didn’t influence God’s eternal plan of salvation, but we can benefit from it. We will not be saved without the influence and assistance of others along the way. But being saved from death, we can and must endure to the end (2 Tim. 2:12; Heb. 10:36). If we do, we will experience an eternal rescue. God wants to rescue every one of us from spiritual death (Gal. 1:4). But He won’t save us without our cooperation!
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