It's None Of Our Business

“They asked Him, 'Why do you speak in parables'? Jesus answered them 'Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. . . .Therefore speak I to them in parables'...” (Matthew 13:10-15)

Many teach that a parable is a simple story with a heavenly meaning inferring that it helps common people understand the truth. Obviously that is not true. Even Jesus's disciples didn't understand what he meant at first.

I do not understand them all after over 40 years of study. Jesus clearly taught that the parables were given to hide the "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" from those who did not need to understand. That is not to say they will never know, just not necessarily in this age.

Do not beat yourself up when you do not understand everything you read in the Bible. The vast majority of people who have lived in this world have never even seen a Bible, and will not hear about their salvation until AFTER their resurrection. At that time all will know.  

"For all will know Me, from the least to the greatest of them.  For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more...now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (Hebrews 8:11-12; 1 Corinthians 13:12)

When will we understand the parables?  My take is that when and if it becomes our business, God will let us know. So, if we do not know the meaning now, it is none of our business.

Gently Instruct

"A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth." (2 Timothy 2:24-25).

All who teach should embrace what A. E. Knoch said of this passage of Scripture: 

"The servant of the Lord must not strive. Under the severest provocation he must be gentle; under the most provoking and insistent ignorance he must teach; under the most exasperating and long-continued opposition he must be patient. His business is not to strive,  but to correct; and to do this with all the meekness which God’s grace alone can impart. The rest he must leave to God, for He alone can give the change of mind which will acknowledge the truth."

A. E. Knoch (1874-1965)

The True Basis of Fellowship

Hard hearts hardened by centuries of opposition to "the truth" can only be changed by God.

Enemies and Friends of the Cross

“For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things." (Philippians 3:18-19)

So who are these “enemies of the cross” Paul was referring to? 

Paul was talking to the Jewish leaders who did not believe that their Messiah would or could die on a cross. The “enemies of the cross” among the Jews are those who refuse to believe that the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and not obedience to the law of Moses, would save them from their sins. 

Today the “enemies of the cross” are those who insist salvation is limited to a few who wisely accept God’s offer to save. That it takes the cross PLUS something else, whatever their particular denomination adds. This doctrine of limited salvation is destined to be destroyed when the cross is shown to have accomplished the “finished” work of salvation for ALL.

"Jesus said, it is finished. With that He bowed His head and gave up His spirit...our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await the Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring EVERYTHING under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.” (John 19:30; Philippians 3:20-21)

"Enemies of the cross" has nothing to do with condemnation, but refers to those who oppose the truth.  The truth is that Christ Jesus is the Savior of the world, and that this salvation is by the grace of God, not by the works of the law. All who believe this are friends of the cross.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to ALL humans, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and SAVIOR, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority." (Titus 2:11-15)

Become Perfect - Or Else

“Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven…anyone who says, you fool! will be in danger of the fire of gehenna…If your right hand offend you, cut it off, it is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into gehenna…love your enemies…be ye perfect even as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:20, 22, 30, 44, 48)

There you have it. If you want to stay out of gehenna, all you have to do to stay out of it is to love your enemies, not call anyone a fool, cut off any limb that is offensive, and then be perfectly righteous like God. 

If that is your gospel, I got some bad news - you and everyone else is going to "the fire of gehenna".

"There is none righteous, no not one...all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:10, 23)

So what is Jesus teaching?

The Jewish leaders had asked about the works necessary to enter the Kingdom of God.  Jesus told them that in order to enter by doing good works they needed to be way better than their religious leaders, in fact they would have to be perfect like God.

When Jesus used the word translated "gehenna" he was referring to the valley of Hinnom outside of Jerusalem where the garbage was burned up and where the bodies of those who could not afford a tomb were burned up. Part of that valley was a graveyard at the time, some historians believe. Some Jewish Rabbis taught the myth that the gate of the underworld was in that valley and led to a place of torment. Christianity adopted a similar teaching about hell in about the 3rd or 4th Century AD and it is the majority view today. Jesus, however, was simply referring to death and where the body ends up thereafter…the grave.

After his death and resurrection Jesus taught Paul that "all have sinned" and "the wages of sin” was simply “death”, NOT some mythological underworld of eternal punishment whose gate was in the valley of Hinnom (Gehenna). He further taught Paul that the only way anyone will come out of the grave is by the GRACE of a loving God in raising the dead. Jesus revealed to Paul that...

“...as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive...Listen, I tell you a mystery…the dead will be raised imperishable…Death...swallowed up in victory… thanks be to God! He GIVES US the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:22,51-57)

The wisdom of the salvation of all by the Grace of a just, omnipotent God is the Truth, and the truth condemns the foolishness of salvation through the good works of self-righteous men.

Atheist - Deist - Unitarian

Many would agree that the three most important founding fathers of the United States were Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.  It is interesting how they are perceived by some Christian leaders, both Catholic and Protestant.  Paine is accused of being an Atheist, Jefferson a Deist, and Adams both Deist and Unitarian.  

What Christians actually mean in their criticism is that these Founders did not agree with the doctrines of the institutional Christian church.  To these Christians, those beliefs made them something less than Christian.

Nothing has changed, those who think outside the box of traditional creeds and statements of faith are labeled by some as something less than godly or "Christian."  Fundamentalist Jews thought the same thing of Jesus and the Apostle Paul.

Basically, a study of these men shows that they all acknowledged a Divine creator but to them He was unknowable by mere men.  To them He was bigger than the box that religion confines him to.  And from their perspective, any attempt to explain what the Divine is like would inevitably cause division and result in God being portrayed as less than who He is.  He would become a fabrication of men's minds with all sorts of false teaching surrounding those fabrications.  

Therefore, they concluded that it is best to keep religious doctrine separate from government.  The government should be of the people, by the people, and for the people.  Not of, by, and for some religious institution.  

They agreed with most Christians that men should pursue integrity and virtue in their lives.  But they refused to limit the Divine to any religion's perception.

As men go, they were great men and I am proud to call them our Founders and recommend we imitate their love for America and its pursuit of integrity and virtue.  There is part of me that wishes I could just leave it at that and move on.

But I disagree with their conclusion that the Divine cannot be known by mere men. I still believe the Bible is the word of God, and that it reveals His plan for creation, and that His purpose in creation can be understood by studying the Bible. 

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16)

Those Founders learned that man-made religious creeds and doctrines do more to hide God from humanity than reveal Him, so they just ignore them - and so were labeled Atheist, Deist, or Unitarian.

Subjected to Frustration

Have you ever heard someone say "He is so heavenly minded he is of no earthly good?" I have known people who think this came from the Bible. Of course it didn't. In fact, the Bible says something entirely different.

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2,3)

So what does it mean to "set your affection on things above"?

What it means for me is that this earthly life is pretty short so I do not put all my effort in amassing material stuff that I will leave behind. I want to focus more on the place my family and I will be AFTER death - the place where Jesus has gone to prepare for us.

"I go to prepare a place for you, and I will return for you so you can be where I am." (John 14:2-3)

The best thing we can leave behind when we exit this world is fond memories for those we leave behind, and a testimony of our hope in what comes next. Jesus, our Savior, has promised to return and raise us from death and change us into his image, so that together we can do good works in the ages to come.

"But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works..." (Ephesians 2:4-10)

For now we are both living and dying. Enjoy your time with friends and family while you can - make some good memories.  But the "abundant life" to come with our loved ones will be even better - so we should set our minds more on that, especially as the "frustration" of getting older sets in.

"For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." (Romans 8:20-25)

What About the Unfaithful?

“What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: So that you may be proved right when you speak, and prevail when you judge.” (Romans 3:3-4)

Human unbelief does not prevent God from being faithful to humans. That would make God a human. He uses human unbelief as a CONTRAST to His faithfulness.

He also uses human evil as a contrast to his goodness. He uses the mortality of fleshly human death to contrast with His gift of spiritual immortal life. He uses our failure (sin) to contrast his success. He uses our hate to contrast with His love. He uses our sickness to contrast His health. I could go on and on.

THE REASON FOR EVIL IN THIS LIFE IS TO ALLOW HUMANITY TO APPRECIATE ITS ABSENCE IN THE NEXT!

But instead of seeing the contrast and glorifying God, many Christians just do not get it. Why? Because they have believed the lie and decided that it is their “free will” that decides their destiny, rather than “God’s will”.

But God is the faithful Savior of all His creation. In His GRACE, all will eventually believe (have faith).

“...they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more...For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…” (Jeremiah 31:34; Ephesians 2:8)

The contrast between the good and the evil that we all experience will ultimately allow us to love, praise, and glorify God for who He is. The mortal are to become immortal. Sin, death, hate, sickness, tears, sorrow, and failure will have been swallowed up in the victory of a successful immortal life.

“…and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." (Revelation 21:4)

We will be a new creation and God will be All in all.

"...it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast, created in Christ Jesus for good works" (Ephesians 2:8-10).

The Rejoicing is Gone

“Men! Brethren! …To us was the word of this salvation dispatched… we are bringing to you the good news… the pardon of sins… remain in the GRACE of God…Now on hearing this, the nations rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord” (Acts 14:26-48)

That is how it began. When Paul began to tell the world that their sins have been pardoned by the GRACE of God, everybody who heard rejoiced, EXCEPT the religious Jews who were offended that God would pardon the sins of everyone, even the gentiles.

“Yet the Jews spur on the reverent, respectable women, and the foremost ones of the city, and raised up persecution for Paul and Barnabas, and they ejected them from their boundaries...” (Acts 14:50-52)

2000 years later not much has changed. Those who hear for the first time Paul’s message of the free gift of salvation by the pure GRACE of God rejoice and want to worship and praise God. That joy remains until the religious folks get involved and turn them away from the good news.

"...everyone in the Province of Asia has deserted me...I am amazed that so quickly you are deserting from the One having called you in the grace of Christ to another gospel which is really not good newes at all..." (2 Timothy 1:15; Galatians 1:6)

They weren't deserting Paul, but the good news he had presented to them about the salvation of all by the grace if God. I have often heard that in the institutional church 20% of the people do 80% of the work. This is said to praise the 20% and to get the other 80% to repent. I used to be one of the 20% and finally figured out it was I who needed to repent and embrace the truth that the saving of everyone by the GRACE of God is a done deal - absolutely assured. What I had been zealous for was the traditions of men - a fabricated mixture of works and grace that robbed people of the JOY of Salvation and covered them with fear and guilt. That joy was restored when I came to a knowledge of the truth...

"Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit." (Psalm 51:12)

Paul wondered why the truth brought persecution from the Jews who should know better and abandonment from those Gentiles who had once received it with joy. It made no since to him – me either!

Persecution is Good

“Happy are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake."  (Matthew 5:10)

"...all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Timothy 3:12)

What is the righteousness that is being persecuted?  It is the TRUTH about God's plan for humanity.

“For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the TRUTH.”  (John 18:37)

It is interesting that Jesus was only persecuted by Jewish religious leaders.  Jewish sinners and publicans loved him.  And the Roman leaders did not get involved until the Jews handed him over to them demanding he be crucified.  Persecution also happened often to Paul, the Apostle to the Nations.

So why did they persecute them?  Because the TRUTH Paul was sharing was unpopular and challenged the traditional religious beliefs about God. But it was the religious leaders who were destroying the word of God with their traditions.

"You are destroying the word of God through your tradition that you have handed down..." (Mark 7:13).  

Nothing has changed.  Religious folks still persecute those who challenge their tradition. Being persecuted or ignored by those folks is a good thing...makes me "happy".

Modern Day Scribes and Pharisees

"For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised was also at work in me as an apostle to the uncircumcised. James, Peter and John...agreed that we should go to the uncircumcised (Gentiles), and they to the circumcised (Israel)." (Galatians 2:8-9)

Most Christians say that they are followers of Christ. None of us however have actually met Jesus. James, Peter, John and Paul were actual followers of Jesus and wrote the books of the Bible that are attributed to them. Christians actually follow and trust what those men say about God and Jesus in those New Testament books.

I am a Gentile and therefore I am particularly interested in what Paul says in his letters - Romans through Philemon. Paul tells me about God and Jesus and what they have done for me and all others. God's message to Israel (Old Testament as well as the books of the New Testament not written by Paul) do not have direct application to me. They were written to Israel and I can't claim any of those promises nor do I have to do any of the things in the Law they had to do.

I do not put much confidence in most of the people who write Bible commentaries (modern day scribes and Pharisees). They travel land and see to make one covert, but...

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of gehenna as you are." (Matthew 23:15)

They often mix up the message to Israel with the message to the rest of us given through our Apostle Paul. You cannot even talk to them about the difference without their eyes glazing over. Over the past 1700 years they have perfected certain "godless myths and old wives' tales".  

So, my advise is to read the Scripture for yourself.

"Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales....This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe." (1 Timothy 4:7-10)

Paul's Secret

"Lo, a secret to you am I telling!...we all shall be changed, in an instant, in the twinkle of an eye, at the last trump. For He will be trumpeting, and the dead will be roused incorruptible..." (1 Corinthians 15:51-54)

 A secret is just additional information about something previously unknown. Paul was told to teach this secret to the nations and he suffered for doing so and eventually those in Asia were turned from this good news by the religious doctrines of the Jews. But Paul was not ashamed of the good news because he was persuaded it was true. So am I, regardless of the religious doctrines of those who have left Paul's "secret" behind.

“You are aware that all in the province of Asia were turned from me…Not ashamed am I of the good news, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes..." (2 Timothy 1:15; Romans 1:16)

God has promised to give people eternal life after death. This good news is the result of the "GRACE" of God and was decided "BEFORE the ages" were created. Jesus died and was resurrected to to reveal this good news to humanity.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus…in accord with the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus…who saves us…in accord with His own purpose and grace which is given to us before the ages…being manifested through the advent of our Savior…who indeed abolishes death and illuminates life and immortality through the gospel of which I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher of the nations. For which cause I am suffering…but I am not ashamed; for I am aware whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to guard what is committed to me for that day…" (2 Timothy 1:1-15 CLNT)

Hearing About Your Salvation

“God our Savior…will have all humanity to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4)

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy1:15)

"The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life...." (Romans 6:23)

What does a person have to do to be saved? 

Only two things. First you have to be BORN. Second you have to DIE. 

Since all will be saved, the important thing is to become AWARE of our salvation and believe it is true...thus being able to have peace and joy. That belief comes from hearing about it.

"Faith comes from hearing..." (Romans 10:17)

Note that it is not salvation that comes from hearing, but faith (belief). It is clear from Scripture that all will bow and confess Jesus is Lord. (Philippians 2:10-11). 

"Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:10)

Confess means to “agree with” and thus have faith that Jesus is the Lord of our salvation. Most people have never heard of Jesus during their lives, so could not have confessed him.  They will after they are resurrected from the dead. 

"For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive... (1 Corinthians 15:22)

Some hear about Jesus but the message they hear is flawed - it requires them to do something by their own righteous free will. However, "the faith that comes from hearing" is the hearing of the message of the grace of God in saving all sinners, regardless of what they have or have not done.

"For in grace, through faith, are you saved through faith, and this is not out of you..." (Ephesians 2:8 CLNT)

Some will experience a "second death" (See my blog post Second Death - The Lake of Fire), but even the second death is to be destroyed, and those who experienced it will be "made alive".  Then God will be "all in all".

"The last enemy to be destroyed is death...so that God may be all in all."
(1 Corinthians 15:26-28)

Praise From God

"Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God." (I Corinthians 4:5).

This can be kind of scary but we need to see it as a blessing. When Jesus comes again to resurrect the dead we are told that the hidden things and even the motives of the hearts shall be illuminated. Paul was talking to everyone, including believers, so just being "saved" does not prevent this examination. But the examination is not for condemnation or punishment, but for “praise" from God. Sin has been atoned for by the blood of Jesus at the cross so the hidden things and motives that are being judged here are for the purpose of receiving "praise".

I think a lot of Christians will be surprised at what will NOT be praised. I also think Christians will be surprised that some whom they were sure would end up in hell, will be there with them receiving praise from God. No one is wicked 100% of the time.

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10)