Christ's Humanity

• God in flesh - One of the most marvelous truths of Scripture is the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word “incarnation” means “in the flesh”. We read these words in the old hymn, “Out of the ivory palaces, into a world of woe. Only His great eternal love, made my Savior go”. Christ entered this sin-cursed earth at His “first coming” about 2,000 years ago. Although He was God in the flesh, He was fully human in every respect. Just as the disciples lived, ate, and fellowshipped with the Savior, we can, too, through His blessed Word. As they handled Him, we can likewise spiritually handle Him through the Bible.

John 1:1,14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Mat 4:16 “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.”

Mat 1:25 “And [he] knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

1 John 1:1 “That which [He who] was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.”

• Christ's Humanity - He is the only one who has ever perfectly possessed both a divine nature as fully God and a perfect human nature as fully man as the Scriptures advise us in Col 2. Even as a young boy we see that the Lord Jesus was keenly aware of His purpose in being sent to earth as God and man. We see this demonstrated when Jesus’ parents found Him disputing with the teachers and leaders in the Temple.

Col 2:9 “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

Luke 2:52 “Jesus [as a child] increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

Luke 2:49 “And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist [know] ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”

• Despised and rejected of men - We also learn from John 1 that there were those who were looking for this coming Messiah: And who can forget Nathanael’s response?! Jesus was identified as coming from the “other side of the tracks” in modern vernacular, and throughout his earthly pilgrimage He was despised and rejected as prophesied in Isa 53. Jesus fully understood such an attitude, as He stated in Mark 13. However, this was only the beginning of several tests that Christ had to endure.

John 1:45 “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.”

Isa 53:3 “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not”

Matt 13:57 “And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.”

• Second Adam - Unlike his human counterpart, the first Adam, He was completely successful in passing the severe test because He was God in human flesh. He was the only perfect human being and God, the Lord of glory, simultaneously. But His greatest test, the Atonement, was still to come. It would be the greatest test that any human being has ever faced to this day. No ordinary human being could ever face and successfully meet God’s strictest requirement, which was to become sin – not his Own sin – but to be laden with the sins of His people. Jesus Christ had to suffer the equivalent of an eternity in Hell for His people as their substitute. In Heb 4:15 we catch a glimpse of His total identification with mankind. This principle that Christ fully experienced the same human emotions that we do is evidenced in John 11:35, which is possibly the shortest verse in the entire Bible.

Heb 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Luke 4:1-2 “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Being forty days tempted of [tested by] the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.”

2 Cor 5:21 “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Rom 5:14 "Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure [figure of Christ] of him that was to come."

Rom 5:19 "For as by one man's [First Adam] disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [Second Adam] shall many be made righteous."

1 Cor 15:45 "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [Christ] was made a quickening spirit."

John 11:35 “Jesus wept.”

• It is finished - After the betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane by Judas Iscariot, Jesus allowed Himself to be captured, humiliated, beaten, sentenced by Pontius Pilate, and crucified. Nevertheless, the slow torture He experienced on the cross (as terrible as it was), was insignificant to the spiritual torture he was undergoing as He was enduring God's Wrath Hell for His people. What had been “finished” was the Atonement for the sins of God’s elect – a crucial element of their salvation. No mere human could pay the enormous price of the sins of those whom Christ came to save. Only a perfect Being – Jesus Christ, Who was fully God and fully man – could pay the infinite price required by God’s justice for sin.

Heb 2:9 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death [second death] for every man [every one of His people].”


Heb 7:26-27 "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself."

Isa 53:11 "He [God the Father] shall see of the travail of his [God the Son] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities."

John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

Mark 15:46 “And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.”

• God raised Him from the dead - Many would like to believe that this is where the story ends, but we find this declaration in Acts 13 that Death could not hold the Lord Jesus Christ. His resurrection guaranteed beyond a shadow of doubt that every true Christian will end up in Heaven and every non-Christian will be judged for their sin and thrown into the Lake of Fire. In the face of this historical reality, may each of us heed the warning in 2 Cor 13:5

Acts 13:30 “But God raised Him from the dead.”

1 Pet 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively [living] hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

Col 3:1-2,5 "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 5Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:"

2 Cor 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

Christ's Deity

• Christ's Deity - We read in Isa 9:6 the prophetic utterance that Christ would take upon Himself a human nature and still retain His eternal position in the Godhead. Even the mystery of the Trinity is revealed in this verse as God the Son, Jesus Christ, is called the “the Mighty God” and “the Everlasting Father”. This is further emphasized in Heb 1, where we find this majestic description of God the Son.

Isa 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”

Heb 1:3 “Who [Christ] being the brightness of his [God the Father’s] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his [Christ’s] power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Php 2:5-6 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God [the Father], thought it not robbery to be equal with God.”

John 10:30 “I and my Father are one.”

John 14:9 “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”

• Emmanuel - God with us - God the Father continues to highlight the work of God the Son further in Heb 1. You might be asking the question, why is God the Father emphasizing the work that His Son came to do? What was Christ’s mission after all? This can be summed up in the meaning of His name, Jesus, which is found in Mat 1. The name “Jesus” means “Jehovah is salvation”; thus, Jesus Christ is the Savior of His people.

Heb 1:8-10 “But unto the Son he [God the Father] saith, Thy throne, O God [the Son], is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee [Christ] with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord [Christ], in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands.”

col 1:14-19 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15Who [Lord Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.19For it pleased the Father that in him [Lord Jesus] should all fulness dwell;"

Mat 1:23 “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son [Christ], and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

1 John 5:9-10 "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son."

• Jesus - Jehovah Saviour - Just how did Jesus “save His people from their sin”, and who are His people? He gave His life for the remnant He chose by Grace, from every kindred, tongue and nation. Well, we have to understand that Jesus is not talking about giving His physical life (which of course He did); but rather to pay the penalty of sin (which is eternal damnation in Hell, Second death, death of his soul) for the “many”, or “the sheep”, or His “chosen ones”. All of these are references to those who are true Christians. We must remember that by nature and by conception all men are sinful; and, as a result, we deserve to go to Hell, or the “lake of fire”, where we have to pay for our sins. The only alternative is that the Savior Jesus Christ acted as our substitute and paid this incomprehensible ransom on behalf of every true believer. Only God could become laden with sin – not His own, of course – for His people, and only He could successfully atone for the sins of all the believers. He confirmed that He had paid the penalty of sin when He cried out on the cross, “It is finished”. In addition, God the Father had promised Christ that His soul would not be left in Hell, but that He would be raised from the dead and raised him from the dead.

Isa 43:11 "I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour."

Luke 2:11 "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

Mat 1:21 “Ye shall call His name JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sin.”

Mat 20:28 “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life [soul] for the sheep.”

Psa 16:10 and Acts 2:27 “Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

Acts 13:30 “But God raised Him from the dead.”

• Alpha and Omega - We see from these two passages that the Beginning and the Ending, the Alpha and Omega (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet), the Redeemer, the LORD (Jehovah) of Hosts, and the Almighty all refer to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Isa 44:6 “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”

Rev 1:8 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord [Lord Jesus], which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

Col 1:13-17 “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

• Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord - God requires all men to acknowledge Christ as God, as we see in 1 John 2. He is not only carefully called God, He is constantly called the Lord as we see in Luke 2. Who is the great God and Savior? It’s none other than Jesus Christ. The Bible is replete with references that clearly identify Jesus as God. Jesus is indeed the LORD from Heaven, the Creator and the only Savior.

Php 2:9-11 “Wherefore God [the Father] also hath highly exalted him [Christ], and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

1 John 2:22-23 “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.”

1 Tim 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope.”

Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Tit 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”

"The Prince of Peace" - The Peace Of GOD, Which Passeth All Understanding

• Peace is the Work of Righteousness - One might ask, “What exactly is the ‘work of righteousness’?” Any time we see the word “work” in the Bible with regard to salvation, we can know that it has to allude to something that God does. Any work of ours can never be righteous in God’s eyes. The same idea is also delineated in the New Testament in Titus 3. The “works of righteousness” were accomplished by God as we learn from Isaiah 61.

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness [the work of Christ's atonement] shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places…”

Isa 64:6-7 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.”

Tit 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…”

Isa 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

• Quietness - We saw in Isaiah 32 that the “work of righteousness shall be peace”. Then it says, “the effect of righteousness quietness... forever”. What is the “quietness” that this verse speaks about? It is the effect of righteousness, or salvation. The Hebrew word for “quietness” is also commonly translated as “rest”. Another aspect of salvation and yet another word meaning “rest” is translated as “still” in Psalm 32. After we have received salvation, God leads us to the “still [or quiet] waters” to drink of the Water of Life – the Gospel – and to “green pastures” where we feed upon the Word of God. I am reminded of the Good Shepherd in John 10.

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places…”

Isa 30:15 “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength…”

Isa 11:10 “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.”

Psa 23:2 “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”

John 10:9 “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

• Assurance - Let’s continue in Isaiah 32. What does “assurance for ever” signify? As we have been learning, we need to compare “spiritual things with spiritual” – the biblical blueprint that God has given us in 1 Corinthians for studying the Bible. The Hebrew word for “assurance” is usually rendered “safely” or “safety”; and its root word is almost always translated as “trust”. We read about the Israelites who were “safely” delivered by God (a picture of salvation) out of the hand of Pharaoh (a picture of Satan), and in the process He destroyed the Egyptian army (a picture of unbelievers). Psalm 16 affirms the hope of the resurrection and the promise that God the Father made to God the Son that His soul would not be left in Hell. The word for “assurance” is translated in this passage as “hope”.

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places…”

1 Cor 2:13 "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

Psa 78:53 “And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.”

Psa 16:9 "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope."

Acts 2:29-31 "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption."

• Peaceable Habitation - Today we learned that the “work of righteousness” is peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Also, the “effect” of that eternal peace that God has secured for His people is eternal rest and safety, which will always belong to each child of God. But how does the Bible define the phrase in Isaiah 32 “And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation...”? This is the same word for “peace” that we saw in verse 17. It is the Hebrew word shalowm from which King Solomon’s name is derived, and he is a great representation of the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ. The word for “habitation” describes the place where believers dwell and is also rendered, as a “sheepcote”, or “fold”, where sheep are protected. May God have mercy on many who are listening to His Word, and grant them that eternal peace and rest found only in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places…”

Isa 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace... ”

John 10:16 “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold [peaceable habitation], and one shepherd.”

Php 4:6-7 “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Jesus Christ, "The True Light" of the World

• Woe unto them that put Darkness for Light, and Light for Darkness - The big problem that man faces is his inability to see his own sinfulness. He is blinded to it. In fact, he actually thinks he is “righteous”, or “good”. Spiritual darkness is a characteristic of unsaved man. 2 Cor 4:3-4 says, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them”. Man dead in trespasses and sins, cannot see spiritual things. He cannot understand spiritual truths, as they relate to God and His Word, apart from God opening up man’s understanding. He is far away from the truth of the Word of God. He is quite happy and content, for the most part, living in this world in ignorance, without knowledge of God in the world. Mankind in this darkness, can develop all manner of false religions and false gods and false ideas about the true God. They can come up with philosophies and theories and traditions and religions, yet in all these philosophies what is revealed is the truth that man sits in darkness. Mat 6:23, reminds us: “But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Isa 5:20-21 admonishes, “Woe unto them... that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; ...”

Isa 5:20-24 “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.”

• Jesus is the “True Light”, which Lighteth Every Man that cometh into the world - It is His glory, indeed, that was the source of light when He declared in Gen 1:3, “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” even though He had not yet created the sun. 1 Tim 6:16 announces that the invisible God – the Creator – is unapproachable without the Lord Jesus: “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen”.  Psa 107:10 reveals the sinful nature of all who are unsaved: “Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron”. This verse is also quoted in Isa 9:1-2, and adds that there is genuine hope in spite of man’s sinfulness: “Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, ... The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined”.  It also appears in Mat 4:16 and other New Testament passages as well: “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up”. God gives this glorious declaration in John 1:1,4-5,9 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 4In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 9That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth”. The spiritual “everlasting light” spoken of in Isa 60:19-20 will one day be fulfilled literally in the New Heavens and the New Earth. It will be His inexpressible glory that will illuminate the “New Jerusalem” for eternity, according to Rev 21:23: “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”

John 1:1-5,9 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 9That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

Luke 1:78-79 “Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Isa 60:19-20 “The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.”

• Men loved Darkness rather than Light, because their Deeds were Evil - Men hated this light; they did not want the Light of God, who was personified by Jesus who was and is the truth of God.  He came to the world and the world had Him crucified and placed on a Cross. John 3:19 explains why this is so: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil”. We see that this idea of “hiding from God” stems from our sinfulness as seen in Isa 29:15: “Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?”. Rev 1:14 gives this portrait of God the Son: “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire…”. Indeed, those eyes can penetrate the vast, dark regions of the human heart, open it up, lay it bare, and leave nothing hidden to Him, Who is Eternal Light. 1 Cor 4:5 further adds: “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God”. Spiritual darkness is intimately identified with spiritual death and eternal condemnation. Rom 2:16 speaks of that Last Day: “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel”. Bible also warns of Satan’s deceptive show as an imitator of Christ. We read that he comes as “an angel [or messenger] of light” with his counterfeit “ministers of righteousness” in 2 Cor 11:14-15: “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works”. In order to maintain his hold on mankind, Satan works feverishly at his main objective, which is that of deceiving mankind with false gospels to keep them from hearing the Truth. He accomplishes that primarily by keeping people in bondage to various religions and false gospels and using his lying human “ministers of righteousness”. Rev 19:20 declares the end — destiny of all the unsaved and Satan with his emissaries : “And the beast [Satan] was taken, and with him the false prophet [his ministers] that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone”. In Mat 25:30, we see that one of the prominent characteristics of Hell is “outer darkness”: “And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”.

John 3:19-21 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

John 12:46 “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 47And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

• Thy Words giveth Light; It giveth Understanding unto the Simple - Even though Peter saw a part of the Lord’s glory during the experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, he declares in 2 Pet 1:19, under the inspiration of God: “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts”. Then verses 20 and 21 tell us that he is speaking about God’s Holy Word, the Bible. This Word has more validity than even what Peter, James and John witnessed with their five physical senses that day on the mountain with Christ. Pro 6:23 declares, “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:” This is why Israel was told to bind the Law on their “foreheads”. This symbolized that God’s Word was to be in front of their eyes (on their minds) at all times – in their personal lives, in their marriages, in raising children, in their vocations, in their spare time activities, in their use of money, in their social relationships – in every area of their lives. May God cause us to seek His Word as Psa 119:105 teaches: “as a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path”. I will leave you with this solemn pronouncement that encourages all of us to trust the only the Bible and look to it for divine truth. Isa 8:20 proclaims, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them”. 

Psa 119:130 “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

2 Pet 1:16-21 “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

• Believers are sent to bear Witness of that Light - 2 Cor 4:6 highlights the necessity of salvation, by the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Savior for sinners: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”. And Acts 26:23 declares the redemption that God has procured for each believer from the “darkness” and “power of Satan” by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ: “That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles”. Psa 27:1, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Rev 22:3-5 describes those who have been redeemed by the grace of God as joyfully beholding the Father’s face: “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever”.  Those individuals whom God has chosen to save are called, among other names, the elect, the redeemed, the sheep, His people, and the children of God. They are described thusly in 1 Pet 2:9: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”.  God commissioned Paul (and all true believers), as an “ambassador for Christ”, to be the apostle to the Gentiles, as we see from Acts 13:47 (quoting Isa 49:6), “For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth”. This is also revealed in Paul’s testimony of his Damascus road experience to King Agrippa, as found in Acts 26:16-18. May God grant us His strength to be ambassadors of His salvation program today.

John 1:6-8 “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.”

Isa 49:6 “And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob (the elect), and to restore the preserved of Israel (Israel of God): I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth”

Acts 26:16-18 “But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me”

• Now are ye Light in the Lord - The Bible only knows of two great kingdoms that have opposed each other throughout history – the kingdom of God (light) and the kingdom of Satan (darkness). All human beings start out in the kingdom of Satan, but only God’s children have been placed within the kingdom of God as we read in Col 1:12-13: “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:” In John 12:46, we read, “I [Jesus Christ] am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness”. This particular passage helps us to understand that spiritual light, or belief, is associated with spiritual life. This means that a person whom God draws to salvation will not remain in spiritual darkness because God will give him the faith of Christ as a gift. This can be verified by other verses, such as John 8:12, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life”. The truth is not merely a principle to be believed, but is intended to be lived out through which the true nature of the Christian become apparent. John 3:21 says that the one doing truth does so openly, letting his light shine as a witness – to demonstrate that his good works are done by God, who is working to will and to do of his good pleasure in the believer’s life, “… he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God”. We discover another aspect of fellowship, or salvation, in 1 John 1:6-7 where God highlights a vital facet of the Christian life as walking (or living) in “the light” as opposed to walking in “darkness”, which was our spiritual status prior to salvation. Eph 6:11 admonishes, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light”

Eph 5:8-11 “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”

1 John 2:8-11 “Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”

Matt 5:14-16 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Phil 2:15-16 “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”

1 John 1:5-7 “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Two-Edged Sword

• God's Word is Two-Edged Sword. The Word [and the Word in flesh, our Lord Jesus Christ] is discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart

Heb 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh [Jesus Christ], and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

Mark 2:6-8 "But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?"

• God uses His Word, the Two-Edged Sword to Circumcise the hearts of His Children [making them born again of Water, the Word of God and Spirit, the Holy Spirit]

Josh 5:2-3 "At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. 3And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins."

Deu 10:16 "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked."

Deu 30:6 "And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live."

Deu 6:6-7 "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."

Eph 6:17 "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:"

Rom 2:29 "But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."

• The Word of God, the Two-Edged Sword can cut to Eternal Life  or to Eternal Damnation

2 Cor 2:14-17 "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 15For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ."

• The Word of God, the Two-Edged Sword can cut through the hearts, one edge cut to Salvation

Rom 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Eph 6:17 "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:"

Acts 2:37-41 "[on the day of Pentecost] Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call. 40And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."

Luke 2:34-35 "And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his [Jesus Christ] mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; 35(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

• The Word of God, the Two-Edged Sword can cut through the hearts, the other edge cut to damnation 

Acts 7:54-60 "When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him [Stephen] with their teeth. 55But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. 59And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep."

• False Gospels are sharp as two-edged sword too but cuts only to destruction

Pro 5:3-4 "For the lips of a strange woman [doctrines that are not under the authority of the 'whole Bible'] drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: 4But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword."

• The Word of God, the Two-Edged Sword shall Judge in the last day 

Rev 1:12-17 "12And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;  13And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man [Jesus Christ] , clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16And he [Lord Jesus Christ]  had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first  [John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word] and the last [John 12:48, the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day] :"

John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

John 12:47-48 "And if any man hear my [Jesus Christ] words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

1 Cor 6:2-3 "Do ye not know that the saints [born again believers] shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?"

1 Cor 1:2 "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus [born again believers] , called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:"

Psa 149:5-9 "Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. 6Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; 7To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; 8To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; 9To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD."

• The Word of God, the Two-Edged Sword cuts [brings divisions in] the families

Luke 12:51-53 "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 52For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law."

Matthew 10:21-22 "And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved."

Luke 14:26-27 "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple."

Not That We Loved God, But That He Loved Us

• God gave his only begotten son

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

• God gave his life and died for us while we were yet sinners

Rom 5:7-8 "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

John 15:12-13 “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

John 10:11,15,17-18 “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 15As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 17Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

• God loved us first and paid unimaginable price for our sins

1 John 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

• God fulfilled the law of righteousness for us and clothed us with His robe of righteousness

Rom 13:10 “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

Mat 5:17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”

John 10:18 “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

2 Cor 5:21 “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who [God the Son] knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him [God the Son].”

Heb 10:8-10 “Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Love the LORD thy God with all thine Heart, and with all thy Soul

• Love God with all our heart, all our soul and in all our strength is the first greatest commandment

Deu 6:4-6 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart…”

Matt 22:36-38 "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. " 

• More than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices and Jesus fulfilled this commandment by keeping his Father’s commandment and offering up himself

Mark 12:33 "And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

Heb 10:8-10 “Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

John 10: 17-18 “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

• Matter of heart. God looks at the heart

Isa 29:13 “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.”

1 Sam 16:7b “... for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”

Pro 21:2 “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.”

Mat 12:34b "... for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”

Psa 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”

• Man’s heart is sinful and desperately wicked 

Jer 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

Gen 6:5 “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

• Circumcision of heart “by God” [must be born again from above] is required to love our God with all our heart

Rom 2:29 “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Deu 30:6 “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”

Ezekiel 36:26-27 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

• Circumcision of heart achieved by the two edged sword, which is Bible

Heb 4:12 “For the word of God is quick [alive], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Acts 2:37 “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

Rom 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

• Loving God is keeping God’s commandments. Obedience is the evidence of Love.

John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

1 John 3:18 "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

1 John 5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."  

John 14:21 "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."

Good Soldier of Jesus Christ - Suffer Happily for Christ’s Sake

• Endure Hardness, suffer affliction happily for His sake, be patient as a good soldier of Jesus Christ

2 Tim 2:3-4  “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

2 Tim 2:9-12 “Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:”

Jam 5:10-11 “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”

Acts 9:16 “For I will shew him [Paul] how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

Php 1:29 “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;”

2 Cor 11:23-28 “Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I [Paul] am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.  Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;  In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.”

• Watch…Work…Make Full Proof

2 Tim 4:1-5 “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”

2 Cor 1:6“And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.”

• Pray…Sing Psalms

Jam 5:13 “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.”

Jam 5:16b-18 “… The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man [born again believer, imputed with Christ's Righteousness] availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”

Gal 4:6-7 “Be careful [or anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

1 Pet 5:10 “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

Light Affliction, Which is but for A Moment

• God Tries the Hearts of His Children Continually.

1 Chro 29:17 "I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee."

1 Sam 16:7 "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but theLORD looketh on the heart."

Job 7:17-18 "What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? 18And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?"

Isa 40:22 "It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:"

• God chastises His Children for their Sins so that they won't be Condemned with the World on the Day of Judgement.

Lam 3:39 "Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? "

1 Cor 11:31-32 "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world."

Heb 12:6-8 "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons."

Job 5:17-18 "Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: 18For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole."

Lam 3:32-33 "But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. 33For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men."

Lam 3:22-23 "It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

Psa 94:12 "Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;"

• God Chastizes His Children to Mold them into the Likeness of Christ and not to Destroy them.

Heb 12:10-11 "For they [our earthly fathers] verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he [God] for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."

Phil 3:10 "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;"

1 Cor 10:12-13 "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

1 The 3:3 "That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto."

1 Thes 5:9 "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,"

Psa 66:10-11 "For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. 11Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins."

Isa 64:8 "But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand."

• Tribulation Works out Furit of the Spirit in us.

Gal 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

Jam 1:2-4 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

Rom 5:3-4 "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4And patience, experience; and experience, hope:"

• We Glory in Tribulations because the Sufferings of this Present Time are Not Worthy to be Compared with the Glory which shall be Revealed in us.

Rom 8:16-18 "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Rev 21:4 "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

1 Pet 1:4-6 "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:"

2 Cor 4:16-18 "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;18While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

• Trials come when we think we are at the peak of Spiritual Life. God will Strengthen us to Face the Trials. We are Kept by the Power of God.

Mark 1:10-13 "And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 12And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness. 13And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him."

Luke 22:31-32 "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."

2 Cor 12:7-10 "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

John 15:4-5 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: forwithout me ye can do nothing."

• Harden not your Heart in the Day of Temptation.

Psa 95:8-9,11 "Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 11Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest."

Job 5:19 "He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee."

Pro 24:10 "if thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small."

Job 2:9-10 "Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. 10But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips."

Job 1:20-22 "Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. 22In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."

What Son is he whom the Father Chasteneth not?

• Even Gods  corrections and chastisements demonstrate His perfect, loving care and concern for each of His beloved children as He conforms them to the image of His dear Son

Rom 8:28:"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Heb 12:6-11:  "6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.9Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.11Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

• God grants His children the Holy Spirit

Luke 11:9-13:"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? "

• God provides His Children and meets their worldly needs and spiritual needs

Matthew 6:25-34:"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

• Parents, declare the love of our God to your Children

Psa 78:4-8 “We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.”

Deu 6:7 “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Eph 6:4 “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

Gen 18:19 “For I know him, that he [Abraham] will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”

• We need to recognize that our children need instruction

Pro 15:31-32 "The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. 32He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding."

Proverbs 22:15 "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."

Proverbs 29:15 "The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame."

Psalm 58:3 "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies."

Tit 1:6 “If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly”

1 Tim 3:12 “Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.”

• Chastisement is an act of love, to save our Children's soul from hell

Proverbs 23:12-14 "Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. 13Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 14Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell."

• Rod of correction is the Word of God

Psalm 23:4 "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

2 Tim 3:15 "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

Heb 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Rom 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

2 Tim 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"

Thou Shalt Love thy Neighbour as Thyself

• The second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor

Mark 12:30-31 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these”

1 John 4:20-21 “ If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."

• Loving our neighbor is fulfilling the law

Rom 13:8-10 "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."

Mark 12:33: "And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

• Love is not just emotion but action

1 John 3:16-18 "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

• Parable of how to love our neighbor

Luke 10:29-37 "... And who is my neighbour? 30And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."

• Loving neighbor is meeting their greater Spiritual need in addtion to meeting their worldy needs, escape from eternal damnation, by ministering Gospel. Nakedness, bound, wounded,  spiritually represent the sinful condition of man and oil represents the Holy Spirit and wine represents the Word of God

Gen 3:8-10 “… and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

Isa 1:6a “From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.”

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised…”

• Feed the sheep.When we receive the agapao love (unconditional love of God) we share the Gospel  with our neighbours that they too might receive the unconditional love of God . This is the ministry of reconciliation. This is Phileo love (brotherly love)

John 21:15-17 “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest [agapao] thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love [phileo] thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest [agapao] thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love [phileo] thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest [phileo] thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest [phileo] thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love [phileo] thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”