Post by Cindy on Jun 14, 2018 9:45:00 GMT -5
I want to share with you part of a chapter from the book: What the Bible Says About ... Suffering: Biblical answers for today’s pain and suffering by J. R. Fugate. This book tells us about a subject near and dear to my heart. One I've tried to tell people about for years for their own sake. It speaks about how we're commanded to know God's Word ourselves, to study it daily and talk to the Lord about it. (pray). Everyone's heard me harp about this, and I thought sharing this would would show people some of the reasons that this is so very important for them. God never tells us to do something without a very good reason, and that reason always benefits us. In this case, it can quite literally be the difference between life and death. To save time and so it's not so long, I'm only going to give the scriptures referenced instead of quoting them as you can see them by hovering your mouse over them.
God is extremely serious that every believer should become spiritually mature. Only mature believers have the ability to overcome the world’s influences and their own flesh: 2 Corinthians 10:3–5.
Additionally, since the entire Christian life is a supernatural way of life, it is difficult for spiritual babies to function effectively in any area. To function as a disciple to unbelievers (Matthew 28:19, 20), to identify and utilize your spiritual gift to other believers (1 Corinthians 12; 1 Peter 4:10), and even to function in your priesthood* (1 Peter 2:5–9), are largely based on your knowledge of the Word—spiritual maturity. *(The priesthood is the personal, private relationship with God consisting of: worship, confession, giving, prayer, praise, thanksgiving, communion, service to God.)
And just what is the alternative to reaching spiritual maturity? What if a believer learns about the doctrine of eternal security and then simply drops out of the Christian life shortly after salvation, or turns his back on Christ at any time? We certainly would not want to be in his shoes. Pressure and trials will follow him throughout his life as God the Father will chastise His rebellious child. If a believer faces his trials with an attitude of disbelief, complaining, ignorance, or a hardened heart he will receive chastisement until he rectifies his condition and confesses his sin to God. Deut 8:5-6; Psalm 118: 17-18; Prov 3:11-12; 1 Cor 11:32; Rev 3:19; Psalm 6:1; Psalm 38:1; Psalm 94:12; Jer 31:18-19; Heb 12:5–13.
If the estranged believer ignores these warnings, the chastisement will eventually turn to punishment. 1 Cor 16:22—
Most believers who are being punished will not acknowledge what is happening to them. They just blame God for their misfortune and adjust to the pain of broken marriages, delinquent children, unsatisfactory work experiences, financial difficulties, and physical or mental illness. They may even experience the worst curses of all—acquiring money, fame, or success without the capacity to handle them. Certainly they cannot experience the peace and rest of being in Christ which is available to them. Heb 3:12; Hebrews 4:1.
If a believer continues in his state of unbelief and progresses in his sin, he eventually will receive the sin unto death. 1 John 5:16. 1 Cor 10:6–10 gives an overview of how thousands of believers in the Exodus generation committed various sins that led to their awful and premature deaths. These events are recorded for our warning: 1 Cor 10:11.
God warns the children of Israel that all of the Exodus generation will die in the desert because of their murmuring against Him (Numbers 14:29–35).
An earthquake swallowed those who were part of the Korah rebellion, and God sent fire to kill 250 more (Numbers 16:30–35).
The children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, and God sent a plague that killed 14,700 (Numbers 16:47–49).
The people challenged God and Moses, and God sent poisonous snakes to kill many (Numbers 21:5–9).
Some of the people committed idolatry, and 24,000 more died by plague (Numbers 25:1–9).
God’s warning was fulfilled—none of the Exodus generation were left (Numbers 26:64, 65).
God uses a graphic example to explain the purpose He has for all believers’ lives after salvation. Hebrews 3:7–19 is too long to quote here. Please read it and then note the following points, relating this passage to your life.
Summary and Application
1. God desired to give Israel the promised land of milk and honey as its possession forever (Exodus 3:17). He even promised to help Israel clean out the land of giants and heathen (Deuteronomy 3:22).
2. Israel was an estimated two million strong as it came out of the Egyptian bondage—603,550 men twenty years old or older (Numbers 1:46). All of the adults were saved as evidenced by their observing the first Passover (Exodus 12:1–13).
3. God took His huge kindergarten class through the Red Sea, drowned the entire Egyptian army, and led His whiny charges into the wilderness (Exodus 14:11–14).
4. For the next forty years God led these ungrateful, always-complaining, children around in circles while trying to teach them to trust in Him and His Word (Hebrews 3:9).
5. Throughout this period God had provided sweet water out of bitter (Exodus 15:22–25), quail at night and manna every morning (Exodus 16:13), and water out of a rock (Exodus 17:6). He had conquered the invading army of Amalek (Exodus 17:13) and had given them the Mosaic Covenant.
6. But, the children of Israel hardened their hearts against God (Hebrews 3:8).
7. Finally, the entire adult generation that had come out of Egypt (except for Joshua and Caleb) died in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:17–19).
How Does This Relate?
8. God had a purpose for the nation of Israel to learn and to live by The Law while wandering in the desert. This was to prepare them to enter the promised land, subdue the heathen therein, and to glorify God.
Likewise, God has a purpose for every Christian to learn the Word of God and so to become spiritually mature, prepared to battle Satan.
9. God’s Word was taught to the Israelites for forty years, while God gave the people many specific opportunities to trust in Him.
Likewise, God will provide His Word for you and give you opportunities to discover His matchless character.
10. The Israelites had an evil heart of disbelief throughout the forty years, and therefore the 603,550 male Jews of twenty years old and above died the sin unto death (except Caleb and Joshua, Numbers 1:46; 26:65). We are not told how the balance of the people served their penalty. Probably most died a natural, although premature, death since the youngest would have been only sixty years old had they lived. The average life expectancy at this time was about 120 years. (See Psalm 55:23.) Hebrews 3:17—But with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? Likewise, the Christian who hardens his heart today against God’s Word and refuses to believe in the promises or character of God can find himself facing this same fate. 1 Cor 11:30; (See also Psalm 118:18; 1 Cor 10:1–11; 1 Cor 11:27–32; 1 John 5:16.)
11. God told the children of Israel that entering into the land would be entering into His rest by faith (Heb 3:18, 19).
Likewise, sinful Christians today can enter into God’s rest by turning their hearts back to God. 1 John 1:9; Heb 4:9–11; (See also Psalm 38; John 14:27.)
The choice is yours. You can easily see that God is a lot more serious about our Christian life than He is about the Sunday-only nod which most people reluctantly give to Him. Psalm 119:75-77;
The following chart attempts to depict the rebellious believer’s Christian Walk:
Chronological Development
The above chart depicts a believer who remains spiritually immature and wanders in the place of testing—the desert. Without God’s Word and power, he repeatedly fails the trials of the flesh (his own sin nature) and the tests of the world (false philosophies). Eventually, he dies the sin unto death after rejecting God’s attempts to revive him.
The following Chart depicts the spiritual life of a beliver growing to maturity:
In the preceding chart the bottom line represents a person’s time on Earth. The diagonal line represents the optimum path a believer could follow from salvation to maturity to fullfilling God’s Purpose for his life. The lower section called, the desert, is the time of learning and testing. The upper section indicates a believer reaching maturity and crossing over the Jordan into the land fo milk and honey—and giants and Satan waring with God.
Fugate, J. R. (1999). What the Bible Says About ... Suffering: Biblical answers for today’s pain and suffering
"an evil heart of disbelief" isn't just not believing in Jesus. One of the main things the Bible teaches is that the word "belief" in the Bible means a lot more then simply knowing something and thinking it's true. In the Bible it means a personal knowledge of the Truth that is not only in your mind, but also in your heart and in your will. Consider that demons "know" the Bible is True, know Jesus is God, and even tremble and obey Him, but they aren't saved, because it does not affect their will. Our "belief" must affect our will and cause us to obey the Lord in all His commands. The first one to obey after we are saved is to know His Word, the entire bible, (NOT just the New Testament) because without knowing His Word, we can't possibly know His Will or obey Him! For one thing, even if we were to obey Him by not being a thief, we would still be disobeying Him because we don't know His Word! I'd also like to explain a bit more about this scripture from some commentaries:
“If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.” (1 John 5:16–17)
John illustrates praying according to God’s will with the specific example of the “sin leading to death.” Such a sin could be any premeditated & unconfessed sin that causes the Lord to determine to end a believer’s life. It is not one particular sin like homosexuality or lying, but whatever sin is the final one in the tolerance of God. Failure to repent of & forsake sin may eventually lead to physical death as a judgment of God (Ac 5:1–11; 1Co 5:5; 11:30). No intercessory prayer will be effective for those who have committed such deliberate high-handed sin, i.e., God’s discipline with physical death is inevitable in such cases as He seeks to preserve the purity of His church. The contrast to the phrase “sin leading to death” with “sin not leading to death” signifies that the writer distinguishes between sins that may lead to physical death & those that do not. That is not to identify a certain kind of mortal or non-mortal sin, but to say not all sins are so judged by God. The MacArthur study Bible
Verses 16-17 Sometimes a Christian may sin so seriously that God judges that sin with swift physical death: “a sin leading to death.” Ananias & Sapphira are cases in point (Acts 5:1-11). The expression “sin that does not lead to death” should be understood in the sense, “sin not punished by death.” The Bible knowledge commentary
This “sin leading to death.” is not some “unpardonable sin” that a believer unwittingly falls into, but a deliberate sin in defiance of the Word of God; something that other believers can see & recognize as rebellion. Jeremiah was told not to pray for the rebellious Jews (Jeremiah 7:16; & see Ezek. 14:14, 20.) When we show true repentance & confession, the Father is quick to forgive & cleanse. True prayer is much more than saying words to God. It involves searching the Word, letting the Spirit search the things of God & yielding to God’s will as we share our requests with Him. Wiersbe’s expository outlines
There's literally hundreds of scriptures about knowing God's Word, (all of it) and they're in every book of the Bible. Some just tell us to know it, others tell us the blessings we will receive by knowing it and others warn us of what will happen if we don't know it. Let me leave you with a few of them to reflect on:
“Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29)
“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”” (Matthew 4:4)
“He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” (Matthew 13:11–12)
“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” (John 8:31–32)
“For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:29–30)
““Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.” (Proverbs 1:28–31)
“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)
“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8)
“Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.” (Proverbs 19:27)
“Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.” (Proverbs 8:34)
God is extremely serious that every believer should become spiritually mature. Only mature believers have the ability to overcome the world’s influences and their own flesh: 2 Corinthians 10:3–5.
Additionally, since the entire Christian life is a supernatural way of life, it is difficult for spiritual babies to function effectively in any area. To function as a disciple to unbelievers (Matthew 28:19, 20), to identify and utilize your spiritual gift to other believers (1 Corinthians 12; 1 Peter 4:10), and even to function in your priesthood* (1 Peter 2:5–9), are largely based on your knowledge of the Word—spiritual maturity. *(The priesthood is the personal, private relationship with God consisting of: worship, confession, giving, prayer, praise, thanksgiving, communion, service to God.)
And just what is the alternative to reaching spiritual maturity? What if a believer learns about the doctrine of eternal security and then simply drops out of the Christian life shortly after salvation, or turns his back on Christ at any time? We certainly would not want to be in his shoes. Pressure and trials will follow him throughout his life as God the Father will chastise His rebellious child. If a believer faces his trials with an attitude of disbelief, complaining, ignorance, or a hardened heart he will receive chastisement until he rectifies his condition and confesses his sin to God. Deut 8:5-6; Psalm 118: 17-18; Prov 3:11-12; 1 Cor 11:32; Rev 3:19; Psalm 6:1; Psalm 38:1; Psalm 94:12; Jer 31:18-19; Heb 12:5–13.
If the estranged believer ignores these warnings, the chastisement will eventually turn to punishment. 1 Cor 16:22—
Most believers who are being punished will not acknowledge what is happening to them. They just blame God for their misfortune and adjust to the pain of broken marriages, delinquent children, unsatisfactory work experiences, financial difficulties, and physical or mental illness. They may even experience the worst curses of all—acquiring money, fame, or success without the capacity to handle them. Certainly they cannot experience the peace and rest of being in Christ which is available to them. Heb 3:12; Hebrews 4:1.
If a believer continues in his state of unbelief and progresses in his sin, he eventually will receive the sin unto death. 1 John 5:16. 1 Cor 10:6–10 gives an overview of how thousands of believers in the Exodus generation committed various sins that led to their awful and premature deaths. These events are recorded for our warning: 1 Cor 10:11.
God warns the children of Israel that all of the Exodus generation will die in the desert because of their murmuring against Him (Numbers 14:29–35).
An earthquake swallowed those who were part of the Korah rebellion, and God sent fire to kill 250 more (Numbers 16:30–35).
The children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, and God sent a plague that killed 14,700 (Numbers 16:47–49).
The people challenged God and Moses, and God sent poisonous snakes to kill many (Numbers 21:5–9).
Some of the people committed idolatry, and 24,000 more died by plague (Numbers 25:1–9).
God’s warning was fulfilled—none of the Exodus generation were left (Numbers 26:64, 65).
God uses a graphic example to explain the purpose He has for all believers’ lives after salvation. Hebrews 3:7–19 is too long to quote here. Please read it and then note the following points, relating this passage to your life.
Summary and Application
1. God desired to give Israel the promised land of milk and honey as its possession forever (Exodus 3:17). He even promised to help Israel clean out the land of giants and heathen (Deuteronomy 3:22).
2. Israel was an estimated two million strong as it came out of the Egyptian bondage—603,550 men twenty years old or older (Numbers 1:46). All of the adults were saved as evidenced by their observing the first Passover (Exodus 12:1–13).
3. God took His huge kindergarten class through the Red Sea, drowned the entire Egyptian army, and led His whiny charges into the wilderness (Exodus 14:11–14).
4. For the next forty years God led these ungrateful, always-complaining, children around in circles while trying to teach them to trust in Him and His Word (Hebrews 3:9).
5. Throughout this period God had provided sweet water out of bitter (Exodus 15:22–25), quail at night and manna every morning (Exodus 16:13), and water out of a rock (Exodus 17:6). He had conquered the invading army of Amalek (Exodus 17:13) and had given them the Mosaic Covenant.
6. But, the children of Israel hardened their hearts against God (Hebrews 3:8).
7. Finally, the entire adult generation that had come out of Egypt (except for Joshua and Caleb) died in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:17–19).
How Does This Relate?
8. God had a purpose for the nation of Israel to learn and to live by The Law while wandering in the desert. This was to prepare them to enter the promised land, subdue the heathen therein, and to glorify God.
Likewise, God has a purpose for every Christian to learn the Word of God and so to become spiritually mature, prepared to battle Satan.
9. God’s Word was taught to the Israelites for forty years, while God gave the people many specific opportunities to trust in Him.
Likewise, God will provide His Word for you and give you opportunities to discover His matchless character.
10. The Israelites had an evil heart of disbelief throughout the forty years, and therefore the 603,550 male Jews of twenty years old and above died the sin unto death (except Caleb and Joshua, Numbers 1:46; 26:65). We are not told how the balance of the people served their penalty. Probably most died a natural, although premature, death since the youngest would have been only sixty years old had they lived. The average life expectancy at this time was about 120 years. (See Psalm 55:23.) Hebrews 3:17—But with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? Likewise, the Christian who hardens his heart today against God’s Word and refuses to believe in the promises or character of God can find himself facing this same fate. 1 Cor 11:30; (See also Psalm 118:18; 1 Cor 10:1–11; 1 Cor 11:27–32; 1 John 5:16.)
11. God told the children of Israel that entering into the land would be entering into His rest by faith (Heb 3:18, 19).
Likewise, sinful Christians today can enter into God’s rest by turning their hearts back to God. 1 John 1:9; Heb 4:9–11; (See also Psalm 38; John 14:27.)
The choice is yours. You can easily see that God is a lot more serious about our Christian life than He is about the Sunday-only nod which most people reluctantly give to Him. Psalm 119:75-77;
The following chart attempts to depict the rebellious believer’s Christian Walk:
Chronological Development
The above chart depicts a believer who remains spiritually immature and wanders in the place of testing—the desert. Without God’s Word and power, he repeatedly fails the trials of the flesh (his own sin nature) and the tests of the world (false philosophies). Eventually, he dies the sin unto death after rejecting God’s attempts to revive him.
The following Chart depicts the spiritual life of a beliver growing to maturity:
In the preceding chart the bottom line represents a person’s time on Earth. The diagonal line represents the optimum path a believer could follow from salvation to maturity to fullfilling God’s Purpose for his life. The lower section called, the desert, is the time of learning and testing. The upper section indicates a believer reaching maturity and crossing over the Jordan into the land fo milk and honey—and giants and Satan waring with God.
Fugate, J. R. (1999). What the Bible Says About ... Suffering: Biblical answers for today’s pain and suffering
"an evil heart of disbelief" isn't just not believing in Jesus. One of the main things the Bible teaches is that the word "belief" in the Bible means a lot more then simply knowing something and thinking it's true. In the Bible it means a personal knowledge of the Truth that is not only in your mind, but also in your heart and in your will. Consider that demons "know" the Bible is True, know Jesus is God, and even tremble and obey Him, but they aren't saved, because it does not affect their will. Our "belief" must affect our will and cause us to obey the Lord in all His commands. The first one to obey after we are saved is to know His Word, the entire bible, (NOT just the New Testament) because without knowing His Word, we can't possibly know His Will or obey Him! For one thing, even if we were to obey Him by not being a thief, we would still be disobeying Him because we don't know His Word! I'd also like to explain a bit more about this scripture from some commentaries:
“If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.” (1 John 5:16–17)
John illustrates praying according to God’s will with the specific example of the “sin leading to death.” Such a sin could be any premeditated & unconfessed sin that causes the Lord to determine to end a believer’s life. It is not one particular sin like homosexuality or lying, but whatever sin is the final one in the tolerance of God. Failure to repent of & forsake sin may eventually lead to physical death as a judgment of God (Ac 5:1–11; 1Co 5:5; 11:30). No intercessory prayer will be effective for those who have committed such deliberate high-handed sin, i.e., God’s discipline with physical death is inevitable in such cases as He seeks to preserve the purity of His church. The contrast to the phrase “sin leading to death” with “sin not leading to death” signifies that the writer distinguishes between sins that may lead to physical death & those that do not. That is not to identify a certain kind of mortal or non-mortal sin, but to say not all sins are so judged by God. The MacArthur study Bible
Verses 16-17 Sometimes a Christian may sin so seriously that God judges that sin with swift physical death: “a sin leading to death.” Ananias & Sapphira are cases in point (Acts 5:1-11). The expression “sin that does not lead to death” should be understood in the sense, “sin not punished by death.” The Bible knowledge commentary
This “sin leading to death.” is not some “unpardonable sin” that a believer unwittingly falls into, but a deliberate sin in defiance of the Word of God; something that other believers can see & recognize as rebellion. Jeremiah was told not to pray for the rebellious Jews (Jeremiah 7:16; & see Ezek. 14:14, 20.) When we show true repentance & confession, the Father is quick to forgive & cleanse. True prayer is much more than saying words to God. It involves searching the Word, letting the Spirit search the things of God & yielding to God’s will as we share our requests with Him. Wiersbe’s expository outlines
There's literally hundreds of scriptures about knowing God's Word, (all of it) and they're in every book of the Bible. Some just tell us to know it, others tell us the blessings we will receive by knowing it and others warn us of what will happen if we don't know it. Let me leave you with a few of them to reflect on:
“Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29)
“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”” (Matthew 4:4)
“He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” (Matthew 13:11–12)
“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” (John 8:31–32)
“For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:29–30)
““Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.” (Proverbs 1:28–31)
“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)
“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8)
“Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.” (Proverbs 19:27)
“Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.” (Proverbs 8:34)
!!
