Having a Servant's Heart

"Thou Art Worthy" by C.V. Lacroix

Some people react to the messages of holiness, righteousness, and truth, arguing that these are taking us into bondage.  They claim that since we are free in Christ, we have to resist all forms of bondage.

Slaves of Christ
However, the Bible says that we are bond-servants of Christ.  The actual Greek word is "doulos", which means "a slave (literally or figuratively, involuntarily or voluntarily; frequently therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency): - bond (-man), servant." (Strongs). This word is used all throughout the New Testament.

Jesus took upon Himself the form of a doulos, or slave (Phil 2:7). We as disciples are slaves of Christ and of God. Whenever Jesus wanted to emphasize discipleship and learning from Him, He used the term "disciple." But whenever He wanted to emphasize His Lordship as our Master. He would refer to us as "slaves."  In fact, all throughout the gospels, Jesus uses this word repeatedly (Mat. 10:24,25; 13:27,28; 18:23,26,27,28,32; 20:27; 21:34,35,36; 22:3,4,6,8,10; 24:45,46,48,50; 25:14,19,21,23,26,30; Mark 10:44; 12:2,4; 13:34; Luke 12:37,43,45,46,47; 14:17,21,22,23; 17:7,9,10; 19:13,15,17,22; 20:10,11; John 8:35; 13:16; 15:15,20).  Please take the time to look up those verses.  You will be very edified and instructed.

Near the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus told His disciples, "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you." (Joh 15:15).  So some may interpret this to mean that we are not slaves of His.  However, that's not true. The Lord was simply emphasizing His friendship with His disciples and that their relationship went beyond that of slaves only. He wanted to emphasize His full disclosure to them of all that the Father had revealed to Him. However, Jesus still refers to us as His slaves (Rev 2:20; 22:6). The angels refer to us as slaves of God (Rev 7:3). The hosts of heaven refer to us as the slaves of God (Rev 19:1-2).  In fact, all throughout eternity, the disciples of Christ will always be His slaves who will serve Him.

"There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;" (Rev 22:3)

The apostle Paul referred to himself as the doulos, or slave of Christ (Rom 1:1; Gal 1:10; Phil 1:1; Tit 1:1). Epaphras was a slave of Christ (Col 4:12). Timothy was a slave of Christ (Phil 1:1). James was a slave of Christ (Js 1:1).  The apostle Peter was a slave of Christ (2 Pe 1:1). And Jude was a slave of Christ (Jude 1).

In none of these passages did anyone refer to himself or anyone else using big titles like Bishop or Reverend, etc. They all referred to themselves and one another as servants or slaves of Christ. You cannot be a slave of Christ and answer to big titles. And if you are going to be a man-pleaser, you cannot be a servant of Christ either (Gal 1:10).  Being a man-pleaser and being a servant of Christ are mutually exclusive. Moreover, you cannot use your freedom as a cover up for evil to indulge the sinful nature, and still be a slave of Christ. Indulging the sinful nature and being a slave of Christ are also mutually exclusive.

The apostle Peter exhorted us, "Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God." (1Pe 2:16; cf., Gal 5:13).  A slave says to his master, "Your wish is my command."

As the Scripture says, "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go."  (Jos 1:16). Just as the Israelites pledged their obedience to Joshua this way, so should we offer ourselves to the Lord.

 The apostle Paul said, "...the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave." (1 Cor 7:22b, NIV).  

Jesus instructed us, "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'" (Luk 17:10)

The term "slave" as it is used of Christ and His disciples is definitely a New Testament term, carried over from the Old Testament.  The prophets were called the Lord's servants (Rev 10:7; 11:18).  Moses was the servant or slave (doulos) of God (Rev 15:3; Josh 8:31,33; 9:24; 11:12,15; 12:6; 13:8; 14:7; 18:7; 22:2,4,5; 2 King 18:12; 2 Chr 1:3; 24:6,9; Neh 9:14; Mal 4:4). Joshua was a servant of the Lord (Josh 24:29). David was a servant of the Lord (1Sa 23:10; 2 King 19:34; 1 Chr 17:24; 2 Chr 6:17,42; Ps 89:3,20; Is 37:35). Nehemiah was a servant of the Lord (Neh 1:6). Job was a servant of the Lord (Job 1:8; 2:3; 42:7,8).  Isaiah was a servant of the Lord (Is 20:3). Daniel was a servant of the Lord (Dan 6:20).  Jesus was referred to prophetically as the servant of the Lord (Is 42:1,19; 43:10; 49:5,6; 52:13; 53:11; Ez 34:23,24; Zec 3:8).

Slaves of Righteousness
It is in this context that I would like to point out that the apostle Paul taught us to become slaves of righteousness.  He said:

"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." (Rom 6:12-18)

It is true that we were once slaves of sin.  As Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin...So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." (Joh 8:34-36).  We are free indeed!  We are free to serve Him.  We are free to do His will. We are free to obey Him. We are free to live as slaves of righteousness.  We are not free to do whatever we want! Having been freed from sin, we became slaves of righteousness!

Paul said, "For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification." (Rom 6:19b).  There is a cause-effect relationship here.  You present yourself as a slave to righteousness and it results in holiness.  This makes my point perfectly regarding those who say that the teaching of holiness and righteousness is bondage or leads to bondage. Paul says it plainly, "But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life." (Rom 6:22).  It could not be more plain.  We are enslaved to God.  Slavery is a form of bondage, and we love being bond-slaves of God.  There is a cause-effect relationship here in this verse.  We have been freed from sin and the effect is that we have become enslaved to God. Our slavery to God results in holiness.  And our holiness results in eternal life.

Our Bodies As Our Slaves
The apostle Paul practiced strict discipline on himself in order to make his body to be his slave.  He said, "Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." (1Co 9:26-27).

The NIV translates the phrase, "I discipline my body" as "I strike a blow to my body." The original Greek is "hupopiazo" meaning "to hit under the eye, as an antagonist, to keep under, or to subdue." (Strongs). This shows that it is very important to subdue our bodies through self-discipline. While God is looking on the heart, he also cares about what we do with our bodies.  Therefore, since Paul made his body his slave, then so must we.

A Slave to All
In fact, Paul said that being a slave of Christ meant that he not only had to make his own body his slave, but he made himself a slave to all. He wrote, "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more." (1Co 9:19).  This is the kind of person whom Christ said is the greatest of all, because he becomes the slave of all.

Paul's attitude in this was to please all men in all things. He said, "Just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved." (1Co 10:33). This was not men-pleasing, but (as he defined it) becoming all things to all men.

"To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." (1Co 9:20-23).

You may be thinking, "Well, that was fine for Paul, but I don't feel I can do that. It's not for me."  But it was in the context of his being a slave to all that Paul said, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." (1 Cor 11:1). In being a slave to all, Paul was following Christ's example, and he said that we should follow his example in doing so. Each of us must take this before the Lord to see whether we have this same attitude toward all. It will affect every area of our lives, including what we say and do, as well as our motives, our attitudes, and even how we dress.

More Than Slaves

"Never Alone" by C.V. Lacroix

The beauty of all this is that we are not just slaves of mere men, but of Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe. And we are more than slaves.  I have already mentioned that Jesus said we are His friends, which means He freely discloses to us everything He receives from the Father (Jn 15:15).

In addition to that, God is not only our Master, He is our Father. If we have put our faith in Christ, then we are sons of God.  According to the apostle John, "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." (Jn 1:12).  He also said, "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." (1 Jn 3:1). And the apostle Paul said, "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God." (Rom 8:14; cf., Gal 3:26). 

It's wonderful to know that we can call God -- the Creator of the Universe, who is our Maker -- "Abba."  We can call Him "Abba", because He is our Father, if we know Jesus, His holy Son.  The Lord said, "Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever." (Jn 8:35).  That means that all who are truly sons of God belong to His family forever. We have a permanent place in the family. As the apostle Paul said, "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'” (Rom 8:15; cf., Gal 4:5-7). He said this in the same epistle to the Romans in which he said that we are slaves of God (Rom 6:22).  Paul here was not contradicting what he wrote to the Romans in chapter 6 verse 22, or what he wrote to the Corinthians and Ephesians saying that we are "slaves of Christ." (1 Cor 7:22b; Eph 6:6).  He was saying that we are more than slaves, we are sons and daughters of God.

Summing it Up
I hope that this article has helped to disprove what some people think about the teachings of holiness, righteousness, and truth that I present here on Seeking the Lord, as well as on Eternal Destinations and Working God's Way. The enemy hates these messages and wants to brand them as bondage, as if they are some sort of dreary thing that will make you miserable. That's because the devil wants to keep people in bondage to sin and to himself. Don't be deceived by the devil. God says that this is the true bondage of the servant of the Lord.  This is slavery to righteousness -- the highest form of slavery. It's the highest and purest form of bondage -- divine bondage. It's a life of holiness. It's the Truth that sets you free! This is love slavery, and those who live like this in Christ will inherit eternal life.

"Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked." (Ps 84:10)

We serve because He served us first!  Now go and offer yourself as a slave to righteousness.  Offer the members of your body as instruments of righteousness, and use your freedom, not as a cover up for evil, but as bond-slaves of God.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."Thou Art Worthy" and "Never Alone" Illustrations by my sixteen-year old daughter C.V. Lacroix.  You can find these and more of her lovely artwork at A Brush With Life.

Author's note: You are invited to read Compelled by Love, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, The Cost of Discipleship, The Obedience of Faith, Separation from the World, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Seeking Glory from God, Servants and Slaves in God's Kingdom, and Pleasing the Lord. You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

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Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer

"Communing with the Lord," C.V. Lacroix

There are those who teach the heresy that some saints are merely saved believers while others are disciples. They make a false distinction between the two.  This separates the church and divides the Body into two different classes.  The following study is a refutation of that destructive heresy.

Easy Believing vs. Saving Faith
This error comes because people think it is easy to believe on Jesus unto salvation. But is it really easy?

In the eighth chapter of John's gospel we read, “Even as He spoke, many put their faith in Him.” (John 8:30). Were these people all going to be saved, who put their faith in Him?  The very next verse says that the Lord had some words for them. “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.'" (Joh 8:31). He laid out conditions for being a disciple and it is clear from His words that if they do not continue in His teaching, they are not His disciple and will die in their sins!

Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do." (Joh 8:39-40). Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God." (Joh 8:44-47)

Following Jesus and Becoming a Disciple

"At the Cross" by C.V. Lacroix

Listen to what Jesus said about “coming after Him” in all three synoptic gospels:

"And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.'"  (Mar 8:34).

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.'" (Mat 16:24)

"And He was saying to them all, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.'" (Luk 9:23).

Now compare that to what Jesus said about "being a disciple of His."

"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luk 14:26-27)

"So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions."  (Luk 14:33)

“If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; (Joh 8:31).

We must continue in His word in order to truly be His disciples.  This is working out your salvation. The same words used in Jesus’ criteria for “coming after Him” are found in His criteria for “being His disciple.”  The criteria are cross bearing, denying self, following Him, etc. Following Jesus and being a true disciple are the same thing in Jesus’ teachings.  He laid out the same criteria for coming after Him as He did for being a disciple.  Therefore it is not possible to follow Him without carrying a cross and still be saved.  It’s not possible to ultimately be saved in the end without becoming His disciple.  While you may initially be justified, if you fail to become a disciple of Christ, you will ultimately be disqualified for heaven.

Jesus commissioned His disciples to go and make disciples of all the nations, teaching them to do everything He commanded them to do. He did not command them to go and make "believers." He said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Mat 28:19-20).  Do you see how Jesus defined "making disciples"? He said it included baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that He commanded His first Twelve disciples.

Salvation vs. the Lordship of Christ
We are saved through faith in Jesus Christ as the LORD, not just the Savior.  The Scripture says of the Philippian jailer, "And after he brought them out, he said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' They said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.'  (Act 16:30,31).  The jailer was told to believe in the Lord Jesus.  Salvation is through our LORD. "For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1Th 5:9)

We were called into fellowship with the LORD, not just the Savior. "God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."  (1Co 1:9). Paul the apostle was “solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Act 20:21).  Paul preached Jesus as Lord, not simply Savior. He said, "For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake." (2Co 4:5).

Both Peter and Paul’s epistles are addressed to those who have acknowledged Jesus as our LORD, not just Savior (Eph 1:3; Phil 1:2; 1 Thes 1:1; 2 Thes 1:1,2; 1 Tim 1:2; 2 Tim 1:2; Philemon 1:3; 2 Peter 1:2). The whole church is in the Lord.  There is not one part in the Lord and one part just in the Savior.

We are baptized in the name of the LORD not just the Savior. "When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Act 19:5). We have peace through our LORD, not just our Savior Jesus. "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom 5:1). We have reconciliation through our LORD, not simply our Savior. "And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." (Rom 5:11)

We escape the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the LORD. “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.”  (2Pe 2:20). It is the LORD who by His great mercy caused us to be born again. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (1Pe 1:3)

God’s grace is for those who love the LORD, not for those who simply accept Him as their Savior. "Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love."  (Eph 6:24)  It is the LORD who has given us eternal comfort. "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace." (2Th 2:16)

We are saved by receiving the LORD from the first moment, and we continue in our salvation by walking in Him. "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him." (Col 2:6). This continuing in His word and walking in the LORD are how we work out our salvation. "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling."  (Phi 2:12)

We have eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD, not simply by accepting Him as our Savior. "So that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Rom 5:21).  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Rom 6:23).  You were washed, sanctified and justified all in the name of the LORD. “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” (1Co 6:11)

Salvation is impossible without making Jesus Lord.  The one who seeks to save His own life has not surrendered it to Jesus’ Lordship and therefore cannot be saved.  Paul said "That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Rom 10:9). Jesus said, "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.” (Mar 8:35).

Repentance Implies Lordship
The very fact that we must repent to be saved implies that Jesus is now Lord of our lives. If we repent as Jesus commanded us to, we will do what our Lord commands, not live as we please. From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Mat 4:17).  This is the same thing the disciples preached – that men should repent. (Mk 6:12).  Jesus denounced the cities that did not repent after seeing His miracles (Mt 11:20). Jesus taught that unless you repent, you will perish (Lk 13:3). According to brother Yong-Doo Kim, pastor of the Lord's Church in South Korea, it is possible to repent and to know you have repented, yet, have no fruits of repentance. In that case, you have repented with no evidence. There is no broken heart, no sincerity! Believers must realize once again the seriousness of sin. We must realize how serious the consequences are for sin! Even the smallest sins are as just as severe. They are all traps. The gospel is a message of repentance, spiritual freedom, being free from sins, and enjoying freedom from sickness. You need to fervently repent with tears and true contrition.

Those who only listen to His word and do not do what it says are not submitted to His Lordship.  I have news for those who think these people are saved.  He says they are like a house built on sand. They will be destroyed. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall." (Mat 7:26-27). They may call Him Lord, but it still makes no difference. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'" (Mat 7:22-23)

This is why we must continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the LORD, and not simply “accept” Him as Savior. "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."  (2Pe 3:18)  Those who turn the grace of our LORD into a license for sin actually deny our Master and LORD. “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jud 1:4). For those carnal believers in the Corinthian church, Paul explained what needed to happen so they could be saved.  It was not that they just needed to say a prayer once. "I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."  (1Co 5:5)

All Ten Virgins Going to Heaven?

"Communion with the Lord", C.V. Lacroix

Those with a liberal perspective believe that all ten virgins go to heaven. But that is not true. The five foolish virgins who were not ready when the Bridegroom returned were shut out of His presence.  In this parable, these five foolish ones have no part in the wedding. 

Some believe that all ten virgins are saved but only five were part of "the Bride." However, the words of the Bridegroom to the five foolish virgins were that He never knew them, even though they called Him Lord. We can observe a similarity between this parable and other parables in which certain people who called Jesus “Lord, Lord” were told to depart from Him. "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.' But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.'"  (Mat 25:10-12).  Also see Matt 7:22-23; 25:44.

Is it possible to have dead and fruitless faith?
Do you think you can get to heaven with a dead and fruitless faith? James tells us about a faith that is dead.  Dead means it produces no life at all.  (James 2:26). It is a faith without works. Jesus said that if we do not abide in Him, we are like a branch that is cut off from the tree that cannot produce fruit.  Such branches are thrown into the fire and burned. (John 15:2,6).  There is no such thing as believers in Christ remaining in the vine throughout their entire lives without bearing fruit and then entering into heaven for eternity.  We must bear fruit for the Father's glory during our lives on earth.

Areas where Christians often Disobey the Lord
I'd like to mention some common areas where we as Christians often disobey the Lord without realizing it. One of them is keeping Sundays holy.  According to brother Yong-Doo Kim's book series, Baptize by Blazing Fire, some are in hell, because they treated the Sabbath or Sunday carelessly. On Sundays they would spend money for their pleasure. These people are in hell for not keeping Sundays Holy. There are some who ran businesses and assumed that the Lord would forgive them. They were deceived. Brother Kim said, "The Lord had commanded us to keep Sundays Holy in every way. He rebuked watching television, dining out with family, and other secular activities."

He continued, "Furthermore, the Lord did not permit Christians to run any business of any kind for profit on Sundays. He also did not approve Saints to do any shopping on Sundays." You should avoid personal activities on Sunday such as fishing, outdoor activities, watching secular television, surfing on the internet, playing games, and etc. This is not legalism.  Even though the gospel was introduced into the world, the Law has not been abolished (Matt 5:17-18; Rom 3:31).

Another common area where Christians disobey the Lord carelessly is tithing. Yet people who do not properly tithe are ending up in hell. Another area is grumbling and complaining. Some saints publicly appear to be devoted and obedient, but they are grumblers and complainers behind closed doors.  If they die in this state, they will go to hell.  Hot tempers is another big pitfall. There are no reasons to fight or argue.  There are many other Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, as I said in my article by that name, including smoking cigarettes, partying by drinking alcohol, listening to non-Christian music, dirty thoughts, using profane language, being ashamed of the Lord in front of your friends, sexual immorality, etc.

Putting it All Together
There are some who claim that it is possible to be saved without making Jesus LORD of your life, without putting Him on the throne of your heart.  This is false.  We are called into fellowship with our Lord.  We are saved, we are baptized, we are reconciled, and we have eternal life all through our LORD Jesus. Paul preached Jesus as Lord.

There are some who claim to believe in Jesus but whose faith is dead.  There are so-called disciples of Jesus who do not believe and who turn away from following Him. The requirements of coming after Jesus for salvation and being His disciple are the same and are very strict.  There is no easy and comfortable believing in Jesus.  The cost of discipleship is high.

Those who have believed unto salvation evidenced by a living, fruit-producing faith in Christ, they are disciples.  To be saved is to be a faithful and obedient disciple and to be a faithful and obedient disciple is to be saved.  We must all continue to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the LORD. As we go, we must make disciples of all the nations, teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded us to do.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.  "Communing with the Lord," "At the Cross," and "Communion with the Lord" by my sixteen-year-old daughter, C.V. Lacroix.  You can find more of her Christian artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note: If you would like to become a disciple, consider enrolling in our Doulos Training School. You are invited to read Michael Shigaba's Encounter with Jesus, Strive to Enter the Kingdom of God, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, A Warning for Married Christian Couples, Rachael Mushala Testimony of Hell, Rachael Mushala Second Testimony of Hell,  Zipporah Mushala's testimony of hell, Zipporah Mushala’s Third Testimony of Hell, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing?, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, Keeping Sundays Holy - Part I, Keeping Sundays Holy - Part II, Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Three Divine Revelations, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Separation from the World, Life Transformation Groups, Was Jesus Seeker Friendly?, and Ask for the Ancient Paths. You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Messages from the Lord for Catholics Worshipping Idols	Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies	Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven
Baptized by Blazing Fire	Taken to Hell	Angelica Zambrano Second Visit to Hell
Australian Pastor Raised from the Dead	Nigerian Pastor Raised from the Dead	Revelation of Hell to Seven Colombian Youths

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Love of Jesus

Do you know that Jesus loves you? It's true, He does!  The Bible tells me so. Let me show you.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  (Joh 3:16)

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom 5:8)

"But God has shown us how much He loves us." (Rom 5:8a, GNB)

"But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 8:37-39)

"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him."  (1Jn 3:1)

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." (1Jn 4:7)

"The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love."  (1Jn 4:8)

"By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. (1Jn 4:9)

"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1Jn 4:10)

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1Jn 4:11)

"We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." (1Jn 4:16)

"We love, because He first loved us."  (1Jn 4:19)

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us..." (Eph 2:4)

"But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared..." (Tit 3:4)

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Eph 3:16-19, NIV)

"John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood-- and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."  (Rev 1:4-6)

Therefore, you should not question whether Jesus loves you.  He has already demonstrated His love for you. Just believe it and accept it. Believe that He shed His blood, died on the cross for you, and rose again from the dead. Repent of your sins, ask Him to forgive you, and live for Him every day of your life, so that you can spend eternity in heaven serving Him.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, except where otherwise noted. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.  "All in the Name of Love" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Law of Love in the New Testament, The Spirit's Law of Life, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Keeping Your Body Pure and Holy, Keeping Sundays Holy,  Faith Works!, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations,  Zipporah Mushala’s Third Testimony of Hell, The Straight and Narrow Path, Ask for the Ancient Paths, and One Thing. I highly recommend reading, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies and Holy Fire Baptism. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Beware of Philosophy and Empty Deception

The apostle Paul warned us against philosophy and empty deception, when he said we must see to it that no one takes us captive through these things.

"See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." (Col 2:8)

The word “philosophy” comes from the Greek word “philosophia,” meaning “philosophy,” and referring specifically here to “Jewish sophistry” (Strongs).

The words “empty deception” come from the Greek words “kenos” meaning “vain or empty” and “apate” meaning “delusion: - deceit (-ful, -fulness), deceivableness (-ving).” (Strongs).

Both the philosophy and empty deceit he warned against are according to the tradition of men and the elementary principles of the world.

Tradition of Men
The expression “tradition of men” comes from the Greek words “paradosis” and “anthropos.” The word “paradosis” means “a precept; specifically the Jewish traditionary law: - ordinance, tradition.”(Strongs). And “anthropos” simply means “man” or “human being.” (Strongs). Therefore the expression “the tradition of men” refers to those precepts, ordinances, and traditions that are taught by men, including those that come from Jewish law.

One obvious example of such traditions of men that Paul was warning against was that of those who taught Gentile Christians they must be circumcised according to the Law in order to be saved. Such teachers were  endeavoring to keep up the law of Moses in conjunction with the gospel of Christ.  But there are many other examples.  These days, men teach the self-help gospel, which is all about how you can be a more successful businessman, how to be better at whatever you do.  They teach as if success and prosperity in this life are the main purpose of the gospel. And there are other examples.  Whenever men require that Gentile Christians keep up Jewish customs, such as feasts, ceremonies, rites, or other traditional practices, these are also traditions of men.

The Elementary Principles of the World
The philosophy and empty deceit Paul warned us to guard against is also according to the elementary principles of the world. The term “elementary principles” comes from the Greek word “stoicheion” meaning “element, principle, or rudiment.” (Strongs). The philosophy and empty deceit are deadly, because that are after the manner of worldly principles or rudimentary concepts of this world.

Paul used this same Greek word again in Col 2:20, when he said, “If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, ‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!’ (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)--in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.” (Col 2:20-23)

Therefore, Paul was specifically warning against submitting to decrees such as “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” These are basic principles after the manner of the commandments and teachings of men. For example, if anyone tells you that you must not taste a certain food, because it is unclean, that is a lie, since Jesus declared all foods clean. Beware of such people. Or for example, the way Catholic priests wear a veil when elevating the monstrance (gold receptacle for displaying the communion host) and hold the veil in such a manner that their hands do not touch the monstrance. Such teachings might have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but they don’t make you holy. Those things are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

Jesus taught against teaching and keeping the traditions of men. He said: "’Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.’ He was also saying to them, ‘You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. For Moses said, “Honor your father and your mother”; and, “He who speaks evil of father or mother, is to be put to death”; but you say, “If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),” you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.’" (Mar 7:8-13)

God commands us to put to death the flesh, and war against fleshly indulgence like anger, lust, gluttony, sexual immorality, and hatred. But these basic principles after the manner of the commandments and teachings of men have no value in this matter.  In fact, they contradict and conflict with the commandments of God.

Reality in Christ
On the other hand, the commandments of God that teach us what sin is and warn us against it are definitely valid and helpful to us. Likewise, the commandments of God that teach us what kind of character and lifestyle God requires of His holy people are still valid and helpful to us. So are the Scriptures that teach us the will of God.  These are found throughout the Bible, and are profitable for children of God, not only the ones found in the New Testament, but also in the Old Testament.

Here are some examples: God hates cross-dressing (Dt 22:5). God hates divorce (Mal 2:16). God requires us to tithe (Mal 3:10).  God hates idolatry (Ex 20:4). God hates jewelry (Ex 33:3-6). You must not get tattoos (Lev 19:28). Homosexuality and bestiality are abominations to God (Lev 18:22-23; 20:13,15).  God still expects us to keep His Sabbath day holy (Ex 20:8). Obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22). You must not rely on your own understanding (Pr 3:5). It is good to give thanks to the Lord and praise His name (Ps 92:1). And there are many more like this. Notice that none of these are basic principles after the manner of the commandments and teachings of men.  Neither are they rudiments of the world. They are commandments of God, not empty deception or philosophy.

Paul said that the philosophy and empty deceit he warned against are "not according to Christ" (Col 2:8). That is key!  "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form," (Col 2:9).  All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form in the Lord Jesus.  We are complete in Him.  We are circumcised in Him. We are whole in Him. Reality is found in Him (Col 2:17).  While priests, mediators, the tabernacle, the temple, its furnishings, sacrifices and rituals were all shadows of things to come, He is the actual substance of those shadows. He is our High Priest, He is our Mediator, He is our dwelling place and He dwells in us, He is our perfect sacrifice, the sinless Lamb of God. Life is found in Him! Live for Him.

The highest purpose of the Bible is to reveal the character of God.  And His will remains the same throughout the ages. It is not limited to one covenant or dispensation. So find out what pleases the Lord and do it (Eph 5:10).  Let’s get back to obeying the whole Bible and avoid man-made traditions.

Finally, in the many divine revelations of heaven and hell that I have posted on Eternal Destinations, the message in these revelations typically refers to the ways of God that are found throughout the Bible. Let's keep the ways of God according to Scripture. Let us prepare in holiness for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He is coming right away! The call is going out today, "Sinner, come home!" Repent and believe the gospel, for the Kingdom of God is near.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Greek word definitions from Strong's Concordance.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this article, I recommend, Restored Truth, The Cost of Discipleship, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Pope Frances Supports Homosexuality, Remember the Eternal Law of God, Is Tithing Required?, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing?, The Straight and Narrow Path, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, The Top Ten Things Jesus Taught, Separation from the World, The Rise of Antichrists, The Self-Help Gospel, What's Wrong with the Prosperity Gospel, and Ask for the Ancient Paths. You may access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Hope for You

If you are following Jesus in righteousness, holiness, and truth, there is hope for you today!  Look with me through the Word of God and see it for yourself.

Hope in the Lord
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him." The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. (Lam 3:24-25)

The Hebrew word for “hope” in verse 24 is “yachal,” meaning “to wait; by implication to be patient, hope: - (cause to, have, make to) hope, be pained, stay, tarry, trust, wait.” (Strongs).

The Hebrew word for “wait” in verse 25 is “qavah,” meaning “(figuratively) to expect, look, wait (for, on, upon).” (Strongs).

In the Greek Septuagint, the word for “wait” in verse 25 is hypoménō meaning 1) to remain to tarry behind; 2) to remain i.e. abide, not recede or flee; a) to preserve: under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one's faith in Christ; b) to endure, bear bravely and calmly: ill treatments.

“My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him.” (Psa 62:5)

“For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth.” (Psa 71:5)

"O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption." (Psa 130:7)

"O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever." (Psa 131:3)

"How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD his God," (Psa 146:5)

Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD. (Psa 31:24)

“For I hope in You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God.” (Psa 38:15)

"And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.” (Psa 39:7)

“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.” (Psa 42:5)

“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” (Psa 42:11; 43:5)

“Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel From all his iniquities.” (Psa 130:1-8)

Those Who Hope in the Lord Will Renew Their Strength
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Is 40:28-31, NIV)

A Hope Both Sure And Steadfast That Enters Within The Veil
“In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb 6:17-20)

A Better Hope
“(for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” (Heb 7:19)

Born Again To A Living Hope
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1Pe 1:3)

Christ in You, the Hope of Glory
“to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col 1:27)

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope,” (1Ti 1:1)

Hope Remains
“But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”  (1Co 13:13)

Abraham Believed in Hope Against Hope
“In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.” (Rom 4:18-25)

In the Kingdom of God, Hope Does Not Disappoint
“And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Rom 5:5)

We Hope For What We Do Not See
“And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” (Rom 8:23-25)

In His Word Do I Hope
“I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.” (Psa 130:5)

“Remember the word to Your servant, In which You have made me hope.” (Psa 119:49)

Hope for His Lovingkindness
“Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness,” (Psa 33:18)

Not Ashamed of Our Hope
“Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.” (Psa 119:116)

Your Faith And Hope Are In God
“who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” (1Pe 1:21)

The God Of Hope
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  (Rom 15:13)

So we should hope in the God of hope.

We Have Fixed Our Hope On The Living God
“For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.” (1Ti 4:10)

Let Us Hold Fast The Confession Of Our Hope
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;” (Heb 10:23)

The World Has No Hope
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.” (1Th 4:13)

“When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, And the hope of strong men perishes.” (Pro 11:7)

Give An Account For The Hope That Is In You
“But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;” (1Pe 3:15)

Plans to Give You a Hope
“'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer 29:11)

The Hope of Those Who Fear the Lord Will Not Be Cut Off
“Know that wisdom is thus for your soul; If you find it, then there will be a future, And your hope will not be cut off.” (Pro 24:14)

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the LORD always. Surely there is a future, And your hope will not be cut off.” (Pro 23:17-18)

So That We Might Have Hope
“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Rom 15:4)

The Hope Of The Righteous
“The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes.” (Pro 10:28)

The Hope of Righteousness
“For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.” (Gal 5:5)

One Hope
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” (Eph 4:4-6)

The Hope Of The Gospel
“Yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.” (Col 1:22-23).

A Continuous Hope
"But as for me, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more." (Psa 71:14)

A Purifying Hope
“And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1Jn 3:3)

Fix Your Hope Completely On The Grace
“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1Pe 1:13)

Hope Laid Up For You In Heaven
“because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel” (Col 1:5)

The Hope Of Eternal Life
“In the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,” (Tit 1:2)

The Hope Of Salvation
“But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.” (1Th 5:8)

“I hope for Your salvation, O LORD, And do Your commandments.” (Psa 119:166)

He Has Given Us Good Hope By Grace
“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.” (2Th 2:16-17)

Know The Hope Of His Calling
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,” (Eph 1:18)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note:  Also see Keeping Power of God, The Love of Jesus, The Loving God Who Bids Us to Come, You're Better Off Following Jesus, Garments of Godliness, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Rachael Mushala Testimony of Hell, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Faith Works!, Keeping Sundays Holy, Separation from the World, and Is Tithing Required? You can access the Seeking the Lord Main Directory or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Listen to Jesus, Who Upholds Moses and the Prophets

These days it is rare to find anyone who is correctly teaching the proper relationship of the Law and the Prophets to the kingdom of God.  Many are confused about the New Covenant of grace through our Lord Jesus Christ, and they fail to preach the whole counsel of God.  So let's take a look at what Jesus said on this topic.

Jesus with Moses and Elijah in the Kingdom of God
In Luke's gospel it is recorded that Jesus said:

"But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."  (Luk 9:27)

So He said some of his disciples would see the kingdom of God before they tasted death.  He meant that they would see the kingdom before they left this planet at the end of their lives.  And just as He said, eight days later He took His three closest disciples -- Peter, James, and John -- up onto a mountain to pray.  That is when the three disciples saw the kingdom of God. There the Lord's face and clothes became as white as lightning.

“Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus.” (Luk 9:30, NIV)

The disciples saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. It is important to notice who was talking with the Lord in the glorious kingdom of God there on the mountain.  Not only was Jesus appearing glorified, but so were Moses and Elijah. These two men represented the Law and the Prophets.

Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!"  (Luk 9:35)

So the Heavenly Father identified Jesus Christ as His Son, His Chosen One, which was an important seal of divine authority and remains so today as recorded in Scripture.  The Father commanded the disciples to listen to Jesus.  So this changed the focus, so that from that point forward all disciples of Christ would listen to Jesus.  There is still Moses and Elijah, the Law and the Prophets, but we listen to Jesus now.  Therefore, we must ask whether that means we listen to Jesus to the exclusion of the Law and Prophets, or in conjunction with them.

The Law and the Prophets Fulfilled in the Gospel of the Kingdom of God
Jesus answered this question later when He said:

"The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail. Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.” (Luk 16:16-18)

Since Jesus came, the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcing their way into the kingdom.  It was only until Jesus came that the Law and the Prophets were proclaimed. However, Jesus did not do away with the Law and the Prophets or annul them.  He upheld them!  Although He established a New Covenant with God's people, according to the prophet Jeremiah, He upheld the Law and the Prophets. He said, "it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail."  And in Matthews gospel, he said:

"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Mat 5:17-19)

In the kingdom of heaven, whoever keeps and teaches the Law and the Prophets is considered great. Far from abolishing the Law and Prophets, the Lord gave them a place of very high importance. He said that not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. So let nobody annul one of the least of these commandments, or teach others to do the same.  In fact, if you read the rest of the Sermon on the Mount in the gospel of Matthew, chapters 5-7, you will clearly see that Jesus taught the Law and the Prophets.  For example, He said, "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Mat 7:12). Other topics He taught about from the Law and Prophets in that sermon were murder, adultery, reconciliation, righteousness, and more. 

Likewise, in the context of Luke's gospel, where Jesus said it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail, He immediately referred to adultery in connection with divorce. That was a connection that the Pharisees and teachers of the Law were not preaching about. He said, "Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery." In doing so, He accurately taught the meaning of the Law and the Prophets, tying together and unifying passages from the Law (like Genesis 2:24 and Deuteronomy 24:1-4) with passages from the Prophets (like Jeremiah 3:1 and Malachi 2:13-16).  He carried the same message in the gospel of the kingdom as the Lord said through Malachi and other prophets, "you are not keeping My ways."

Another example of Jesus tying together and unifying the Law and the Prophets with the gospel of the kingdom is in regard to the commandments to love. "One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And He said to him, “'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."  (Mat 22:35-40).  Therefore, Jesus summarized in two commandments everything that was written by Moses and the prophets. He showed that the whole Law and Prophets are unified or tied together by the one common, central theme of love.

Now back to the Luke passage we were examining a moment ago. In the same context of Jesus' instruction about the lasting nature of the Law and Prophets, He immediately told the account of the rich man in hell and Lazarus in Abraham's bosom.  This was not a parable, because it contains a proper name, which is Lazarus, and a parable never uses proper names.  Most of us are familiar with this account of the two men in the underworld.  But do we fully understand the final impact of the story's lesson?  Listen to Abraham teach us the lesson:

"But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them…If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'" (Luk 16:29,31).

First of all, Abraham in his lifetime came before Moses and the Prophets, as well as before Christ.  Yet Abraham taught that people on earth should listen to Moses and the Prophets.  He upheld their teachings. In fact, he said that if people will not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead. And that is a veiled reference to both the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the first fruits from the dead, as well as the many genuine and proven testimonies we hear in these last days of people rising from the dead with a message from the Lord about heaven and hell.

Secondly, it was the Lord Jesus who told this true account of the rich man and Lazarus, and He used it to further emphasize His point that it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.  In this story that Jesus told, He declared through the mouth of Abraham that people should listen to Moses and the Prophets.  As I said, that was the main point of the story, which most people miss.  In saying this, Jesus upheld the Law and the Prophets. In fact, if the rich man had listened to them, he would have remembered the poor and been kind to Lazarus.

Therefore, we can see that the Law and Prophets have not lost their importance and have not been abolished by the New Covenant.  The way we relate to God now has changed under the New Covenant, because of the great and loving sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us, shedding His own blood, so that we sinners could be made righteous.  In the gospel of the kingdom, we preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins. But the ways of God have not changed!

And the message of the Lord to the apostate Church today is still "you are not keeping My ways." The message of the gospel is that you must repent of sin and believe on Jesus Christ in order to receive forgiveness of sins.  The Father said to listen to Jesus and Jesus said to listen to the Law and the Prophets, which taught a pro-love message against sin. We need to listen to Jesus, Who will teach us by His Spirit to properly understand the deeper meaning of the Law and Prophets, as He did in His Sermon on the Mount and the rest of the gospels, in order to show us the ways of God.  Then we will see where we have gone astray, so that we can repent, be forgiven, and return to God.

Learning the Ways of God in the Law and Prophets
I recommend you read my other articles about the Law, in order to understand clearly what I am teaching about the ways of God, which is not a return to living under the Law, since we are under grace and not Law. We are not endeavoring to keep up the law of Moses in conjunction with the gospel of Christ. Therefore, I strongly recommend reading the following articles below, beginning with the ones in the left column:

Is Obedience Optional? The Law of Christ  The Law Fulfilled in Us The Law Established Through Faith The Cost of Discipleship Faith Works! Costly Grace Deleted Scriptures in the Bible? Did Jesus Nail the Law to the Cross? The Obedience of Faith Righteousness by Faith not Law

Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God Aim for Perfection Righteous Deeds and White Robes Doing What is Right Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice Partaking of the Divine Nature Walking in the Perfect Will of God Pressing on Toward the Goal Obedience by the Spirit The Law is Good if Used Lawfully What Then Must We Observe? Remember the Eternal Law of God

Believe All That the Prophets Have Spoken
Jesus taught us to believe all that Moses and the Prophets have spoken.  He said, "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" (Joh 5:46-47).  From this it is clear that Moses and Jesus are in harmony with each other.  And it is necessary to believe both Moses and Jesus.  If you do not believe the writings of Moses, you will not believe the words of Jesus.

Another passage in Luke’s gospel that I would like to mention is the account of the Lord meeting the two men on the road to Emmaus on the day of His resurrection. 

“And He said to them, ‘O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” (Luk 24:25-27)

Notice that he rebuked them for being slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. The prophets spoke of how it was necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory.  One example of that is in Isaiah 53, in which Isaiah prophesied about Christ’s suffering and crucifixion around seven hundred years before it happened (also see Yeshua Ha'Maschiah in the Tanakh).  And notice how Jesus explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures, beginning with Moses and with all the prophets. So as they listened to Jesus, He taught about Himself from the Law and the prophets.

“Now He said to them, ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.’” (Luk 24:44-47)

Notice that all things that are written about Jesus in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. So Jesus emphasized His harmonious relationship with the Law of Moses and the Prophets.  In Him we find the fulfillment of what is written in those Scriptures, including their fulfillment in Him within our lives.  His suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection from the dead were all in fulfillment of those Scriptures. Likewise, we proclaim to all nations repentance for forgiveness of sins in His name, just as it is written in the Law and the prophets. It is always just as it is written in the Law and the prophets, since they must always be fulfilled.  And Jesus is the One Who opens our minds to understand those Scriptures by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Listen to Him!

As Philip said to Nathanael, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (Joh 1:45).  We proclaim as Peter did,  "Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins."  (Act 10:43). As Paul did, we believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets. (Ac 24:14).

Finally, if you notice in the many divine revelations of heaven and hell that I have posted on Eternal Destinations, the message in these revelations typically refers to the ways of God that are found throughout the Bible, including the Law and the Prophets. Let's keep the ways of God according to Scripture, and not be like the rich man in hell and countless others who failed to do so, because they didn't listen to the Law and the Prophets.  They were slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken. Just as it is written, let us prepare in holiness for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He is coming right away! The call is going out today, "Sinner, come home!" Repent and believe the gospel, for the Kingdom of God is near.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.  The calligraphy in the "Every Word of God is Flawless" image used in this article is by my sixteen-year-old daughter, C.V. Lacroix.  The "At the Cross" illustration was also created by her. You can find more of her fine artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this article, I recommend The Cost of Discipleship, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Remember the Eternal Law of God, Is Tithing Required?, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing?, The Straight and Narrow Path, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, The Top Ten Things Jesus Taught, Separation from the World, The Rise of Antichrists, The Flesh vs the Spirit, and Ask for the Ancient Paths. You may access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.