539.  Jesus Rose From The Dead And Is Alive. John 20:19-31. [Notes on the Gospel Reading for Sunday 07 April 2024]

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

Millions of people throughout the world say these words about Jesus in church every Sunday as part of the Nicene Creed, “For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.” This Creed was adopted by churches at the First Council of Nicaea in 325AD and amended in 381AD at the First Council of Constantinople. Christians have been repeating this Creed since that time. 

The gospel passage today shows how someone who doubted that truth about Jesus being risen from the dead, came to firmly believe it. 

1].           Jesus Appears To The Disciples. John 20:19-23.

John 20:19  “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”    The apostles had previously been told by three witnesses they had seen Jesus risen from the dead, but they failed to believe them. Now comes unmistakable proof. 

a]. Though they were securely locked in a room, Jesus suddenly appeared among them and said, “Peace be with you.” They saw Him for themselves in this supernatural appearance.

b].  Jesus proved that it was He as He showed them His hands and His side. His body bore signs of the wounds He had suffered when He was crucified. It was indeed the crucified Jesus risen from the dead.

c]. Jesus recommissioned His apostles as He had previously commissioned them in Luke 9:1-2., “And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2  and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.”  This time it was with the promise of the Holy Spirit to help them, “Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’ 22  And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. 23  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.’” 20:21-23.

There are two things to note in this passage. 

1.  When Jesus said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” did they actually receive the Spirit at that moment? We normally think of the Holy Spirit being poured out on the disciples at Pentecost, several weeks later.  I believe it was one of the proleptic sayings of Jesus where proleptic means “the assumption of a future act or development as if presently existing or accomplished.” Jesus was speaking of a future event as we can see from the following verses. The apostle John wrote that the Holy Spirit would not be poured out until Jesus had been glorified, “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John7:39. His glorification involved His death, resurrection, ascension and being seated at the right hand of God.

The apostle Peter explained the scene at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the apostles as being the result of Jesus ascending to the Father, there receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit and then pouring Him out on the apostles. Act 2:33 “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.”

2. There may be some misunderstanding regarding verse 23, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”  If we understand the words to mean that those in church leadership can stop others from being forgiven, then that cannot be true. The truth is contained in the words in 1 John 1:9  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Anyone coming before the Father, confessing their sins and sincerely asking for His forgiveness, will be forgiven. 

Perhaps a better explanation may be this. The word “withhold”  is from [krateō; κρατέω] meaning to hold fast or retain. It could refer to believers who can forgive those who sin against them or they could refuse to forgive them. In the latter case, they are retaining the sins and not letting them go. In other words, a believer who chooses not to forgive someone who hurt them, retains their sins by not forgiving them. However, the person who has asked for their forgiveness may already have confessed their sins to God and been forgiven by Him. Unforgiveness is a sin that punishes those who refuse to forgive and mars fellowship between believers. 

2].           Jesus And Thomas. 20:24-29

i].             The Depth Of Thomas’ Doubt That Jesus Had Risen From The Dead. 24-25

 “Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25  So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.’”  John 20:24-25.

Perhaps when the apostles shared with Thomas that they had seen the risen Jesus, it sounded too good to be true for him. He wanted to be sure that what they had seen was not an apparition. So he would have to see the body of Jesus and the wounds from His crucifixion to really believe that Jesus was risen.

ii].           The Depth Of Thomas’s Faith In The Risen Jesus. 26-29

The risen Jesus challenged Thomas personally. “Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 20:26-27. They all saw Jesus but He addressed Thomas individually and asked him to fulfil the demands he had made before he would believe. We are not told if Thomas did touch the body of Jesus but now his doubt was gone, ‘Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”’  20:28. His declaration was an act of willing submission to the risen Lord.

Jesus responded with a general statement that has been a blessing to millions throughout the history of the church, ‘Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”’ John 20:29. Millions since that time have believed in Jesus even though they have never seen Him. They are encouraged by His words that they are blessed.

3].           The Purpose Of This Book. 20:30-31

John tells us why he wrote this gospel. John 20:30  “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31  but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Though Jesus had done many miracles or signs during His ministry, John included in his gospel many that would help people to understand two main truths. Firstly, that Jesus is the long-promised Messiah or Christ [the Anointed One] as well as being the Son of God. Secondly, that by trusting in Jesus, people could gain life in His name. “Life” here is [zōē; ζωή] which occurs 36 times in this gospel. Perhaps the most well-known verses are 3:16,  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” AND 6:47  “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.”

This passage of scripture places pressure on those who read it or hear it, to personally submit their lives to the Risen Jesus Christ. Then they can join those blessed ones who have not seen Jesus but believe in Him. If they fail to do so then the words of John 3:16 apply to them. Having rejected the grace of God in the gift of Jesus, they will perish until they repent and receive Him as their Saviour and Lord.

Blog No.539 posted on Tuesday 19 March 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Lectionary Readings Year B {All Years], Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

538. JESUS IS ALIVE! Mark 16:1-19. Gospel for Easter Sunday. 31 March 2024

Posted on March 15, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

We read these words in Mark16:14, “Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.” At first sight, it seems out of character for Jesus to be confrontational in His approach to His disciples. The word for ”rebuke” is [oneidizō; ὀνειδίζω] meaning also to reproach, revile, upbraid. The reason for His rebuke was the unbelief and the hardness of heart of the disciples. Some followers of Jesus had seen Him after He had risen from the dead and had excitedly shared the news with the apostles. Imagine their surprise and their disappointment when the apostles did not believe them. 

What was the news they rejected?

i].        It Was News Some Disciples Were Afraid To Share.  16:1-8

The first people to know Jesus had risen from the dead were three women who had gone to the tomb to prepare Jesus’ body for burial, “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2  And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3  And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4  And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6  And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7  But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8  And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” Mark 16:1-8.

What a wonderful message they could have shared with the apostles and others. An angel told them that the crucified Jesus whose body had been placed in a tomb had risen from the dead and was going to meet with Peter and the disciples in Galilee. There was no need for them to be afraid. But they were afraid. Afraid of the unknown factors behind the supernatural and mysterious event that had taken place. It was beyond human explanation and experience. They had been told facts not theories but were afraid to share what was true.

There may be many in today’s world who likewise are afraid of what doesn’t concur with their human reasoning and experience. Because they have not experienced miraculous power they rubbish it or deny the possibility. But the Bible contains facts given by God in His word that humans are meant to accept and act on.

ii].       It was News Mary Magdalene Shared With The Apostles. 16:9-11. 

Mary Magdalene had seen the empty tomb and heard the angel of the Lord tell her and the other women that Jesus had risen. But she later had a personal visitation from the Lord, “Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10  She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept, “But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.” Mark 16:9-11. 

The angel had told her and the other women that Jesus had risen from the dead but she and the others were too afraid to share the news. Suddenly Jesus appeared before her. Now she believed He was alive. Jesus was later to say to someone [the apostle Thomas] who had been disbelieving until he personally saw Jesus, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29. Once Mary Magdalene was convinced that Jesus was alive she immediately went to share the good news with the apostles. What a shock it must have been to her when they would not believe what she told them. 

iii].      it was News Two Disciples Shared With The Apostles. 16:12-13.

“After these things, he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13  And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.” 16:12-13.

Luke records what happened when these 2 disciples were joined by Jesus as they travelled towards Emmaus.  They invited Him to stay with them and as they began to eat together the following happened, “When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31  And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32  They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33  And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34  saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35  Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.” Luke 24:30-35.

But as Luke puts it, “…. but they did not believe them.” 16:12-13.

There were now 3 separate witnesses who told the disciples that they had seen Jesus now risen from the dead. Why didn’t they believe them?

iv].      It Was News The Apostles Believed When Jesus Appeared To Them. 16:14

Mark 16:14  “Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.” 16:14.

The apostles had to admit Jesus was alive when He appeared among them. But He chastised them for their unbelief and their hardness of heart. They were accountable for their attitude of unbelief. They should have been expectant that Jesus would rise from the dead on the third day because He had foretold exactly this, “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” Mat 16:21.  AND in Mat 17:22-23, “As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23  and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.”

So there was no excuse for them when they rejected the testimony of Mary Magdalene and the 2 Emmaus disciples. 

v].       It Was News The Apostles Were To Share With The World. 16:15-19 

Did Jesus see the disciples as a lost cause? No, He commanded them to take the message about Himself to the whole world, “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17  And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18  they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 19  So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” Luke 16:15-19.

Praise God that He can overcome human failures as those humans recognise the claims of the risen Christ on them and submit to Him as their Saviour and Lord!

THE CHALLENGE FOR US TODAY

This passage reminds us that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and is alive today, seated at the right hand of God in glory. There is also the testimony of millions of people throughout the world and throughout history to the fact that He is alive because they have entered into a personal relationship with Him.

It also reminds us that every human in every generation needs to put their trust in Him, for as Luke 16:16 records Jesus saying, “Whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

There is a tendency among humans today to try to be tolerant. But we cannot be tolerant when people’s lives are at risk or when they are facing eternal punishment for refusing to believe in Jesus. Every human in every age needs to hear the gospel in order to respond to it and accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour.u

That means praying for all our family and acquaintances that their hearts would be softened by the Holy Spirit so that their hardness of heart and their unbelief might disappear and they might give their lives to the Risen Jesus Christ. Then they will be able to sing the words of this hymn by an anonymous composer, 

“Jesus Christ is alive today

I know, I know it’s true

Sovereign of  the universe

I give Him homage due.

Seated there at God’s right hand 

I am with Him in the promised land 

Jesus lives and reigns in me

That’s how I know it’s true.”

Wishing you all a VERY BLESSED EASTER and may you experience the presence and the power of the risen Christ in your lives as you open your hearts wide open to Him.

Blog No.538 posted on Friday 15 March 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, spiritual warfare, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

537. Sermon on Mark14:1-9. True Love Achieves Great Things. [A Gospel reading for Sunday 24 March 2024]

Posted on March 12, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

[From a sermon preached at the Healing Service in StAndrews Cathedral, Sydney in 1997.]

As Jesus reclined at the table in a private home, a woman came to Him carrying a jar whose contents (perfumed ointment) were valued at almost one year’s salary.  Others might be plotting His death, but at least one person was showing Him, that to her, He was special.

I want us tonight to look at how love behaves, as we see it expressed by the woman.

THE EXPRESSIONS OF TRUE LOVE.

1. Love Takes The Initiative. She Came To Him. 14:3

We don’t know what sort of contact this woman had previously had with Jesus, but obviously  her heart had been moved by His ministry of  love. It may have been in gratitude for a  blessing she had received at His hands.  Or it may have been that she was overcome with the  sheer integrity of His life.  Whatever it was, she wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass to express her love. She came to Him.

Let me ask you, whether there is anyone that you should be loving, but you’re holding back. You’re waiting for them to take the initiative before you give of yourself in love to them. You think to yourself, “When I see some evidence that they’re sorry; when I think they’ve suffered enough through my withdrawal of love to them; when they have proved that they have changed; then and only then will I become loving and gracious to them.”

If you’ve got that sort of attitude, it’s something you need to repent of, because that’s not how love behaves. What would have happened if God had acted on those same principles. He would have looked at the world in all its sin and said, “What an ungrateful, sinful mob. They don’t deserve to have me send my Son Jesus into the world to die for them.”  But His word says that it was while we were yet sinners that Christ came and died for us. He took the initiative.  God may be calling many of you tonight to take the initiative in seeking to reach out to restore relationships. To bring His healing grace and power into human lives.

2. Love Offers The Best That One Has. 14:3

It is almost certain that this was the most valuable possession that the woman had.  She could have thought, “I’ll just put a little dab on His forehead and keep the rest for another time.” But there wasn’t going to be another time.  Within hours He was going to be dead.  She broke the jar and poured it all over His head and anointed His head with it.

What a contrast to so much in the church through the ages.  Support for missionaries in the form of second-hand tea bags. Support for Christian causes from small change in the pocket, rather than committed giving. But love offers the best that one has, sacrificially and generously. Praise God that so many of His people give sacrificially and with love. 

3. Love Makes The Most Of Every Opportunity. 14:3-4

It must have been hard for her to go into that home and do what she did.  But it was important enough for her to risk all the ridicule and the misunderstanding of her action.  Men could have thought the worst of her morals. Women could have thought that she was downgrading the status of women by making such a pathetic display of pandering to a man in this public way.  She did what she could, when she could, making the most of the opportunity before it was too late.

I have often come across very sad situations in visiting people who have been bereaved. But the saddest of those circumstances is that in which people are living with regret for the opportunities that were missed for showing love and affection. As a young person, I once heard the words that go something like this,  “I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”  [Words attributed to Stephen Grellet (1772 –1855) who was a prominent French-American Quaker missionary.]

The moments for expressing love which were never taken up, are lost for eternity.  I remember being in my late 20’s and most of my younger friends had already married. I had begun to have deep feelings about one of the girls in my fellowship group. I felt she was far too good for me and was destined to become the wife of a Lord Mayor or a Prime Minister or some other dignitary. All I had to offer her was my love and a life in an ordinary lifestyle.  I hesitated about telling her how I felt. But I had this strange thought. Would I ever seek less than God’s best for her? NO! Would I ever deliberately hurt her or fail to appreciate her? NO!  I felt I would be committed to her for the rest of our natural lives if she was willing to accept me as a lifelong partner. One Sunday night after I had driven her home from church I decided to share what I was feeling. Adopting a very low-key approach I said to her, ”I think I’m beginning to like you.” When it appeared that my profession of love in this form pleased her I was able to tell her that I loved her very much. And to my delight, this beautiful attractive creature replied, ‘I love you too!” It meant that months afterwards we began our richly blessed life together for almost 54 years before she passed into the presence of the Lord. I am so glad that I got around to expressing my love to this wonderful servant of God and as a result serving Him together for those 54 years. 

What marriages could have been enriched, what families could have been blessed for generations, if husbands and wives had taken those opportunities to express their love for each other, and the influence of that be passed on to their children. Unfortunately, the pattern that is set for marriage in the eyes of many children, is that of conditional love, not the self-giving love of the New Testament. 

The way we behave is not just affecting you and me; it is affecting generations where those wrong attitudes continue in the family.

4. Love Is Never Wasted. 14:4-5

I want us to notice the different value placed on her action.  Many there perhaps, including some of the disciples said, “What a waste. “ In fact they tried to be spiritual about it, saying, “This ointment could have been sold and given to the poor. ” They saw it all as a terrible waste.  What they were really saying was this, “HE ISN’T WORTH IT.” But she thought He was.  What did Jesus think?  He called what she did a “beautiful thing.” Not only was it beautiful, but it was timely.  The poor could benefit from help at any time, but He had only hours to live.  Her opportunity to show love was not wasted.  Nor is love ever wasted.

Sometimes we might hear the words uttered by parents when a daughter marries someone whom they feel is inferior to the family, “She threw herself away on him.  What a waste of a talented girl.” But it’s no waste if there is genuine love between the daughter and her husband and they affirm each other, encouraging each other to know and do the Lord’s best for them. God, you could say, gambled when He sent His Son into the world.  What if most people rejected Him, wouldn’t that be an incredible waste of the life of His precious Son?  But it was His initiative in sending His Son into the world to die for sinners that made some respond in love to His love.  Love gives in spite of not being appreciated, and can bring forth love in the other person. Praise God for every person who has responded to the Lord’s love by loving Him in return!

5. Love Is Eternal. 14:6-9

That’s what Paul wrote in 1 Cor 13. “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, Love never ends.” So significant was this expression of love in the eyes of Jesus that He gave it eternal value. He said that her actions would be told throughout all the generations of humankind in memory of her.  This action of the woman will never be forgotten while there is a world.  Our expressions of love are also eternal. They change the world around us and then spread out to touch the lives of others, who in turn acting in love, touch more people. But our failure to love is also eternal.  It has eternal consequences.  What would the world be like now, if generations ago, some of the people in the Middle East or in parts of Africa had put aside their bitterness and determined by the grace of God to take the initiative and to be loving to those whom they once hated?

This is a very powerful story. Jesus knew we needed to be challenged with a human example of someone who loved.  I believe that tonight God is going to begin to open some of us wide open, so that He might pour His love into us by His Holy Spirit, and He is going to impress upon us the need to take the initiative in showing love to those whom He will show us. 

We need to cooperate with Him as He shows us  who those people are, even though we may be going through difficult times, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4  and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5  and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5. 

We are able to love even the unlovable with the agape love of God. It is God’s own love poured into our hearts, flowing through us to enrich the life of a person [or people] who long to be loved. To whom do we need to reach out with God’s love? 

Blog No.537 posted on Tuesday 12 March 2024,

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, Sermons on John's Gospel, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

536. Links To Teaching On Aspects Of  Healing By Jim Holbeck On Blogs And You Tube Videos and Kindle books. 

Posted on March 10, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

A number of people in recent days have expressed a desire to know more about God’s healing power. So I have decided to put the links on one page in the following. It means that any individual or any group can download the teaching for free to learn more about the healing ministry in today’s world. Because they are free [except for a small charge for the Kindle books] they could be conveniently used by any group of people individually or corporately throughout the world. 

1].           Blog articles on www.jimholbeck.blog

https://jimholbeck.blog/2023/01/27/blog-no-465-summary-of-all-core-teaching-modules-by-jim-holbeck/    About 32 topics on the Core Teaching of the healing ministry are covered on these links summarised in blog No. 465. However most of the 530 plus articles on this blog site have some connection to healing. The blog site has a great INDEX where you can type in any subject or Bible verse and the articles mentioning them will be displayed for you. 

2].           You Tube Videos [many visual and audio].

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jim+holbeck   About 16 videos on You Tube

These have been recorded at various places and cover a wide range of healing ministry topics.

3].           Amazon Kindle books. [2 of them. They both sell for less than a cup of coffee.]

The Searching And Knowing God Who Loves And Cares: Reflections on Psalm 139.

“The Godly Reward for True Humility”: Studies in St Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians.

4].           Not me. On You Tube you may find the name James Holbeck coming up under “Jim Holbeck”. He is my son of whom I am very proud. He played 7 international tests for the Australian Rugby Union football team [the Wallabies] and some of his talks are on You Tube. For a change in theme and pace I have included below an action video of some highlights in his playing career for Randwick, the ACT Brumbies and Australia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWDFgccAkPs

Blog No.536 posted on Sunday 10 March 2024

Posted in Audio material, BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Coping With Personal Grief, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, GROUP DISCUSSION MATERIAL on "Forgiveness", Healing, HEALING MINISTRY Core Teaching, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, spiritual warfare, Studies in Psalm 139, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

535. Sermon Notes On John 3:14-21. “God’s Love For Us.” [Gospel for Sunday 10 March 2024.]

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

It is wonderful to know that you are loved. Many of us have known that experience in life at some time or other. It hurts like mad when that is not our experience. Because of the hurtful experiences some have known, they may despair whether there is such a thing in life as real deep genuine love. 

I need to say at the outset that you are loved with a deep, genuine love. 

  • It is a love that will never let you go.  It will always be there for you.
  • But you may not have experienced it at this stage of your lives. 
  • I’m talking about the incredible love that God Himself has for you, yet you may be totally unaware of it. 
  • Remember in the musical My Fair Lady, Eliza Doolittle says to Professor Higgins who has tried to make a lady out of her and who is obviously falling in love with her, “Don’t talk of stars burning above; If you’re in love, Show me!”
  • Love needs to be demonstrated not just talked about. 

God has shown His love for us. The verses quoted in this article are some of the most well-known verses in the New Testament which tell us about God’s self-giving love. 

Let’s look briefly at them in turn and see how they relate to us as individuals. 

1. God’s Love For The World, Including You And Me 

Jn 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

You can see the pre-eminent gift of His love is the gift of His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. As we put our trust in Him, we are no longer perishing but have eternal life, Gods’ own life within us. 

  • The Son of God, the Creator of this universe, humbled Himself to come and to die for you. 
  • You are loved by Him and you always will be. 
  • But you need to trust in who He is and in what He has done, to experience that love.

2. God’s Love For Sinners Was Demonstrated In The Death Of His Son For Us. Rom 5:8.   “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

It doesn’t matter how far you have fallen into terrible, terrible sin, God’s love and acceptance is there for you in Christ, if you are open to receive them by receiving Him. 

  • His blood cleanses us from all sin no matter how wretched or horrible it was. 
  • You can be forgiven, you can be cleansed, you can be healed because of what He did on the cross for you. 

When we come into a right relationship with Him through Jesus, He now saves us by His life. 5:10. The word for “saves “can also mean being made whole, being healed. He can make us more whole, healed people. 

3. God’s’ Love Can Release Love Within Us. 

(Eph 5:2)  “and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

We were created to love. But in the fall of humankind, we lost the desire and the ability to love as we should. 

But Jesus has shown us how to love, in His death for us. He considered our interests above His own as He humbled Himself to come into this sinful world. 

He was obedient unto death as He died on the cross in our place. Now inspired by His example and by His Spirit within us, we can love as we were meant to love. We can live a life of love. 

It seems that many people have become ill because they rejected the will of God by refusing to accept, to forgive and to love another person. 

4. God’s Love For Us Can Enable Us To Live For Him. 

St Paul was changed as he recognised that Jesus as the Messiah, as the Son of God had died for him.

He expressed his new life as a believer in these terms, (Gal 2:20)  “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

He acknowledged that if Jesus had unselfishly given His life for him, then he Paul had to give His life unreservedly to Jesus. As he wrote elsewhere of Jesus, “He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sakes died and was raised.”

5. God’s Love For Us Never Ceases

Paul wrote in Rom 8 about his deep conviction that nothing and nobody would separate Him from God’s love. (Rom 8:38)  “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, (Rom 8:39)  nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

His love doesn’t run hot or cold like that of some humans. It is constant and everlasting. 

You can know you are loved at any moment of any day. 

He understands you. He’s there for you. He’s not going to give up on you. 

He wants to pour out upon you all the unsearchable riches which are yours in Christ.  

6. God Wants To Share His Love With Us To Enable Us To Love 

As we open our lives to Him He gives us His own Spirit to indwell us. 

Rom 5:5, “God’s (agape) love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

We may not have been able to love as Jesus commanded us, but He equips us to love people with His own love. 

As we are open to receive that love for ourselves and as we are filled with God’s Holy Spirit, His love can flood our beings. 

We will have the strangest experience of having compassion towards those whom we once hated. We will find ourselves loving the unlovable. We will be amazed to see how many people we genuinely love and how deeply we love them. We’ll know it is not our natural thing to do. 

It has been God at work in us by His Spirit liberating us to love as we were always meant to do. 

7. God Wants Us To Experience All He Has For Us In Jesus

(Rom 8:31-32) “What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?”

God in His love for us has given us so many gifts. Yet none of them can compare with the greatest gift He gave, the gift of His Son Jesus to die for us on the cross. 

Paul argues that if God gave us the greatest gift He could give, then it was only logical that He would give all the lesser gifts we need to live for Him. 

The “all things” mean everything we need. 

  • Do you want some guidance so that you can know God’s will for your life? God is able to guide us by His word and to lead us by His Spirit.
  • Do you want to be freed to love as you should? God can release you from all the barriers that stop His love flowing through you and He can flood you with His love as you open yourself to His love. Romans 5:5, “and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.“f God? God can heal you to do His will. We can pray an unselfish prayer, ”Lord in Your love heal me, so that I can do Your will to Your glory.” Being healed to do the will of God should be our ultimate aim in life as we seek to live for Him.

Blog No.535 posted on Thursday 08 March 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Sermons on John's Gospel, spiritual warfare | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

534. SUMMARY OF ALL BLOGS ON THE BOOK OF HEBREWS. By Jim Holbeck

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

I have finished writing blogs on all the chapters in the New Testament book “Hebrews” from chapter 1 to chapter 13.

For convenience I will put links to each chapter on this single page [though they are listed together under “Hebrews. A Study of the Epistle” on the right hand side of my blog site when it is opened.

I hope you find this format helpful. 

Chapter 1. https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/01/06/511-the-jesus-who-cannot-be-ignored-hebrews-11-4/

Chapter 1 [continued.] https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/01/08/512-jesus-christ-is-a-better-messenger-than-the-angels-hebrews-14-14/

Chapter 2. https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/01/12/514-the-danger-of-neglecting-the-salvation-god-offers-us-hebrews-21-4/

Chapter 2 [continued]. .  https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/01/14/515-jesus-became-a-human-to-save-humans-hebrews-25-18/

Chapter  3.  https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/01/18/516-hebrews-chapter-3-jesus-greater-than-moses-why-we-need-to-keep-trusting-in-him/

Chapter 4. https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/01/20/517-hebrews-chapter-4-there-is-a-sabbath-rest-for-the-people-of-god/

Chapter 5. https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/01/21/no-518-hebrews-5-christ-is-the-better-high-priest-than-all-other-high-priests/\

Chapter 6.  https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/01/26/519-hebrews-chapter-6-a-warningagainst-falling-away-from-christ/

Chapter 7.  https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/01/31/521-hebrews-chapter-7-jesus-the-greatest-high-priest-secured-an-eternal-redemption-for-his-people/

Chapter 8.  https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/02/03/522-hebrews-chapter-8-the-new-covenant-is-much-better-than-the-old/

Chapter 9.  https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/02/11/525-hebrews-chapter-9-jesus-as-the-great-high-priest-of-a-new-covenant-secured-an-eternal-redemption/

Chapter10.  https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/02/17/529-the-necessity-of-christs-sacrifice-once-for-all-hebrews-10/

Chapter11.  https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/02/21/530-hebrews-111-3-what-is-faith

Chapter 11 [continued].  https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/02/23/531-hebrews114-40-the-examples-of-the-faith-of-the-heroes-of-faith/

Chapter 12.  https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/03/01/532-hebrews-12-jesus-the-founder-and-perfecter-of-our-faith/

Chapter 13.  https://jimholbeck.blog/2024/03/06/533-hebrews-13-living-a-positive-christian-life/

Blog No.534 posted on Wednesday 06 March 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, HEBREWS. A study of the Epistle, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Questions and Answers, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, spiritual warfare, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

533. Hebrews 13.  “Living A Positive Christian Life.”

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

The writer has emphasised throughout the book of Hebrews that Jesus Christ is supreme. As the Son of God and as the Great High Priest He offered the one perfect sacrifice for sin and thus secured an eternal redemption for the people of God. They will now be able to approach God with confidence and eventually enter heaven itself. However, in the meantime they have to live lives of obedience to God and in love for one another. This last chapter has the following exhortations. 

A]. DEVELOPING A SPIRITUAL FELLOWSHIP OF LOVE. (Heb 13:1-4) 

They Are To Love One Another. Heb 13:1, “Let brotherly love continue.” The word for “love” here is from [philadelphia; φιλαδελφία] meaning brotherly love, the love that exists between those united by a common faith in Jesus.

They Are To Be Hospitable. Heb 13:2, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” “Hospitality” is from [philoxenia;φιλοξενία] the love for strangers or foreigners. 

They Are To Remember Those In Prison And The Mistreated.  Heb 13:3, “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” They are to identify with those suffering from a loss in freedom, taking their time to reflect on their situations. It involved empathy, trying to understand what they were going through and their feelings.

They Are To Keep Marriage Holy.  Heb 13:4, “Let marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Marriage as a relationship instituted by God had to be held in high honour [timios; τίμιος] meaning respected, esteemed, of high value. Immorality and adultery defile marriage. “Undefiled” is from [amiantos; ἀμίαντος = unstained, chaste.]

B]. THEY HAVE SPIRITUAL TREASURES. (Heb 13:5-6)

Contentment. Heb 13:5, ” Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Believers are able to find contentment in God Who has promised not to leave nor desert His followers as seen in Deuteronomy 31:6  “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Jesus promised His followers, John 14:18  “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.“

Confidence. Heb 13:6,  “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” This follows the confident sayings in the Old Testament such as Psalm 30:10 “Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!” Psalm 54:4 “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.” Psalm 118:7 “The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.” The writer knew the truth he expressed in chapter 1 that Jesus sustained the whole universe, Heb 1:3  …. He upholds the universe by the word of his power…. .” His followers were safe in Him.

C].      A WILLING SUBMISSION TO LEADERSHIP IS NEEDED. (Heb 13:7-10)

There are three commandments in this chapter that refer to the local church and the place of the pastor and people. Godly living involves godly order and that means respecting and obeying those whom God has placed over His people. 

i. “Remember them which have the rule over you” (Heb 13:7). “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 8  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  9  Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.10  We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat.” It is the good examples of faith that the people of God are to imitate. The Saviour Jesus Christ is unchanging and therefore their faith is based on certainty, not changing according to new teachings. The “altar” is a reference to the cross of Christ where He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin. Only those who submit to Him can enjoy the benefits of His sacrificial offering on the cross.

ii. “Obey them that have the rule over you” (See Heb 13:17).

iii.  “Salute them that rule over you” (See Heb 13:24).

D].      SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES TO BE MADE. (Heb 13:11-16)

Be Willing To Suffer Disgrace For Him. Heb 13:11 “For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12  So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13  Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. 14  For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” If Jesus suffered being reviled, His followers also need to be willing to suffer being reviled for His sake. 

Be Willing To Offer Him Praise.  Heb 13:15 “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” The praise offered to God must come from the lips of those who love Him and who desire to serve Him. It is a sacrifice that must come from the redeemed heart.

Be Willing To Share With Others. Heb 13:16 “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” When we submit to Christ as Lord we recognise that all we are and all we have are His, not just ours. We are to be stewards of all He has given us. That involves doing good and sharing what God has given us as an expression of our love for Him.  As King David wrote, “The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:17. 

E].       SUBMISSION LEADING TO SPIRITUAL POWER. (Heb 13:17-24)

Submit To Authority. Heb 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Those whom God has placed in positions of leadership are accountable to God for this privilege. But the people of God are also accountable, so they need to obey and submit to that God-given authority so that leaders are able to rule with joy. 

Pray For Leaders. Heb 13:18 “Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honourably in all things. 19  I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.” The writer believes that he/she and associates have a clear conscience and urges that the readers continue to pray for them, especially that the writer may be returned to them. 

Benediction. Heb 13:20.  “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21  equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” The word “equip’ is from [katartizō; καταρτίζω] meaning to adjust thoroughly, to fit out, to prepare. God prepares His people to do His will, working in them that which is pleasing to Him. “Working” is from [poieō; ποιέω] meaning to do or to produce. St Paul has a similar expression in Philippians 2:12-13, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13  for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” However in this latter passage the word for “work” is from [energeō; ἐνεργέω] though both passages stress the need for their work to be initiated by God working in them. 

F].       FINAL GREETINGS. Hebrews 13:22-25

Heb 13:22 “I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. 23  You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. 24  Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. 25  Grace be with all of you.” 

The “Life Application New Testament Commentary” has this helpful commentary on these words, “A final benediction ends the letter: May God’s grace be with you all. Concluding with “grace” is an appropriate ending for this letter. God’s approval could not be won through ceremonies or through following the old covenant. Rather, God’s grace comes through the new covenant.

Hebrews is a call to Christian maturity. It was addressed to first-century Jewish Christians, but it applies to Christians of any age or background. Christian maturity includes making Christ the beginning and the end of our faith. To grow in maturity, we must center our lives on him, not depending on religious ritual, not falling back into sin, not trusting in ourselves, and not letting anything come between us and Christ. Christ is sufficient and superior.” AMEN!

Blog No.533 posted on Wednesday 06 March 2024. 

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, HEBREWS. A study of the Epistle, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Questions and Answers, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, spiritual warfare, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

532. Hebrews 12.  “Jesus, The Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith.”

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

Chapter 11 contained a list of the heroes of faith during the span of Israelite history. The writer begins chapter 12 with the words, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1. The cloud of witnesses are the heroes of faith mentioned in chapter 11 and the example of their faith witnesses as an encouragement to the people of God in their Christian race.  

A. Looking to Jesus. 12:1-4

Heb 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Believers have a race to run in life and there are some preparations they need to make to be victorious in that pursuit. The focus has to be on Jesus, “the founder and perfecter of our faith.” 12:2. They need to keep “looking to Jesus” where “looking “is a present participle from [aphoraō; ἀφοράω] meaning to maintain one’s focus on Jesus having turned from looking at other things. That meant getting rid of anything that could slow them down in the race such as additional weight and sin. The race is not a short sprint but requires endurance. Endurance was what Jesus showed as He ran His race to obtain the joy that was set before Him. The endurance of hanging on a cross as an object of shame as part of the joy of fulfilling the plan of God for the salvation of sinners. Because He had fulfilled God’s plan, He was seated at the right hand of God. There was no further sacrifice for sin to be offered. He had secured an eternal redemption for the people of God.

There is a similar command in verse 3,  “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4  In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” The word for “consider” is from [analogizomai; ἀναλογίζομαι] meaning to think over, ponder. The readers were to ponder Jesus who went through very difficult times as He ran His race, eventually shedding His blood. They too were to face difficulties and the writer now begins to show why they would need to undergo suffering.

B. Why God Allows Difficult Times For His People: The Chastening Of God. 12:5-11

Heb 12:5 “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him . 6  For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.‘ 7  It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8  If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.”  Believers need to be disciplined. But there is a positive purpose in the Lord’s discipline. It is a mark of His love, not an expression of His punishment.

The Contrast Between Earthly Discipline And God’s Discipline. 12:9- 11.

Heb 12:9 “Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10  For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11  For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Human discipline was on the basis of doing what seemed to be best in the minds of those exercising discipline. However, God’s discipline has two main purposes. “He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.” It is to make us more holy, more set apart to live for Him.  It also ”yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Those who submit to God’s chastening will have the peace of knowing they are living in a way pleasing to God.

C. Application: Instructions on How To Live As Believers. 12:12-28.

i].         Commands To Obey. 12:12-13.

Heb 12:12 “Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13  and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14  Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”  The Christian race demands deliberate effort such as getting our hands, knees and feet working properly as we run the race. There are 2 goals in sight as we run. We need to ”strive” [diōkō;  διώκω] or pursue peace with everyone and to make a real effort to be holy,  for only the holy will see the Lord.

ii].        Warnings To Observe. 12:15-17

God knows human beings and the power of the temptations they face. So throughout His word, He warns people of the temptations they face and the danger of not relying upon His grace and thus sinning. Heb 12:15  “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16  that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17  For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.”

“See to it” is from [episkopeō; ἐπισκοπέω] meaning to inspect thoroughly and to beware and is at the basis of our English word “episcopal” meaning being an overseer or a bishop. Believers are to be fully aware and to take heed lest they fail to appreciate and appropriate the grace of God in His love for them. Rejecting the grace of God can lead to sinful  behaviour such as 

  • Exhibiting bitterness. Bitterness had characterised the people of Israel in their wilderness wanderings and was infectious as it influenced many of the people and was one of the reasons why they did not enter the promised land. 
  • Sexual immorality. The Decalogue [or Ten Commandments] and other Old Testament passages forbade sexual immorality.  
  • Unholiness such as that shown in the life of Esau when he disregarded his birthright. That meant he missed out on the blessing that had been due to him.

Appreciating and appropriating the grace of God enables believers to have victory over sin.

D].       Coming To An Intimate Relationship With God. 12:18-24

In verses 18 to 24 the writer outlines the journey that believers had begun as they exercised faith in Jesus Christ, using the  words, “You have come!”

They had not come to something fearful, “For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19  and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. 20  For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21  Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” 12:18-21.

Rather they had come into a more intimate relationship with God. This is expressed in many ways using the words “But you have come”

  • to Mount Zion 
  • and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
  • and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 
  • 23  and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, 
  • and to God, the judge of all, 
  • and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 
  • 24  and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, 
  • and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” 12:22-24.

God wants His people to know how He sees them as believers.  He said through St Paul in Ephesians 2:4-7, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” We may find it difficult to see ourselves as now being seated with Christ at the right hand of God but that is what God wants us to know. He Himself actually seated us with Christ at His right hand. It was His doing, not ours. It can be very freeing for us to understand how God sees us, in these passages in Ephesians 2 and in this chapter 12 of Hebrews. 

E].        A FINAL WARNING AND AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO WORSHIP GOD IN GRATITUDE AND PRAISE. 12:25-29

The Warning

Though believers can be assured of their place in God’s purposes, it is still necessary for them to be careful. They need to keep on hearing and obeying God, “See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26  At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27  This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.” 12:25-27.

In 1 Corinthians 10 St Paul showed how Israel had not followed God’s commands and perished in the wilderness. Then he added, “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.’  1 Corinthians 10:6 and “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” 1 Corinthians 10:11. God cannot be ignored or disobeyed. His warnings must be taken seriously. There is no escape for those who reject Him.

The Encouragement

The writer ends the chapter on a positive note, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29  for our God is a consuming fire.” 12:28-29.

The words “let us be thankful” may be rendered “let us have [or, ‘obtain’] grace” (echōmen; charin ) (ἔχωμεν; χάριν ) and is probably a reference to all the resources of grace available from Jesus Christ.

The Holman Christian Standard Bible translates verse 28 as “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe.”

What they have received is a kingdom and that was referred to in Hebrews chapter 1 verse 8, “But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of your kingdom.”

Believers are mentioned as belonging to a kingdom in verses such as these:-

Dan 7:18, “But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.”

Rev 1:6, “and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 

Rev 5:10, “and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

(Luk 22:28-30; “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29  and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30  that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Rev 20:4-6, “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5  The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6  Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”

What amazing grace is bestowed on those who submit to the rule of Christ over them! To those who enter God’s kingdom through their faith in Jesus Christ. They should be highly motivated to “offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.”

God consumed human sin on the cross of Christ as He accepted Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. What grace! What a privilege!

Blog No.532 posted on Friday 01 March 2024

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, HEBREWS. A study of the Epistle, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

531. Hebrews11:4-40. The Examples of the Faith Of The Heroes of Faith

Posted on February 23, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

Hebrews chapter 11 opened with a definition of faith in verses 1 to 3,  “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2  For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3  By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” Hebrews 4:1-3. [NOTE 1]

The remainder of the chapter gives examples of those who exercised faith in God in the midst of challenging circumstances. 

This is shown in the different eras of Israelite’s history.

  • A].        11:4-7. Early History To The Great Flood
  • B].        11:8-31. History From Abraham To Entry Into The Promised Land.
  • C].        11:32-40. Other Historical Examples Of Faith. 

A].    11:4-7. Early History To The Great Flood

Heb 11:4  “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.” We are not told why Abel’s sacrifice was more acceptable to God than Cain’s, except that it was offered in faith. His example of faith continued to encourage people even after his death.

Heb 11:5  “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 1:6  And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”  The first “taken” is from [metatithēmi; μετατίθημι meaning to transport, transfer, to translate out of the world. The second is from the noun [metathesis; μετάθεσις] and reinforces the concept that Enoch was removed from the world because of his faith. There follows a general truth, namely that anyone who wants to please God, like Enoch, must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. 

Heb 11:7 “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this, he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”

Noah acted in faith by obeying the voice of the Lord to prepare for a giant flood and was considered righteous for doing so.  

B].     11:8-31. History From Abraham To Entry Into The Promised Land

Heb 11:8 “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9  By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10  For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” Faith means acting on what God reveals. This is what Abraham did as he acted in faith setting out to go to a promised land while not knowing what direction he would be travelling.

Heb 11:11 “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. 12  Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.” Sarah allowed herself to participate in the plan of God knowing it was humanly an impossible task. But in faith, she looked beyond the impossible in trusting that God was faithful to His promises.

A summary of those who had faith

Heb 11:13  “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14  For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15  If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16  But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” Faith is believing in promises that are unseen by natural sight. All the above heroes of faith trusted in God’s promises seeing and greeting them “from afar.”

Examples Of Faith From Abraham To The Entry Into The Promised Land. 11:17-31

Heb 11:17 “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18  of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19  He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.”

God’s testing of Abraham in commanding him to offer up his son Isaac as a sacrifice, may seem out of the character of God. However, God knew that Abraham would act in faith and Isaac would not be sacrificed. Abraham in faith believed that if Isaac was sacrificed then God could bring him back from the dead.

Heb 11:20  “By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.“

Isaac had known God’s blessing on his life and in faith believed that his sons would also receive God’s blessing. He preferred Esau to Jacob and tried to bless Esau first even though he was not the firstborn. His will was contrary to the will of God. However, when he discovered that he had blessed Jacob instead of Esau, he realised that God’s will must be done and in faith accepted God’s plan in making Isaac His first choice in His purposes. 

Heb 11:21  “By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.” 

When Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, he crossed his hands so that the older son’s blessing fell on Ephraim, the younger. In spite of Joseph’s protests, Jacob insisted that the blessings must stand because this was the order that the Lord had specified. He acted in accord with the revealed will of God and this was seen as an act of faith.

Heb 11:22 “By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.”

When Joseph knew that the end of his life was near, he predicted the exodus of Jacob’s descendants from Egypt. And he expressed his faith in telling these descendants to carry his bones from Egypt to the promised land of Canaan. 

Heb 11:23 “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.”

Here it is the faith of Moses’ parents that is being discussed. Somehow they recognised that this child was special and needed to be protected from Pharoah’s edict that children his age had to be killed. They took the risk of hiding Moses because of their faith in God’s purposes. 

Heb 11:24  By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25  choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26  He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 27  By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. 28  By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. 

Moses’ faith was seen in his forsaking all the wealth and privilege of belonging to the court of Pharoah to take a stand for his own people. In faith, he led the people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt knowing that Pharoah would be angry and would try to prevent them from leaving. He observed the Passover and encouraged all the Israelites to do the same, and as a result, the destroying angel passed over the homes of the Israelite people. 

Heb 11:29 “By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.” The Israelite people followed Moses’ command and in faith began to enter into the Red Sea only to find that the sea opened up for them, but the pursuing Egyptian army was destroyed as the sea closed over them. 

Heb 11:30  “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.” 

The people believed that if God’s command was obeyed, then the wall would fall.

Heb 11:31  By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” 

Rahab hid the spies because she had begun to have faith in the God of Israel. She told them, “And as soon as we heard it [the stories of the Exodus and the victories God had given the Israelites], our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.” Joshua 2:11. Rahab recognised that God was at work in blessing His people and trusted in Him.

C].     11:32-40. Other Historical Examples Of Faith

The writer concluded the chapter by joining together the many acts of faith that the people of God had performed over many centuries. Heb 11:32 “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—

  • Heb 11:33  who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
  • Heb 11:34  quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
  • Heb 11:35  Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.
  • Heb 11:36  Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
  • Heb 11:37  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—
  • Heb 11:38  of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. The judgment of the writer on all these heroes of faith is given in the simple phrase, “of whom the world was not worthy.” 11:38. The unbelieving world did not deserve to have such heroes living among them and considered them as being of no worth, but by their faith they were worthy in the sight of God.

Something Better For The Current People Of God. 11:39-40.

There is a surprising ending to the chapter as the writer reveals a wonderful truth, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40  since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” 11:39-40. The believers in  the Old Testament period knew God’s blessings but there was more to come which would be introduced through Jesus. God’s promises are eternal but are fulfilled according to His timetable, not ours. The fulfilment would come in Jesus as St Paul wrote in  2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”   

The entry of Israel into the promised land could have been seen as the fulfilment of all God’s promises to His people. But there was something ”better” for the people of God in all ages to experience. As the writer expressed in Heb 4:3 “For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.” All believers may enter into God’s rest which means into a personal relationship with Christ. He encourages everyone to come to Him to enjoy the rest that only He can offer, “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

[NOTE 1]. The definition of “faith” is outlined in the previous blog No. 530.

Blog No.531 posted on Friday 23 February 2024

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Healing, HEBREWS. A study of the Epistle, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

530. HEBREWS 11:1-3. WHAT IS FAITH?  

Posted on February 21, 2024 by Jim Holbeck

The writer finished chapter 10 with these words, “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” Hebrews 10:39. This is followed in chapter 11 with a definition of faith and how it was exemplified by people throughout the history of Israel. But first, we look at the definition in verses 1 to 3 in bold print, with the Greek words and their meaning. 

11:1. Verse 1 begins with the words, “Now faith is the assurance [ὑπόστασις; hypostasis = confidence, confident, person, substance] of things hoped for, the conviction [ ἔλεγχος; elegchos] proof, conviction, evidence, reproof] of things not seen [βλέπω; blepō; to look at, behold, perceive, regard, see, sight, take heed.] 

The word for “assurance” [ὑπόστασις hypostasis] had been used 2 times before its use in chapter 11. It means a setting under or the foundation of something.

  • Heb. 1:3 – Nature. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” The word can mean the steadfastness of mind, firmness, courage, resolution, confidence, firm trust, assurance, substance. Jesus was of the same substance as God and the exact imprint of His substance or nature.
  • Heb 3:13-14 – Confidence. The readers are encouraged to exhort each other to avoid the danger of hard-heartedness, “ But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14  For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.”

God is faithful and His promises are true. Therefore the believer can be assured of His promises being fulfilled in their lives both in the present and in the future. The NEB version puts it, “Faith brings substance to our hopes” where substance is this word [ὑπόστασις hypostasis.] Faith brings hope into being. 

“Hope” as we use the word today has a degree of uncertainty about it, for example, “I hope it is fine today.” However, in the New Testament hope is certain and will surely come to pass. 

“Conviction” [ἔλεγχος; elegchos,  is the inward assurance that comes from faith. Here it is the conviction of things not seen. It is the certainty that God’s promises for the present and the future [at present unseen] will surely come to pass. 

11:2. “For by it the people of old received their commendation [μαρτυρέω; martyreō; to obtain a good (honest) report, be well reported of.] Those in the Old Testament period who had faith in God were recognised by Him as being acceptable in His sight. They honoured Him by trusting in Him and in His promises to them.

11:3. “By faith we understand that the universe [αἰών; aiōn properly, an age; by implication, the world] was created [καταρτίζω katartizō; to complete thoroughly, make perfect, prepare.]  by the word of God, so that what is seen [βλέπω; blepō; to look at, behold, beware, see, sight, take heed. ] was not made out of things that are visible. [φαίνω; phainō; to lighten (shine), appear, be seen.]

Creation is seen by most scholars as being ex nihilo, “out of nothing.” There was nothing apart from God before He spoke the universe into existence. Others look at this verse and suggest that there may have been invisible things existing before God spoke them into being. However other parts of the Bible do not seem to support this latter view. 

The apostle John described creation in John 1:3, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Everything that exists owes its origin to Jesus. 

St Paul in Colossians 1:16, declared that God created everything including the visible and the invisible, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” Everything, whether seen or unseen was created by Jesus.

Earlier in Hebrews 1:2, the writer saw Jesus as the creator of the ages, Heb 1:2 “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”

SUMMING UP

The word for “faith” [pistis ; πίστις] occurs about 243 times in the Bible and so is of great importance. The writer of Hebrews began  chapter 11 with a definition of faith before beginning to mention many of the heroes of faith in the Old Testament period who gained God’s approval by their faith, “For by it the people of old received their commendation.” 11:2.

In brief, faith is described as the following:-

  • It is the assurance of things hoped for
  • It is the conviction of things not seen
  • It understands that the universe was created when God spoke it into being
  • It understands that everything that exists did not exist before God created [or prepared] it by His word of power. 

The writer now goes on in the rest of the chapter to describe how the people of faith exercised their faith in many different circumstances because of the confidence they had in the God they had begun to worship and to serve.  

The exciting thing we will read as we come to the end of the chapter is that God has provided something better for us, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40  since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. 11:39-40. 

Blog No.530 posted on Wednesday 21 February 2024.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment