What Did Paul Mean by “According to the Scriptures”?
Speaking of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, Paul made this statement by the Holy Spirit:
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
What Scriptures was Paul referring to? Since the book of James and three of Paul’s earlier epistles (the two Thessalonian letters and Galatians) were the only New Testament Scriptures at this point in time,* it would be a reference to the Old Testament Scriptures since they clearly spoke of the sufferings, death & resurrection of Christ, e.g. Psalm 16:8-11, Psalm 22 & Isaiah 53. Also see Luke 24:25-27 and Acts 2:25-31.
Paul made another interesting reference to the existing Scriptures of that time earlier in the same epistle, in 1 Corinthians 4:6, which you can read about here.
* For a listing of the chronological order of the New Testament books go here.
Related Topics:
What Does “Do Not Go Beyond What is Written” Mean in 1 Corinthians 4:6?
What are the Sources of Truth (Reality)?
Hermeneutics—Proper Bible Interpretation
What Does “Do Not Go Beyond What is Written” Mean in 1 Corinthians 4:6?
Berean Spirit — What is it? How Do You Cultivate It?
Who Wrote the New Testament Books? Who Authorized them as Scripture Canon?
What Are the Sources of TRUTH (Reality)?
Christ said that “the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). The Greek word for ‘truth’ is alétheia (ah-LAY-thee-ah), which means “the way it really is,” aka reality. Since the devil is “the father of lies” and is temporarily the “god of this world” (John 8:44 & 2 Corinthians 4:4), it’s going to take truth to set us free in a world where lies abound. Naturally the more truth we appropriate the freer we’ll be.
But what are our sources of truth? In the passage above (John 8:31-32) Christ said that his word was a source of truth and, by extension, the Holy Scriptures in general, which is substantiated by passages like 2 Timothy 3:15-17 and 1 Corinthians 4:6. The Messiah said God’s word is truth (John 17:17), which could be described as chronicled (written) truth, but the Lord also said HE was truth (John 14:6), which is living truth.
As such, believers can receive truth from the written word of God as well as via the living word of God thru the spirit of truth within us (John 16:13). This reveals that we need to:
- Become students of the WRITTEN word while…
- Cultivating a relationship with the LIVING word (John 1:1-4).
Being a student of the written word involves 1. reading & studying of the Scriptures (1 John 2:27) balanced out by 2. receiving from the “ministry of the Word” (Acts 6:1-4) thru anointed fivefold ministers. In both cases, striving to rightly divide the Scriptures is paramount (2 Timothy 2:15).
For insights on receiving from both the written Word and the living Word, see this 19-minute video:
Of course another source of truth is God’s creation, that is, the Earth & Universe and all living things (Psalm 19:1-4 & Romans 1:19-20). By unbiasedly studying the creation we acquire truth, which is the basis of the genuine sciences, as opposed to the faulty pseudo-science advocated by LIEberals (I’m talking about the ones who claim with a straight face that there are scores of genders and that biological men can legitimately compete in female sports by simply “identifying” as a woman). Through the study of the Earth & Universe and all living things we learn the truths of geography, geology, astronomy, biology, physiology, zoology, entomology and so on.
Related Topics:
Hermeneutics—Proper Bible Interpretation
What Does “Do Not Go Beyond What is Written” Mean in 1 Corinthians 4:6?
Berean Spirit — What is it? How Do You Cultivate It?
What’s the Diff between “Milk” and “Solid Food” (or “Meat”)?
If Believers have an Anointing to Teach Themselves, Why do They Need Teachers? (1 John 2:27)
What’s the Difference between TEACHING and PREACHING?
Who Wrote the New Testament Books? Who Authorized them as Scripture Canon?
Your Belief Window — the Lens through which You See Life (video)
Was There a “Talking Snake” in Genesis 3?
Unbelievers, and especially militant atheists, are known to ask this question for the purpose of mocking the Bible’s depiction of events in the Garden of Eden just before the fall of humanity.
The scenario takes place in Genesis 3, but the creature wasn’t a snake in the sense that we understand the reptile. It was a beautiful, intelligent, non-creepy creature called a “serpent,” which obviously had legs of some sort (verses 1 & 14). Only after it was divinely cursed did it became the creepy creature we know as the snake.
After Satan’s plunge from Heaven he possessed a serpent-with-legs for the purpose of tempting Eve in the Garden of Eden and, through Eve, seduced Adam into outright rebellion against the Almighty. Here’s the account:
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:1-8
While Satan could have manifested himself in the physical realm like the “sons of God” later did (Genesis 6:1-4*) he obviously wanted to present his temptation to Eve as a harmless creature in order to be successful. This corresponds to something the New Testament says about him: “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). So he possessed a serpent but, as noted, this reptile was hardly the slithering serpentine creatures with which we’re familiar.
* See this article for details.
This reptile had legs and it did not have the negative connotation that snakes have had ever since (Genesis 3:14). Remember, after God created the Universe and all living things the entire creation was called “very good” and this would include the serpent (Genesis 1:31). So this was a striking, shining animal. It was as threatening to Eve as the GEICO gecko would be to us.
As far as the issue of this beautiful, intelligent creature being able to communicate with Eve goes, Adam & Eve were clearly used to communicating with animals in the Garden of Eden before the fall of creation because Eve wasn’t shocked when the serpent spoke to her. She reacted as if communing with such an animal was a normal thing. If this sounds strange to you, keep in mind that most of us communicate with animals every day.
For instance, my cats let me know when they want something to eat, when they want affection, when they want let outdoors and when they want in the house; they even give thanks! They may not speak English, but they certainly talk verbally and bodily; and I understand them. I also communicate with them: I indicate when they’re welcome on my lap or when they’re not welcome, e.g. “Get!” And they understand me on their primitive level. Here are a couple of pics of me with my cat Joelebah Duma:
Now imagine how heightened such communion would be before sin entered the physical realm and the corresponding curse on creation; this was when the world was perfect and everything was “very good,” as noted earlier. Now add to this the fact that the serpent was said to be the smartest of the animals God made (Genesis 3:1). The serpent is called “crafty” or “clever,” which is translated from the Hebrew word arum (aw-ROOM), meaning prudent, shrewd or sensible.
None of this means that the serpent communed with Eve in the language Adam & Eve spoke, nor with a human voice. The serpent simply utilized whatever vocal capabilities it had and Eve understood the meaning; and vice versa.
As you can see, this scenario wasn’t as absurd as unbelieving mockers would have you believe.
For details on this topic see this article.
Related Topics:
The Fall of Man (Humanity) and Slavery to Satan
REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation
Why is this World so Messed Up?
Demons—Are they Fallen Angels?
Human Freewill and God’s Sovereignty
Eternal Life (“Heaven”): Questions & Answers
Beauty, Objectification and Lust
The Bible plainly acknowledges the beauty or handsomeness of certain people on several occasions. For instance, the following verses reveal that Sarai (aka Sarah), Rebekah, Rachel and Esther were women of exceptional beauty:
When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman.
Genesis 12:14
Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. 16 The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.
Genesis 24:15-16
When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”
Genesis 26:7
Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful.
Genesis 29:17
Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.
Esther 2:7
And here are a few passages that reveal how Joseph, Saul and David were exceptionally good-looking men:
So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”
Genesis 39:6-7
Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.
1 Samuel 9:2
So he sent for him [David] and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
1 Samuel 16:12
Appreciating Beauty vs. Objectifying a Person
The Bible offers an interesting lesson on objectification in this account of king Xerxes of Persia and his queen, Vashti:
On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas— 11to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. 12But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.
Esther 1:10-12
Basically, Xerxes wanted to “show off” his wife to all the partying elites at his banquet because she was extraordinarily beautiful, but Vashti was so repulsed by the idea of being objectified by her husband’s drunken guests she was willing to risk her queen-ship and be deposed, which is what happened. (This of course paved the way for Esther, a secret Hebrew, to become queen of Persia — Esther 2:17).
To disobey a direct order from the king in that culture was unthinkable, but Vashti obviously couldn’t betray her own dignity — i.e. violate her conscience — to be ogled by a bunch of drunken men, especially considering the possibility that she was to appear before them wearing only her crown, which is what some Hebrew historians maintain. This account is contrasted by Salome’s willingness to dance at King Herod’s banquet but, then, she didn’t do it nude and she & her mother had an ulterior motive (Mark 6:17-28).
What can we get from Vashti’s impressive refusal to give-in to her husband’s ignoble request at great cost? While it’s nice to be sincerely noticed or complimented now and then, being objectified is a different story. It reduces the person to a piece of meat and the Bible emphasizes that this is a worldly perspective rather than spiritual (2 Corinthians 5:16).
‘What About “Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder”?’
Obviously there is such a thing as exceptional good-looks, but beauty is also subjective. For instance, an Aborigine living in the bush might likely find a beauty contest winner in the USA or Europe unappealing and understandably so. What makes his idea of beauty less valid than a judge at a beauty contest in Western Civilization? Every person is like that Aborigine: The only beauty that matters to the individual is what he or she finds beautiful, not what some judge at a beauty contest or magazine editor insists is beautiful. Hence, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
So beauty is both subjective and objective. It is subjective in that people are unique individuals who don’t find the same things attractive; they each have their own opinions and preferences on what is beautiful or handsome. However, beauty is also objective in that some people are simply better looking than others, as noted in the scriptures cited above.
Are there examples of subjective beauty in the Bible? Yes. The male protagonist in the Song of Songs refers to his beloved like so:
Like a lily among thorns
is my darling among the young women.
Song of Songs 2:2
You are altogether beautiful, my darling;
there is no flaw in you.
Song of Songs 4:7
8Sixty queens there may be,
and eighty concubines,
and virgins beyond number;
9but my dove, my perfect one, is unique,
Song of Songs 6:8-9
He speaks of his beloved’s beauty as if she blows away all other women on Earth, even to the point of having “no flaw” and being his “perfect one.” Is this factually true or merely his subjective perspective looking through the lens of passionate romantic love? Obviously the latter since even the most beautiful women in this fallen world have flaws.
The woman in the story speaks of her man in a similar idealized fashion, e.g. Song of Songs 5:10-16.
While both ‘lover’ and ‘beloved’ in the Song of Songs may have been exceptional in one way or another, neither were the most attractive, flawless male or female on Earth. As such, these verses reflect the idea of subjective beauty.
‘What About Inner Beauty?’
What good is outer beauty without inner beauty to balance it out? If anything, inner beauty is more important and very much so. After all, what benefit would it be to marry a gorgeous Hollywood starlet or stud who has a roaming eye and the marriage lasts a short time due to inevitable unfaithfulness?
This explains why Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, encouraged female believers to not focus on “outward adornment” and all that goes with it, but rather on the true attractiveness of “your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Peter 1:3-4). He wasn’t saying female believers can’t wear attractive clothing, just that their focus should be on the true beauty that stems from a spiritual heart. This is what attracted me to Carol, my wife, when I first met her. Of course I found her physically attractive, but she didn’t dress like a courtesan and didn’t need to. It was her gentle, quiet, godly spirit that shined like the midday sun and captured my attention. Here’s a photo of us on our wedding day in 1995:
By “gentle” and “quiet” I don’t mean Carol was a shy pushover, I mean she wasn’t an obnoxious loudmouth, like odious LIEberals and their opinionated falsities & slander. There’s a pleasantness to a gentle, quiet spirit that doesn’t constantly bloviate and isn’t rash with jumping to conclusions. At the same time Carol has no qualms about wisely holding me accountable to the Word of God; and I do the same with her, which is a form of tough love. This kind of love doesn’t fail to correct others when necessary.
But the Scriptures don’t just encourage women to be gentle and quiet as each are positive attributes for both men and women. Paul said to all the believers at Philippi: “Let your gentleness be evident to all” (Philippians 4:5). Meanwhile James said “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). And the book of Proverbs says “The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered” (Proverbs 17:27).
In other words, the Scriptures exhort both men and women to not be loathsome loudmouths. Yet this doesn’t mean there isn’t a time & place for righteous reprimand and Holy Ghost-inspired preaching.
Appreciating Beauty vs. Lusting
Since the Bible clearly acknowledges physical beauty or handsomeness in human beings and God created this beauty, there’s a place for appreciating it, whether being awed by it or simply admiring it. There’s nothing wrong with this. As it is written, “To the pure, all things are pure” (Titus 1:15).
However, the Bible condemns lust for anyone outside the covenant of holy matrimony, which is preoccupation in thought or deed with sexual desire and has to do with the aforementioned objectification. Even for your wife or husband, your desire for her/him should be greater than one-dimensional lust or the marriage won’t likely last. Christ said, “I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). This explains why righteous Job made an agreement with his eyes to not look at a woman lustfully (Job 31:1).
But what is the dividing line between appreciating beauty and sexual lust? Here’s a parable to illustrate the difference: You’re walking down the sidewalk and come across a bed of flowers wherein you naturally relish their colorful beauty and fragrance; you may stop for a moment, but you continue on your way because you have a schedule and other things to do. Besides, the flowers aren’t yours. Then someone else walks down the sidewalk and sees the same beautiful bed of flowers, but he dives into it wildly pulling them out by the roots so he can take them home with him. I think it’s obvious which one of these is reasonable, acceptable behavior and which is not.
If that’s not clear enough, here’s a more blunt way to distinguish falling into lust: If your thoughts about a person inspire you to run to a secluded room to masturbate, it’s obviously lust. The answer to this kind of problem is learning to control your thoughts, as well as learning to walk in the spirit. God said to Cain: “sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it” (Genesis 4:7). This is a matter between the individual and the LORD.
All men and women are unique with different strengths/weaknesses and each one is going to have to determine in their relationship with God what the dividing line is between appreciating beauty and lust. It’s a part of “working out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).
Let me close with this relevant story filled with insights:
Several years ago I was part of a men’s group that would read Christian books on male-oriented issues and regularly meet for discussion and fellowship. In one of the books the author went to extreme lengths to protect himself from his lust problem. For instance, before reading a newspaper or magazine he’d cut out any ads or pictures that featured a fetching female, especially scantily-clad ones like underwear or bathing suit ads. In addition, if he were out in public he’d never look at a comely female for more than a passing glance (approximately 0.187 seconds) and would refuse to view TV shows or movies that showed women in alluring apparel. Etcetera. These were rules that this man came up with in order to walk free of lust and serve the Lord with a clear conscience. There’s nothing wrong with these rules if a man has issues with lust, usually due to an exceptional sex drive. Such a man observes such rules for the sake of personal holiness, which is pure religion in God’s eyes (James 1:27). These rules are akin to the alcoholic who must stay away from any environment that includes alcoholic beverages in order to walk in victory. But not all men have such a weakness to lust, nor do all people struggle with alcohol like the severe alcoholic.
To be expected, this subject provoked a lively discussion at the group. A couple of the men, both married, admitted that they needed to go to such extremes to walk free of lust, while some others felt the rules were so radical that it was the next thing to requiring women to wear robes and veils in public, like in some Islamic countries.
This was the perfect occasion for us to practice Paul’s instructions in Romans 14: The men who felt it necessary to adhere to these rigid rules should not look down on those who didn’t and vice versa. As Paul instructed, “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand… Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:4-5).
Such rules are fine if you require them to keep a clean conscience before God, but be careful that religious pride doesn’t seep-in and you start judging and condemning other genuine believers who don’t require these rules. Otherwise you’ll be infected by legalism, which is a path of spiritual darkness and death even though it wraps itself in the garnishment of respectable religiosity.
Carol & I attended one assembly where the pastor had a history of alcohol-related problems before he came to the Lord and, consequently, was hell-bent against anything having to do with alcohol. Not only was drinking a sip of alcohol a sin — to him — it was also a sin to dine at an establishment that served alcohol, like Red Lobster. In fact, it was wrong to shop at a store that sold alcohol, like Walmart! Do you see the problem here? Because he had a weakness toward alcohol he developed an extreme view on the subject and tried to impose his personal rules of holiness on everyone else, including the vast majority who had no need of such radical rules.
This article is also available as a chapter in…
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Related Topics:
Forms of Art in the Bible, including Music, Visual and Performance Art
Can a Certain Style of ART be Evil?
How to keep BALANCED in every area of Life
Legalism — Understanding its Many Forms
Libertinism — What’s Wrong with It and How to Walk FREE
The Seven Keys to SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Q&A on Solomon’s Song of Songs
Homosexuality is a Sin, BUT there’s Freedom through Christ
Simile, Metaphor, Analogy, Contrast
In the Bible you’ll observe examples of similes, metaphors, analogies and contrasts. Let’s look at each of these to distinguish them:
Similes
A simile (SIM-uh-lee) is a comparison of one thing with another of a different kind using the words “as” or “like.” In this verse, for instance, you’ll observe three similes:
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
Three similes can also be observed in this passage:
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
Matthew 28:2-4
Metaphors
A metaphor is also a comparison, but directly states it, leaving out the words “like” or “as.” Here are several examples:
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”
14“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:13-16
Analogies
An analogy is also a comparison for explanation or argumentation, but is more lengthy and complicated than similes and metaphors, not to mention an analogy will utilize similes and metaphors. Christ’s parables, for instance, are types of analogies. The Parable of the Weeds (Tares) is a good example:
Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
28“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29“ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”…
36Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
37He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
This parable is an analogy. The first part employs similes while the second part uses both metaphors and similes.
Contrasts
Also look for contrasts in the Bible, which are the opposite of comparisons (similes and metaphors), but likewise make insightful points. Consider, for example, the Lord’s Parable of the Persistent Widow:
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ”
6And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Luke 18:1-8
In this tale the LORD is not being compared to an uncaring, unjust judge, as casual readers have mistaken; rather this is an example of contrast: If even a heartless, unjust judge will listen to a persistent person of low stature how much more so our caring, just Heavenly Father?
Related Topics:
Hermeneutics — Proper Bible Interpretation
Human FREEWILL and God’s SOVEREIGNTY
In one of my articles I made the point: Could God make a stone so big He couldn’t lift it? The answer is, yes, the human will. Someone responded by insisting that this rejects God’s sovereignty. No, it doesn’t. Allow me to explain…
The LORD is Almighty and indeed reigns supreme (Psalm 103:19, 93:1, Isaiah 37:16, Exodus 19:5 & Zechariah 6:5), but within God’s Sovereignty he allows humans (and angels) freedom of moral will. As such, although God could force us to make righteous choices, he instead grants us moral volition. This means he won’t make us to do what’s wise or right even though he has the power to do so.
Think about it in terms of something as mundane as choosing your clothes for the day. Does the LORD force you to wear a certain shirt or pair of pants? Obviously not, although He certainly could. In short, you choose what you’re going to wear. That’s freewill.
Here are a few examples of moral freewill from both the Old Testament and the New Testament:
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
Deuteronomy 30:19
Although the LORD encouraged the Israelites to choose life he couldn’t make them do it. Why? Because they had freewill.
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
John 1:12-13
People choose to receive Christ because they believe; they’re not forced to do so. It’s freewill.
Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the One who sent me. 17Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.”
John 7:16-17
People obviously have the choice to discern and carry out God’s will or not. No one is forced to damnation and no one is forced to eternal life (2 Peter 3:9).
However, freewill does not mean unaccountable. God’s sovereignty can be observed in the fact that everyone will stand before the Almighty and give an account of their lives, which includes answering for their impenitent choices, thoughts & actions – believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ and the unsaved at the Great White Throne Judgment (1 Corinthians 4:5, Romans 14:10-12 & Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). If the LORD didn’t reign supreme then we wouldn’t have to answer to our Creator. Even archangels and satan have to give account to the Almighty (Job 1:6 & 2:1).
Now, think about it, God wouldn’t hold us accountable to our actions if, in fact, we didn’t have freewill. If we had no choice in the matter and were forced to do this or that, how can we be held accountable for our actions? In other words, the very fact that we’re accountable to the LORD proves freewill.
Why does the Creator allow freedom of moral will? Obviously because God desires people (and angels) to serve & love their Maker because they want to rather than because they’re programmed to do so, like robots.
But, if the LORD is sovereign and reigns supreme, why is this world so messed up? Why is the devil currently “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4)? Doesn’t God care? These questions and more are answered in this article.
Related Topics:
God’s Perfect Will vs. God’s Permissive Will
What’s the Diff Between ARMINIANISM and CALVINISM?
What Scripture Passages Disprove Calvinism?
The Fall of Man (Humanity) and Slavery to Satan
REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation
Created in the Image of God — What Does it Mean?
Are Believers “Sheep”?
A man who was an absolute pacifist wrote me arguing:
‘Jesus called his followers sheep. A Christian is a sheep. Sheep don’t fight. Never!’
This is an example of going to unbalanced extremes. He took the biblical symbolism of believers being sheep and carried it to extremes, ignoring other relevant passages of Scripture, which breaks the hermeneutical rule: Scripture interprets Scripture.
Disregarding the fact that the New Testament does not support the idea of absolute pacifism, but rather limited pacifism (a peaceable attitude that only resorts to violence when necessary), I answered his remark, first pointing out that he was mistakenly making an absolute statement about a limited figurative description. For instance, while the Bible does refer to believers as sheep on occasion (Psalm 100:3), it also clearly says that “the righteous are as bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).
Meanwhile pastors are shepherds, not sheep; in other words, they lead sheep with the understanding that Christ is the Chief Shepherd and fivefold ministers are under-shepherds (1 Peter 5:1-4). Also keep in mind that believers are called to imitate the Lord (Ephesians 5:1). Was Jesus a sheep when he cleansed the Temple or a fearsome lion? (Mark 11:15-18). What about when he boldly confronted the corrupt legalists face-to-face (Matthew 23:13-33)?
Furthermore, Christ added important exposition on the metaphor of sheep when he instructed his disciples: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). “Shrewd” refers to skill or cunningness in real-world matters, like when Paul slyly employed “divide and conquer” tactics when held before the contrasting factions of the Supreme Council of the Hebrews (Acts 23:6-8).
Believers today are often too nice and gullible yet the Lord said we need to be shrewd as snakes while maintaining our blamelessness. He even gave an entire parable commending the shrewdness of a wasteful manager who was about to lose his job (Luke 16:1-9). Why would Christ exhort us to be shrewd as snakes? Because we live in the midst of wolves. Verily, walk blamelessly before your Creator but sugariness and gullibility won’t cut it when you’re dealing with bigheaded, antagonistic, deceiving people, like Joseph’s brethren who were jealous of their younger sibling and sold him into slavery; and then lied about it. Such predators will naturally perceive amiability and naïveté as signs of weakness and respond accordingly. Simply put, they’ll eat you up and spew you out! This reveals why Joseph — who was a type of Christ — acted like he didn’t know his siblings, spoke roughly to them, and falsely accused them of being foreign agents; he was employing shrewdness. This was the only way to break his carnal brothers. See this article for details on Joseph’s story.
As for the argument that “A Christian is a sheep,” this assumes that the New Testament’s description of believers as “sheep” is a compliment. It is in some ways, perhaps, but definitely not in others. For instance, in parts of Africa it is common to see goats, chickens, cattle and sheep on the road. While other animals have the sense to run to safety at the sight of an approaching vehicle, sheep do not seem to possess this wisdom. Rather, they’ll remain in the road or even move in front of the vehicle, as if they want to get run over.
Furthermore, sheep seem to lack the ability to properly care for themselves. When born, sheep are very white with a nice fleece, but within weeks their coat gets dirty and they have little regard for cleanliness. They turn this unsightly sort of tan with all manner of stuff in their fur. They are pathetic-looking animals that aimlessly wander about scarcely able to survive without supervision.
Christ said: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John10:11,14). This implies that Christians are a purposeless progeny who, without the day-to-day direction and shielding of our good Shepherd and Holy Spirit, wouldn’t be able to take care of ourselves, at least not spiritually. We would be stuck in a trench, figuratively speaking, needing succor. Apart from Christ we are helpless, but in Christ we “can do all things” that God calls us to do (Philippians 4:13).
This article was edited from chapter 8 of…
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Both links allow you to “look inside” the book.
Related Topics:
Spiritual Growth — The Four Stages
Absolute Pacifism (Unbiblical) vs. Limited Pacifism (Biblical)
Should Christians RESIST Criminal Acts? (video)
Military Service — Is it Okay for Believers to Serve in the Armed Forces?
Is Oral Sex Okay?
I’m addressing this tricky question because someone wrote me wanting an honest answer based on Scriptural truth. If one person is asking this question, others are too (they just prefer to remain silent because it’s a TMI sort of topic).
The Bible doesn’t specifically mention oral sex, but arguably implies it in a figurative sense; particularly in the Song of Songs, which features sensuous song lyrics filled with suggestive imagery that applauds sexuality as a normal part of marital life between a biological man and woman. Obviously sexual activity outside of the marriage covenant is not sanctioned by the LORD.
The Song of Songs is only eight short chapters so, if you’re not familiar with it, I encourage you to read it.
Here’s an example of what I’m talking about from Song of Songs with the woman speaking about her man:
3 Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest
is my beloved among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
4 Let him lead me to the banquet hall,
and let his banner over me be love.
5 Strengthen me with raisins,
refresh me with apples,
for I am faint with love.
6 His left arm is under my head,
and his right arm embraces me.Song of Songs 2:3-6
And here’s an example of the man speaking of his beloved:
6 How beautiful you are and how pleasing,
my love, with your delights!
7 Your stature is like that of the palm,
and your breasts like clusters of fruit.
8 I said, “I will climb the palm tree;
I will take hold of its fruit.”
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine,
the fragrance of your breath like apples,
9 and your mouth like the best wine.Song of Songs 7:6-9
Some Christians find such frank romantic sensuality in the Bible surprising, which compels some religionists to interpret the passages in a strictly symbolic sense relating to the LORD’s love for Israel or Christ’s love for his bride, the Church. While I’ve no doubt that these verses can be interpreted on such a level, it doesn’t change the fact that we must first regard them from a purely straightforward standpoint: They’re a beautiful testimony to the romantic love enjoyed by a man and wife.
So can spouses partake of oral sex with their mates or not? It’s entirely up to the individual and what they believe. If the husband & wife have no qualms, what’s it to me? If they do have qualms or simply don’t want to do it, then obviously they shouldn’t. The Bible puts it this way: “everything that does not come from faith [belief] is sin” (Romans 14:23). The Scriptures also say “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure” (Titus 1:15).
At the end of the day it’s a private issue between husbands & wives.
This article is also available in book form as a chapter in…
- The print book is available here for only $7.26 (171 pages)
- The Kindle eBook is available here for just 99¢!
Both links allow you to LOOK INSIDE the book.
Related Topics:
Beauty, Objectification and Lust
The Four Types of LOVE in the Bible
What IS Marriage? (and Related Topics)
Q&A on Solomon’s Song of Songs
The Basics of Christianity
The Bible is voluminous and so it’s easy to go into detail on many subjects, which can get complicated, especially for those who are new to Christianity or those seeking to see if Christianity provides legitimate answers to the questions of life. As such, it’s important to stress the basics now & then so people aren’t lost in doctrinal complexities and run away screaming.
The nine basics of Christianity are as follows:
1. There is a God
There are two basic options concerning how human life originated and life in general, not to mention the Earth & Universe: They’re either the result of mindless, nonliving matter or there is a Creator. Which one is more logical and scientific? The reason you can read a book or hear a song is because someone created them. The reason you can live in your abode is because someone designed it and someone built it.
The Bible teaches that everything you see and experience—living and un-living—did not just accidently manifest. There is an Intelligent Designer of all that exists. Belief in God is simply a part of the make-up of human beings; it’s in our spiritual DNA because we were made in God’s image and likeness.
The Earth & Universe and all living things inspires belief in a Creator; more than that, creation screams out God’s existence (Psalm 19:1-4 & Romans 1:18-20). To suggest that everything in the Universe came about through accident and that there’s no Intelligent Designer behind it all is like expecting a Boeing 747 to emerge out of a metal scrapyard after millions of years. It’s absurd. The hypothetical scrapyard can’t even produce a simple table or chair let alone a jet airplane!
Furthermore, the scientific axiom of biogenesis notes that life only proceeds from life. In other words, living things cannot manifest from something un-living. Only conscious life can produce conscious life. It’s a scientific fact, not to mention obvious to a simpleton. Thus there is some kind of God — a Creator — from which all conscious life proceeds.
So the question is not if there is a God, but rather who is God?
2. God is the Great I AM
The very first verse of Holy Scripture authoritatively states that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The original Hebrew word for ‘god’ is Elohim (el-oh-HEEM), which is a generic term for God or supernatural beings or even a human authority. However the next chapter more precisely reveals what Genesis 1:1 means by ‘God’:
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.
Genesis 2:4
The Hebrew word for “LORD” is YHWH (transliterated), which is pronounced YAH-way (or YAH-hoo-way for devout Hebrews). Some English speakers say Jehovah. In any case, God is Yahweh.
When God was revealed to Moses in the burning bush and said “I AM WHO I AM,” the LORD was giving the translation of what Yahweh means (Exodus 3:13-15). In other words, God’s proper name, Yahweh, was formed from “I AM WHO I AM.” The LORD was saying in effect, “My name is the fact that I exist.” Now, isn’t that a perfectly fitting name for the Almighty Creator — I AM? This explains why the religious Hebrews wanted to stone Christ to death when he said “Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I Am” (John 8:58) — he was making himself equivalent with Yahweh, the Great I AM, which explains why Christ said “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).
3. We are created in God’s image and likeness
The Bible offers details about the LORD’s creation of human beings:
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26-27
As you can see, the LORD — Father/Son/Holy Spirit — decided to make humankind in their image/likeness and then did so. The Hebrew for ‘image’ is tselem (SEH-lem), which simply means image, representation, copy or duplicate whereas the Hebrew word for ‘likeness’ is demuth (dem-OOTH), which means similitude, that is, something that resembles another; it’s something that is a, match or counterpart to another. As such, human beings resemble the Almighty; you could say that we’re God’s counterpart in the physical realm. Whereas the LORD is triune in the sense of Father/Son/Holy Spirit we are also triune in the sense of spirit, mind & body.
Despite this, the Scriptures stress the difference between the Creator and those Created in God’s image:
Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 100:3
While the LORD’s way is perfect and God’s word is flawless (Psalm 18:30) this is not the case with people, which brings us to our fourth basic principle of Christianity…
4. Humanity is guilty of sin, which has separated us from our Creator and given birth to religion
The Scriptures are frank about the fact that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and “There is no one righteous, not even one… All have turned away” (Romans 3:10-12). Turned away from whom? Our Creator, which is why the Bible puts it like this: “your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). To ‘sin’ means to “miss the mark” in the sense of morally failing (you can observe the Greek word here). The penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23) and the first thing sin kills is communion with God.
Humanity inherently knows there’s a Creator God because we’re created in the LORD’s image, but also senses that a separation of sorts exists, which has given birth to religion. The Latin root word for ‘religion’ is re-ligare. Ligare means “to bind” or to “connect” and so adding re before ligare brings about the thought of “re-binding” or “re-connecting.” Thus religion is the human attempt to reconnect with God, which usually involves things like good works, certain rituals or adherence to the supposedly correct doctrine.
However, Christ pointed out the failure of religion when his disciples asked him who could be saved:
“With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Mark 10:27
In other words, salvation through the flesh — through religion — is impossible. But with God salvation is not only possible, it’s available to all, regardless of race, culture or social status. This is Christianity — real Christianity, not the counterfeit legalism, which is religious “Christianity.”
For more on the difference between religion and Christianity see this video:
5. God has made a way for forgiveness of our sins and reconciliation
Humanity’s problem is that we have a sin nature, which separates us from our holy Creator and puts us on a collision course with eternal death. God’s conundrum is that the LORD is love and thus loves humanity (1 John 4:8 & John 3:16), but God is also just and must therefore issue out the just wage of sin, which is death (Romans 6:23 & Matthew 10:28). God is willing to forgive sin, but the LORD cannot ignore sin. Thus the Almighty came up with an ingenious plan to save humanity from eternal death by providing a way to forgive a person’s sin by providing someone without sin willing to die in his/her place (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15 & 1 John 3:5).
Consider this little parable: An entomologist lived by some woods where he studied the various insects. There was a huge ant hill of which he became particularly fond. When news came that the nearby road was going to be extended through the woods and it was on a collision course with the ant hill the entomologist longed to save his beloved ants, but it was impossible to communicate the dangers to them. The only way he could do so would be to become an ant!
This is the Christian message in a nutshell: God become a human being in the form of Jesus Christ to warn us to repent or perish (Luke 13:1-9) and, more than that, sacrifice himself for us by dying in our place (Philippians 2:5-11, 1 Peter 3:18 & Hebrews 9:14, 9:26). Think about it, God could’ve just kicked back in Heaven and destroyed us all for our sin, which would’ve been a just act. Instead, God was born into this humbling, brutal planet and suffered & died for us.
Yet it doesn’t end there, Christ was raised from the dead for our justification (Romans 4:25).
Thus the penalty of sin, death, is paid for and those who believe & repent are saved from eternal death (Mark 1:15 & Acts 20:21) and reconciled to their Creator (Romans 5:10 & 5:11). Belief, by the way, simply means you believe the message and repentance means to “change your mind” in response to that particular truth, which naturally has an impact on your actions or lifestyle.
6. God gives us the spiritual “software” to escape bondage to sin
‘Gospel’ literally means “good news.” The good news of the message of Christ isn’t just that we escape the penalty of eternal death, but that we escape the power of sin through spiritual regeneration (Titus 3:5 & 1 Peter 1:3) and the ensuing renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2).
Along with spiritual rebirth, believers receive the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is our Helper, teacher and advocate (2 Timothy 1:14 & John 14:26).
On top of all of this, the LORD has provided believers with the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the benefits that come with this awesome gift, which you can read about here (shh, Christians aren’t supposed to talk about spiritual gifts these days).
If you’re struggling with some kind of life-dominating sin — whether it’s something sexual, or drugs, alcohol or whatever — I understand; freedom is available for you through Christ and the benefits of the gospel. To walk free of any sin bondage simply put into practice the 3-point plan revealed in this article and corresponding video:
Freedom may not take place overnight because it involves the transforming of your mind — your thinking and identity — but I guarantee you that it will occur as you apply yourself and you’ll one day laugh at your current struggles.
7. Believers can know and walk with their Creator on a 24/7 basis
While atheists like to make fun of Christians for having a relationship with their “invisible friend,” people were created to have a relationship with their Creator. In other words, fellowship with God is perfectly normal and is actually the first order of life. This explains Christ’s statement “seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). (Please notice that it says seek first and not seek only).
As far as personal relationship goes,
- Adam communed with God in the Garden of Eden, even after his fall (Genesis 3:8-13);
- Enoch “walked with God” and they were so close that the LORD simply “took him away,” presumably so they could be together in Heaven (Genesis 5:22-24), but also as a type of the future Rapture;
- Moses communed with God in the Tent of Meeting wherein the LORD dwelt on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant between the two gold-sculptured cherubim (Exodus 33:11);
- Asaph walked with his Creator so closely that they figuratively held hands (Psalm 73:23-25); and…
- David, of course, was “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14 & Acts 13:22).
All of these people from the Old Testament had a relationship with the LORD despite the fact that they had an inferior covenant with God. Today a vastly superior covenant is available to all people through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 8:6-7). This is the awesome message of the gospel — we can reconcile with our Creator, be forgiven of sin, have a relationship and receive eternal life & immortality (2 Timothy 1:10).
So how do you develop a relationship with God? We have to get away from this erroneous idea that we only encounter the LORD when we go to church gatherings once or twice a week. The Bible speaks of “praying without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV) and the “fellowship of the Holy Spirit” (2 Corinthians 13:14), which suggests developing a 24/7 rapport with God. You can have conversations with your Creator throughout the day, every day — when you wake up in bed, when you’re in the shower, when you’re driving, when you’re walking down the hall, in the evening, etc.
Just remember prayer protocol. You pray:
- To the Father (Matthew 6:9)
- in the name of Jesus Christ (John 16:23)
- by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13)
As far as more ‘official’ personal prayer sessions go, start with “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Turn off the gadgets and get away from the noise of the crowd. Instead of glancing at God while gazing at your needs learn to gaze at God while glancing at your needs.
There’s a difference between the 24/7 fellowship noted above and personal prayer sessions. Christ said “when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6). Jesus was simply talking about finding a solitary place for prayer sessions, known only to you and the LORD. This is in contrast to religious hypocrites who love to pray in front of others, which really isn’t communion with God, but rather putting on a show to impress people, which is fakeness (Matthew 6:5). ‘Hypocrite’ literally means “actor.” This isn’t to say, by the way, that it’s wrong to pray with other believers, as is shown in the Bible (Acts 12:12), just that’ it’s wrong to pray in front of others for the purpose of impressing them with one’s supposed devoutness.
When the Messiah said to “go into your room, close the door and pray” he was simply talking about finding a solitary place where it’s just you and the LORD. It’s interesting that Jesus “as was his habit” often went to solitary places in the wilderness to pray, as shown in Mark 1:35, Matthew 14:23 and Luke 22:39-41. Why did he do this? Because there’s something about nature that’s conducive to encountering the Creator.
I think this is why people are attracted to outdoor activities — like hiking, kayaking, fishing, hunting and so on — because on some primal level they encounter God who is revealed in creation (Psalm 19:1-4, 97:6 & Romans 1:20). Paul & his ministry companions understood this:
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer.
Acts 16:13
For more on relationship with God see this article and this video:
8. God has assignments — objectives/works — for you to fulfill in each season of life
While salvation from eternal death and relationship with God are core to Christianity, something naturally proceeds from that salvation & relationship, as noted here:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:8-10
The LORD has works for you to do regardless of which season in life you are in, as well as an ultimate calling. For instance Jesus Christ was called to be a fulltime minister for 3.5 years and ultimately lay his life down for the salvation of humanity but, before that, he had regular assignments while earning a living as a carpenter up to the age of 30, such as drawing close to God, growing in knowledge/understanding/wisdom, learning how to minister and serving particular people in various ways.
Christians tend to think that if they’re not called to be a pastor they’re of no value to God. This is a lie straight from the enemy. The LORD is very interested in your life. In fact, you’re God’s child through spiritual rebirth (1 John 5:1 & 3:9). Any normal, healthy parent is intensely interested in the life of his/her son or daughter; how much more so your heavenly Father? You must get a hold of the fact that God has strategic purposes for every believer, including YOU.
Keep in mind that any work you do for the LORD must proceed from your relationship and not be a substitute for your relationship. For instance, when Christ came to Martha & Mary’s abode Martha focused on running around in a frenzy trying to work for the Lord whereas Mary focused on relationship, quietly receiving from the Lord. Martha was so misled that she arrogantly barked orders at the mighty Christ. Naturally Mary’s actions where commended by the Lord rather than Martha’s works (Luke 10:38-42).
So focus on relationship with the LORD and seek to discern your purpose in each season of life, as well as specific works within that context. Then use the mind God gave you to plan your way and act according to that plan with the leading of the Holy Spirit. This will give you a sense of purpose in life and will build invigorating momentum. As Jesus said, “My food [sustenance, energy] is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34). This video details a simple 3-point strategy to do this and it’s easy as pie:
9. God promises the redeemed eternal life
Lastly, Christianity at its core is the answer to humanity’s ultimate quest. Think about it, what is humanity’s greatest desire — a greater desire than wealth, fame, true love or sexual gratification? From the ancient epic of Gilgamesh to Ponce De Leon’s obsessive search for the fountain of youth to our modern-day compulsion to be youthful-looking as long as possible, humanity is obsessed with the idea of immortality, the idea of living forever. The answer is revealed clearly in the Holy Scriptures and this is further reason why the message of Jesus Christ is the “good news”! Religionists may have obscured this truth over the centuries with their tangled web of life-stifling half-truths and lies, but the truth is still there, it cannot be quenched: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
In other words, Christianity is about receiving immortality & eternal life (2 Timothy 1:10) and enjoying a purposeful life in a wondrous new universe without the curse of sin & death, which the Scriptures call the new heavens and new earth in the Bible:
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
Unfortunately, most believers aren’t looking forward to their eternal life beyond this fallen earth. Why? Because most ministers rarely teach/preach on this amazing topic and, if they do, they pretty much limit it to “spending eternity in heaven,” which naturally gives the impression of sitting on a cloud playing a harp forever and seems fantastical. Needless to say, it’s hardly invigorating.
What exactly are the “new heaven and new earth”?
The “new heaven” does not refer to the spiritual abode where God’s throne is located — heaven (Psalm 103:19 & 11:4) — because heaven is already perfect and therefore doesn’t need restored. After all, how can you restore perfection? Understand that the term ‘heaven’ or ‘the heavens’ can also refer to the physical universe and everything in it. For example, Psalm 19:1 states: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” This is an example of Hebrew poetry known as synonymous parallelism where the second part of the verse simply repeats the first part in different words. In this case “the heavens” in the first part is confirmed as “the skies” in the second.
So the “new heaven” refers to a divinely renovated physical universe. Likewise, “new earth” refers to a renovated earth. The preceding verses of the above passage elaborate on this restoration:
The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
2 Peter 3:10-13
This is where the redeemed will spend eternity. The apostle John elaborated on this in his vision:
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”
Revelation 21:1-5
Imagine life on earth and in a universe where God is overtly manifest and there’s no more death, grieving or pain! Even more, imagine this life with new imperishable, glorified, powerful and spiritual bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42-44) rather than the aging, weak vessels we currently have.
Since believers are going to receive the same type of glorified body Christ did, we can get an idea of what life will be like with our new glorified bodies by simply observing what the Bible says about Jesus after his resurrection and before his ascension. For instance, we’ll be able to walk through solid objects (John 20:26), instantly appear out of nowhere and disappear (Luke 24:31 & 24:36-37); in other words, we’ll be able to teleport at will. With this understanding, we’ll no doubt be able to take “quantum leaps” to anywhere on the new earth, moon, Mars or universe—distances and space will no longer limit us.
For anyone who argues that Christ is deity and therefore our glorified bodies may not have the same capacity as his, the Bible blatantly says that we are “co-heirs with Christ,” which means ‘joint heirs’ or ‘joint participants’ (Romans 8:17). Furthermore, why would the LORD reveal to us the incredible abilities of the glorified body through Jesus’ actions after his resurrection if God didn’t intend for us to have the same incredible capacity when we’re bodily resurrected?
But there’s more, way more. See this article (and the follow-up one too) for amazing answers about what eternal life will be like for children of God (that means you). As we have seen, the Bible encourages us to “look forward to the new heavens and new earth,” which you won’t likely do without relevant scriptural revelation to whet your appetite.
Close
The basics of Christianity detailed in this article are a great starting point for believers, but the Bible itself notes The SIX BASIC DOCTRINES of Christianity, which I encourage you to check out and master (the nine points in this article fit somewhere into these six basic doctrines).
Of equal importance are The Seven Keys to SPIRITUAL GROWTH chronicled in the epistle of 2 Peter. These “keys” will keep you productive and moving forward in your faith and relationship with God.
Lastly, as you grow in the Lord it’s important to grasp the Four Stages of Spiritual Development, not to mention what it means to be a disciple of Christ, which all believers are called to be, from the newest believer to the most seasoned fivefold minister.
This article is also available in book form as the first chapter in…
- The print book is available here for only $11.99 (299 pages)
- The Kindle eBook is available here for just 99¢!
Both links allow you to “look inside” the book.
Related Topics:
Why is this World so Messed Up?
REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation
What Is CONSCIENCE?
Conscience is the God-given sense in people that distinguishes right and wrong. In other words, it’s an inner signal of universal morality. You could call it an intrinsic moral compass. Our Creator gave humanity conscience to steer us away from what’s morally wrong and toward what’s right. When a person ignores this built-in signal and commits the immoral deed in question he or she will experience guilt, which motivates repentance. Repentance means to change your mind and therefore change your actions.
Here’s an example from when I was seven years old: I stopped at a friend’s house before walking to elementary school together. His mother asked him if he had brushed his teeth wherein he replied he did, but she knew he was lying and made him do so before leaving. The next morning I was preparing for school and my mom asked if I brushed my teeth; negatively influenced by my friend’s behavior, I lied and said I did. My mom trusted my word, however, and I went off to school. Naturally, I felt bad about needlessly lying to my dear mother. What was going on? I was only seven years old, but my conscience signaled to me that lying in this manner was wrong. I needed to stop it or I’d end up becoming a pathetic liar.
‘Conscience’ in the Bible
The Greek word translated as ‘conscience’ in the New Testament is suneidésis (soon-AHY-day-sis), which refers to an innate discernment of morality, a “joint-knowing… which joins moral and spiritual consciousness as part of being created in the divine image. Accordingly, all people have this God-given capacity to know right from wrong” (HELPS Word-studies).
Paul said “I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience (suneidésis) confirms it through the Holy Spirit” (Romans 9:1). This shows that the conscience “works with” the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life, which makes sense since the Holy Spirit indwells the believer’s human spirit, as observed in Ephesians 3:16. The only reason the Holy Spirit can do this is because our reborn spirit was “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness,” as shown in Ephesians 4:24.
While unredeemed people don’t have the Holy Spirit living in them since they lack spiritual regeneration (Titus 3:5), they do have a conscience, which distinguishes right from wrong, whether they care to admit it or not. This explains why their conscience will be a “witness” when they stand before God on Judgment Day, as observed here:
(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
Romans 2:14-16
This shows that…
Conscience Stems From the Human Spirit, the Person’s “Good Side”
Where does conscience originate? It proceeds from your spirit, which is your “good side” or godly nature and is contrasted by your flesh or sinful nature, as observed here:
For the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other…
Galatians 5:17
Of course the human spirit (from which your conscience stems) is not a separate person inside of you, but rather is simply your spiritual proclivity, just as your sinful nature — your flesh — is not a separate person, but rather your carnal proclivity. Your conscience informs you what is good and bad while your spirit compels you to do the right thing. At the same time, your sinful nature compels you to choose the bad because it’s only interested in appeasing the immediate desires of the flesh and not concerned with the underlying long-term consequences.
Both of these contrasting natures — spirit and flesh — constantly send thoughts/desires/images to your mind and you then have the choice to accept them or not. You have this choice because you possess the power of volition, like all human beings. Whatever thoughts you decide to dwell on will increase desire and lead to the act in question, whether good or bad (James 1:13-15).
Here’s a diagram of human nature that helps visualize these things (click to enlarge):
(For important details on the inner conflict of spirit and flesh, as well as human nature in general, see this article).
The Bible speaks of three different kinds of consciences; let’s look at all three:
A “Good Conscience” or “Clear Conscience”
There are several references to a good conscience or clear conscience in the New Testament (1 Timothy 1:5, 1:19, 3:9, 1 Peter 3:16, 3:21, Hebrews 13:18 & Acts 24:16). Having a good conscience or clear conscience simply means that the person in question respects this God-given inner-signal and walks accordingly. If they miss it, they readily repent (1 John 1:8-9), which the Bible calls “keeping with repentance,” something we all should do (Matthew 3:8 & Luke 3:8). Confession of a mistake or sin takes humility, which naturally attracts God’s grace (favor) and stops prosecution (James 4:6 & 1 Peter 5:5).
Even unbelievers can maintain a clear conscience by being honest about their mistakes and not continuing with the transgression in question. In other words, they admit they screwed up because their conscience bugged them and they refuse to live the misdeed as a lifestyle. This is repentance.
A Seared Conscience
Paul spoke of “hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:2). People with a seared conscious have ignored the warning of their conscience so often that they are now hardened to it and therefore utterly ignore it with zero qualms, which can be observed in Ephesians 4:19. This is one-and-the-same as what the Bible calls “hardening the heart” (Acts 28:27 & Hebrews 3:7-8).
A Weak Conscience
A weak conscience is an unhealthy conscience that’s no longer strong and therefore is unreliable in some ways (1 Corinthians 8), but not all ways. The Greek word for ‘weak’ is detailed here. A weak conscience develops through misinformation or false doctrine wherein the believer with this condition usually has personal issues with the behavior in question and has little sense of moderation.
A good modern example would be the drinking of alcoholic beverages. While being a drunkard is a sin (Galatians 5:19-21 & 1 Corinthians 6:9-11), drinking a sip of alcohol is not (1 Timothy 5:23 & Deuteronomy 14:26), although it would arguably be a sin for an alcoholic, as well as those who cause others to fall (Romans 14:21). The believer with the weak conscience is the one who sees another believer drinking an alcoholic beverage and automatically assumes s/he is in sin and it may even harm their faith.
Believers with weak consciences are either spiritually immature and need to grow or are developing a legalistic spirit. Regardless, mature believers with healthy consciences must be considerate of those with weak consciences; it’s simply a matter of walking in love toward others. You can read scriptural details here.
Related Topics:
Human Nature — Spirit, Mind & Body
Spiritual Growth — The Four Stages
Does the Bible support a “Justifiable Lie”?
Christianity — Does it Weaken People or Empower?
Law (Torah) — New Testament Believers are NOT Under the Law