Monday, September 28, 2015
The Feasts
Regarding Israel's Holy Feasts, there was great significance to these seven annual events. A study of them can be quite fascinating, with regard to the history, the prophecies and the promises pertaining to the nation Israel. - LD
"These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times." Leviticus 23:4 ESV
(1) Leviticus 23: 4-5. *The PASSOVER. (Heb. pesah. ‘a passing over’). Nisan • 14–21 • Mar.–Apr. • Ex. 12:43–13:10; Matt. 26:17–20. This memorialized redemption from Egypt, when the Lord passed over the blood-covered dwellings of Israel. This was the first feast, basic to all the rest, as all spiritual blessing rests on sinful man’s redemption by Christ (1 Cor 5:7; 1 Pet 1:19) ‘our Passover lamb, [who] has been sacrificed.’
(2) Leviticus 23:6-8. UNLEAVENED BREAD. (Day after Passover) Redemption is to be followed by a holy life and walk (1 Cor 5:7-8; 2 Cor 7:1; Gal 5:7-9). Communion with Christ, the unleavened Bread, will result in separation from evil (leaven, or yeast) .
(3) Leviticus 23:9-14. FIRSTFRUITS. ( Firstfruits or Weeks) • Sivan • 6 (50 days after Passover) • May–June • Deut. 16:9–12; Acts 2:1 These typify Christ in resurrection (the first fruits) and those who are saved at Christ’s appearing (1 Cor 15:23; 1 Thess 4:13-18).
(4) Leviticus 23:15-22. *PENTECOST. Sivan • 6 May–June • Deut. 16:9–12; Acts 2:1 This occurred 50 days after the Feast of First fruits, 15-16. The new meal offering, 16, looks forward to the church. The two wave loaves (a loaf, not a sheaf of separate grains) ‘baked with yeast,’ 17, anticipate that aspect of it in which Jew (Acts 2) and Gentile (Acts 10) are united in a genuine spiritual union (1 Cor 12:13) by the advent of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 1:1-4).
(5) Leviticus 23:23-25. TRUMPETS. Rosh Hashanah • Tishri • 1, 2 • Sept.–Oct. • Num. 29:1–6 Day of Atonement,
The blowing of trumpets after the church’s ingathering furnishes a picture of Israel’s age-end regathering from her long worldwide dispersion (Mt 24:31; Isa 18:3, 7; 27:12; 58:1-14; Ezk 37:12-14).
(6) Leviticus 23:26-32. Day OF ATONEMENT. Yom Kippur • Tishri • 10 • Sept.–Oct. • Lev. 23:26–32; Heb. 9:7
This solemn occasion prefigures the repentant sorrow of Israel at the time of her conversion at the second advent of Christ. This is the same day described in Lev 16 (cf. Zech 12:10-13:1). This was and is the spiritual highlight of the Jewish calendar year.
(7) Leviticus 23:33-44. *TABERNACLES. (Booths or Ingathering) • Tishri • 15–22 • Sept.–Oct. • Neh. 8:13–18; John 7:2 Dedication (Lights), Hanukkah • Chislev • 25 (8 days) • Nov.–Dec. • John 10:22 Purim (Lots) • Adar • 14, 15 • Feb.–Mar. • Esth. 9:18–32
This is the last and great harvest home festival of the Jewish year. It foreshadows Israel’s kingdom rest after regathering and spiritual conversion. It is commemorative of redemption out of Egypt, 43, and prophetic of the restoration of the kingdom over Israel
*The three major feasts for which all males of Israel were required to travel to the Temple in Jerusalem (Ex. 23:14–19). Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles.
Unger, Merrill F.; Unger, Merrill F. F. (2005-04-01). The New Unger's Bible Handbook (Kindle Locations 3209-3227). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Dates are from Nelson, Thomas (2006-04-11). Open Bible, NKJV (Kindle Locations 116817-116829). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
Just as in the Church Age, doctrine is built upon doctrine, we see that Israel's holy feasts sometimes overlapped, showing the interdependence of God's grace provisions for His people. We get the whole plan from learning the whole Bible...precept upon precept. If we Christians dismiss these important commandments because we are of grace, not law, we miss the fantastic beauty and symmetry of the written Word as our Lord has established it; a perfect tapestry of life, both eternal and temporal, as only God Himself could have woven it. - LD
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Discernment of Doctrine
Final installment in our word-study of DOCTRINE. All references King James Version.
Hebrews 6:1-3 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
"Therefore" - because of the previous comments in chapter 5, about spiritual babies who can only digest milk.
"principles" - a different Greek word than the one used in 5:12, though the meaning isn't much different. This word is arche, and it means beginning, or first rule. We call it basic, as in foundational. For believers to grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, we must start with Who and What He is, and what He has done for the human race (doctrine of the trinity, the essence of God, human good vs divine good, unlimited atonement, the faith-rest life, etc). Then we begin to build upon that foundation with doctrines of the Christian Way of Life and the mystery doctrines of the Church age as we progress toward maturity in our faith.
These Hebrew believers had been born Jews and raised in the ritual religion of the Mosaic Law. They were now Church. Jesus had ascended to heaven over 30 years prior to this writing. The temple had not yet been destroyed. These Jews had heard and believed the gospel of Jesus Christ. They had had ample time to become well versed in basic Bible doctrine, and in fact should now be evangelizing others, and discipling them in the Christian Way of Life. Apparently, though, they were stagnating at the point of salvation. The more advanced doctrines had been presented to them, but they really weren’t motivated to learn those truths and techniques of Christianity. They just wanted to keep hearing the gospel and basking in its sweetness and comfort.
3 And this will we do, if God permits.
"transgresseth" - go beyond, overthink, embellish, add to the truth of Jesus Christ. He is the perfect God-Man who paid the penalty for the sins of the human race. He is not a mythical guru or genie. He is certainly not in the same category with the fictional heroes of world religions. Those who lump Jesus in with other "big name" religious leaders do not know Him or the Father. As sons of God, let us stick with the truth of the gospel message. He is the only Savior. He is the only way to the Father. He said it, and we know it to be true.
"abideth" - dwell. remain. stay. make it your home. The doctrine of Christ nourishes us, protects us, sustains us. It defines who and Whose we are.
Hebrews 6:1-3 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
"Therefore" - because of the previous comments in chapter 5, about spiritual babies who can only digest milk.
"principles" - a different Greek word than the one used in 5:12, though the meaning isn't much different. This word is arche, and it means beginning, or first rule. We call it basic, as in foundational. For believers to grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, we must start with Who and What He is, and what He has done for the human race (doctrine of the trinity, the essence of God, human good vs divine good, unlimited atonement, the faith-rest life, etc). Then we begin to build upon that foundation with doctrines of the Christian Way of Life and the mystery doctrines of the Church age as we progress toward maturity in our faith.
These Hebrew believers had been born Jews and raised in the ritual religion of the Mosaic Law. They were now Church. Jesus had ascended to heaven over 30 years prior to this writing. The temple had not yet been destroyed. These Jews had heard and believed the gospel of Jesus Christ. They had had ample time to become well versed in basic Bible doctrine, and in fact should now be evangelizing others, and discipling them in the Christian Way of Life. Apparently, though, they were stagnating at the point of salvation. The more advanced doctrines had been presented to them, but they really weren’t motivated to learn those truths and techniques of Christianity. They just wanted to keep hearing the gospel and basking in its sweetness and comfort.
They’d been taught repeatedly that human works are dead in God’s plan of grace, and that faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation. They knew by now that the ritual washings and laying on of hands in their former religion was not the same as Holy Spirit leadership. They knew that Holy Spirit baptism at the point of faith in Christ identified them forever with the plan of God, and that water baptism demonstrated that identification. They fully understood that those who have eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ will be resurrected unto life and those who die in their sins will be recipients of the second death, subject to eternal judgment because of their unbelief.
These all are foundational truths; basic doctrines of Christianity. A builder doesn’t keep building a foundation. Once the foundation is laid, he begins to build the edifice, or raised structure. It’s called going on to maturity. Doctrine is built upon doctrine. Precept upon precept. We learn the alphabet before we learn words; but once the abc’s are learned, and words are learned, we begin to read and write sentences and paragraphs.
I cannot move on from this foundational statement without pointing out that the thing the new believer repents is DEAD WORKS! I have never seen in the Bible the phrase “repent of your sins.” Repentance is a change of mental attitude. It is an about-face. One changes one’s mind about one’s works, realizing they cannot save. One begins to see human works from God’s perspective: something actually worthless to Him. Only HIS work is acceptable for eternal life. What we do about our sins is we realize we are born sinners who do commit sins and that Jesus paid for each and every one of them on the cross, so we are no longer under the burden of the debt of our sins. What we repent (change our attitude about) is our self-righteous arrogance that thought we could do something to gain favor from God. We repent (change our attitude) toward Jesus Christ by finally acknowledging His Finished Work, and its complete atonement for our lifetime of sins.
Having understood all this basic doctrine, we are prepared to move forward in the Christian Way of Life.
Having understood all this basic doctrine, we are prepared to move forward in the Christian Way of Life.
3 And this will we do, if God permits.
Jesus Christ IS God. He is the same today as He was in eternity past, before the foundation of the world. He will be the same in eternity future, after the destruction of the present universe. No matter what variations we encounter in earthly life, He is our constant. He is our solid hope. He is our perfect standard for doctrine. Therefore, we must remain steadfast in our orientation to Jesus and His Word.
What we are given in the written canon of scripture is the Mind of Christ. Every religion, every cult, every demonic and mystical “brotherhood” has its diverse teachings which deviate from God’s Word and God’s perfect plan of grace. Some of them are very attractive to human asceticism, human emotion, and even make seemingly good sense to human viewpoint. Be careful of your sources. All doctrine is not good doctrine. If it contradicts in any way the Word of God, it is strange teaching (false doctrine). If it goes beyond God’s written Word by embellishment or speculation, it is strange teaching. That’s why we who love the Bible are so critical of any artistic depictions of its story. There is no excuse for a born-again Bible believer to be led away by false doctrine. God’s Word is abundantly available to us and Pastors-Teachers are gifted by the Holy Spirit to lead us in our systematic study of it. The Holy Bible is inspired by God’s Spirit, it is well organized for systematic study and it is complete! No need to add or embellish. Such tactics do not increase understanding, they actually dilute the specific meaning and impact of God’s words.
God’s plan is grace. The law was an instructor to teach us that we are hopelessly lost without God’s grace. We Christians must focus our faith and our manner of life on God’s grace. God’s grace is our strength of character. There is no benefit in devoting our attention to maintenance of a strict diet for religious reasons. It is a distraction from the central truth of the Christian Way of Life, which is God’s grace. If we believe God and love God we will relax and appreciate the marvelous bounty of His grace.
The more we know God's Word, the less likely we can be fooled by false doctrine.
2 John 1:8-11 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those
things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not
in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of
Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.The more we know God's Word, the less likely we can be fooled by false doctrine.
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not
this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
We owe no hospitality to those who blaspheme our Lord Jesus Christ. To offer them hospitality is to encourage, even take part in their evil.
11 For he that biddeth him God speed is
partaker of his evil deeds.
Revelation 2:14-16 But I have a few things against thee,
because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac
to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things
sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
The church at Pergamum was established in a place of iniquity, “where Satan’s throne is.” Pergamum was once the capital of the Roman province of Asia and had housed a fine library. This community practiced worship of the Roman emperor and also was the location of an altar of Zeus in the local acropolis. "Satan’s throne" would indicate that it was headquarters for occult religion.
Even in the midst of all this evil, the church at Pergamum was holding fast the name of Jesus and remaining faithful, though they had seen the martyrdom of a faithful witness. Some, however, had apparently been enticed to compromise their faith in the manner of Balaam’s teaching. When Balaam couldn’t succeed in pronouncing a curse on God’s people in Numbers chapters 22-24, he convinced the pagan king to simply allow his women to walk in the presence of the sons of Israel. The Israelite men would thereby be enticed to consort with those women, and gradually be drawn into the idol worship which would lead to their destruction. Numbers 31 describes the outcome. This is the inevitable result of compromising the Word of God to suit one’s lust pattern. (Remember, we mustn’t judge the idolaters, so let’s just wallow with them. After all, God is love. If we demonstrate our faithfulness to God’s Word and God’s will, they will accuse us of being bigots, won’t they? What kind of witness is that?) Well, brethren, faithfulness to God’s Word and God’s will is exactly the witness He requires of His people, and is the quality He always honors.
15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Jesus had commended the church at Ephesus for their hatred of the deeds of the Nicolaitans, who distorted doctrine and practiced immoral behaviors (“God loves us all. He made us. He wants us to be happy”). Repentance is in order here. Adjust your attitude. Shape up, or I (Jesus) am coming soon to correct the problem. Are you listening? The Spirit is speaking!
Even in the midst of all this evil, the church at Pergamum was holding fast the name of Jesus and remaining faithful, though they had seen the martyrdom of a faithful witness. Some, however, had apparently been enticed to compromise their faith in the manner of Balaam’s teaching. When Balaam couldn’t succeed in pronouncing a curse on God’s people in Numbers chapters 22-24, he convinced the pagan king to simply allow his women to walk in the presence of the sons of Israel. The Israelite men would thereby be enticed to consort with those women, and gradually be drawn into the idol worship which would lead to their destruction. Numbers 31 describes the outcome. This is the inevitable result of compromising the Word of God to suit one’s lust pattern. (Remember, we mustn’t judge the idolaters, so let’s just wallow with them. After all, God is love. If we demonstrate our faithfulness to God’s Word and God’s will, they will accuse us of being bigots, won’t they? What kind of witness is that?) Well, brethren, faithfulness to God’s Word and God’s will is exactly the witness He requires of His people, and is the quality He always honors.
15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Jesus had commended the church at Ephesus for their hatred of the deeds of the Nicolaitans, who distorted doctrine and practiced immoral behaviors (“God loves us all. He made us. He wants us to be happy”). Repentance is in order here. Adjust your attitude. Shape up, or I (Jesus) am coming soon to correct the problem. Are you listening? The Spirit is speaking!
The hidden manna was what physically sustained the Jews in their wilderness journey. Jesus Christ is our hidden manna, Who sustains us spiritually in the devil’s world. We don’t live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. The white stone was a balloting system used in judicial decisions. The white stone was a vote of “not guilty.” All who have overcome by believing in Jesus Christ are identified by that white stone, and it bears our new name for all eternity.
Revelation 2:23-25 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
"This doctrine" that some in the congregation do not have, is Jezabel's evil religion.
Jezebel symbolizes a false religious system that mixes worldliness and occultism (esoteric “knowledge”) with the true worship of God. This is an abomination, of course, and is condemned throughout the scriptures.
We wonder why God doesn’t simply strike these evil infiltrators dead and be done with them. He tells us in verse 21: “I gave her time to repent.” Grace always comes before judgment. There will come a deadline, however, when the false teachers and those who have committed spiritual and physical adultery with them will be called to account. They may think they’ve had problems in life, but they have not seen anything yet.
There is always a remnant according to the election of grace. God knows their faithfulness. He urges them to preserve and protect what they know to be true. When He returns to set up His kingdom on the earth, these faithful ones will be given authority over nations. God’s system of authority is the issue in this message to Thyatira. His Word clearly defines His supreme authority and designates those humans who represent His authority, especially in the Church. In this case, as with all other examples of disobedience to the direct command of God, the humans involved consider themselves “good” and “intelligent” and think that just because “there’s a rule about that” doesn’t mean it applies to them.
That is the arrogance of human good. Our way is not better than God’s way. God knows us better than we know ourselves, and He has established the boundaries within which our lives will be most productive and most pleasing to Him. Plainly speaking: there are important reasons, known only to God (though we could probably think of a few) that He has given commands and limitations for His people to follow. In God’s system of worship, women were never allowed prominence. This Jezebel characterization of the female leader of false religion is a good clue, though we don’t know the particulars. God condemned her evil. That’s all we need to know.
Remember the definition of evil: anything that contradicts the direct Word of God. No matter how pretty it is, how beneficial it looks, how innocent-looking or how much fun; if God forbade it in His Word, it is evil. It must be rejected.
Revelation 2:23-25 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
"This doctrine" that some in the congregation do not have, is Jezabel's evil religion.
Jezebel symbolizes a false religious system that mixes worldliness and occultism (esoteric “knowledge”) with the true worship of God. This is an abomination, of course, and is condemned throughout the scriptures.
We wonder why God doesn’t simply strike these evil infiltrators dead and be done with them. He tells us in verse 21: “I gave her time to repent.” Grace always comes before judgment. There will come a deadline, however, when the false teachers and those who have committed spiritual and physical adultery with them will be called to account. They may think they’ve had problems in life, but they have not seen anything yet.
There is always a remnant according to the election of grace. God knows their faithfulness. He urges them to preserve and protect what they know to be true. When He returns to set up His kingdom on the earth, these faithful ones will be given authority over nations. God’s system of authority is the issue in this message to Thyatira. His Word clearly defines His supreme authority and designates those humans who represent His authority, especially in the Church. In this case, as with all other examples of disobedience to the direct command of God, the humans involved consider themselves “good” and “intelligent” and think that just because “there’s a rule about that” doesn’t mean it applies to them.
Remember the definition of evil: anything that contradicts the direct Word of God. No matter how pretty it is, how beneficial it looks, how innocent-looking or how much fun; if God forbade it in His Word, it is evil. It must be rejected.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
What Lies Ahead
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.
Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. Philippians 3:12-21 NASB
Paul referred in verse 11 to “attaining to the resurrection from the dead,” meaning to realize the fully mature spiritual knowledge of the resurrected Christ. That was his ultimate goal, and he considered that a far superior condition to be in than in his earthly body and in a Roman prison, as don’t we all. Picking up in verse 12, Paul stated clearly that he knew he had not achieved that level of maturity; indeed he would not in this life.
The word translated “perfect” in the New Testament always means “mature; a completed character; fully developed (like ripe fruit).” No, Paul hadn’t arrived there yet, but he was working on it, by putting his former mistakes behind him and moving forward to the objective of rewardable service for Christ. Regret slows us down. Confess it to the Father (I John 1:9), claim His promise of forgiveness and cleansing, and get on with the ministry you’ve been assigned.
That is an important factor in spiritual growth. Wallowing in past sins or past self-righteousness or past ignorance accomplishes nothing. What it does is stunt the growth of the advancing believer. Of course there are things in all our lives we wish we could erase, but it was part of who we were. It does no good to grieve excessively over things we can never undo. Our rejoicing is that faith in Jesus Christ has changed us into New Species. We were born again and we move on from here. We have help with this, through the Holy Spirit’s guidance. He will reveal to us where we are coming up short and what misconceptions we need to correct as we move along, always open to the accurate teaching of the Word.
Paul recommended that the brethren look to himself as an example of faith, humility and doctrinal teaching. Unity among the brethren is important, but we must not compromise truth for the sake of unity. Remember the dogs and evil workers in verse 2, who were a threat to the assurance of the growing believers? Well, he brought them up again, more forcefully, as enemies of the cross of Christ. The cross is what we proclaim. It is the basis of our salvation. It is the foundation of the Church. Any teaching or practice that obscures or confuses the importance of the cross of Christ is false doctrine. Their end is destruction (sin unto death), their god is their belly (KJV - it means human appetites, lust patterns). In Biblical terms, the heart (cardia) is the mind; what you think with. Our hearts are renewed by the new birth and by learning the mind of Christ. The belly is the seat of emotions. Emotions cannot think. Emotions respond to stimuli, such as music, art, literature, people, foods and other substances. When our emotions are responding to the Word of God, we appreciate our Lord with fondness, and perhaps a rosy glow. When the emotions respond to worldly things, evil influences and false doctrines, it confuses the issues of Christianity and stunts our spiritual growth. It is possible for believers to be sidetracked by these enemies who lead them astray. Believers are dishonored by such confusion. Do not be misled by your own emotions or anyone else's. Yes, we all "feel." But feelings are not our criteria for spirituality. Bible Doctrine is, as learned and applied by Holy Spirit led students of scripture.
Our citizenship is in heaven. Jesus will return from there one day and make the transformation in our lowly bodies that we all eagerly anticipate, to resemble His Own glorious body. We know that is our destiny. Let us think and behave accordingly.
Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. Philippians 3:12-21 NASB
Paul referred in verse 11 to “attaining to the resurrection from the dead,” meaning to realize the fully mature spiritual knowledge of the resurrected Christ. That was his ultimate goal, and he considered that a far superior condition to be in than in his earthly body and in a Roman prison, as don’t we all. Picking up in verse 12, Paul stated clearly that he knew he had not achieved that level of maturity; indeed he would not in this life.
The word translated “perfect” in the New Testament always means “mature; a completed character; fully developed (like ripe fruit).” No, Paul hadn’t arrived there yet, but he was working on it, by putting his former mistakes behind him and moving forward to the objective of rewardable service for Christ. Regret slows us down. Confess it to the Father (I John 1:9), claim His promise of forgiveness and cleansing, and get on with the ministry you’ve been assigned.
That is an important factor in spiritual growth. Wallowing in past sins or past self-righteousness or past ignorance accomplishes nothing. What it does is stunt the growth of the advancing believer. Of course there are things in all our lives we wish we could erase, but it was part of who we were. It does no good to grieve excessively over things we can never undo. Our rejoicing is that faith in Jesus Christ has changed us into New Species. We were born again and we move on from here. We have help with this, through the Holy Spirit’s guidance. He will reveal to us where we are coming up short and what misconceptions we need to correct as we move along, always open to the accurate teaching of the Word.
Paul recommended that the brethren look to himself as an example of faith, humility and doctrinal teaching. Unity among the brethren is important, but we must not compromise truth for the sake of unity. Remember the dogs and evil workers in verse 2, who were a threat to the assurance of the growing believers? Well, he brought them up again, more forcefully, as enemies of the cross of Christ. The cross is what we proclaim. It is the basis of our salvation. It is the foundation of the Church. Any teaching or practice that obscures or confuses the importance of the cross of Christ is false doctrine. Their end is destruction (sin unto death), their god is their belly (KJV - it means human appetites, lust patterns). In Biblical terms, the heart (cardia) is the mind; what you think with. Our hearts are renewed by the new birth and by learning the mind of Christ. The belly is the seat of emotions. Emotions cannot think. Emotions respond to stimuli, such as music, art, literature, people, foods and other substances. When our emotions are responding to the Word of God, we appreciate our Lord with fondness, and perhaps a rosy glow. When the emotions respond to worldly things, evil influences and false doctrines, it confuses the issues of Christianity and stunts our spiritual growth. It is possible for believers to be sidetracked by these enemies who lead them astray. Believers are dishonored by such confusion. Do not be misled by your own emotions or anyone else's. Yes, we all "feel." But feelings are not our criteria for spirituality. Bible Doctrine is, as learned and applied by Holy Spirit led students of scripture.
Our citizenship is in heaven. Jesus will return from there one day and make the transformation in our lowly bodies that we all eagerly anticipate, to resemble His Own glorious body. We know that is our destiny. Let us think and behave accordingly.
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