False prophets attempt to strip joy from believers

“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.  Any many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.  By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.”

2 Peter 2:1-5 

            In the Christmas season, it is essential to meditate on the purity of the Word of God.  You have read in John 1, “The Word became flesh,” and this infinite miracle has been the pivotal point in which the mysteries of the Christ and the Gospel are understood to see His infinite glory and humility most clearly.  However, there are those who pervert and blaspheme the word of God and use the perfect pivotal point of the incarnation to create their own religion and turn aside to self-glorifying fables.  Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.  He is one-hundred percent God.  That means that He fully contains and infinitely maintains all the attributes and characteristics of God Almighty perfectly as defined in the Scriptures.  He is also one-hundred percent man, containing all the attributes and characteristics perfectly that defines a man as a human being.  Yet, Jesus Christ never sinned (Hebrews 4:15).  He is considered the Great High Priest because he was tempted in all ways as a human being, yet never sinned.  That, in itself, is a miracle that declares Him to be the Almighty and Great ‘I AM.’  His application of perfect sinlessness [i.e., never transgressed the law] distinctly separates Him from every other human and creature in the history of mankind.  Everything else, including every other human being that ever existed, plants, animals, cells and all the ground of the earth is cursed and dying due to the eternally devastating effects of original sin.  Therefore, any futile proclamation from the mouth of a sinner regarding the Gospel, God and Jesus Christ must have the Holy Spirit in charge in order to be declared and verified as truth according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 12:3).

            If we acknowledge these truths of the Christ, then we only begin to understand, with the assistance of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the infinite measure of what the incarnation of God actually is or means.  The declaration of the Son of God coming to earth by conception of the Holy Spirit through a virgin shocks the human mind due to the obvious impossibility if it were a normal birth.  Even still, the Son of God was once a fetus, newborn and a child.  He developed in life exactly the same as a normal human being would.  The difference is that Jesus was and is the eternal God now manifested as a human being.  He is the God-Man.  This decree declares His status as infinitely humble and superbly majestic above all creation. 

“But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying,’Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.’”

Matthew 1:20-21

            The beauty of the incarnation to believers is that, in its “foolishness” and humility, it publicly and eternally shames the wisdom of the world.  Sinners don’t want to be humble and naturally hate humility.  The religions that acknowledge Jesus Christ as a good teacher, prophet or leader, but do not acknowledge and revere Him as the Almighty sinless God who has decreed to succumb Himself to human flesh, utterly blasphemes His very name and purpose, regardless of the supposed intent or “respect” of Him.

“Pilate Therefore said to him, ‘Are you a king then?’  Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king.  For this cause I was born, and that for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.’” John 18:37  It seems that Pilate has the same mindset of many cult heresies, i.e. Mormonism, Islam and Jehovah’s Witnesses, regarding who Jesus Christ was and is.  He asked, “Are you a king then?”  Pilate did not ask him this question as a reverent and contrite sinner, but as a completely arrogant, power-driven, self-righteous and ignorant man.  He presented himself to Jesus as if he had power over Him and did not see Him as God [John 19:10].  Pilate’s purpose to us is not to serve as an extreme example of one who personally ordered the murder [crucifixion] of the Son of God, but merely as an example regarding the natural futile and sinful thinking of someone who is directly under the wrath of God Almighty.  Pontius Pilate, like Judas Iscariot, merely served the purposed of, “crucifying the Son of God,” to fulfill the Scriptures as God had intended before the foundation of the world.  The mindset that Pilate and Judas were succumbed to have not changed since the fall.  In fact, all of sinful man thinks exactly like they do, due to depravity, apart from the Grace and Mercy of Christ.

            Many cults and heresies must not and cannot use the same Scriptures that God has Sovereignly ordained because the God-breathed Scriptures directly involve the foretelling, coming, humiliation, death, resurrection, ascension, return, worship and glorification of Jesus Christ alone.  To devise another “book” or “create another prophet” is to blaspheme God and divert the only way sinners can be truly cut to their heart of the deadly wickedness that dwells within them.  It is to attempt to snatch away the glory of God in Christ and clearly perverts the miracle of regeneration that must take place within a soul, wrought by the Holy Spirit of God to break a sinner’s heart of sin.  It is to make the cross of Christ foolishness and of no value to anyone.  The easiest way to know if a sinner is in error is to find if he is glorifying himself or working hard in a works-based religion, diverting attention away from Christ.

            Not many false prophets will dare mention anything “apart” from Jesus Christ.  Even if Islam makes him merely a prophet and Jehovah’s witnesses make him “a god,” they will still mention the name of Jesus.  Even atheists specifically attack the deity of Jesus Christ and usually not specifically Islam or Buddhism.  They claim they don’t believe in “any god or deity”, but they necessarily acknowledge biblical Christianity when they specifically quote from the Scriptures to attempt to refute it. In essence, they “borrow” a biblical worldview to say that it does not exist.  It is self-defeating logic and irrational circular reasoning.  It is like borrowing the engine of a car to try and prove that cars don’t exist.  It is the same with false doctrine, cults and heresy.  They all borrow the “idea” of a “God” or “Savior” from the Scriptures and then pervert and denounce anything sound in doctrine, according to the Scriptures.  It may have just enough “truth” in it to keep people listening and believing something that makes them feel important and part of something extravagant aside from being born-again to a new life in Christ.  The Apostle says that false teachers are as follows:

“For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.  For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, they latter end is worse for them than the beginning.  For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.  But it has happened to them according to the true proverb; ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.’”

2 Peter 2:18-22

            Generally, whenever a baby is born, those gathered around it are awestruck at the wonder of how it happens [especially the mother].  It is a miracle of God that any child is born.  Without the providential Sovereignty of God, no one would ever be born.    There is something about viewing the newness of life that causes others to respond favorably to the presented gentleness and grace of a newborn child.  Visualize the same scenario, but with a completely sinless newborn baby.  It is an altogether infinitely greater type of miracle in magnitude and majesty when God wills Himself to be born, as a man, from a woman who has never been with a man. 

            The wonder and splendor of Jesus Christ is in light of His Glory and wonderful Grace that He freely lavishes upon undeserving sinners.  The incarnation is merely one point among an infinite number of points that makes Jesus Christ especially beautiful and glorious.  It is because He is the Son of God that chose to make Himself known, as the God-Man, to save a remnant out of the fallen and sinful human race.  He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Mark 2:17).  Even as a baby, He is the visible image of the invisible God, perfectly representing the Almighty.  The unfathomable portrayal of seemingly perceived weakness and vulnerability in the incarnation truly illuminates His infinite wisdom, humility and mighty power over all creation.  Since we are eternally unable and unwilling to save ourselves from sin that saturates our souls to the deepest part of our thoughts and intentions, God in His goodness and decree, came as Jesus Christ the sinless God-Man, to die a bloody death on the Cross that we should deservedly die to bring us back to God.  There is nothing left for man to do.  There is nothing left that man can do.  There is nothing left that man should want to do.  We are sinners that are in desperate need for a Savior.  Repent and believe.  Receive Him by faith and grace alone that you may have new life.  We cannot get this wrong. 

 What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

 Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

The deceptiveness of the sin of unbelief

            I suppose that the unregenerate and unconverted have no understanding of the sheer unbelief of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  They have no excuse and even profess to believe, but through their thoughts, actions and lifestyle they publicly deny the commands of the Savior, and indeed the Savior Himself.  Perhaps what represents the most painstaking comparison of understanding belief and unbelief is in light of true believers.  It is one thing to be completely ignorant and irreverent of Jesus Christ in an unconverted state and in turn, portray the fruit of unbelief.  But, the Holy Spirit enlightens the spiritual senses and awareness of the soul of believers to believe the Gospel and thus provides the discernment necessary to be empowered as a Christian. 

            Paul states, “And I think Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.”  1 Tim. 1:12-13 

As a Pharisee of Pharisees, Paul understood and mastered the Old Testament Law in knowledge, but he persecuted true believers as a blasphemous and insolent man, thinking that he was doing right, according to the law.  To some professing believers, Paul’s “unbelief” would merely be a distorting or distraction from the “whole truth.”  However, upon his conversion, revelation came to Paul in the knowledge of the truth of the Gospel from Jesus Christ Himself to believe.  “Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.”  Act 9:18

After Christ Himself came to Paul [Saul] and revealed Himself in glory, he immediately knew truth.  He believed the true Gospel because Christ took away his hardness of heart and rebellion and forgave his sins as he was filled with the Holy Spirit [v. 17].  What Paul understood as “belief” and “truth” according to the law prior to conversion, translated into blasphemy, insolence and ignorant unbelief after his conversion.

            The power, sweetness and purity of Jesus Christ through revelation of the Holy Spirit shatters unbelief in its most perverted form [anywhere from perverting certain doctrines, leading to heresy and to simply be unconverted].  It can turn the mind of atheism into a mind of a radical evangelist for the glory of God.  It can transform the demon-possessed and the utmost sexual and murderously perverse mind into a great saint of God, who worships in spirit and in truth.  It will break the heart and convict the most hardened of sinners, as Paul claimed to be chief [1 Tim. 1:15].  He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, says the Scripture [John 3:18 emphasis mine]. 

            If unbelievers are converted from complete unbelief [meaning everything they do is sin and rooted in selfish pleasure and pride that ultimately blasphemes God], then believers must never have unbelief, since they have the Holy Spirit causing them to believe?  No, it is the very truth of unbelief after conversion that is the most difficult to discern and repent from due to subtlety and deceit.  A believer may be convinced that what he believes is the truth when it in fact, may be a lie. A believer may fall into grievous sin rooted in unbelief.  A believer may doubt his salvation to the point of feeling utterly despaired and forsaken by God.  The deceitfulness of the flesh and “the old man” in the believer can possibly view unbelief in its truest sense as feeling “normal” or in its latest stages finally realized as being “lulled to sleep”  before awoken to [practical] righteousness by the Spirit.

There are at least three practical ways I believe “unbelief as a believer manifests itself”; if understood and acknowledged correctly, then the believer will be enabled and empowered by the Holy Spirit to overcome unbelief [and all sin] with sound doctrine and simply believe and apply the Gospel in all areas of life [the same truths apply to the unbeliever but they simply cannot know these truths without the new birth].

 

Unbelief is rooted in:

1.)    Failure to believe that God, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, can and will deliver from sin and temptation.

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as it common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

1 Corinthians 10:13

2.)    Failure to believe that all our sins [past, present and future] are forever forgiven and nailed to the Cross of Christ.

“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.  And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

Colossians 2:13-15

3.)  Failure to believe in the power and complete sufficiency of the bloody death of Jesus Christ on the Cross and physical resurrection that makes our faith, power and knowing Him possible.

“Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is not resurrection of the dead?  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.  And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.  Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God and He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.  For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.  And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!  Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.”

1 Corinthians 15:12-18

 Sanctification by the ministering of Spirit brings the light of Christ into the heart and mind of the believer and reminds him of his saved and eternally hopeful condition.  It is the Gospel of Christ that allows us to capture thoughts of the horrid, yet eternally liberating crucifixion to see the sins of all God’s remnant nailed once and for all to the cross and forgotten forevermore.  That is where the power of practically applying the Gospel to one’s life lies.  Without believing the death and resurrection of Christ and applying to every encounter and situation of life, we are prone to sin and indeed, do sin.  We are prone to moral failure because we do not acknowledge the true power of the Gospel.  But, this desire of the true believer is caused to see the Glory of Christ when tempted to sin and may be able to overcome because of Christ’s victory.  How are you overcoming sin, believer?  Do you see the Cross?  Do you see a religious self-effort?  Do you understand the true victory and power you have because the eternal Son of God died for and forgave your sins, in particular?

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.  They are of the world.  Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God.  He who knows God hears us; He who is not of God does not hear us.  By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

1 John 4:4-6

God does not only save us from hell, but to commune and fellowship with Him

An easy trap to fall into as a believer or more specifically a new believer is the fact that God only saves us from Hell. “I’m saved, I’m saved! I am no longer going to hell!” I have certainly exclaimed that statement at least a couple of times in my life [maybe not those exact words]. However, upon conversion, the spiritually dead and flesh-driven scales were peeled from the eyes. The first thing a believer is reminded of upon conversion is his own dreadful condition. The other most immediate response for the new believer is that he now must respond in faith to his entirely new life due to the recognition of the forgiveness of sin.

Once a sinner is converted, the fear of death and hell [and simply the unknown] now has the marvelous light of the Gospel shone upon it. All ideas and previous thoughts of death and the afterlife have now been realized as idolatry and foolishness. Since the sinner is now saved, he now has been imparted the knowledge and righteousness by the Holy Spirit to know that he is not forsaken. The Mediator, Jesus Christ, intercedes on his behalf for all things because He now knows this particular sinner [from eternity]. The spirit has given life abundantly within the soul to now be zealous about the things of Christ and the true power that is given upon conversion.

First, death is no more. Although the body dies because of sin, it will live because of the Holy Spirit imparted by Christ to make the soul alive to God [Ephesians 2]. When Christians speak of “living because of the Holy Spirit,” they should mean it in a literal [physical] sense and not only spiritual. Just as Christ’s resurrection was necessarily a physical resurrection, so our literal deadness is literally made alive by God. The unregenerate unknown has now been made known in the regenerate. The soul has been given life.

“So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’

O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:54-58.

As the Christian work abounds, so does the worldview of this entirely new life as a new creature in Christ. His dead works are now alive as he now knows the Creator of the Universe. The mystery of this Gospel is that we no longer live as our previous lives manifested, but now it is Christ who lives in us [Galatians 2:20]. We are now therefore inseparable and inescapable from Christ’s gracious love. Everything that was seen, learned, fashioned, fathomed, performed and renounced in the unregenerate is now understood through the lens of the Gospel in the regenerate. There is no more fear of death and what happens after the grave. In fact, the very essence of this new life is that the believer has already died to the flesh. He is already dead to the things of this life. This life is considered completely worthless and meaningless because they gain the infinite, eternal value of Christ. All other things, as Paul states, are counted as loss. He knows that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

If everything stated above is true about the Christian, then it is impossible to treat Christ as simply a way out of eternal destruction in hell. The power and realization of regeneration by the very Holy Spirit of God should be mutually exclusive to the fear of death and hell. By nature, we are either under wrath or mercy. By nature, we are either a sheep or a goat; vessel of honor or vessel of destruction, adopted or forsaken. One is to be eternally blessed in Christ and the other eternally condemned because he has broken the law and deserves only death [Romans 3:23]. The diametrical separation of these two decrees is immutable and not fully understood by human minds due to the eternal nature of the policy that is begun by the spirit of God.

As the believer’s life is consumed in the sanctification process, they are lead and guided only by the Holy Spirit into truth. The days and years are lead further and further away from thoughts of death, condemnation and life in this wretched world that is passing away [although they become more and more understood]. Sin of all sorts is recognized as evermore heinous and dreadfully deadly. The heart, mind and affections are continually set upon the eternal realm and not the immediate or temporal. The result of this worldview and mindset is manifested and attributed to gratefulness for the undeserved eternal deliverance from sin and beholding the radiant glory of Christ.

Consider the prophet Isaiah, who knew his own sinful nature to a great degree. “So I Said : Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of people with unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5
It does not appear that his primary assurance and focus is on the deliverance from Hell, Hades, the Pit or Sheol. Although Isaiah prophesied into words the fall of Lucifer, who ultimately dwells in Sheol [Isaiah 14:12-21], he first saw that he was a man who has sinned and that his transgression was great. The sensitivity to his own natural wretchedness caused him to see the holiness of God in light of understanding the purging of his sin [revealed to him by an angel]. “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged. [v. 7].” His heart was changed as his own sinful nature was being revealed to himself as he proclaimed, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” At this point, the prophet’s deliverance from sin causes him to respond immediately and with joy to the Lord’s command for him to preach.

It should become evermore apparent that Jesus Christ has is absolutely sovereign and has command over all things, including life and death [and all the things in between]. With our finite and sinful minds, we cannot comprehend the “rebuking of wind raging water [Luke 8:24].” If we are in the boat during the storm the disciples were subject to, we should realize that we are at the complete mercy of God at all moments. Even though Christians are born-again, our faith is not perfect because we still sin [unbelief]. If faith were perfect, then we would not need to “have faith in Christ”. Things would just be as they are in a non-fallen world. We would already know Christ as He is, perfect and holy. Jesus calming the wind and the waves is so far outside of our scope of thinking, the disciples asked, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him![v.25]” Jesus calms the waves in the open sea in the same way He rebukes, judges and holds the souls of fallen sinners. They are all always under His Sovereign rule. If you see and understand His wonderful, fearful, omnipotent rule and care, then you may see that death and hell have no precedence in creation and that all comes from Christ. If you are with Him in the boat, then there is no cause for concern.

Lastly, Jesus calls sinners unto Himself. “Getting saved” or “becoming a Christian” is not like pulling the rabbit out of a hat trick. It is not merely a statement to men to receive an all-access grant into a church. Neither is it merely a profession of faith to receive baptism or a result of many years as a church member. Rather, salvation is the miracle of regeneration where the sinner’s soul is reconciled to God through the bloody death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. At this point a relationship is enacted and God’s voice becomes familiar and distinct from all others in that He speaks directly to our soul by His word and the Holy Spirit. He continually conforms our image to His in a way that sinners cannot do on their own. “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.” John 10:14
Since Christ is and will be the Bride-Groom for God’s entire remnant, He keeps them and holds them throughout their entire life on earth because they belong to Him for eternity. He reminds them of the wickedness that dwells within them. He commands them to take every thought captive to the obedience of Him. He commands repentance. Thoughts and deeds of the elect must be consistently dwelt upon the great Worth of their Savior. Christ is the One who snatches them from the surety of death and destruction apart from Him. Our mortality is swallowed up by the infinite blessedness of immortality because of the Great work of our Savior on the rugged tree. If Christ is the all-consuming fire that we proclaim Him to be, then we already have victory over death, the grave and Hades. Then, thoughts of death and hell become distant, futile and worthless compared to the worth of the Savior. Simultaneously, Christians have the heightened sense of the reality of the imminence of death because of the Spirit. Therefore, they are the only ones that can effectively proclaim the resurrection of the dead in Jesus Christ with zeal, compassion and urgency to all nations that Jesus calls us unto Himself.

“For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.”
Philippians 1:21-24

The Cost of Discipleship

Undeniably, the fallen and evil state of this earth presents a potential spiritual catastrophe at any given moment. Various lusts, trials, covetousness, adultery and hatred are consistently knocking at the door of any and every believer. When one sin is overcome, another is already at the door to deceive and penetrate the feeble heart and mind of the Christian. In acknowledging the reality and effects of indwelling sin, we are more prone to evil than to good; to idolatry than to true worship. One minute we are being washed in the water of the word and the next we stumble upon a professing atheist or encounter a trial never experienced before. We are tempted to despair.

The challenge is not to simply “not sin,” but overcome evil with good. Jesus doesn’t just command us to not sin, but to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect [Matt. 5:48]. Since ideas and ideologies do not originate or consist with any human knowledge or power, perfection is defined and lies within the proposition to “be perfect.” Whether we are a disciple of Christ or an atheist, we are all commanded to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect [in the sense that repentance is commanded from everyone].

How can an utterly sinful human being “be perfect” while here on earth? The difference lies in those who are true disciples of Christ. An unbeliever of any sort cannot be perfect because he has no concept of perfection. He cannot know it. A believer, who is by grace made a disciple of Jesus Christ, has the knowledge of the true perfection of the father. Although it is greatly dimmed and perverted due to our finiteness and sin, the conception is nonetheless true. As Jesus fulfilled the law in His flesh, He is one in the same as the Father in perfection. Since Christ is the exact representation of the Father in likeness and attributes, He imputes the perfection of the Father [and Himself] to the believer by the blessed Holy Spirit.

“Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed in whom is no deceit!’”[John 1:47]. Did the Savior of the world indeed proclaim Nathanael to be without sin? Jesus could have certainly drawn out indwelling sin within Nathanael, particularly from his comment, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?[v.46]” Perhaps Jesus merely made a point to Nathanael, but he was publicly revealed by Christ Himself to be His disciple. The disposition of Nathanael was such that he revered and worshiped the Christ without seeing Him until Christ revealed Himself, in the flesh. In other words, Jesus already claimed Nathanael to be His disciple before they ever met face to face. He already had communion and worshiped Jesus as the Son of God. “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! [v. 49].” Jesus clearly revealed this to Nathanael as He reminded him about his communion with Him under the tree in faith [v. 48].

Discipleship is the sustenance of daily Christian living. It is not only discipleship with other believers that helps to crucify the flesh and all sorts of evil. But, it is communion with the Son of God Himself that even allows for discipleship with other believers. How can one confess sin to his brother when he has no ability or desire to confess to God [who ultimately forgives sin and calls disciples]? How can one “follow Christ” when he naturally follows his own lustful desires? Also, how can Jesus be your Savior if you are not even His friend? I cannot be updated on my brothers’ life if I never call him or talk to him. If I never fellowship with my friend [when I am completely available and able], then it would be difficult to conclude that he is my friend. Nevertheless, I cannot commune with my Savior if I am not confessing my sin, temptation and praying for deliverance from them. I cannot expect prayers to be answered if I never pray like He commands.

Lastly, the blessedness of being called as a disciple [follower] of Jesus Christ is an eternally unique relationship. It is not like my relationship with my brother. My brother only knows certain things about me. He only cares about certain things. It is the same with my mother and father. Although they are my parents, they can only love me as far as their flesh and understanding allows. As Creator and King, Jesus is able and willing to love and fellowship with his children according to His Sovereign Grace. He is able to bear witness wholly and completely because He was in every way tempted as we are, yet without sin.

The only love that is possible between two human beings is simply an overflow of Christ’s love for the church. That relationship is infinitely beyond a temporal relationship here on earth, which includes marriage between a man and woman [although Christian relationships are eternal]. Therefore, being a “disciple” of Christ is a public command to forsake all others and things for His sake. It is indeed to pick up our crosses and follow Him. It is a command “to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect” because it is the Cross of Calvary and the Blood of Christ that makes it possible to share in the unique and eternally blessed relationship with the Son of God that surpasses understanding.

“Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.’”
John 1:50

Religious Affections

The true Christian life doe not revolve around a set of core beliefs to live by. We are commanded to perfectly obey the Ten Commandments. We must attend worship services to be “in fellowship”. We must pray. We are commanded to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We must be good stewards with money, property and relationships. We are told to love our enemies. But, can the born-again Christian maintain a lifestyle of merely attempting to check off these things on our list and measure how we do according to a man-standardized caliper? Would not the mindset of having a “Christian check list” be directly opposed to fundamental biblical Christianity?

If a sinner has standardized his moral behavior according to his own accomplishments, he will succeed every time. If his goal is to feed one homeless person per day and he does it, he has attained the goal. If he plans to not curse as much as yesterday, he has done well. He will build his self-moral empire until he is glorious in his own eyes. It will therefore tremendously affect the way he truly glorifies God in all things and thus attempts to strip all the glory that belongs to Him. If a man already is or is becoming self-sufficient in his moral behavior and affections, he loses the blessed sight of the Spirit’s power, Grace and providence in every action or deed. Instead of seeing the Sovereignty of God and Glory of Christ, he will rather sin by idolizing his perceived self-willed providence. At this rate of continually attempting to realize his own ‘good’ actions, his pride will puff up as he simultaneously continues to stumble and degrade God’s righteousness name. The most dangerous viper on the horizon of spiritual warfare is that even a saint may not realize his that his great moral actions may be nothing more than self-righteous, [perceived] self-willed and demoralizing progressions of idolatry. It is infinitely more so in the unregenerate depraved mind.

Christians are to glorify God in all things. When the Son of God sets a sinner free from sin and death, he is free indeed. He is no longer condemned but is justified by His Grace. The very spiritual state of mind the sinner is caused to see upon the new birth is the very spiritual state of mind we are to [and will if it is a true work of Grace] maintain throughout life on this earth. If one does not pass from death to life and given the Holy Spirit to be lead into all truth, then it is impossible to glory God at all, much less in feeding a homeless person, corporate worship, Scripture reading or various sorts of “good deeds.” The nature that is given upon the new birth is the “new nature” or the “new man” whose very purpose is to, on one hand, crucify the deeds of the body or the flesh through holiness [convict of sin]. On the other hand, the Spirit’s perfect work is to give all glory to God in the accomplishment of these holy affections. That is above all else. Only the Holy Spirit’s work in the soul can generate true worship and affections for Christ, which produces the righteous deeds in accordance to the will of God.

In true Christian living, the regenerated soul realizes that he is delivered from the infinitely self-righteous and self-glorifying state of mind. As the converted continues in the daily battle of the flesh, the Spirit brings conviction upon the things he naturally wants to do. The sinner naturally wants to build his temple of idolatry and worship his own self-righteous works as if it is he who does them and controls them. He will rather take the credit for a good work prior to submitting it to His very Creator, who is Sovereign and works all in all. He would love his works before loving Christ. His mind is naturally corrupted in perversion and sin; so apart from the Spirit’s work, he cannot glorify God in the purity that acknowledges His perfect righteousness. He would rather covet all things to himself before submitting them to the effectual goodness of the Lord.
These affections eternally separate the regenerate from the unregenerate but they may at times look exactly the same on the outside.

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ‘All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ‘And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.’” Matthew 25:31-33

The wisdom of Christ is such that He separates the sheep from the goats according to His own pleasure and glory. Whether we are a sheep or a goat, we must testify in judgment our works according to the perfect glory of Christ. His unsearchable glory cannot and will not be seen in those to whom He has not effectually called by the Spirit. In the unregenerate mind [and the believer at times], works and deeds may make mention of Christ but still ultimately glorify oneself. The stark difference is that when a true believer gives a cup of water, the Spirit causes them see the glory of Christ and do it in Jesus’ name.
“for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in[v. 35].”

The true believer clothes the naked and visits those in prison. So does the unbeliever. The true believer does not do it because Jesus says to always “clothe the naked” or “take a stranger in.” They do it because they will not only clothe the naked, but that they will also give him something to eat. If that person happens to be in prison, they will also visit them there. And if they are thirsty, they will give them something to drink too. The wicked desire to complete these things and gladly receive recognition for them as a good steward or Samaritan. Their hearts are too hardened and self-sufficient to remotely fathom the glory of God in such an action. But true saints of Christ realize that even if they offer something, they know they truly have nothing. Because of the precious blood of Jesus, the depths of the soul in the beloved saints have sprung to life of the glory of God in Christ. Their eyes and ears are open to see and know that Christ has freely given them all things when He hung on the tree. They now know what was always their responsibility [to care for the poor, pray, to worship Him, take strangers in, being absolutely perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect], and plead to Him in utter gratefulness that they now come to His table and eat. We now consider it a gracious honor and pleasure due to the joy given by the Spirit, to give a cup of water in Jesus’ name.