Safe and Secure: The Intersection of Security and Assurance
September 29, 2022 at 3:44 pm | Posted in II Timothy, Uncategorized | 1 CommentTags: 1 John 5, 2 Timothy 2, assurance of salvation, Biblical assurance, Ephesians 4, eternal security, eternal security of the believer, John 3, once saved always saved, Romans 3
When considering the doctrine of eternal security, and the separate but related concept of the assurance of salvation, I would like to discuss four possible categories of people:
1. People who are saved and know it
2. People who are saved but don’t know it
3. People who are lost and know it
4. People who think they are saved but are really lost
And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
I John 5:11
Many babies around the world are born without a birth certificate, but, in nations where there is a strong hospital system and government oversight, there is almost always a record of physical birth. When it comes to having a record of spiritual birth, though, we can do away with the “almost,” because there is in fact ALWAYS a record of spiritual birth. Spiritual birth is the receipt of eternal life, and this eternal life is in the Son. Receipt of eternal life in the Son should be a basis for certainty, not doubt, because the Son, like the life He gives and maintains, is eternal Himself.
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
I John 5:12
I listed four categories above, but, in a more basic sense, we can confirm two categories here: (1) those who have the Son; and (2) those who have not the Son. We call the ones who have the Son “saved” because they are secure with Him. The ones who do not have the Son can not be considered “saved,” but we call them lost, rather than “damned,” in the hope that they will be found.
The doctrine of eternal security is underpinned by, and, in a way, based upon, regeneration. This will help us to think correctly as we analyze the connection between security and assurance and look at the four categories one at a time.
1. Those who are saved and know it
Is it possible for a person to know he is saved? The Bible indicates that it is.
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
I John 5:13
John’s epistles back up the purpose of his Gospel (“that ye might believe”) by adding that ye might believe and KNOW. The pastor of the church where I serve likes to say that the only thing better than being saved is being saved and knowing it, and there is certainly an element of truth to this. Perhaps you have heard other preachers ask, “Do you know that you know that you know… etc… that you are saved?” When the doctrine of security is known and understood, and it is combined with a Biblical assurance of salvation, we can see that this category – category one, being saved and knowing it – is clearly the best category.
2. Those who are saved but don’t know (or realize) it
I would argue that this is not a “good” category to be in, but certainly not the worst. Is it possible to be saved and not realize you are saved? Setting aside cases of amnesia or mental illness or disability, this category would mainly consist of people who struggle with doubt, or people who have been genuinely saved but haven’t fully understood it, or people who have sinned and become consumed by guilt leading to doubt over God’s love. I heard one preacher talk about a young lady who struggled with feeling forgiven, although the Bible clearly states that the sins of believers have been fully forgiven in the Cross. It turned out that her deeper issue was not a struggle with guilt, but a lack of repentance concerning her pride and disbelief.
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32
Confession of sins is integral to growth as a Christian, but just as important, or even more so, is a recognition that our FATHER has already arranged a prospective GUARANTEED forgiveness for true Christians. Category Two is a “better” category than Category Three or Four, but it is ultimately a sad category, and one from which we should seek to deliver our brothers and sisters who struggle with doubt and disbelief in the power and promises and grace of God.
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 3:36 (emphasis added)
Note the present tense (what I like to call the present tense eternal) “hath” in John 3:36. Security is in the POSSESSION of eternal life, not the PROFESSION of eternal life, but when the profession can be added to the possession, then the Christian can grow in faith and overcome crippling doubt and fear.
3. Those who are lost and know it
Category 3 is not a good category, obviously, but it is is not as bad as it at first sounds. A person who knows he is lost (and will admit it) is a prime candidate to hear and receive the Gospel. Much of the Bible, and therefore much evangelism, is geared toward getting lost people to admit they are lost. A lost person may totally misconstrue the message that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life; that message is largely meaningless without the conviction of sin and the fear of judgment. That’s why the Bible’s most explicit explanations of the Gospel and the plan of salvation drive home the point that sinners are the ones who need a savior, and we all come into this world as sinners.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Romans 3:23-26
This is extremely good news for those who believe in Jesus and the truth about His death, burial, and Resurrection, but ONLY for those who believe. There is no eternal security for a lost person, so the last thing we want to do is given them a false assurance. A false assurance would land them them in category four, which, for my money, is the most dangerous and worst category a person could be in.
4. Those who think they are saved but are really lost
These people are sometimes described as inoculated to the Gospel, and, while I don’t really care for that description, we must acknowledge that a person who truly believes that he has already been saved is the kind of person who is least likely to be susceptible to the conviction that comes with the preaching of the Gospel. One of the reasons that so many people don’t like the expression “once saved always saved” is that it can be seriously misused, even though it is a valid expression. We have to remember that the expression is NOT “once claimed to be saved, always saved” or “once thought to be saved, always saved.” Too many professing Christians wear the label “saved” when they haven’t really understood or believed the Gospel, and haven’t really received the Savior. It reminds me of a story in which the famous preacher D.L. Moody was once approached by a drunk man. “Don’t you remember me?” slurred the man as he staggered about, “You saved me two years ago.” Moody is said to have responded, “I must be the one who saved you, because it sure doesn’t look like God did it.”
There are some Biblical examples of people who belonged to category four, and some we can’t be sure of, but two are mentioned by name:
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
II Timothy 2:15-18
It appears that Hymenaeus and Philetus were in error – albeit grievous error – meaning they actually believed their own false teachings. Note, however, that their false assurance, and their fall into apostasy, did not affect the objective truth of eternal security.
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
II Timothy 2:19
We are hesitant to disfellowship or kick someone out of a local church body, and we should not do so if there is reason to believe their profession of salvation is credible, but ongoing acts of open unrepentant sin is one authorized reason for doing it, and false teaching, despite attempted correction, is another.
Modesty and Louis
December 2, 2021 at 2:45 pm | Posted in Ephesians, Uncategorized | 7 CommentsTags: Biblical marriage, Christian marriage, Ephesians 5, Gospel marriage, John 3, John the Baptist, marriage, marriage ceremony, marriage vows, wedding vows
Remarks from my second daughter’s (and the second to get married) wedding on October 24, 2021:
We are gathered here today in the presence of God and in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord to witness and to celebrate this marriage. We thank God for the gift of marriage, and on behalf of the bride and groom and their families, we thank you for coming.
This is my second time to do this in the same year, and I thought it would be easier the second time, but it’s not.
My wife and I love marriage and we love weddings, but when it’s your own daughter, the feeling is bittersweet. Don’t get me wrong, it’s only 10% bitter and 90% sweet (which is pretty sweet), but it’s tough to remember your adult daughter as a baby and a young child and not wonder at how fast the time went. You can’t really get rid of – and you wouldn’t to – that image of a little girl playing dress-up as a four year old bride – or an eight year old bride – or, in my daughter’s case, still playing dress-up when she was 18!
All of our daughters are special to us – just as I know the groom is very special to his parents and grandparents and family. There comes a time as a parent when you have to shift your perspective and remember that God’s plan for most young people is to get married and start their own family. I think weddings are joyous things – and they very much help in that transition. I was thinking the other day about Bible verses that talk about marriage and a strange one came to mind.
Some of you know who John the Baptist is from the Bible, but in case you’re not as familiar, he came onto the scene right before Jesus, and he had a pretty big ministry. He was baptizing many people. That’s why they called him John the Baptist (the Baptizer).
After Jesus showed up and started His own ministry some of John’s disciples thought John might be a little upset, so they came to him and said, “Everybody’s going over to Jesus now instead of following you as much. What do you think about that?” Now, my daughter is known for being competitive (the groom is a little more irenic, so I think they’re going to balance each other out), and in competition – especially in sports – every play makes someone happy and someone upset. But John the Baptist wasn’t playing a game. He told them that his whole ministry had two main messages: (1) “The Messiah is coming;” and (2) “I’m not Him.”
He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
John 3:29
That’s one of the great things about marriage: Nobody should be upset. Everybody is happy. We have been preparing the bride, and the groom’s family has been preparing the groom, and grandparents and aunts and uncles and friends and relatives have all played a part in helping to make them the people they are today, so today we rejoice. It’s their special day, and they are the happiest ones here, but we are all filled with joy for them and because of them, so, before we get to the vows, let me read one short passage of Scripture from the Bible that gives God’s revelation about what marriage really means:
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Ephesians 5:22-33
This is the Word of God. Christian marriage was designed by God to be an illustration of the relationship between Christ and His Church. The husband represents Christ, Who is the Head of the Church. Groom, you must cherish the bride and give yourself for her. You must love, serve, sacrifice, and provide for her. Bride, you must willing submit to the groom, and serve, love, honor, and respect Him. This is going to be for your good, but it is a big responsibility, too. You need show the world the glory of Christ, and what it means to love and serve like Him.
The rest of us are celebrating, but we have a big responsibility here, too. As true friends and family members, we need to commit to pray for the bride and groom, that the groom would be safe on his job, and that the bride would continue to influence and teach children, which is what she’s been called by God to do.
This marriage is about the bride and the groom. It’s about the people who love and care for them. But first and foremost it is about God and His Gospel. God is loving, but He is also just. Y’all are some of the finest people I know, but we’re all sinners. Sinners are people who have broken God’s law and must be punished by a just judge. HOWEVER, God has made a way for forgive sinners. He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ the Lord, to take our sins on Himself and carry them to the Cross and pay for them in full. He laid down His life, He was buried and He rose again. He is alive today, seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will give you a new heart, eternal life, and a guaranteed home in Heaven if you repent, believe, and trust in Him alone.
Now, we will hear the groom’s and bride’s vows:
To the groom: Do you take this woman to be your wife in the holy covenant of Christian marriage, promising to love her, honor her, protect her, provide for her, be faithful to her, and to give yourself for her as Christ gave himself for His Church?
Groom: I do.
Do you promise with God’s help to honor these vows to her in sickness and in health, in prosperity and in poverty, for better and for worse, in times of joy and in times of grief, forsaking all others and continuing to abide with her as long as you both shall live?
Groom: I do.
To the bride: Do you take this man to be your husband, promising to love, reverence, honor, help him, be faithful to him, and to lovingly submit to him as he honors Christ in your marriage?
Bride: I do.
Do you promise with God’s help to honor these vows to him in sickness and in health, in prosperity and in poverty, for better and for worse, in times of joy and in times of grief, forsaking all others and continuing to abide with him as long as you both shall live?
Groom to bride: I take you to be my wife, and I promise and commit in the presence of God and these witnesses to love and serve you as long as we both shall live.
Bride to groom: I take you to be my husband, and I promise and commit in the presence of God and these witnesses to love and serve you as long as we both shall live.
Groom to bride: I give you this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you.
Bride to groom: I give you this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you.
Prayer: Lord God, we ask you to bless this covenant of marriage between Joey and Juliette. Please help them to honor the vows that they have made today, and give them a joyful, fruitful, loving, Gospel-centered, Christ-honoring, and grace-fueled marriage, so that their love for You and for each other grows greater, deeper, and richer each day. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.
Considering the vows you have made today and in view of what the Bible says about the glorious gift of marriage, I am pleased to pronounce you husband and wife. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.
Keeping in mind that you are in public, you may give each other an appropriate kiss.
Big Words of the Christian Life: Illumination (Part 1)
June 20, 2019 at 9:32 am | Posted in big words of the Christian life | 11 CommentsTags: 1 Peter 2, 2 Corinthians 4, Isaiah 8, John 3, Luke 1, Proverbs 6, Psalm 112, Psalm 119, Psalm 90, understanding the Bible
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Psalm 119:18
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
I Peter 2:9 (emphasis added)
Every person comes into this world (which is a dark world, spiritually speaking) in a state of spiritual darkness himself. God’s truth is present in the world and it is the only source of light. Jesus is the Light of the World, but the existence of light – alone – does not bring about spiritual vision or the comprehension of truth. In order for light to be effective, there has to be the ability to see. Blind eyes have to be healed and spiritual blindfolds have to be removed. This can not be done by physical force, nor by debate, nor by fleshly enticement. It is part of the Holy Spirit’s work of regeneration when it happens – when an unbeliever becomes a believer. When a lost person gets saved – when someone who has been born only once (physically) gets born again (spiritually) – the Holy Spirit opens His eyes to the Truth.
That part of illumination is purely a gift of the Spirit. We do not cooperate with it, any more than a thief who is sneaking around a dark house hiding from the cops cooperates with being exposed once they shine a spotlight right in his face, but there is an aspect of the doctrine of illumination which does involve our cooperation – after we are saved.
Illumination is the Holy Spirit’s work in giving spiritual sight to unbelievers, and thereafter teaching believers the Scriptures, helping us to understand them, and empowering us to apply them to our lives.
I. Illumination Indicts Iniquity
It exposes, and makes us aware of, our own sin.
Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
Psalm 90:8
We often have trouble seeing our own sin, or understanding the pervasiveness of it. We are like fish who do not understand they are wet because “wetness” is all they have ever known. We are very accustomed to darkness – until we become of aware of how God sees our sin. Nothing is done in secret from His point of view. Once His spirit illuminates our self-awareness, we recognize our guilt and our terrifying position before a righteous Judge.
For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
Proverbs 6:23
God’s Word shows us our true condition, and the condition of the world around us. We should be convicted when we read the Bible, but not merely convicted. We should also find hope: reproofs and instruction.
Light helps us see what’s around us, but it also shows us safe paths to take and ways of escape from trouble.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
John 3:19-20
We need the Holy Spirit’s help to come to the light. It hurts our eyes. It shocks us. It throws us into a state of shame or embarrassment. BUT… if we will come to it instead of running away from it, then illumination will expose, and make us aware of, our own sin. It will give us insight into our spiritual nature. It will allow us to discern the sins of others and sin in the world.
II. Illumination Initiates Interest
Evil needs a covering, or an excuse, or a rationalization. People don’t want their deeds exposed along with their motives.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
John 3:21
Those who have been illuminated by God, and who come to the light, want their deeds to be manifested – to be made known – but isn’t this a form of pride, of bragging, of showing off? No, it’s a way of glorifying God – because only His light has made it possible to do these types of deeds and it is obvious they are wrought in God. They are His good works, really, merely done THROUGH us. We are not light sources; we are light reflectors. We’re not the electricity running through the wires; we’re the bulbs: the diffusers of God’s glorious light.
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1:79
God’s light gets us moving – it “motivates” us to make peace, to try to help reconcile people to God. Most people, whether they admit it or not, have a nagging sense that they live under the shadow of death – the awareness that life will end relatively soon and judgment awaits. God’s light puts death in the shadow of God’s glory instead of vice versa.
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
II Corinthians 4:4
A physical blindfold can be removed by force, but mental and spiritual blindness, like physical blindness, requires supernatural intervention.
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
II Corinthians 4:5-6
God, in Christ, has illuminated our hearts and minds, but not just for our “enlightenment.” (I prefer the term “illumination” over “enlightenment” because of the baggage and selfishness associated with Eastern mysticism, and to avoid connecting it to the historical period known as the “Age of Enlightenment.”) He has given us His light and placed it in our formerly darkened hearts so that we can shine it into other blind hearts and minds.
Illumination creates in us a desire to read and study God’s Word. Illumination attracts us to God’s Truth.
III. Illumination Implements Instruction
Thankfully, the Holy Spirit’s work of illumination does not stop when a believer receives the gift of salvation.
Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
Psalm 112:4
Those who are “upright” – who stand before God in Jesus’s imputed righteousness – are given light to know God more and more, in ever-increasing measures. I mentioned earlier that believers participate in it, but it is still a gift of God’s grace and compassion, and it is for the purpose of directing us toward righteousness.
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Isaiah 8:20
Illumination is about understanding and applying the Word of God. It is not about feelings, fantasies, or fables. It is not about private personal promptings. The Holy Spirit inspired the same Scripture for everybody to read, and He illuminates it for each person to study on his/her own with a goal of reaching a common, mutual, and CORRECT comprehension of it. The Holy Spirit gives greater understanding to those who obey what they have already been shown.
Next time we will see that illumination imparts insight.
The Competition
June 7, 2019 at 10:17 am | Posted in John | 10 CommentsTags: Christian competition, commentary on John, competition, competitiveness, condemnation, Jesus Christ, John 3, John 4, John the Baptist, Sunday School lessons on John
In a previous post I looked at the importance of the word “for” which begins the well-known verse, John 3:16. There is another “for” which continues building on these ideas in the next verse.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:17
In what sense will Jesus – Who we know has been given all authority in Heaven and in earth, including the authority (Matthew 28:18: “all power”) to judge and condemn (Acts 17:31) – not condemn? Answer: In the sense that those who do not believe on Him are condemned already.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:18
After cleansing the Temple in Jerusalem, and after His encounter with Nicodemus, Jesus and His disciples went out into the Judean countryside.
After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.
John 3:22
This makes it sound like Jesus was personally baptizing people, but:
(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
John 4:2
It seems likely that Jesus authorized His Disciples to baptize new converts, but did not actually do the baptizing with His own hands. The Apostle Paul often left the actual baptizing to others as well (I Corinthians 1:14).
Jesus, in His earthly ministry, fulfilled, but also exceeded, the Old Testament types which pointed to Him.
Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying.
John 3:25
Jesus had exceeded the Old Testament Tabernacle and Temple water pots when He changed the water into wine at the wedding in Cana. He had exceeded the Old Testament locations of worship as the meeting place between man and God as demonstrated when He cleansed the Temple. He fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy of the necessity of the water-spirit birth as He preached to Nicodemus. Now a specific group of Jews, possibly led by one man, questioned John’s practice of baptizing for ritual cleansing those who were already Jewish by birth, custom, and faith, and, as a part of their challenge, they saw an opportunity to try to drive a wedge of division between John the Baptist and Jesus.
And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
John 3:26
The phrase “all men come to Him” is a provocative exaggeration. Obviously not “ALL” men were going to Jesus, nor had “ALL” men gone to Him instead of John, but the numbers were changing. Jesus’s ministry was growing and John’s was shrinking.
How competitive are you? Just as one spouse is often introverted and the other extroverted; just as one is often neat and the other messy; just as one is often extravagant and the other a tightwad: often the Lord will put together one competitive spouse and one who couldn’t care less about “winning.” Do you love to win? Do you hate to lose? Are you happy for others when they succeed where you have failed? Does it bother you that people might think poorly of you in comparison to someone else? Somebody thought that John the Baptist might experience a couple of these reactions when confronted with the rising influence of Jesus’s ministry over his, so they decided to confront him about it.
Competition is not, in and of itself, a bad thing. Sporting contests just aren’t much fun unless both sides are trying to win – to beat the other side. However, as shown in I Corinthians, competition in Christian ministry can be a dangerous and damaging thing. Soulwinning is not a contest. Who has the “best” Sunday School class probably should not be a competition. But human nature, which since the Fall has a strong bent toward pride, likes to be first, to get attention, to get credit, to feel superior – so you can’t look at this group of Jewish instigators and think, “Did they REALLY suppose John the Baptist would be jealous of Jesus??” Even reading it today, we catch ourselves thinking that we couldn’t totally blame him if he was – but remember:
For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
Luke 7:28
Jesus didn’t say this about John as a form of flattery. Here was John’s response to the suggestion that Jesus was better than Him:
John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
John 3:27
This may seem to you, in the cold analytical light of merely academic Bible study, to be something of a “duh” statement. In a universe ruled over by a sovereign omnipotent God, OF COURSE we only get what He gives… and we don’t get anything He DOESN’T give us, but does this (true) maxim hold a central place in our minds “all day, every day?” Possibly not. Otherwise we would never get jealous, and we would always only rejoice when something good happens to HIM or HER, and something “bad” happens to ME. Jeremiah 9:23 and I Corinthians 4:7 remind us to ask: “Why do I glory in wisdom or might if they are only gifts?” Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of Lights (James 1:17).
Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
John 3:28
Although John was known as the Baptizer, he could call anyone who had listened to his preaching as a witness to answer the question: “What has been the main thrust of my ministry? What am I all about?” If honest, they would have had to answer that John’s main message was: “The Messiah is coming, and He’s now here, and I’m not Him.”
This would be a great motivation in our evangelism. Any time we go to visit someone who does not know Jesus we can tell them, “I’m the one who came to see you, but I didn’t come to tell you about myself, and I want you to meet someone else that I hope you will soon know, love, worship, and obey. You will like Him a lot better than me, and that’s exactly what I want!”
He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
John 3:29
Can you imagine the best man at a wedding trying to steal the bride, or being angry once the couple says their “I do”s? John’s job was almost done, and he had done it in a great way. He had been successful. His mission was fulfilled, so he was full of joy. That’s why we mustn’t read the next verse as melancholy resignation:
He must increase, but I must decrease.
John 3:30
John was not bummed out. He was stating a fact, and he was celebrating the accomplishment of a great momentous occasion.
Lifting up the Son of Man
April 4, 2019 at 12:54 pm | Posted in John | 2 CommentsTags: commentary on John, fiery serpents, Jesus Christ, John 3, Nicodemus, Numbers 21, sin and death, Son of Man, Sunday School lessons on John, the brass serpent
Despite Nicodemus’s failure to grasp the concept of the water-spirit birth, Jesus, in His patience, gave him insight into another well-known Old Testament passage of Scripture: the account of the fiery serpents in Numbers 21.
God had sent a plague of venomous and deadly serpents to bite His people in the wilderness. This was because they had been rebelling against Him and complaining about the manna He had provided for them to eat and about the length of time they had been in the wilderness. Every serpent bite was a death sentence, but God, in His mercy, also provided a cure. He had Moses make a snake, of all things, out of brass. Just as the death rate for those bitten was 100%, so the cure rate for those who would raise their eyes in faith and behold the brass serpent was 100%. Many looked and lived, but many also stubbornly refused to look and died.
The brass serpent had been lifted up, just as Jesus would be “lifted up,” an ambiguous term, which at various times could mean physically held aloft, honored, exalted, or even (as in the case of Naboth, who was “set on high”) condemned by the people.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
John 3:14
Nicodemus no doubt knew something of the significance of the title “Son of Man” from the Book of Daniel. It was the title of the then-future heir of David’s throne, the Messiah, so he may have understood Jesus to be saying that the Son of Man would be “lifted up” in the sense of being exalted. However, Jesus was actually revealing a greater truth: that He would be lifted up as the Sin-Bearer, the way the brass serpent in the wilderness was lifted up, to be a symbol of death, but also to be looked to for salvation – the ONLY means of salvation.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:18
Just as those snake-bitten Israelites were already as good as dead – whether they took any further action or not – so those who do believe on Jesus are the ONLY ones who escape that condemnation.
The Water-Spirit Birth
April 2, 2019 at 1:48 pm | Posted in John | 14 CommentsTags: baptismal regeneration, born again, commentary on John, Ezekiel 36, Ezekiel 37, John 3, Nicodemus, Psalm 24, Sunday School lessons on John
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
John 3:5
Not all theologians, Bible commentators, or scholars agree on what Jesus meant by “born of water and of the Spirit.” Some theories include:
1. A contrast between the physical birth, with “water” meaning the “breaking of water” (amniotic fluid) from the mother’s womb. The problem with this interpretation is that “her water broke,” as far as we can tell, wasn’t an expression that was used back then. However, it is possible that Jesus could have meant that this second birth – this RE-generation – was being contrasted with the first, physical birth. Lending weight to this application is the obvious fact that Jesus called it being born “again.”
2. So-called baptismal regeneration. This theory, although perhaps the majority view historically speaking, is wrong. A belief that physical baptism through the immersion in, or sprinkling of, literal water is necessary for regeneration and eternal salvation goes against the vast majority of Scripture in describing salvation as being by grace through faith alone. It is not dependent upon any “work,” rite, ritual, or observable or administered (sacerdotal) initiation. When considering whether Jesus was communicating anything having to do with literal baptism when he mentioned being born of water, it is important to recognize that this concept would have been totally foreign to Nicodemus, the Jewish religious leader to whom he was speaking, and to the Jewish theologians who he represented.
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, WE know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
John 3:1-2 (emphasis added)
Nicodemus may have come to Jesus alone, by night, but he was clearly a representative of a contingent of Pharisees (possibly the Sanhedrin itself) who thought themselves to be the ultimate authority on salvation – on seeing and entering the Kingdom of God. Despite this standing, Jesus, in the following verses, chastised him for not knowing things which he should have known, because they were indicated in the (Old Testament) Scriptures.
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
John 3:7 (emphasis added)
Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
John 3:10 (emphasis added)
This lets us know that the key to the phrase “born of water and of the Spirit” is found in the Old Testament, and not in some obscure text hidden or tucked away in some genealogy somewhere, but in a major prophecy.
And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
Ezekiel 36:23-25
There’s the mention of water, and, according to Psalm 24, who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord and who will stand in His holy place? Only those who have clean (washed by some supernatural metaphorical water) hands AND pure hearts. Ezekiel 36:25 promises that God will cleanse His people from the filthiness of their sin, not by baptism, but by His own divine hand sprinkling/splashing them with His power.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Ezekiel 36:26-27
This was a prophecy about the New Covenant, and would have been very familiar to the typical Jewish scribe or rabbi, and certainly to a chief theologian of the Pharisees. It appears right before Ezekiel’s prophetic vision of the valley of the DRY bones – bones which needed to be revived – brought back to life – regenerated by some type of supernatural “water.”
And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
Ezekiel 37:3-4 (emphasis added)
“Son of Man” was the prophetic title which Jesus used to refer to Himself in John 3:14. Clearly regeneration by water and by the Spirit had been indicated and explicitly referenced in Old Testament prophecies.
And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.
Ezekiel 37:13-14
The water and the Spirit are not two separate stages of the new birth. Jesus was talking about a water-Spirit birth – at once cleansing and giving new life – a true heart transplant surgery with antiseptic poured in – eternal antiseptic which eternally prevents infection/corruption.
Reintroducing John 3:16
February 13, 2019 at 5:02 pm | Posted in John, Salvation | 8 CommentsTags: commentary on John, eternal life, eternal salvation, Genesis 22, Jesus Christ, John 3, John 3:16, monogenes, Sunday School lessons on John
For many years the Bible verse that has been generally considered the most popular, or at least most well-known, is John 3:16. The danger for some of us when studying a very familiar verse is that we become inoculated through over-exposure and make the mistake of thinking we know everything we need to know about it already. Let me encourage you not to make that mistake with John 3:16. Sit down (with your spouse if you are married) and go through it word by word, slowly, considering the import of each word, and looking at the verses before and after it to better illuminate the context.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
I didn’t really need to print it here, did I? Most faithful Christians probably have it memorized. But let’s examine it closely. The first word, “for,” refers back to:
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:14-15
Lest Verse 15 lead anyone to think that God the Father needed to be changed in His dispositional impassibility by God the Son from not loving us to loving us, the Holy Spirit had John make it clear that the Father’s love was the motivating cause of the plan of salvation.
“For God SO…” If you’ve been attending a Baptist or evangelical church for very long, you’ve probably seen the pantomime of a preacher stretching his arms wide to demonstrate a child’s expression of what it means to love someone SOOOOO much, but John 3:16 does not leave the question of “how much is so much?” open-ended. The word “that” is used to introduce the concept of: “THIS is how much the Father loved us.”
He loved us so much that He “GAVE.” This word, too, is worth closer inspection. God “gave” His Son in at least two respects: (1) In the Incarnation, the Father sent the Son from His Heavenly home to live in a world of sin, the effects of sin, and sinful rebels, and to experience, in His humanity, all the difficulties, pain, rejection, scorn, betrayal, sorrow, and human shortcomings and temptations known to mankind (but in response to which, He, unlike us, never sinned); (2) During His arrest and the events leading up to His death, the Father “gave” the Son into the hands of sinful men to be tortured and crucified, and to experience death as the substitutionary sacrifice for us.
This Son who came to live and die for His people was the Father’s “only begotten Son,” the Monogenes, His special and unique Son. He was the eternal Son of God, not “begotten” in the sense of having been born as touching His divinity, nor in the sense of His having been created (for He was not), but in an echo of the Old Testament type that we see in the episode of Abraham and Isaac.
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
Genesis 22:1-13 (emphasis added)
Isaac was not, strictly speaking, Abraham’s “only” son, yet He was the son of promise – the special and unique son promised to Abraham by God. Yet he was designated as a sacrifice to be offered to God, not because Isaac’s loss was something to be lightly borne by Abraham, but rather because he was so precious to Abraham. In John 3:16 we see the ultimate fulfillment of what had been played out and interrupted in Genesis 22, and we learn that God loved us wicked rebellious sinners SO much that He gave His absolute best, His most cherished, His most valuable, His eternally perfect Son for us.
Would you give up your life to save the life of a loved one? Perhaps you would. But would you give up the life of one of your beloved children to save the life of another loved one? I doubt it. What about to save a stranger? Even less likely. Now, what about sacrificing the life of your only, beloved child to save the life of your worst enemy? Unthinkable. The love of the Father for us is too great for us to fathom. It is in a whole different realm of love from anything we can comprehend.
“God so loved THE WORLD… that WHOSOEVER…”
Does this mean that Jesus’s death on the Cross – the gift of the Father – secures the salvation of every single person? A consistent universalist would answer “yes.” He would say that Hitler and Osama Bin Laden, along with everyone else who has ever lived, will one day be in Heaven holding your hands and singing “Kumbaya.” However, this is incorrect, because the “whosoever” in John 3:16 is inextricably linked to the next word: “believeth,” and likewise to “in Him,” meaning Jesus, the Savior. The “world” that is so loved by God includes both Jews and gentiles, which would have been a radically different concept for the vast majority of those who heard Jesus’s teaching for the first time. The “world” in John 3:16 also means that all people are in fact “loved” by God in a general way, but not that God loves the world’s fallen, sin-controlled “system” that the words “the world” often describe in the Epistles. Not everyone in “the world” experiences the same benefits of God’s love that those who believe on Jesus Christ unto eternal salvation experience. The bronze serpent referenced in John 3:14 was lovingly lifted up by Moses for all to see, but only those to whom God granted faith looked and lived.
As you read this you might be wondering, “Am I a John 3:16 ‘whosoever’ or not? How can I tell?” You can settle this by looking to Jesus in faith right now, believing His Gospel. LOOK and SEE. If you will not look, see, and believe, you cannot be a John 3:16 “whosoever.” And there is only one other default position. If you will not be a John 3:16 “whosoever,” you must be a Revelation 20:15 “whosoever.”
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:15
“Perish” is what it’s called in John 3:16, but do not imagine it as some peaceful extinguishment. It is not a blinking-out into oblivion. It is eternal death and destruction, never-ending, conscious, excruciating pain, darkness, and torment, as opposed to present tense eternal “have everlasting life.” Everlasting life is the opposite of perishing: light instead of darkness, joy instead of pain, peace instead of torment. I beg you to trust Jesus this very moment.
Here’s Your Sign
January 30, 2019 at 4:25 pm | Posted in Biblical Signs, John | 8 CommentsTags: born again, commentary on John, Jesus Christ, John 2, John 3, Nicodemus, regeneration, signs and wonders, Sunday School lessons on John
Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
John 2:18
The temple leaders almost sound reasonable (rather than the responsive anger we might expect from them) as they ask Jesus, in effect, “What gives you the right to regulate Temple practices?” Their criteria for someone who exercised authority without a history of being a priest or even a known and respected rabbi was that He would perform a “sign” – give them a display of miraculous power that would demonstrate He had Heavenly authority. Of course, He had recently given such a “sign” at the wedding in Cana, so we (the readers of John Chapter 2) know He has the ability, and the apparent willingness to demonstrate it, but Jesus would not be provoked into showing off when such signs, though miraculous, would not engender true saving faith in Him, nor serve to heal or help someone who was in distress.
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
John 2:19-20
This is a somewhat common occurrence in the Gospel of John, where Jesus reveals a spiritual truth, and the listeners misunderstand and think He is talking crazy or at least expressing earthly and material, rather than spiritual, ideas. Plus, we have, in this instance, the benefit of an editorial comment from the Holy Spirit through John:
But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
John 2:21-22
This makes for a good segue into how Jesus thought about those who believed in Him merely because He could do miracles, rather than because of His teaching and divine revelation.
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
John 2:23-25
These verses look forward to issues that are about to be addressed in John Chapter 3. First, Jesus had divine omniscient knowledge of what other people thought and what was in their hearts. He could read minds, and He knew people better than they knew themselves. He did not “entrust” Himself or “commit Himself” to superficial “believers” the way He did to His true disciples. This helps to understand a little more about Jesus’s famous encounter with Nicodemus which begins Chapter 3.
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
John 3:1
The idea is that Nicodemus was a chief teacher.
The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
John 3:2
There are various theories as to why Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, other than the possibility that it might just be noted for us as an instance of accurate reporting. Perhaps he was embarrassed, ashamed, or afraid to be seen consorting with this non-Pharasaical rabbi – or with the dangerous loose cannon who caused a scene in the Temple. On the other hand, perhaps Nicodemus merely wanted to speak to Jesus without the interruption that was more likely to occur during a daytime visit. In either case, the darkness of night is most likely a metaphor for Nicodemus’s spiritual darkness, located here in close proximity to passages of Scripture which highlight Jesus as the Light of the World. Nicodemus can probably be classified (because of his statement about teachers who are truly from God being able to do miracles) as one of those who “believed” only because of those miracles.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 3:3
Why does Jesus basically ignore Nicodemus’s initial statement? Because He “knew what was in” Nicodemus. Nicodemus’s real need wasn’t to find out whether Jesus was a true prophet, or truly sent by God to do miracles, or even to learn from His teaching. His real need was a new heart – a new birth – some basis on which He could enter – or even see! – the God of the Kingdom of Whom the Pharisees and their chief leaders thought they were the closest and the best representatives!
Or in Which a Christian May S.W.I.M.
January 25, 2019 at 11:04 am | Posted in Quotes | 1 CommentTags: Biblical swimming, Biblical water, Jeremiah 23, John 3, living water, swimming quotes, Wilhelmus a Brakel
Scripture is a brook from which a lamb may drink and an ocean in which an elephant can drown.
Wilhelmus á Brakel
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
John 4:14
Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
Jeremiah 23:29
The Deep End 
From Dark Death to Living Light
October 10, 2019 at 4:21 pm | Posted in John | 3 CommentsTags: Biblical seeds, commentary on John, Ephesians 2, Exodus 20, good deeds, Jesus Christ, John 12, John 3, seeds, Sunday School lessons on John
Jesus, having learned of a contingent of gentiles who wanted an audience with Him as He made His way to Jerusalem with His followers and those waving palm branches, began to explain that His death would be the necessary fulfillment of all that He came to do.
John 12:24
A kernel of wheat – a seed – must be buried away, in the dark, alone, in order to fulfill its purpose, and in its “death” it brings forth not only new life, but “much fruit.” This is a key New Testament theme, present in the Old Testament, but now revealed in a greater light. In order to bring forth fruit to the glory of God, followers of Jesus must die to self, both at the moment of salvation, and in ongoing service throughout our lives.
John 12:25
It’s not that we hate life itself; it’s that we hate the life that our flesh considers “ours.” We receive a new kind of life – eternal life, “God life” – that is directed unto the service and glorification of God, and the service of others, not self-service. This way, people will recognize God’s greatness and goodness in deeds that He inspires and empowers us to do. This hearkens all the way back to John 3.
John 3:19-21, emphasis added
It also foreshadows Ephesians 2’s great statement spelling out the distinction between working BECAUSE OF salvation, rather than working FOR salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-10
John 12:27
This sounds similar to the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane: “If it be possible let this cup pass from Me, but nevertheless, not My will but Thine be done.”
John 12:28 (emphasis added)
“Father, glorify Thy name.” This should be our prayer in even our most extreme trials.
God had already glorified His own name through Christ, primarily through His miracles, and, secondarily, through Christ’s perfect obedience and consistent attribution of His own actions and words as being the same as God’s actions and words. “I will glorify it again” points directly to the Cross.
John 12:29-30
The people did not have ears to hear God’s voice. It sounded like thunder, reminiscent of God’s revelation at Mt. Sinai:
Exodus 20:18-19
This was also a fulfillment of several prophecies throughout Isaiah about God increasing the inability of people who would reject His servant to hear or understand His Words and His teachings, which prompted the Holy Spirit to cause John to close out Chapter 12 with a theological treatise on the cause of the people’s unbelieving response to three-plus years of Jesus’s hands-on in-person ministry, miracles, and manifestation among them:
John 12:37, emphasis added
John 12:44, emphasis added
John 12:46, emphasis added