New Hope Christian Church, 2/23/25
When I was very young, my favorite book was Tell Me About God. Mom got tired of reading it to me so many times that she sometimes attempted to skip ahead, but by then I could tell when she tried to omit something. Children like to hear about God. As grownups we seem to have lost that childhood wonderment and curiosity to learn more about Him. We have become so familiar with the concept of God that we take his Name and his Presence casually. For that reason, we tend to be uninterested in knowing more about Him, and our worship of Him becomes casual and ritualistic. That may be one reason why so many people walk away from the church.
The more we truly come to understand God, the more we will stand in awe of Him, drawing us into a closer and more meaningful relationship with Him. In this Part 1 of “The God We Worship,” we will examine four attributes of God that demonstrate His awesomeness. (Attributes relate to who and what God is. Characteristics relate to how He interacts with His creatures.)
God Is Real
The place to begin in our study of God is to realize that He is real. He is not a figment of our imagination or a concept, a crutch, to help us through the difficulties in life. The Bible was not written to convince us that there is a God—rather it assumes that we instinctively realize that there must be something larger than what we see. This assumption by the writers of the Bible, however, does not rest on that instinctive inference. They declare that there is not only a God, but that the God of the Hebrew people is the one and only God.
The message of salvation usually begins with a call to place one’s faith in Jesus Christ, but underneath that call is first the belief that there is a God who really exists. More than that, He is a God who cares for human beings and therefore rewards those who genuinely seek to know Him. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Seeking to know God is not enough for salvation, but a genuine search requires examining and believing all the evidence for the message of salvation when it becomes known to the seeker. A prime example of such a person is found in Cornelius, a Roman centurion, whose coming to faith is recorded in Acts 10. We are told that he “and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly” (10:1). This description of Cornelius informs us that he sincerely believed in the Jews’ God but that he had not become a full-fledged convert. The ensuing narrative explains how God sent the apostle Peter to preach the gospel to him. Cornelius and family proved their earnestness in seeking God by believing the message after the evidences for its acceptance had been presented.
The apostle Paul would later write about the instinct common to mankind for a belief in God, although he also pointed out that this instinct had largely been suppressed and ignored: “what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:19-21). He does not claim that they knew much about God, but that they, observing creation itself, should have known at least “his eternal power and divine nature” since there is no other rational explanation for the existence and orderliness of the universe.
Preaching in Lystra, Paul reasoned, “‘Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy’” (Acts 14:17). Psalm 19:1-6 says:
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
This poetic language affirms that God has made Himself known through nature, at least regarding His existence and power.
God Created the Universe
The existence of God, indicated in the natural inference of His “eternal power and divine nature,” leads to the next attribute as Creator of the universe. The Book of God (the Bible), indeed, begins with these words, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The Greek version of the Old Testament labeled this first book, Genesis. The Hebrew title is simply, In the Beginning. The phrase “heavens and earth” refers to the entire creation, the universe, as known by man. The first two chapters refer to broad details of this act of creation. Since no human being was present to witness this creation, we must take God’s word (revealed through prophecy) for it: “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Hebrews 11:3).
Taking the gospel into the Greco-Roman world, the messengers had to deal with the pagan beliefs in all sorts of gods. As they worked various kinds of miracles and signs, they used these to draw attention to the superior power of a God who could not only heal but who, in addition, was in fact the Creator: “‘We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them’” (Acts 14:15). Paul challenged the philosophers of Athens, the alleged world capital of intelligence and wisdom, with the fact of the resurrection of Jesus (17:31). Their concept of gods could not come close to measuring up to the Creator: “‘The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us’” (17:24-27).
The Biblical testimony of divine creation runs counter to two common theories (technically, hypotheses) regarding origins. (1) The “Big Bang theory” supposedly accounts for the origin of the universe as we know it. However, even this “theory” does not account for the presence of matter existing prior to the event. It still requires an assumption that matter has either existed eternally or that it spontaneously arose out of nothing—contrary to the first Law of Thermodynamics. (This is not to say that God may not have used something like the concept to fling the stars out into space.) (2) Evolution (that is, macro-evolution) has been posited as an explanation for the origin of life. This “theory” has many problems, including the evidence in the geologic strata that does not always support the claims. Both of these alleged explanations for our origins are denied by the testimony of nature and Scripture regarding God as the Creator.
God Is Spirit
The real God, the One who created the universe, cannot be limited to a particular place or image. As Jesus told “the woman at the well,” “‘God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth’” (John 4:24). We are familiar with physical forms (such as solid objects) and forces (such as gravity and electricity), but we do not know what the essence of “spirit” is since it is not like anything we can experience with the senses or even the imagination—in spite of our many attempts to do so. By faith, Moses “left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). Of course, by definition, he did not literally see Him, but rather he acted on the basis of what he had heard and experienced of God as though he could see Him. This concept of the invisibility of God is also expressed in Colossians: Jesus Christ “is the image of the invisible God” (1:15); and again in 1 Timothy, in this case apparently to Christ Himself: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever” (1:17).
Spirit is not physical; neither is it just an impersonal “force,” as in the Sci-fi Star Wars universe or even in the modern concoction of the universe itself as having some kind of influence on the affairs of human beings. Since we are to worship “in spirit” because He is Spirit (John 4:24), we must conclude that Spirit has to do with personhood, capable of relationships and communion with other spirits. Thus, the prophets often said, “Thus says the Lord.” An early example of this kind of interaction can be seen in the call of Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1-10). When Samuel was only a lad, one night God called to him three times, “‘Samuel.’” Not having previously heard God speaking to him, the boy assumed that the calls were coming from the priest Eli, who denied that he had called to him. Finally, Eli realized that God was calling and instructed Samuel, “‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening”’” (3:9). From that moment on, Samuel’s life took on a whole new meaning. He could not see God, but he definitely heard Him.
God Is Transcendent
In all three of the above attributes of God we can see that He is transcendent, that is, that He is far above and beyond anything else we know or can imagine; superior to the degree that He is separate from all else. (More will be said about this in Part 3 of this series.) As Moses said, “‘To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it’” (Deuteronomy 10:14). Paul was overwhelmed by this concept of God, “the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen” (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
A lesser being would not suffice. God is necessarily transcendent in order to be in control of the universe. This attribute of transcendence sets Him apart from all other gods:
“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:25-31)
Conclusion
God is truly awesome! We should be careful how we speak of Him and how we live our lives in His presence!
New Hope Christian Church, 3/2/25
Do you have a problem understanding the concept of the Trinity? Join the club! (Actually, the word “trinity” never occurs in the Bible. It is simply a word constructed centuries ago to help us understand a concept that is taught in Scripture.) No mere human being fully understands the attributes of God as taught in Scripture, and certainly not the concept of the Trinity. Nevertheless, a failure to understand accurately what the Bible says about this concept we have labeled “Trinity” leaves us open to misunderstanding it. On the other hand, getting to know Him better always enhances our worship of this awesome God!
The God we worship is a Trinity, and an authentic worship of Him is largely dependent on our understanding, as best we can, of this concept. While on earth in the flesh, Jesus had strong criticism of those who had misunderstood what true worship was all about. He told the woman at the well, “‘You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews’” (John 4:22). He went on to tell her, “‘Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks’” (4:23). At another time, He also criticized the Jews, “‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men”’” (Matthew 15:7-9).
Here are three steps to understanding (as much as we can) the concept of the Trinity.
Statement: Three in One
The first step is to define the word Trinity: it simply means, three in one. The question is, three what and one what? Down through the centuries, the concept has been muddied by pagan and contradictory theological concepts. For example, some illustrated it as one God who, depending on the circumstances and settings, operated or acted in different ways and times, in a way similar to a man who is a husband, a father, and a son, sometimes functioning as one and other times as another, but all the time being just one man. Others illustrated the concept as one God existing in three forms, as water can exist as vapor, liquid, or solid—but the same water cannot exist in more than one form at a time. Others thought of three Gods all consisting of identical divine substance. Even some historic creeds of the church spoke of the Father eternally generating the Son (an illogical and self-contradictory concept—don’t worry if that whole concept seems impossible to you).
In spite of all these false understandings, the basic concept is Biblical. There is only one God, but in some sense, He is three—but not three Gods. We will now examine the Biblical data supporting the concept of Trinity.
Evidence: the Biblical Data
Both Old and New Testaments give evidence that the one God exists as a plurality. In the Old Testament, the basic word for God (Elohim) and sometimes the pronouns that accompany it are grammatically plural. That’s why most versions translate Exodus 32:4, “‘These are your gods [Elohim], O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt,’” in spite of the fact that there was only one golden calf and that the festival the next day was to be “‘to the Lord’” (32:5), that word with small caps being a common way of translating the proper name of God (YHWH or YHVH). The pronoun “these” is plural (for grammatical reasons), but in Nehemiah 9:18, the pronoun is singular in the original Hebrew citation as well as in English translations, “This is your god [or, God].”
Let’s examine some (certainly not all) of the Biblical evidence for a plurality within the one God. Genesis 1:26 hints at it: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image . . . .’” Then verse 27 says, “So God created man in his own image . . . .” Jewish rabbis recognize this problem, but they view the plurals as plurals of majesty or some other figure of speech. (When the proverbial queen of England says, “We are not amused,” it is universally accepted as the “royal we,” referring only to herself.) For this reason, we must look further in our search for an understanding of God as both singular and plural.
First, the Biblical data from Genesis to Revelation is clear: there is only one God. All other claims to godhood are pretenses, fakes. The pagan gods were (are) only figments of the imagination. This includes how the Mormons think of the God(s) of the Bible. The apostle Paul wrote, “We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one” (1 Corinthians 8:4). Jesus, quoting the shema of Deuteronomy 6:4, clearly taught that there is only one God: “‘“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one”’” (Mark 12:29).
However, even in the Old Testament, there are some clues that God is not always considered a singularity, even hinting at the concept of a Trinity: (1) Of course, there are multiple references to God as Father. (2) There are also references to God’s Spirit, as though the Spirit was somehow distinct from the Father. See Isaiah 42:1, speaking of the Messiah, “‘Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.’” See also 44:3; 59:21; Ezekiel 36:27; 37:14; 39:29; Joel 2:28-29 (cited by Peter in Acts 2:17-18); Haggai 2:5; Zechariah 4:6; 6:8.
(3) Then there are references to “the Angel of the Lord” as Someone who was more than an angel. Christian scholars often associate this Angel with the Word, that is, the second Person of the Trinity, the pre-incarnate Jesus. In Exodus 3:2, this Angel appears to Moses in the burning bush, but then the language changes when He speaks: “When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush” (3:4). For the rest of the chapter, He is referred to as God. See also Exodus 14:19-24 and Judges 6:11-23. Joshua 5:14-15 introduces us to “the commander of the Lord’s army,” but when He speaks in the next few verses (6:2-5), it is the Lord who speaks. The prophet Zechariah’s puzzling references in 2:8-11 refer to the Lord who is speaking but then refers to Himself as being sent by the Lord. Since it is the proper name of God, the Lord, used throughout these verses, one can only infer that one Person is being sent by another Person, but both being the Lord!
Now let’s look at some New Testament references that clearly indicate that the One God exists as Three Persons. The Father, of course, is God: “For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:5-6).
Jesus, the Son of God, is also God. John’s Gospel affirms this claim most clearly. John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (1:1). He then identifies the Word, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (1:14); and then, “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (1:17-18). See also 5:17-18; Colossians 1:15-17; 2:9; Hebrews 1:1-3. Also compare these parallel expressions:
• “God our Savior” (Titus 1:3), “Christ Jesus our Savior” (1:4)
• “God our Savior” (Titus 2:10), “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (2:13)
• “God our Savior” (Titus 3:4), “Jesus Christ our Savior” (3:6)
• “our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1), “our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (1:11, also 2:20; 3:18)
Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of God, an expression understood by His Jewish detractors (as well as by the Gospel writer) that He was “equal with God” (John 5:18). He claimed to be One with the Father (10:30). See also Colossians 1:16-17; 2:9. Hebrews 1:3 calls Him, “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” Unlike angels, Jesus was due and accepted worship, worship that was proper only for God.
Finally, the Holy Spirit is God. (Of course, the Father and the Son are also holy and spirit, but God has chosen to refer to this Person as the Holy Spirit.) In Acts 5:3-4, the apostle Peter accuses Ananias of lying to the Holy Spirit, and then repeats the charge as lying to God.
All three share a common Name: “baptizing them into the Name [not, names] of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). They are listed together in one of Paul’s benedictions: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).
The Biblical data demonstrate that each Person in the Trinity is God, distinct from the others. (We acknowledge that the words Trinity and Person are not Scriptural words, but rather a way for us to describe our understanding of what the Bible does say.) This conclusion is seen clearly at Jesus’ baptism: “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:16-17); and also, regarding Father and Son, in Gethsemane: “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will’” (26:39). Certainly He was not praying to Himself!
Explanation: Tri-personal, one God
Like Moses approaching the burning but unconsumed bush (Exodus 3:1-5), we must consider this holy subject with great humility and caution. As human beings, none of us can fully understand any of the attributes of God, especially this one. We can, however, take the Scriptural data and be certain of some details. First, there is only one God, one real, true, and living God (see, for example, the citation above from Mark 12:29 and Deuteronomy 6:4). Secondly, God’s revelation of Himself tells us that He exists as three distinct but not separate Persons; that is, His self-descriptions are not just three titles for the same Person (such as a single individual can be preacher, father, and husband). Beyond that, we can only imagine how this can be. As we do so, we must rule out any theory that suggests more than one God. We must also rule out any theory that Father, Son (Word), and Spirit are just three names for the same Person.
One theologian compared the Trinity to a single baseball with three faces, each of which emphasizes itself at a given time. Another illustration that might help is to see Him as three personalities simultaneously conscious in one brain. One brain, three minds, all simultaneously conscious and active. No example, however, is fully satisfactory in understanding this very Biblical concept since God is different (transcendent) from anything we can know or even imagine. The bottom line, however, is that Scripture reveals to us the living God who exists in three distinct but not separate Persons.
Conclusion
Consider this: the very concept, as taught in Scripture, leads to belief in God, for who could make up such a God? Furthermore, on top of the many other attributes and characteristics of God, this one more amazing thing about God leads us to stand in awe and to worship Him.
New Hope Christian Church, 3/9/25
“‘Shout louder!’ he said. ‘Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened’” (1 Kings 18:27). With these words the prophet Elijah taunted the prophets of Baal as he challenged them to prove that their god was real. The proof would be that Baal would answer their prayers to send fire from heaven and consume the sacrifice upon their altar. After six hours with no response from the sky, Elijah proceeded to show that his God could meet the challenge, even after Elijah ordered the sacrifice to be drenched with twelve jars of water.
God created man in His image; and ever since Eden, human beings have been trying to re-create God, sometimes in their own image, sometimes in the image of someone or something else. If there is one statement that is obviously true about the Creator, it is this: the one true God is an awesome God. We have previously seen (Parts 1 and 2) that God is real, that He created the universe, and that He is Spirit, transcendent, and a Trinity. Here we will examine four more attributes of God (that is, those things that make Him God).
God Is Omnipotent (All-powerful)
Psalm 135:5-7 says this about the God of the Bible: “I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.” His control of the weather is an example of the fact that He “does whatever pleases him,” thus confirming the initial claim, He is greater than all others who are claimed to be gods. In fact, one of the names of God is, in the original Hebrew, El Shaddai (Genesis 17:1), or God Almighty.
God’s omnipotence is contrasted with the powerlessness of false gods: “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them” (Psalm 135:15-18). With the possible exception of the Muslims’ Allah (who is patterned after the depiction of God in the Bible), no other so-called god has even been imagined by their adherents to have this much power. As the prophet Habakkuk wrote, “For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. . . . But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him” (2:18,20).
The “all-powerful” God does have limitations. The Bible does not say that He can do anything, only “whatever pleases him.” God cannot do things that are logically self-contradictory. He cannot make a rock so big He cannot move it. He cannot make two plus two equal five. He cannot make something exist and not exist at the same time. In addition, God cannot do things that are contrary to His nature. He cannot lie. He cannot be unjust. He cannot be unloving. He cannot cease to exist. He cannot cease to be holy.
In fact, these are not actually limitations but rather an assurance that He will always be who He is! For that reason, we can count on the certainty that God is able to do whatever He has promised.
God Is Eternal
Secondly, God is eternal, in the past, the present, and the future. One of His names in Hebrew is El Olam, God Everlasting or God of Eternity (Genesis 21:33). The word eternal has other connotations, but here we understand it to mean regarding time. He always was, He is, and He always will be: “who is, and who was, and who is to come” (Revelation 1:4). Romans 1:20 speaks of His eternal power. In 1 Timothy 1:17, Paul calls Him the King eternal or King of the ages. In Moses’ encounter with the bush that burned but did not burn up, God names Himself: “‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:13-14).
When we think too much about this attribute of God, we often find it hard to believe because it is unimaginable. We can think of eternity to come, but what about eternity past? God has always been? The question comes to mind, where did God come from? The child asks, who made God? And the only answer we have is, no one, for God has always been. Our imagination fails us here. Everything we know about had an origin. Yes, but to believe God had no beginning is no harder than to accept the alternatives. The universe is here. We are here. Where did we come from? Modern man has posited that we are here as a result of the Big Bang and evolution. However, neither of those hypotheses—not quite accurate, scientifically, to call them theories—offers an explanation as to where the matter came from in the first place. Just to say that matter or energy has always been here, in one form or another, is no easier to imagine than to say that God has always been here. The other guess, that matter just all of a sudden popped into existence, is also unsatisfactory.
So, we are presented two explanations regarding our existence: (1) “God created the heavens and the earth,” including human beings (Genesis 1) or (2) we exist as a result of purely natural causes. Either explanation requires a belief in some One or some thing being eternally in existence. Which explanation shall we accept? Since God has revealed Himself to us, particularly in His coming to earth in the Person of His Son Jesus, and He has told us that He has always been, then it makes more sense to take His word for it rather than making up our own philosophical theories!
What does God’s eternal nature mean for us? We can count on Him to be around forever. Furthermore, He is the answer to two of our most basic questions: (1) Where did we come from? (2) Where are we going?
God Is Omnipresent
A third attribute of God is that He is omnipresent, that is, He is everywhere. There is no place where He is not present. Through the prophet, He asked, “‘Am I only a God nearby, . . . and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him? . . . Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:23-24). It was for this reason that Solomon, after building the Temple as a dwelling place for God’s glory, queried, “‘But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!’” (1 Kings 8:27). As he had said to King Hiram of Tyre, “‘The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then am I to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?’” (2 Chronicles 2:5-6). It’s a great shame that Solomon later forgot this attribute of Israel’s God (see 1 Kings 11).
King David said about God’s presence, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you” (Psalm 139:7-12).
Because God is everywhere, sinners can never hide from Him—see Revelation 6:15-17—and His people are never out of His watchful presence. We sing, “I don’t know about tomorrow/It may bring me poverty; But the one who feeds the sparrow / Is the one who stands by me. And the path that be my portion / May be through the flame or flood, But His presence goes before me, / And I’m covered with His blood” (Ira Stanphill). “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me” (public domain).
God Is Omniscient
Finally, God is omniscient, that is, He knows all things. In Genesis 16:13, Abraham’s concubine Hagar (mother of Ishmael) called Him El Roi (God who sees [me]). The well nearby then became known as Beer-Lahai-Roi (Well of the Living One who sees [me]).
David said, “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord” (Psalm 139:1-4). Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple affirmed that God alone knows the hearts of men (2 Chronicles 6:30). Psalm 147:4-5 declares, “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” It does not matter that we are now aware of a great many more stars: God still knows their names, for He assigned names to them.
God even knows the future. “‘Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please’” (Isaiah 46:9-10). He frequently used this attribute as a way to distinguish Him from man’s false gods, served by false prophets. After predicting the future Messianic Prophet, whom Israel was to obey in all things (Deuteronomy 18:18-19), Moses set out a test, “‘You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him’” (18:21-22).
Because God is omniscient, we can be certain of the truthfulness of those things which He has revealed to us. That also means, He knows the best way to answer our prayers.
Conclusion
What do we need in a God? We need one who is always around, who knows our needs, and who is able to do whatever He wants. Such a God is the God of the Bible. Don't trade Him in for anything.
New Hope Christian Church, 3/16/25
When it comes to the Bible, we live in a new age: many people claim to believe in God and to follow Jesus but do not accept the Bible as the word of God. Furthermore, many claim to accept the Bible as the word of God but do not bother to read it! While many people have lost (or never had) trust in the Bible as the word of God, the philosophies of our modern culture call for us to believe the Bible for better reasons than “it’s just what we have been taught.”
Psalm 19:7-13 describes the Law—there meaning at least the books of Moses and later extended to all of the Old Testament—as perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, sure, and righteous. As a result, the Law revives the soul, makes wise the simple, gives joy to the heart and light to the eyes, and endures forever. For that reason, the psalmist declares, God’s word is more precious than gold and sweeter than honey, warning His servants and bringing them great reward! If that can be said of the Old Testament, then certainly the same can be said for the New.
The Bible is truly the word of God and therefore trustworthy in all it teaches. Here are three reasons to believe this claim.
The Bible Is Unique
First, the Bible is one of a kind, unlike any other book, religious or otherwise. It’s not the leather binding, the number of words, or the golden edges of some editions that make the Bible unique but rather the contents of this Book. Written by 40-50 authors, spanning some fifteen centuries and three continents, the Bible contains multiple genres, all of which form a single story, ranging from the beginning to the fulfillment of creation. These genres include historical narratives, poetry, parables, allegories, genealogies, clerical lists of duties and personnel, predictive prophecies, prophetic preaching, love stories, wisdom literature, philosophical inquiries, laments and eulogies, praises, complaints, ballads, instructions to churches and church leaders, and references to beings from another dimension as well as apocalyptic (futuristic and end-times predictions in highly symbolic language) scenarios. And yet they all fit together as a single story (see next point).
The Bible is unique in the way that, in spite of many mysteries, recordings of miraculous, supernatural events, and reports of God speaking, when you read through it, you get the impression that these things were not fabricated. The text has the Ring of Truth even though this conclusion requires you to ignore the problems you may have with parts of it—such as the sun and moon standing still in order to give Joshua’s army time to win the victory or Jonah surviving after being swallowed by a large fish. Especially the Gospels and the book of Acts are written in such a way that you think, this just cannot be fiction. One thing that aids that feeling is the fact that there are indeed some things that you have a problem with, as well as small items mentioned without an explanation—if they were not the truth, why would someone make them up?
The Bible is also unique in that, in spite of its being a religious book, it speaks to our human condition, both in heart and mind. For example, in the Psalms we read of people who lived through the same kinds of ups and downs that we experience in our own lives. Praising God exists alongside (sometimes in the same writing) with doubts about God’s care.
Its Internal Unity
Another reason to believe the Bible is the consistency between the parts. In other words, it is not just a collection of writings and documents; rather it combines them all into one single story, from beginning to end. It is the story of God’s creation of the world and how He deals with the men and women He has created to live on this earth in order to bring them into an eternal relationship with Him. In other words, the differing parts all fit together into a single whole. The Bible is the story of God sharing His love with His creatures.
This claim of internal unity is often challenged by skeptics who see alleged contradictions in the text. However, all of these alleged inconsistencies can be reasonably explained, although, admittedly, not always simply.
Jesus’ Testimony
Finally, and most convincingly, we believe that the Bible is truly the word of God and therefore trustworthy in all it teaches because of Jesus’ testimony regardng what He thought of Scripture (the writings that compose the Bible). (For a more detailed treatment of this point, see Ermal Allen, Christianity 101, bookstore.thecra.org/collections/all-books.)
First, though, we must answer the question, why should we believe Jesus? Our faith in His teaching is grounded in the evidence for His resurrection. This faith arises from a three-step process summarized in Romans 10:17, faith “comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” The first step asks the question, are the historical parts of the New Testament documents, especially the Gospels, the book of Acts, and allusions in the Letters, to be taken as historically accurate?
That question is answered by the answers to the following: (1) Are these documents the testimony of credible eyewitnesses who had the opportunity to observe the facts related? Or if not, are these documents the testimony of someone who acquired his information from credible eyewitnesses who had the opportunity to observe the facts related? (2) Did these alleged witnesses have opportunity to observe the facts? (3) Are these witnesses credible? The historical process gives us the following conclusion: Of all the historical documents prior to the invention of the movable-type printing press (ca. AD 1455, which made possible many exact copies), the New Testament documents are not only reliable but are the most historically reliable. If we cannot accept these documents as providing accurate historical knowledge, then we should also refuse to accept any fact of ancient history that is supported only by written testimony. No serious historian would be willing to do that.
The next step is to examine the New Testament’s claims that Jesus arose from the dead: the two primary claims for this fact are the empty tomb and the resurrection appearances to His disciples. After the evidence is closely examined, it is best explained only if Jesus of Nazareth really did arise from the dead! If we approach with an open mind, the evidence is so solid that we have to lay a very high probability on a yes answer. That is why the resurrection of Christ is the rock-bottom foundation for our faith.
The third step asks, what does the resurrection prove? The factors involved in answering this question cause us to come to the conclusion that Jesus is Lord! Not just someone to be praised, but the One to whom we belong and whom we obey. In other words, the testimony that Jesus arose from the dead establishes His deity. Then we ask, what did Jesus, the Son of God, say about the Bible?
Of course, the whole Bible had not yet been written when Jesus was here; and so we have to separate what He said about the Old Testament from that about the New. What did He say about the Old Testament, that is, the Bible of His day? Because of time and space, here we will examine only a very small portion of what He had to say. In Mark 12:36, Jesus quoted from Psalm 110:1 and ascribed it to King David, “speaking by the Holy Spirit.” In John 10:35 He referred to Scripture (specifically, Psalm 82:6) as “the word of God,” which “cannot be broken.” Many other times, He quoted from Scripture with only the words, “It is written,” implying that it spoke with the authority of God. At other times, He insisted that “Scripture must be fulfilled”—again implying that it found its origin in the word of God.
The New Testament was different since none of it had been put on paper prior to Jesus’ return to Heaven. However, He did speak about it as coming from God. For example, just prior to His crucifixion, Jesus promised His apostles, “‘But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you’” (John 14:26). In other words, they would be inspired to teach the word of God just as the Old Testament prophets had been. Again, in 16:13, He promised them, “‘But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.’” After the Holy Spirit came upon them on the following Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), they were empowered to speak on behalf of Christ; and so their preaching and writing were, in effect, the word of God.
We believe the Bible because the Son of God taught that it was (is) God’s word.
Conclusion
Therefore, we can accept the accuracy of scriptures such as 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work,” and 2 Peter 1:21, “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Do you believe the Bible is God’s word? Is your belief confirmed by your reading and study of it? After describing the word of God (see above regarding Psalm 19:7-13), David concluded, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (19:14).
New Hope Christian Church, 3/23/25
What part or parts of the Bible do you consider necessary for a Christian to read and study? For some, just the “red letters,” for some just the Gospels, for others, just the New Testament (and maybe Psalms and Proverbs). (For some, none of it!) Many Christians, after constant urging from the pulpit, realize they need to read the whole Bible and decide to read it all the way through. Not many who make this journey actually succeed. They start with Genesis 1 but then get bogged down in the second half of Exodus. Leviticus and much of Numbers are also difficult for the beginner. Then, giving up the journey, these readers miss out on a wonderful journey with God. Success on such a journey requires an understanding that all parts of the Bible are important for spiritual well-being; certainly some parts more than others, requiring a discerning attitude toward it.
While the New Testament is geared primarily for the AD world, knowledge of the Old Testament is also necessary for our spiritual maturity. (Technically, the Old Covenant is just the Ten Commandments, but all of what we call “Old Testament” relates to that covenant between God and Israel; and all of it is, of course, the word of God. So when we refer to these Scriptures, we are speaking of the Old Covenant Scriptures.) The Old Testament consists of three sections that demonstrate this necessity.
History
The historical books include the Law (first five books) as well as what we traditionally refer to as history (Joshua through Esther) since historical events are recorded in all. Why is it important to study this ancient history? We know people through their actions as well as through their words; likewise we learn about God through His interaction with people (Israel and other nations as well) down through the ages. What do we learn about God in this history? First and most of all we learn that He is holy, that is, He is different from all other so-called gods as well as all of creation. This holiness is demonstrated in His many majestic attributes, some of which we have seen in recent sermons: (1) God is real, (2) the Creator of all that exists, (3) Spirit rather than physical, (4) transcendent (above and beyond all else), (5) a Trinity—three Persons but only one God, (6) omnipotent (all-powerful), (7) eternal (no beginning or end), (8) omnipresent (everywhere), and (9) omniscient (all-knowing).
The history also demonstrates that God is just. He always does what is right and fair. His justice is seen in His protection of (at times) and punishment of (at others) Israel. His justice also extends to all nations of the world, holding everyone accountable for the way they treat His law (both revealed in Scripture and inferred from nature). God’s justice is horrifically seen in the Flood that destroyed the world and in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Specifically, in relation to Israel, God’s justice works together with His love, for Israel frequently wandered away from Him, to their detriment: “‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen’” (Ezekiel 20:32) because their penchant for idolatry would only work against their best interests, the fulfillment of the covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3).
Many think of the Old Testament God as primarily a God of wrath, but this is a gross misunderstanding. His love is demonstrated in many, many ways. In fact, His wrath, although a reality, is considered to be an exception to His dealing with human beings: “The Lord will rise up . . . , he will rouse himself . . . to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task” (Isaiah 28:21). Consider Hosea 11:8-9, “‘How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man—the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath.’” (Admah and Zeboiim were two cities destroyed along with Sodom and Gomorrah. “Ephraim” refers to the northern tribes of Israel.) His love is exhibited in His compassion, mercy, and deliverance from many troubles.
Many events in Old Testament history, both providential and miraculous, demonstrate that God is awesome and thus worthy of our worship and obedience. “I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). Without obedience, worship is a farce.
Wisdom
The wisdom literature (Job through Song of Solomon) is of a different genre than history. Even when historical events are mentioned, they are presented in poetic form, often symbolically. These books deal with life lessons. Job explores the question, why do bad things happen to good people? Psalms are songs for personal and national use. Proverbs describes and encourages making wise decisions. Its statement of purpose could actually apply to all five Wisdom books:
for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight, for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”
Specifically, Ecclesiastes asks, what is the meaning of life, and the Song of Solomon (one of the two Bible books that never mention God) deals with romantic love.
The apostle Paul’s reference in 2 Timothy 3:15-17 regarding the whole Old Testament could apply to the New as well, but it especially applies to the Wisdom literature: “from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The same could be said for his statement in Romans 15:4, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
The Books of Wisdom are not to be read as law but rather to see life through the eyes of the writers.
Prophets
The Major Prophets (generally longer) and the Minor Prophets have much to say about Israel and the nations around them. However, we must read these prophecies in their context. Their primary goal is to prepare Israel for the coming Messiah and the Messianic age (which in the New Testament is explained to be the church age). In other words, there is one overarching theme: MESSIAH IS COMING.
The last of these prophets wrote:
“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years. (Malachi 3:1-4)
Then (4:1-2), “‘Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.’”
The apostle Peter explained:
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. (1 Peter 1:10-12)
Neither those who prophesied the coming age nor the angels really understood what was meant—many of the prophecies used Old Testament imagery and scenarios which must be understood in New Testament terms.
The apostle Paul explained in Galatians 3:21-29 that the time of “the Law” was used by God to prepare the way for Christ (the Messiah). He was not willing to let them go their own way, both for their own good and the good of the whole world, for God’s plan of salvation.
Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.
As a result: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Peter referred to this work of the prophets in an early Christian message:
But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.’ Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.” (Acts 3:18-26)
Israel was being prepared (disciplined, taught) for themselves as well as providing hope for the Gentiles.
Conclusion
All parts of the Old Testament are equally true but, admittedly, not equally important; nevertheless each section is important for a healthy spiritual life. The more we delve into all three, the more prepared our hearts are for a true worship of God. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?’ ‘Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (Romans 11:33-36).
Do you want to know God better? Don’t omit the Old Testament!
New Hope Christian Church, 3/30/25
After the death of King Saul and the defeat of his son’s army, David (1003 BC) began mustering his army from all twelve tribes of Israel. The note regarding the tribe of Issachar, instead of citing the total number of their troops, said they “understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). Jesus also talked about understanding the times. Some of the disciples of John the Baptizer asked, “‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved’” (Matthew 9:14-17). He was saying that a new age requires new actions. Luke’s account, 5:39, records Jesus’ comment, “‘And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, “The old is better”’”; that is, people often prefer the old ways even though new times call for new ways. Traditions have always been hard to change even after they have outlived their usefulness. Nevertheless, Jesus calls for His disciples (followers) to realize that the Old Testament times were important in God’s plan but New Testament times demand new insights and actions by those who want to follow God’s will: “‘Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old’” (Matthew 13:52).
Last week we looked at the importance of the Old Testament Scriptures, but it’s important not to neglect either the Old or the New; for the Old is prologue to the New. The New Testament completes the story of the Old: the New finishes the one story begun in the Old.
Now that we are living in the age of the New Covenant (predicted in the Scriptures of the Old), we also must pay attention to all of the New Covenant Scriptures (what we call, the New Testament) in order to prepare ourselves for eternal life with God. It is not enough just to read, study, apply, and obey the “red letters” or the Gospels. Indeed, there are four segments of this part of the story.
Gospels: Messiah Has Come
The first segment is the four books called Gospels, which tell the Good News that the Messiah has come, and His name is Jesus. “Messiah” is Hebrew, Old Testament, for the Greek, New Testament, “Christ.” Both titles mean “the Anointed One,” that is, the God-appointed Savior of the world. (See John 4:25, and compare 4:29 with 4:42.) The Gospels not only tell us about the life and teachings of Jesus—their main function is to set forth reasons for believing His claim.
These reasons include fulfilled prophecy. See, for example, Matthew 26:54,56. “‘But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way? . . . But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.’” The Gospels quote many instances of Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah that were fulfilled in the life and actions of Jesus. These examples are so numerous that the odds in favor of Jesus being their fulfillment are astronomical. Studying His fulfillment of prophecy is a major reason for us to continue diving deeply into the Old Testament Scriptures.
In addition to prophetic fulfillment in favor of the premise that the Messiah has come, and that His name is Jesus, are the supernatural miracles—not just marvelous happenings that we call miracles in our world—performed by Jesus as well as those performed by His apostles in His name. To people, many of whom had been present to witness these miracles, the apostle Peter asserted, “‘Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know’” (Acts 2:22). Some thirty-five years later, the book of Hebrews (2:3-4) reported, “This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” Jesus Himself challenged His hearers, at least, to “believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves” (John 14:11; see also 10:35,38).
To those who heard Jesus, and indeed as we read His recorded words, His teaching came across not only as true but also authoritative. “ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (Matthew 7:28-29). Temple guards, who had been sent to arrest Jesus, returned empty-handed, responding to those who had sent them, “‘No one ever spoke the way this man does’” (John 7:45-46).
Finally, the Gospels present eyewitness testimony to the teaching and deeds of Jesus. This testimony was summarized by Peter (Acts 10:36-41): “
You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.”
Luke introduced his Gospel with these words: “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning . . . so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (1:1-4). The closing chapters of John’s Gospel included these assertions: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ” (20:30-31); and, “This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (21:24-25).
Acts of Apostles: Spreading the Word
Written by Luke, Acts is a book that records the work of the first church in spreading the word about the Messiah. It is, therefore, the first church history as it describes the spread of the Gospel to Jews (chapters 1-7), then the Samaritans (chapter 8), and finally into the Gentile world, following the outline in the commission that Jesus gave to the apostles (see Acts 1:8). After the first chapter, only four apostles are mentioned by name (Peter, John, James, and Paul). It’s purpose is not to describe the preaching of the apostles (although it does that for Peter and Paul) but rather to demonstrate how rapidly the message of the Kingdom of God spread throughout the Roman Empire. (Acts leaves us with a cliff-hanger about Paul, having become a prisoner of Rome with no mention of what happened to him.) Students of Acts are intrigued by two glaring omissions (in addition to ignoring most of the apostles): no mention of Paul’s letter-writing nor of Titus, an evangelist-protégé of Paul, appearing significantly in the next section of the New Testament, the Letters.
Letters: Living for Jesus
Twenty-one of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament are letters, most of them (13 or 14) by Paul. Some were written to local congregations, some to churches in a certain region of the Empire, and some to individual members of churches. Their overall purpose was to instruct Christians (followers of Jesus) how to live for Jesus in a world of darkness.
Often, these letters begin with the theological foundation upon which practical Christian living is based; for example, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4). See also James 1:17-27, which includes these words, “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created” (1:18); and, “But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (1:25-27).
Some books begin with a lengthy theological lesson and then conclude with practical Christian applications arising out of the lesson. See Romans, chapters 1-11, followed by 12-16; also Galatians 1-4, then 5-6; Ephesians 1-3, then 4-6; and Colossians 1-2, then 3-4. For example, Ephesians 4:1 sets the stage for the rest of the letter with these words, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
Revelation: Hold Fast
Fittingly, the final section of the New Testament is a single book that looks forward to the future of the church (some/much of which is now in the past), just as Acts was a single book looking back at the past of the church. Students of this book often get tangled up in the symbolic and apocalyptic imagery without realizing that it is a book intended to be understood. It is written as though it were describing the future in Old Testament terms. The message of this book can be summarized in three propositions: (1) The devil is out to get us, and he’s not alone. For example, see chapters 12-13. (2) We must remain loyal to Jesus no matter how bad things get: “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus” (14:12). (“Saints” in the Bible are not especially good people but rather all of God’s people, set aside to serve Him and seeking to follow His word.) (3) Jesus is coming back to earth, and, when He does, He will destroy His enemies and reward His faithful followers. See especially chapters 20-22.
Conclusion
Do you like working on jigsaw or crossword puzzles? If so, are you satisfied with a partial completion? Or, when you get a letter from a loved one, do you read just part of it? We need to read the whole Bible, while emphasizing the parts that are especially applicable to us. Admittedly, some parts of the Bible are easier reads than other; but we must not neglect any of it, or we will miss out on getting the whole picture and benefitting the most from our time in God’s word.
New Hope Christian Church, 4/6/25
In Acts 8 we read of a divinely arranged encounter between the evangelist Philip and an Ethiopian official. Following instructions from an angel (8:26) and then the Holy Spirit (8:29), “Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’” (8:30-31). People don’t read the Bible for many reasons; one often heard is, “I can’t understand it.” However, if we are to (1) be saved and (2) grow spiritually, Bible reading is essential. 2 Peter 1:3-4 informs us, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” Two phrases here imply Bible reading: (1) “through our knowledge of him” and (2) “his very great and precious promises.”
Furthermore, here is the good news: Yes, you can understand the Bible. The apostle Paul wrote about his own letters: “For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus” (2 Corinthians 1:13-14). The apostle Peter would later write, Paul’s “letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures.” That is why it often takes some effort and help in order to understand some parts of the Bible.
Three keys are necessary for understanding the Bible.
Recognize Hindrances
The first key is to recognize the hindrances to our understanding of God’s word. One such hindrance is in our choice of which English version to read, especially versions that are not in modern English, such as the KJV, which was translated in 1611. Like all other translations, it has its weaknesses, especially in regard to ease of understanding. The English language has changed drastically in the last four centuries, and it takes a great deal of work (as well as a good dictionary) to understand much of it. If you are quite familiar with the language, then it is okay to use it; but it is helpful to have another version on hand with which you can compare it. (Do not be misled by the view that the KJV is the only real “Holy Bible.”)
A second hindrance to our understanding is using versions that make it too easy to understand what the text means. Paraphrases, especially, can lead you astray, for they are not really translations as much as the editors’ views of what the text means. Instead, choose one or more of the several good versions available today that are quite good at translating the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts into current English.
Another hindrance is thinking that the version that makes the most sense to you or that you like the most means that it is the most accurate translation. It’s acceptable to quote from a different version as long as the passage is an accurate translation of the original—check other versions and compare them. If there is a significant difference in the meaning (rather than just how it is worded), seek help from someone who has studied the original languages. The original text was inspired of God, but no English version is inspired—each one is only as accurate as the translation—therefore, the need for checking different ones if there is a question.
Bringing our previous understandings into our reading and study without questioning their faithfulness to the original is often a hindrance to understanding the text. Sometimes that leads us to forcing our understanding onto a verse or passage without letting it speak for itself.
That brings us to a pair of hindrances that are opposites of each other: (1) thinking that you do not need teachers to help with the difficult passages and (2) following commentaries and teachers blindly, without thinking for yourself. Every teacher, every commentary, has a theological bias. This bias does not necessarily lead to error, but often it does. Remember, no post-first-century teacher or commentary is inspired. We all just try to do the best we can. And there are many—especially those who do not believe in revelation and inspiration—who deny or twist Scriptural teaching. “I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 3-4).
Finally, for a proper understanding of Scripture we need to learn the principles of hermeneutics (a big word, yes, but it just refers to principles of interpretation). More will be said about this under the third key.
Realize That God Wants You to Understand
The second key to understanding the Bible is to realize that God wants you to understand it. Since He is God, He is able to express Himself clearly. Indeed, Jesus is actually called “the Word,” probably because He is the Person of the Deity who is most easily understood by human beings, having become one of us. The Gospel of John includes these verses about the Word:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . In him was life, and that life was the light of men. . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. . . . For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. (John 1:1,4,14,17-18)
God can express Himself clearly, but can mere mortals understand? Yes, you can. You were created in His image and thus able to understand Him: having “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:10).
Furthermore, He loves you and wants you to hear and therefore understand His word.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:1-5)
Even the sections that are hard to decipher have understandable lessons in them. Because of the nature of apocalyptic (end-times) language, most of the book of Revelation is cryptic; but the message is clear: “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near” (1:1-3). What are we to understand, to “take to heart”? No matter what is happening in this world, no matter how evil and catastrophic: “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus” (14:12).
One of the most difficult sections of the Old Testament is the last nine chapters, not because the language itself is difficult but because it is difficult to understand when the temple described there would be built—in fact, the closing chapters describe a place that does not exist on the present Earth, and neither do the descriptions seem to fit the New Earth (Revelation 21-22). Nevertheless there is a lesson that can be understood: “Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins” (Ezekiel 43:10).
Still, you will find many passages you do not understand—make a note, mark with a pencil, check out with teachers—and give it time: some things you do not understand now, you will later (and then erase the pencil mark!)
Use Common-Sense Principles
The third key is this: you already use principles of interpretation in daily life without realizing it. You interpret poetry differently than prose, comics differently than news, and political talk differently than common-sense talk! Understanding the Bible just requires using the same principles we already use for everyday language. For example, we use satire, figures of speech, and idioms—none of which is taken literally. (See below for a list of common-sense principles.)
Along with these principles, we must let Scripture interpret Scripture; that is, let the easier to understand passages help us to understand similar passages that may not be so easy. For example, Luke records Jesus saying, “‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple’” (14:26-27). We recoil at that statement, for why would He want us to hate anyone, much less our family? The problem is resolved by looking at another similar statement, “‘Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me’” (Matthew 10:37-38). The context makes it clear that we are not literally to hate our parents, etc., but rather that if circumstances should require us to make a choice between family or Jesus, we must be willing to choose Jesus.
Another good example of comparing Scripture with Scripture to help us understand is found in a comparison between Matthew 26:28 and Acts 2:38. Both have the phrase, “for the forgiveness of (your [Acts]) sins.” The phrases are identical in the original Greek text except for the addition of the word “your” in Acts. In these verses, what does the word “for” mean? Some interpret it in Acts as meaning “because of,” thereby making the sense to be, be baptized because your sins have been forgiven. But the word in Matthew cannot mean “because of” since the blood of the covenant “is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”—Jesus certainly is not saying that His blood was poured out because their sins had been forgiven—and therefore the blood was to be poured out so that their sins could be forgiven. Applying the same meaning in Acts would indicate that Peter’s hearers were told to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus so that their sins could be forgiven (by the blood)! Scripture, not humanly devised theology, interprets Scripture. (For more on this point, see Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12; Galatians 3:26-27; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5.)
Not all Scripture, of course, is easily understood at first look. It often takes time, as implied by Paul in Philippians 3:15-16, “All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.” Hebrews 5:11-14 informs us that we are not always ready for understanding some of Scripture—it takes some maturity: "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." 1 Corinthians 3:2 affirms the same, “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.”
However, much of Scripture is easily understandable, especially the historical narratives and also the teaching about God and salvation. Regarding salvation, do not let others tell you that it doesn’t mean what it says. Use your head. Doesn’t it make sense that the parts about how to be saved would be among the easiest passages to understand?
Christ has anticipated our need for help, both in understanding the gospel and in spiritual growth. “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists [preachers], and some to be pastors [church elders] and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13). Paul instructed evangelists, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2); and to “appoint elders in every town” who would be able to “encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:5,9).
Conclusion
So, not understanding the Bible is no excuse for not reading it. When are you going to start? Or if already reading it, when are you going to do more, reading and obeyin
HERMENEUTICS – RULES OF INTERPRETATION
1) Humility – Approach the text with humility. Do not force your previous beliefs upon the text. Be willing to go where the text actually takes you. Remember: you may be mistaken. Do not be dogmatic (blind to other ways of looking at it). Also, do not be too independent: check out your thinking with experienced students of the Bible (although they can also be mistaken).
2) Use common sense. Use the same rules of interpretation that are used in reading ordinary human language.
3) Pay attention to grammar and figurative language. Compare different translations.
4) Be very careful in your use of commentaries. Use them to check out background and other introductory matters. Be careful which ones you use. Get some advice. Many are written by people who do not believe that the Bible is the word of God. All are written with a theological bias. Use commentaries to interpret the text only after you have already studied it yourself.
5) Look at the context. What is the book about? What is the main point of this passage? How does this passage fit in the overall plan of the book?
6) Read and study the Scriptures everyday. The more you read and the more often you read, the better you will be at interpretation. Too many people read more books about the Bible than they do the Bible itself.
New Hope Christian Church, 4/20/25
The apostle Paul declared that he preached nothing but “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Then why does the book of Acts elevate the resurrection of Jesus to the central theme in all the gospel presentations? We must understand that the cross does not stand apart from or above the empty tomb. This concept seems alien to most of the “Christian world.” Indeed, at “Easter” we hear a lot about the resurrection, but even then many of the sermons deal more with the crucifixion than the empty tomb. Furthermore, in December the birth of Christ receives much greater attention than His resurrection in spite of the fact that, apart from the nativity narratives in Matthew and Luke, the New Testament says almost nothing about the birth of Christ (no year, no month, no day)! No doubt this modern-day lack of emphasis on the resurrection relative to the birth and the crucifixion of Jesus is due to the relative ease of understanding the facts surrounding the latter events. Other than believing that Jesus arose again, the average church-going or nominal Christian knows very little of the theology of the resurrection.
The resurrection of Jesus is not just a doctrine taught in the New Testament; it is the event that empowers our purpose for living. Here are three essential propositions about the resurrection that help us to understand how it gives us hope for the future and strength for the present.
His Resurrection Was Physical (Bodily)
When the New Testament says that Jesus arose from the dead, it does not mean in some metaphorical or spiritual sense, but rather that His body actually came back to life: the tomb was empty. (Many books on this subject, including Christianity 101: an Introduction to New Testament Christianity as Taught in the Bible [Ermal Allen], examine this claim, ruling out the possibility that it was not empty.)
In addition to the empty tomb, Jesus offered proofs (Acts 1:3) to His disciples that He was once again physically in their presence. For example, Luke records their testimony (24:39-40), “He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.” John 20:24-28 refers also to His side (which had been pierced by the soldier’s spear, 19:34). The physical wounds were still visible.
The bodily nature of the resurrection also received confirmation when He ate with the disciples as recorded, for example, in Luke 24:41-43. “And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, ‘Do you have anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.” Another example is found in John 21:9-13 when He cooked the food, which they themselves then ate.
Two objections to the physicality of the post-resurrection body of Jesus have occasionally been raised. (Although these do not challenge the fact of the physical body being raised, they do cast doubts on some of the proofs offered in the Biblical text.) One challenge refers to Jesus’ prohibition to Mary, not to “touch” Him (John 20:17, KJV), and infers that His body was in the process of being transformed from flesh into glory. The NKJV, like other more current translation, corrects the translation with, “Do not cling to Me.” The word literally means to “seize” or “hold on to.” In other words, He wasn’t telling her not to touch Him but rather not to delay Him (nor to delay her own testimony to the others).
The second objection regards His sudden appearances (and subsequent disappearances) to the disciples behind locked doors (John 20:19,26) or to the two on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:15-16,31). The charge is made that these actions rule out His body still being physical. However, prior to His death, Jesus overcame the laws of physics by walking on water (Matthew 14:25) and, perhaps, by passing untouched through hostile crowds (Luke 4:29-30; John 8:59). He was in His physical body when, on the mountain with Moses and Elijah, He transformed His appearance (Mark 9:2-3).
The apostle Paul cited the bodily resurrection of Jesus as proof that our bodies will also be raised from the dead when Jesus returns to earth: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21). He preached this bodily resurrection as the essence of hope, in the Old Testament as well as in the New (see Acts 23:6; 24:15; 26:6-8).
His Resurrection Is the Historical Bedrock Foundation for the Faith
The second essential proposition regarding the resurrection of Jesus is this: the resurrection of Jesus, established by normal standards of certifying historical facts, is the bedrock, unassailable, foundation of the Christian faith. The apostle Paul made such a claim in 1 Corinthians 15, which we have dubbed “the resurrection chapter.” In the first eight verses, he asserted:
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
Note especially the following expressions: “on which you have taken your stand” (15:1), “hold firmly to the word I preached to you” (15:2), and “of first importance” (15:3). He emphasized four foundational beliefs: (1) “Christ died for our sins,” as prophesied in the Old Testament, (2) He was buried—making it possible to verify that He was really dead, (3) He was raised from the dead on the third day, also as prophesied, and (4) the risen Jesus was seen by multiple witnesses.
Appeal to witnesses became a standard motif in the first century preaching of the church. “He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead” (Acts 10:41). Here the apostle Peter makes it clear that Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances were not just momentary or imagined sightings. Paul answered a charge by Governor Festus that he was insane by challenging Herod Agrippa II, “‘What I am saying is true and reasonable. The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner’” (Acts 26:25-26). See also Luke 24:48; Acts 1:22; 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 13:31; 22:15; 26:16.
In addition to the empty tomb and subsequent appearances of Jesus, the apostles appealed to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. In Paul’s appeal to Herod (see above), he topped it off by appealing to the prophets of the Old Testament (Acts 26:27). The Gospel writers, two of whom (Matthew and John) were apostles, and the other two, who were closely identified with apostles, frequently cited and alluded to the predictions of the Old Testament regarding the Messiah (Christ) and the Messianic Age. For example, Jesus “said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem’” (Luke 24:44-47).
Bolstering the resurrection as the solid foundation of the faith was the fulfillment of Christ’s own predictions regarding His death and resurrection. The Gospels record around 9-10 of these predictions (not counting the parallels in more than one Gospel). These predictions do not themselves prove His resurrection, but their fulfillment proves that He knew what He was talking about and that He was more than a common magician. The testimony of witnesses, the empty tomb, the post-resurrection appearances, and the fulfilled Old Testament prophecies all contribute to answering the question: what proves the resurrection? The resurrection then proves that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Our faith is not just in a series of propositions; rather it is grounded in a Person.
His Resurrection Won the Victory
This solid foundation for our faith in Jesus also confirms our hope in a resurrection of our own bodies and the subsequent entrance into eternal life. Victory over death has been won not just for Him but also for us who put our faith in Him. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).
I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (15:50-57)
By His resurrection, Jesus defeated death, which is the ultimate enemy; for it keeps God’s creation from enjoying fellowship with Him. Christ’s resurrection also won the victory—in theology it is called, Christus Victor—over all others, human or spirit. Peter sees in baptism both salvation and victory: Noah and family “were saved [from the corruption of that generation?] through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge [or answer] of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him” (1 Peter 3:20-22). Paul had made a similar connection: God “raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:20-21).
We, Christ’s church, are included in this victory: “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (1:22-23). Therefore, we have victory in Him: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (6:11-12).
Conclusion
We can rest assured in the veracity of our faith. Furthermore, we can have confidence in our mission to bring life to others. “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).