Dead To Sin; Dead To The Law

When we are crucified with Christ Jesus, we are dead to sin and dead to the law which empowers sin. How can those things hold power over us any longer?

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The legalists among us, that includes Sabbatarian legalists, are quick to charge others who refuse their interpretation of sin with being antinomian… against law.

It would almost be funny if it were not so incredibly pathetic.

These same people who claim to be followers of the law - obedient to God through the law - sanitize the law into something unrecognizable to the law; making a new version of the law which they see as “do-able.”

(Romans 3:23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

(Romans 5:12) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Deciding to keep the law, especially the truncated versions created by modern day legalists and Sabbatarians, does not undo one’s guilt, once guilt is established. Nowhere does scripture state or indicate that just deciding to keep the law absolves you of sin. There is a price to pay for sins, and that price is your death.

(Romans 6:23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The law requires a death due to sin. In order for God to justly give you that gift of eternal life - to rescue you from the clutches of sin, whose power to condemn you to death comes from the law - God had to transfer your guilt and your condemnation prescribed by the law to another, which happened to be God Himself in the personage of Jesus Christ who was God Incarnate. He took your death upon Himself.

(Isaiah 53:4-9) Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Do not neglect to read this, even if you believe you already know it; even if you have read it a thousand times before. Make this fresh in your mind.

The penalty for sin is death. You have sinned. The power for sin to demand death comes from the law. The law demands your death. Christ Jesus stepped in to pay your debt to sin, prescribed by the law, with His own death.

Perhaps the greatest insult you can make towards God is to make light of His sacrifice for you. Consider the agony, torture, and ridicule He was put through in order to accomplish that for you while you were still an enemy of God.

For the legalist and Sabbatarian conclude they should "keep" the law which they were taught defines sin, citing 1 John 3:4 partially, in an early English translation that does not reflect the Greek it was originally written in. The law does not create sin, per se. It condemns the sinner.

Sin is not some item you can put in a small box and store away; that box to many being the Decalogue; the Ten Commandments located IN the law.

We are born sinners. We start out life the children of Adam.

(Romans 5:17-21) For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Christ removes you from the condemnation of sin and the law that gave strength to sin. This is one of the great truths of Scripture that people are deceived over, so that they choose to place themselves back under the law, which can only result in coming back under its condemnation.

Christians are dead to sin (Romans 6:2).

Christians are dead to the law (Romans 7:4; Galatians 2:19).

Christians are dead to sin and the law because their debt to sin, prescribed by the law, has been  paid by another, resulting in them being LEGALLY dead to the law and sin, as though they themselves had paid the debt owed the law. If you are dead to sin, the law can no longer empower sin. The law can never require you to die, again, to the law. Sin has lost its power. The believer is forever dead to sin and dead to the law, yet now alive to God.

(Galatians 2:19) For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 

(Romans 7:4) Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

No one could bring forth fruit unto God while under the law; subject to the law. The only fruit you bring forth by and through the law is death; the fruit of the law; the just result of the law, always.

(Romans 4:15) Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

You could just as easily word this to say and mean the law produces wrath, like a plant produces it yield. The natural produce of plants is crops, and the natural produce of the law is wrath; a death sentence. The law “produces” nothing else. It does not produce life. If it did…

(Galatians 3:21) Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

I know that many will read this and conclude I am just using clever argumentation to fool them, to deceive them, when in fact you have already been fooled and deceived into believing lies because, deep down inside of their carnal souls, their heart of stone, your teachers have no real love of truth, and those with no love of truth are further condemned as a result (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12). They have taught you a lie, and you believe a lie that you think is of benefit to you, and that lie which they have taught you is  that law is the answer -- that law-keeping is the obedience God wants of you, that you are still under the power of the law, and that law defeats sin rather than empowers it; that the law which you don't really keep will result in blessings and avoid the curses that come because of sin, such as the sin of unbelief where you insult God Himself, claiming He didn’t truly and completely remove believers from the law and the condemnation inherent within it.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )

Acts 17:11

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What About the Gentiles? - Part II

Some say the Covenants and the Savior were for Israel only. This series explores one of the Bible's biggest themes: how God called Israel to reclaim all people through Jesus Christ. Along the way, we'll ask what that means for the covenants, the law, the Gentiles, and Israel itself.

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I've seen it thrown at Christians many times in the past, by a very small but vocal minority, that the Biblical covenants were made with Israel only. The conclusion we are supposed to reach form this is: therefore Gentiles are rejected unless they become Jews first in order to become Christians. (Or, to be more precise, unless they become like the people who are making these kinds of accusations.) And so we end up hearing questions like, "Is Jesus the Messiah of the Gentiles?" and "Are the Gentiles even called?"

In the last post, we went over the backstory to see why the world needed reclamation in the first place. We found the Bible story is all one big loop. And it turns out, we owe quite a bit of thanks to God for what He accomplished through Israel to bring Jesus Christ to us, and through Jesus to draw us back to Him. He wanted it so badly that He was willing to die for it.
In this post, we are going to look at the Bible verses throughout the Old Testament and the New which predict the reclamation of the Gentiles.

The challenge we set for ourselves is, we have to do this post without relying on Paul. And so we shall.

The next section is going to be verse-heavy. I am going to try to make this as easy for everyone as possible. I will put a few lists of verses for you to check out later on. Don't feel obligated to read these now (unless you really want to). This is a handy place to keep these for when you're ready. After that, I have chosen a few select verses which really emphasize the points we are trying to get at.

FOUNDATIONS

Let's get started with the Old Testament first.

OLD TESTAMENT

Here are two lists of verses about the inclusion of the Gentiles:

Universal worship for the nations:
GEN. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14.
PSA. 22:27-28; 67:2-7; 72:17; 86:9; 96:3, 7-10; 98:2-3; 102:15; 117:1.
ISA. 2:2-4; 11:10; 25:6-8; 40:5, 22; 42:1-4; 45:22-23; 49:6; 52:10; 60:1-3; 62:2; 66:18-19.
JER. 4:2; 16:19; 3:17.
DAN. 7:14.
MIC. 4:1-3.
HAB. 2:14.
ZEP. 2:11; 3:9-10.
ZEC. 8:20-23; 9:9-10; 14:16.
HOS. 2:23
MAL. 1:11.

Inclusion of Gentiles into redemption:
GEN. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14.
DEU. 32:43.
ISA. 11:10-12; 19:23-25; 42:6; 49:6; 56:3-8; 66:19-21.
JER. 12:14-17.
AMO. 9:11-12.
ZEC. 2:11.
ZEP. 3:9-10.

And now, I have chosen some interesting selections for you.

(GEN. 12:3b) [speaking of Abraham] And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

(GEN. 22:18) [speaking of Abraham] In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.

(PSA. 67:1-7) 1 God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, Selah. 2 That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. 3  Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. 4 Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people righteously, and govern the nations on earth. Selah. 5 Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You. 6 Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.

(ISA. 19:23-25) 23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. 24 In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, 25 whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

(ISA. 42:1,6) [speaking of Jesus (MAT. 12:17; LUK. 2:32)] 1 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; ... 6 He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles.

(AMO. 9:11-12) 11 “On that day I will raise up the  tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; 12 that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,” says the Lord who does this thing.

(ZEC. 2:10-11) 10 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. 11 “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.

(ZEP. 3:9) “For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord.

This is perhaps my favorite selection of all:

(ISA. 49:6) [speaking of the Jesus and the Apostles (ACT. 13:47)] Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’

Does that sound to you like the Gentiles are not saved? Doesn't sound like that to me.
The prooftexts from the first post were not by any means the only material we have on this subject. Reading the Bible did get us a bigger picture after all. The reclamation and salvation of the Gentiles was prophesied in the Old Testament. They were to become His people and be called by His name. It was to happen through the Messiah. The prophets and writers expected it. They waited and hoped for it.
What are people going to do now, rip out Isaiah, Zechariah, the Psalms, and Abraham from their Bibles?

Now, let's look at this from the New Testament.

NEW TESTAMENT

Here is a list of verses about the inclusion of the Gentiles:

MAT. 5:14-16; 8:11–12; 12:18–21; 21:43; 26:28; 28:19.
MAR. 11:17; 14:24.
LUK. 2:32; 3:6; 24:47.
JON. 1:29; 3:16-17; 4:42; 8:12; 95; 10:16; 12:32.
ACT. 1:8; 10–11 (all); 15 (all); 21:25; 28:28.
I PET. 2:9–10.
REV. 5:9; 7:9; 14:16; 15:4; 22:2.

And now, I have chosen some interesting selections for you.

(MAT. 2:28)  For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

(MAT. 28:19) [Jesus giving commission to the Apostles] Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

(LUK. 2:29-32) [Simeon speaking about Jesus] 29 “Now, Lord, You are letting Your bond-servant depart in peace, according to Your word; 30 for my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 which You have prepared in the presence of all the peoples: 32 A light for revelation for the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.”

(LUK. 24:45-47) [Jesus, after His resurrection, to the Apostles] 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “So it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

(ACT. 10:34-35, 42-45) [Peter to Cornelius] 34 Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. ... 42 And He ordered us to preach to the people, and to testify solemnly that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify of Him, that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 All the Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had also been poured out on the Gentiles.

(I JON. 4: 14) And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.

(REV. 5:9) And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation.

(REV. 21:24-26) 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; 26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it;

The New Testament did not invent this. What was predicted in the Old is fulfilled in the New. At the exact same time as God set His mind to reject the Gentiles and build Israel, God planned and promised salvation, forgiveness, justice, and regathering for all the peoples of the earth, both Jew and Gentile. That promise has been fulfilled. By Sabbaths and meats? No. In the person of Jesus Christ by faith. Before He died, while it was yet in the Old Covenant period, He told His Apostles to go to the Jews only. After His death and the coming of the New Covenant, the orders He gave them were very different. He sent the Apostles to spread the good news to the ends of the earth - starting at Jerusalem. Because it was time. "To the Jew first, and then to the Gentile." And even to us. As Jesus said, "for many."

CIRCLING BACK

Everything in these two posts tell the same story. What was predicted in Eden has come to pass. What was broken at Babel is now healed. The Gentiles who were disinherited are now reclaimed. He who was not our God is again our God. We who were not His people are again His people. Jesus is the Savior of all mankind, everyone who believes in Him, to the glory of God the Father, so the entire earth can be filled with the knowledge of God (HAB. 2:14).

How can anyone look at this and still wonder if the Gentiles are included in the New Covenant? Because the Jesus never says the exact phrase "The New Covenant hereby includes the Gentiles"?? Did Jesus not say His blood is the New Covenant, shed for many for the remission of sins? Did Jesus Himself not say that He has cleansed the Gentiles? And did Peter not say the Gentiles who believe in Him have remission of sins? How can that happen without His blood, which is the blood of the New Covenant? It is a miserable, desperate argument to dismiss a thing only because it isn't worded a certain way.

But this is where the Gentile needs an extra helping of humility and thankfulness. God was not required do any of this. We certainly did not get here on our own. Thank God we were reclaimed from that hopeless condition ...by the Messiah who came through Israel from Abraham. Glad you are saved by faith in the Messiah? Consider thanking a Jew for Israel's part in the coming of the Messiah.

PAUL

Notice something. We have now gone from Abraham, through Moses, the Psalms, Isaiah, Amos, Zechariah, the Gospels, Acts, Hebrews, and Revelation... without needing Paul. 

Only after establishing all of this would we need to mention Paul. Paul didn't invent the inclusion of the Gentiles. He plainly says as much (GAL. 3:8). Notice that the narrative about Cornelius, the first Gentile to receive the Holy Spirit, technically begins in the same chapter of Acts where Saul is converted (ACT. 9). You can't blame that on Paul! By now, we've long since demonstrated the point: Paul did not invent Gentile inclusion. All he did was read his scriptures. He is one witness among many to a plan that runs from Eden to the New Jerusalem.

I ask, do some people reject Paul because he preached something contrary to the Bible, or does the Bible itself teach something contrary to these people's own narrative and agenda? Hopefully you can plainly see the answer for yourself. So, which should we reject?

(II PET. 3:16) as also in all [Paul's] epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

Now, let's include Paul into the mix --

In Jesus, the blessings promised to and through Abraham have come. Abraham is the father of us all (ROM. 4:13-16), spiritually speaking, through our joining to Jesus (GAL.3:14), the rightful heir of the promises and the one through whom all the promises come. Gentiles are no longer required to join the physical nation of Israel in order to join the covenant. Instead, we all - Jew and Gentile - join Jesus, the true Israel of God. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches (JON. 15:5; ROM. 11:17-24). Gentiles are grafted into this "olive tree", as Paul metaphorically puts it. The two peoples are made one (EPH. 2:14-18). In Him, we are no longer what we were, but a new creation (GAL. 6:15; II COR. 5:17; REV. 21:5). We are born again (JON. 3: 3-8; I PET. 1:22-23; II COR. 5:16-17; TIT. 3:5).

Remember this from the last post? All mankind → Abraham → Isaac.  Abraham → Messiah → All mankind.
Now, read Galatians 3:7-9.

It all fits together.

CONCLUSION

What have we seen about Jesus saving the Gentiles?

1. The Old Testament promises it (the list of prophetic passages).
2. Jesus announces it and commands it (the Gospels).
3. Luke records it happening (Acts, especially Cornelius and the Jerusalem Council).
4. Peter and John affirm it (1 Peter 2; I John 4).
5. Revelation shows its consummation (especially the vision of every nation worshiping God).
6. Paul preaches it (reframing everything in the light of Christ).

Were the Covenants (plural) made with Israel? Yes.
Is Jesus the Savior of the Gentiles? Yes.
Is the New Covenant extended to the Gentiles? Yes.
Do we need Paul to demonstrate this? No.

I put six verses in the first post to build the case against Gentile inclusion. There is so much more to this than just, "Here is a verse about the Covenants being made with Israel, so how can the Gentiles be saved?" For the people who say the Gentiles are not reclaimed, or that Jesus is not the Savior of the Gentiles, I say try reading the whole Bible. It explains everything.

Does any of this mean Israel is now rejected the way the Gentiles once were? No!! Israel is not at all rejected. The two have been made one. Of course we still need Israel. Israel is not abandoned now that the Gentiles are reclaimed. Israel was the first one invited into the New Covenant. Gentile inclusion does not lessen what was done through Israel, it fills it up. And, by the way, believing Jews don't need to stop being who they are in order to join.

But that is for another article.

I leave you with a prayer, dear reader and beloved by God. I pray the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ looks on you with mercy and love and opens your heart to the wonderful story of salvation, which is for all peoples, and was thousands of years in the making. And that in this salvation, achieved and secured by Jesus Christ for all of us who believe, you find true rest.

(PSA. 40:9-10) 9 I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness in the great assembly; indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O Lord, You Yourself know. 10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.

To help you move forward, I suggest these articles:
Once And Future Kingdom - Part I
Once And Future Kingdom - Part II
Just What Do You Mean 'Gospel'?
What Is The Gospel?
'Born Again' and the Kingdom of God
Gennao: Just What Does It Mean?
Two Trees - Two Covenants
My Opinion Is God's Truth

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )

Acts 17:11

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Sin

Violating the law is the not the definition of sin. Sin is the fruit of an evil heart.

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(1 John 3:4) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

When properly parsed, a transgression of the law results when one sins. This does not define sin. It tells you what sin does; the result of sin.

By removing the first half of the verse, an entirely different interpretation is drawn out of the now truncated passage, so that a desired conclusion is achieved, where sin is the result of transgressing the law; the exact opposite conclusion of the verse when the whole of it is examined.

Sin becomes defined by the transgression of the law, where the very meaning of the Greek word translated into the English word “sin”, that defines sin, is ignored entirely. The definition of sin, derived from the Greek word for sin, gets lost in the legalistic shuffle.

Sin is translated from the Greek “hamartia” and refers to missing the mark in relation to the glory of God.

(Romans 3:23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God 

Why is this distinction important?

For one thing, it demonstrates the pervasiveness of sin in relation to a specific subset of mankind.

For another thing, it disassociates sin from what it really is - missing this mark related to the glory of God - and shifts it to something else entirely; that being strictly and solely any transgression of the law. This improper definition allows the legalist to ignore the parts of the law that required a proper, legal examination of any transgression of the law in order to determine if a transgression had any legal justification for having done so.

(John 7:51) Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

The fact that there were legal justifications for breaking the law means that sin cannot simply be any violation of the law. The Sanhedrin dodged this legal requirement out of hand. Today’s legalist just redefines sin so as to exclude any trial that might exonerate the one who transgressed the law, with a legal justification for having done so, where a transgression of the law automatically results in a charge of sin, without appeal.

(Matthew 12:36-37) But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Imagine the scenario playing out where those who insist sin is the result of transgressing the law standing before God who asks them why they condemned others of sin without a hearing, like they will find themselves standing before God, having a hearing they denied others? I would be interested in seeing how they “talk” their way out of that...

Who all has “missed the mark” in relation to the “glory of God?” Everyone! Whether they be under the law of the old covenant or not under the law of the old covenant.

(Romans 2:12) For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

In the legalistic scenario, only those who have sinned “in the law” are judged by legalists as being judged and condemned where one can perish. You have to break the law in order to sin. There is no sin without the law and its transgression.

All this effectively counters and negates what all Jesus had to say on the matter of sin, where sin is tied to the condition of the heart, mind, and soul of a person, and not exclusively to the law.

Sin has its genesis in the heart, mind, and soul of a person. There is a proclivity to sin by those described in Scripture as having an evil heart, and where having an evil heart, such a person is incapable of doing anything that “hits the mark” when it comes to the glory of God.

(Matthew 12:35) A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Who is speaking here? Jesus the Christ; the One you are supposed to be listening to, to the exclusion of all others; the One who is greater than the Prophets and even Moses, to whom Jesus attributes the law.

(James 1:13-15) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Sin lies at the core of mankind, cut off from God. They can do nothing to the glory of God. They stand in opposition to God, having what God describes as:

(Jeremiah 17:9) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Jesus further elaborates:

(Matthew 7:17-19) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

What is evil fruit? It is sin. It is the antithesis of good fruit. What is good fruit? Works done to the glory of God, which cannot be done by those producing evil fruit. Sins are NOT done to the glory of God. These evil fruits could be works done by those led by their evil hearts of stone and unbelief to their own glory, or their self-righteousness as we see done by the Pharisees and other religious elite of Israel; the same religious elite whom Jesus referred to as evil children of the devil, doing the will of their father.

Where did they derive their works; their fruits?

From the law; keeping the law, especially the works of the law.

Jesus uses the tithing law to show how their law-keeping was but an outward show.

(Matthew 23:23) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

The same could be said for their dedication to the Sabbath, circumcision, sacrifices, and many other commandments in the law regarding even clothing and grooming.

What then would you logically conclude if a “bad tree” happened to keep the Sabbath? Did such a person with their Sabbath-keeping refrain from sin? But if all the fruits of a bad tree are evil only, then how is keeping the Sabbath a "good fruit"?

Likewise, how would a person with an evil heart respond upon being told their Sabbath-keeping, which they believe is a good fruit, is in fact just another expression of evil coming from evil people?

They will do what evil people do, calling evil good, and good, evil.

(Isaiah 5:20) Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

But you see… that evil heart is “desperately” wicked, and will deceive the self into believing it is good, so much so, that such people who think themselves religious and righteous, will do anything to maintain the facade, even denying the undeniable.

(Luke 6:9) Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?

Did Jesus here equate the destruction of life with doing good or doing evil?

The answer should be obvious.

What then of those legalists, specifically Adventists, whose hospitals have been performing elective abortions in their hospitals since the early 1970’s, where they have destroyed the most innocent of all human lives? The lives of humans, said to be created in the image of God, who have never sinned, and whose lives were destroyed without any due process provided in the law they claim to keep? Where and when was their hearing to appeal their death sentence, carried out by Adventism? Who stood as advocate for them? What happened to justice, mercy, and faith when it came to them?

It could hardly be said Adventism could be guilty of any greater sin in the eyes of God, but any Adventist reading this will still deny their duplicity; their complicity when it comes to this atrocity.

Many an Adventist, when confronted with this reality, claims they had no involvement in those decisions and actions performed by their church that claims to keep the commandments of God and keep the testimony of Christ where you just read the testimony of Christ regarding the destruction of life being evil.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )

Acts 17:11

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Redefining Words, Terms, and Concepts

Many theological disagreements aren't caused by different Bible verses, they begin with different definitions. Sabbatarians purposefully shift definitions to make the debate possible.

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Sabbatarians (primarily Adventists) hide behind a cloak of obfuscation. Words, terms, and concepts are thrown about without any fixed, concrete definition of what they mean. Should you attempt to debate them based on a particular definition, they simply shift the narrative by shifting the definitions. Should you attempt to pin them down on what they mean through the usage of a word, they will refuse, often by not even responding.

The Decalogue is defined by them as “moral” law, yet they never, ever define what constitutes a “moral” law. Nor do they ever provide any credible, biblical evidence that backs up the claim they are “moral” law any more than they do when it comes to “ceremonial” law, which is treated in like fashion.

Sin is “defined” by them as any transgression of the “moral” law, thereby further constructing a theology based on loosely defined concepts. Actual, solid, biblically-derived definitions are simply ignored as if they do not exist, and if cited by others, they are not acknowledges as relevant.

“Law” is not defined based on context. It is defined as needed to support the established theology and belief system. This same process is applied to other key words within Sabbatarianism such as 'commandment(s)', and 'Sabbath'.

This is not limited to biblical words, terms, and concepts. Take the term “Sunday keeper” often cited as a pejorative. “Sunday” normally is understood and defined to mean the first day of the week in the widely used Roman calendar. However, it takes on a completely different meaning within Sabbatarianism, where is it associated with sun worship on that day. So, a “Sunday keeper” is often defined as one who worships the sun on that day; not God, and definitely not the “Sun of Righteousness” referenced in Malachi.

(Malachi 4:2) But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

This practice of the redefinition of words, terms, and concepts is a dynamic process, invoked when necessary to validate their belief system, or in order to disparage and condemn a belief system outside their own.

“Sabbath keeper” is defined as one who "keeps" the Sabbath; resting on that day, as well as worshiping God on that day in a corporate setting. The term is never defined in like fashion as how “Sunday keeper” is defined, where Sabbath is linked to Saturday, and then to the worship of Saturn. If church on SUNday means worshipping the sun, doesn't church on SATURday mean worshipping Saturn? No. The methodology employed only applies to Sunday and never Saturday (or any other week day) with this never ending hypocritical process.

The word "law" does not always refer to the old(er) covenant law, but that is the preferred ‘default’ definition, so that there is no “other” law. Laws they wish to keep are "God's laws", while laws they to be ignored are "Laws of Moses". Neither of which are clearly defined.

Likewise, the word “commandment” is similarly treated. Jesus gave commandments that Adventists insist are associated already with old covenant commandments. Point out the inconsistency of this position, and they simply conclude the inconsistency is with you; not them.

By controlling the language, any debate; any dialogue of disagreement is curtailed. Copernicus and Galileo ran afoul of the prevailing beliefs and religion of their time where the prevailing beliefs included a flat earth and the planets and sun revolving around the earth, with enough supporting “evidence” to convince just about anyone.

Welcome then to the Renaissance of the religious dark ages.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )

Acts 17:11

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God Judges According to the Heart

God's method of judgment is a righteous method. Legalism uses a different method entirely. As with the Pharisees, the result looks good on the outside, but on the inside is self-righteousness.

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God declared He judges according to the heart; righteous judgment.

Mankind judges according to appearance; unrighteous judgment.

There are implications in this that mankind, with the evil hearts of unbelief, the deceitful and desperately wicked hearts of stone, are unaware of.

Mankind creates God in their own image. Man-made gods are a reflection of the men who create them. Instead of men doing the bidding of God, their gods do the bidding of man.

God gave the Hebrews a blood covenant law knowing full well what they would do with it: they would use and abuse it in order to later judge and condemn the God who gave them that law; elevating it to the status of another god besides God. The law became their god, a god they controlled and used to their own advantage, all the while appealing to the law as the “law of God” where to disobey them and the law was to disobey God.

Jesus the Christ came in the flesh and did what God does - works commensurate with the Spirit. He did these works even on the Sabbath, that demanded no ‘man’ do ‘any’ work on the Sabbath.

Predictably, the men who administered controlled the law accused Him of sin against the law for having worked good works on the Sabbath, judging with unrighteous judgment according to the evil heart of men, according to appearance. This is the type of judgment that they imbued their false god of law with, where they equivocated that law with God and the operations of God, so they mistakenly perceived that God thought like they thought and believed as they believed.

(Isaiah 55:8) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Jesus commanded the people to judge with righteous judgment and not according to appearance… two contrasting ways of judgment where judging according to appearance is contrasted with righteous judgment. This makes judging according to appearance an unrighteous judgment, practiced by those with evil hearts who, according to Christ Jesus, can only do or perform evil works… producing evil fruits.

Even when trying to keep the law, they did evil in the sight of God, and this is in keeping with what Jesus said and taught; that a “bad tree” can ONLY produce bad/evil fruits/works.

The abuse of law resulted in evil people with the deceitful heart being deceived by their own hearts into thinking they were good and acceptable to God due to being deceived into believing they actually kept the law. In this regard, Psalms 44 is quite revealing. They could not understand why they were being punished with those things God said would happen upon disobedience when they were thoroughly convinced they were in compliance with the law; the same law Paul wrote to be the ministration of condemnation and death, engraved in stone; the letter of the law that kills.

Their perspective, seen through eyes controlled by desperately wicked hearts, could only see the law in the letter, and judge the self accordingly, with unrighteous judgment, according to appearance. “We are keeping the law, so why are we being punished as though we are not?”

To embrace the old covenant law is the ‘natural’ thing for a carnal mind to do in order to judge the self and others according to unrighteous judgment (GAL. 6:12-13), for an evil minded person seeks to accomplish two things:

1) Give the appearance of righteousness; being ‘obedient’ to the law of God. And,

2) Have the means to sate the evil desire to condemn others who do not agree with them and follow after them.

For the evil hearted, the law is a “win-win”. Any and all Scripture are simply dismissed out of hand if they contradict what their “deceitful” and “desperately wicked" hearts desire to believe as true (and there are many scriptures which do contradict them).

Righteousness comes through faith, not the law. None of the things in the following list comes from the law:

Justification (GAL. 2: 16)

Righteousness (GAL. 2: 21)

The Spirit (GAL. 3: 2)

Perfection (GAL. 3: 3; HEB. 7: 19)

Miracles (GAL. 3: 5)

Inheritance (GAL. 3: 18)

Life (GAL. 3: 21)

Grace (GAL. 5: 4)

Faith (GAL. 3: 12)

And if righteousness does not come through law, something else does: unrighteousness. Self-righteousness which is odious and obnoxious to God.

The law that produces wrath - the law that kills - produces this function against those who choose the law. They want the law; they use the law, believing that, ultimately, it will produce good things for them and “righteous” judgment against others who disagree with them; that very law stands against them, condemning them for ‘flaunting’ the law; the same law Paul stated was made for the unrighteous and not the righteous; for righteousness is derived through faith; an attribute of the Spirit, associated with righteous judgment, looking to the heart and not appearance, built into the letter of the law.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )

Acts 17:11

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What About the Gentiles? - Part I

Some say the Covenants and the Savior were for Israel only. This series explores one of the Bible's biggest themes: how God called Israel to reclaim all people through Jesus Christ. Along the way, we'll ask what that means for the Covenants, the law, the Gentiles, and Israel itself.

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BIG ideas to discuss. Guessing this will have to be a two-parter. I wonder if I can even do this topic justice, and if not then why bother? But I think I have to at least try to write about this. I've touched on this topic in the past but never really went into any depth on it. Time to weigh in, it seems. I go where the Spirit leads. Now, on to the set up!

I've seen it thrown at Christians many times in the past, by a very small but vocal minority, that the Biblical covenants were made with Israel only. The conclusion we are supposed to reach form this is: therefore Gentiles are rejected unless they become Jews first in order to become Christians.
(Or, to be more precise, unless they become like the people who are making these kinds of accusations.) And so we end up hearing questions like, "Is Jesus the Messiah of the Gentiles?" and "Are the Gentiles even called?"

I strongly disagree with these people.
...mostly.

It should be obvious that this entire "Jesus isn't the Messiah of the Gentiles" line is patently ridiculous on its face from a reading of the Bible, or church history with its 2,000 years of miracles and faith. But apparently a person can believe anything if they want it badly enough.

Looks like our work is cut out for us. In this series, we go through the Bible.
Let's start where they get it right. The two great covenants were made with Israel. It's true!

PLURAL

Here are some fundamental verses which we cannot simply ignore. This calls for humility on the part of the Gentiles. Swallow your pride with me, and read on.

(JER. 31: 31) Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah...

Notice with whom God intended to make the Covenant. The author of Hebrews does not modify it.

(HEB. 8: 7-8) 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah...

Paul confirms the covenants were made with Israel. Gentiles aren't mentioned.

(ROM. 9: 3-5) For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants [plural], the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

Notice, "the covenants" is plural. The covenants are Israel's. Contrast that with the Gentiles.

(EPH. 2: 11-12) 11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants [plural] of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Again, covenants is plural. Strangers to the covenants.

Now, of course the New Covenant was going to be made with Israel because it replaces the Old Covenant. But there's more.

JESUS' MISSION

Let us not overlook what Jesus said about His own mission:

(MAT. 15:14) But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

That whole interaction there is quite telling. Easy to misunderstand, but telling.
The same thing happens when Jesus sent out the twelve on their first missionary journey:

(MAT. 10:5-6) 5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Not sent to Gentiles. Ouch.

By now I bet you're wondering what are the implications for the Gentiles? The verses above build a terrible case for us Gentiles. Let's not fool ourselves.

CONVENIENCE

Do we Gentiles have no place in the New Covenant? Are we without a Savior? Are we hopelessly and eternally lost?

No!

We are included. We are saved. We are reclaimed.

Didn't I just built up a case that the Gentiles are not included? Yes. But those verses are not the whole Bible. All I've given you so far are one-sided proof-texts. In the Protestant Bible, which is smaller than others, there are 66 books by 40 authors. I bet we can find more on this subject if we actually look.

I bet there are some who are already guessing I am about to rely entirely on Paul. There are some who reject Paul and call him a false Apostle because he says things they don't like ...until he starts saying things they do like. No, I am not at all basing this only on Paul. Not even close. And this very thing, dear reader, is what this post is really about:

Gentiles are reclaimed and we don't need Paul to demonstrate it.

That doesn't mean I will avoid citing Paul, though. I am not ashamed of Paul at all. I accept Paul. The other Apostles accepted Paul. The early church accepted Paul. I see no reason at all to avoid Paul. I think calling Paul a false Apostle is merely an act of convenience rather than a solid position. It's an attempt to eliminate the biggest rival. I won't go along with it.
That said, I am not going to rely on Paul in this post.

Even worse are the "Red Letter Christians"; the ones who only accept the parts of the New Testament that are direct quotes of Jesus (except for the Sheet Vision, the calling of Saul, quotes in Revelation, etc etc). So, we can agree enough with the Apostles to believe they followed and accurately quoted Jesus, but we think they are unreliable about everything else? <sarcasm>Makes perfect sense.</sarcasm>

I couldn't disagree more with a theology that rests on 'if I can't get my way, then I will rip content from the New Testament until it no longer says what I don't like.'

To start building a case, I think we must see how the Gentiles got into this mess in the first place. Understanding the start of the story is necessary if you want to understand the finish.

THREE STRIKES

How did the Gentiles come to this low state to begin with? Cut off from the Living God. Disinherited. Hopeless. Cursed.

I went over this already in "Once and Future King - Part I" and "Once and Future King - Part II". So, I will summarize. This is critical to the whole idea. Please, don't take this lightly.

All mankind rejected God three times: 1) the Garden of Eden, 2) the Great Flood, and 3) the Tower of Babel. Bear in mind there were no "Jews" or "Gentiles" yet. All peoples bear some responsibility for what happened then. At that point, God let us have it our way. We did not want God as our God? So be it. We can have our lesser spirit beings and our wood and stone idols, and our knowledge of good and evil, and everything that comes with it, including disinheritance from God. So, God chose to do what He did several times in the Old Testament: He started again through one person. Immediately after Babel begins the story of Abraham.

Abraham was called for several reasons: 1) to be the progenitor of God's chosen people, Israel, 2) to provide a way for the coming of the Messiah, 3) to initiate the eventual reclamation of the nations, and 4) because of 1-3, to bring blessings to all people.
Yes, reclamation and blessing. Read the commission God gave to Abram:

(GEN. 12:3) I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

All the families. In order for all families to be blessed, all families have to participate. That means the nations would be reclaimed. That means Gentiles.

Think about that. So here God is, separating Abraham so He can create Israel as His called and chosen inheritance in the whole world, because the world rejected Him, but before He even gets through the initial conversation, He is talking about the reclamation of the nations. Undoing that rejection was part of the rejection.
I mean, seriously ... that's amazing!

The Old Covenant had certain terms (laws) that were intended to keep Israel distinct from the Gentiles, and to keep Israel from following the Gentiles down the path toward idolatry and disinheritance. It's not that Gentiles weren't allowed near Israel, but the repeated warning was about the Gentiles' idolatry. Don't do what the Gentiles do and you won't get what the Gentiles got.
...but they did.

Once Messiah comes - more specifically, once Messiah dies - the goal is reached, the reason for Abraham being called out and Israel separated is fulfilled, the wound that happened at Babel is healed, the rejection is undone, and the distinctions made within the law between Israel and Gentile are no longer necessary (GAL. 3:19-24).

Remember those verses above where Jesus' mission was to Israel only? Well, yeah. None of those goals were reached yet. What time was it? The Old Covenant didn't end when He was born, it ended when He died. Of course His ministry before He died was to Israel only. It was the Old Covenant period!
A large part of what He came to do was to personally represent all Israel, as the True Israel, and fulfill Israel's end of the covenant because the Israelites wouldn't do it on their own. They wouldn't keep their end of the bargain, so God kept it for them. He is the law-keeper. He is the Covenant-keeper. Once it was fulfilled, then the Old Covenant could end. Was He supposed to confirm a New Covenant that wasn't even inaugurated yet?

He fulfilled it all. He died. The Old Covenant dissolved. In comes the New Covenant.

...but it wasn't revealed that the Gentiles were part of the plan for several more years. That means the New Covenant was ratified with Israel, precisely as scripture says. And that means Israel continues to have a special place in the New Covenant. The question becomes ... what do you mean by "Israel"? 

ABRAHAM AND ISAAC

Before we finish off, consider the puzzle that is Abraham.

Abraham was not an Israelite. Israel was Abraham's grandson. How can Abraham be a descendant of his own grandson? Yet he was not exactly a Gentile, either. Abraham was a special case. Called out of the nations, but never called a Gentile. He is a special hybrid. Like Noah, Abraham had one foot on either side. No other person can quite be said to have these qualities, not even Isaac.
Have you ever wondered why it is Abraham and then Isaac and then Israel? Why is Isaac in the middle like that?
Isaac has the very special role to play in that he mirrors where the Messiah comes in. He was the beloved son, the son of promise, born miraculously, symbolically sacrificed, through whom the promises and inheritance flowed.   Abraham → Isaac.     Abraham → Messiah.

To put that another way: All mankind → Abraham → Isaac.     Abraham → Messiah → All mankind.

It all fits together. It's all a circle. The end is pictured in the beginning.

Do you see how this is all a loop? The rejection at Babel and the healing at Calvary are connected. All people had a hand in rejecting God at the start, and all people had a hand in rejecting the Messiah at the finish. The finish loses context without the beginning. The finish corrects and heals the beginning. And now you understand why the Messiah is not for Israel only. The healing was not all about Israel alone. All peoples had a hand in causing the problem in the first place, so the solution is also about all peoples.

CONCLUSION

To recap -
It wasn't just the Gentiles who rejected God, it was all peoples. As a result, God called out one man, Abraham, in order to build Israel, His special covenant people. Israel was built specifically in order to bring about the Messiah. The Messiah is the means to heal the rejection that led to the calling of Abraham. It all comes around. If you know the overarching story in the Bible, then you know the Gentiles are going to be reclaimed.

(JON. 12:32) And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.

To think the Messiah came for Israel alone is to completely misunderstand the entire Bible.

People tend to think Jesus Christ came to save them from their personal sins. Sure. He did. But there's a whole lot more to it than just that. He came to save you from a much larger issue. Great and awesome is our God!

All of that was buildup, backstory if you will, a setting of the stage to what I really wanted to get into. In the next post, we are going to see how the reclamation of the Gentiles was predicted in multiple verses throughout the Old Testament and the New. No Paul necessary.

To help you move forward, I suggest these articles:
Common Legalist Arguments - Part VII
E Pluribus Unum
'Born Again' and the Kingdom of God
Gennao: Just What Does It Mean?
Two Trees - Two Covenants

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )

Acts 17:11

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