Luke 12:1-3

This is a day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!!! 

We are in the beginning of the impeachment trials. The videos are chilling.

The truth exposes the darkness of lies and deceit. God has this!

Luke 12:1.2.3.

12 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

Leaven here represents the presence of corruption. Unleavened bread is what the Jews ate at Passover. The corruption in view here is hypocrisy. Practicing hypocrisy is senseless because eventually all deeds—both good and evil—will be exposed. All secrets will be revealed by God.

NKJ Bible.

The Greek word used here refers to fermented dough that was mixed in with new dough and used as a rising agent. The small amount used in baking would permeate the entire batch of new dough. Leaven serves as an apt metaphor to describe the widespread effects of the Pharisees’ hypocritical teachings and actions. Jesus seems to be referring to the Pharisees’ hidden sins, which will be exposed at the final judgment. Faithlife Bible.

Matthew 10:26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

Matthew 23:28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Mark 4:22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.

Mark 8:15 Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

John 20:11-18

Jesus never devalued people. He sees all of His children for who they are…not by gender. Jesus had compassion for the marginalized of His culture. He cares the same for them today!

His sheep know His voice.

John 20:11-18

11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”

18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

Angels in Scripture typically wear white, which symbolizes holiness. Mary might not have recognized Jesus because His resurrected form was somehow different from His previous physical form. It also might have been too dark to see clearly. She recognizes Jesus for who He is and acknowledges His role as the one who taught her. Faithlife Bible.

When Christ uttered her name, Mary recognized His voice. Mary addressed Christ as Rabboni, an Aramaic term which John translates for his Greek readers. Mary had grabbed Christ and was holding on to Him as if she would never turn Him loose. Christ explained to her that He could not stay because He had to ascend to His Father. My brethren referred to the disciples. Jesus sent Mary to them with the first post resurrection testimony. God is the Father of Christ and of believers. Christ’s appearance was miraculous, because the doors were shut. Jesus, as God, could perform a variety of miracles without requiring a change in His humanity. Here Christ’s body was a physical body, the same body in which He died and was buried. The difference is that His flesh had been changed to take on immortality and incorruptibility. NKJ Bible,

Mark 16:9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

Mark 16:10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.

Isaiah 6:9-13

Be as wise as the serpent but as gentle as the dove!

Jesus, the seed, Christ within the hope of glory!

Isaiah 6:9-13

9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;

Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

10 “Make the heart of this people dull,

And their ears heavy,

And shut their eyes;

Lest they see with their eyes,

And hear with their ears,

And understand with their heart,

And return and be healed.”

11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?”

And He answered:

“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant,

The houses are without a man,

The land is utterly desolate,

12 The Lord has removed men far away,

And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.

13 But yet a tenth will be in it,

And will return and be for consuming,

As a terebinth tree or as an oak,

Whose stump remains when it is cut down.

So the holy seed shall be its stump.”

God orders Isaiah to make sure the people do not repent and thus avoid judgment. The prophet is essentially being asked to allow the people to continue along the same path of disobedience they have been on. Acceptance of God’s message and true repentance only comes if God wills it. The passage is quoted numerous times in the nt to support the general lack of a positive response among the Jewish people to Jesus as the Messiah. 

Isaiah is dismayed at the message and wonders when it will end. Essentially, judgment is now. God must follow through on the punishment that they deserve. Destruction and exile are the instruments of God’s judgment. A hint that a small group of people will survive. From that remnant, God will rebuild His people. But they will still experience and suffer through the judgment. A foreshadowing of the messianic promise. The messiah will come from the remnant of Israel and fulfill Israel’s obligation to the covenant in a way that they never could. Faithlife Bible.

Paradoxically, Isaiah’s preaching to the religious and arrogant people who keep on hearing was destined to make … their ears heavy. Only the humble would understand the Lord’s message. The more the prophet would proclaim the word of God, the less response he would get from the people. This was a call to a very discouraging ministry. In truth, the call of God is for faithfulness to Him, to His word, and to the call itself. Understandably, Isaiah’s third expression to the Lord was one of incredulity. He wondered how long the people would continue to be unresponsive to his words of truth from God. These words describe the coming judgment of God on Judah that would lead to the nation’s captivity under the Babylonians. After the coming Babylonian invasion, the part of the land and the people who remained would be scorched again. This describes the return from the Exile and the subsequent troubles of Judah in the land. A tenth is one of Isaiah’s expressions for the “remnant”; it is only a small percentage of the Israelites. From Israel’s blasted stump, God would produce a holy seed, for He cannot deny the nation He has chosen. An immediate fulfillment of this prophecy occurred in Isaiah’s time: King Hezekiah repented and showed himself to be part of the holy seed. Ultimately, the holy seed would issue in the Beautiful Branch. This is the promise of the Savior Jesus. NKJ Bible.

God sends Isaiah to foretell the ruin of his people. Many hear the sound of God’s word, but do not feel the power of it. God sometimes, in righteous judgment, gives men up to blindness of mind, because they will not receive the truth in the love of it. But no humble inquirer after Christ, need to fear this awful doom, which is a spiritual judgment on those who will still hold fast their sins. Let every one pray for the enlightening of the Holy Spirit, that he may perceive how precious are the Divine mercies, by which alone we are secured against this dreadful danger. Yet the Lord would preserve a remnant, like the tenth, holy to him. And blessed be God, he still preserves his church; however professors or visible churches may be lopped off as unfruitful, the holy seed will shoot forth, from whom all the numerous branches of righteousness shall arise.  Matthew Henry Commentary

Matthew 13:14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive;

Mark 4:12 so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.’ ”

Luke 8:10  And He said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’

John 12:40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.”

Acts 28:26  saying, ‘Go to this people and say: “Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you will see, and not perceive;

Matthew 19:16-19

Love fulfills all of the commandments!

Out of the agape love of God men are saved. Through His only begotten Son, Jesus, the Father offers forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. Through the power of Holy Spirit, who raised Jesus from the dead, we are enabled  to change precept by precept in to the ultimate goal the  image of the firstborn Son.

Matthew 19:16-19

16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, “ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

The  life in the kingdom of the Messiah, starts now but extends forever. Jesus responds with a representative sampling of the 10 commandments, to which he adds the command about loving one’s neighbor. Faithlife Bible.

Why do you call Me good may be rephrased as “Why are you asking me concerning what is good?” The only One who can ultimately answer the question about goodness is God. The fact that Jesus went on to answer the question is a quiet claim to deity. NKJ Bible.

 

Luke 12:1.2.3.

Judge by truth not by pompous words spoken to deceive you. 2020 and its aftermath have shown us how lies results in violence and chaos.

Romans 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

Luke 12:1.2.3.

12 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

The Greek word used here refers to fermented dough that was mixed in with new dough and used as a rising agent. The small amount used in baking would permeate the entire batch of new dough. Leaven serves as an apt metaphor to describe the widespread effects of the Pharisees’ hypocritical teachings and actions. Jesus seems to be referring to the Pharisees’ hidden sins, which will be exposed at the final judgment. Faithlife Bible.

Leaven here represents the presence of corruption. Unleavened bread is what the Jews ate at Passover. The corruption in view here is hypocrisy. Practicing hypocrisy is senseless because eventually all deeds—both good and evil—will be exposed. All secrets will be revealed by God. The inner room was a storeroom which was surrounded by other rooms; it was the most private part of a house. NKJ Bible.

“Tis no use concealing anything, for all will one day come out. Give free and fearless utterance then to all the truth.”

Matthew 10:26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

Matthew 23:28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Mark 4:22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.

Mark 8:15 Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

Living righteous in an unrighteous world

Showing the righteousness of Christ in todays’ world.

Romans…

In the Church 12:1-8

12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

In society 12:9-21

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

If he is thirsty, give him a drink;

For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Toward government 13:1–14

13 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Toward other believers 14:1–15:13

14 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written:

“As I live, says the Lord,

Every knee shall bow to Me,

And every tongue shall confess to God.”

12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. 22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

15 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Glorify God Together

7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written:

“For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles,

And sing to Your name.”

10 And again he says:

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”

11 And again:

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles!

Laud Him, all you peoples!”

12 And again, Isaiah says:

“There shall be a root of Jesse;

And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles,

In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Based on God’s mercy, Paul entreats believers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, meaning they should use their bodies to serve and obey God. Such giving of the body to God is more than a contrast with a dead animal sacrifice, it is “newness of life”. Holy means set apart for the Lord’s use; acceptable means pleasing to Him; and reasonable indicates that such a gift is the only rational reaction to all the good gifts God has showered on us. Instead of being molded by the values of this world, the believer should be transformed, that is, changed by the renewing of the mind. Spiritual transformation starts in the mind and heart. A mind dedicated to the world and its concerns will produce a life tossed back and forth by the currents of culture. But a mind dedicated to God’s truth will produce a life that can stand the test of time. We can resist the temptations of our culture by meditating on God’s truth and letting the Holy Spirit guide and shape our thoughts and behaviors. A renewed mind begins with thinking soberly about oneself. The first step in changing behavior is self-observation. God has given everyone one or more gifts that can be used in His service. A measure of faith refers to God’s sovereignly given gifts. These gifts are not the result of intense prayer or spirituality. Instead, God simply gives everyone certain gifts so each person can strengthen the church.

As the human body is a unity with many members, each having its own function, so is the body of Christ. The church is a unified body under the headship of Christ, but the members have different functions. The Greek word (charismata) refers to God-given abilities that should be used to build up other members in the church. Although they are “irrevocable” and, thus do not change, they are to be pursued and developed. In its narrower sense, prophecy means the revealing of God’s will in a particular situation. Ministry means “service” and is in contrast to the speaking gifts. The Scriptures list five speaking gifts: prophecy, teaching, encouragement, the word of wisdom, and the word of knowledge. In addition, seven serving gifts are named: helps, mercy, faith, discernment of spirits, leadership, managing, and giving.

(1) The highest form of love is agape. This is a self-sacrificial love. It involves an act of the will whereby one seeks the best for another. The Greek word philos means “affectionate regard,” and the derived form philadelphia is translated brotherly love in this verse. (3) Philostorgos means “family affection” and is translated kindly affectionate in this verse. The greatest proof of the truth of the gospel message and of the reality of Jesus’ love is the love believers show to each other. Christ is the model for such self-sacrificial love. Christians should not offer their service half-heartedly or in a lazy manner. Instead, Paul encourages the Romans to serve eagerly and in earnest. Hospitality means “love of strangers.” The primary reference is to housing travelers, though all forms of hospitality are included. The progression in this verse is significant. As we dedicate ourselves to meeting the needs of our fellow believers, we will have opportunities to serve strangers and thus witness to them about the love of Christ. Because believers are a body, when one part hurts, everyone feels the pain; when one is joyful, everyone can rejoice. Christians cannot be indifferent to the suffering or joy of their fellow believers. The word good in this verse means “morally good,” “noble,” or “praiseworthy.” This is the positive side of the negative command not to return evil for evil. A Christian should not concentrate on the evil in others, but instead should focus on what is good. By doing so, we encourage others around us to aspire to the good.

The believer’s aim should be to live peaceably. Believers are not to seek personal revenge, but rather to let God punish. Freed from vengeance, believers can give themselves to mercy, even toward their enemies. By acts of kindness, the believers will heap coals of fire on the head of their enemies, perhaps bringing shame and repentance to them. It is possible for an enemy to become a friend. This is the phenomenal power of God’s love that believers are connected to through Christ.

God, the supreme Sovereign, has ordained that there should be governing authorities. Every believer is to be subject to these various authorities, even if these authorities are as evil as Nero (a.d. 54–68), the emperor of Rome who cruelly persecuted Christians. When Paul wrote this letter, Nero was in power. Yet Paul exhorted the Roman believers to submit to Nero’s authority, because that authority was ordained by God Himself. Judgment does not necessarily include eternal punishment. God may judge people through the human authorities He appoints. Believers must obey government not only because it is their civic duty, but because it is their spiritual duty before God. In the present context, owe no one anything primarily means respect and honor. No doubt money is also included, but this passage does not prohibit borrowing. Love is a debt that is never paid in full. To love ourselves is a recognition that we do love ourselves, and commands us to love others just as genuinely and sincerely as we love ourselves.  Love excludes murder, adultery, stealing, and lying. Therefore when we love, we automatically fulfill the prohibitions of the law.  Salvation here refers to the future, when believers will be saved from the presence of sin. Thus salvation here speaks of the imminent return of Christ. Night is the present age during which we live in Satan’s domain. Day is the beginning of a new life with Christ in His glorious reign. At hand means “is imminent”; the Lord could return at any moment. 

Note that Paul puts strife and envy on the same level as drunkenness and lust.

Believers should clothe themselves with Christlike characteristics such as truth and righteousness.

Those who were weak in the faith did have faith; they had trusted in Christ. Some of the Roman believers might not have accepted the apostle’s teaching concerning certain practices, such as accepting that all food was clean if received with thanksgiving. Instead, they ate only vegetables. The strong in the faith are told to receive the weak and not to dispute over doubtful things, which literally means “reasonings” or “opinions.” The mature believers were not to pass judgment or to enter into dispute with those who were less mature. The strong are not to despise the weak, that is, to treat them with contempt. The weak are not to judge the strong by attempting to place excessive prohibitions on them. This verse probably relates to the many holy days of the OT ceremonial law. fully convinced: The exhortation does not mean it is wrong to have strong convictions, but that all people have a right to their own convictions. This principle is basic in dealing with disputes. Days and diets are not the issue, but whether what is being done is committed to the Lord.

Believers belong to the Lord. They live and die in relation to Him. Therefore Christians should aim to please Him. The weak are not to judge, and the strong are not to show contempt, the same word that is rendered “despise”. All believers are accountable to their Master, Jesus Christ, for they will appear before Him. At the judgment seat of Christ, every believer’s life will be evaluated to determine his or her reward. One day everyone will submit to God’s authority. He will judge all people before His great throne. Unclean means “common” and refers to things prohibited by the Jewish ceremonial law. If anyone considers some activity to be unlawful, then it is wrong for that person to engage in that activity. Paul here builds on the principle of conviction with the principle of consideration for the brother who is weak. This is a step in maturity. If eating meat destroys a weak believer, then the strong believer should not eat it.

Christ is the ultimate model for the strong believer. He renounced self-gratification so that He could clearly represent God and His cause. Through patience (endurance) and the comfort (or encouragement) of Scripture, believers learn that they have hope. In this case, if strong believers are patient with the scruples of the weak, they have hope of being rewarded. Attributing to God the same virtues just ascribed to the Scriptures, Paul prays for the unity of all believers. Thus the command to receive one another is addressed not just to the strong believers, but to all believers. 

Jesus Christ became a servant to the Jews for two purposes: (1) to confirm God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and (2) to demonstrate God’s mercy to the Gentiles so that they might glorify Him. Paul cites four passages from the OT to prove that God intended the Gentiles as well as the Jews to glorify Him. Paul quotes from all three divisions of the OT (the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms or Writings), and from three great Jewish leaders (Moses, David, and Isaiah), to demonstrate that God’s purpose was always to bless the Gentiles through Israel. Although the nation of Israel has been set aside for the present, both Jews and Gentiles are being brought together in the church. Jesse was the father of David, and the Son of David was the promised Messiah. NKJ Bible.

Titus and the Grace of God

Grace…amazing grace!

We love others because He first loved us.

Titus

Although Titus contains only 46 verses, it covers a wide range of topics. It contains one of the clearest statements about God’s grace in all of the New Testament. It explicates the significance of Christ’s first. The book contributes to our understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation and the Christian life.

2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

3:3-7 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Christ’s appearance on earth—including His life, death, and resurrection—manifested God’s grace and made possible salvation. The foundation of Christian hope is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. By anticipating His return, the believers in Crete acknowledge that He lives and has victory over death. In setting themselves apart for God, they reveal for unbelievers a glimpse of life in God’s kingdom—life in the age to come. Paul reminds the believers in Crete of the price and purpose of God’s redemption. The Greek word used here, lytroō, means “to release” or “set free,” especially from slavery. Good deeds are not a means to salvation; rather, they are the appropriate response to God’s redemptive work in Christ. 

Paul and the believers of Crete were once like these unbelievers. Those now saved must not forget the means of their salvation: the mercy of God. God appeared to rescue humanity from its dire situation. The progression of sin in this verse begins with foolishness and disobedience and culminates in a breakdown of relationships. It mirrors Paul’s description of the progression of godliness, which begins with sound doctrine and culminates in good works. In both cases, one leads to the other. God’s kindness and love appeared in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. In His saving work, Christ models the kindness and love that believers must show all people. The transformation of the corrupt human nature is by the Holy Spirit. Jesus described salvation in similar terms, emphasizing God’s radical work within a person. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, believers experience a rebirth from a state of spiritual death. The presence of the Spirit enables them to live in a manner that pleases God. The washing here denotes an inner, spiritual cleansing. 

We are declared righteous  in God’s sight—not by human merit, but by His grace. Justification represents God’s pardoning and acceptance of sinners who express faith in Jesus Christ (and God’s faithfulness shown through Him). Christ’s death and resurrection are central to justification because they demonstrate God’s justice and mercy. God did not ignore sin and forsake His justice; rather, He condemned sin and satisfied the demands of His justice through the death of Christ. Likewise, God did not ignore the sinner and abandon His mercy; instead, He granted sinners righteousness and life through the resurrection of Christ—both of which the law could not provide. After being justified by Christ, believers do good works as evidence of their salvation. Believers inherit eternal life. Believers become part of God’s family and receive the blessings promised to His children. 

Faithlife Bible.

Twice in this context Paul speaks of Christ’s appearance in history. The first time Christ came in grace to save men from their sins; the second time He will come in glory to reign. The appearance of the grace of God is to produce two results in the lives of believers: First, we are to resist the evil temptations of this world, living godly lives in this present age. Second, we are to look for Christ’s return. Paul reminded Timothy that there is a special crown awaiting “all who have loved His appearing.” Great God and Savior Jesus Christ is one of the strongest statements of the deity of Christ in the NT. Redeem means “to purchase.” With His death on the Cross, Christ paid the price to release us from the bondage of sin to which every unbeliever is a slave. God’s purpose in redeeming us is not only to save us from hell; He also wants to free us from sin so that we can produce good works that glorify Him. 

Paul provides another motive for good works by explaining the rationale for the Christian life. The believers were supposed to treat others the way God in His grace had treated them when they were involved in the ungodly activities noted in this verse. Since Paul has been exhorting Titus to emphasize good works in his ministry with the Cretans, he wants to make it clear that such works have no value in saving a person. Rather, it is solely on the basis of God’s mercy that we are delivered from the penalty of our sin. Regeneration refers to the work of the Holy Spirit, who in a moment makes a person new by the cleansing of regeneration (the new birth). This new nature is the ground for living the Christian life and performing good deeds. The continual process of Christian living is enabled by the Holy Spirit, resulting in growth in character and good works. God justifies believers so that they might become coheirs with Jesus Christ in His coming reign.

NKJ BIble.

Matthew Henry Connebtary

Spiritual privileges do not make void or weaken, but confirm civil duties. Mere good words and good meanings are not enough without good works. They were not to be quarrelsome, but to show meekness on all occasions, not toward friends only, but to all men, though with wisdom, Jas 3:13. And let this text teach us how wrong it is for a Christian to be churlish to the worst, weakest, and most abject. The servants of sin have many masters, their lusts hurry them different ways; pride commands one thing, covetousness another. Thus they are hateful, deserving to be hated. It is the misery of sinners, that they hate one another; and it is the duty and happiness of saints to love one another. And we are delivered out of our miserable condition, only by the mercy and free grace of God, the merit and sufferings of Christ, and the working of his Spirit. God the Father is God our Saviour. He is the fountain from which the Holy Spirit flows, to teach, regenerate, and save his fallen creatures; and this blessing comes to mankind through Christ. The spring and rise of it, is the kindness and love of God to man. Love and grace have, through the Spirit, great power to change and turn the heart to God. Works must be in the saved, but are not among the causes of their salvation. A new principle of grace and holiness is wrought, which sways, and governs, and makes the man a new creature. Most pretend they would have heaven at last, yet they care not for holiness now; they would have the end without the beginning. Here is the outward sign and seal thereof in baptism, called therefore the washing of regeneration. The work is inward and spiritual; this is outwardly signified and sealed in this ordinance. Slight not this outward sign and seal; yet rest not in the outward washing, but look to the answer of a good conscience, without which the outward washing will avail nothing. The worker therein is the Spirit of God; it is the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Through him we mortify sin, perform duty, walk in God’s ways; all the working of the Divine life in us, and the fruits of righteousness without, are through this blessed and holy Spirit. The Spirit and his saving gifts and graces, come through Christ, as a Saviour, whose undertaking and work are to bring to grace and glory. Justification, in the gospel sense, is the free forgiveness of a sinner; accepting him as righteous through the righteousness of Christ received by faith. God, in justifying a sinner in the way of the gospel, is gracious to him, yet just to himself and his law. As forgiveness is through a perfect righteousness, and satisfaction is made to justice by Christ, it cannot be merited by the sinner himself. Eternal life is set before us in the promise; the Spirit works faith in us, and hope of that life; faith and hope bring it near, and fill with joy in expectation of it. 

Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

Ephesians 2:9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

1 Timothy 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Acts 8:34-37

Spread the Good News!! Whomsoever believes in   Jesus will not perish but will have everlasting life.

God so loves the world!

Acts 8:34-37

34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”

37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”

And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

Philip used the fourth Suffering Servant song to explain the gospel of Jesus’ sacrificial death, victorious resurrection, and the significance of Jesus’ actions for all people.  In answer to the eunuch’s question, Philip would have explained that the prophet is speaking about an individual suffering servant, who takes on the sin of all of humanity. He would have then connected the suffering servant prophecy to Jesus. Not long after this passage in Isaiah is the proclamation that eunuchs will be able to join God’s people. Isaiah reverses Deuteronomy 23:1, which excludes eunuchs from gathering with the assembly of Israel. Philip may have also made this connection. After Philip’s message, the necessary element (water) is presented for the eunuch to demonstrate his allegiance to Christ. Faithlife Bible.

The Spirit of God  is  given  to make study effective.

First-century Jews did not speak much about a suffering Messiah. The Jewish people, facing the yoke of Roman rule, believed that the Messiah would come as the Lion of Judah, a delivering King, not a weak lamb. They believed and taught that the suffering One spoken of by Isaiah was the suffering nation of Israel. Most likely this eunuch had heard the “official” teaching of this passage in Jerusalem but still had some questions. Philip showed him that the suffering One was Jesus. He had to suffer on the Cross for the sins of all of humanity. Having heard the message of Christ’s sacrifice for sin, the eunuch responded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Irenaeus, an early church father who lived between a.d. 130 and 202, wrote that the eunuch returned to Ethiopia and became a missionary to his own people. NKJ Bible.

The Ethiopian was convinced by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, of the exact fulfilment of the Scripture, was made to understand the nature of the Messiah’s kingdom and salvation, and desired to be numbered among the disciples of Christ. Those who seek the truth, and employ their time in searching the Scriptures, will be sure to reap advantages. The avowal of the Ethiopian must be understood as expressing simple reliance on Christ for salvation, and unreserved devotion to Him. Let us not be satisfied till we get faith, as the Ethiopian did, by diligent study of the Holy Scriptures, and the teaching of the Spirit of God; let us not be satisfied till we get it fixed as a principle in our hearts. Matthew Henry.

Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Jesus curses the corruption of His people

Jesus came to proclaim the truth of God to all of His creation. 

God will not stand injustice to the poor nor the commercialization of the free gift that He gives to all who accept  Jesus.

Matthew 21:10-19

10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,

‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have perfected praise’?”

17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

This procession symbolizes Jesus’ messiahship. In Jesus’ day, dignitaries would go on procession through a city in an act of triumph or celebration. Processions generally were reserved for religious festivals or kings returning from battle. Kings occasionally went on procession through cities after conquering them. City officials would welcome the dignitary outside the gates, and the group would parade victoriously to the city’s temple. The people would offer a sacrifice to honor the dignitary and acclaim his gods, and a feast would be held.

In keeping with custom, Jesus’ procession ends at the temple. He disrupts the merchants in righteous anger, replacing their commercial activity with healings. The crowds hail Him as the messianic Son of David, which angers the religious leaders.

Merchants were selling animals for sacrifices, and money changers converted the foreign currency of pilgrims into the temple’s official currency. Jesus’ reaction may have been prompted, in part, by injustice done to the poor. Jesus’ rebuke suggests that He is condemning corruption of the temple. This judgment might be aimed at commercial activity within the temple courts, or it might signal that oppressive (or unjust) practices were involved.

The religious leaders are disturbed not only because the people hail Jesus as the Son of David, but also because He does not disavow this messianic title. Jesus appears to confirm that the crowd’s messianic praises are appropriate. When Jesus reenters Jerusalem the next morning, He pronounces a curse on a barren fig tree as a symbolic act of judgment against the city and its leaders. In rejecting the Messiah, Jerusalem is failing to fulfill its purpose—just like the fig tree. The fig tree is a common ot metaphor for Israel, and fruitless fig trees represented judgment. Faithlife Bible,

Financial corruption ran rampant in the outer courts of the temple. Some of the gains that were realized from this profiteering probably went to the family of the high priest. The money changers exchanged coins with pagan symbols on them for acceptable coins to be used in the temple. They charged a premium for this “service.” Those who sold doves sold them at top prices. The temple had become a garrison for bandits. Jeremiah 7:9, 10 says that the Jewish people, after committing all sorts of sins, would plead deliverance from the consequences of those sins based simply on the fact that they came to the temple. Thus in Jeremiah’s day, it became a den for robbers—just as it was in Jesus’ day.The idea here is that Jesus abandoned the chief priests and scribes, the temple, and the city of Jerusalem. Instead of welcoming their Messiah, the religious authorities had rejected and opposed Him. Jesus desired to eat of the fruit of the fig tree one more time before He died, but could not. Fig trees do not bear their fruit in the spring, during Passover, but in the fall of the year. However, fig trees do have a small, edible fruit that appears in the spring before the sprouting of the leaves. This tree was full of leaves, but had no fruit. It looked full of promise, but was empty—just like the city of Jerusalem and its beautiful temple. This miracle—the only recorded miracle of Jesus that involved judgment—illustrates God’s judgment on the Israelites, who professed adherence to God but produced no fruit or spiritual reality. NKJ Bible

Mark 11:12-18

Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”

15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.

Jesus quotes Jeremiah 7:11, part of an indictment of the people of Judah for injustices they committed against God and neighbor. Faithlife Bible

Jesus quoted from the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah to make His point about the despicable conduct of those who bought and sold in the temple. The den of thieves refers to the practice of cheating people, both Israelites and those of other nations, either through a crooked exchange of money or by selling inferior products. NKJ Bible

Luke 19:45-48

45 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

47 And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, 48 and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

Several factors likely contributed to the religious leaders’ desire to kill Jesus: They viewed Him as a messianic pretender and a blasphemer, they lost control of the masses due to His popularity, and they feared that civil unrest during the Passover festival would lead to violent reprisals from Rome.  NKJ Bible