Last week we had looked at verses 23 and 24, but they are only part of the sentence. Today we are going to focus on the next verse (25) and examine what it means for us today just as it did during the time the Book of Hebrews was written. Looking briefly at verses 23 and 24, we see that believers in Jesus Christ should hold on tight to the object of their faith, Jesus Christ. Why? Because He is faithful toward believers. Yes, He is faithful toward believers – He reaches out to the lost, those that have not trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation and He shows them great mercy – but they are not under Jesus Christ’s grace. Jesus Christ always keeps His promises and He will save those that have truly come to Him – holding nothing back in repentance – and will save them to the uttermost.

People must turn to Him and trust in Him and repent of their sins – looking to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the payment for their sins.

D.L. Moody wrote: Professor Drummond once described a man going into one of our after meetings and saying he wanted to become a Christian.

“Well, my friend, what is the trouble?” He doesn’t like to tell. He is greatly agitated. Finally he says, “The fact is, I have overdrawn my account” — a polite way of saying he has been stealing.

“Did you take your employer’s money?” “Yes.” “How much?” “I don’t know. I have never kept account of it.” “Well, you have an idea you stole $1,500 last year?” “I am afraid it is that much.”

“Now, look here, sir, I don’t believe in sudden work; don’t steal more that a thousand dollars this next year, and the next year not more that five hundred, and in the course of the next few years you will get so that you won’t steal any. If your employer catches you, tell him you are being converted; and you will get so that you won’t steal any by and by.”

My friends, the thing is a perfect farce! “Let him that stole, steal no more,” that is what the Bible says. It is right about face. Take another illustration. Here comes a man, and he admits that he gets drunk every week. That man comes to a meeting, and wants to be converted. Shall I say, “Don’t you be in a hurry. I believe in doing the work gradually. Don’t you get drunk and knock your wife down more than once a month?” Wouldn’t it be refreshing to his wife to go a whole month without being knocked down? Once a month, only twelve times in a year! Wouldn’t she be glad to have him converted in this new way! Only get drunk after a few years on the anniversary of your wedding, and at Christmas, and then it will be effective because it is gradual!

Oh! I detest all that kind of teaching. Let us go to the Bible and see what that old Book teaches. Let us believe it, and go and act as if we believed it, too. Salvation is instantaneous. I admit that a man may be converted so that he cannot tell when he crossed the line between death and life, but I also believe a man may be a thief one moment and a saint the next. I believe a man may be as vile as hell itself one moment, and be saved the next. Christian growth is gradual, just as physical growth is; but a man passes from death unto everlasting life quick as an act of the will — “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.”

Think this phrase in your head: “God does not care if I sin a little.” That does not sound right, does it? What did Jesus Christ tell the woman caught in adultery? “Go and sin just a little.”? No! He said, “Go, and sin no more.”

Hebrews 10:23, 24 are blessings to the believer and encouragement to the believer. Because believers can trust in Jesus Christ — because He is faithful – then we should exhort one another in love and encourage good works to be done by each other. Note again, the good works mentioned in verse 24 comes AFTER the faith in Jesus Christ. Good works are the product of faith.

Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (24) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

How can verses 23 and 24 happen if believers are not gathering together in order to exhort one another? And what better place to come together than at church where believers should praise God and worship God and read from His Word and hear His Word preached?

Romans 10:13-17 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (14) How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (16) But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? (17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We all need to hear the Word of God preached! Thus, we all need to come together and worship God together and hear His Word preached together! I imagine that all of us have been to some sort of sporting event in our lifetime. As you watch the game you get caught up in the action and the players will feel the energy coming from the crowd and it is something everybody is doing together. The crowd cheers and boos and does the wave and applauds and so forth. But can you imagine what the game would be like if there were nobody in the stands. Can you imagine the Carrier Dome being empty except for the two teams playing basketball? How much different an event that becomes. We need to be here and the more there are that are of a Godly mindset, the better. Hebrews 10:25 is for the believer and about the believer. Now the lost person needs to come to church too, because they need to hear the Word of God rightly divided, but this verse is for the believer, encouraging them to praise God and edify each other.

Believers need to spend time together and lost people should be among them to see the difference Jesus Christ makes in their lives. Is going to a football game the same as watching it on TV alone? Is going to a NASCAR race the same as watching it on TV alone? No, to both of those. We need to gather together as part of the body of Jesus Christ to help each other and to encourage each other and , yes, sometimes rebuke each other.

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Sunday mornings are special times because that is when we gather together here at God’s house. We should look forward to being together and look forward to spend time together with God. Can a person be a Christian without joining the church? Yes, but it is like a soldier without an army; a student who will not attend school, a salesman without a customer, a sailor without a ship, a bee without a hive, an author without a reader, or a baseball player without a team. These situations might exist, but they would not be very satisfactory. And a lost person should come to church as well – how else are they going to get to know God if they do not spend time with His people? For example, none of you have met Dr. Crowley, but each of you know at least a little something about him. Why? Because I have talked about him. We have him and his wife on our prayer list. I have quoted him. The same is true for a lost person and God. The lost person does not personally know God, but they can know more about Him by hearing about Him through His people. Statistically, being in church is one of the safest places to be.

1. Do not ride in an automobile (or get in the way of one), as automobiles cause 20 percent of all fatal accidents.

2. Do not stay at home; that’s where 17 percent of all accidents occur. 

3. Do not walk across the street; pedestrians are victims of 14 percent of all accidents.

4. Do not travel by air, rail or water; 16 percent of all accidents are the result of these activities.

5. Only .001 percent of all fatal accidents occur at church and almost none of these during worship and Sunday School.

Obviously, the safest place to be is in worship and Bible Study with your family and fellow Christians.

God wants His people to gather together to worship Him and hear His Word. Jeremiah 7:2 Stand in the gate of the LORD’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD. Psalm 5:7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. Believers should need to come to God’s house to sing songs of praise and hear His Word preached. The result is Psalm 138:3. Psalm 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Note the last phrase: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. What does this mean? What day is approaching? Again, this book was written to believers in Jesus Christ who were also Hebrews. They were meeting daily at the Temple (Acts 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple,). They were at the Temple for the Day of Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Peter and John were going to the Temple when they met and healed the lame man at the gate. But there was coming a day when the Temple was going to be destroyed. Jesus Christ had prophesied that Jerusalem was going to be destroyed. So the writer to the Hebrews was telling these believers to continue to assemble together after the Temple was destroyed. The believers were not to forsake each other in the difficult times. I think those times are coming in America. There may be a day coming when it will be against the law to have churches. At this point, the school board in New York City is moving forward to evict churches from school property, but the New York City Housing Authority has backed off and will continue to allow churches to meet in city-owned community centers. If our meeting place is outlawed, then we will find another meeting place. Why? Because believers are not to forsake the assembling together to worship God and hear His Word.

Continuing our look at Romans chapter 6 we see the importance of death in the life of the Christian. It is only through death that the Christian can truly experience life. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ ensures those that believe on Him to have eternal life. And daily the believer is exhorted to take up their cross and follow Jesus Christ. The only way that anyone can take up their cross is to forsake their own wants and desires for the sake of God and others. Remember the acronym JOY: Jesus, Others, You. When we have the proper order in our lives then we will be following Jesus Christ. When our focus is on ourselves first, then we will have difficulties in being obedient to God and loving and serving others. From an unknown source comes an article titled, “How To Be Miserable.” It says, “Think about yourself. Talk about yourself. Use “I” as often as possible. Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others. Listen greedily to what people say about you. Expect to be appreciated. Be suspicious. Be jealous and envious. Be sensitive to slights. Never forgive a criticism. Trust nobody but yourself. Insist on consideration and respect. Demand agreement with your own views on everything. Sulk if people are not grateful to you for favors shown them. Never forget a service you have rendered. Shirk your duties if you can. Do as little as possible for others.”

Death to our desires is not an easy thing, but it is the mark that every believer should be pressing toward. Remember again the lesson taught by Jesus Christ in Luke 9.

Luke 9:22-26 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. (23) And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (24) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (25) For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? (26) For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.

The order for Jesus Christ was: Rejected, slain, raised and that is the same order for the believer: Rejected, slain, raised. It is going to hurt when we are rejected by family, friends, neighbors, strangers, but remember, Jesus Christ was rejected first and if people are going to reject you, it is because they have rejected Jesus Christ. He said in John 15:

John 15:18-19 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. (19) If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

J. Vernon McGee wrote: Notice what will happen if you are a child of God. The world will hate you. I believe that a Christian’s popularity can be an indication of how he is representing Christ to the world. I do not believe a Christian can be popular in the world. No Christian has any right to be more popular than Jesus was. Beware of a compromising position in order to be popular. The world will not love a real child of God. The world will love you if you are of the world. John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. Charles Spurgeon said this about verse 18: Therefore there is nothing to wonder at when men slander and abuse us; it is their ordinary manner of saluting every vessel which bears our great Captain’s flag.

Yes, the cross of Jesus Christ is rough and it has splinters. The cross is not the smooth fancy things that we see in stores – no, the cross that Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself on was rough wood and when believers take up their cross it is rough on them too. There will be rejection and there will be pain, but, in the end, it will be worth it. And remember, the cross must be taken up daily by the believer. Francis Schaeffer wrote: In Luke 14:27 Jesus says: And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. He is not saying that a man cannot be saved without this, but that you are not Christ disciple, in the sense of following Him, if this is not your way of life: rejected and slain daily! We are in an alien world built upon man’s rebellion against God, and in this life the Christian himself is not yet totally free from elements of this rebellion within himself.

Romans 6:4-7 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (7) For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Please note that the first half of verses 4-6 deal with death for the life of the believer. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him. The only way for anyone to get to the second part of these verses is by going through the first part. There is no skipping ahead. Death must happen in order to have new life. Death must happen in order to be born again. And then after being born again, the believer must take up their cross and follow Jesus Christ. But the believer does not have to take up that cross alone! Jesus Christ will help every believer with their burdens! Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

But in order for Jesus Christ to help us with our burdens, believers must humble themselves before God and ask for His help. I cannot do it alone, I need His help every day. Remember the hymn: I Must Tell Jesus. I must tell Jesus all of my trials; I cannot bear these burdens alone; In my distress He kindly will help me; He ever loves and cares for His own. O how the world to evil allures me! O how my heart is tempted to sin! I must tell Jesus, and He will help me Over the world the victory to win. I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! I cannot bear my burdens alone; I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus! Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.

Remember, Jesus Christ humbled Himself for my sin. Paul wrote: Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. If the Creator of the world was willing to humble Himself in front of His creation, then I, as a believer, should be willing to daily humble myself in order to love and serve my Creator and to love and serve my neighbor. We would not worry so much about what other people thought of us if we knew how seldom they did. The apostle Peter wrote: 1 Peter 5:5 …God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. When we try to avoid being humbled, we are avoiding a means of grace. Andrew Murray said this about humility: Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is for me to have no trouble; never to be fretted or vexed or irritated or sore or disappointed. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace as in a deep sea of calmness when all around is trouble. It is the fruit of the Lord Jesus Christ’s redemptive work on Calvary’s cross, manifested in those of His own who are definitely subject to the Holy Spirit.

In order to truly follow Jesus Christ, believers must be willing to take their crosses daily and follow Jesus Christ. How can we know what God wants us to do? Through His Word and through prayer. Here is an illustration of how to find God’s will that has been useful to many: There was a certain harbor that was treacherous and dangerous. In order for the captain to guide his ship safely into this harbor, he had to be very attentive to the three lights that were used to guide him. When all three lights lined up as one, he knew it was safe to proceed. Then, and only then, would he be able to bring his ship safely to port. As we seek guidance, we, too, have to be attentive to three lights that are used to guide us into the harbor of His will: the Word of God, outward circumstances, and inner conviction. When all three of these lights line up, we can proceed with assurance that we will be led safely into the harbor. The apostle Paul wrote: Ephesians 6:5-8 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; (6) Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; (7) With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: (8) Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. To do the will of God, believers must be willing to set themselves aside in order to please and glorify God first.

A lady had a little gold cross, on the upright part of which the words, “God’s will,” were engraved. On the crossbar were the words, “My will.” At the touch of a spring the cross disappeared and left only a straight beam bearing the words, “God’s will.” Thus, when our will is lost in God’s and we are indeed dead unto sin, it is no longer a cross to follow Christ. We shall no longer complain that we do not get our own selfish way, because we shall not have any. When our will is contrary to God’s will, then we have a cross to bear.

The believer must be rejected and slain before being risen. Listen to this illustration by JM Boice: During WWI, Donald Grey Barnhouse, led the son of a prominent American family to the Lord. He was in the service, but he showed the reality of his conversion by immediately professing Christ before the soldiers of his military company. The war ended. The day came when he was to return to his pre-war life in the wealthy suburb of a large American city. He talked to Barnhouse about life with his family and expressed fear that he might soon slip back into his old habits. He was afraid that love for parents, brothers, sisters, and friends might turn him from following after Jesus Christ. Barnhouse told him that if he was careful to make public confession of his faith in Christ, he would not have to worry. He would not have to give improper friends up. They would give him up.

As a result of this conversation the young man agreed to tell the first ten people of his old set whom he encountered that he had become a Christian. The soldier went home. Almost immediately–in fact, while he was still on the platform of the suburban station at the end of his return trip–he met a girl whom he had known socially. She was delighted to see him and asked how he was doing. He told her, “The greatest thing that could possibly happen to me has happened.” “You’re engaged to be married,” she exclaimed. “No,” he told her. “It’s even better than that. I’ve taken the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior.” The girls’ expression froze. She mumbled a few polite words and went on her way. A short time later the new Christian met a young man whom he had known before going into the service. “It’s good to see you back,” he declared. “We’ll have some great parties now that you’ve returned.” “I’ve just become a Christian,” the soldier said. He was thinking, That’s two! Again it was a case of a frozen smile and a quick change of conversation. After this the same circumstances were repeated with a young couple and with two more old friends. By this time word had got around, and soon some of his friends stopped seeing him. He had become peculiar, religious, and — who knows! — they may even have called him crazy! What had he done? Nothing but confess Christ. The same confession that had aligned him with Christ had separated him from those who did not want Jesus Christ as Savior and who, in fact, did not even want to hear about Him. I am not sure who wrote this:

My precious Lord, for thy dear name – I bear the cross, despise the shame;

Nor do I faint – while thou are near; I lean on thee; how can I fear?

No other name but thine is given – To cheer my soul in earth or heaven;

No other wealth will I require; No other friend can I desire.

Yes, into nothing would I fall – For thee alone, My All in All;

To feel thy love, my only joy; To tell thy love, my sole employ.

Luke 9:22-26 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. (23) And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (24) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

Death is central to the Christian life. Sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? But death is absolutely essential to the life of the believer in Jesus Christ. First, it is because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ that gives everyone the good news of eternal life with Jesus Christ – if people would repent and believe in Him. Second, it is His sacrificial death on the cross that paid the wages of my sin debt. Third, death is an ongoing process for the believer as he or she seeks to mortify their members and die to self in order to better love and serve God and to better love and serve their neighbor. Turn to Luke 9:

Luke 9:22-26 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. (23) And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (24) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (25) For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? (26) For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.

Look at verse 26: Jesus Christ is putting in practical terms what the believer is going to go through every day of his or her earth-bound life. Every day believers are going to be in situations – whether purposely or by accident – that their actions and words will demonstrate whether or not they are ashamed of Jesus Christ and His Words. Believers live in a world that encourages them to “Just Do It” and “Do whatever feels goods,” but those they are probably not the right things for believers to be doing or saying. It is natural for the believer to want to follow their fleshly desires and to say “YES” to themselves, however, God tells believers to deny themselves in order to love and serve and others better. People want to be accepted by others, that is a natural characteristic of people: we want others to like us. But to be a believer in Jesus Christ, there will be times that we have to choose whether we want others to like us or if we want to follow God. In Acts 5:29, Peter and the apostles, after being imprisoned and scolded by the high priest and the chief of the temple, declared: We ought to obey God rather than men.

For the believer to grow and mature in their walk with Jesus Christ, they must be willing to slay their desires and wants when they conflict with God and His Holy Word. Believers must be willing to reject themselves and things in order to better follow Jesus Christ. The question becomes, what are you going to do or say, when a situation arises: are you going to be ashamed of Jesus Christ and His Word or are you going to be willing to say, “Thus saith the Lord!” Look at Luke 9:26 again, if we are going to be ashamed of Jesus Christ and His Word, then Jesus Christ is going to be ashamed of us! That alone should be enough to motivate us to serve and love God. And to serve and love Him in the fashion that He desires, not the way that pleases me. Believers need to be willing to let go of their fears and doubts and trust that Jesus Christ will work things out to His glory.

A drunken man entered his row boat one night to cross the river. He picked up the oars and pulled away-so he thought. He rowed all night but did not reach the destination. When daylight came, he was surprised to find that he was just where he started the night before. He had forgotten to untie his boat. So it is with many of the Lord’s followers. They are tied to their habits, desires, wills, or some cherished idol or idols of the heart. Consequently, their lives are fruitless. Shore-bound Christians never flourish and are of little or no help to others.

Luke 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

That is the order for the believer today as well: rejected, slain, raised. There will be times when people of this world will reject the believer because they are willing to take a stand on God’s Word. Believers will be called unloving and hateful. As believers, do we want to be seen as being ashamed of Jesus Christ and His Word? That may be the easy route, but it will cause Jesus Christ to be ashamed of us and it will be harder to take a stand later on God’s Word, because people will not believe the strength of your convictions. Believers will be rejected by the people around them and that is not easy to bear, but Jesus Christ tells us to take up our cross daily – not weekly or monthly – but daily.

Romans 6:2-3 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (3) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Believers in Jesus Christ are dead to sin from the standpoint that Jesus Christ died for our sins. That does not mean that the believer no longer sins, but fortunately, when the believer is properly walking with the Lord, then they will not sin. If believers just continuously walk with God, then they would not sin, because God is not going to lead anyone to sin! Furthermore, God is willing to help the believer to walk the way they are suppose to walk. Isaiah 42:6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee… Someone once said: “It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do, no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibilities of not doing it.” The cost of obedience is nothing compared with the cost of disobedience. Turn to Galatians 2:20:

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

What does this verse mean for the believer? When Jesus Christ gave up His life on the cross of Calvary not quite two thousand years ago, believers also died with Him. The people that have trusted Jesus Christ for salvation and repented of their sin died with Him on the cross and were resurrected with Him three days later and believers are still connected to Him today. He indwells every believer. What a wonderful blessing that is and something that no other religion claims. Believers have died to sin, but believers still have a sin nature and will have that sin nature for the rest of their lives. But believers are never alone. Unashamed believers will be abandoned by the world, but they are never alone because Jesus Christ lives in every believer as it says in Galatians 2:20. Believers have no power over sin on their own, only through Jesus Christ can anyone have victory over sin. Believers cannot crucify themselves. They cannot be alone and be crucified. A person can die many ways alone – they may take poison or hang themselves or shoot themselves, but they cannot crucify themselves. The believer may be able to nail one hand to the cross, but how will they nail the other? Believers were crucified with Jesus Christ when He died on the cross. Back to Romans 6.

Romans 6:2-3 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (3) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Please realize that as we read through Romans chapter 6, that when the word “baptized” is used, it is not referring strictly to water baptism. Water baptism is important for the believer and it is commanded by God, but this passage is not solely about water. The word “baptize” is a Greek word that the King James Bible translators made into an English word. The word “baptize” essentially means “immersed” – in other words fully covered. So what the apostle Paul is stating in verse 3 is that the believer is immersed with Jesus Christ or identified with Jesus Christ. Believers are identified or baptized into Jesus Christ and His death. Think of it this way: Jesus Christ was sacrificed on the cross of Calvary and every believer was there too. But I was the guilty one – not Jesus Christ. You were the guilty one. My sin and your sin put Jesus Christ on the cross and believers are identified with Him.

In the eyes of God, believers have been identified with Jesus Christ, but what about to the rest of the world. If the believer is unashamed of Jesus Christ and His Word, then people will identify the believer as being a Christian. So do your words match your actions? The renowned artist Paul Gustave Dore (1821-1883) lost his passport while traveling in Europe. When he came to a border crossing, he explained his predicament to one of the guards. Giving his name to the official, Dore hoped he would be recognized and allowed to pass. The guard, however, said that  many people attempted to cross the border by claiming to be  persons they were not. Dore insisted that he was the man he claimed to be. “All right,” said the official, “we’ll give you a test, and if you pass it we’ll allow you to go through.” Handing him a pencil and a sheet of paper, he told the artist to sketch several peasants standing nearby. Dore did it so quickly and skillfully that the guard was convinced he was indeed who he claimed to be. His work confirmed his word! People follow what we do on the stage of life. They look to see if our conduct squares with our profession. Are we drawing the picture of Christ, as it were, or of a different person? What the world wants to see is reality in our actions. It has been said that God has great and wonderful things to display if He finds suitable showcases. Are you a good showcase for Jesus Christ?

If the believer is properly walking with God, then he or she will be identified with Jesus Christ by the world. Two little children, a boy and a girl, who played together a great deal, received Christ and were converted. One day the boy came to his mother and said, “Mother, I know that Emma is a Christian.” “What makes you think so, dear?” “Because she plays like a Christian. If you take everything she’s got, she doesn’t get mad. Before, she was selfish, and if she didn’t have everything her own way she would say, ‘I won’t play with you; you are a mean little boy.’ ” That’s what the world sees, the result of our possessing part of the fullness of God. If we have God, then we must act like Him.

Death is central to the life of the believer in Jesus Christ. To the world, death is a negative idea – why? Because they have no hope in the future. This world has seen amazing technological advancements in the last 100 years – how many kids to day know what an eight track player was? For the believer, death is necessary for their everyday life with God AND because of the death of Jesus Christ, the believer has hope for the future. Just as Jesus Christ was rejected and slain, the believer must go through the same process – there is no skipping ahead to risen. Jesus Christ did not skip over the first two steps: He was rejected and He was slain by the very people He created. The believer must also be rejected and slain. Everyday, the world intrudes into our lives through our interactions with others and the forms of entertainment we have and the things we read and watch and listen to. The believer’s viewpoint should not mirror the world, it should mirror the kingdom of God. The believer should be willing to deny themselves the things that hinder their walk with God.

Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

To mortify means to bring into subjection or slay. It is a negative statement – to the world, to the lost. The world declares that we should grab all the gusto we can! But the Bible tells us to mortify the deeds of the body. The declares we should do and try everything! But God’s Word tells us to mortify the deeds of the body. The world declares that we should do whatever we want and not worry about the consequences! But the Bible tells us to mortify the deeds of the body – why? So the believer may live. If the believer lives after the flesh, they will die. If the believer lives through the Holy Spirit, they shall live. That means that the believer must deny himself or herself and seek first the kingdom of God, not their own pleasure. That means the believer must humble himself or herself and seek to love and serve God first, then seek to love and serve their neighbor second, then love themselves third. Jesus Christ was rejected and slain, two things every believer must go through as well before the third step: risen. Where is your spiritual walk today? I will close with five questions that each of us need to ask ourselves daily:

1. Whom are you trying to please? 2. What insecurities are you pampering? 3. With whom or what are you competing? 4. What rewards are you seeking? 5. What shame are you covering?

Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

What is the true Christian life? Being a Christian is more than just being born again. A person is only physically born once and then that person can only be born again spiritually once. Being born again is just the beginning, after that the believer is to walk in love and obedience toward God and this is an ongoing process. When the believer stops growing spiritually, they will begin to shrink. Just as a muscle in the body shrinks if it is not exercised, so will the believer’s faith and spirituality shrink if it is not exercised. Spirituality is exercised internally and then shows itself externally. Now, we can exhibit spiritual-looking behavior by going to church, witnessing, saying the right things, but if it is not something that we believe internally, then nothing is truly gained. If we do things just because it is our duty, then that is the wrong motivation. How would you feel if a child of your came to visit you and told you that they only came because they felt it is their duty? Duty is the wrong motivation for the believer in Jesus Christ. We should serve Him because we love Him. If that is not your motivation, then you need to get to your knees and ask God for help. The more time you spend with God, the more your love for Him will grow. And the opposite is true: the less time you spend with God, the less will your love for Him be. You will trust Him less and your faith will shrink.

God is a personal God and He wants your relationship with Him to be more than just the new birth. How many of us would really want a son or daughter than only remained a week old infant for their whole lives? God wants to see His children grow and mature.

Hebrews 5:12-14; 6:1,2 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. (13) For every one that useth milk is unskillfull in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, (2) Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

In the Old Testament God gave ten commandments. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ gave two commandments, which summarized the ten commandments.

Matthew 22:36-40 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? (37) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Jesus Christ is stating that these two commandments cover all of God’s commandments. The first one He gave about loving the Lord covers the first four commandments, and the second commandment covers the last six. I do want you to note that the Tenth Commandment given by God, in a sense, covers the previous nine commandments.

Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s.

If we are coveting something that our neighbor has – tangible or intangible – then we are not properly loving our neighbor AND we are not trusting God and His decisions for us. My neighbor may have fame and if I desire his fame, then I am covetous and I am lacking faith in God that He rightly decides for me. Why is it that we trust God for salvation and then refuse to trust Him for anything else? If I declare that I trust God, but then my actions do not show that trust, what am I saying to others? I am stating that I do not believe what I say I believe. If I lack trust in Him, what I am really doing is denying in practice that He has a right, as my God, to use me where He wants in the spiritual battle which exists in the seen and unseen world (Francis Schaeffer). If I am coveting, then I am not showing proper love for my fellow man AND I am disobeying God, so now I have broken both of the commandments by Jesus Christ.

Duty alone is a poor reason for doing anything. It was Robert E. Lee who said, “Duty s the sublimest word in the English language.” But though her name may be sublime, Duty’s demands may be harsh and burdensome. “Must” is an unpleasant word. It sometimes speaks of harsh necessity. Jesus Christ said, “The Son of man must be lifted up” (John 3:14; 12:34). God’s Son must be nailed to the cross. Yet there was no drawing back from the obligation, no shirking the necessity. He must be lifted up because He loved, and love, eager to save poor sinners, made His death necessary. He must die because He loved. His submission to the will of God and His love for men were tangent at the cross. In obedience to the will of the Father and because He loved men and willed to redeem them He must die. He had to die. It was necessary that the Son of Man be lifted up because the Son of Man came into the world to save sinners and He must go to the cross to do the work of salvation. He went to the cross willingly. He was bound to the tree not by the nails which impaled Him upon the beam. The God who hid in the earth the iron from which the nails were forged and made the tree of the cross grow from its seed could not have been held by the nails upon the wood against His will. He was bound there by the cords of His own divine love. He gave His life. No man took it from Him (John 10:17,18) (unknown author).

1Corinthians 10:23-24 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. (24) Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.

When we place other people’s needs and desires ahead of our own, and doing it for the right reason, then we are not being covetous and we are obeying God. To do things for others with the right motivation requires us to humble ourselves because we are setting aside our needs and desires for someone else’s. 1Corinthians 13:3-5 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (4) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, (5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Are we truly loving our neighbor, if we are not willing to help them or love them for the right reason? If my focus is on me and what I want, then I am not loving my neighbor and the end result is that I am not loving God. Your neighbor is more than just the person living next door, your neighbor is also your spouse, your child, and your relatives.

Does this mean all desiring and needing is covetousness? No. So when does desire become covetousness? Desire becomes sin when the love of God or man is excluded. When our motivation becomes wrong for desiring something, then it becomes covetousness. If you are not sure then you can examine yourself this way: First: am I content with what God has given me; Second: do I love my neighbor enough that I do not envy them.

First, in regard to God: I am to love God enough to be contented, because otherwise even our natural and proper desires bring us into revolt against God. God has made us with proper desires, but if there is not a proper contentment on my part, to this extent I am in revolt against God and, of course, revolt is the central problem of sin. When I lack proper contentment, I have forgotten that God is God (Francis Schaeffer). And how can you tell that you are not content? When you are not thankful to God for what He has given you.

Ephesians 5:3-4 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; (4) Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ:

If I am truly contented than I will also be thankful to God. Furthermore, I will not be partaking in anything that is listed in verses 3 and 4.

The second test about when desire becomes coveting toward our fellow man is when we envy what the other has and we hope to see the man fall. We should not take satisfaction in seeing another person fall down and if we do then we are being covetous and not loving our neighbor as we should. That other person may seem to be succeeding, even if they are doing it through wrong methods, but if we truly love them, then we should be praying for their repentance toward God.

Romans 6:3, 4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death

Paul is telling us that as believers, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour, in God’s eyes we have died. Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Colossians 3:5-9 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (6) For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: (7) In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. (8) But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. (9) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are to die daily to ourselves. This happens when we humble ourselves and look to serve and please God and others first. Paul uses the word “mortify” meaning to bring ourselves under the spiritual control of God – not self control, but spiritual control. So we must be willing to say “No” to ourselves in order to better love God and our fellow man. Instead seeking my good first, I should seek other’s good first. Remember again: 1Corinthians 10:23-24 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. (24) Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth. Just because I can do something, does not mean I should do it. Even if it is allowable under God’s Law, if the action may cause my fellow man to stumble, then I should not do it. It means saying, “No” to what we want and, “Yes” to others. We naturally do not want to deny ourselves anything, but we must be willing to say, “No” to ourselves.

Jesus Christ told His disciples: Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. This is the concept of dying daily: deny ourselves in order to follow God. What are we to deny ourselves? Things that are sinful and things that are done in the wrong motivation. For the believer in Jesus Christ, when He died on the cross, the believer died on the cross. Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is important for the believer. If He had not died on the cross, then the believer’s sins have not been paid for. Jesus Christ was the perfect, sinless sacrifice as the Lamb of God to take away the of the world. He had to died to pay the sin debt that everyone has accumulated, but that debt is only paid for those that have trusted in Him. If everyone is going to Heaven, then there was no reason for Jesus Christ to die on the cross. If everyone could get to Heaven whether they follow Jesus Christ or not, then Jesus Christ did not have to die on the cross of Calvary! Jesus Christ points out in several places in the Gospels the fact that He was going to die for the sins of others. Go to Isaiah 53. Look at the words used: stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: he was afflicted; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,

Jesus Christ’s death, His sacrifice, on the cross is absolutely necessary for the salvation of all that come to Him. Because of His death, believers are no longer under the penalty of sin and believers can live lives that honor and please God because they love Him. His death was unlike no other death because it was a substitutionary death. He died for others so that they may live. Jesus Christ died once for all.

Luke 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

Jesus Christ showed a chronological order here in Luke 9:22 for His upcoming death: rejected, slain, raised. Then we see this same order presented for the believer in Jesus Christ: rejected, slain, raised. Luke 9:23, 24 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (24) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. The believer in Jesus Christ should look to follow this order in their lives everyday. It is a matter of again seeking to love and serve God and others before ourselves. Luke 9:25-26 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? (26) For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. As Christ’s rejection and death are the first steps in the order of redemption, so our rejection and death to things and self are the first steps in the order of true and growing spirituality (Francis Schaeffer).

Trust Him when dark doubts assail thee, Trust Him when thy strength is small,

Trust Him when to simply trust Him Seems the hardest thing of all. Trust Him, He is ever faithful,

Trust Him, for his will is best,

Trust Him, for the heart of Jesus

Is the only place of rest.

The Book of Proverbs is an exhortation to the believer in Jesus Christ that is as true today as it was thousands of years ago when it was written and compiled. The book is a wonderful source for daily obedient living for the believer toward Jesus Christ. Here in Chapter two we are told to seek after wisdom and understanding and then use them every day of our lives. We are to seek God’s wisdom, however, not man’s wisdom. Man’s wisdom will always lead the believer away from Jesus Christ – maybe not right away, but eventually man’s wisdom will pull the believer toward following man. Why does this happen? Because unsaved mankind looks at the cross of Jesus Christ and considers it to be foolishness that one man should die for everyone else. Or for those that claim to believe in Jesus Christ, they look at the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and believe that they must do something more in order to earn salvation or to keep salvation.

1Corinthians 1:18-21 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (19) For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. (20) Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (21) For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

God uses the “foolishness” of preaching to get His Word out to others. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith only through the hearing of God’s Word. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, those that are wise by the world’s standards will perish and will not truly know God. 1Co 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. Paul states God is far wiser than any man and far stronger than any man, therefore it is wiser for mankind to follow God rather than other men. We must always look to God’s Wisdom over man’s wisdom. Wisdom comes from reading and believing God’s Word, the Bible. I took part in a discussion the other day and a person declared that she had read the Bible from cover to cover and then asked, “What does the Bible have to do with anything?” I replied, “The Bible has everything to do with anything.” Man will always lead you astray at some point, God will never lead you astray.

The doubleheader train was bucking a heavy snowstorm as its engines pulled it west. A woman with a baby wanted to leave the train at one of the little stations along the route. She repeatedly called, “Don’t forget me!” to the brakeman responsible to call out the stations they approached. Her husband was to meet her. The train slowed to a stop, and a fellow traveler said, “Here’s your station.” She hopped from the train into the storm. The train moved on again. Forty-five minutes later, the brakeman came in. “Where’s the woman?” “She got off at the last stop,” the traveler said. “Then she got off to her death,” the brakeman responded. “We stopped only because there was something the matter with the engine.” They called for volunteers to go back and search for the woman and child. When they found her, she was covered with ice and snow. The little boy was protected on her breast. She had followed the man’s directions, but they were wrong-dead wrong.

What had happened in this illustration? When the train stopped, a fellow traveler told her it was her stop – not the brakeman. She did not double check what the traveler had said and paid for it with her life and almost the life of her son. Why? Because she did not wait to hear from the authority – the brakeman who was responsible for calling out the stops. The woman relied on the foolishness of a man

that did not really know what he was talking about. This illustration shows each of us (including me) the dangers of following man’s wisdom rather than God’s. The decisions each of us make affect not only ourselves, but also the others around us. Our loved ones see the choices we make and will base their decisions on what we do. Dr Crowley taught: What is improper that is accepted with limitations by Dad will be acceptable by the son without  limitations. What we show to be important to us, will be accepted as being important to our loved ones or those watching us. What is a priority to us will be a priority to others. Likewise, if we do not show something to be a priority to ourselves, then it will be even less of a priority to others.

Proverbs 2:1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; (2) So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

The Book of Proverbs was written to the believer to encourage them to seek knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. The first basic lesson to be learned is found in Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. We see in Proverbs 2:1 that the believer is to learn the words of the father and to study them and know them. Psalm 119:9-11 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (10) With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. (11) Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Charles Spurgeon wrote this about about Psalm 119:11 – The place for God’s Word is not an outside place, but an inside place. It is infinitely better to have it hidden in your heart than it is to have many copies of it laid among the furniture of your house. It may be that your having the Word of God so plentifully at home may increase your damnation, rather then lead to your salvation. Why Charles Spurgeon speak so harshly? Because he wanted people to use their Bibles for more than dust collectors. If the Bible is not opened and read and studied, then it does not do you or anyone else any good.

Believers cannot not only crack open their Bibles on Sunday and neglect them the rest of the week. George Muller wrote: It is a common temptation of Satan to make us give up the reading of the Word and prayer when our enjoyment is gone; as if it were of no use to read the Scriptures when we do not enjoy them, and as if it were no use to pray when we have no spirit of prayer. The truth is that in order to enjoy the Word, we ought to continue to read it, and the way to obtain a spirit of prayer is to continue praying. The less we read the Word of God, the less we desire to read it, and the less we pray, the less we desire to pray. A telephone company once used the following as its advertising copy: Born to be battered…the loving phone call book. Underline it, circle things, write in the margins, turn down page corners, the more you use it, the more valuable it gets to be. That is true of the Bible as well: the more we use it, the more valuable it becomes to us. The president of American Bible Society, received a letter asking a question: “What do you recommend for keeping the leather on the back of Bibles from getting stiff, cracking and peeling? His reply was, “There is one oil that is especially good for treatment of leather on Bibles. In fact it will insure your Bible will stay in good condition. It is not sold, but may be found in the palm of the human hand.”

Proverbs 2:1 if thou wilt receive my words,– we are to receive the Word of God and take it into ourselves and store it there – and hide my commandments with thee; We are to keep God’s Words inside us so that we are then able to apply them to situations in our lives and be ready to use them to talk to others and answer their questions. As Peter wrote: 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Proverbs 2:2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

Incline thine ear unto wisdom means to keep your ear open when listening to the Word of God. J. Vernon McGee wrote: Something is to enter the head through the ear gate, but its final destination is the heart. When the Word of God gets into the heart, it brings understanding.

Proverbs 2:3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

Think about that for moment and think back to your days in high school. Who usually did better in class? Those that came to class prepared and studied and took notes or those that only showed to class? Those that studied and prepared usually received the better grades. The same is true in the life of the believer: those that cry out for knowledge and understanding will receive it. Those that study and read will receive knowledge and understanding. Peter wrote: 1Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: Think about how cats react when they hear a can being opened, they come running. Our cats know when they are about to receive canned cat food and as the can is being opened they stand on the back legs with their front legs reaching up as high as they can in anticipation of food. Think how babies are when they see a bottle in front of them: they excitedly start to flail their arms and kick their legs waiting for the food. That is how the believer should be about the Word of God: we are to cry out for knowledge and lift up our voices for understanding – anxious to be fed the Word of God. You will never be spiritually fed if all you eat is spiritual fast food. If all you read is books and devotionals about the Bible, but never really study the Bible, you will not be fed spiritually.

Proverbs 2:4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

If we look for treasures in the Bible, then we will find them. If we look at Bible reading as drudgery, then that is what we will find. Reading the Bible should be like mining for silver by looking for the vein of silver everywhere until we find it. What we put into our Bible reading is what we will get out of it. While studying in the Holy Lands, a seminary professor met a man who claimed to have memorized the Old Testament–in Hebrew! Needless to say, the astonished professor asked for a demonstration. A few days late they sat together in the man’s home. “Where shall we begin?” asked the man. “Psalm 1,” replied my professor, who was an avid student of the psalms. Beginning with Psalm 1:1, the man began to recite from memory, while the professor followed along in his Hebrew Bible. For two hours the man continued word for word without a mistake as the professor sat in stunned silence. When the demonstration was over, my professor discovered something even more astonishing about the man–he was an atheist! Here was someone who knew the Scriptures better than most Christians ever will, and yet he didn’t even believe in God. (Jack Kuhatschek) Even though this atheist knew the Old Testament better than most Christians, he obviously had not cried out to God for knowledge or sought silver among its pages. The Bible should not just sit on a shelf and seldom be opened. If we are to grow closer to God and have our faith grow, then the Bible must be opened and read and re-read! By every believer!

The new pastor was asked to teach a boys’ class in the absence of the regular teacher. He decided to see what they knew, so he asked who knocked down the walls of Jericho. All the boys denied having done it, and the preacher was appalled by their ignorance. At the next deacons’ meeting he told about the experience. “Not one of them knows who knocked down the walls of Jericho,” he lamented. The group was silent until finally one long time deacon spoke up. “Preacher, this appears to be bothering you a lot. But I’ve known all those boys since they were born and they’re good boys. If they said they didn’t know, I believe them. Let’s just take some money out of the repair and maintenance fund, fix the walls, and let it go at that.”

Proverb 2:1-5 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; (2) So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; (3) Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; (4) If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; (5) Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

That is all one sentence, by the way. If the believer in Jesus Christ does what is in the first four verses, then verse 5 comes to pass. Remember Proverb 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Devotional reading is very good, but most devotionals only center around a few verses. To truly study the Word of God, we need to dig in and look for the hidden treasures and the silver; we need to cry out and lift up our voices for knowledge and understanding; we must listen for the wisdom found in the Bible and have God’s Words deep inside of us. If our only Bible reading is only devotionally based, then we will not grow in knowledge, understanding, and in the fear of the Lord.

An unknown writer said, “This Book is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding; its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s character. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. Follow its precepts and it will lead you to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to a resurrected life in Christ; yes, to glory itself, for eternity.

Psa 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. When I am not reading the Bible, how will I know where to go? His Word is a light unto my feet directing me and my direction, but if I do not have His Word, then I will drift off course.

Psa 119:133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Again, without God’s Word in my heart and on my mind, I cannot know for sure what is sin and what is not sin. If I rely on my feelings and emotions only, then I will end up off the path that God has set before me.

2 Cor. 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Let us break this verse down phrase by phrase: Every man according as he purposeth in his heart – the word “purposeth” does not allude to the quantity the man should give, but points to the willingness to give. Every man means everyone and each man and woman should decide in their heart how they are going to give. In other words, what is the motivation in the giving. Is it to bring attention to yourself? Or do you give less to God because you are hurt or angry? Do you give because others are giving? Are you giving because you expect something back?

so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity – means that we should give willingly and we should not be forced into giving.

A blind Indian beggar sat beside a road, fingering the rice in his little bowl. Wearing only a loin cloth, he sat in poverty beside a road that stretched into nowhere both ways. The scarce travelers occasionally gave him a little rice. One day he heard the thunder of a chariot in the distance. It was the grand entourage of the maharajah. This was a moment that had never come before. Surely the great one would stop and give him baskets of rice.

Indeed, the golden chariot of the maharajah stopped before the poor beggar. The great one stepped down and the beggar fell before him. Then the sky seemed to fall in. “Give me your rice,” said the great one. A fearful, hateful, scowl masked the face of the beggar. He reached into his bowl and thrust one grain of rice toward the maharajah. “Is that all?” said the great one. The beggar spat on the ground, cursed, and threw him one more grain of rice. The great one turned, entered his chariot, and was gone.

The beggar-angry, empty, and crushed-fingered the remaining rice he had hoarded in his bowl. He felt something hard, different from the rice. He pulled it out. It was one grain of gold. He poured out his rice, caring nothing for it now. He found one other grain of gold. Had he trusted the great one, he could have had a grain of gold for every grain of rice.

2 Cor. 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. God wants us to willingly and cheerfully give to Him. Again, let me repeat that Paul is not talking about just financial giving, but the giving of ourselves to others and to God. Giving can be difficult and painful, but only if we have purposed it in our heart that it will be difficult and painful. Giving can be uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing, but only if we have purposed it in our heart that it will be uncomfortable and embarrassing. The giving can be telling someone the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The giving can be volunteering somewhere that needs volunteers. The giving can be teaching someone what needs to be taught. We have to decide in our hearts that what we are giving is what God wants us to give and then give it fully, willingly, and cheerfully.

2 Cor. 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

God is able. When we have the proper motivation in our hearts and we cheerfully give, then God is able to make all grace abound toward us. That means He is going to give to us abundantly. So does that mean if I give $100, then God will give me $200? Not necessarily, because God’s blessings are not always material. There have been times when we have given financially and God has resupplied that back to us, but that does not always happen. There is no prosperity Gospel which teaches that if you give a ton of money, God will automatically double it. God’s spiritual blessings can be greater than material blessings. Note what Jesus Christ declared in Luke 6:

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

He did not say that He will double our money as some will teach. Instead Jesus Christ is teaching that what we give and how we give will determine the bounty we receive back. So much of the Christian life depends upon our motivation in doing what we do.

Two wealthy Christians, a lawyer and a merchant, joined a party that was going around the world. Before they started, their minister earnestly asked them to observe and remember any unusual and interesting things that they might see in the missionary countries through which the party was to travel. The men promised – carelessly, perhaps – to do so.

One day in Korea, they saw in a field by the side of the road a boy pulling a crude plow, while an old man held the handles and directed it. The lawyer was amused, and took a snapshot of the scene.

“That’s a curious picture! I suppose they are very poor,” he said to the missionary who was interpreter and guide to the party.

“Yes,” was the quiet reply. “That is the family of Chi Noui. When the church was being built they were eager to give something to it, but they had no money so they sold their only ox and gave the money to the church. This spring they are pulling the plow themselves.”

The lawyer and the businessman by his side were silent for some moments. Then the businessman said, “That must have been a real sacrifice.”

“They did not call it that,” said the missionary. “They thought it was fortunate they had an ox to sell.”

2 Cor. 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

The Corinthians did not lack anything materially or spiritually, but they were not using the bounty from God properly. Paul encouraged them to give willingly and cheerfully. When we are obedient to God, He will bless us in ways we do not expect. Why? Because He loves us. Why does He love us? Because He loves us. That is all the reason we need to know. Drop down to verse 15:

2 Cor 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

What is God’s unspeakable gift? The better way to phrase that question is to say: Who is God’s unspeakable gift? No matter how much we give of our time, energy, strength, and money, we can never ever outgive God. Because He gave us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Go to 2 Corinthians 8:9

2Co 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

J. Vernon McGee wrote: Though He was rich, He left Heaven, left all the glory, came down as a missionary to this world. He came not only to live but to give His life in death for you. He came to die on the cross. He came to be brutally killed in order that you and I might have eternal life. He paid the penalty for our sins. There is no better gift than that.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 9, Paul is teaching the Corinthians the importance of Christian giving. Let me start off by stating that Paul is not only teaching about financial giving – he is also teaching the importance of giving all of yourself to God and to others. I read the whole chapter to provide the context for what Paul is teaching, but we see in the first five verses that Paul was exhorting the Corinthians to make good on the pledge they had made in providing relief to the believers in Jerusalem. It was not easy to be a Christian in Jerusalem at this time. Just because Paul was no longer persecuting the Christians does not mean that others had not continued the persecution. The Corinthians had pledged to help and Paul reminding them the importance of keeping a pledge or promise. God takes vows very seriously and we need to very careful about promises we make to God.

Numbers 30:2 If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon warns about making foolish vows.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. (5) Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

How often do you hear about someone in troubles that prays to God, “God if you will do this for me, then I will do this ___.” But when the trial or trouble is over and passed, the person does not keep his end of the bargain. That is why we are warned that it is better to not make a promise rather than make a promise and not keep it.

The Corinthian church had been very blessed by God. They were in a fairly wealthy city and they had all the spiritual gifts given to them by God. They made a pledge and when we make a promise, it is between us and God and God keeps His promises and He expects us to keep ours. Note that is verse 5 of 2 Corinthians 9, Paul uses the word “bounty” twice. Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. Bounty is more than a paper towel, a bounty is a generous gift given from the overflow of blessings from God. J. Vernon McGee wrote: I know a wealthy man who was asked, “How in the world did you become so rich when you give so much of it away?” “Well,” he answered, “The Lord shovels it in and I shovel it out and God has the bigger shovel.” My friend, we can never outgive God.

Please see that Paul says at the end of verse 5: that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness,meaning that Paul wanted the Corinthians to give willingly and not greedily hold onto the bounty.

A woman took her two small boys and a daughter to see Peter Pan at the matinee one Saturday afternoon. The tickets were two dollars and fifty cents each. The young daughter watched as the mother pushed ten one dollar bills under the window and received four tickets.

The next day the same mother and daughter were at church. When the collection was taken the child saw her mother open her purse, take out a quarter, and put it in the plate as it passed them.

The little girl looked up at her mother and in a clear stage whisper which everyone around could hear said, “Mother, church is a lot cheaper than a movie, isn’t it?”

2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

In the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, Paul is giving his final message to the church of Ephesus and he tells them a similar statement.

Act 20:35 I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Interestingly, the four gospels do not record Jesus Christ ever saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” However, the gospel writers do not claim to have recorded everything said by Jesus Christ during His time here on earth. What this does show is the thought that the apostle Paul was personally taught by Jesus Christ after his conversion on the road to Damascus. How often do we hear that phrase today, “It is better to give than to receive” but how little it is practiced. It truly is a blessing when we give and the word “blessed” means “happy.” We have been blessed with a bounty, even if we do not realize it and we should be willing to share it with others. Dr Dan reed wrote:

Serving others was what our Lord fed upon. Giving His life for us was His meat! The discontentment of our age shows a change in the way we view service. We want to be served. But happiness and contentment was in looking after the welfare of others and getting our focus off of ourselves and onto others. I find that when I am down, a visit to a hospital room helps me. I find that when I am down, visits to some bus children help me. I find that when I am depressed and feeling blue, some phone calls to sick and hurting people help me. I find that it is not the gift you give to me that helps me most, but it is the gift I give to you (Dr. Dan Reed).

On the other hand, Paul also warned the Galatians:

Gal 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (8) For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

What is sowed, is what will be reaped. That can be applied to all areas of our lives, not in just financial matters. If a farmer plants corn in the ground, he will reap corn. If that farmer plants very few kernels of corn, then he will reap very few ears of corn. If he plants many kernels, then he will have a bounty. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap. If that same farmer that has just gained a bountiful harvest, not only plants half as much corn the next season, then he will only receive half as much corn. It is the same concept in how we treat ourselves physically and spiritually. If I only eat Twinkies morning, noon, and night, then I will reap a large weight gain and poor health. If I seldom read my Bible, then I will not grow spiritually and will remain a babe in Christ. If I am not planting the seed of the word of God in my heart, then I will not be able to withstand the wiles of the devil.

Our main focus today is going to be verses 11 through 18, but I wanted to give the context of the passage by reading the first 18 verses of Galatians 5. After Paul had started the churches in Galatia, he left to start churches elsewhere. Sadly, Judaizers came in and began teachings the Galatians that aspects of the Law that was given to Moses had to be followed as well. Essentially, they were teaching another Gospel that required works as well as faith for salvation. Paul was saddened and distressed at how quickly the Galatians chose to listen to these false teachers and follow what they taught, rather than cling to the teachings that Paul had founded their churches upon. Go to Galatians 1:

Galatians 1:6-9 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: (7) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. (8) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (9) As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

These are very strong words condemning the misuse of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul does not mince words here, the Gospel cannot be changed or added to or have things taken from it, because then it turns the Gospel into a lie. In Galatians chapter 5, Paul is showing that circumcision or no circumcision does not bring a person into a right standing with God.

Galatians 5:3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

Once a person decides that they need to keep part of the Law, then they are required to keep all of the Law – there is no picking and choosing. We cannot state that we will keep the dietary portions of the Law and ignore the rest. We cannot state that we will keep the Sabbath, but ignore the Feasts of the Lord. James 2:8-12 If ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: (9) But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. (10) For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. (11) For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. (12) So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

People will say that The Book of James and the Books that Paul wrote are contradictory, but note what James wrote in verses 8, 9: If ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: (9) But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. And what Paul wrote in Galatians: For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (15) But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. Both verses discuss loving your neighbor and point out the proper way of treating them. The point is that believers need to choose to live in the liberty of God’s grace or live in the bondage of the Law.

Galatians 5:11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offense of the cross ceased.

Paul is pointing the position that he is being put into: if Paul preaches that circumcision and other works of the Law doing nothing for salvation, then he is persecuted; and if he were to preach for circumcision, then he is persecuted. The problem is this: the Gospel of Jesus Christ offends the natural man – the unbeliever, the lost person. Whether it is the idea of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross or His shed blood or His burial and resurrection, the truth of the Gospel upsets people. John the Baptist’s message from the wilderness was not, “Smile, God loves you.” It was “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come.” Jeremiah was not put into a miry pit for preaching, “You can have your best life now.” It was for crying against the adultery, idolatry and other wickedness of his nation. Noah’s message from the steps of the ark was not, “Something good is going to happen to you.” He condemned the world and was a preacher of righteousness. Jesus Christ was not crucified for saying, “Consider the lilies, how they grow,” but for saying, “Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites…children of hell …fools and blind guides … whited sepulchers…generation of vipers.”

then is the offense of the cross ceased. What does that phrase mean? It means that the cross of Jesus Christ is offensive to those who do not truly believe in Him. It is offensive to man because the cross was something that only Jesus Christ could do, and man believes that he has to do something in order to be saved. Billy Sunday told of a man who came to him and said, “I will cut out the booze and get on the water wagon,” “Good; what else?” “Of course, I am a gambler; I will quit gambling and I will never touch a pack of cards.” “All right; what else?” “I am a bad man, and I will live a clean life.” “Good; what else?” He said, “If I quit these things, I think they cover about all. I will quit drinking, swearing, stop gambling, and I will quit being impure.” Billy said, “Good. Give me your hand and say you will accept Jesus Christ as your Savior,” He said, “No, I will not. If I stop those things, I won’t need to do that.” The cross is offensive to man’s pride because God accepts those that are meek and lowly and humble and mankind is not naturally any of those things. The cross is offensive to man because shows him his sinfulness and need for salvation.

Galatians 5:12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you. The Apostle Paul desires that the Judaizers would have nothing to do with the Galatians.

Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

There are three methods of trying to live the Christian life – two of them will not work. One is a life of legalism, which Paul has been discussing. The other is the life of license, which Paul discussed in Romans 6: After we are saved by grace, can we live in sin? Paul’s answer is:”God forbid.” You cannot live in sin and be a Christian. Now you may fall into sin, but you will get out of it. The Prodigal Son can get in the pig pen, but he won’t settle down there – the pig pen won’t be his forwarding address. He will leave it. The Christian life is neither the life of legalism nor the life of license. (J. Vernon McGee)