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.

A few months back I was reading Reader’s Digest and there was an advertisement that declared that the end of the world was coming. The ad even gave the date: May 21, 2011. They provided a website and I checked it out and as everyone knows now: the man Harold Camping and his “ministry” Family Radio is behind the prediction. And as you can see, we are still here. I had not realized that Harold Camping had predicted that at 6PM in New Zealand there would be an earthquake and the judgment would begin. Judgment would then roll around the world as each area hit 6PM. New Zealand is about fifteen hours ahead of us, so judgment would have started at 3AM Saturday morning EST. So what happened?

Harold Camping has made end of the world predictions before and this was his latest one. In 1992, he wrote a book titled: 1994? and he predicted the world would end on September 6, 1994. When the world did not end, he determined that he had the right date but had interpreted the Bible wrong. Harold Camping then had a 2005 book titled Time Has an End: A Biblical History of the World,11,013 BC – 2011 AD. Sadly, many people have bought into his failed prophecies and spent outrageous amounts of money to warn people about the end of the world. It has been reported that one man in New York City spent $140,000 of his own money advertising on billboards and signs in the subway in New York City trying to get the word out. What are these people going to do now? Harold Camping teaches his followers to not go to church and listen to him on the radio instead. People have been making end of the world predictions for many centuries now and when the predictions have not come true people have killed themselves, fallen into deep depression, and attacked the false prophets. It was reported that back in 1843, all over the Northeast, half a million Adventists — disciples of New York evangelist William Miller — awaited the end of the world on April 3, 1843. Journalists had a field day. Reportedly some disciples were on mountaintops, hoping for a head start to heaven. Others were in graveyards, planning to ascend in union with their departed loved ones. Some high society ladies clustered together outside town to avoid entering God’s  holy kingdom amid the common herd. When April 4 dawned as usual, the Millerites were disillusioned, but they took heart. Their leader had predicted a range of dates for the end — dates that have also come and gone.

The fact is that nobody does know the time when judgment will come. Jesus Christ told His disciples: Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Make no mistake, Judgment Day is coming, but we do not know when it will be. The Apostle Paul wrote his epistles fully expecting the Rapture to happen during his lifetime. That should be our attitude as well: Jesus Christ is coming soon. I only wish those people that advertised May 21, 2011, had spent their money focusing more on the Gospel and less on the specific date.

The Rapture is the first event that will happen before the Tribulation period will begin. Paul wrote: 1Corinthians 15:51-53 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. Paul also wrote:

1Thessalonians 4:14-18 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.1Th 5:1-6 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. (2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

Jesus Christ will come like a thief in the night to rapture the church out before the Tribulation begins. Just as a thief does not call a homeowner ahead of time to tell him that the thief will be robbing his house that night, Jesus Christ will not tell us when He is coming. There is no point in setting a date, people across the world have been warned for the last two thousand years that Jesus Christ is coming. Now the most warning we will have will be a shout from the Lord and a trumpet call. Believers do not know the day or month or year or decade or century! That is why we must always be prepared. While on a South Pole expedition, British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton left a few men on Elephant Island, promising that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men, ready and waiting, quickly scrambled aboard. No sooner had the ship cleared the island than the ice crashed together behind them. Contemplating their narrow escape, the explorer said to his men, “It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!” They replied, “We never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other, ‘The boss may come today.’”

Jesus Christ told His disciples: Act 1:6-8 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? (7) And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. (8) But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. The disciples expected Jesus Christ to usher in the kingdom at that time, but Jesus Christ knew that the Gospel had to get out across the world first. The disciples focus was to be on evangelism – preaching the Word of God to the world.

Romans 14:14-17 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. (15) But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. (16) Let not then your good be evil spoken of: (17) For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

A believer in Jesus Christ has liberty, but they must not abuse their liberty. That abuse may cause a weaker brother to stumble and fall. Liberty is not the same as license. Liberty in Jesus Christ means that the believer is given the ability to choose to do the right thing. The main right thing to do is to glorify God in everything.

Luke 13:10-17 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. (11) And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. (12) And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. (13) And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. (14) And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. (15) The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? (16) And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? (17) And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

The right thing for Jesus Christ to do was to heal this woman who had bent over for 18 years. The ruler of the synagogue felt that keeping the Sabbath was of all importance and chastised Jesus Christ for healing on the Sabbath. Jesus Christ points out that these same people will make sure their livestock has water to drink on the Sabbath. Why would these people make sure their livestock has water to drink on the Sabbath? Because they want to take care of their animals. Likewise, Jesus Christ wants to take care of His children and that is why He healed the woman – because He loves His children. It comes back to motivation, why do I do the things I do?

Galatians 5:13, 14 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. (14) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

The next right thing is to not be a stumbling block for others. Just because I have liberty in Jesus Christ does not mean I should exercise it if it is going to be problem for others. Whether I eat meat or do not eat meat does not make me special in the eyes of God. Whether I wear a white shirt or a colored shirt does not make me special in the eyes of God. If I keep every commandment does not make me special in the eyes of God. Just because I keep every commandment does not mean I will be living the Christian life. And the other side of that is that I cannot do as I please and be living the Christian life. Everything we do should be because we love God and then because we love our neighbor.

It is God’s grace and not the Law that frees us to do the right thing and to not do the wrong thing. Grace does not allow the believer to sin, but sets the believer free from sin. The believer should desire to please God, not because he has to but because he wants to and loves God. The believer does what God wants because he or she loves God. The believer serves God, not because of the Law, but because he or she loves Him.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

True obedience to God comes from truly loving God and the desire to serve Him the way He wants to be served. The Law does not accomplish that. The Christian life should not be filled with “I don’t do this. I don’t do that.” It should be filled with, “I do this because I love you, God, and this glorifies you and pleases you.” The believer must use discernment to determine what does please and glorify God. Just because it pleases me, does not mean it pleases God. Just because I am sincere, does not mean it pleases God. If the action goes against what the Bible says, then it will not please God. So how can we know how to please God?

Galatians 5:16-18 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (18) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to know what pleases and glorifies God. And how does the believer accomplish that? By reading God’s Word, believing it and following it. By prayer to God for wisdom and guidance. Believers must realize that they cannot live the Christian life on their own, but only because Jesus Christ resides within them.

Galatians 2:19-20 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. (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.

Last week we began looking at Jesus Christ as the Bread of Life and the people’s reaction to Him. Jesus Christ has just recently fed over 5000 people with five barley loaves and two fishes. He has healed many people of many different diseases and exorcised demons, and yet, these people standing before Him want more signs!

John 6:30, 31 They said therefore unto him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? (31) Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

These Israelites are asking Jesus Christ to show them yet another sign and then they will believe on Him. They want to be able to see and then they will believe. Hebrews 11:1 gives the definition of faith: Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The believer in Jesus Christ cannot obediently walk with God if they only rely on their sight – where is the faith in that? A pilot was having trouble bringing his plane down to land. From the control tower, he was given instructions. “But there is a pole there,” he objected. The answer came back, “You take care of the instructions; we will take care of the obstructions.” So with the child of God. In the Word, he or she has God’s instructions. God will take care of the obstructions. It is ours to obey the instructions from God’s Word.

The signs and wonders that Jesus Christ did perform were done because He had compassion upon His people. He healed them and He fed them because He loved them. But the miracles were also done to confirm what He said. Jesus Christ taught the Israelites to repent and come to Him and to show why they should come, He healed people.

Hebrews 2:2-4 For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; (3) How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (4) God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

How sad it is that these people desired to see another sign from Jesus Christ. To require even one sign from God is a lack of faith and trust. God is the only one we can trust in. As D. L. Moody said, “Trust in yourself, and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; trust in reputation, and some slanderous tongue may blast it; but trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity.”

Look at verses 30 and 31 again: these people were not ready to believe and they did not want to believe – note that in verse 30 they bring to topic back to their stomachs.

John 6:31, 32 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. (32) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

Notice how the Israelites phrase their quote: He gave them bread from heaven to eat. It is almost as if they are crediting Moses with providing the manna from Heaven. They have left out the LORD from the quote. Go to Exodus 16.

Exodus 16:14-15 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. (15) And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they knew not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

Moses did not provide the Israelites with manna, God did – every day for forty years. People need to be nourished and God provided for them. The manna gave the Israelites physical life, but Jesus Christ is pointing out that what people truly need is the spiritual Bread of Life to feed them for an eternity. The bread that Jesus Christ is speaking about cannot be eaten but it can be devoured. The bread that Jesus Christ is speaking about will not physically grow you, but you can grow spiritually with it. That Bread of Life is Jesus Christ and believers grow through Him through His Word.

John 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

The problem is that people want things that they can see. Bread and fish, that is something that is tangible and can be held, and smelled and eaten. But Jesus Christ has even better offer: Himself. No, we cannot see Him, but believers know that He is there. Believers cannot hold Him or smell Him and they certainly do not eat Him, but they know that He is real. Consider the first verse of “How Great Thou Art”: O Lord, my God, When I in awesome wonder; Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed. The more time a believer spends with God, the more and more real God becomes to him or her. The closer to God a believer becomes, the more peace and happiness they shall experience. A baker never expects to get a better cake than the ingredients he puts into it. Yet many people who complain that life is not as rewarding as they expected it to be, forget that in leaving out God, they have left out that which alone can give life its glory, hope, love, and joy.

Jesus Christ is who gave life to this world because He is the Creator of all things. He had just demonstrated that to the Israelites by feeding them with five barley loaves and two fishes and this group in front of Him still would not believe and asked for another sign.

John 6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

Back in John chapter 4, when Jesus Christ was speaking to the woman at the well, He spoke of living water and she desired to be given this water so she would not have to draw from the well anymore. Jesus Christ was able to teach her that He is the Living Water. Here the Israelites are still focused on their stomachs, believing that they can get an endless supply of bread from Jesus Christ.

John 6:36 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Man needs bread and water in order to live. Without physical nourishment, man will wither up and die. Likewise, spiritually man needs the Bread of Life and the Living Water in order to grow in God’s Grace. Man needs spiritual nourishment just as much, if not more, than he needs physical nourishment. Jesus Christ wants everyone to come to Him and, in coming to Him, they will believe in Him. Jesus Christ declared in John 7:37 If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. Each day, people need around 2000 calories of food. Nobody decides that on Monday they will eat 14,000 calories and they are done eating for the week. By Tuesday they will be hungry again. It is the same idea for the believer in Jesus Christ – a believer should decide that they have gotten all they need for the week spiritually by coming to church once and then not doing else the rest of the week. Believers must be reading God’s Word on a daily basis and praying on a daily basis.

Some people have the idea that once the relationship is established between God and man, nothing more is needed. This is a mistake. When a child is born it has the general nature and characteristics of its parents, but does it not continue to need their loving care? It could not live without it. So it is with us and God. He gives us of His nature, His fullness; we become His children, but we need Him constantly and uninterruptedly if we are to go on living spiritually. Our lives as Christians cannot be maintained at all unless it is He who maintains them. This is unlike our earthly parent-child relationship in one sense, however. In our relationship with God we never outgrow our need to be dependent on Him. And though, in the New Testament, Christian maturity is enjoined on all believers, this process of spiritual growth never brings us to a point where we may become independent of God. We are given to understand that our relationship to Him is always that of children. Woe unto anyone who ceases to be a child of God in his own estimation and thinks he has grown up sufficiently to be independent of God!

Dr. Horatius Bonar once said that he could tell when a Christian was growing. In proportion to his growth in grace he would elevate his Maker, talk less of what he himself was doing, and become smaller and smaller in his own esteem, until, like the morning star, he faded way before the rising sun.

In the Book of Hebrews, the Jewish believers are rebuked by the writer because they have not grown in Jesus Christ like they should. Hebrews 5:12-14 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. The Jews were the first people that God reached out to and those that believed in Jesus Christ were not spiritually growing like they should. Why did that happen? Because they were focused on staying the same rather than growing in Christ. If we plant a tree, it begins to grow; if we set a fence post, it begins to decay. There was an old farmer who, in the prayer meetings of his church in describing his Christian experience, always said: “Well, I’m not making much progress, but I’m established.” One spring when the farmer was setting out some logs, his wagon sank in the mud in a soft place in the road, and he could not get out. As he sat on top of the logs viewing the situation, a neighbor who had never accepted the principle of the old farmer’s religious experience came along and greeted him: “Well, Brother Jones, I see you are not making much progress, but you’re established.”

When James A. Garfield was president of Hiram College, a man brought his son for entrance as a student, for whom he wished a shorter course than the regular. “The boy can never take all that in,” said the father. “He wants to get through quicker. Can you arrange it for him?”

Mr. Garfield said, “Oh, yes. He can take a short course; it all depends on what you want to make of him. When God wants to make an oak, He takes a hundred years, but he takes only two months to make a squash.” Many want instant spirituality-like instant coffee or potatoes! It doesn’t come that way! There are no short courses! No short-cuts! No gimmicks! It takes time to grow! Growth is a sequence-an orderly arrangement! “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again” was God’s indictment of the Christians in the Book of Hebrews chapter 5.

John 6:36-37 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. (37) All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Remember back in verse 30, the people said to Jesus Christ: What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? Jesus Christ is declaring to them that they have seen what Jesus Christ has done and they have still not come to a saving knowledge of Him. That is the problem with relying on only your eyes, they can deceive you. We can be fooled into looking in another direction and we end up taking our eyes off of the Lord. Peter was doing fine walking on the water toward Jesus Christ until he took his eyes off of Jesus Christ. These people have Jesus Christ right in front of them! They have seen the wonders that He has performed. More importantly, they have heard Him speak!

John 7:45-46 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? (46) The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.

These officers knew that there was something different about Jesus Christ – they never heard a man speak like He does. Jesus Christ is different from every other person that has ever been here. These officers recognized something about Jesus Christ that the scribes and Pharisees refused to recognize. If only the scribes and Pharisees had been willing to humble themselves before God and Jesus Christ, they would have seen it too. And the blessing is in John 6:37: All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Jesus Christ would have accepted them too if only they had come to Him. When you are in the process of humbling yourself, the Lord will load you with blessings. God wants you to be like the stalk of wheat that is full of beautiful grains. The more it is loaded the lower it stoops down. Thus, my dear friend, your real riches will be manifested by your humility.

This passage takes place right after Jesus Christ has fed the five thousand and more people and has walked on the water to the boat the the apostles were in. The people have seen the miracles that He has performed and they still want more. But that is human nature: when we see or experience something sensational, we want to see it and experience it again and usually bigger the second time. The spectators had been looking for Jesus and had now found Him on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. They knew that He had not left with the apostles on the boat, and could not figure out how He got there.

John 6:25, 26 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? (26) Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

Jesus Christ looks past their question of how and when He arrived and goes to their true motivation: they want more food. They want to experience something sensational and, as we will see, they want to do it without any effort on their part. They want full stomachs and they want it for free. They want to be able to come to the table and be fed without any work. That is how many people approach the Christian life: they expect to come to church and be fed without any work or preparation on their part. Believers need to be in prayer before coming to church. Believers need to be in prayer before going to work. Believers need to be in prayer every day in preparation for the day. Believers need to be in the Word of God daily to be ready for the challenges of the day. The Word of God is our armor and our sword and our defense against spiritual darkness! The Word of God is the answer to people’s problems and the Word of God is their hope!

1Peter 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:

The people in John chapter 6 were looking to get their bellies filled again without any effort on their part. They wanted to come up to the table and be fed without doing anything ahead of time to prepare for it. Someone once called a preacher to say he wanted to place church membership. But, he went on to explain that he did not want to worship every week, study the Bible, visit the sick, or serve as a leader or teacher. The minister commended him for his desire to be a member, but told him the church he sought was located in another section of town. The man took the address and directions and hung up. When he arrived at that address, the man came face to face with the logical result of his own apathetic attitude. There stood an abandoned church building boarded up and ready for demolition.

John 6:27 Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

Jesus Christ is telling these people to stop trying to get food that will expire and to stop trying to get food that will not last. Instead, He is encouraging the people to get food that will last eternally, to get food that is everlasting. Jesus Christ is telling these people to stop seeking the stuff for today and focus on the eternal. That kind of nourishment can only come from Jesus Christ Himself. That is the meal that will endure for eternity. People need to stop focusing their lives on pleasing themselves right now and look to the Bread of Life. Paul wrote to Timothy that same concept:

1Timothy 4:7-8 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. (8) For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

People need to get their spiritual lives in order first before focusing on their physical lives. On body without a spirit is just as dead as a spirit without a body. Jesus Christ is telling these people that they need to spiritually feed on Him and they will have eternal life. In John chapter 4, Jesus Christ tells the woman at the well that He is the living Water and in chapter 6 He tells the people that He is the Bread of Life. Water and Bread are two essentials for people to live. A person can live on one for a while, but they will not be fully nourished and will not grow. Man needs both bread and water to fully live physically and man needs Jesus Christ – the Living Water and the Bread of Life – to be able to fully live spiritually. How is He able to do this? Because He is the Word.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Jesus Christ came down from the glory of Heaven and took on the form of man. He is 100 percent man and He is 100 percent God and He is the only source of truth and life.

John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

The people are asking Him, “What can we do so that we can do the same things?” They are looking to find out what they must do. People are always looking for something to do and eternal life is no different. People are looking to find out what is the minimum that they need to do to be saved. They wonder, “What is the least I can do to go to Heaven?” Again, people must put the spiritual before the physical. A certain family had two sons. The older said he must make a name for his family, so turned his face toward Parliament and fame. The younger decided to give his life to the service of Christ and turned his face toward China and duty. He was Hudson Taylor, the missionary, who died beloved and known on every continent. “But,” someone wrote, “when I looked in the encyclopedia to see what the other son had done, I found these words, ‘the brother of Hudson Taylor.’ ” It may be that some were inclined to ridicule him when he went to the mission field, but in the end, he was respected and admired. His mercifulness had not been in vain, even as far as the world was concerned. But the merciful also receive recognition and reward from God Himself. This takes place both in this world and, in its full measure, in the world to come.

John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

This is where so many people get mixed in their beliefs: they believe that they must do something first for salvation. They believe that they must first be good enough or that they must pay enough or that they must go to church enough or that they must do enough good deeds to be saved. What they fail to realize is that they must see that salvation is a work of God FIRST, and then believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. A man once rose up in a meeting to give his testimony to the saving grace of God. He told how the Lord had won his heart and given deliverance from the guilt and power of sin. He spoke of Christ and His work but said nothing of any efforts of his own. The leader of the meeting was of a legalistic mind, and when this man’s testimony was ended he said, “Our brother has only told us of the Lord’s part in his salvation. When I was converted, there was a whole lot I had to do myself before I could expect the Lord to do anything for me. Brother, didn’t you do your part first before God did His?” The other was on his feet in an instant and replied, “Yes, sir, I clean forgot. I didn’t tell you about my part, did I? Well, I did my part for over 30 years, running away from God as fast as ever my sins could carry me. That was my part. And God took after me till He ran me down. That was His part.”

John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Jesus Christ is declaring that God is providing the Bread and the Water. God has prepared the meal, people need to accept it through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. People need to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him. They must trust Him to provide rather than attempt to do things on their own. The point is that believers will trust in Jesus Christ in some areas, when they should be trusting Him in ALL areas. One night when an ambassador and his valet were obliged to sleep in the same room in a hotel, the valet noticed his master tossing and turning in bed. “Sir, what bothers you?” he asked. “Oh, I have so many things on my mind. The burden of my responsibility is hard to bear.” “Forgive me, sir, but do you think God has been governing the world up till now?” “Of course.” “And do you think He’ll manage even after you’ve left this world?” “Undoubtedly.” “Then don’t you think it’s possible for you to trust Him to do it even during your lifetime?” The ambassador got the point and was soon fast asleep.

When people rely on their own efforts and the efforts of others rather than rely on God, then all is in vain. God will not be glorified and the person will not be found obedient to God. Salvation is much than an outward act, it is recognizing God for who He is and what Jesus Christ has done on the cross for our sins. It is placing faith in Him and repenting of your sins and continuing to exercise that faith and repentance even after salvation.

The program committee for a national barber’s convention devised a graphic means of demonstrating the effectiveness of their profession. They found a social derelict on skid row with long, dirty hair. His face was unshaven and his clothes were ragged and filthy. His body reeked with odors of cheap liquor and filth. The barbers cleaned him up. They gave him a bath, shampoo, shave, haircut and manicure. They liberally sprinkled talcum powder on him and added spicy cologne. He was dressed in a new suit and was presented before the convention as a changed man. He certainly looked the part. However, within a week the man was back on skid row, back in the gutter, back in his former pattern of living. The barbers altered his appearance, but their tonsorial services had not changed his inward nature. Anyone who has the money to spend can put a man in a new suit, but only Christ can put a new man in the suit. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” Christ alters us from the inside out.

John 6:30 They said therefore unto him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

This is perhaps the saddest verse of the passage we have read today. These people have seen the feeding of the five thousand – that alone should have been sufficient for these people to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. They were not really interested in believing in the Jesus Christ, they just wanted to be fed some more. They wanted more evidence from Jesus Christ, as if miraculously feeding them was not enough. People are still that way today: they want to see more, they want to feel more, and they want to experience more. They focus on feelings rather than simple faith. They say, “It feels right therefore it must be right.” But that is not faith. Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

A man once defined faith by saying, “Faith means Forsaking All, I Take Him.” Saving faith is leaving the spot where we are now standing and jumping into the arms of Jesus with full confidence that He is able to bear us up. It is like trying to swim. Swimming is work as we know. Before we can swim, we must believe that the water is able to bear us up; saving faith is believing on the Lord Jesus Christ first and then swimming in the great sea of His love and everlasting mercy. This is a faith that saves. As believers we must continue to exercise that faith daily in order to grow in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is not seeing, but still believing. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Our faith grows by hearing God’s Word not by feelings or experiences. As I speak to you, you do not see the words coming from my mouth. When I am reading something, I hear my voice in my head reading the words as I read. Faith comes from following God’s Word and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, not through the actions that others do or that we do.

Hosea 2:1-13 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah. (2) Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts; (3) Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst. (4) And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms. (5) For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink. (6) Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. (7) And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now. (8) For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal. (9) Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness. (10) And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand. (11) I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts. (12) And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them. (13) And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgot me, saith the LORD.

The prophet Hosea preached to the people of the kingdom of Israel about the same time frame that Isaiah prophesied. Hosea was told by God to marry a wife of whoredoms – a harlot and his marriage was to be an example of how Israel behaved toward God. Sadly, Hosea’s wife, Gomer, cheated on him and ran off. However, we see Jesus Christ pictured in the Book of Hosea chapter 3 as Hosea pays a price and redeems his unfaithful wife, just as Jesus Christ paid the price for His unfaithful people. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins – He did not deserve such a death because He was without sin, but Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed Himself on the cross to pay to penalty that each man and woman should have to pay for their sins. We deserve death, Jesus Christ did not. He died so that we can live.

Hosea 2:1 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.

Hosea had three children by Gomer and in chapter 1 we are told that their names are: Jezreel, Lo-ruhamah, and Lo-ammi. Turn to Hosea 1:6 and then 9.

Hosea 1:6 And she conceived again, and bore a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

Hosea 1:9 Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.

Names in the Bible are very important and they often tell a story on their own. Here we see in Hosea 1 that the first child is Jezreel which means “God will scatter.” Jezreel is the name of a city and is also and area of land that is going to be a part of the Battle of Armageddon. Jezreel is a name associated with battles and death and this name given by God points out that God will scatter and not restore the people of the northern kingdom of Israel. The second child is named Lo-ruhamah which means “not having obtained mercy, not pitied.” Furthermore, looking at the name Lo-ruhamah, we come to realize that the name implies that this child never knew a father’s pity which points that Hosea may not have been the physical father. Hosea’s wife was unfaithful to him, just as God’s people have committed spiritual adultery against Him by worshiping idols and false gods.

When you read through the minor prophets, you see the idolatry and spiritual adultery that Israel and Judah chose to indulge in. They continued to pay God lip service and go through the outward motions of their worship, but inwardly they were deep into adultery. They may have felt they were very sincere in their worship and they likely justified their actions. But that does not change the fact that their actions were wrong, no matter how sincere they may have been. Sincerity without truth is wrong. You can sincerely believe you are boarding an airplane to California, when the plane is actually flying to Florida. It does not matter how sincerely you believe it, the truth is that airplane is flying to Florida.

The third child born was a son, whom God directed be named “Lo-ammi.” His name means “not my people” which means for Hosea this son was not his, and God is telling the nation of Israel that they are not His people. Why? Because they have turned away from Him. But we know that Israel will be God’s people again, read verses 10 and 11.

Hosea 1:10-11 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. (11) Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

Let us continue to chapter 2 verse one.

Hosea 2:1 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.

In the last two verses of the preceding chapter we saw that (1) Israel will experience a great increase in population; (2) in the nation there will be a great turning to God; (3) the northern and southern kingdoms will reunite so that the twelve tribes will again form a single nation; (4) they will appoint themselves one head, who will be the Messiah (McGee). Please note that in verse one here the children are called Ammi and Ruhamah – Ammi meaning “my people” and Ruhamah meaning “pitied.” God is not done with the Israelites yet, despite their unfaithfulness to Him.

Hosea 2:2,3 Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts; (3) Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.

God is telling the children to go to their mother, Gomer, and plead for her to come back to Hosea. Gomer was unfaithful to Hosea, despite his love for her. Likewise, Israel was unfaithful to God, despite His love for them. Gomer had a husband that loved her and took care of her and she still ran back to her old ways of prostitution. Israel had God who loved them and took care of them and they still ran back to idolatry. J. Vernon McGee wrote: The greatest sin in all of the world is not murder or theft or lying… But judging from what the Scriptures teaches, the worst sin one can commit is to become unfaithful to one who loves you. Applying this to our own lives, what is the greatest sin a Christian can commit? Many people feel that it is murder or lying or even coveting, but the greatest sin unfaithfulness to God who has redeemed you and who loves you. There is no greater sin than that, my friend.

In verses 3 and 4, we see that God will judge the nation of Israel for their sin and no mercy on them if they refuse to repent. The whole nation is in idolatry or spiritual adultery.

Daniel 1:9-10 Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. (10) And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

Daniel was favored by the prince of eunuchs and we see God’s hand in this, as He intervenes for His children. The eunuch feared for his own life if Daniel and his friends looked less healthy than the rest of the captive Israelites.

Daniel 1:11-13 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, (12) Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. (13) Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

The four young men did not want to defile themselves and asked the prince of the eunuchs to provide them with diet of vegetables and grains. They asked Melzar to give them ten days on the diet of pulse and if they looked worse than the other young men that ate of the king’s meat, then they would eat from the king’s meat as well.

Daniel 1:14-15 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. (15) And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.

After ten days of eating pulse, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah looked healthier than the men who ate the portion of the king’s meat. Harry Ironside wrote: Some who read the account in our day may also consider it all a mere quibble on the part of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. But it brings out a principle of great force and beauty that should appeal to every Christian’s heart and conscience. The only way to grow in the Lord is by being faithful in little things. He who honors the Lord by conscientious adherence to His Word in what some would call minor details is likely to be exercised about greater things.

The believer in Jesus Christ must determine in their heart to follow in love and obedience Jesus Christ. It may be a case of rejecting things that bring us pleasure in order to please Jesus Christ. Believers need to understand that they will need to deny themselves some things in order to come closer to Jesus Christ. It must be a conscience decision on the believer’s part. Barnabas encouraged the people of Antioch to do this:

Act 11:22-23 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. (23) Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

The believer must purpose in his or her heart to not defile themselves. There can be no compromise with the world and the things that defile the believer. Truth is truth – it is as simple as that. God’s Word is truth and we must follow it and show its truth to others. The other Hebrews with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, chose to compromise the values that God gave them. They chose to eat the portion of the king’s meat and they were not rewarded by God, unlike Daniel and his friends.

Daniel 1:17-20 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. (18) Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. (19) And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. (20) And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

God’s hand was upon the four men because they chose to follow God despite the consequences that were before them. Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. When we allow something into our life that will defile us, it may seem small at first, but the sin will grow. As the sin grows in our life, it will darken our view of God and it will deaden our sensitivity to the things of God. God no longer becomes a light unto our feet and we will stumble and choose to go deeper into sin. Proverb 4:18-19 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. (19) The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

When an individual has the attitude of compromise in regard to spiritual values and truths, dark days are ahead. All who strive to be Christians feel a certain amount of pressure from the world. Through the strength that Christ gives, we can overcome the world and its temptations.

A man starting a fish business put out his sign that read, “Fresh Fish For Sale Today” and invited all to visit his place of business on opening day. Many came and congratulated him on his new business, but one suggested that he change his sign. “Why the ‘Today’? It is today.” So he removed the “Today”.

Someone else said, “Why, ‘For Sale’? Everybody knows you have fish for sale-or else why the store?” The words “For Sale” came off the sign. Another said, “Why the word ‘Fresh’? You are a man of integrity, that guarantees your fish to be fresh.” “Fresh” came off the sign. Only one word was left, “Fish” and one complained about it. “I smelled your fish two blocks away.”

The individual that tries to satisfy everybody ends up by pleasing nobody. If we start compromising, we will end up serving the devil. The man should have put up his sign and then stood by it. This is what we are to do in life. Accept God’s will for our lives and stand on His promises. Believers must purpose in their hearts to follow God.