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Jer 12:10-17  I Will Bring Every Man to His Heritage

[Study Aired July 4, 2021]

Jer 12:10  Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
Jer 12:11  They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.
Jer 12:12  The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.
Jer 12:13  They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
Jer 12:14  Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.
Jer 12:15  And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.
Jer 12:16  And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.
Jer 12:17  But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.

Let’s begin this study by including the last verse of our last study:

Jer 12:9  Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour [“my people”].

King Saul was the Lord’s anointed, His “heritage”. He was also the Lord’s rejected anointed. King Saul was anointed by Samuel, who was the same prophet who anointed King David to replace King Saul, the Lord’s ‘rejected anointed’ who feared and reverenced the people more than God:

1Sa 15:26  And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

King Saul typifies our self-righteous anointed old man. He had done much of what the Lord had told him to do. He went to war against the people the Lord had sent him to destroy, and he had destroyed every man, woman and child except the king. He had been instructed to destroy everything that breathed but the people wanted to keep the best of the cattle and herds, and King Saul acquiesced to the desires of the people instead of insisting on being obedient to the invisible God. You and I do the same thing when we keep days, months, times and years to please our families and friends. Christ’s example of breaking the weekly sabbath and not keeping the annual holy days is not as influential upon us as is the pressure of appealing to the desires of our families and friends to fit in with society and ignore Christ’s example and the solemn warning of the apostle Paul:

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

What are “the weak and beggarly elements [to which we] desire again to be in bondage?”

Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

Those are not my words. Those are the inspired words of the holy spirit. They are telling us that if we continue in our ‘weak in the faith… esteeming one day above another’ ways, the labor of the Lord in our lives will be “in vain”, as it was in the life of King Saul, the Lord’s “rejected… anointed”, who feared what the people thought of him more than what the invisible God thought of him. King Saul was willing to do “many wonderful works” in the name of the Lord, but he was not given to fear the Lord more than men. That was just asking too much of his weak faith.

Rom 14:1  Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
Rom 14:2  For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
Rom 14:3  Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
Rom 14:4  Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
Rom 14:5  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

“Let every man be persuaded in his own mind” is simply an admonition to “receive [and] bear with [the] weak in the faith” with the view of coming to be of “one mouth and one mind”, that being a mature mind which is not ‘weak in the faith’:

Rom 15:1  We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Rom 15:2  Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
Rom 15:3  For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
Rom 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Rom 15:5  Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
Rom 15:6  That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 15:7  Wherefore receive ye one another[even “he that is weak in the faith”], as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Christ received us while we were still keeping days, months, times and years, and we must do as He did. However, Christ did not fear His family or friends and did not become weak in the faith to please His family, friends, or the society of His day. He was very patient with his carnal disciples, but He rebuked them when they attempted to bring Him down to their weak level. He refused to become a “speckled bird” just to accommodate his “yet carnal… babes in Christ” disciples:

Mar 8:31  And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Mar 8:32  And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
Mar 8:33  But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
Mar 8:34  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mar 8:35  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
Mar 8:36  For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mar 8:37  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mar 8:38  Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

Four times in four verses we are told that we are all “carnal babes in Christ… weak in the faith” before we are “strong in the faith”. A bird may be completely white with just one or two black spots, and it is still “a speckled bird”, a “carnal babe in Christ”, which is rejected by the Lord:

Eph 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

2Pe 3:14  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Being “without spot” is the opposite of being the speckled bird of Jeremiah 12:9. This “speckled bird” is ‘speckled’ for the very reason that her prophets and pastors are not given to fear the Lord more than the Lord’s spiritually immature, carnal children.

This is why the Lord likens His people to “a speckled bird”:

Jer 12:10  Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
Jer 12:11  They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.

Here is the New Testament version of this statement here in Jeremiah 12:

Mat 26:56  But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

1Ti 1:18  This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
1Ti 1:19  Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
1Ti 1:20  Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

2Ti 1:15  This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

2Ti 2:14  Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.
2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2Ti 2:16  But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
2Ti 2:17  And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
2Ti 2:18  Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
2Ti 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

3Jn 1:9  I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
3Jn 1:10  Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them  out of the church.

The name ‘Hymenaeus’ means “the god of weddings”. We have all forsaken our Lord in favor of being wed to “another Jesus” who wants his birthday kept on December 25th. We have been “trodden underfoot” by pastors who do not “lay to heart” the fact that they are making us all spiritually “desolate” by pandering to the people just as King Saul did.

Hymenaeus and Alexander, Phygellus and Hermogenes, and Philetus and Diotrephes one and all wanted the preeminence among the people, and just as with King Saul, the people gave them that desired preeminence. So we see the church which Jesus and His apostles gave their lives for has forsaken them to follow after men who are willing to speak smooth deceits instead of the fiery words of Christ.

Isa 30:8  Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:
Isa 30:9  That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:
Isa 30:10  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
Isa 30:11  Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

At first we all ignore the example of our Lord, and we refuse to give His church ‘[His] whole counsel’ and we “speak unto [them] smooth things”, the things they want to hear, and we encourage ourselves and the Lord’s people to do what we want to do rather than “declare unto [them] all the counsel of God”. That is what King Saul, the Lord’s rejected anointed did. That is the spirit of Hymenaeus, who wants to wed us to “another Jesus”:

Act 20:27  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Act 20:31  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

2Co 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

“Another gospel” requires “another Jesus”, and Paul was dealing with this same adulterous spirit of Hymenaeus when writing to the churches of Galatia:

Gal 1:6  I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Gal 1:7  Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
Gal 1:8  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.
Gal 1:9  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.

When we reject the Lord as our husband, we are automatically “accursed”, and we are being spiritually “spoiled” by the Lord’s adversaries who inadvertently become His “sword” by which He chastens and scourges us:

Jer 12:12  The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.
Jer 12:13  They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

It is the Lord Himself and His Word that raises the storms of our lives which drag us to Himself. These fiery trials are “His goodness [and] His wonderful works to the children of men [you and me]” which bring us to repentance.

Psa 107:20  He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
Psa 107:21  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psa 107:22  And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
Psa 107:23  They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
Psa 107:24  These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
Psa 107:25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Psa 107:28  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Psa 107:31  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

We simply do not come to repentance without first being brought to our “wits’ end”. That is the inward meaning of “the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.” “The land” is our physical body with all its Philistines and giants which mercilessly rule over and oppress us. Those oppressors are sent to us by the Lord Himself to show us what is in our ‘land’ and to burn it out of us.

“The sword of the Lord has both a positive and a negative application. In the positive sense, the Lord’s sword is “the Word of God:

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

While ‘the Word of God’ certainly helps us to try the spirits and discern false doctrines coming out of the mouths of false prophets in our midst, the primary meaning of “the Word of God… as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”, is that Christ and His Word help us to see what is within ourselves.

It is also at the Lord’s word that His ‘sword’ becomes wicked men whom He sends to chasten and scourge us:

Lev 26:25  And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

It is the Word of God which convicts us of our own hate-filled and vengeful thoughts and desires against our fellow man. We know that no man can do anything the Lord does not cause him to do. Yet when the Lord sends someone to show us how little we really believe that He is working all things after the counsel of His own will, that is exactly what we discover. So often we discover that we cannot yet “run with footmen” much less ‘men on horses or the swelling of Jordan’.

Psa 17:11  They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
Psa 17:12  Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
Psa 17:13  Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

“The wicked” who are the Lord’s sword, fail to realize that they also are merely a tool of the Lord who is “working all things… yea, even the wicked… after the counsel of His own will”:

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself:  yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Inwardly we think that our hate-filled, vengeful rebellion against the Lord’s words is being blessed, and we think we are in His service when the truth is that the exact opposite is true:

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

These words are the same refrain of the self-righteous whore of Revelation 18:

Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

This is the spirit which the Lord is in the process of burning out of His elect. As we read in Psalms 17, He uses “wicked men” as His sword to chasten and punish His elect. He always then punishes those wicked men for their own wickedness. Inwardly our “evil neighbors” are all the evil passions of our old man. Outwardly our evil neighbors are those whom the Lord uses to tempt us and to try our patience and demonstrate to us just how wicked our own old man really is. In either case, both inwardly and outwardly the enemies of Christ must be banished and destroyed:

Jer 12:14  Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.

The Lord uses Babylon to chasten and punish us for our infidelity to Him and to His doctrines. Then He punishes Babylon, and as He punishes Babylon, He drags us out of her.

Jer 25:11  And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Jer 25:12  And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.

Jer 29:10  For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

“Return to this place” is returning to our “first love”, whom we left when we were carried away by lying false doctrines into Babylon:

Rev 2:3  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

It was the Lord Himself who placed us as captives in Babylon “for [our] good”:

Jer 24:1  The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.
Jer 24:2  One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.
Jer 24:3  Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
Jer 24:4  Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Jer 24:5  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.

As the Lord’s elect, we are “predestinated” to that position with Him. We are His “firstfruits, [His] good figs]”. Both the good and bad figs are from the Lord’s fig tree. We are all “evil… figs” before we are dragged to the Lord and are made to become His “good figs”.

Joe 1:6  For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.
Joe 1:7  He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

The basket of good figs is just God’s way of telling us that some few will be delivered from out of all the false doctrines of that rebellious and oppressive system which rules over us for a symbolic ‘seventy years’. We are all captives in Babylon until the Lord drags us out of her and her lies. All the contradictions in her doctrines are used of the Lord to bring us all to our wits’ end and make us cry out to the Lord for His mercy. The whole “experience of evil” (Ecc 1:13 CLV) works together for good for those who are given to love God and who are the called according to His purpose in this present time:

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

It is verses like these here in Jeremiah 12, as well as all the other prophecies of the Old Testament, which led the apostle Paul to understand the very Biblical doctrine of predestination.

Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

It has all been pre-determined and is “being worked after the counsel of His own will” (Eph 1:11):

Jer 12:15  And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.

As the Lord’s predestined firstfruits, when we return to the Lord, we do so with a whole heart, and we bring forth “good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in them”:

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The Greek word translated ‘workmanship’ is:

This Greek word is a noun, and it appears just twice in the New Testament. It means “thing that is made”. In other words, we are just what the Lord has made us to be. This noun ‘poiema’, G4161, is derived from its verb G4160, ‘poieo’. This word appears almost 576 times, and here is how Strong’s defines G4160:

The most common English translation of this word is ‘do, did, and done’. The next most common is ‘made’, just like G4161. The point the holy spirit is making is that we are what the Lord makes us to be, and we do what He makes us to do. We are His making, and we are His doing, yes, even our sins:

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Isa 63:17  O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

Amo 3:6  Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

After making us to ‘err from His ways and making us wicked for our day of evil’ then:

Jer 12:16  And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.
Jer 12:17  But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.

Under the law of Moses, Israel is here commanded ”to swear by [the Lord’s] name”. We know and appreciate the fact that our Great Reformer changed that commandment:

Mat 5:33  Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
Mat 5:34  But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
Mat 5:35  Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Mat 5:36  Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
Mat 5:37  But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

Any time the word ‘if’ appears in scripture it is not there because God is wondering what might happen next. When the word ‘if’ appears as in “if they will diligently learn… [or] if they will not obey…” it is there just to let us know that God’s sovereignty does not negate the fact that we must “work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling”:

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Our “fear and trembling” at the thought of disappointing our heavenly Father is as much a part of His sovereign work in us as the good fruit is which that fear produces. “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” is simply telling us that we are never to take our election for granted. It is true that God does indeed know exactly what we will do tomorrow because He has already written it in our ‘book, even the days ordained for [us] when as yet there were none of them”:

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them. (ASV)

God has a spiritual ‘book’, a day-by-day plan for each and every man who has ever lived. He has the good and the evil in the life of every man written in advance, for each day in each ‘book’ of every man who has or whoever will live:

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Philippians 2:12 tells us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. However, the words “fear and trembling” do not suggest that the outcome is uncertain from God’s perspective. The word ‘if’ is never to be understood as being from God’s perspective. The very next verse in Philippians 2 gives us God’s perspective of why we must “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling”, and why we must be spoken to with the word ‘if’:

Php 2:13  For [G1036: ‘gar’, because] it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

As demonstrated earlier, God makes us what we are, and He makes us do what we do. He works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure, and it behooves us to get with His program “with fear and trembling”. That is the extent of the sovereignty of God. If we accept the Truth that God has written in His book every day of our lives, then we can possibly find our names in “the book of life”. If we think that we do anything of our own free will, then the beast still sits on the throne of Christ in our heart and in our mind, and our name is not in the book of life.

That is our study for today. We will begin with chapter 13 in our next study:

Jer 13:1  Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.
Jer 13:2  So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins.
Jer 13:3  And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying,
Jer 13:4  Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.
Jer 13:5  So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.
Jer 13:6  And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there.
Jer 13:7  Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing.
Jer 13:8  Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Jer 13:9  Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.
Jer 13:10  This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing.
Jer 13:11  For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.
Jer 13:12  Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?
Jer 13:13  Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David’s throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.
Jer 13:14  And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.

]]> Psalms 69:26-36 “Turn Unto Me…” – Part 6 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/psalms-6926-36-turn-unto-me-part-6/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=psalms-6926-36-turn-unto-me-part-6 Sun, 24 Jan 2016 01:45:27 +0000 http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=10923 “Turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies” – Part 6

The scriptures we’re looking at tonight speak specifically about Christ as well as those who are called to be hated of all men for not running to the same excess of riot as “they” do. Without Godly fear we will not deny ungodliness in this world and we will speak evil of those “looking for” to deny this ungodliness in this world (Tit 2:12-13).

1Pe 4:4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13 Looking for(G4327) that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Jud 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for(G4327) the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Mar 15:43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for(G4327) the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

Luk 22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:

In (Lev 16:10) we read of how God used the “lot” to describe those who are predestined to be chosen to be presented alive before the Lord (Rom 12:1) “to make an atonement with him” and “to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness”.

Lev 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

Rom 12:1 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.

In order for the ministry of Christ to be completed, we are called to make an “atonement with him” and to be as he is in this world, hated of all men and rejected of the scribes and pharisees.

Mar 13:13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Luk 7:29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
Luk 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

Luk 10:16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

It is through this entire process of being sent out into the wilderness as the scapegoat with the sins of the world within us that our “ambassadorship” matures and we are made ready to be an “atonement” that can be used to ‘reconcile’ the world as saviours.

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

It is our Lord, the spotless scapegoat of Leviticus 16, who is accepted of God which atones for the sins of the world that we come to see in us and drive out of our wilderness experience little by little, if God is preparing us to be those living sacrifices in this age.

Exo 23:29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.

My/your own life can’t redeem anything or anyone, but the life of Christ in me/you is “looking for” (G4327) and filling up what is behind of His afflictions by God’s predestined ambassadorship unfolding can and will be used of God to atone for the sins of the world as he increases and we decrease.

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

Joh 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

The body of Christ is integral (or the ‘bridge’) to point people to Christ and to bring spiritual healing through this relationship that has been cut off from the world for now, introduced to very few starting at that day of Pentecost and until this day.

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place…

Act 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

Act 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Until the world is given to see and understand who Jesus Christ is, they will continue to kick against the pricks and persecute our Lord within each of us, just as we have done in our appointed time (Act 9:5).

Tonight’s verses will hopefully give us a closer view of the way that we attacked Christ and why it is needful and necessary for our maturing to go through those persecutions for the world’s sake as we are held up by an high priest whose suffering we are told to remember and consider less we grow weary in well doing.

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Our well-doing in this age is centered around being those ambassadors who are lambs for the slaughter and eventually food and drink for the masses (Rom 8:36-39), yet more than conquerors and very much “persuaded” [more and more], and “bearing witness”(Rom 9:1) of the “rock of offence”(Rom 9:33)

Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Rom 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

My beloved Gale, when I asked her, immediately pointed to Job as another example of someone who is a type of the elect who was smitten of God and surrounded by his miserable comforters who say in essence what we see this verse saying: “they persecute him whom thou hast smitten and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded”.

Job 16:2 I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.

Job’s friends couldn’t judge righteous judgement if their lives depended on it, as it does symbolically all of us in our time. It was only Elihu who typifies the elect (Job 32:4-10) who could comfort Job with the comfort (only in type and shadow, and always through righteous judgment which includes admonition) as we discussed last week.

2Co 1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

It is God who allows the suffering, sovereign over all the details of all this persecution being allowed, and using it in our lives to mature us so that we are ready in that day to reign and rule with Him – under Christ – because we have been counted “worthy” to suffer with him in this regard today.

Act 5:41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

2Th 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

2Ti 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

We go from wanting to avoid pain and rejection to coming to realize by the grace and faith of Christ that we can be as Christ and His Christ “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” or despising the shame as we discussed in verse 20 of Psalm 69 last week – but always through judgment and persecution and grief and being wounded in our flesh (Mar 12:4, Luk 10:30, Luk 20:12, Luk 10:34) to get there.

Joh 20:25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
Joh 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Joh 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
Joh 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

These three verses remind us of who exactly is running the show so to speak! God adds “iniquity unto their iniquity” just as we learned in Mike’s study last Sunday. (a href=”http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/he-hath-chosen-us-in-him-before-the-foundation-of-the-world/”>He Hath Chosen Us In Him Before The Foundation of The World)

“O God” (H430 ‘ĕlôhı̂ym) is sovereign over every [predestinated] step of our lives, both while we are enemies of the cross and when we – at the appointed time and by the grace and faith of God – become living sacrifices or ambassadors unto our great God.

What needs to be “blotted out of the book of the living” is our first man Adam who cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Nothing can and nothing will defile the kingdom of God is what we are being told here. And because we know God is the One writing all the books we can rest assured that what he has determined to accomplished is going to unfold according to the council of His will.

Dan 7:10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Psa 139:16 Your eyes saw my embryo, And my days, all of them were written upon Your scroll; The days were formed When there was not one of them.”CLV

Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

The condition that God is forming within the new creation is a heart that is “poor and sorrowful”, and it is a blessed event when we start crying out to God because we have been brought to our wits’ end “let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high”.

Isa 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Psa 107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

Perhaps the most hopeful part of this Psalm 69 in regard to showing us the fruit of what all of our trials produce in this age are found in these verses 30 to 33. These verses speak of the fruit that is manifested in our lives as a result of the tender mercies of God. They reveal to us that it is He that works with us and reinstates us into the book of life that we were once blotted out of because of our sins and transgressions which separated us from God.

Isa 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

“Praise[ing] the name of God with a song” and “magnify[ing] him with thanksgiving” for what he has done/is doing for/in us is a real action that blesses us but it is also a symbol that God uses to describe the harmony we come to understand in the body of Christ — this ‘collective oneness’ or “singleness of mind” that cannot but give thanks to Him for the work that Christ is doing within us, both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

1Pe 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

Luk 19:40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

The works that we did ‘by the law’ are those ‘many wonderful’ works which are represented by the “ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs”(see Daniel 8 and Ezekiel 34), and it is us at first who push with those horns trying to climb the corporate corrupt tower of Babylon that promises to take you up to the heavens but leads only to confusion of languages and no singleness of mind which God’s family are blessed to grow in as we come out of Babylon. This subject of oneness of mind and voice is very much connected to the “tender mercies of God” being shown to us.

Deu 33:16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.
Deu 33:17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

Gen 11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth…

Gen 11:8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
Gen 11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

1Pe 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

Php 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
Php 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Again, those who have been given a humble and contrite heart in this age know that they are nothing of themselves and that we cannot decide of ourselves that we will “keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” as stated in. All are admonitions that will be recognized and heeded by those who have Christ in them working in them both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Luk 17:10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

1Co 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

What we, who are being working with us in this age, ‘do’ as this part of our Psalm declares is “praise the name of God with a song” and “magnify him with thanksgiving”, given the sight to see clearly that this grafting in and grace that is being worked in us is being used to burn out the conceit that is naturally in the first man Adam (Rom 11:25) that says “haven’t we done many wonderful works” instead of acknowledging our nothingness and God’s absolute power over the whole lump that is holy.

Job 8:9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)

Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Heb 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

God’s ‘tender mercies’ are truly explained in verse 33 where we learn how incredibly blessed we are: “For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners” — the “kings prisoners” who we are.

Dan 5:13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?

Gen 39:20 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
Gen 39:21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

Our Psalm 69 ends off with this incredibly joyful moment of praise coming from “the heaven and the earth” and “the seas, and every thing that moveth therein”.

In other words, all the creation will come to acknowledge God who is turning all of His creation to His glory and it is through the praise that we develop more and more of the mind of Christ, which is a mind of thankfulness and praise. We are learning of his tender mercies now, and growing in our ability to acknowledge all these wonderful works unto the children of men which are His salvation unto us.

Ecc 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Luk 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Luk 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Luk 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
Luk 10:22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

It becomes even clearer in Psalms 69 verses 35 and 36 how it is that God is going to show those tender mercies and redeem all of his creation which is praising him. How? By those saviours who are born of that one seed (Gal 3:16), that seed being Jesus Christ who will be used to save the rest of humanity.

“For God will save Zion (Oba 1:21), and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.”

“The seed also of his servants (Gal 3:16) shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.”

]]> How We Are To Keep The Lord’s House Clean and His Body Healthy? https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/how-we-are-to-keep-the-lords-house-clean-and-his-body-healthy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-we-are-to-keep-the-lords-house-clean-and-his-body-healthy Sun, 20 Jul 2014 02:11:16 +0000 http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=8047
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How We Are To Keep The Lord’s House Clean and His Body Healthy?

The goal of this study today is to remind us all who we are as “the christ of Christ”, and to show you the scriptures which will keep us as a clean house for our Lord, and a healthy functioning body in Him.

I want to make clear that in referring to all the verses you will be hearing today, that I am well aware the “I have [no] dominion over your faith”, and that I want to be very careful and adhere to the warning of our Lord, and of the apostles Paul and Peter that your leaders are never to be ‘as lords over the Lord’s flock’.

Mat 20:25  But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
Mat 20:26  It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,
Mat 20:27  and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,

2Co 1:24  Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

1Pe 5:3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

You know a tree by its fruit, and it is that very fruit which will tell us who we are and who our leaders are that God has set in the body of Christ to be “vigilant for your souls” (Heb 13:17).

In Acts 22 Paul is relating what happened to him on the road to Damascus. He is speaking to the multitude at Jerusalem, who had just “[gone] about to kill him.” After relating his qualifications as a good Pharisee, he tells them that he had been so zealous for the traditions of his fathers that he had taken it upon himself to go to the chief priests in Jerusalem and secure papers giving him the authority to apprehend and discipline Christians in Damascus.

Then he tells them of being struck to the ground and hearing a voice asking “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Then he relates these words to that angry multitude:

Act 22:8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutes.

You and I are here together today because God has given us the faith that we are Jesus of Nazareth who is being persecuted by those who think they are doing God a service by attempting to destroy us. Paul, as a type of each of us, came to believe what Christ told him there on the road to Damascus, and he made this statement:

Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

How has God ordained that we “may know Him”? Has he ordained that we each get into our Bibles, isolate ourselves from each other and the world and get to know Him? The answer is Absolutely not! Christ Himself said this:

Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Joh 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Joh 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

And He also made this statement:

Luk 10:16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

So what we do to each other is what we are doing to Christ, if indeed we are Him and His body and His called out ones, His church.

God is using His church to make known the gospel and the doctrines of the kingdom of God “through their word”. Paul gives us the very same message:

Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

How does the holy spirit use the church to make known the manifold wisdom of God? Here are the scriptures on how that is accomplished:

1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
1Co 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

God has set us all exactly where we are in the church of God, and we are not to compare ourselves among ourselves. We are all equal in Christ, but that does not mean that we all have the same function within the church and body of Christ.

A very basic doctrine of the body of Christ is that of “be[ing] one in Christ”. ‘Being of one mind’ does not mean that women in Christ can be the head of the house or the church. This body of believers has some of the most godly women in the world within it, and they are all grateful to let the “the man [be] the head of the woman”, reflecting the principle that “the head of Christ is God”.

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Speaking of the marriage relationship, Paul tells us the the wife is to submit to her husband “as unto the Lord”.  Those are politically incorrect words, but they are straight out of the Bible:

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

“As Christ is the head of the church” is very plain language, but to impress this upon us, after giving many admonitions concerning how a marriage is to reflect “as Christ is the head of the church”, Paul makes himself super clear on this matter:

Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Does this same order carry through into Christ’s church? Yes, of course it does. There is order in both the symbols of the body and of the house of God:

Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Paul is speaking to the elders of the church of Ephesus, and he tells us that “God hath made you overseers… [of] the church of God”. Then in one of the earliest of his epistles, He gives us this admonition:

1Th 5:12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
1Th 5:13 And [we beseech you] to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
1Th 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

The church is called “the body” of Christ because our bodies have a very orderly arrangement in placing each member of that ‘body’ exactly where it is within ‘the body’.

1Co 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
1Co 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
1Co 12:19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

This is what we are “beseech[ed]” to do as members of the body of Christ:

1Ti 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

It was Christ Himself who first emphasized the importance of right and Godly doctrine, and He contrasted it with “the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees”:

Mat 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Mat 16:11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
Mat 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

This is a very clear warning from our Lord Himself about what most concerned Him. He warned His apostles to “try the spirits” and “beware of…the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” False doctrine is a major concern for the overseers of the Lord’s flock, and we are told that they “watch for our souls as they that must give an account” of whether or not they have done so (Heb 13:17).

Of those elders and overseers who do “take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” we are told this:

1Ti 5:17 Let the elders that rule well [Greek – are “esteemed highly for their works’ sake”] be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
1Ti 5:18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.
1Ti 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
1Ti 5:20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

Elders are to be afforded the same courtesy we are commanded to give any brother who trespasses against another. Let no one tell you that “if your brother trespasses against you” does not include bringing false doctrines to you individually or into the body of Christ. There is no greater trespass against your brother than to lead him into apostasy and into false doctrine.

“Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses”, is speaking specifically of those who “labor in the word and in doctrine”, and “trespassing against” a brother is specifically named as including “transgressing… in doctrine”.

2Jn 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
2Jn 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

That is just how important is the right doctrine. Falling for false doctrine will cause us to “lose… those things which we have wrought”.

When a brother “transgresses, and abides not in the doctrine of Christ” we are told he “has not God”. That is how critical the knowledge is of the doctrine and the mind of Christ.

When a brother transgresses in doctrine this is what “the elders that lead well” will always do. It is in the very next two verses:

2Jn 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

The words of our Lord in Matthew 18 add to “the sum of [His] Word” of what we are to do when a brother transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ:

Mat 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, [including “transgressing in doctrine”] go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Mat 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Mat 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

This is the doctrine of Christ Himself. It is designed to keep His church cleansed of the mold and leprosy of the deadly false doctrines which would rob the church of God of the unity and peace which are the fruit of the “one mind and one mouth” of Christ.

Psa 133:1 A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

And yet these words are despised by many, and counted as bondage and something to be avoided. And that is the very reason we have tens of thousands of conflicting Christian denominations which all teach the same doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. The Pharisees and the Sadducees also co-existed, telling each other that they had “Unity in the essentials, tolerance in the nonessentials, and in all things, love”. This brother is here to tell you that is a doctrine of demons, which precludes the “one mind [of] Jesus of Nazareth”.

“Be of one mind” is also counted to be a divisive and burdensome doctrine, along with “Ye observe days, months times and years. I fear lest I have bestowed labor upon you in vain.” When your elders and leaders stand on these doctrines, you are told in scripture that they are “vigilant for the sake of your souls”, and this is what you are told to do as part of the body of Christ.

Heb 13:17 Be persuaded by your leaders, and be deferring to them, for they are vigilant for the sake of your souls, as having to render an account, that they may be doing this with joy, and not with groaning, for this is disadvantageous for you. (CLV)

That, my brothers and sisters in Christ, is why we had this trial in this body. Your leaders were being “vigilant for the sake of your souls”. and they stopped an heretical doctrine from afflicting the Lord’s body. Anyone who thinks we just took it upon ourselves to abuse a brother is sorely misinformed. Anyone who is speaking of us, your elders, in that way is listening to an insidious and lying spirit which will rob us of our unity and single-mindedness in Christ. That decision was made only after much anguish of soul, and much consultation. We had taken it to the offender first, then in private emails had taken another brother, and it seemed at that point we were all on the same page, and it was resolved.  As one sister said, it seemed as though there was no need to take it to the church. It appeared to have been resolved. We had diligently listened to the voice of the Lord, and had been vigilant for your souls and not allowed heresy to afflict this body. Our sin was a procedural matter, for which we have repented publicly.

It was after all of this that the elders were rejected as leaders and everyone who participated in that Sunday study was rejected as a multitude of counselors. Only then did we act rashly. That was when we should have brought the church back into the discussion concerning the fate of our brother. We must always repent when we make a mistake, and we did, but we must never repent of having stopped that heresy of the teaching that we should not use the words fear and punishment which God pours out on the kingdom of our beast. The elders had been vigilant for your souls and had not allowed that heresy to afflict our Lord’s body.  That doctrine of fear and punishment is integral to the gospel of the kingdom of God within us. Our old man and his kingdom is doomed, and everything that breathes within that kingdom is doomed and “cannot inherit the kingdom of God”.

Nevertheless an elder must walk a very narrow path. His only means of leading is by “persuad[ing]” you with the Words of God, and by his own faithful example of being willing to follow in the footsteps of Christ, who did not think it bondage to come out from under the observing of “days, months, times, and years”, or to be of one mind in Christ, and to teach you to be persuaded of your leaders and defer to them.

1Pe 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
1Pe 5:3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

2Ti 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
2Ti 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

That is exactly what has happened, and it happened because your elders were “vigilant for your souls”. Your leaders receive no salaries. They know that the product they have is not a marketable product, and that it will be received and appreciated only by those who the holy spirit first crushes and then drags to the Christ. Pray for guidance. Keep in the Word. Ask for discernment to hear and follow the voice of the true shepherd. Those you perceive as leaders have no dominion over your faith.

2Co 1:24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

This is who we all are:

Tit 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
Tit 1:8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
Tit 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Tit 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

Are any of the elders yet perfected? Of course not! But rest assured that every move they make, even their every mistake, is done because they are attempting to “hold fast the faithful word as they have been taught” by the Word of God and by the multitude of counselors which are those in whom Christ dwells and who the holy spirit crushes and brings to this body of believers. That is who “a multitude of counselors are”. They are those who the Lord brings to us. They hear the voice of the True Shepherd. They are those who are striving to be of the one mind of Christ, and who do not consider Christ’s words to be bondage and burdensome.

Look at just how important it is that we all “be of the same mind”:

Rom 15:6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Co 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

Php 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Php 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

1Pe 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

The leaders of Babylon will not touch that doctrine with a ten-foot pole, because it gives the lie to their most cherished doctrine of “Unity in the essentials, tolerance in the non essentials, but love in all things”

Now let me add what is really being said in that mantra of Babylon: “Unity in the essentials [of the doctrine of Christ], tolerance in the non essentials [of the doctrine of Christ], but love [of this very insidious doctrine] in all things.”

If indeed you count us to be your elders, then let these holy spirit-inspired words sink into your heart and “do the things [our Lord] says” by the pen of His apostles.

Heb 13:17 Be persuaded by your leaders, and be deferring to them, for they are vigilant for the sake of your souls, as having to render an account, that they may be doing this with joy, and not with groaning, for this is disadvantageous for you.

It “is disadvantageous for you” when any of us withstands the entire body and becomes confrontational in the body of Christ and does not even afford the elders the same Matthew 18 treatment that must be given everyone who trespasses against a brother. But we have all learned our lesson, and in that we can all rejoice.

The Lord works miracles and heals our wounds, and we rejoice when that happens, but we must learn from those wounds and never make the same mistakes again. What that means is that we must, from this day forth, be far more vigilant to “diligently listen to the voice of the Lord” about involving the church in our decisions concerning our brothers and sisters. But we must also listen diligently to the voice of the Lord concerning all these admonitions we have shared with you today. We cannot be careful about the one and careless about the other. We must be equally careful to “do all of His statues.” We must all take it upon ourselves to “know those who labor among us and esteem them highly for their works’ sake”, and show double honor to those who labor among us in the Word and in doctrine. We must be diligent to obey the commandment to “be persuaded of those you esteem”, and defer to them, and receive not an accusation against them except before two or three witnesses. We must continue to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, as well as include the church in the process of ridding ourselves of those who would divide and scatter us.

Is our service to Christ intended to be a burden upon us? Yes, it most certainly is, and anyone who teaches otherwise and tells you it is not meant to be a burden is teaching utter heresy and is preaching smooth things. “Diligently listen” to these words of warning to God’s own people, and fear:

Isa 30:8 Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:
Isa 30:9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:
Isa 30:10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

And this is what we are told of the Lord’s ‘burden’:

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 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.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Christ’s yoke is easy and and His burden is light only compared to the burden of being rebellious and lying children who do not want to hear of a burden or a yoke, and instead want to hear only “smooth things” which will make things smooth enough to be kept from being “hated of all men for [Christ’s] name’s sake”.

Do the “things [Christ] say[s]”, place us in bondage? Yes, they do? But again, our bondage is bondage to righteousness, and not to the smooth things which rebellious and lying children want to hear and do.

1Co 7:22 For, in the Lord, he who is being called a slave, is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise, he who is being called, being free, is a slave of Christ. (CLV)

Rom 6:16 Are you not aware that to whom you are presenting yourselves as slaves for obedience, his slaves you are, whom you are obeying, whether of Sin for death, or of Obedience for righteousness?

It is the bondage of sin from which we are freed. We are not freed from the tribulations and trials of walking in the footsteps of our Lord and having to be crucified with him:

Gal 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.

Either we are the church of Christ and we are a part of His body, or we are not. After giving Timothy all these admonitions which I have repeated today, this is what Paul tells Timothy. This is the glorious truth of all of us, including the elders and the Lord’s flock:

1Ti 3:14 These things [all these admonitions] write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
1Ti 3:15 But if I tarry long, [I have written them] that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

At the beginning of this study I told you that “The goal of this study today is to remind us all who we are as “the christ of Christ”, and to show you the scriptures which will keep us as a clean house for our Lord, and a healthy functioning body in Him.”

Let me repeat these verses:

Mat 20:25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
Mat 20:26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,
Mat 20:27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,

2Co 1:24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

1Pe 5:3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

The Lord’s true shepherds can only convince and persuade you with the Word of God as God opens your eyes. But we are “the christ” of Christ. We are “the church of the living God, [and as such we are] the pillar and ground of the truth.”

It is with much gratitude that we should all rejoice that the Lord has seen fit to bring us all back together and that we can now go forward with one mind, having learned how to handle heresies and keep the Lord’s house clean, as well as how to involve the church in doing that.

Let us now move forward with one mind and one mouth glorifying our great, loving, heavenly Father:

Rom 15:5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
Rom 15:6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

]]> Marriage in Scripture – Part 11: Not My Will, But Thine Be Done https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/marriage-in-scripture-part-11-not-my-will-but-thine-be-done/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=marriage-in-scripture-part-11-not-my-will-but-thine-be-done Sat, 17 May 2014 20:25:37 +0000 http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=7774

No video is available for this study. Audio will be posted soon.

Not My Will…But…Thine Be Done

[Study Aired May 18, 2014]

The words “Thy will be done” are taken from the so-called Lord’s prayer, and they are the words of our Lord when praying to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Mat 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Mat 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Mat 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

We have covered many aspects of the marriage relationship, and all along we have seen that it points to the spiritual reality that Christ is the head of His church and that our desire should be to please Him in all we do:

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

The marriage union actually “speak[s] concerning Christ and the church… even as Christ is the head of the church”. But Christ and the church are also “a great mystery… speak[ing] concerning Christ and [His] head [which is] God… the Father”.

1Co 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

“The head of Christ is God… the Father, of whom are all things”. Just as all things are “of… the Father”, so also all men come into this world “by the woman”, the wife.

1Co 11:12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

“The head of the woman is the man… [yet] the man… is… by the woman.” That is the physical order.

Here now is the spiritual order:

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

“The head of Christ is God… and… all things are by [Christ]”. That order puts the “son of God” in the same place as a wife, so that “the man [is] also by the woman”. “The woman” by whom the first man came into being was the “Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things”:

Joh 1:3 All things were made by him [Christ, the Word]; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

It is of utmost importance that we realize just what the marriage union typifies, and while it does typify the relationship of Christ and the church, Christ and the church typify the relationship of Christ with the “one God of whom are all things”, and who used Christ in the same way Christ is using His wife to bring all things to the Father “by the church”.

Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace by unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

That is quite a work which the Lord has placed upon His Christ, “the church”, and like our example we, too, must be brought to “do nothing of ourselves” and do everything we do “to please the Father”.

The selflessness of Christ

Christ did nothing of Himself. Every word He spoke was from His Father:

Joh 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Christ did nothing of Himself, and He said nothing of Himself for this reason:

Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.

That is the goal and the purpose for a marriage union. It is designed to make a man and a woman, one:

Mat 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

This “one[ness]” of a man and his wife, is the type and shadow of Christ’s oneness with His wife, the church, which is a type and shadow of the oneness of Christ and His Father, as is plainly stated in this verse of scripture:

Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Paul goes on in this very same chapter to tells us that the natural man always perverts the “things of [God]” in a way that is “against nature”:

Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Rom 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Rom 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

What these verses tell us is that the perversion of homosexuality is “vile affections” designed by God to “change the natural use [of sex between a man and a woman] into that which is against nature”.

And why does this take place? What does God use to produce such a perverted mind in His creatures?

Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

And that is the exact opposite of these words:

Joh 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

That is the goal of the marriage union. That is what makes for a healthy, happy and productive marriage which will bring forth the fruit of the womb and will produce children who will see that same selflessness in their parents, and will be that kind of husband and wife.

We concluded our last study with this verse of scripture, among others which convey the same message:

Rom 15:5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
Rom 15:6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 15:7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Any couple who are “likeminded one toward another… with one mind”, and that ‘one mind’ being “the mind of Christ”, will repent of any thoughts contrary to “be[ing] likeminded… with one mind”, and will not succumb to “uncleanness through the lusts of their own flesh”.

God has given us the safeguards to fight against the perversions of “men [having sex] with men… leaving the natural use of the woman… working that which is unseemly… and… women changing the natural use [of sex] into that which is against nature”.

Here are God’s instructions which will keep the marriage and the family intact, and healthy:

1Co 7:4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
1Co 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, [of the affections of love, including sex] except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

“Come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency” gives the lie to the Catholic doctrine and to the doctrine many Protestants also teach. That doctrine is that sex for any reason other than procreation is a sin because it is a totally selfish act.

Selfishness is the opposite of “Not My will but Thine be done”

This study is about how selfishness in a married couple can ruin a marriage. Pure and unadulterated selfishness, that places one’s own desires and wishes above the good and the needs of your marriage, can and will destroy a marriage, and one way that selfishness is expressed is in the abuse of the sex act. Whether it is out of ignorance or out of selfish stubbornness, the result is the same. The marriage suffers, and the married couple rob themselves of the joy that marriage is supposed to be.

It is true that sex outside of marriage is a sin, it is equally true that “defrauding” each other while being married is also a grievous sin. 1Co 7:5 is inspired of the holy spirit:

1Co 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, [of sex] except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again (including sex), that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Those words are written because of the naturally selfish, stubborn nature that is common to both men and women without Christ living His life within us. Anyone who thinks that sex is only for procreation denies the need to “come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency”.

I do not want to be misunderstood. I am not saying that we should not have children. Children and marriage go together like husband and wife go together. This is what the scriptures teach concerning children in a marriage:

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Over-population is a man-made fabrication. Science was predicting world-wide famine by 1975. It did not happen, and it is now nearly 40 years later. We are not over-populated, we are over-concentrated. Vast areas that once were farmed are being returned to nature, as people move off the land and into the cities, making room for the desert tortoise, the spotted owl, snail darters, and any other animal or insect that can be concocted as being in danger of extinction. There is no such language in the Word of God, and yet that is what is taking place world wide.

Here again is God’s mind concerning married couples having children:

Psa 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
Psa 127:4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Psa 127:5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

That is the mind of God concerning the place of children in a marriage. Children are the heritage of the Lord, His reward, and they are as arrows in the hand of a mighty man. In God’s way of thinking “happy is the man that has his quiver full” of those arrows. So it should be clear that procreation is indeed a part of marriage

On the other hand, the Song of Solomon is a love song which never once mentions procreation.

Instead this the warning of the Song of Solomon:

Son 2:15 Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom. (ESV)

“The little foxes that spoil the vineyards” are those selfish actions that rob our marriages of the incredible joy that marriage is supposed to be. It is through selfish, self-centered pride that all the potential joy of what should be a happy, functional marriage, is then replaced with “a root of bitterness” resulting in a life of misery, which is so easily avoided by simply stepping back and “examin[ing our]selves”, to see whether we are letting those “little foxes” completely dig up and destroy our vineyard, our marriage.

In the preceding verses we invite our love to “come away” with us:

Son 2:12 The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
Son 2:13 The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.
Son 2:14 O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.

We tell the world that God is working all things after the counsel of His own will, and indeed that is exactly what He is doing. Yet we act as if our mate is an exception to that Truth.

“Catch[ing] the little foxes for us”, is us examin[ing our]selves, being sober, being vigilant, and being diligent to check our own selfishness and check our tendency to blame our spouse for what the Lord is using our spouse to show us about ourselves. God did not give me Sandi to show me her weaknesses and faults. I used to think that way. It sure seemed that way when she failed to pay diligent attention to every thing I expected of her. Of course the lesson was really nothing less than a reflection of how I was treating my own husband Christ. I was the one who was not diligent to listen to what He expected of me, and so it is with all of us.

Exo 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

“If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord” is speaking to me, not to Sandi. We cannot change our spouse. God alone can do that. Of course we cannot change ourselves either, but that is what we are exhorted to do, even as we acknowledge that it is all a work of God within us:

Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

If we are concentrating on “working out [our] own salvation”, and “listening diligently to the voice of the Lord”, then it will come much easier to love our mate, to hide the sins of that mate, and to “from the heart” repent of how we have failed to do that.

1Pe 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

Does that verse not include our own mate? “Have fervent charity among yourselves because charity shall cover a multitude of sins”. Love does not delight in exposing the sins of others. Love takes great care to hide the shortcomings and faults of others. How much more the faults and sins of our spouse:

Pro 17:9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

Tit 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Jas 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

“Love covers a transgression and hides a multitude of sins”, but ignoring that commandment of God causes us to find fault with our mate. We then ignore the commandment to “speak evil of no man”, and we literally advertise the faults we see in our spouse before our children and families and friends. That is certainly not “seeking love, [or] covering a transgression”. Rather when we tell other of our mate’s faults, that is selfish narcissism, by which we attempt to make ourselves look better at the expense of our spouse. This is common to all of us, both men and women, and we will in God’s time, repent of working against our own marriage with such reprehensible words and actions.

Such a situation does not lend itself to making our love, our spouse, sound like “the [cooing] voice of the turtledove”. It does not promote an atmosphere of wanting to invite your love to “arise… and come away”. Whether our children ever see it or not, there has never yet been a marriage so perfect that either spouse is above reproach within the marriage union, and without the mind of God, and without the miraculous work of God in our lives, no marriage could survive the selfish, stubborn “little foxes” that destroy the “vineyard” which is our marriage. But God has made provision for salvaging a marriage from the errors of our self-centered, pride-filled ways.

According to 1Co 7:5 we are all instructed:

1Co 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, [of sex] except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again (including sex), that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

The most natural thing in the world is to “defraud” each other when our pride is hurt, when we feel ignored, neglected or disrespected. As the leader of our families, we men need to remember that our wives simply want to be loved and respected and made to feel special in our eyes. Pride is a beast that has, and will continue to destroy marriages, and that pride should not rule the leader of the family. As the leader in our families we should look for an opportunity to break the ice and let our wife know we love her and that we want to discuss our differences in a humble and loving spirit. There is no place in a marriage for “the strong silent type”. Communications cannot be over emphasized within the marriage union. Men can seek reconciliation without surrendering their place as the head of the family. But it will require patience and humility. Ask God for His power to overcome that beast of pride within us all.

Neither is there a place for a bitter, silent, resentful wife, who shows her children even by body language that she is not ‘one mind’ with her husband, but rather takes offense at every comment he makes to her and rejects any sign of affection he may want to show her because of her stubborn pride. Either side can ruin a potentially good marriage, and if both are in play, how difficult it will be when both mates are exhibiting their pride toward the other.

This is what the scriptures say to us men:

1Co 6:7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

We seem to think that verses like this refer to any brother or sister in Christ except for the one to whom it should be applied first and foremost, our wives!

While a Godly husband will take the lead in seeking reconciliation, reconciliation will also be the goal of a Godly wife. We as men are commanded to be the leader in our homes, but we fail in that way far too often. Fortunately God has made us men quite simple creatures, and He has given us a weakness for our wives which a humble, loving and wise wife will utilize when a pride-filled, self-centered, and stubborn husband will not take the lead in seeking reconciliation in the marriage. She will “suffer herself to be defrauded”, but she will never defraud her husband. Get rid of the destructive anti-male spirit of modern feminism which teaches young women that equal means alike. That spirit is anti-male, anti-children, and completely consumed with stubborn, selfish pride. Children are considered a burden instead of a blessing, and men are the enemy who just want to tie you down to the house with the children, and it is all a lie straight out of the ‘bottomless pit’.

In Matthew men and women alike are told:

Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

But look at what Strong’s Concordance, and the TVM module in e-sword reveals concerning the Greek for that word ‘be’. Here is Strong’s definition first:

G2071
ἔσομαι
esomai
es’-om-ahee
Future tense of G1510; will be: – shall (should) be (have), (shall) come (to pass), X may have, X fall, what would follow, X live long, X sojourn.

The first thing we are told is that this word is in the future tense, followed by all the future tense translations which appear elsewhere in the King James Version.

This is the TVM entry:
G5704
Tense-Future See [G5776]
Voice-No Voice Stated See [G5799]
Mood -Indicative See [G5791]

Both inform us that this is not a commandment in the present tense or in the imperative mood, rather it is a simple statement of what we are to become. ‘You are becoming perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect’ is a much better translation, and it certainly comports with all the rest of scripture which tells us, in fact:

Php 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

These words are all applicable to our marriages. There are no perfect marriages, and if we are unaware that marriages are designed by our Creator to bring us pain and to make us to see where we ourselves fall short, then we are missing the very purpose of this Godly institution. Adam needed Eve, and Eve needed Adam, and they still do to this very day. We need the very wife God gave us, and you wives need the very husband God gave you. Work at appreciating the pains of marriage.

In conclusion we should see that “Not my will but thine be done” is our Lord’s example for both husbands and wives. If we both have this spirit, we will treat each other like Christ treated His Head, and we will not attempt to avoid the pain which we are told in advance is to be expected when we married our Lord:

2Ti 3:10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
2Ti 3:11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

If that is what we are to expect as the bride of Christ, why would we ever expect to live a physical marriage without the same trials? Just as God is not looking for perfect children, rather He is looking for repentant ‘publican’ children who are willing “from the heart” to forgive those who have trespassed against them.

Luk 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

All of these great spiritual truths apply also to our marriages. That is where they should be applied first and foremost whether we are speaking of wives with unbelieving husbands, husbands with unbelieving wives, or believing married couples, let us all consider the personal application to our marriages of these very sobering words directly from the mouth of our Lord Himself:

Mat 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother [or spouse] sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Mat 18:23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven [within us] likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
Mat 18:24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents [this is not our spouse, but us].
Mat 18:25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
Mat 18:26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Mat 18:27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
Mat 18:28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants [Our own spouse?], which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
Mat 18:29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Mat 18:30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. [Our own spouse???]
Mat 18:31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. [Verses 15-17]
Mat 18:32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
Mat 18:33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant [your own spouse above all men or women on earth], even as I had pity on thee?
Mat 18:34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Mat 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother [and his spouse] their trespasses.

May God help us to apply these words of our Lord to our own spouse first and foremost!

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