Changing Identities

Ruth 1:22; 2:2, 6, 21; 4:5, 10, 13

I reference a lot of verses from the little book of Ruth for this study, because I want to focus on how the Holy Spirit refers to this young girl. Ruth is a love story about a girl from the land of Moab, who marries a Jewish man while his family is living in her country because of a famine in their native land of Bethlehem. The man dies, along with his father and his brother, leaving his mother Naomi and his wife Ruth, and his sister-in-law Orpah.

When the famine is over in her homeland, the widow Naomi decides to return, leaving the idol-worshipping Moabites behind once and for all. Orpah decides to stay, but Ruth has obviously seen a difference in Naomi, and wishes to return to Judah with her. Naomi tries to talk her out of it because Ruth is a Gentile, from a nation that is well known for its brutality and death, and Naomi fears that Ruth will not be accepted in Judah. Undeterred, young Ruth makes an impassioned speech and follows Naomi home (Ruth 1:16, 17).

When they arrive, Ruth goes to work gleaning among the fields. This was a Jewish tradition that mandated all owners to leave the corners of their fields unharvested so that the stranger and the poor could have something to eat. Being a stranger, Ruth works hard and finds herself gleaning in the field of the wealthiest man in all the land, Boaz.

A near kinsman, Boaz has the right to marry Ruth, which he does. The book of Ruth is the story of their whirlwind romance and it contains so many beautiful references to the grace of God as displayed through the Christ character Boaz. However, it is the subtle reference to how Ruth is referred to that shows the greatest example of the New Covenant.

As long as they were in the land of Moab, the scripture refers to her only as ‘Ruth’ (chapter 1). When they return (1:22), she becomes ‘Ruth the Moabitess’. We see it again in chapter 2, verse 2 and then again as the ‘Moabitish damsel’ in verse 6. As if to remind the reader of her background, the scriptures keep peppering us with her ‘Moabitess’ title.

In the final chapter, when Boaz purchases the right to marry Ruth, he refers to her by her nationality twice (Ruth 4:5, 10). Then something happens upon his purchase of her. When he takes her as his own wife, the text tells us, “So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife” (Ruth 4:13). Suddenly, the Holy Spirit makes no reference to the fact that Ruth was a Moabitess. As Boaz is the Christ figure, and you and I are the idol-worship heathens from the land of the outcasts, the wedding of these two is the union of the sinner to Christ. We go from ‘lost’ to ‘found’ in the marriage ceremony of salvation, and He chooses to remember our sins and our iniquities no more (Hebrews 10:17). Our new husband will never mention where we came from again!

As a child of God, and as the bride of Christ, you should never be reminded of the sins that you have committed. Your heavenly husband will wash you clean with the water of His sweet words, and He will not bring guilt to you from your past. Do not accept the voice of condemnation. You may have been a Moabitess before you met Jesus, but you are one no longer.

The 300 That Lapped

Judges 7:2, 7

Hollywood produced a big-budget film that told the story of the 300 Spartans that defended their homeland at the small bottleneck pass called Thermopylae in 480 B.C. History, mingled with legend, has it that these 300 warriors held off the army of Persian invaders for an entire day, eventually losing all but one man who lived to tell the tale. They supposedly killed thousands of the Persians, and though they did not defeat the entire army, they put enough fear into the invaders to reconsider the full-scale invasion.

We can’t be sure how much truth is wrapped up in the legend, but the number of Spartans and the story of their amazing bravery in the face of overwhelming odds could have come straight from the pages of the Bible. The book of Judges tells the story of Gideon, being chosen by God to lead the nation of Israel out from under the hand of the Midianites. When Gideon announces his plan, 32,000 men arrive, ready to take to the battlefield. Gideon then invokes Deuteronomy 20:8, which allows any man who is afraid, to return home, lest his fear rub off on his fellow-soldiers. Much to Gideon’s dismay, 22,000 men take him up on the offer!

God views the remaining 10,000 and still deems them too many, “lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me” (Judges 7:2). This prompts one of the most bizarre selection processes in military history as Gideon leads the 10,000 to the river to drink, keeping only those who lap the water from their hands. The number of those who kept their heads up, aware of their surroundings, drinking water from their cupped hands was only 300, and this constituted God’s deliverance army.

There is a lesson to be learned, not only from the number but from how God came to that number. In the battlefield of the Lord, there is no time to take our eyes off of our Savior. When we are face down at the river, we see only our own reflection. Christianity has become more about how we look and act than about seeing the priceless finished work of our Savior. “Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

In paring the army down to 300, God has provided himself with the choicest of warriors. These have no fear in their hearts and they keep their eyes focused on the prize. We might consider Gideon a failed leader in the church today, taking a congregation of 32,000 and shrinking it down to 300 in a matter of hours. However, God does not use the same system of accounting that we do.

There is not always success in great numbers. While there is certainly nothing wrong with drawing a crowd (Jesus drew consistently large crowds), there is also no holiness nor righteousness in a successfully large number. If the circle around you seems small, do not be dismayed. You may be in the circle of the 300.

While the church world forsakes the precious message of pure grace, keep your eyes leveled on His finished work. Know that the battle is large, but it belongs to the Lord. Perhaps the reason that 300 was better than 32,000 is that these are the only 300 who will let a miracle win the battle instead of themselves. Be the saint that lets Jesus win the battle while you get the victory.

Crucifying Jesus Again

Hebrews 6:1-6

The first several verses of this chapter have caused a lot of confusion in many believers’ minds. Since God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), the problem lies with how we are interpreting the scripture, and how we have been taught to do so.

To properly understand what the author (who I believe is the Apostle Paul) is saying, you must notice that in the last few verses of chapter 5, he breaks away from talking about the High Priesthood of Jesus to explain that some people are not maturing in their walk with God enough to handle such information. They have been saved long enough to be teaching others, but they still need taught themselves (Hebrews 5:12).

Chapter 6 is Paul’s attempt to bring them back to the foundation of the New Covenant. He opens by taking them past the “principles of the doctrine of Christ”. He is not insinuating that there is something other to preach than Christ’s finished work, for the phrase means the “word of the beginning of the Christ” in Greek. He is taking them past the Old Testament prophets, which is where many Jews were getting stuck, still looking for Christ, though He had already come.

He wants them to understand their perfection in Christ (verse 2), which he will further explain in the 10th chapter. He explains that they no longer need the “foundation of repentance from dead works”, this is the sacrificial system, and “of faith toward God”. Our faith is not toward God under the New Covenant, it is toward Jesus.

He ends up with three verses that have caused grief in some, for he says that “it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:4-6).

These verses refer to someone who was “enlightened” and have “tasted” and are “partakers of the Holy Ghost”. The phrase ‘partakers’ is from the Greek, ‘metochous’ meaning “going along with”. They go along with the teaching of the Holy Spirit but do not know His power. These are individuals who hear the gospel message but never accept it by faith. If this is the case then there is truly no way to “renew them again unto repentance” because they have rejected the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. They have put His finished work to an open shame because by rejecting it; they are saying that it isn’t enough!

As the message of God’s pure grace is ministered to you, please do not just “go along”. Accept His love and forgiveness freely and allow Him to wash you with the water of His words. If you reject grace, there is nothing left to accept but your own works of the law for righteousness. Having viewed Christ’s sacrificial death, for you to go back to your own works is to crucify Him afresh, saying that His finished work is an unfinished work. Believer, His finished work is a COMPLETELY finished work. Rest in Him today!

The Glorious Appearing

Titus 2:13

In Paul’s little letter to Titus, he explains to him that it is the grace of God which teaches the believer how to live (Titus 2:11, 12). Verse 13 further explains that this grace will also cause us to look for the “blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

Some people make the end time events sound horrific, leading Christians to constantly focus on the events in the Middle East and always speak of the wickedness of the world. We should remember that Paul never focused the early church on the political signs of the times, choosing rather to expose the loveliness of Jesus to his people.

Grace is not a doctrine; it is a person and His name is Jesus. John told us that the law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17). Paul’s instruction to Titus concerning how grace will teach us to live, also shows us that the grace of God, “hath appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11). Notice that grace has already appeared, and this would be in the form of Jesus. He now turns the believer to a separate appearance in verse 13, “the glorious appearance”.

Both “appearances” involve the same person: Jesus Christ. The first appearance is categorized as the appearance of grace, for Jesus embodies God’s grace and goodness. The second appearance is deemed “glorious”, as this is the return of Jesus to take away His bride, the church. Paul leaves no cause for fear or concern regarding this appearance, which is why he calls it a blessed hope and “glorious appearing”.

Believers should remember that anything that takes their focus off of Jesus and His loveliness is a distraction against the grace of God, and will ultimately lead to misery. To focus our end-time teaching on the appearance of an anti-Christ is to take our blessed hope off of the appearance of our Savior. Never look for an anti-Christ when you can look for the Christ!

Consequently, when Paul gave these instructions to Titus, he knew that they would make Titus a popular preacher with the sinners, but very unpopular among the religious crowd. He tells him, “These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.” (Titus 2:15) Saying what is right is not always easy, for many will never accept that grace is the answer for how to live. The exhortation of the hearer is essential if grace is to do its work. The believer must hear the grace of God and have it build their soul. If condemnation and guilt is preached at them, this must be rebuked “with all authority”.

Do not hear the voice of condemnation in your life today. Focus on Jesus and His loveliness, not the problems of the world around you. Minister grace to all of those who will listen and rebuke the enemy when he ministers death and condemnation. Not all will accept it from you, but many will look to Jesus with you, glad for that “blessed hope”.

I Am Persuaded

2 Timothy 1:12

For many years, this verse has been one of my favorites. It speaks of a firm conviction, not in a doctrine or a belief, for those things waver and change as we grow older, but a conviction in a person. It is “whom I have believed”, not “what I have believed”. What I believe has changed more than once, and will no doubt change some more, but whom I have believed in has been Jesus Christ for a long time.

Not only do I believe in Him, as I am sure you do as well, but I am persuaded that He is able to take care of every single thing in my life. I have committed both my heart and my life to Him, and I believe that both are in very capable hands.

I realize that the end is coming fast upon us all. We all have an appointment with death, and barring the return of our Lord Jesus in the clouds, we will keep that appointment. “That day” is approaching, but it does not stop my Lord Jesus from providing for me and protecting me in the meantime.

Some function in the powers of persuasion. I do not claim to have that gift, though I will try with all of my efforts to persuade all who will listen of the greatness of God’s love and the sacrifice of Jesus. Being persuaded is an absolute necessity if one is to do something great. You must be persuaded that it is worth the time and effort, and you must be persuaded that you are the right person for the job.

Paul told the church at Rome, “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). He is talking about personal convictions in this passage, how some think you should honor one holy day and another thinks it’s not important. Regardless of the subject, the fact that he said it at all is important. Whatever you go after, you must be fully persuaded that it is worth it. Halfway persuaded is not enough. Halfway persuaded leads to half-hearted effort, which leads to worthless results.

When Paul stood before King Agrippa and the Roman procurator Porcius Festus, he shared his testimony of how he had come to know Christ as his savior. Festus accused Paul of being insane, and Paul responded that he was completely sober, “For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner” (Acts 26:26). Again, Paul is persuaded that his words are working, and that Festus is under conviction, hiding behind his accusations.

Paul turns to King Agrippa, who is over the Jews in Palestine, and appeals to his Jewish heritage and knowledge of scripture, asking him if he believes the prophets. “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (Acts 26:28). Here is a man who is “almost persuaded”, but not all of the way persuaded. It is a dreadful thing to be almost persuaded of Christ and His finished work, but never “fully persuaded” in your own mind and heart.

We must each make up our minds as to whether or not we are fully persuaded that Jesus is who He claims to be. Do we really believe that His work is a finished work? Do we really believe that He has forgiven us for all of our sins? Do we really believe that He will take care of us? If you are persuaded, then let Him take your burdens. Rest today dear saint, in Him.

The Man: Christ Jesus

1 Timothy 2:5, 6

In our endless journey to discover the spiritual Jesus, may we never forget that Jesus was also a man. He was not ‘part man/part God’. He was all man and all God, both at the same time. Seem impossible? Such are the ways of a God whose reasoning and thoughts lie beyond our own. If Jesus were less than a man, then He could not die as a man who was sinless. If he were less than God then He and the Father could not have been as one.

There is one mediator, or representative between God and man and that is Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). Paul emphasizes that it is ‘the man’ Christ Jesus so that we are reminded of Christ’s humanity. It is not the deified Christ Jesus that mediates for us, but rather it is the humanity of Christ that intercedes on our behalf. The man, Christ Jesus knows what it means to be a human, and can properly mediate to the Father for us, for He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

When Moses heard from God on Mt. Sinai, he brought God’s words back to the people. Moses became the representative and mouthpiece of God, first to Pharaoh and then to Israel. Whatever God wanted to say and do, He would say and do it first through Moses.

This arrangement left little hope for the children of Israel. Every time they saw Moses climb the mountain, they knew that he would bring back a mandate from the Lord. They grew to despise these meetings, for it was always God addressing them, and they had no defense.

Then God provided the priesthood, and specifically, the high priest. The high priest held the honor of sacrificing the animal for the entire children of Israel on the annual Day of Atonement and sprinkling that blood on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. This blood would appease the wrath of God for another year and Israel would have their sins covered.

As Moses had represented God to the people, the high priest now represented the people to God. The people now had a mediator; someone to plead their case. Through the sacrificial blood, the people appeared forgiven and God would honor the sacrifice because of the consecration and dedication of the high priest. This was great, as long as the priest was a good one. A bad, sloppy, sinful priest would spell doom for them all.

Not only was Jesus tempted in all points as we are, yet He did not sin, we find out more in the front part of that verse. Notice His role:

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

He is our high priest, or our representative to God, and we never have to fear Him living wrong, or sloppy or sinful. You have a mediator today. Do you have a problem? Take it to God through your mediator Christ Jesus. Pray in Jesus’ name and watch your heavenly Father respond to the man, Christ Jesus.

A Hell to Shun

2 Thessalonians 1:8, 9

As a boy, I often heard a description of gospel preaching as, “There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun”. Most of the messages that I heard gave heavy emphasis to hell, with its flames and torment; while paying little attention to heaven beyond “streets of gold”. Heaven was viewed as a final destination and a mystery; one so great that no human could comprehend it, so we need not preach much about it. Hell was viewed as getting bigger and bigger to accommodate the many millions who were falling headlong into it every day.

As I grew older and went into the ministry, I fell into the same habit of heavily emphasizing hell and preaching sermon after sermon on how to gain heaven and avoid hell. Preaching seemed to encompass those thoughts exclusively. I would go so far as to say, “My job is to keep you out of hell and get you to heaven”. Actually, that is not the preacher’s job at all. Jesus said that our job was to feed the sheep (John 21:17). It is the job of the blood of Jesus, met by your faith, to get you to heaven and keep you from hell.

The great messenger of God’s Grace and Goodness was the Apostle Paul. It is a good idea to take our cues on how to preach and how to view God from this giant of the ministry. In the 14 books that he contributed to the New Testament (75% of the total volume), Paul gives us the sum total of the New Covenant. He ministers on salvation, faith, fruit of the Spirit, gifts of the Spirit, the end times and even how to handle problems in the local church. He gives instructions for speaking in other tongues in a church service, and tells us why we should observe communion. In light of all that he tells us, we could possibly learn volumes by noticing what he never tells us.

Paul never mentions hell. He never threatens the believer with flames of fire and he never romanticizes the tortures of the afterlife in order to solidify a sermon. His lack of preaching on this subject is not meant to suggest that the place does not exist, but when we remember that he was writing to churches, composed of Christians, we understand why he leaves it out.

There is no room in hell for the believer! We are promised heaven and an inheritance. If hell were the possible final destination for someone who has accepted Christ, the Apostle Paul should have mentioned it, at least once. The absence of such a warning lends credence to the fact that the New Covenant has no punishment left for believers, for Christ has bore all of God’s judgment (John 12:31, 32).

The closest that Paul comes to this subject is found in 2 Thessalonians 1:8, 9 when Paul warns that Jesus will appear to take “vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” The vengeance of hell will be against those who do not know God and that disobey the gospel of Jesus Christ. This says nothing of disobeying the law and the commandments. The gospel of Christ is good news and all that reject that good news are promised ‘everlasting destruction’.

Saints, there is a hell to shun, but you need not to fear it. Jesus bore your punishment in His body at Calvary and now you never have to think of punishment again. For those who do not believe, they will receive that punishment, but for those of us who do, we rejoice in His suffering for our sake.