THE THREE R'S OF REDEMPTION (Division II B)

“To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan unto god, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me” (Acts 26:18). 

  I. RECOGNIZE THE SITUATION – Acts 26:18a

A. The Payment for Sin – Rom. 6:23a

B. The Provision for the Sinner – Rom. 6:23

 II. RENOUNCE SIN AND SATAN – Acts 26:18b

    A. Renounce the Practice of Sin – Acts 26:18

    B. Renounce the Promoter of Sin – Acts 26:18b

III. RECEIVE THE SAVIOR  - Acts 26:18c

Introduction:  Acts 26:18 is one of the main verses I have used in evangelistic meetings as well as in discipleship classes.  This verse was given to Paul when he was commissioned to be the apostle to the Gentiles.  It involved three distinct concepts that a person must know to come to the Lord Jesus Christ: I. Recognize the situation; II. Renounce Sin and Satan; and III. Receive the Savior.   This week we are looking at part B under Roman numeral II.

 B. Renounce the Promoter of Sin – Acts 26:18b

“And [to turn them] from the power of Satan unto [the power of] God” (26:18bb)

The Great Commission given to the Apostle Paul to take the Gospel to the Gentiles is concise, clear, and complete.  The phrase “And from the power of Satan unto [the power of] God” is taught throughout the Bible, but it takes many of us a while to capture this truth, which is short but piercing. 

Let me see if I can explain this in such a way that it will be helpful.  Jesus told the religious leaders in John 8:44: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”  This verse does not need much explaining.  But we do need to think seriously about it.  Satan is the author of sin and he is the administrator of sin. 

Last week I had a very good Bible class in Reynosa, Mexico, just across the River. It took me about thirty minutes from our house to get to the house of Benito and Gloria Camareno where we were to hold the class. The class or classes lasted from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. I think this was the most enthusiastic class I have held in this home. The class consisted primarily of three married ladies and their children as well as the Camareno family. These were educated ladies whose husbands had good jobs, and they send their children to expensive private schools. In fact that is how the Camarenos became acquainted with them—two of the Camareno daughters teach their children.

During the course of the class one lady said she had a hard time talking to anyone about God because it seemed to her that God is very mean. She said, “Look at what He is doing to people all over the world.” I told her that the author and administrator of all these crimes was not God, but a god, Satan himself.  They were shocked. They said they had never heard that.  So I shared with them the following verses:

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

John 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

2 Corinthians 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Hebrews 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

I could see that the Holy Spirit was using the Word to convince these people of the truth. So I shared with them some additional verses: 

John 12:31  Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

John 14:30  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

John 16:11  Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

Ephesians 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

The Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, gave Timothy, the pastor of the church of Ephesus, this exhortation: “²⁴And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, ²⁵In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; ²⁶And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will”  (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

To be continued: This was Division II. B. Next Tuesday we will look at Division III.  I welcome constructive comments.

THE THREE R'S OF REDEMPTION (Division II A)

II. RENOUNCE SIN AND SATAN - Acts 26:18b                 

     “To turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God” (26:18b).

Introduction: One meaning of “To turn . . . from darkness” means to change directions. Before I was saved at the age of 18, though I was not a Christian, I thought was following Christ—well, maybe at a distance.  I thought of Jesus and me as going to heaven together, I imagined it was  kind of like we were going around a tall mountain, 14,000 feet high.  Jesus was going around on the south side of the mountain and I was on the north side and we would finally meet on the west side, and He would usher me into heaven. I thought He was taking the serious side and I was taking the scenic side, the more exciting side. Actually, I kind of liked it that way, supposedly following Jesus at a distance.  

My two high school friends who counseled me the week I was saved told me, “You might think you are taking the scenic route to heaven, but “you will never meet Jesus during your journey.”  I started to say, “How dare you say that to me!” Then I remembered that one of them was the heavy weight golden glove champion of Oklahoma that year, so I didn’t say anything. They told me I was going in the wrong direction.  They meant Jesus was going up and I was going down. I got the point.  I needed to turn around. 

A. Renounce the Practice of Sin – Acts 26:18b

“To turn them from darkness to light” (26:18ba).

Before I say more about turning, I want to talk about “darkness” which is used in many parts of Scripture as a metaphor for the sinfulness of man. Jesus came to save humanity from the devil’s darkness: “To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79).

The Apostle Peter wrote to some Christians these wonderful words: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (I Peter 2:9). A person who is not saved is walking in spiritual darkness.  He does not have spiritual sight. He is actually spiritually blind. (cf. I Cor. 4:4; I Jn. 2:11)

I only remember one time that I experienced complete darkness. When I was a young cowboy working on a ranch in Western Oklahoma, some ranchers, who lived ten or fifteen miles to the east of where I worked, had invited me to supper, to visit, and probably to play cards or dominoes. It was late and the night was very dark when I mounted my horse and headed west to go back where I lived, That night I was riding a good young horse, but he could buck and he liked to buck.  Ordinarily, however, he obeyed my commands. 

After riding a couple of hours, I came to a place where I had to turn. I could turn right, go a mile and turn left, then go aanother mile and turn left again, and from there it was still another mile to my destination. BUT the ranch was one mile west of where I stopped to think. I debated, “Should I or should I not take the short cut through this ranch?”  If I took the long way around, I would have to cross several wooden bridges.  One was particularly long, and the others didn’t have any side rails.  I could imagine what my horse might do when his hoofs hit the planks of a wooden bridge.  It would sound like a bass guitar.  I had been over those bridges in the morning and he hadn’t like the sound then, so he certainly wouldn’t like it at night.

So why not take the short cut through this man’s ranch? As I rode, it had been getting darker and darker.  At this point, it was so dark I couldn’t even see my hand when I held it up in front of my eyes. I was under some dark storm clouds that just hung there for over an hour. It would be dangerous to take the short cut because the pasture I would cross had a small canyon which split the ranch in two. It was about 30 feet across at the top and 100 feet to the bottom. Now, there was a trail straight west for a half a mile and it would come to a dividing fence from where I would have less difficulty negotiating my way home. Since the old ranchers used to say a horse could see in the dark, I decided to take the short cut straight across the ranch for half a mile, thinking that the horse would follow the well worn path. So I gave the horse his reins, which would have been a bad idea even in the day time.

After riding about an hour, I began to have second thoughts, third thoughts, and thousands of thoughts.  Where was my horse going? We should have reached that dividing fence within fifteen minutes. I was definitely lost. About that time, I realized the horse was lost too. because he ran into the fence. I dismounted and felt the fence, but I didn’t know whether to go left or right. I took three or four steps to the left holding the top barbed wire, and lo and behold—I came to the canyon! The horse evidently could see the canyon and had followed it all the way across the ranch. Obviously, the only direction to go was away from the canyon.  I got back on the horse, and I would check every few steps to see if the fence was still there. Finally, I came to the top of a hill where there were two tall posts, and by this time there was just enough light that I recognized where I was. I still had to go a half mile west.

I rode for about three minutes, and the horse began to buck!  With all my might, I stopped him and got off.  Something was badly wrong with my horse.  I could think of no reason for him to buck. I couln’t see, so I began to feel all over him, and finally, I found a wire hanging under his tail.  I pulled hard and it came right out.  I got back on the horse and made my way home.  Once again, this is the only time I can remember riding when it was that dark. It was like being blind folded. The world champion cowboy could not ride a bucking horse very long blind folded.

A person who has not committed his life to the Lord is spiritually blind folded. There are analogies to this in the Scriptures. When Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, a religious leader who certainly thought he was enlightened, He said: “¹⁹And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved” (Jn 3:19-20).

Our text says: “To turn them from darkness to light” (26:18ba).  Growing up on the ranch I loved to hunt with a rifle or with dogs. Many years later a pastor friend and I went fox hunting with a rancher who was about our age. As we waited for the dogs to tree a fox, I was talking to this rancher about spiritual things.  He said, “You know, I think I’ve got something figured out. “Repent means ‘Turn right and go straight’.” Later I told this story to a well-known theologian, and he said, “Give me a minute.”  He pulled a note pad out of his pocket and wrote down this definition of repentance. 

Following are some verses on repentance and turning:

(2 Chr 7:14)  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 

(Prov 1:23)  Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. 

(Jer 8:6)  I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.

(Joel 2:12-13)  ¹²Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: ¹³And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

(Neh 1:9)  But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

 (Ps 119:79)  Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.

I will close with one more passage that, interestingly, describes turning though it does not use the word:

(2 Cor 7:10-11)  ¹⁰For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death^{. 11}For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

To be continued: This was Division II. A.  Next Tuesday I hope to Division II. B.  I welcome constructive comments.

THE THREE R'S OF REDEMPTION (Division I B)

“To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan unto god, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me” (Acts 26:18). 

  I. RECOGNIZE THE SITUATION – Acts 26:18a

                 A. The Payment for Sin – Rom. 6:23a

                 B. The Provision for the Sinner – Rom. 6:23

 II. RENOUNCE SIN AND SATAN – Acts 26:18b

III. RECEIVE THE SAVIOR  - Acts 26:18c

Introduction:  Acts 26:18 is one of the main verses I have used in evangelistic meetings as well as in discipleship classes.  This verse was given to Paul when he was commissioned to be the apostle to the Gentiles.  It involved three distinct concepts that a person must know to come to the Lord Jesus Christ: I. Recognize the situation; II. Renounce Sin, Self, and Satan; and III. Receive the Savior. This week we are looking at part B under Roman numeral I.

B. The Provision for the Sinner – Rom. 6:23b

“But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (6:23b). 

(Jn 3:16)  For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The human cannot help himself. If man could somehow save himself, then the loving Father needlessly brutalized and murdered His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. When I explained this to one of my brothers, he was aghast. He said, “The Big Chief wasn’t as strong or as smart as I thought He was.”  But it was Jesus Himself who willingly offered Himself in order to give us the gift of eternal life. Only God the Son was capable of paying the price of our salvation. We read in 1 Timothy 2:5–6: “⁵For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; ⁶Who gave himself a ransom for all. . . .”  THERE IS NO OTHER WAY.  (cf. Acts 4:12)

I probably thought like my brother when the process of salvation was first explained to me when I was eighteen years old. I wondered if there weren’t some other way for God to save me. But the two young people who talked to me mentioned regularly in our conversations that “you can’t make up your own rules.” God says that His Son is the only Redeemer. They helped me understand the process of our pardon when they took me back to the very beginning of the Bible. In the Garden of Eden Jesus gave Adam and Eve an object lesson about the price of redemption. “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21).

Let me give you my own version of  some of the events of Genesis chapter three—this is how I imagine it may have happened: When Adam and Eve sinned by listening to Satan and disobeying God, they realized they were naked and tried to make themselves some clothing. Those large green fig leaves from which they made aprons (Gen. 3:7) probably covered them attractively, if not adequately, until the sun beat down on them and they dried up and fell off.

So I think Jesus had a long talk with Adam and Eve about righteousness, redemption, and robes.  Clothing is used as a symbol for salvation several places in the Bible. One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 61:10: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”  Later we will look at an interesting story Jesus told in which the correct garments are important.

Back to my story, the Lord gave Adam and Eve a painful picture of the price of our pardon as He related it to the symbolic sacrificial slaughter of the sheep. He called Adam’s favorite lamb, the one he most admired among all the beautiful, fluffy, white sheep. I can see this lovely lamb on the side of the mountain raise his head and trot down to them when Jesus called, “Adam’s favorite, come here.” Then the Lord tells the sheep to lie down by Adam.  He has Adam to lay his hands on the head of the lamb as He cuts its jugular veins. When the heart quits beating, Jesus cuts off its head. He says to Adam, “I know this is painful, but I want you to watch me—you can only watch.” He skins the sheep and places it on the altar He had built. Then Jesus called on His Father to accept this symbolic offering for the sin of Adam. Fire comes down out of heaven and consumes the sacrifice as well as the altar!  (Note the story of Elijah in I Kings 18, especially verse 38.)  Then Jesus hangs the skin of Adam’s favorite sheep on the limb of a tree for the moment. 

Then Jesus goes through the same process for Eve. He calls her favorite sheep name. Of course the great Shepherd knows all the sheep by name. (cf. Jn. 10:3) After Eve’s lamb has been sacrificed, the Lord makes for Adam and Eve beautiful seamless robes which are easily slipped over their heads. They are clothed from their neck to their ankles.  He leaves short sleeves on Eve’s but makes Adam’s robe sleeveless.  (Remember, I am imagining how all this may have happened.)

The Lord Jesus Christ explains that the sacrifice of the sheep represents the fact that in God’s time, He Himself would die for them, and if they would turn away from sin, self and Satan and surrender their lives to Him, they would be forgiven of all their sins. They would be saved from hell, and after they died physically, they would live with Him in heaven throughout eternity. They would never die a second death. (cf. Rev 2:11; 20:6 and 14; and 21:8). 

Adam and Eve understood the object lesson. They believed God and accepted Him completely. They surrendered their lives to the Creator as their Savior. We know this because of Genesis 3:20: “And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.”  He knew they would not die physically right then, but would live to have children. When their first son was born, Eve said, “I have gotten a man from the LORD” (Genesis 4:1). I believe Adam and Eve recounted all these events to their children, so when Cain and Abel brought their sacrifices to God (Genesis 4:1-7), they knew very well what the Lord required, but Cain ignored God’s will and did his own thing.

When Jesus was here He frequently mentioned weddings.  In His day, the main time that families and their friends all got together was for a wedding celebration. Jesus’ first miracle was performed at a wedding to which He was invited (John 2). In Matthew 22:1-14, to illustrate the Kingdom of Heaven, the Lord tells the story of a king who prepared a feast and invited guests for the wedding of his son. The first ones invited refused the invitation, so the King sent his servants to invite everyone without exception. The terms of the invitation included the rules the king himself specified. The invitation was accepted by many people, but verses 11-13 of chapter 22 explain an important incident that happened at this wedding: “¹¹And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: ¹²And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. ¹³Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

As Cain ignored God’s will for his sacrifice, the wicked man at the wedding ignored the king’s requirements. The Lord’s invitation to salvation is for everyone, but all must come according to God’s instructions.

Romans chapter 5 explains in great detail The Provision for the Sinner.  So let us read it together:

¹Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: ²By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; ⁴And patience, experience; and experience, hope: ⁵And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. ⁶For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. ⁸But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. ¹⁰For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. ¹¹And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. ¹²Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: ¹³(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. ¹⁴Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. ¹⁵But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. ¹⁶And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. ¹⁷For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) ¹⁸Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. ¹⁹For as by one man's disobedience [Adam’s] many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [Jesus] shall many be made righteous. ²⁰Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: ²¹That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”

(2 Cor 9:15) Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. (cf. Jn 4:10; Ef 2:8-9; 1 Jn 5:11-12)

We can recap our subject of God’s provision for our salvation by remembering the prophecy in Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”  

“A child is born” speaks of His humanity. “A Son is given” refers to His deity, the Son from heaven. Some day in the millennial kingdom Jesus will be the benevolent King who governs all the earth righteously. But now He wants to rule in our hearts and lives. (cf. Jn 18:17)  He wants to clothe us with the garment of salvation and the robe of righteousness. (cf. Is. 61:10).

THE THREE R’S OF REDEMPTION (Divisiont I A)

“To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan unto god, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me” (Acts 26:18). 

  I. RECOGNIZE THE SITUATION – Acts 26:18a

     A. The Payment for Sin – Rom. 6:23a

     B. The Provision for the Sinner – Rom. 6:23

 II. RENOUNCE SIN AND SATAN – Acts 26:18b

III. RECEIVE THE SAVIOR  - Acts 26:18c

Introduction:  Acts 26:18 is one of the main verses I have used in evangelistic meetings as well as in discipleship classes.  This verse was given to Paul when he was commissioned to be the apostle to the Gentiles.  It involved three distinct concepts that a person must know to come to the Lord Jesus Christ: I. Recognize the situation; II. Repent of Sin, Self, and Satan; and III. Receive the Savior.

The teaching this week concerns the first part of the Apostle’s commission.  The sinner needs to recognize his situation.  That’s what it means when God told the Apostle that he was to “open their eyes.”  God was not talking about their physical round eyeballs. He was talking about the eyes of understanding.  In other words, the sinner must first understand something. I believe it was Dr. Chafer, the president of Dallas Theological Seminary many years ago, who said, “Give the sinner something to believe before you ask him to believe.” 

I once violated this principle when talking to about forty university students in the city of Guadalajara. I asked how many believed in Jesus. They all said they believed.

“Oh,” I thought, “How am I going to get out of this?” So I asked another question: “What Jesus do you believe in?” 

They answered, “The right Jesus.”

 I came back with, “Who is the right Jesus?” Many people in Mexico are named Jesus and there was at the time a big sign over the street saying to vote from Jesus (somebody). I wanted them to say, “The Jesus of the Bible.

“But they quickly told me, “The Jesus of the Catholic Church.”  Then they clarified, “Jesus, the Son of Mary, the Mother of God.”  We had a friendly discussion about this for about two hours.  We ended the discussion still being friends, but they left without changing their opinion. 

So we will start by looking at the first thing Christ commissioned the Apostle Paul to teach sinners.         

   I. RECOGNIZE THE SITUATION - Acts 26:18a

“To open their eyes” (26:18a).

“To open their eyes” is the first thing the Apostle Paul, as the apostle to the Gentiles, was commanded to do.  The Gentiles were to have the eyes of their understanding opened to recognize their spiritual situation—that  they had all sinned and that the consequence of that sin, if it was not dealt with, was eternal death in the lake of fire.  In home Bible studies, I ofen ask the participants to read aloud Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The verse contains clearly the payment for sin and the penalty of sin.  If we have three or four people in the class, I ask each one to read the verse. Many times after they have read it several times, they already know it by memory. I tell them this verse gives a quick way to recognize one’s spiritual situation before God. Most of the people in our studies are working for wages, so I may ask, “Would you want to be paid for your works?”

So let us see how we can apply this verse in such a way that a sinner can recognize the situation he is in.

A. The Payment for Sin – Rom. 6:23a

“For the wages of sin is death” (6:23a).

Here are some verses which give the consequences of our sin, that is “the wages of sin is death.”

(Gal 5:19-21)  “¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, ²⁰Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, ²¹Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

(1 Cor 6:9-10)  “⁹Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, ¹⁰Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. “

In one home Bible study we had about six people who never missed the class.  One night a husband and wife came who were new to us, but neighbors of the people in whose house we held the Bible study. I was teaching on the Prodigal Son, and the man showed exceptional interest. On Sunday when we saw the lady of the house where we held the Bible study, she told me the man had taken a week off from work just to read the New Testament.  He had realized from attending that class that he didn’t know anything about the Bible. He continued to come to the Bible study. After about four weeks, he asked if he could have a one-on-one conversation with me. 

When we met, he looked straight at me and said, “I am not a Christian.”  I asked him why he said he wasn’t a Christian.  He answered that there were many reasons. When I asked him to give me one, he became very serious, and I could see he was wondering what he might say to me.  I had him turn to I Corinthians 6:9-10, which he read out loud.  I asked him what bothered him about this portion of Scripture.

He immediately said, “The people in that list are not going to inherit the kingdom of God.” 

 I asked him if he was in one of these groups.  He replied without stopping to think, “I am in a lot of those groups.” 

“Oh,” I said, “Then you are a sinner.” 

“It is worse,” he answered.  “I’m not going to inherit the Kingdom of God.” 

A week later, this man told me that he and his wife had received the Lord and they wanted to know what to do next. So I began having special Bible classes with them, and later they joined the church. He was a very gifted brother in many ways, including preaching, singing, and playing musical instruments.”

Paul, even in writing to the great church of Ephesus, warned the Christians about conduct not becoming to a Christian.  Let’s just look at the first five verses together:

(Eph 5:1-5)  “¹Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; ²And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. ³But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; ⁴Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. ⁵For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”            

(Rev 21:8)  “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now I would like for us to return to I Corinthians 6:9-10: “⁹ Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?”  [Answer the question!  Who qualifies as the unrighteous?  Well, let us continue the verse.] “Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

We can plead ignorance, but Jesus taught us over and over again that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Let us look at Matthew 5:20.  Jesus said, “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Last week in a home Bible class, we were studying 2 Corinthians 6:11-18. As we took turns reading a verse each and seeing if we could draw some conclusions as to what the passage means, we got to verse 14, which says: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” We talked a little bit about being yoked together with unbelievers.  They didn’t have any misgivings about that.  Then I asked, about “what communion hath light with darkness?” The teen-aged daughter gave a good scientific answer.  But then I said, “We missed one.”  “What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?”  We came to a standstill. Finally, I explained what I thought this really means. They seemed to agree wholeheartedly. Since I thought I had gotten the point across, we went ahead and finished the rest of the passage. As I teach these verses, I pray that the Holy Spirit will use them to convince, to convict, and to convert.

The Apostle Peter wrote to professing Christians who were scattered throughout various countries of the Middle East these plain and penetrating words: “¹⁴If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. ¹⁵But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. ¹⁶Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. ¹⁷For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? ¹⁸And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Pet 4:14-18) 

To be continued: This was Division I. A.  Next Tuesday I hope to share Division I. B. The Provision for the Sinner – Rom. 6:23b

CONCLUSIONS CONCERNING CHRISTIANS (part 3)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”  ( 2 Corinthians 5:17) . 

Introduction:  This is one of the most important verses in the Bible to show the changes that take place when a sinner becomes a Christian.  All Christians are in Christ – 2 Cor. 5:17a, All Christians are new Creatures – 2 Cor. 5:17b, All Christians have new Customs – 2 Cor. 5:17c. I have used these three principles throughout my ministry to clarify what it means to be a Christian. 

When I was eighteen years old I attended a church service for the first time. A friend invited me to an old-fashioned revival meeting, and I went every night for a whole week.  On the first night after the service, two young people tactfully showed me from the Bible I was lost and that if I were to die, I would go to hell. Since my mother had taught me that the Bible was true, I believed them. On the 5th day, way out on the ranch where no one could see me, I actually shed tears about what a bad sinner I was. (From the time  I was small, my dad never allowed us boys to cry.)  On the sixth night of the meetings I committed my life to Christ.  That night, no longer worried about going to hell, I slept like a baby. The next morning, I felt strangely different.  God had changed my life while I was sleeping. The Lord made me a new creature, though I didn’t know the phrase “new creature” was even mentioned in the Bible. My way of life was completely changed. Before that I had spent all my free time at the saloon with my friends, but I never went back. (The saloon was like a recreation hall, not only a place to drink, gamble, and dance, but also to play pool, play cards, and just generally “hang out.”) The next day, I wanted to go back to church, but since the special meetings had ended, there were no services until Sunday.

III.  ALL CHRISTIANS HAVE NEW CUSTOMS – II Cor. 5:17c

“Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (5:17c).

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

(Rom 7:6)  “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”

Romans 8:5-13 is a good portion of Scripture to explain the Christian’s battle for the body, which was discussed in part II. “⁵For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. ⁶For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. ⁸So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. ¹⁰And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. ¹²Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. ¹³For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live”  (Rom 5:8-13).

About 30 years ago, I was in an auto parts store waiting to get parts to take back to Guadalajara, where we were living at the time. There were about ten of us sitting on those round stools at the counter and a few more standing behind us, waiting our turn to get help. I noticed that the man sitting next to be was very figgety as he twisted back and forth on the round stool. Suddenly, he turned to me and said, “Brother! Brother! Do you have the Spirit?” Now, I appreciated the concern this gentleman had for me, but ccording to Romans 8:9, that was not a good question. Can you explain why? 

(Phil 3:7–9)  “⁷But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. ⁸Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,  ⁹And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”  (cf. I Cor. 1:30).

(Col 3:1–10) “¹If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. ²Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.   ³For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.  ⁴When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.  ⁵Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: ⁶For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: ⁷In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. ⁸But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. ⁹Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; ¹⁰And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” (cf. Heb 8:9-13).

(1 Pet 4:1–6) “¹Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; ²That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. ³For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: ⁴Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: ⁵Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. ⁶For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”  

“Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them” is a strange statement to many people.  When I was in the military in Europe, I was stationed on a base with about 10,000 soldiers. Most considered themselves to be Christians, but only about 80 attended the chapel.  I didn’t think they  had Christian customs. As a new Christian, I couldn’t understand why with 10,000 soldiers on the base, they had built the chapel to hold only about 400.   

When I gave my life to Christ, my friends thought it was strange that I didn’t hang out with them at the saloon any more. They said if I wasn’t careful I’d become a fanatic!  One said, “You are liable to end up being a preacher!” I thank God that for the past 65 years I’ve enjoyed being a friend and follower of the Lord.