NEXT - JOSHUA GREEN FREEDMAN
ome of our church members wished to study some biblical terms often used in the scriptures and Troy conducted several studies on these, either at the Sunday night service or
at the mid-week one. Neither of us can now remember just when, but we know it was at the Winter Park church.
I think the following is a continuation
of a previous study, but there is nothing to indicate a specific title for
this segment--or when or where it was given. Since Troy did not write or
type many sermons or bible study lessons I felt this should be preserved.
For it to have a name I call it:
Last Sunday's lesson brought up difficulty that may concern you, as it did
me in my earlier days of Christian life. I was trying to excuse myself for
not being concerned about a family in the community. They were especially
vile and evil people. In my own attempt to feel above them I said to my pastor,
"I do not feel that we should waste time talking with them. After all, the
Bible says not "to cast your pearls before swine."
In his deeper spiritual insight and wisdom my pastor quickly set my thinking
straight about this matter. He said, "That is not at all what Jesus meant
when he spoke those words. The gospel of Christ is not in any way your pearls. It is his treasure.
I am sure he would not call the lowest man who ever lived "swine." He is
talking about something else here. (Matt. 7:6) He is saying that we must
not take the precious pearls of our talents, or our lives, or the hours of
our lives and throw them before the swine of self-indulgence or of evil,
or of any of Satan's horde of evil things."
The forces of evil can take the precious things of our lives and "trample
them under their feet," and then turn and attack us. They can also destroy
our talents and our possessions. The man who gives his body and mental health
to drink, or his passions to over-indulgence, - he is the one who "throws
his pearls before swine."
We need never to be afraid to tell the sweet story of the gospel of Christ
to the lowest of men. They may never accept it. They may indeed "trample
it under their feet!" They may even, as the scriptures say, "trample under
foot the son of God himself." They may "crucify the Son of God again, and
put him to open shame," but that will not destroy God's love for them. Neither
will it cause our Lord Jesus to withdraw his offer of salvation. Nor will
they who have heard the gospel from us "turn and rend us." They may truly
hurt our bodies, but that is something not to be feared. Jesus does not warn
us to flee from the danger of experiencing it. He rather tells us that such
persecution for righteousness sake will bring us greater joy. (Matt. 5:10-11)
The truth of this word in Matt. 7:6 is this:
Do not throw the precious pearls of time, talents and possessions which God
has given you to the swine of sinful living, self-indulgence and evil ways.
Don't ever give the "dogs" of rottenness and filthy ways the holy things
which God intended you to use for his glory.
There is much confusion about the meaning of the word "hell" as used in the
King James Version of the Bible. This needs careful clearing in our thinking.
We must not be confused by over-zealous teachers of false doctrine. The following
will help us know the truth, but should be followed by the actual reading
of the references themselves., so that we will have the actual quotations
and their respective backgrounds.
BIBLE TERMS FOR PLACES OF THE AFTER LIFE
1. SHEOL. This is a Hebrew word used 65 times in the Old Testament. (Bear
in mind that the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and that the New Testament
was written in the Greek language.)
31 times it is translated as "hell" in the King James.
31 times it is translated "the grave."
3 times it is translated "the pit."
2. HADES. This is a Greek word used 11 tunes in the New Testament. It has
exactly the same meaning as the Hebrew word "Sheol" above.
Neither of these words are ever
used to denote the place of final punishment for the wicked. Nor are they
ever used to denote the place where the physical body is put after-death,
nor for the mere state of death for the body. Nor are they ever used to describe the "pit" or "abyss" as such.
SHEOL and HADES are the Bible names for the place in the unseen world where
departed spirits dwell, or "the place of departed spirits." It is the general
receptacle of the soul after it has left the body. This place is obviously
a divided one, with a "great gulf fixed" between the two.
The place called in Hebrew, "Abaddon" or in Greek "Apollyon" is where the
spirits of evil men are held captive until the time of the final judgment
at "The Great White Throne" described in the 20th chapter of Revelation.
We know from the story of Lazarus and the rich man that these souls are conscious
and that they are fearful of their final destiny; that they converse with
the souls of the righteous on the other side of the " gulf."
We know they are tormented "in flames" while waiting judgment. Some Bible
students think that these are the flames of remorse and fear and some hold
that this is just a parable only. However, Jesus definitely said "There was
a certain rich man---etc."
PARADISE, called ABRAHAM'S BOSOM
by the Jewish Rabbis, is the place where the righteous souls await judgment
and rewards. But it is a state of rest, rather than one of torment. Jesus,
our Lord, visited all of Hades preaching the gospel to the spirits in prison and "led captivity captive" by breaking down the gates of Hell
and taking all the righteous dead to be with the Lord. (Note: The word translated
"hell" should have been "Hades." 'The gates of Hades shall not prevail against
it." (the church) Also: "O death, where is the sting? O Hades, where is the
victory?" I Cor. 15:55; 1 Peter 3:18-19; Ephesians 4:8.)
3. TOPHET ---- This Hebrew word is used 9 times in the Old Testament. (II
Kings 23:10; Isaiah 30:33; Jeremiah 7:31 and 32; Jeremiah 19: 6, 11, 12,
13, 14; In the King James translation it is not translated from the original
Hebrew, but is spelled in two different ways. Topheth
is defined as "a place in the Valley of Hinnnon on where sacrifices were
made and dead bodies burned. It is identical with the Greek word Gehenna.
4. GEHENNA -- or Ge-enna. This word is derived from the Hebrew "Jah" (God)
and "Hinnom" (literally God's garbage dump) It is used several times in the
New Testament. (Matt. 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9, 23:15, 33; Luke 12:5; James
3:6.) It is exactly the same as the terms "Lake of Fire," "Perdition" and
"second death."
No one, as yet, is in this Lake of Fire. The "BEAST" and the "FALSE PROPHET'
will be the first ones consigned there. This is described in Revelation 19.
At the end of the Millenium period (1000 years) Satan will be cast also into
the Lake of Fire.
One of the most precious books of the Bible is I John. It has only five short
chapters. It is full of wonderful words of assurance for the children of
God. It has been of comfort to most of us who have come to know our Lord
as Savior, perhaps more than any other book in the Bible.
However, right in the middle of this little epistle, in chapter 3 verse 9,
there is a most disturbing expression! After assuring us that, "If we say
we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us," and also,
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not
in us." John then proceeds to tell us what appears to be a contradictory
statement, denying all the others.
It must be said at the very beginning that John does not contradict himself!
If our understanding of what is taught in one verse of the epistle (letter)
seems to oppose what is taught in another verse, then our understanding is
wrong or there has been some error in the translation from the Greek into
English. This is the first rule of Bible interpretation. Minor incidents
may vary between writers, but there is nothing that should cause us too much
difficulty if we clearly understand what is being taught.
Obviously then, if we are led to believe that I John 3:9 teaches sinless
perfection, then we have the wrong understanding. We must then go back to
the verse itself and try to find its exact meaning.
Now let's look at the statement itself. "Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin."
The King James version is seemingly plain of meaning. In our present concepts
of meaning it does teach sinlessness. But we must go back to the original
language to find out exactly what the words mean. No word in the sentence
is in anyway poorly translated, except one. That is the word rendered "commit"
in the common King James version. In the Greek it is "poiei," which is a
form of the Greek verb "to make." The verb has in it the sense of continual
doing, or doing by habit, or to "make a practice of sin."
It must follow from this that the Christian does not continue in the habitual daily indulgence of sin. It is not a part of his new and true nature. It is now foreign to him and if it comes into his life is a thing out of place.
Now let us see how this works out in daily experience.
Almost every Christian will witness that after his conversion, he will come
to hate some of the things he loved before. These are the things he specifically
knew to be sin in his life before conversion; those in which he indulged,
and had to be converted "from." Now he is a new creature in Christ Jesus
and those things which condemned him so, and made his life a misery of conviction,
he now despises for the evil they were to him. He may, because of momentary
weakness, or ignorance, or by exceedingly strong temptation fall back into
some former evil practice. But, what is his attitude when he knows he has
failed? Where once he loved this sin and sought out opportunity to do the
thing over and over again, now he is grief stricken. He is driven to his
knees in repentance for the very sin he once delighted in. Far from practicing
sin, he abhors it and regrets the very failure or weakness that led him to
fall. If he is properly led, his repentance will bring forgiveness. This
will result in new attempts to conquer that sin and also with a stronger
will to avoid it.
Many, however, fail to know the "right way." Satan often takes advantage
of that failure to say to the Christian, "Now you have done it! What's the
use to keep trying? You have failed! Why don't you quit? You don't want to
go back to your Christian friends under these conditions!" Many years of
sad and sorrowful backsliding often result from listening to these whispers
of our old demonic enemy.
There is another problem, however, which we must face and which is more often
the cause of defeat than the above. What about the person who has a basic,
and especially strong temptation, with a corresponding weakness of his flesh
for a certain sin? He may be genuinely distressed about his failures, and
make all efforts to repent, yet is brought back time and again to the same
failure? Is that person a Christian? Is his failure a mark of a false professor,
who has only a pretense of faith? If so, than God help us! There are more
of these then we ever admit and many of God's professing children are false!
If we would admit it most of us have one besetting sin which annoys us with
its strength and returns to haunt us with the continual worry of doubt. Usually
this sin comes as a result of a weakness which seems to be a basic part of
character. Often it is associated with some emotion or attitude, which in
itself is both high and clean, but borders on the area of our weakness. It
can be either a natural or acquired appetite. For some it is in the area
of language. The scriptures say that "the tongue can no man tame." For others
it is alcohol. Who knows the sharpness of this thirst but the one who has
acquired it? For others it may be in the area of sex. The natural drives
may be over stimulated in this modern age of advertising and the feeling
that there is an attitude of permissiveness in this regard.
Are these unfortunate people to be condemned as never having known God? Is
he, or she, to be abandoned to sin as a hypocrite? Are they to be driven
out of the church for the weakness that brought them low? So Satan would
have it! He wants the return of every one of these born again children of
God back to his own evil fold. How then shall we face this dilemma?
First: Let us face it from our own experience. How many of us, after having
wrestled in failure for years with some such problem, found that at last,
with the help of God, prayer and persevering love, we have conquered. Oh
wonderful triumph of victory! We are so overjoyed that we look upon it as
almost equal to our conversion experience.
There may be others still fighting their problem who feel like giving up
now. They may feel that they are hypocrites and have never truly known God!
But they cry from the depth of their hearts, "Don't abandon us, please! Our
will is weak, but we do love our Lord Jesus and our desire is to conquer
this tormenting thing. Certainly it would be easier for us to give up if
we are only pretending! What profit this continual buffeting of ourselves,
this inner conflict, this war within, this night long wrestling? Shall we
be denied to lift our eyes to the cross of Calvary and believe in our forgiveness?
Shall those who are stronger than we, sneer at our failure? Did not many
of you have the same struggle into victory? Shall not we who are weak also
ultimately find our strength in Christ?"
Quite often those who are weak in one area are able to help their critics,
who are weak in another area. So we help each other, for we all have weaknesses
in some area. Those who keep trying and fail time after time, are not trying
in vain! I perceive for them the ultimate victory! They do not truly "make
a practice of sinning." They rather make a practice of repenting! I know
that if they keep trying they will ultimately find the sorrow stronger than
the sin, and thus will no longer fail!
Finally: Does God not love the poor and the sickly ones of his flock as well
as those who are strong? And if one of the strong ones be crippled in some
part of his life, shall God despise him for his weakness? Take heart, those
of you who try and fail. Our Lord says there is forgiveness! If we are to
forgive seventy times seven, which is 490 times in one day, will not our
Father do likewise?
Sincerity! That is the key! Our sincerity is proven by our actions. Do we
seek ways to avoid our weakness; to escape repeated temptation? Or do we
rather delight in our failures and make no effort to escape temptations?
If we do the first we are children of God, though weak ones. If the latter,
there is no doubt of it, we are not God's children!
There is so much misunderstanding in this whole area that hours could be
spent in explaining. I will try to make this as concise and clear as possible.
You must first understand that there are two judgments. At the one, while
our deeds are reviewed out of the books of record, they are not our means
of escape from judgment. We pass that judgment, not because we have been
"good" for Romans 3:23 tells us that, "all have sinned and come short of
the glory of God." It is rather because our names are written in the "Book
of Life." To have our names written in that book simply means that by Jesus'
blood our sins are forgiven, when we accept him as our Savior. Therefore
our records in the "books" are canceled. Thus we are not guilty, because
Jesus took our sins upon himself - he died in our place!
Please note carefully that verse 20 in Revelation 20 says, '"The books" were
opened and another book was opened which was "The Book of Life." Note also
that the spiritually dead are judged according to the deeds done in the flesh.
These are recorded in the "books." But if you have accepted Christ, you are
a Christian and Jesus has paid the price for your sins and there is no record
against you in the "books." Instead, we who are Christians, have accepted
Christ's blood to cover our sins - to blot out our records! Our names have
been written in his "Book of Life."
But there is another judgment, as recorded in II Corinthians 5:10. This is
not the "Great White Throne Judgment" This is called "The Judgment Seat of
Christ." This is the time when those saved from the above judgment, described
in the 20th chapter of Revelation stand before Christ as his own. It is a
kind of "Family Affair." Here you and 1, and every Christian, will stand
Nothing can be hidden from those around us, "for the things done in secret
shall be shouted from the housetop." The only escape from our sin and our
shame will be to either ask and accept the forgiveness, in this life, of
our Lord Jesus for all the sins of the past, or we must stand in that day
and have our sins exposed before the whole family of God.
This is the explanation for I Corinthians 3:14-15, in which we are saved
but some of our works are burned. We lose our rewards, but we ourselves are
to be saved "So as by fire."
So if we accept forgiveness and obtain victory over our sins in this life,
we can settle it between ourselves and Christ alone. Otherwise we must face
our Christian friends and loved ones who are saved. They will then know everything
that we have done since we were saved. But they will also understand why
we have done these things, for they, even as we, will then "know, even as
we are known." So we must find our answer before we die, or face all before
God's family at the "judgment seat of Christ" We must find our solution now!
All the universe was once the kingdom of God. Every star, every planet, every
being spiritual or physical - all were God's, for he created them - and called
his creation "good." He gave his angels charge over every heavenly body.
The morning stars sang together for joy to be a part of this perfect universe.
But there was one of God's most favored beings who became unhappy with all
this. He was jealous of all the glories of the universe belonging to God,
the creator of it all. He became proud and cried, "I will be God!" This beings
name was Lucifer. He, along with Michael, were the beings nearest to God,
The wings of these two touched across the pure, white flame of the presence
of God upon the "Ark of Presence." (Ezekiel 28:14-15) In his jealousy and
pride he entered God's perfect universe for the first time. (Isaiah 14:9-17)
Many Bible students think that this "earth" was the special realm given to
Lucifer, whose name means "Day-star," and that after his rebellion (Revelation
12:3-9) God took "earth" away from Lucifer and gave it to Adam and thus to
all people.
After the fall of Adam, sin came into this "earth" and it ceased to be a
part of "The Kingdom of God." All of God's efforts since that time has been
to regain, through redemption and love, that which Satan (once Lucifer) has
stolen from God through sinful people.
This special campaign is in charge of God's only begotten son, Jesus Christ.
He will eventually set up his kingdom upon this earth. It will then be called
`The Kingdom of Heaven." By his death on the cross he made it possible for
sinful people to become a part of this Kingdom. Or rather for this kingdom
to come into the hearts of sinners. Jesus said "The Kingdom of Heaven is
within you."
The Kingdom of Heaven is a mixture of good and evil, the pure and the impure,
the true and the false. This is true because Satan tries and often succeeds
in infiltrating the forces of Christ upon the earth. This explains the parable
in Matthew 13, in which we see both the good and the evil together in the
Kingdom of Heaven. This is never true in explaining the parables of the Kingdom
of God."
In the end of the age, judgment shall separate the 'wheat and the tares."
The good will then become a part of the great coming "Kingdom of God" brought
back to the earth, to take up once more all that was once a part of it.
Because the Kingdom of God is spiritual it is entered only by the "new birth."
(John 3:3) The Kingdom of Heaven is inclusive , even of property and of possessions.
Anything on earth that is in the hands of Christians should be thought of
as belonging to God. We, his children, are just managers of what others may
regard as our possessions.
At the end of earth's Glory Age, called "The Millennium," Christ will have
everything under his control. All sin will have been abolished from the universe.
At that time there will be no mixing of good and evil, or pure and impure.
This glory age will last 1000 years and Christ will be the ruler here on
this earth, At the end of the 1000 year period of the Millennium, Christ
will present the earth and all its creatures, both spiritual and physical,
back to his Father. At this time the Kingdom of Heaven will become once more
a part of the great universal Kingdom of God.
Revelation 11:15 tells of the time when Christ shall take over the worldly
kingdoms of the earth and shall make them his own. I Cor. 1524-28 tells of
the time later, when the Son shall deliver all things over to the Father.
The Kingdom of Heaven will then become a part of the greater "Kingdom of
God."
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