the Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Seventeen - J Nov 03, 2019 by: John Herbert | Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T002_20191103.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Hey 12:14 Pursue peace with all [people], and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: We will continue to look at the child training of the Lord today. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday November 3rd 2019 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Lesson 17J ‘What More Shall I Say?’ 1). Heb 12: 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls………..12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. 14 Pursue peace with all [people], and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: Ga 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting [age lasting] life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Both Galatians and Hebrews address the same issue of potential weariness that can come in our race of the faith from the constant effort required to continually do that which is ‘good’, that which would be right in God’s eyes. And from Hebrews in particular, doing ’good’ we would know to be resisting the sin of unbelief. a). As we classify doing ‘good’ as doing that which is right in God’s eyes this would take us into the realm of faith, of faithful obedience, of being brought forth out of the Spirit, of sowing to the Spirit, whereas that which we would classify as not ‘good’ would be to do what seems right in our own eyes and this inevitably takes us into the realm of unbelief, sowing to the flesh, that which would prevent us from receiving our inheritance in the Kingdom – Heb 3:18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Ro 11:19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. In the verses from Galatians we are told not to ‘lose heart’, which, if we were to do so, contains the same idea as having hands that hang down and feeble knees in Hebrews 12. That which is to guard against the weariness seen in Galatians is the understanding that ‘in due season we shall reap’. b). Here we encounter the imagery of sowing and reaping where a contrast is made in Galatians 6 between sowing to the flesh and sowing to the Spirit. If we should sow to our flesh, which takes us into unbelief – doing what is right in our own eyes - then the harvest we will reap is corruption. Corruption in Galatians is the same as we see in - Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death…….. It is the same as not being spared in Romans 11:21 - And this is death in relation to life and a position of rulership with Christ in the age to come. There is nothing of an eternal nature here. c). But if we sow to the Spirit, then we will find ourselves in the realm of faith, of seeing our old man as crucified with Christ and walking in newness of life, of being submitted to the child training of the Lord. And if we continue to sow in this fashion then, the harvest we will reap is age lasting life d). And the encouragement given to us so that we do not lose heart is the certainty that ‘in due season we shall reap’. And as we have just seen this is the harvest of age lasting life, the adoption as a firstborn son, a joint heir with Christ, a crowned ruler in the Kingdom, the recipient of ‘so great salvation’. There is no doubt about this, we must just be patient – Jas 5:7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. We might remember from Day 4 in Genesis Chapter 1 that the lights in the firmament were give for ‘signs and seasons’. The natural cycle of the seasons as seen in James 5:7 guarantees seedtime and harvest. And this guarantee transfers into our present season of sowing to the Spirit, knowing that the time of harvest will come – Ge 8:22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.” Jn 12:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. And in connection with not losing heart and strengthening the hands that hang down and the feeble knees is the admonition to make straight paths for our feet. And this of itself must take us again to the child training of the Lord – Pr 15:30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy. 31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life Will abide among the wise. 32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding. 33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility. And the last part of v33 is the same as we find in – 1 Pe 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,[season] 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. To humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God is to submit to the child training of the Lord, to be submitted to the Scriptures – this is the ‘good’ we are not to grow weary in doing. And again, God exalting us in ‘due time’ [season] takes us to the ‘so great salvation’ and our inheritance in the Kingdom, and to seedtime and harvest once more. This is our encouragement. e). And it is the encouragement of the coming 7th Day, the Kingdom of Christ, that is at the forefront in Isaiah Chapter 35, where ‘the hands which hang down and the feeble knees’ are first referenced – Isa 35:1 The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; 2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, The excellency of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” These verses, of course are for Israel, to encourage the Jewish people in the midst of the Great Tribulation that they must go through. And that which is to encourage them during this time is what awaits them in the 7th Day, what awaits them beyond the time of their tribulation when they are forgiven, healed, restored and set in their rightful place at the head of the nations. f). And the parallel here for us is pretty obvious. Beyond the trials of life which test our faith is the coming Kingdom of Christ. The certainty of which is beyond doubt – Heb 10:35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 37 “For yet a little [a very little] while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. To cast away our confidence would be to grow weary while doing good, to find ourselves exhausted and even overcome in the race of the faith, moving into the realm of unbelief. g). And as we had seen last time the straight paths we are to make for our feet has the idea of a smooth and even way, that which makes running the race so much easier – Ps 119:101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word. 102 I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me. 103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. 106 I have sworn and confirmed That I will keep Your righteous judgments. 107 I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word. The word translated ‘paths’ literally means a wheel track and in this image we can find the idea of a narrow way such as we would see in – Lk 9:62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” And we should not think of the idea of narrow here in a literal sense but in a figurative sense. Meaning that there is no room for deviation, no room for turning aside, but rather being focused on the point out ahead to which we are moving, keeping in our lane and working in the right field. Which is exactly what we have seen already today – don’t cast away your confidence, we shall reap in due season, yet a little while and He who is coming will come, the coming of the Lord is at hand. h). Now, according to the verses from Hebrews Chapter 12 we need to make straight paths for our feet ‘so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.’ The imagery pictures a lame person who would stumble on an uneven path, causing the lame joint to be dislocated. But if the path had been even and smooth then the lame joint would not be put under pressure through stumbling and could heal instead. i). To bring this from the natural to the spiritual we would need to see being ‘lame’ as a reference to unbelief, the sin that so easily ensnares us, the very thing that can cause us to stumble so as not to complete our race of the faith, as we had seen earlier – 1 Pe 2:6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. So then, to be ‘lame’ is to be in unbelief and unbelief if unchecked will cause continual stumbling with respect to the truth of Scripture, producing disobedience, and according to our Hebrew verses this will bring about ‘dislocation’. And the word translated ‘dislocated’ means to be wrenched out of place. This is a Judgment Seat picture, which I am sure is not lost on us. 2). Last time we had also looked at verses from 2 Peter that set out a process for making the straight path for our feet – 2 Pe 1:1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And we can see in these verses what we need to do to make sure that we never stumble. What we see in these verses is the renewing process to bring about our transformation, the progress to spiritual maturity, the making of the smooth path on which the race of the faith is to be run. And in fulfillment of the things seen there we again find the action of sowing to the Spirit with the resulting harvest of an entrance supplied ‘abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’ a). As we look at these verses let’s note that the process begins with faith, which can only be faith to the saving of the soul - ‘add to your faith virtue’. And this is to be done ‘giving all diligence’. This assumes then a serious commitment to be in submission to the scriptures, in submission to the child training of the Lord, to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. This is a process that can’t be accomplished apart from this. b). We should then note where the process finds its conclusion, ‘to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness love’. The love spoken of here as the conclusion of the process is ‘agape’ love, the love which characterizes the Divine nature that we may be partakers of – 1 Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. And that which comes immediately before the love that is the Divine nature is brotherly kindness - 1 Jn 4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. And we need to keep this in mind because of what we find in Hebrews 12:14, the verse that comes immediately after healing that which is lame – Heb 12:14 Pursue peace with all [people], and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: And because of what we find in Galatians 6:10, the verse that comes immediately after ‘if we do not lose heart’ – Ga 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. The word translated ‘pursue’ in Hebrews 12:14 literally means ‘to run after’, a race image, and contained in it is a sense of urgency. We are then to urgently to pursue peace with all – the word ‘people’ has been added by the translators and therefore the verse does not relate to all people. Rather we should see ‘all’ in the same context as ‘those who are of the household of faith’ from Galatians. And again, the household of faith does not include every Christian, but those who are actively engaged in the race of the faith in order to win the prize – Heb 3:6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. And the ‘peace’ we are to pursue speaks of harmony and being settled. And we can see this on an individual level in – Ro 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. 17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. We can also see it on a corporate level in - Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. The peace we are to pursue then in relation to those who are of the household of faith is the peace of God, the peace that can only come from God through an absolute trust, an absolute faith, in Him; from being settled in the truth and in harmony with the Scriptures. The very thing we saw produced in Abraham through the child training of the Lord and revealed in the offering of Isaac – Col 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Here in Colossians, v12-13 set out the essence of brotherly kindness which we are to have in relation to one another through having put on the new man. V14 then takes us to the pinnacle, ‘But above all these things put on love’, the same love that we have previously seen that characterizes God’s nature. And in these verses, we can easily find a parallel with the process we have looked at in 2 Peter Chapter 1, ‘and to brotherly kindness love’. And this love is said to be ‘the bond of perfection’. The word translated ‘bond’ refers to a unifying principle and is used figuratively of ligaments that hold joints together. c). And the thought of joints and ligaments will take us back to Ephesians 4:16 and to where we started today in Hebrews Chapter 12. d). And all of this is seen in v16 to be connected to letting ‘the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom’. That which we know to be the same as being continually filled with the Spirit and thereby being brought forth out of the Spirit – Eph 5:17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, And in doing this the peace of God, the peace that can only come from God, will rule in our hearts – 1 Pe 5:10 But the God of every grace, the One who summoned you in Christ with a view to His eternal glory, after you have suffered a little while, shall himself make you complete, shall establish you firmly, shall strengthen you, shall ground you as on a foundation. [Wuest – Expanded Translation] The peace of God is also seen in - Php 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, [stop being worried about even one thing] but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Being ‘anxious for nothing’ we have seen presented a slightly different way earlier today in previous verses from 1 Peter Chapter 5 - 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. [7 having deposited with Him once for all the whole of your worry, because to Him it is a matter of concern respecting you. - Wuest] We are to stop being worried about even one thing because we are to be settled and grounded in the truth of the Scriptures. We are to be settled concerning the coming Kingdom of Christ, settled with respect to our inheritance, settled that this is the season for sowing and settled that the harvest is coming. The certainty of what is coming takes away the necessity to worry about everything, because all we worry about here in the present will soon be gone, and only one thing will matter in that Day – Heb 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will [I will not, I will not ever] never leave you nor forsake you. [I will not, I will not, I will not ever let you down]” 6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” So, let’s strengthen the hands that hang down and the feeble knees and run with endurance the race that is set before us, knowing that we are protected by the power of God through our faith for the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time, and that there is nothing ‘man’ can do to prevent that. More next time – if the Lord is willing. the Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Seventeen - J Nov 03, 2019 Speaker: John Herbert Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T002_20191103.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Hey 12:14 Pursue peace with all [people], and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: We will continue to look at the child training of the Lord today. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday November 3rd 2019 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Lesson 17J ‘What More Shall I Say?’ 1). Heb 12: 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls………..12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. 14 Pursue peace with all [people], and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: Ga 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting [age lasting] life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Both Galatians and Hebrews address the same issue of potential weariness that can come in our race of the faith from the constant effort required to continually do that which is ‘good’, that which would be right in God’s eyes. And from Hebrews in particular, doing ’good’ we would know to be resisting the sin of unbelief. a). As we classify doing ‘good’ as doing that which is right in God’s eyes this would take us into the realm of faith, of faithful obedience, of being brought forth out of the Spirit, of sowing to the Spirit, whereas that which we would classify as not ‘good’ would be to do what seems right in our own eyes and this inevitably takes us into the realm of unbelief, sowing to the flesh, that which would prevent us from receiving our inheritance in the Kingdom – Heb 3:18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Ro 11:19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. In the verses from Galatians we are told not to ‘lose heart’, which, if we were to do so, contains the same idea as having hands that hang down and feeble knees in Hebrews 12. That which is to guard against the weariness seen in Galatians is the understanding that ‘in due season we shall reap’. b). Here we encounter the imagery of sowing and reaping where a contrast is made in Galatians 6 between sowing to the flesh and sowing to the Spirit. If we should sow to our flesh, which takes us into unbelief – doing what is right in our own eyes - then the harvest we will reap is corruption. Corruption in Galatians is the same as we see in - Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death…….. It is the same as not being spared in Romans 11:21 - And this is death in relation to life and a position of rulership with Christ in the age to come. There is nothing of an eternal nature here. c). But if we sow to the Spirit, then we will find ourselves in the realm of faith, of seeing our old man as crucified with Christ and walking in newness of life, of being submitted to the child training of the Lord. And if we continue to sow in this fashion then, the harvest we will reap is age lasting life d). And the encouragement given to us so that we do not lose heart is the certainty that ‘in due season we shall reap’. And as we have just seen this is the harvest of age lasting life, the adoption as a firstborn son, a joint heir with Christ, a crowned ruler in the Kingdom, the recipient of ‘so great salvation’. There is no doubt about this, we must just be patient – Jas 5:7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. We might remember from Day 4 in Genesis Chapter 1 that the lights in the firmament were give for ‘signs and seasons’. The natural cycle of the seasons as seen in James 5:7 guarantees seedtime and harvest. And this guarantee transfers into our present season of sowing to the Spirit, knowing that the time of harvest will come – Ge 8:22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.” Jn 12:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. And in connection with not losing heart and strengthening the hands that hang down and the feeble knees is the admonition to make straight paths for our feet. And this of itself must take us again to the child training of the Lord – Pr 15:30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy. 31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life Will abide among the wise. 32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding. 33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility. And the last part of v33 is the same as we find in – 1 Pe 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,[season] 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. To humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God is to submit to the child training of the Lord, to be submitted to the Scriptures – this is the ‘good’ we are not to grow weary in doing. And again, God exalting us in ‘due time’ [season] takes us to the ‘so great salvation’ and our inheritance in the Kingdom, and to seedtime and harvest once more. This is our encouragement. e). And it is the encouragement of the coming 7th Day, the Kingdom of Christ, that is at the forefront in Isaiah Chapter 35, where ‘the hands which hang down and the feeble knees’ are first referenced – Isa 35:1 The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; 2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, The excellency of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” These verses, of course are for Israel, to encourage the Jewish people in the midst of the Great Tribulation that they must go through. And that which is to encourage them during this time is what awaits them in the 7th Day, what awaits them beyond the time of their tribulation when they are forgiven, healed, restored and set in their rightful place at the head of the nations. f). And the parallel here for us is pretty obvious. Beyond the trials of life which test our faith is the coming Kingdom of Christ. The certainty of which is beyond doubt – Heb 10:35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 37 “For yet a little [a very little] while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. To cast away our confidence would be to grow weary while doing good, to find ourselves exhausted and even overcome in the race of the faith, moving into the realm of unbelief. g). And as we had seen last time the straight paths we are to make for our feet has the idea of a smooth and even way, that which makes running the race so much easier – Ps 119:101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word. 102 I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me. 103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. 106 I have sworn and confirmed That I will keep Your righteous judgments. 107 I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word. The word translated ‘paths’ literally means a wheel track and in this image we can find the idea of a narrow way such as we would see in – Lk 9:62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” And we should not think of the idea of narrow here in a literal sense but in a figurative sense. Meaning that there is no room for deviation, no room for turning aside, but rather being focused on the point out ahead to which we are moving, keeping in our lane and working in the right field. Which is exactly what we have seen already today – don’t cast away your confidence, we shall reap in due season, yet a little while and He who is coming will come, the coming of the Lord is at hand. h). Now, according to the verses from Hebrews Chapter 12 we need to make straight paths for our feet ‘so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.’ The imagery pictures a lame person who would stumble on an uneven path, causing the lame joint to be dislocated. But if the path had been even and smooth then the lame joint would not be put under pressure through stumbling and could heal instead. i). To bring this from the natural to the spiritual we would need to see being ‘lame’ as a reference to unbelief, the sin that so easily ensnares us, the very thing that can cause us to stumble so as not to complete our race of the faith, as we had seen earlier – 1 Pe 2:6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. So then, to be ‘lame’ is to be in unbelief and unbelief if unchecked will cause continual stumbling with respect to the truth of Scripture, producing disobedience, and according to our Hebrew verses this will bring about ‘dislocation’. And the word translated ‘dislocated’ means to be wrenched out of place. This is a Judgment Seat picture, which I am sure is not lost on us. 2). Last time we had also looked at verses from 2 Peter that set out a process for making the straight path for our feet – 2 Pe 1:1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And we can see in these verses what we need to do to make sure that we never stumble. What we see in these verses is the renewing process to bring about our transformation, the progress to spiritual maturity, the making of the smooth path on which the race of the faith is to be run. And in fulfillment of the things seen there we again find the action of sowing to the Spirit with the resulting harvest of an entrance supplied ‘abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’ a). As we look at these verses let’s note that the process begins with faith, which can only be faith to the saving of the soul - ‘add to your faith virtue’. And this is to be done ‘giving all diligence’. This assumes then a serious commitment to be in submission to the scriptures, in submission to the child training of the Lord, to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. This is a process that can’t be accomplished apart from this. b). We should then note where the process finds its conclusion, ‘to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness love’. The love spoken of here as the conclusion of the process is ‘agape’ love, the love which characterizes the Divine nature that we may be partakers of – 1 Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. And that which comes immediately before the love that is the Divine nature is brotherly kindness - 1 Jn 4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. And we need to keep this in mind because of what we find in Hebrews 12:14, the verse that comes immediately after healing that which is lame – Heb 12:14 Pursue peace with all [people], and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: And because of what we find in Galatians 6:10, the verse that comes immediately after ‘if we do not lose heart’ – Ga 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. The word translated ‘pursue’ in Hebrews 12:14 literally means ‘to run after’, a race image, and contained in it is a sense of urgency. We are then to urgently to pursue peace with all – the word ‘people’ has been added by the translators and therefore the verse does not relate to all people. Rather we should see ‘all’ in the same context as ‘those who are of the household of faith’ from Galatians. And again, the household of faith does not include every Christian, but those who are actively engaged in the race of the faith in order to win the prize – Heb 3:6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. And the ‘peace’ we are to pursue speaks of harmony and being settled. And we can see this on an individual level in – Ro 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. 17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. We can also see it on a corporate level in - Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. The peace we are to pursue then in relation to those who are of the household of faith is the peace of God, the peace that can only come from God through an absolute trust, an absolute faith, in Him; from being settled in the truth and in harmony with the Scriptures. The very thing we saw produced in Abraham through the child training of the Lord and revealed in the offering of Isaac – Col 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Here in Colossians, v12-13 set out the essence of brotherly kindness which we are to have in relation to one another through having put on the new man. V14 then takes us to the pinnacle, ‘But above all these things put on love’, the same love that we have previously seen that characterizes God’s nature. And in these verses, we can easily find a parallel with the process we have looked at in 2 Peter Chapter 1, ‘and to brotherly kindness love’. And this love is said to be ‘the bond of perfection’. The word translated ‘bond’ refers to a unifying principle and is used figuratively of ligaments that hold joints together. c). And the thought of joints and ligaments will take us back to Ephesians 4:16 and to where we started today in Hebrews Chapter 12. d). And all of this is seen in v16 to be connected to letting ‘the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom’. That which we know to be the same as being continually filled with the Spirit and thereby being brought forth out of the Spirit – Eph 5:17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, And in doing this the peace of God, the peace that can only come from God, will rule in our hearts – 1 Pe 5:10 But the God of every grace, the One who summoned you in Christ with a view to His eternal glory, after you have suffered a little while, shall himself make you complete, shall establish you firmly, shall strengthen you, shall ground you as on a foundation. [Wuest – Expanded Translation] The peace of God is also seen in - Php 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, [stop being worried about even one thing] but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Being ‘anxious for nothing’ we have seen presented a slightly different way earlier today in previous verses from 1 Peter Chapter 5 - 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. [7 having deposited with Him once for all the whole of your worry, because to Him it is a matter of concern respecting you. - Wuest] We are to stop being worried about even one thing because we are to be settled and grounded in the truth of the Scriptures. We are to be settled concerning the coming Kingdom of Christ, settled with respect to our inheritance, settled that this is the season for sowing and settled that the harvest is coming. The certainty of what is coming takes away the necessity to worry about everything, because all we worry about here in the present will soon be gone, and only one thing will matter in that Day – Heb 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will [I will not, I will not ever] never leave you nor forsake you. [I will not, I will not, I will not ever let you down]” 6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” So, let’s strengthen the hands that hang down and the feeble knees and run with endurance the race that is set before us, knowing that we are protected by the power of God through our faith for the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time, and that there is nothing ‘man’ can do to prevent that. More next time – if the Lord is willing.