What Shall I Do - Part Two Oct 30, 2022 by: John Herbert | Series: What Shall I Do... Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T035_20221030.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Jas 3:15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. We will continue today to look at the two types of wisdom we identified last week. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday October 30th 2022 What Shall I Do…….. Part 2 1). Jas 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. We had seen last time that James identified two types of wisdom. The wisdom that comes from God, that is brought forth from above and the wisdom brought forth from below, whose origins are demonic, emanating from the realm of the god of this age. a). The wisdom from above will always bring forth life for the age, whereas the wisdom from below can only bring forth death. And a bringing forth from below and above with respect to death and life can be found in the first Chapter of James – Jas 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. The wisdom from below can be seen in v14, where each one is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Doing what seems right in his own eyes. And as this desire is acted upon it gives birth to, or brings forth, sin and sin that continues unchecked, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. And James warns in v16 that we should not be deceived about this. b). That seen in v14 – 15 is in contrast to v17, where we are told every good and perfect gift comes from, is brought forth from above, from the Father of lights. And in v18 we find the power of the Word in the life of the Christian, where the Word is seen to have brought us forth from above to be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. A bringing forth that can only come having first received spiritual life. c). And just a few verses later the Word that has brought us forth from above is directly connected to the salvation of the soul – Jas 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. It is the implanted Word, by which we are brought forth from above to the metamorphosis, seen in laying aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receiving this Word with meekness, that will enable our soul to be saved. d). So, again we are told of the two possible outcomes for the Christian. Either, a Christian will be brought forth from below, by embracing the wisdom from below, through that associated with sin, resulting in death. Or, that same Christian can be brought forth from above, through the wisdom from above, through the Word, resulting in life Ro 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. The wisdom that comes from below, the wisdom of the world, will not always be readily identifiable with sin and may appear to be helpful with respect to our natural existence. No one in Florida would have an issue with the wisdom that produced the air conditioner. But let’s be clear that such wisdom does not exist in the spiritual realm and can have no bearing whatsoever on our inheritance of life for the age. e). The wisdom that comes from below, no matter how benign it appears, must never be seen as a companion to the Scriptures or of equal value to the Scriptures. It can never be used to interpret or add explanation to the Scriptures or to govern how we relate to the Scriptures or how we are to relate to each other. f). It is entirely wrong to look to science or secular history or the traditions of men to validate the Scriptures. The Scriptures are their own validation. g). To go back to something, we had looked at last time, we cannot rightly divide the Word of truth by using the wisdom from below. h). That which is brought forth from above, the Word of God, is exactly that, God’s Word, that which God has spoken. It does not need to be proven nor validated; it simply needs to be believed and then acted upon. And that’s where we should be happy to let these matters rest. 2). We had finished last time by going back to the foundation to see the origin of the two types of wisdom identified by James. And we had begun by going back to the beginning point, the division between the light and the darkness on the first day of the restoration of the ruined material creation in Genesis Chapter 1 - Ge 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. And we had seen how the light brought forth from above, the wisdom of God, is inextricably connected to life. And how the darkness is, after the same fashion, inextricably connected to the wisdom from below and death. a). And on both counts, we are not referencing physical life and death but life and death in relation to the realm of the spirit and the Seventh Day. That which is the focus of all of Scripture. b). And the foundational type for eternal salvation seen in Day One of the restoration finds further explanation with respect to fallen man in – Ge 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Adam was formed from the dust of the ground but had no life until God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. It was the breathing into Adam of God’s breath, His Spirit, alone that produced life; without it, Adam would have remained forever, lifeless. c). And if we view this from the experience of everyone who has passed from death to life, we will realize that each one was ‘dead in trespasses and sins’ until they received the breath of life, until the Holy Spirit breathed life into the man of the spirit, giving spiritual life where there was once only spiritual death. Bringing light to that which was previously only darkness, making a division between the two – Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit…… It is the man of the spirit alone who can receive the wisdom from above that comes from God whereas the old man, the man of the flesh, can only embrace the wisdom from below. d). With that accomplished through the salvation of the spirit, pictured in Day One of the restoration in Genesis Chapter 1, and the breath of life in Genesis Chapter 2, let’s look at what we then see taking place on Day Two – Ge 1:6 Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. Again, there is a division as on day One. This time it is the division of waters. Waters that are seen to be above the firmament and waters that are below the firmament. And this is of course a reference to the canopy of water that encircled the earth beyond what could be seen of the sky with the naked eye prior to the flood of Noah, and the waters that remained over the landmass below the sky. e). Now, we will remember that water is used in the Scripture as a type of the Spirit and therefore a type of the Word, as the Word is Spirit - 2 Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God [is God breathed], and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. And having gone back to the beginning of Genesis, let’s remember what is found concerning the opening verses of Genesis in - Jn 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. And an obvious example of where we see water and the Word used synonymously would be in – Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Let’s remember, that what we see on Day Two in Genesis Chapter 1 is a foundational type. It does not present the complete picture but rather it establishes a basic foundational truth that is then to be built upon as we compare Scripture with Scripture. Let’s keep this in mind. f). We are probably quite comfortable with water being a type of the Holy Spirit and therefore the Word, but let’s expand our understanding a little further. Look at what we see in – 1 Jn 4: 1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. John identifies two types of spirit, one that is from God, equated with the spirit of truth, and the other which is the spirit of the Antichrist, inseparable from the spirit of error. And both are seen in relation to doctrine; specifically, doctrine concerning the Christ, that which confirms His incarnation and that which denies it. Wisdom that comes from above and wisdom that comes from below. g). In conjunction with these two types of ‘spirit’, we will remember that all angels are spirit beings – Heb 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? This includes Satan and his fallen angels who control the spiritual darkness of this age – 1 Co 2:6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. In the division of the waters on Day Two, the waters above the firmament provide us with the foundational type for the wisdom from above, that which is brought forth out of God by the Holy Spirit, that which is the spirit of truth, and it also provides for us the foundational type for the wisdom from below seen as the spirit of the Antichrist, the spirit of error – Mt 16:12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 2 Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons….. That pictured through the division of the waters then, is the foundational type for the two types of wisdom, from above and below, that James succinctly identified in Chapter 3 of his Book. h). And the division of the waters in Genesis, could only have occurred on Day Two because in the antitype it is only after we have received spiritual life that we are then able to make the distinction between the wisdom from above and the wisdom from below. Without having accessed spiritual life, no one can receive the wisdom brought forth out of God from above, because this can only be spiritually discerned – 1 Co 2:13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. And according to the verses in 1 John, the ‘little children’, again a reference to those who are sons through creation undergoing the child training of the Lord, have overcome the spirit of Antichrist, the spirit of error, because they have been brought forth out of God. 3). With all of this in mind, let’s revisit some familiar verses – Mt 16:13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. This of course is the account of Peter’s revelation concerning Jesus’ identity. That He is the Christ, the One anointed Prophet, Priest, and King. The Son that God has chosen to hold the scepter of rulership over the earth in the place of Satan. a). And Peter’s statement concerning the Lord’s identity could not have been any more correct. What we should recognize in this though, is where Peter’s revelation came from, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. This revelation did not come from the wisdom from below, flesh and blood did not reveal it to Peter, it came from the wisdom above, it was brought forth out of God. b). We can then continue – Mt 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." Peter had received the most profound revelation brought forth from the wisdom above and yet, just a very short time afterwards, he embraced the wisdom from below whose origin is clearly stated in Jesus’ rebuke, Get behind Me, Satan! Peter is not Satan but at that moment the wisdom he embraced that was brought forth from below leading to that which he then spoke, was the same as if Satan himself had uttered the words. c). And in the second half of v23, Jesus identified the clear distinction between these two types of wisdom, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. The ‘things’ of God, is the wisdom brought forth from above and the things of men is the wisdom brought forth from below which is earthly, sensual, demonic. d). And in this distinction between the things of God and the things of men is something very instructive for us as we consider ‘What shall I do…’ It would appear, from what he had said, that Peter had a picture in his mind of how he thought events were to transpire with respect to Jesus. And if we are generous towards him, we might think that he wanted to spare his Teacher and his Friend from the horrors Jesus was then describing that awaited Him in Jerusalem. But no matter how well-meaning, these considerations were of no moment whatsoever. God had spoken, the wisdom from above concerning the Lord’s suffering and resurrection had been brought forth and clearly revealed. What was needed was acceptance and belief. Nothing more. e). And for ourselves, we should guard our hearts and our minds so that our ‘world picture’ is based solely on the wisdom brought forth from above, rather than how we might like it to be. And that our emotional engagement with a particular situation does not cause us to unintentionally contradict or challenge the wisdom from above. We must progress to a place of spiritual maturity where the ‘What if?’ and ‘Isn’t it possible that?’ questions are no longer asked. And instead, we turn to the only recourse that we have, ‘What does the Scripture say?’ f). And isn’t it interesting, how quickly Peter made a transition from the wisdom above to the wisdom below? As we had noted last week, there is no middle ground between these two. What we do and what we say will be governed by one or the other – Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. 1 Co 1:19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 4). Jn 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." We will remember that John wrote his Gospel during the time covered by the re-offer of the Kingdom of the heavens to national Israel. During the time which began when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, recorded in Acts Chapter 2, to the close of the re-offer in Rome, recorded in Acts Chapter 28. a). John wrote his gospel to the Jews, built around eight, specifically selected signs, as the re-offer was being made, for a revealed reason – Jn 20:30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you [the Jews] may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life [for the age] in His name. Through that detailed in the signs the opportunity was presented to national Israel to receive the wisdom brought forth from above, allowing for the same revelation that Peter had experienced in Matthew Chapter 16, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And if this revelation would have been received by national Israel, then life for the age would have been theirs. b). And it is within the context of the signs being given and the Kingdom being offered that Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, had come to Jesus by night. Nicodemus was an eternally saved Jew, saved through the death and shed blood of the Passover lambs that took place year by year. He was, as was the rich young ruler, a part of the eternally saved generation of Jews alive at the Lord’s first advent. c). Let’s remember that the signs were inextricably connected to the Kingdom of the heavens being offered by the Lord to the nation. With the signs pointing to the spiritual healing, deliverance, and provision available to the nation upon repentance, available upon changing their collective mind. d). And it was the signs and the Kingdom that Nicodemus came to talk to Jesus about, acknowledging that He was ‘a teacher come from God’ because no one could do the signs that Jesus did unless ‘God is with him’. e). And it was the inquiry of the eternally saved ruler of the Jews about the signs and the Kingdom that Jesus then addressed, Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." And we will be careful how we read this because of the way the phrase ‘born again’ is almost universally understood. But this will have to wait until next time, if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed. What Shall I Do - Part Two Oct 30, 2022 Speaker: John Herbert Series: What Shall I Do... Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T035_20221030.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Jas 3:15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. We will continue today to look at the two types of wisdom we identified last week. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday October 30th 2022 What Shall I Do…….. Part 2 1). Jas 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. We had seen last time that James identified two types of wisdom. The wisdom that comes from God, that is brought forth from above and the wisdom brought forth from below, whose origins are demonic, emanating from the realm of the god of this age. a). The wisdom from above will always bring forth life for the age, whereas the wisdom from below can only bring forth death. And a bringing forth from below and above with respect to death and life can be found in the first Chapter of James – Jas 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. The wisdom from below can be seen in v14, where each one is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Doing what seems right in his own eyes. And as this desire is acted upon it gives birth to, or brings forth, sin and sin that continues unchecked, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. And James warns in v16 that we should not be deceived about this. b). That seen in v14 – 15 is in contrast to v17, where we are told every good and perfect gift comes from, is brought forth from above, from the Father of lights. And in v18 we find the power of the Word in the life of the Christian, where the Word is seen to have brought us forth from above to be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. A bringing forth that can only come having first received spiritual life. c). And just a few verses later the Word that has brought us forth from above is directly connected to the salvation of the soul – Jas 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. It is the implanted Word, by which we are brought forth from above to the metamorphosis, seen in laying aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receiving this Word with meekness, that will enable our soul to be saved. d). So, again we are told of the two possible outcomes for the Christian. Either, a Christian will be brought forth from below, by embracing the wisdom from below, through that associated with sin, resulting in death. Or, that same Christian can be brought forth from above, through the wisdom from above, through the Word, resulting in life Ro 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. The wisdom that comes from below, the wisdom of the world, will not always be readily identifiable with sin and may appear to be helpful with respect to our natural existence. No one in Florida would have an issue with the wisdom that produced the air conditioner. But let’s be clear that such wisdom does not exist in the spiritual realm and can have no bearing whatsoever on our inheritance of life for the age. e). The wisdom that comes from below, no matter how benign it appears, must never be seen as a companion to the Scriptures or of equal value to the Scriptures. It can never be used to interpret or add explanation to the Scriptures or to govern how we relate to the Scriptures or how we are to relate to each other. f). It is entirely wrong to look to science or secular history or the traditions of men to validate the Scriptures. The Scriptures are their own validation. g). To go back to something, we had looked at last time, we cannot rightly divide the Word of truth by using the wisdom from below. h). That which is brought forth from above, the Word of God, is exactly that, God’s Word, that which God has spoken. It does not need to be proven nor validated; it simply needs to be believed and then acted upon. And that’s where we should be happy to let these matters rest. 2). We had finished last time by going back to the foundation to see the origin of the two types of wisdom identified by James. And we had begun by going back to the beginning point, the division between the light and the darkness on the first day of the restoration of the ruined material creation in Genesis Chapter 1 - Ge 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. And we had seen how the light brought forth from above, the wisdom of God, is inextricably connected to life. And how the darkness is, after the same fashion, inextricably connected to the wisdom from below and death. a). And on both counts, we are not referencing physical life and death but life and death in relation to the realm of the spirit and the Seventh Day. That which is the focus of all of Scripture. b). And the foundational type for eternal salvation seen in Day One of the restoration finds further explanation with respect to fallen man in – Ge 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Adam was formed from the dust of the ground but had no life until God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. It was the breathing into Adam of God’s breath, His Spirit, alone that produced life; without it, Adam would have remained forever, lifeless. c). And if we view this from the experience of everyone who has passed from death to life, we will realize that each one was ‘dead in trespasses and sins’ until they received the breath of life, until the Holy Spirit breathed life into the man of the spirit, giving spiritual life where there was once only spiritual death. Bringing light to that which was previously only darkness, making a division between the two – Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit…… It is the man of the spirit alone who can receive the wisdom from above that comes from God whereas the old man, the man of the flesh, can only embrace the wisdom from below. d). With that accomplished through the salvation of the spirit, pictured in Day One of the restoration in Genesis Chapter 1, and the breath of life in Genesis Chapter 2, let’s look at what we then see taking place on Day Two – Ge 1:6 Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. Again, there is a division as on day One. This time it is the division of waters. Waters that are seen to be above the firmament and waters that are below the firmament. And this is of course a reference to the canopy of water that encircled the earth beyond what could be seen of the sky with the naked eye prior to the flood of Noah, and the waters that remained over the landmass below the sky. e). Now, we will remember that water is used in the Scripture as a type of the Spirit and therefore a type of the Word, as the Word is Spirit - 2 Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God [is God breathed], and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. And having gone back to the beginning of Genesis, let’s remember what is found concerning the opening verses of Genesis in - Jn 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. And an obvious example of where we see water and the Word used synonymously would be in – Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Let’s remember, that what we see on Day Two in Genesis Chapter 1 is a foundational type. It does not present the complete picture but rather it establishes a basic foundational truth that is then to be built upon as we compare Scripture with Scripture. Let’s keep this in mind. f). We are probably quite comfortable with water being a type of the Holy Spirit and therefore the Word, but let’s expand our understanding a little further. Look at what we see in – 1 Jn 4: 1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. John identifies two types of spirit, one that is from God, equated with the spirit of truth, and the other which is the spirit of the Antichrist, inseparable from the spirit of error. And both are seen in relation to doctrine; specifically, doctrine concerning the Christ, that which confirms His incarnation and that which denies it. Wisdom that comes from above and wisdom that comes from below. g). In conjunction with these two types of ‘spirit’, we will remember that all angels are spirit beings – Heb 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? This includes Satan and his fallen angels who control the spiritual darkness of this age – 1 Co 2:6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. In the division of the waters on Day Two, the waters above the firmament provide us with the foundational type for the wisdom from above, that which is brought forth out of God by the Holy Spirit, that which is the spirit of truth, and it also provides for us the foundational type for the wisdom from below seen as the spirit of the Antichrist, the spirit of error – Mt 16:12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 2 Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons….. That pictured through the division of the waters then, is the foundational type for the two types of wisdom, from above and below, that James succinctly identified in Chapter 3 of his Book. h). And the division of the waters in Genesis, could only have occurred on Day Two because in the antitype it is only after we have received spiritual life that we are then able to make the distinction between the wisdom from above and the wisdom from below. Without having accessed spiritual life, no one can receive the wisdom brought forth out of God from above, because this can only be spiritually discerned – 1 Co 2:13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. And according to the verses in 1 John, the ‘little children’, again a reference to those who are sons through creation undergoing the child training of the Lord, have overcome the spirit of Antichrist, the spirit of error, because they have been brought forth out of God. 3). With all of this in mind, let’s revisit some familiar verses – Mt 16:13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. This of course is the account of Peter’s revelation concerning Jesus’ identity. That He is the Christ, the One anointed Prophet, Priest, and King. The Son that God has chosen to hold the scepter of rulership over the earth in the place of Satan. a). And Peter’s statement concerning the Lord’s identity could not have been any more correct. What we should recognize in this though, is where Peter’s revelation came from, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. This revelation did not come from the wisdom from below, flesh and blood did not reveal it to Peter, it came from the wisdom above, it was brought forth out of God. b). We can then continue – Mt 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." Peter had received the most profound revelation brought forth from the wisdom above and yet, just a very short time afterwards, he embraced the wisdom from below whose origin is clearly stated in Jesus’ rebuke, Get behind Me, Satan! Peter is not Satan but at that moment the wisdom he embraced that was brought forth from below leading to that which he then spoke, was the same as if Satan himself had uttered the words. c). And in the second half of v23, Jesus identified the clear distinction between these two types of wisdom, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. The ‘things’ of God, is the wisdom brought forth from above and the things of men is the wisdom brought forth from below which is earthly, sensual, demonic. d). And in this distinction between the things of God and the things of men is something very instructive for us as we consider ‘What shall I do…’ It would appear, from what he had said, that Peter had a picture in his mind of how he thought events were to transpire with respect to Jesus. And if we are generous towards him, we might think that he wanted to spare his Teacher and his Friend from the horrors Jesus was then describing that awaited Him in Jerusalem. But no matter how well-meaning, these considerations were of no moment whatsoever. God had spoken, the wisdom from above concerning the Lord’s suffering and resurrection had been brought forth and clearly revealed. What was needed was acceptance and belief. Nothing more. e). And for ourselves, we should guard our hearts and our minds so that our ‘world picture’ is based solely on the wisdom brought forth from above, rather than how we might like it to be. And that our emotional engagement with a particular situation does not cause us to unintentionally contradict or challenge the wisdom from above. We must progress to a place of spiritual maturity where the ‘What if?’ and ‘Isn’t it possible that?’ questions are no longer asked. And instead, we turn to the only recourse that we have, ‘What does the Scripture say?’ f). And isn’t it interesting, how quickly Peter made a transition from the wisdom above to the wisdom below? As we had noted last week, there is no middle ground between these two. What we do and what we say will be governed by one or the other – Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. 1 Co 1:19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 4). Jn 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." We will remember that John wrote his Gospel during the time covered by the re-offer of the Kingdom of the heavens to national Israel. During the time which began when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, recorded in Acts Chapter 2, to the close of the re-offer in Rome, recorded in Acts Chapter 28. a). John wrote his gospel to the Jews, built around eight, specifically selected signs, as the re-offer was being made, for a revealed reason – Jn 20:30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you [the Jews] may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life [for the age] in His name. Through that detailed in the signs the opportunity was presented to national Israel to receive the wisdom brought forth from above, allowing for the same revelation that Peter had experienced in Matthew Chapter 16, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And if this revelation would have been received by national Israel, then life for the age would have been theirs. b). And it is within the context of the signs being given and the Kingdom being offered that Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, had come to Jesus by night. Nicodemus was an eternally saved Jew, saved through the death and shed blood of the Passover lambs that took place year by year. He was, as was the rich young ruler, a part of the eternally saved generation of Jews alive at the Lord’s first advent. c). Let’s remember that the signs were inextricably connected to the Kingdom of the heavens being offered by the Lord to the nation. With the signs pointing to the spiritual healing, deliverance, and provision available to the nation upon repentance, available upon changing their collective mind. d). And it was the signs and the Kingdom that Nicodemus came to talk to Jesus about, acknowledging that He was ‘a teacher come from God’ because no one could do the signs that Jesus did unless ‘God is with him’. e). And it was the inquiry of the eternally saved ruler of the Jews about the signs and the Kingdom that Jesus then addressed, Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." And we will be careful how we read this because of the way the phrase ‘born again’ is almost universally understood. But this will have to wait until next time, if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed.