Adoption

Romans 8:14-15
(14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
(15) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

 

The word adoption is not used here in the sense of making someone a child who was not born into the family. We were born into the family of God upon salvation. Adoption is about position rather than relationship. It is the full placement as a son. It has to do with position and the rights, privileges, and responsibilities that come with that position.

Galatians 4:1-7

(1) Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

(2) But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

(3) Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

(4) But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

(5) To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

(6) And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

(7) Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

 

Being complete in Christ we have this position now but we have yet to fully enter into the experience of all that it means to be a son of God. The apostle Paul speaks of adoption in relation to the body of Christ in three passages and applies it in three tenses.

1) As to the past, we were predestinated unto adoption (Eph. 1:3-6)
2) As to the present, we now have the Spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5-6)
3) As to the future, we are waiting for adoption (Rom. 8:23)

"Abba" is Aramaic and is an intimate term for father, like our English word “daddy”. This is what Jesus called the Father when He was praying in Gethsemane (Mk. 14:36). We are accepted in the beloved!

 

Mark 1:11

And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

 

Ephesians 1:6

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Does the Seventh Angel Sound the Last Trump of the Rapture?

Revelation 10:7

But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

 

The mystery of God referred to in this verse has nothing to do with the great mystery that was revealed by Christ to the apostle Paul! A mystery in the Bible is something that was kept secret but has been revealed. The apostle Paul received mysteries (1 Cor. 4:1)  from God concerning the body of Christ and this present age. The pre-tribulation rapture of the body of Christ was one of the mysteries that Christ revealed through Paul and we read about it in his epistles alone (1 Cor. 15:51-52). The words "mystery" and "mysteries" are used 27 times in the Bible and 20 of those references are in Paul's epistles. But there are also mysteries associated with the prophetic kingdom program of Israel (Matt. 13).

 

The mystery of God in Rev. 10:7 is in accordance with what God declared to the Old Testament prophets (Amos 3:7-8) but the body of Christ was hid from the prophets (Eph. 3:5). This mystery is in relation to the judgments that must fall for Christ to bring in His kingdom and very well may be what the seven thunders uttered.

 

Revelation 10:4
And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

The seven thunders uttered things that John understood and was about to write down. The thunders are God’s voice from heaven (Ps. 29; Jn. 12:27-31) announcing the even greater judgments that are yet to come (seven last plagues, Rev. 15). John heard a voice from heaven telling him to seal up what he heard and not write them not. What the thunders uttered were sealed up for the time being but I think they were revealed later in the book as the seven last plagues. Nothing is sealed up by the end of the book (Rev. 22:10).

The mighty angel lifted up his hand to heaven and swore with an oath that there should be time no longer (Rev. 10:5-6). This does not mean that from this point on there will be no more time because the Kingdom Age is marked by time as a thousand years. This means that the time will no longer intervene to answer the cry of the martyred saints for vengeance (Rev. 6:9-11). The seven last plagues will fall when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet ("begin to sound" implies it will be a drawn out process). 

 

It is a great hindrance in Bible study to think things that are similar are the same. A preacher that believes and teaches a mid-trib rapture of the church told me that Rev. 10:7 refers to the end of the present age with the rapture. He thinks the mystery of God refers to the mystery of the body of Christ and he connects the seventh angel sounding his trumpet with the "last trump" that Paul mentions concerning our rapture. 

 

1 Corinthians 15:51-52
(51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
(52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Notice that Paul said "last trump" NOT "last trumpet". A trump is the sound that a trumpet makes. This is the last trump of the "trump of God" (1 Thess. 4:16) NOT the trumpet of an angel. It is LAZY "Bible study" to jump to the conclusion that 1 Cor. 15:52 and Rev. 10:7 are referring to the same thing just because both verses mention a mystery and trumpet. There are many different mysteries in the Bible as well as different trumpets that are sounded for different reasons. When the seventh angel sounds his trumpet in the tribulation period it is a long and drawn out event because it introduces the seven last plagues. But at the last trump when the church is raptured it will be “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye”.

Why do so many Bible teachers today insist on putting the body of Christ in the tribulation period? They do not rightly divide the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). The tribulation period is the time of Jacob's trouble (Jer. 30:7) and is the subject of PROPHECY. The body of Christ was a great MYSTERY that was hid from the prophets. Besides, there are major doctrinal differences between this age and the tribulation period. For example, the gospel of the grace of God is the only gospel that is to be preached in this age but the 144,000 Jewish evangelists will preach the gospel of the kingdom in the tribulation period.

 

Matthew 24:13-14
(13) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
(14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Paul's gospel went into all the world in the first century (Col. 1:6, 23) and the end still hasn't come! And the gospel of the grace of God certainly doesn't require that we "endure unto the end" to be saved!

 

 

The Holy Spirit in the Present Age

Romans 8:

(8) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

(9) But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

 

Romans 8 presents the victorious Christian life and the Holy Spirit is mentioned nineteen times in this one great chapter! It is impossible to live the victorious Christian life without the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we must be grounded in what the Bible says about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the believer during this present Mystery Age. The Holy Spirit has worked in previous dispensations (Gen. 6:3) but I believe that He is doing more in this present dispensation than ever before.

Sadly, many believers are confused and misinformed about this doctrine. The reality is that most professing Christians just don’t study the Bible and among those that do, most do not rightly divide the word of truth. There are differences in the ministry of the Holy Spirit in different dispensations. Many like to quote Hebrews 13:8 and claim that God never changes in how He works. It is true that He does not change in His Person, but He does in His dealings with man.

For example, in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is never said to SEAL God’s people:

1 Samuel 16:

(14) But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

 

Ephesians 4:

(30) And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

 

Here is a simple overview of how the Holy Spirit works in the believer today:

I. The Relation of the Holy Spirit to the Believer
Every believer is in the Sprit and the Spirit is in every believer. This is brought about by five works of the Spirit.
A. He circumcises us – (Col. 2:8-11) Man is a tri-partite being (spirit, soul, and body, 1 Thess. 5:23). When Adam fell he died spiritually (separated from the Spirit of God), his flesh became corrupt, and his soul and spirit became stuck to the flesh. That is the condition of all that are born of the flesh. Upon salvation, Christ by the Spirit cuts away our inner man from the outer man. Our standing is no longer, “in the flesh”.
B. He baptizes us – (Col. 2:12, I Cor. 12:13) This baptism is just as spiritual as the circumcision in Col. 2:11. The word “baptism” primarily means “identification” and does not always involve water. This is a saving baptism and is not to be confused with Acts 1:5 (power vs. salvation, visible manifestations vs. none, prophecy vs. mystery, Christ the baptizer vs. the Spirit).
C. He regenerates us – (Titus 3:4-7) Salvation is not a reformation of the flesh but regeneration (new creature) by the Spirit.
D. He indwells us – (Rom. 8:9, I Cor. 6:19) All of the Spirit lives within every believer. The fact that He DWELLS in us (permanent residence) means we are secure.
E. He seals us (Eph. 1:13-14) – The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we belong to God and our salvation is secure (Rom. 8:14-16). 

These five doctrines are not based on feelings and experience but on the word of God. They are true of every believer whether we know it or not. Many things happen upon salvation that we must learn about by studying the scripture. We have a STANDING in the Spirit that is unconditional and unchanging!

II. The Responsibility of the Believer to the Holy Spirit
Although the believer’s standing in the Spirit never changes, our STATE is conditioned on fulfilling our responsibility to Him. It is up to us if the Holy Spirit is going to affect our daily walk.

Galatians 5:

(25) If we live in the Spirit [STANDING], let us also walk in the Spirit [STATE].

 

A. Know about Him through His word (you can be deceived by other spirits, 1 Tim. 4:1)
B. Yield to Him by faith and obedience (Rom. 8:11-13)
C. Do not grieve Him (Eph. 4:30-32)
D. Seek to be filled with Him (Eph. 5:18-21). This is not an event with supernatural manifestations as in Acts, but a goal to press toward (Phil. 3:12-14). We are only filled to the extent we are yielded to Him and filled with His word (Col. 3:16)! 

III. The Results of the Holy Spirit through the Believer 
What can we expect when we are walking in the Spirit?
A. What NOT to expect
1. Signs and wonders - The sign gifts of the Acts period have ceased (1 Cor. 13:8-13).
2. Emotional high - I heard a well known Independent Baptist preacher claim that he gets “drunk in the Holy Ghost”. Many teach that “losing control of emotions” is evidence that you are filled with the Spirit. Yet, a fruit of the Spirit is TEMPERANCE! There is nothing wrong with strong emotions, but they can be deceptive.
B. What TO expect
1. Illumination to spiritual truth (1 Cor. 2:7-13)
2. Victory over the flesh (Gal. 5:16-21)
3. Fruitfulness (Gal. 5:22-23)
4. Communion with God (2 Cor. 13:14, Eph. 6:18)

 

The Order of the Church Epistles

2 Timothy 3:16

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

 

The Pauline epistles are not arranged chronologically but rather according to a divine order for the spiritual edification of the Body of Christ. According to 2 Tim. 3:16, we must have doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction to be edified in the faith.

 

The apostle Paul wrote nine epistles by inspiration of God to seven churches. Let's consider the order of the church epistles:

Salvation in Christ
• Romans - doctrine of salvation by grace through faith
• 1 & 2 Corinthians - reproof for not living by the doctrine of Romans
• Galatians - correction for listening to doctrine not in line with Romans

Body of Christ
• Ephesians - doctrine of the body of Christ
• Philippians - reproof for not living by the doctrine of Ephesians
• Colossians - correction for listening to doctrine not in line with Ephesians

Coming of Christ
• 1 & 2 Thessalonians - doctrine, reproof, and correction concerning the coming of the Lord

Taken together these epistles provide instruction in righteousness for the present age.

 

The apostle Paul also wrote four epistles to individuals by inspiration of God. The epistles to Timothy and Titus concern the proper order for the church. The second epistle to Timothy deals with the apostasy of the last days. The epistle to Philemon is fittingly placed last because it illustrates the doctrines of Paul's epistles through a real-life situation.

Prayer Promises

Mark 11:

23    For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24    Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Isn’t that a great prayer promise? The Lord Jesus plainly promised His disciples that they would receive whatsoever they desired in prayer and the only condition was to believe that they would receive it. Matthew’s account of this promise (Matt. 21:22) puts it this way, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” They could ask for a great miracle and they would receive it if they believed (Mk. 11:23). In the context they had seen Him miraculously cause a fig tree to dry up from the roots overnight by just speaking the words. Jesus promised that they would do even greater miracles than what they had seen Him do (Jn. 14:12-14). 

Have you ever asked God to do something that was very important to you and you believed with all your heart that He would do it, but He didn’t? Well, what’s the problem? Isn’t the Bible true? Doesn’t God keep His promises? Yes, the Bible is the word of God and God cannot lie or fail. He says what He means and means what He says! Most preachers will say that the problem is with us and it is usually due to one or more of several things: harbored sin, asking amiss, not according to will of God, or unbelief. It’s true that such things hinder our prayer life. But what about when we ask for a good thing with a believing and right heart and we still don’t receive what we ask? Another explanation that is usually offered is that God always answers our prayers but it is in one of three ways: yes, no, or wait. But Jesus simply promised these disciples that they would receive whatsoever they asked if they believed and He did not add any other qualifications, disclaimers, or stipulations. Do you see any fine print beneath these promises? 

The real problem is that Jesus did not give these prayer promises to us. Yes, ALL of the Bible is for us (2 Tim. 3:16) but it was not all written directly to us (2 Tim. 2:15). Failure to understand this has caused many sincere Christians to become confused and discouraged concerning prayer. Many have been wrongly taught from a child that every promise in the Bible is for them to claim. This can only lead to disappointment if it is taken to heart. It is not right for us to go through the Bible lifting out of context the things that we like and pretending it was all written to us. For example, the Bible says in Ex. 16:4, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you”. If I claimed that promise and believed it with all my heart will I find manna on my lawn in the morning? No, because God did not make that promise to me. Let’s take a closer look at that verse. It says, “Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.” The apostle Paul instructed us to work for our own bread trusting God to provide (2 Thess. 3:10). God has truly given us some great promises (2 Cor. 1:20) but not every promise in the Bible is ours!

Miles Coverdale wrote in the introduction to his English translation of the Bible that was printed in 1535, “It shall greatly help ye to understand the Scriptures if thou mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goeth before and what followeth after.” 

Let’s apply this to Mk. 11:24. To whom was Jesus speaking (“you”, “ye”)? He was speaking to His 12 apostles to whom, as we will see, He had also promised great authority in the kingdom (Mk. 11:11). All of the “whatsoever ye ask” promises in the gospels were given to the 12 (Jn. 15:16). 

What does He say to the same people immediately after the promise?

Mark 11:

25    And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

26    But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

So, if v.24 was spoken to us then we also have to take v.25-26! But consider what the apostle Paul wrote by inspiration of God:

Ephesians 4:

32    And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

To whom was the apostle Paul writing? The church which is the body of Christ (Eph. 3:1-13). Are you one of the 12 apostles sent to the twelve tribes of Israel with the gospel of the kingdom or are you a member of the body of Christ? 

What was the time context and circumstances in which Jesus gave the 12 apostles these prayer promises (read Mk. 11:7-10)? The earthly ministry of Christ was not about revealing and inaugurating a new program. He came in accordance with and in order to confirm the Old Testament promises made to the Jewish fathers (Rom. 15:8). God promised that they would be a kingdom of priests reigning in their own land over the Gentile nations (Ex. 19:5-6). Their Messiah would be not only the son of David but the Son of God (Emmanuel). Christ is to sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem reigning over the entire world. The kingdom of heaven is a literal and visible kingdom that is to be established on the earth (“thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”). John the Baptist, the forerunner of the King, announced to Israel that the kingdom of heaven was at hand (Matt. 3:1-2). When the King began His earthly ministry He too declared that the kingdom of heaven was at hand (Matt. 4:17, 23-24). He chose 12 apostles and sent them to preach that the kingdom of heaven was at hand (Matt. 10:1-10). 

Instead of repenting, the leaders in Israel were rejecting Christ. At the end of His ministry Jesus began to prepare and instruct His disciples in light of His impending death, resurrection, and ascension back to heaven (Matt. 16:21). They did not understand the death and resurrection of Christ until after Christ rose from the dead, made appearance to them, and opened their understanding to the scriptures (Lk. 18:31-34). After showing them how that He had to suffer before the glory of the kingdom would come He sent them to preach the gospel of the kingdom among all nations, beginning in Jerusalem which will be the capitol of the kingdom (Lk. 24:44-49). Jesus promised that He would baptize them with the Holy Ghost for power to do the signs of the kingdom. He gave the apostles great authority to act in His stead while He away (Matt. 16:19; 18:18-19; 19:28). There had to be 12 apostles to renew the offer of the kingdom to Israel. They had the authority to replace Judas Iscariot and after they prayed about it God showed them that Matthias was to be the replacement, NOT Paul (Acts 1). On the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) Christ baptized the apostles with the Holy Ghost for power in accordance with prophecy. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost. Their ministry and manner of life was a foretaste of the kingdom they were preaching. They called on Israel to repent and made a bona-fide offer of the kingdom (Acts 3:19-21). 

In the early chapters of Acts we see the prayer promises that Christ gave the apostles being literally fulfilled. Whatever they bound on earth was bound in heaven and whatever they loosed on earth was loosed in heaven. The chief priests and elders began to persecute them and to command that they not preach in the name of Jesus. They prayed for boldness and power and God enabled them to do the greater works that Jesus promised (Acts 5:12-16). There is no record of them asking something in Jesus name and it not happening! They were filled with the Holy Ghost and so they had no harbored sin, they always asked in faith, they never asked amiss, and they always asked according to the will of God because Jesus promised the 12, “ye shall ask what YE WILL, and it shall be done unto you” (Jn. 15:7). 

Israel, as a nation, had rejected God the Father in the OT, God the Son in the Gospels, and now God the Holy Spirit in Acts. They stoned Stephen to death (Acts 7), a man they knew was filled with the Holy Ghost, when he preached to them and indicted them for their stubborn unbelief. Jesus said that those who blasphemed the Holy Ghost would not be forgiven (Matt. 12:31-32). As they were about to kill Stephen he said that he saw Jesus STANDING at the right hand of the Father (implying that He was ready to come back in judgment). According to prophecy, it was due time for God to bring Israel through the tribulation period and pour out His wrath on the world. 

Instead, He appeared to the leader of the persecution against His disciples and saved that blasphemer (he took part in the stoning of Stephen) by exceeding abundant grace (1 Tim. 1:13-16) under a new gospel that He directly revealed to him (Gal. 1:11-12). He began to set Israel aside through a transition (Acts 9-28) and reveal mysteries to Paul concerning a new dispensation that He planned before the world began but had kept secret from the prophets. Christ chose and sent Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles. He made him to be the pattern and the spokesman for the body of Christ to follow. He inspired him to write 13 books to the body of Christ (Romans-Philemon). Israel has been set aside, the kingdom has been postponed, and the signs have ceased. We are ambassadors of Christ in the present evil world with the message of reconciliation. God is not at war with the world. This mystery age will close with the mystery of the rapture and then God will resume His dealing with Israel, bring them through the tribulation, pour out His wrath on the world, and come again to save Israel and fulfill all His promises to them. 

Does the apostle Paul teach us that we will receive whatsoever we ask if we pray in faith? Paul himself did not receive everything he asked for (2 Cor. 12:7-10)! We don't know what to pray for as we ought but the Holy Ghost and the Son of God makes intercession for us and on that basis we know that all things work together for good (Rom. 8:26-28). No, God will not always give us what we ask, but if we trust Him and pray with thanksgiving He will give us His peace that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:6-7). The carnal mind thinks, "What good is it to pray if I don't get what I ask?" Prayer is about relationship not ritual and requests. We call God "Abba" (Rom. 8:15) which is the same intimate term (Aramaic like our word "daddy") that Jesus used in prayer (Mk. 14:36). God accepts us as He does His beloved Son (Eph. 1:6). We have full and free access to God! Prayer is about communion with God. We pray to the Father in the name of the Son and in the Spirit (Eph. 3:14; 5:20; 6:18). 

The Unity of the Bible

2 Timothy 3:16-17
(16) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
(17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

In Bible study it is very important to recognize and consistently maintain the divisions that God has set in the scripture (2 Tim. 2:15). But it is also important to understand that although the Bible contains divisions, it still ONE BOOK.

 

Diversity does not destroy unity. For example, the church which is the body of Christ is made up of many members and yet it is ONE BODY. There is only ONE true and living GOD and yet He exists in three distinct Persons. There will be Gentile nations, the nation Israel, and the body of Christ in the eternal state and ALL three groups will be:

1. Redeemed by the same blood of Christ

2. Part of the same family of God

3. Serving the same God

 

There is much evidence that would convince any reasonable, objective, and unbiased person that the Bible is unlike any book in the world and that it could not possibly be the mere product of the minds of men. By faith I accept the Bible as the inspired word of God and my faith is not some superstitious leap into religious darkness. There is much evidence for what I believe. The unity of the Bible is one of many evidences that the Bible is a supernatural Book given by inspiration of God. The manner in which the Bible has been produced actually argues against its unity and yet its unity is undeniable (66 books written over a period of about 1500 years by over 40 different writers).

 

There are no real errors or contradictions in the Bible, only imagined ones! The only way that a book could be put together in the manner that the Bible was and yet it still maintain a perfect unity is if there is ONE main Mastermind behind its production. There may have been about 44 writers but there was only ONE Author and He used those writers to give us His words. The words of this Book did not come from the minds of men but from the Spirit of God (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21).  

 

I. The Bible Reveals ONE Main Person

The Bible presents many different personalities but its purpose is to reveal one main Person. The Bible is God's perfect revelation of Himself to man. The Son of God is called the Word of God (Rev. 19:13) because He reveals and declares the Father (Jn. 1:1-3, 14, 18). Yet, what would we know of the Son of God apart from the written word of God? The written word of God reveals and declares both the Father and the Son and it was given by the Spirit's inspiration and only understood by His illumination.

 

Jesus Christ is CENTRAL in the Scripture (OT - Lk. 24:27, 44; NT - Jn. 14:26; 16:12-14):

•   OT - Preparation - promises, prophecies, and pictures of the coming Christ

•   Gospels - Manifestation - Fourfold presentation of the person and work of Christ    

•   Acts - Propagation - "they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ"

•   Epistles - Explanation - doctrine and application concerning what Christ accomplished

•   Revelation - Consummation - purposes of God in and through Christ consummated

 

OT - Behold, He comes!

Gospels - Behold, He dies!

Acts - Behold, He lives!

Epistles - Behold, He saves!

Revelation - Behold, He reigns!

 

Jesus Christ is the King and God purposes to establish His Kingdom on the earth:

•   OT - The King and His Kingdom promised and prophesied

•   Gospels - The King and His Kingdom presented and rejected

•   Acts - The King and His Kingdom offered and rejected (transition away from kingdom)

•   Pauline Epistles - The King in royal exile, Head of one new spiritual man, Kingdom postponed

•   Hebrew Epistles - The King and His Kingdom once again anticipated

•   Revelation - The King returns and His Kingdom is established 

 

II. The Bible Reveals ONE set of Moral Principles

According to the scripture, God does change in His dealings with man according to His progressive revelation (dispensational truth) but He never changes in His moral principles which are always the SAME. The world may change its so-called moral values but God never changes! In any and every dispensation God hates sin and loves righteousness. For example, murder was wrong before the giving of the written law (Cain), under the Law, and is till wrong under Grace! 

 

III. The Bible Reveals ONE Plan of Redemption

Christ shedding His precious blood on the cross for our redemption was no afterthought or "Plan B" of God. God planned redemption by the blood of Christ before the world began (1 Pet. 1:18-21). It was pictured throughout the OT by sacrificial lambs (beginning with the record of the fall in Gen. 3). It was not understood by men until after the resurrection of Christ (Lk. 24:13-27). It is a wonderful study to trace the unfolding of God's plan of redemption throughout the scripture. Every saved soul in eternity is redeemed by the SAME precious blood of Christ!

The Certainty of the Words of Truth

By way of spiritual application, let's read the following passage as if it were God speaking directly to us concerning our responsibility toward His holy word. What a great privilege to have the pure word of God! With great privilege comes great responsibility.

 

Proverbs 22:17-21
(17) Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
(18) For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.

(19) That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.

(20) Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,

(21) That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

What is said in this passage certainly applies to all scripture and not just the proverbs. The Bible is:

1.       The words of the wise
2.       God’s knowledge (“my knowledge”, what He wants us to know)
3.       Excellent things in counsels and knowledge
4.       Certain words of truth

I love the expression in v.21, "the certainty of the words of truth"! In a world that is filled with uncertainty isn't it wonderful to know the certainty of the words of truth? Webster's 1828 dictionary defines certainty as, "a fixed or real state; fact; full assurance of mind; exemption from doubt; exemption from failure."  

 

Most people, even professing Christians, set their affection on the things of this earth. For example, they live as though their life consists in the abundance of the things that they possess (Lk. 12:15). But the only thing that is certain about riches is that they are uncertain (Prov. 23:4-5; 1 Tim. 6:17-19) and we certainly cannot carry them out of this world (1 Tim. 6:7). King Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived (outside of Christ) and he was also the richest man that ever lived. He said that God's wisdom is much more precious than all riches (Prov. 3:13-18; 8:10-11). Yet most people are far more interested in material things than the spiritual things of God that revealed in the word of God.

 

Isaiah 40:6-8
(6) The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
(7) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
(8) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

 

Matthew 24:34-35
(34) Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

(35) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

 

The words of the Bible are certain because they are words of truth. The words of scripture are given by inspiration of God (2 Tim. 3:16). God is pure and true and therefore all of His words are pure and true (Prov. 30:5: Ps. 12:6-7). The Bible is absolute truth (Jn. 17:17).  

The truth of the Bible is certain, but how certain is it to YOU? Can you personally testify that you KNOW the certainty of the words of truth? Do you just know some things about the Bible because of what others have taught you or do you personally know the Bible is God’s word because you have studied it for yourself and believe it with all of your heart?

 

In v.17-18 there are 5 steps to personally knowing the certainty of the words of truth.

1.       Preparation - "Bow down thine ear" (humility)
2.       Reception - "hear the words of the wise" (spiritually, 1 Cor. 2:6-19)
3.       Application - "apply thine heart unto my knowledge"
4.       Meditation - "keep them within thee" (Ps. 119:11)
5.       Confession - "they shall withal be fitted in thy lips" (2 Cor. 4:13)

This explains why so few professing Christians witness to the lost or even talk about the things of God with other believers. As Jesus said, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matt. 12:34).

 
In v.19-21 there are two main purposes for knowing the certainty of the words of truth.
1.       That we might trust in the Lord (v.19) – How can we trust a person we don't know?

2.       That we might be able to answer others (v.21b) - Every believer should be able to communicate what the Bible says to those that ask (Prov. 15:28; Col. 4:5-6; 1 Pet. 3:15). We must not keep the truth to our self!