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Waging of War (στρατεύω)

As Christians, although we walk in the flesh, our waging of war is not done according to the flesh, for our weapons of warfare are not carnal in nature, 2 Corinthians 10:3-4. We battle malignantly evil spiritual forces that seek to ensnare our minds into doing the will of Satan while persuading us that we are doing what God wants, 2 Timothy 2:26. One of the most influential means by which war is waged upon humans is through the world system, for it is set up to pacify the sin nature through the desires of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of biological life, just as a baby is appeased by his mother rocking him in her arms, 1 John 2:16; 5:19. The wars of this world are a direct result of seeking to fulfill the desires of the flesh, James 4:1. Since we are engulfed in a spiritual battle, we are not to entangle ourselves with the affairs of this world, 2 Timothy 2:3.

Although we are at war, we do not need to fear. God has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness, 2 Peter 1:3. We are not ignorant of Satan’s methods and have been provided with armor that handles any attack he brings our way, Ephesians 6:10-18; 2 Corinthians 2:11. As part of our salvation, we also have light armor for everyday use so that we are always ready to give a defense for the hope that we have as we shine as luminaries to this crooked and perverse generation through living out who we are in Christ while casting off the works of darkness, Romans 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:8. We are not part of the world system, […]

Waging of War (στρατεύω)2023-12-14T08:10:23-08:00

Unrighteousness (ἀδικία)

Unrighteousness (ἀδικία) encompasses both the evil determinations within the mind and the resulting actions that violate standards of right conduct. Therefore, unrighteousness is the bigger term, including both trespasses and sins. A trespass happens within the mind when a determination is made to do something that a person knows is against God’s standard. It is from this desire that sin is birthed, James 1:14-15. Scripture specifically defines sin in 1 John 3:4 as lawlessness and exterior to the body in 1 Corinthians 6:18. Since sins and trespasses are different, for we were dead in both, the trespass happens within the mind when a determination is made to sin and therefore the sin is working out that desire, Ephesians 2:1.

In the first chapter of Romans, we are given a list of unrighteousness. In this list is mental attitudes and actions that are both unrighteous in their nature. “And just as they did not approve worthy to have the God in full experiential knowledge, the God gave them over to an unapproved mind to do what is wrong, being filled up where they lack in all unrighteousness: fornication, malignant evil, covetousness, lacking in character, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, bad character, secret slanderers, backbiters, haters of God, insolent, haughty, arrogant, inventors of wrong, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, without natural affection, irreconcilable, not merciful.” Romans 1:28-31.

In these last times, there are many false teachers among us who bring in destructive heresies, denying the Lord, 2 Peter 2:1. Their ways are of destruction, they blasphemy the truth and by covetousness exploit with deceptive words, 2 Peter 2:2-3. Many of these go after the way of Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, 2 Peter 2:15, which is the willingness to manipulate Christians into […]

Unrighteousness (ἀδικία)2023-12-23T11:44:14-08:00

Wrath (ὀργή)

Wrath(ὀργή) is an outward expression of anger.

There are many times recorded in Scripture and human history of God’s wrath coming upon a people which brought their destruction, such as with Sodom and Gomorrah. Therefore, the concept of the wrath of God is often focused on the coming tribulation period, in which His wrath will be poured out in full upon the ungodly, Revelation 11:18, or swift destruction coming upon the unrighteous. However, this is not the only way in which the wrath of God is manifested. An aspect of God’s wrath is being displayed today upon the ungodly and unrighteous men who hold down the truth in unrighteousness, Romans 1:18. God is permitting them to continue in their corrupt ways, turning them over to an unapproved mind and to the uncleanness of the lust of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves, receiving in themselves the punishment for such an immoral lifestyle, and filling up to the full their judgment. Therefore, in reality, they are not getting away with their corruption. This is in stark contrast to how God deals with a Christian who is acting in an unbecoming way. He will discipline us, allowing sickness, being crippled, and even death if we continue in a sinful lifestyle, for He will not allow us to be condemned with the world; therefore, when we are judged we are child-trained to correct our actions, 1 Corinthians 11:30-32. As Christians, we are not appointed unto any quality of God’s wrath, 1 Thessalonians 5:9. However, those who reject the truth are by nature the children of wrath, Ephesians 2:3.

Although the wickedness of this world today makes us very angry, especially when they lie, cheat, and use deception and […]

Wrath (ὀργή)2023-11-25T07:39:30-08:00

Cowardice (δειλία)

For the God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but inherent ability and love and a saved frame of mind – 2 Timothy 1:7

Cowardice means to lack mental or moral strength. Jesus uses this concept of cowardice with the disciples when they feared for their lives while in a storm on the sea, in which Christ was in the stern of the boat asleep. Having woken Him up because the waves were covering the boat, they pleaded with Him to save them. Jesus responds to their fear with asking them why they are being cowards, and then rebukes the wind and the sea, Matthew 8:26.  At this point the disciples were aware that Jesus is the Messiah, and they had already seen some very incredible signs proving that He is in fact God in the flesh. Their cowardice was unfounded, for all they had to do was watch Jesus and they should have known not to fear.

In the upper room, just prior to Christ’s death and resurrection, when Jesus is giving the disciples instructions concerning the new relationship that is about to come into existence between God and man because of what He will face and His imminent victory over death and Satan, Jesus tells them that He leaves His peace with them. My peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. Not just as the world gives, I give you. Stop letting your heart be troubled nor cowardly, John 14:27. This peace that Jesus spoke about is one of the aspects of the fruit from the Holy Spirit by which the mind can be in an unruffled state, Galatians 5:23-24. The Christian has the ability, because of the filling of […]

Cowardice (δειλία)2023-11-25T07:37:27-08:00

The Temple

In the New Testament there are two primary words used for Temple. Hieron (ἱερόν), which describes the temple as a whole and Naos (ναός), the Holy of Holies. This is the inner chamber where God dwells as described in the building of the Temple in Exodus 26:33 as holy of the holies (קֹ֥דֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִֽׁים), where the ark of the covenant resided and only the High Priest was permitted to enter in once a year to make a sacrifice for the whole nation (Hebrews 9:7).

In Matthew, Jesus calls out the foolishness of the religious leaders who had no issue with someone swearing by the Holy of Holies and breaking their promise, but if they swore by the gold of the Holy of Holies then they were obligated to keep their word (Matthew 23:16). They had the same twisted allegiance to the sacrifice rather than the altar. Yet, the one swearing by the altar also swears by all that is on it, and the one swearing by the Holy of Holies also swears by the One who dwells in it (Matthew 23:20).

In one of Satan’s attempts to lure Jesus into acting independently from God the Father, he takes Him up to the pinnacle of the Temple, Matthew 4:5. His intent was to get Jesus to tempt God by casting Himself off the Temple, for Scripture states that His angels will protect Him. The tempting of God is not appropriate, for God cannot be tempted and tempts no one (James 1:13); therefore, Jesus rebukes Satan for even suggesting it (Matthew 4:7). In seeking to accuse Jesus, the Pharisees seeing His disciples picking grain and eating it as they pass through a grainfield on the Sabbath, tried to call […]

The Temple2023-11-25T07:51:21-08:00
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