Revelation The Happiness of Those Reading
A revelation belonging to Jesus Christ which the God gave to Him to show to His servants, what is necessary to come to be in haste. And He signified after sending through His messenger to His servant John, who testified the Word of the God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, as much as he discerned. Happy is the one reading and the ones hearing concerning the words of the prophecy and guards the things having been written in her. For the Lord is near. Revelation 1:1-3
Why the Great Commission is not so Great
At the end of the book of Matthew it is recorded that Jesus instructed His disciples to go and make disciples. As a result of this command, this verse has been used as the battle cry for missionaries. Taking the gospel around the world! However, the verse does not actually say that, and when we understand what it in fact states, we see that the Great Commission diminishes what Jesus said.
From the ESV, although most modern translations are basically the same, Matthew 28:19 states, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This is basically the same translation as the King James version even though the ESV claims to take the original language into account. Why is this important? Let us walk through the original statement so we can see.
When it comes to translating Scripture from the original Greek, we need to pay attention to the type of verb that is being expressed. For commands, we typically find these in the imperative. Therefore, it is necessary, urgent, or required that we do the statement. In Matthew 28:19 “Go”, in our translations, is expressing an imperative. However, there is an issue with this, because the word for “go” is not in the imperative in the original language; rather, it is the word “make disciples” that is the imperative. So why does this matter? Well, you see, the disciples were not commanded to “Go”, they were commanded to “make disciples”. Is not the meaning basically the same? Actually, it is not. Let us look at the word “Go” and see. “Go” is not a normal verb, it is actually a participle. This means it is not expressing a simple action, but more of a characteristic type of action. This can be seen in the difference between someone who is known to be truthful and someone who is telling the truth. One emphasizes the character of the person, where the other stresses the action, which may or may not be a characteristic of the one telling the truth at that moment. What Jesus said was, while you are caused to go, make disciples … He never gave them a command to go.
Having been cause to go, make disciples from all the Gentiles, immersing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit while teaching them to guard all the things, as much as I have commanded you.” – Matthew 28:19,20
Thus, you see, they were not commanded to go and make disciples, but while they were going, they were to teach the Gentiles concerning all that Christ had commanded them. The focus is not about people far off, but those we encounter in our everyday life. There are many theologians through the years that have pointed out that this command was to the disciples, not to the Church. And to be honest the context does support that. Far better than for a Church that had not yet come into existence. However, the truth of what is said is valid for today. Wherever God takes us, let us share the message of the Gospel of the Christ to those around us, not just by word, but by our actions, so that they can see we are disciples of Christ and give us an opportunity to share our hope. By changing the command to “Go and make” rather than “as you go, make” the emphasis changes from the people around us to someone that is far away, and from teaching them about salvation to just giving them the salvation message and moving on. Therefore, the Great Commission undermines the significance of living a life for Christ as a luminary in the world around us and focusing on the importance of the local Church.
Rather than “Go and make disciples” how about we do what Christ in essence was telling the disciples and as we go about our everyday life share the gospel by showing them the hope we have in Christ through our lives.
The Definition of Love – Kindness
Love is longsuffering, love is kind … 1 Corinthians 13:4
Another aspect of God’s quality of love is kindness. One who is kind is described as having a good or benevolent nature or disposition, which will put others at ease. This is not an aspect of the human nature.
All turned away. They altogether became useless. There are no doers of kindness, there is not even one. – Romans 3:12
Unlike anywhere else in Scripture, here in first Corinthians Love is defined as a verb, where all other times it is a noun or adjective. Kindness is expressed in how we make others feel at ease around us not so much in an emotional sense, but an ease of mind, due to expressing a benevolent nature. This is the kind of person you feel comfortable around, not because they agree with you, on the contrary they are typically the ones that will call you out for doing wrong, but they do not judge, they do not speak harshly, mock, make fun of, or embarrass others. They are just good people to be around who understand the importance of having a benevolent disposition towards others.
If we want our lives to have a big impact on others, we need to pay attention to what God does, for it is the kindness of God that leads us to a change of mind, not hell, fire and damnation.
Or do you think little of the riches of His kindness, and tolerance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the kindness from God leads you into a change of mind – Romans 2:4
Without God showing us kindness, we would not be saved; therefore, this should be our same attitude and actions towards others so that perhaps we will have an opportunity to share with them the hope that we have.
But when the kindness and the fondness of humans from God our Savior appeared, not out from works, the ones in righteousness we had done, but according to His mercy He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing from the Holy Spirit – Titus 3:4,5
Grace is an aspect of kindness. Grace is God’s attitude whereby He gives a benefit without consideration of merit. Kindness involves making the one shown grace feel mentally at ease with the benefit received.
that in the ages to come He should show the exceeding riches of His grace by kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:7
As the elect of God, we are to put on kindness. That is, our lives and actions should put others at ease around us, because we are manifesting the new nature we have in Christ that is good and benevolent. Yes, out of love we will call out another saint for doing wrong. For unbelievers, we will encourage them to take God as His word, which will free them from their sinful lives. We don’t judge them, we are not here for that, but at the same time we will not associate with their wicked ways. But rather than telling them they are going to hell or pointing out what they are doing is wrong and against God, we should be showing them by our lifestyle why we have hope, a hope that they do not possess.
Therefore, put on, as an outer garment, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, tenderness of compassions, kindness, humility, objectivity of mind, longsuffering, enduring one another and being gracious to yourselves. If perhaps anyone has a complaint towards another, just as the Lord was gracious to you thus also you [be gracious]. And above all these things, love, which is the bond of maturity. – Colossians 3:12-14
The world wants to mimic this action by appearing to be kind towards others in the way it speaks and what it gives them, but this is not really coming from a benevolent nature, for its intent in acting this way is to get something from them. Kindness is expressing a benevolent nature towards others that results in a good disposition that makes them feel at ease around you. As an aspect of grace, we do not express kindness with giving consideration as to whether the person deserves it but because it is a manifestation of who we are in Christ. As ones not judging, but truthful. As ones who are friendly but refuses to act contrary to our morals. As ones who show the hope that we have through our lifestyle, not our words. Let us always remember, it is the kindness of God that leads to repentance.
The Definition of Love – Longsuffering
Love is an aspect of God’s nature which is manifested in seeking the best for the one loved. This attribute of His nature was shown to the disciples in the person of Jesus and shared with all those who believed their message so that even today we see the love of God manifested through the Church. This character is not from humans and in all actuality before God showed us love humans did not know what it was. At best our quality of love only seeks the best for the one loving – we sacrifice for something we want, not for the benefit of another. Now that the world has seen God’s quality of love through the Church, today the world has decided it can show this type of love without God. However, since the world can only mimic what is sees from Christians, for it does not know God, it perverts the love of God into that of human love and tries to claim it is at the very least as good of a love, if not better – for it is all inclusive. Sadly, many assemblies today have accepted this worldly love in place of God’s love. But allowing someone to continue doing things that are harmful to themselves is not love at all. Since we have a lot of “fake” love today, it is important for us to know what classifies as the love of God. That is, we need to know the real thing so that we can easily identify when it is being expressed by a Christian and when an unbeliever, or carnal Christian, is trying to mimic it with a human quality of love.
In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 we are given a very clear definition of the characteristics of the love of God. It starts out with love is longsuffering.
Love is longsuffering… 1 Corinthians 13:4
Longsuffering is a long holding out of one’s anger against unreasonable people and comes from having an objectivity of mind. As we live out our Christian life, we are going to encounter people that are very unreasonable. However, we can learn from God in how and why He manifests longsuffering to help us deal with such people.
The Lord is not slacked concerning the promises, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering towards us, determining that none should perish, but all should come to a change of mind – 2 Peter 3:9
Remember, we are not to love the world. Our commandment is to love one another as Christ loved us.
Do not love the world nor the things of the world. If perhaps someone should love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Because all the things in the world, the desires of the flesh, and the desires of the eyes, and the arrogant boastfulness of biological life, are not out from the Father but are out from the world. – 1 John 2:15, 16
A new commandment I give to you, in order that you should love one another just as I have loved you, in order that also you should love one another – John 13:34
Love is longsuffering towards other saints because we understand that we are all maturing and some of us can be rather difficult to deal with at times. But the end goal for the Church is that we all come to a oneness of the faith and a fully mature Christian in Christ.
With all humility and objectivity of mind with longsuffering bearing one another in love – Ephesians 4:2
Longsuffering is not something we produce from ourselves, it is a result of us being Spiritual and using the fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering … Galatians 5:22
God is longsuffering towards us, both before we were saved and now when we unreasonably reject His ways and go back to the ways of our previous life. Are we being the unreasonable one? Are we demanding that God give us what we want, or seeking His desires for our lives? True love holds its anger towards others when they are being unreasonable because it is seeking the best for them and there are times where a manifestation of anger is not productive. So let us set our minds on things above, start to emanate the things of the Spirit – that is live out the life we have in Christ – and use the fruit that the Holy Spirit provides for us so that we can be longsuffering towards others, seeking the best for them, while examining ourselves and making sure we are not being the unreasonable ones.
The Definition of Love – Seeking to Usurp the Love of God
If with the tongues of men and angels I speak, but do not have love, I become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy and I perceive all mysteries and know all things, and I have all faith so that to move a mountain, but do not have love I am nothing. And if I give all my goods and if I give my body in order to be burned, but do not have love, it profits nothing – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
As Christians, we are instructed to love one another as Christ loved us. Our commandment is to love the brethren and when we are loving we will not violate any law. However, there is also a love related to the world system that often gets mixed into the true love we are to show towards those of the Church.
A new commandment I give to you, in order that you should love one another just as I have loved you, in order that also you should love one another – John 13:34
I recently encountered an example of this worldly type of love in a story of a barber that goes down to the local park in his city each week, bringing his own power and supplies, to offer free haircuts to the homeless. Now at first this may seem like a wonderful thing to do. Even perhaps an expression of love. But is it God’s quality of love, or a human love that is seeking to usurp the love of God?
The love of God seeks the best for the one loved. Is offering a benefit to those who refuse to work an expression of God’s love or human love?
For also when we were facing you, this we commanded you, that if someone does not desire to work, neither should he eat – 2 Thessalonians 3:10
The love from the world is a love that seeks what is best for the one loving, not the one loved. A love from the world seeks to be observed by others so that the one doing it can gain accolades from them.
But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and are fond of the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, Matthew 23:5, 6
Those who show a worldly love seek their own benefit.
Luke 11:43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
Luke 20:46 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and fond of greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;
We are not to love the world, nor the things of the world. Giving benefits to those who refuse to work is a love that belongs to the world and is really only about the person doing the work. It is at its core selfish. If it was not, it would not reject what Scripture states and continue encouraging others to remain being lazy. There is a big different between those who need assistance because they are poor, but are willing and able to work, from those who are vagrants.
Do not love the world nor the things of the world. If perhaps someone should love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Because all the things in the world, the desires of the flesh, and the desires of the eyes, and the arrogant boastfulness of biological life, are not out from the Father but are out from the world. – 1 John 2:15, 16
This type of worldly love has crept into the church seeking to usurp the love of God. By feeding the, so called, poor, or giving gifts to those around the church that never come for the spiritual benefits, but touting about the work they assembly does for the poor and needy while ignoring the needs of their own is worldly and is not something that saints should ever be involved with. If the assembly you are in has a food pantry used to feed anyone coming in asking for food, but will not take care of its own, this is not love. If they have events for the neighborhood giving them food, clothing, school supplies, or anything else, but will not take care of their own first, this is not God’s quality of love. This is a love from the world.
Let us love one another, other saints, for by our love for the saint all will know that we are Christ’s disciples. Not by what we give the ungodly and unrighteous of this world.
By this all will experientially know that you are My disciples, if you have love among yourselves. – John 13:35
Do not let the love of this world usurp the love of God. We as saints need to express love, but we can only do this when we are using what we have in salvation, setting our minds on things above, and allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us with a quality of love that surpasses anything the world can offer, and by this expression of love our actions will testify concerning us.
The Calamity of Disobedience
Because of this, just as through one man the sin entered the world and through the sin the death, also thus unto all men the death passed, on the basis that all sinned. – Romans 5:12
Through Adam sin came into the world and the impact of his action was a penalty of death upon all those who come from him. When Adam took of the fruit from the tree in the garden, which God specifically instructed him not to eat from, he knowingly broke God’s rule.
and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was thoroughly deceived and came to be in a transgression- 1 Timothy 2:14
God told Adam that if he ate from this tree, it would bring death.
But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you will not eat, because in the day in which you eat dying you will die. – Genesis 2:17
As humans at this time, we were in a state of innocence. This means we relied solely upon God to instruct us on what was beneficial and what caused calamity in our lives. God walked with Adam each day for this very purpose. Eve was tricked into believing that by eating she would be more like God with the knowledge of good and evil, not understanding the full ramifications of her actions. However, Adam did understand and still chose to eat of the fruit. It was never about the fruit, it was about obedience. In each dispensation God shows us something about ourselves. Why does God permit wickedness? It comes down to the fact that we as humans chose it. In the garden there was no wickedness among humans. We lived in a perfect environment totally relying upon God. This does not mean humans were ignorant. On the contrary, Adam was extremely intelligent. He had a mastery of language, for he named all the animals, and he was not fooled by Satan. He willingly chose to disobey God. This disobedience brought sin into the world and the impact to all humans is that we are under sin.
And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. – Genesis 5:3
We hold the image and likeness of Adam after his fall. Therefore, we are all under condemnation. This is why evil is in the world today and why we all face physical death one day. However, God did not leave us without hope. He told Adam and Eve that it would be the seed of the woman that would save us.
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” – Genesis 3:15
We should pay attention to what is recorded concerning Adam and Eve and the action by Adam that brought sin and death into this world. It was by his disobedience. We see the misery that it has caused in contrast to what life was like before he disobeyed God. Today, in our dispensation of Grace, we should choose to obey God. Not misapplying Scripture but taking it for exactly what it says. Today all who are saved belong to the Church. We have a better covenant built upon better promises, so we are not to try to take Israel’s promises and apply them to ourselves. We live by grace out from faith; therefore, we are not to live by law. We are able to mature and properly discern the difference between good and evil by using the renewed mind we have in Christ. We are able to overcome our sin nature through the truth. We can walk in the light and fellowship with God. But we can only do this if we obey. Ask yourself, are you willing to obey God today, or do you prefer the calamity our disobedience brings?