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You can download a PDF of this study: Exempt from Hades NOT Hell! – PDF
You can also download and listen to an Audio of this study: Exempt from Hades NOT Hell! – Podcast
Content
- Introduction
- Distinguishing Hades from Hell
- Last Adam: the Foundation
- Second Man: the Building
- The Wilderness: the Outer Darkness
Introduction
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this ROCK I will build My church, and the Gates of HADES will not prevail against it. I will give to you the Keys of the kingdom of the heavens,” Matthew 16:18-19.
The main purpose of this study is to address the concept that is prevalent among modern Christianity that claims, Once SAVED, always Saved. As we have discussed in previous studies one of the main sources for such erroneous doctrine is our misunderstanding of what it means to be Born Again. Through which we have misapplied what it means to be spirits, and have mixed together the forgiveness of sins with the judgement of righteousness. As a result, righteousness has become nothing more than a badge, with no evidence of the believer being transformed into the image of the Son of God. And we assure people the consequence of our sins will ONLY affect us in this life, and our eternal soul is safe and not at risk. Which is contrary to what Paul says in Galatians, “Do not be misled: God is not mocked. For whatever a man might sow, that also he will reap. For the one sowing to his own flesh, from the flesh will reap decay. But the one sowing to the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:7-8. Please Note, Paul does not say the one sowing to the Spirit will reap a reward but ETERNAL LIFE itself, which is contrasted against the one who lived for the flesh and from it he reaped corruption. Meaning, the manner of life we live AFTER being saved, in having the Spirit of God to dwell in us will bear CONSEQUENCE.
However, in a bid to reconcile the Scriptures to our doctrine of, Once Saved always Saved, we have given a new definition for death, misapplied what it means to be Born Again, the difference between a believer and a pretender, and contrived a clause that applies to only Jews and not Gentiles so that by any means we may brushed aside the Scriptures that tells us, the Wicked Servant, the Lazy gifted Steward, the Wedding Guest without a garment, the Lawless mighty Worker, and the Bewildered foolish Virgins all really do not apply to us. So in this study we hope to illustrate the Gap that exists between Hades and Heaven, the Last Adam and the Second Man, and the difference between being Saved from Sin and the Walk of Righteousness and the consequences that await Christians who do not fully grasp the difference. Which we hope to illustrate through the portrayal of Israel’s deliverance from the bondage of Egypt to coming to their inheritance of the promised land. And how their journey DIRECTLY correlates to our walk as Christians as Paul showed in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 & Hebrews 3:12-19.
Distinguishing Hades from Hell
We begin with the astonishing statement that is contained in our main text, that the Lord did NOT say “Hell will NOT prevail against the Church but Hades!” The point being the prevailing thought within the Church of God is that the forgiveness of sins in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ that is of the Last Adam is an escape from Hell. However, that is NOT what the Lord meant, but that believing in Him being the Son of God is grounds to escape from Hades, that is from the judgement of Death, that came on the account of the fall of Adam. Hell is a whole new level of punishment, which has to do with the wrath of God to come. In fact not a single created being is in Hell at this very moment, not even one, that is according to our time line and not from the perspective of eternity.
So before we go any further, it is important that we once and for all undoubtedly settle whether the Lord was speaking about Hades or Hell, by directly looking at the Bible in original Greek. The Bible states, “And the Gates of HADES [ᾅδου] will not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18. Of Which, 23 out of 63 English translations of the Bible have all managed to get wrong by translating Hades to mean Hell, while 25 used Hades directly, 12 translated it to mean Death and 3 used the Hebrew word for Sheol. Now, even applying death to this statement is also wrong, because Death is the last enemy to be defeated as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:26. And the Lord Himself carefully worded when He revealed saying, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one believing in Me, even if he should die, he will live.” John 11:25. Meaning even though a believer’s body is subject to death and comes to an end yet we will live. As Paul said, “But if Christ is in you, the body is indeed dead on account of sin.” Romans 8:10. So the word ought to have been used is Hades and this is with a purpose because it applies specifically to our soul. So even though the Church is still subject to the gates of Death according to the body, the Soul is set free.
The Hebrew word that directly translates to Hades, is the word Sheol. And this is illustrated to us in the first sermon Peter gave where he translated Sheol to mean Hades quoting the Psalm of David saying, “for You will not abandon my soul into [ᾅδην] Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see decay.” Acts 2:27. Where the original Hebrew states, “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” Psalm 16:10. Sheol is a place where the souls of mankind are kept at the point of death, which is directly applicable to the Greek Mythology, where Hades being the god of the underworld who was tasked to keep the souls of mankind.
There is no direct word for Hell in the Greek, even Tartarus in the Greek Mythology refers to the deepest darkest part of the underworld as a place where the Titans were kept separate from the souls of mankind but it is NOT hell. And Peter referring to it said, “For if God did not spare the angels having sinned, but having cast them down to Tartarus, in chains of gloomy darkness, delivered them, being KEPT for judgement.” 2 Peter 2:4. Tartarus is a dark gloomy Bottomless Pit which is referred to in Revelation 9:1, and sometimes is also referred to as “Abyss” in Luke 8:31, which is a place of imprisonment for evil spirits that are fallen angels but it is NOT the burning flames of eternal fire which is reserved for the Judgment to come. And this is clearly distinguished in the Book of Revelation chapter 20, where Satan was first bound and thrown into the Bottomless Pit for 1000 years before being released and is cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone for eternity. [Revelation 20:1-3, 10] So in short the Abyss or the Bottomless Pit is a prison for evil spirits while Hades is a prison for the souls of mankind, all to await the Righteous Judgement of Wrath to come.
The word used in the New Testament which is closely approximated by the Greek as Gehenna is referring to Hell, which is used 11 times in the Gospels such as Matthew 10:28, Mark 9:45 and Luke 12:5. The Greek word Gehenna is derived from the Hebrew phrase, “gey’ hinnom, meaning “the valley of wailing,” in reference to a place where historical child sacrifices were made to the idol god Moloch, where the worshipers made their children pass through the fire. The significant reference being a place one is burned alive, as was those children. But the word has NO ORIGIN in the Greek, yet nearly ALL English translations of the Bible have all attributed Gehenna to mean Hell. Which is based on the Lord’s own association of the word in making reference to prophecies of Isaiah 66:24 and said, “To be cast into Gehenna, where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” Mark 9:47-48 and as “Gehenna of fire,” in Matthew 5:22. And outside of the Hebrew culture where the word “Gehenna” would bear no understanding the terms Eternal Fire, Lake of Fire and Unquenchable Fire are all used to refer to Hell but NEVER as Hades, which we find in the epistles of the apostles with the one exception of James 3:6.
Now if we can clearly see the distinction between Hades and Hell, between Sheol and Gehenna then the words of the Lord in the main text of our study will take on a whole new meaning, which we are able to perceive with fresh new eyes. That is in saying Hades, the Lord was specifically speaking about Death and not the eternal punishment of the Devil and his angels.
This might seem odd to us, but God’s wrath is not poured out against us in respect to our sin which was already judged in Death through Adam. God said to Adam, “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:17. Death was the ultimate end for ALL the sinful deeds of mankind NOT Hell. As Paul also showed saying, “Because of this, just as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death passed to all men, because all sinned.” and again, “through the disobedience of the one man, the many were made sinners.” Romans 5:12,19. In this chapter Paul laboured to show how by Adam’s one sin, we were all condemned to death on the account we were all made sinners by his one act of disobedience. Basically meaning, in Adam there is none righteous because by NATURE we were all made sinners through him. So throughout the Old Testament the end of sinful mankind all ended in Death resulting in being captives of Sheol that is of Hades. And this is evident even in the Law of Moses, as Paul states that the punishment for rejecting Moses’ Law was death. [Hebrews 10:28.] Here we need to have a clear understanding of what that means, that is at death we were made permanent captives of the kingdom of darkness. The best way to visualise this is to see Death and Hades as Literal Persons that are members of the cohorts of the rebellious angels and are part of the structure of the kingdom of the god of this world.
However, Hell that is Gehenna is an expression of God’s wrath being poured out against the source of ALL sin, that is the devil. And the Lord will say to all who rejected His ways, “Depart from Me, those being cursed, into the eternal fire, having been prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew 25:41. Please Note, Hell, that is Gehenna, is a place prepared for the punishment of the devil and was NEVER intended for mankind. Then how does mankind become partakers of the judgement of Hell? Because we have rejected the Righteousness of God in disobedience and have not sought to separate ourselves from the devil and his kingdom as to walk in the ways of God, which was made available to all of mankind through the Lord Jesus Christ.
This brings us to the point, if the Lord had said, “The gates of Gehenna, that is “Hell” will not prevail against His Church,” then the Lord would have meant, the Church is beyond being held accountable for the righteous judgement of God to come, which is in respect to the Second Death. Because the Power to cast into Hell belongs to God and God alone as the Lord Himself said of His Father, “Indeed rather you should fear the One being able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” Matthew 10:28. But the fact that the Lord carefully framed His word as to refer to “Hades” that is in respect to the First Death and NOT “Gehenna,” which is in respect to the Second Death MUST bear so much weight. The significance of which is that though the Church is saved from the First Death which is in reference to the sin of Adam it is not exempt from the Second, which is in reference to the righteousness of Christ. The Church makes a VERY big mistake when blurring these two concepts. So, when we misspeak and say, “the gates of Hell will not prevail,” we are speaking directly against the Righteous judgement of God to come and NOT of the Devil.
That is we have to know the difference between the power of Satan and the Power of God. The Lord said, to Paul, “To open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those having been sanctified by faith in Me.” Acts 26:18. That is, we have to know Death and Hades are a result of being subjected to the power of the Devil through Sin, while Gehanna or Hell is being subjected to the Wrath of God.
And the main issue of modern Christianity is that we have failed to distinguish the dual purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ, between the Last Adam and the Second Man. Paul said, “Likewise, my brothers, you also have been put to death to the Law through the body of Christ, for you to BELONG to Another, to the One having been raised out from the dead, SO THAT we should bear fruit to God.” Romans 7:4. Here Paul showed clearly how the Death of the Lord served one purpose while the Life of the Lord served another, that is One brings us out of the domain of the god of this world and the Other brings us into God. This distinction must be made CLEAR, as to distinguish the building from the foundation, nonetheless still ONE inseparable structure. Isaiah wrote, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.” Isaiah 28:16. In this one statement the Lord is portrayed as both the Foundation and the Chief Cornerstone, and this we hope to illustrate by distinguishing the Purpose the Last Adam served from the Second Man, as each is purposed to address a specific judgement.
Last Adam: the Foundation
Paul summarised the Exodus of Israel saying, “By faith he [Moses] left Egypt, not having feared the anger of the king; for he persevered, as seeing the Invisible One. By faith he has kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the one destroying the firstborn would not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as through dry land, which the Egyptians, an attempt having made, were swallowed up.” Hebrews 11:27-29. In this simple statement Paul encapsulated the mission of the Last Adam. That is the Lord Jesus Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh to save us from the Power of the Devil by setting us free from Sin and Death through the sacrifice of Himself. Which Isaiah described the result of as, “Your covenant with DEATH will be ANNULLED, and your agreement with SHEOL will NOT STAND.” Isaiah 28:18. Here, Isaiah showed we were in covenant with Death in the judgement of God through which the devil exercised his power.
And this is specifically the one purpose the Lord Jesus Christ came in the flesh to break, in dying the death we all ought to have died for our sins. That is the Last Adam came to give us victory over the First Death which came on the account of the First man Adam. So Paul says, “Therefore there is now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. For the Law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the Law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2. Meaning through sin, flesh mankind was condemned into captivity of Death and Hades. Which Paul pointed out saying, “So then, just as through one trespass, it is unto condemnation to all men.” Romans 5:18. And this is the Main Point, Paul was specifically referring to in regards to condemnation that is the First Death.
And we will illustrate this through the exodus of Israel as for us to clearly perceive the purpose the Lamb of God, the Last Adam served. In the analogy of the Exodus of Israel from Egypt, Pharaoh represents the devil himself, the destroyer of the firstborn represents Death and the Red Sea represents the domain of the spirits that is Hades. In this story the lamb without a spot or blemish was sacrificed and its blood was applied on the door post and lentils of the house so that the destroyer of the firstborn, will Pass Over them. Likewise, it is precisely for the same account that John the Baptist looked at the Last Adam and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, the One taking away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. Now, the reason the destroyer was only able to take the firstborn of mankind and beast is in reference to the First Death that came on the account of the firstborn of mankind Adam. And THIS very authority came from God, through which the devil exercised his power, when the Lord God spoke to Adam saying, “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
That is the devil held the power of Death through the Sin of Adam, as Paul said, “Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law.” 1 Corinthians 15:56. And it is from this power the Lord came to save us as Paul describes saying, “so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death, that is, the devil, and might set free those who all their time to live were subject to slavery through fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15. Basically meaning the Death of the Lord was intended to invalidate the grounds the devil had to hold the souls of Mankind. As it says in Hebrews, “He has been revealed once in the consummation of the ages for the putting away of sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Hebrews 9:26. The point is that God sees us as victims and captive slaves of the devil on the account of the one sin of Adam.
It is in this regard John says to us, “And they have overcome him [the devil] by reason of the blood of the Lamb, and by reason of the word of their testimony.” Revelation 12:11. That is as to apply the Blood of the Lamb by the confession of our mouth as the Isralites did with the Hyssop branches. And again John says, “ For this reason the Son of God was revealed, so that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8. Here is the point: the death of the Lord Jesus Christ is specifically designed to address the authority of the Devil. That is to bring us out of the hold of the kingdom of darkness that was ruled through Sin for the production of Death. Therefore the Lord in putting away sin by the Sacrifice of Himself, in effect nullified the power of the devil and brought to nothing the authority of Death and Hades. So anyone who believes in Him is made exempt from the judgement of Death which came on the account of sin, whereby he will not encounter the grip of Hades. Hence when the Lord was raised from the dead said, “Fear not. I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. And I was dead, and behold I am living to the ages of the ages, and I have the keys of Death and of Hades.” Revelation 1:17-18.
The very next event Israel experiences after coming out of Egypt was that they passed through the Red Sea, as to be beyond the reach of Pharaoh and his army. As Moses says to the Israelites, “For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:13-14. The Sea is a physical expression for the domain of spiritual forces of wickedness, as Daniel portrayed in Daniel 7 when the Sea was stirred to raise up four beasts, that is fallen angelic beings. Also as John wrote, “And the Sea gave up the dead who were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them;” Revelation 20:13. So the Sea represents a place where the souls of mankind were to be held on the account of the Sin that came because of Adam. So Israel crossing the Red Sea as if on dry land is to portray, the power of Hades and Sheol was made null and void by the blood of the lamb. Here it is important to note, Paul said Israel passed the Red Sea through faith but when the Egyptian tried to pass they were consumed. The question is, how is the faith of Israel different from the Egyptians since Israel saw the Red Sea open the same as the Egyptians, and both acted accordingly. The only difference between the two was that every Israelite the night before had applied the blood of the lamb through faith to invalidate the authority of the destroyer of the firstborn. Hence they could not be subject to Hades, as the Lord said, “the Gates of HADES will not prevail against [His Church],” however the Egyptians still being under the domain of death could not escape the hold of Hades.
And this is the Foundation that is set, that is the Lamb of God is represented as the Lamb of Egypt which is expressed in His Death and Burial. A foundation of a house is set in the ground below the surface, as the Lord said of the wise servant, “He is like to a man building a house, who dug and deepened, and laid a foundation on the rock.” Luke 6:48. Likewise the Death and Burial of the Lord as the Last Adam serves to set us free from the domain of the kingdom of darkness, as to never be subject to them. As Paul says of water Baptism, “We were buried with Him through baptism into death.” Romans 6:4. And again, “In whom also you were circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in the removal of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism.” Colossians 2:11-12. The purpose being to portray the body being put in the ground resulting in the separation of the soul from the domain of the flesh and from the power of Sin, Death and Hades on the account we have died with Him on the cross.
And Paul described his ministry to the Corinthians saying “According to the grace of God having been given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, but another is building upon it. But let each one take heed of how he builds upon it. For no one is able to lay another foundation, besides the one being already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:10-11. The foundation of which he described at the beginning as, “Jesus Christ and Him having been crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2. Please Note: Since Paul is speaking about the foundation of the faith the emphasis he makes is on the DEATH of the Lord. This is the point, the Last Adam came to set this foundation in His Death and Burial so that the Gates of Hades will not prevail against anyone who believes this to be true. Now, it is important to note here, messing with this foundation as to attribute salvation to any other than Christ alone will put our soul in grave danger, and whatever lofty building is constructed above will absolutely mean nothing.
So, when we generally speak about being Saved by Grace and Not of Works as in Romans 11:96, God justifying the ungodly in Romans 4:5 and He saved us not because of any works of righteousness we have done as in Titus 3:4-5, we are specifically speaking about being saved from the domain of darkness in the forgiveness of sins that is from the First Death. [Colossians 1:13-14.] And this is illustrated for us in that the Israelites had to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to overcome Pharaoh and his army, as Moses said, “The Lord will fight for you.” The only requirement was to apply the blood of the lamb by faith and to simply walk through the Red Sea, which opened right before their eyes. There was no other qualification of works and NOT one Israelite was held above another, every one of them was qualified by the blood of the lamb equally. And this is the fundamental principle of the foundation of election by Grace through which we are all saved, that is the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ qualifies every man, woman and child from sin APART from any work. [Romans 3:20 & Galatians 2:16]
It is important to note here, “once saved always saved,” does not even apply as far as it concerns those having escaped the captivity of Hades. Even when we consider not a SINGLE Israelites that escaped Egypt crossed back over the Red Sea, on which account we could have attributed, everyone saved from Death and Hades will remain saved from the domain of the kingdom of Darkness. However, there are exceptions even to this as we will discover in the course of this study, the main issue being with those who try to lay another foundation, other than Jesus Christ and HIM ALONE crucified. Having said this, most of us get into trouble with the theology of “once saved always saved,” because we make the forgiveness of sins to be equal to the inheritance of the kingdom of God. However, this is NOT true, the kingdom of God belongs to those who walk by the Spirit as to be sanctified, as the Lord Himself said, “an inheritance among those having been sanctified by faith in Me.” Acts 26:18. Which Paul laboured to impress through his various epistles sternly warning all those who walk in the flesh and sin, will not inherit the kingdom of God. And between Egypt and the inheritance of the Promised land there is a vast wilderness called the Sinai, which the children of Israel had to endure.
In this respect we need to address the words of the Lord, when He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you that the one HEARING My word and believing the One having sent Me, he has eternal life and does not come into judgement, but has passed out of death into life.” John 5:24. The question here is what judgement was the Lord speaking about? We have to understand, the Last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh, came to address the issue of Sin and Death that came on the account of Adam. So in essence the Lord was speaking these words to dead men and women, as He said, “an hour is coming, and now is, when the DEAD will HEAR the voice of the Son of God, and those having heard will live.” John 5:25. Then we have to understand the Lord was speaking of the judgement of the First Death, hence the reason he said, “has passed out of death into life.” However, He was not speaking about the righteous judgement to come as Paul said, “We must ALL come before the judgement seat of Christ to give account of the deeds done in the body whether good or evil.” 2 Corinthians 5:10. Which Paul as with Peter states saying, “I earnestly declare before God and Christ Jesus, the One being about to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom.” 2 Timothy 4:1 & 1 Peter 4:5, As to encompass everyone will be subject to the judgement to come.
The association for us is that Every Israelite that came out of the Land of Egypt came with the promise of entering the Promised Land of Milk and Honey, but only the New generation that learned to walk by the Ark of God were able to obtain it. Likewise, we are also saved from the power of Sin and Death with the PROMISE of heaven when we have escaped the corruption that is in the world through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as propitiation for our sins and receive His Spirit. On which account we are also required to endure to the end in walking by the Spirit through faith, as the Lord Himself said, “The one having endured to the end, he will be SAVED.” Matthew 24:13. However, few attain to inherit the kingdom of God, because many have not learned to walk by the Spirit of God, that is of the Second Man. And our failure to distinguish this difference is the main problem of modern Christianity. Consider: the problem with Israel was that they believed one part of salvation to come out of Egypt but failed the second part in acting in faith in order to inherit the Promise. And we make the same EXACT mistake, when we believe the sacrifice of the Lord but fail to walk with Him by faith in the Spirit and fall short of the inheritance of the kingdom of God.
And in this regard, there are two sets of keys we want to compare in this section, the first is the keys of Death and Hades as mentioned in Revelation 1:18 the other is the keys of the kingdom of Heaven as mentioned in our main text, Matthew 16:19. Keys are symbols of authority to open or shut, and the first set of Keys is in regard to the putting away of sin which resulted in victory over Death and Hades, that is the Last Adam. But the Second key is in respect to the kingdom of Heaven which is based on Righteousness on the account of having the Spirit of God, that is the Second Man. So, many Christians are familiar with the key of the Last Adam but very few know and walk with the Second Man.
Second Man: the Building
At times we struggle to reconcile the writing of Paul to that of James, who said, “O foolish man, that faith apart from works is worthless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, having offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that his faith was working with his works, and by his works, his faith was perfected.” James 2:21-22. Now, this might seem to go in direct contradiction to what we have studied thus far, as Paul stated, “we are saved by faith through grace and not of works.” However, Paul and James are related to one another as a building is to its foundation. That is, while Paul is describing the foundation, which can only be laid by Faith apart from works, which is in respect to sin, James was speaking about constructing the building as to illustrate true faith through works, as to exhibit the Nature of Righteousness. Meaning there is absolutely NOTHING anyone can do to qualify themselves from sin in order to be saved from death and Hades, except to have faith in the Son of God who paid the full price for our sins. However, now we are saved from Sin, Death and Hades, we are expected to walk by putting our faith to work as to walk in the Spirit according to the will of God. Which in the theme of our study is clearly illustrated in two different crossings, the first through the Red Sea as discussed above, the Second through the River Jordan, which we will address in this section.
The distinct difference we need to focus on is that Israel was required to know NOTHING except the lamb crucified in order to cross the Red Sea. However, they had to walk by faith according to the truth of the word of God in having the Ark of God in their midst in order to cross the River Jordan. Here is where we get into trouble, because we think that judgement as far as it concerns a believer has already passed away, hence we hold to the belief once saved always saved in terms of entering Heaven. Now, the judgement for sin and death has passed away as far as it concerns the First man Adam, which was annulled through the Last Adam according to the flesh. However, a whole new judgement has now come into effect as it concerns the Second Man, the Lord Jesus Christ which is according to the Spirit. And NO ONE is EXEMPT from this judgement, which is illustrated through the River Jordan. In relation to this Paul says, “And in as much as it is apportioned to men to die once, and after this, judgement so also Christ, having been offered once in order to bear the sins of many, will appear for a second time, apart from sin, to those awaiting Him for salvation.” Hebrews 9:27-28. Note: the death the Lord died was in respect to sin as Romans 6:10 also states, but the judgement to come is in respect to salvation.
Peter also states, “For it is the time for the judgement to have begun from the house of God; and if from us first, what will be the outcome of those disobeying the gospel of God? And, “If the righteous one is saved with difficulty, where will appear the ungodly and sinner?” 1 Peter 4:17-18. Now, this would not make sense if Peter was speaking about sin and death, since it is annulled in the Death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, Peter is speaking of a new judgement to which EVEN the righteous must be subject. Which Paul describes as, “He [God] set a day in which He is about to judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He appointed, having provided a guarantee to all, having raised Him out from the dead.” Acts 17:31. The important factor here is that the Lord Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, and it is on this ground the judgement of righteousness is based! That is the First Death MUST be annulled in order for the judgement of the Second Death to be established. [2 Timothy 1:10.] So as we were judged for Adam unto death because of sin, we are now Judged in Christ unto life and salvation, on the account of righteousness which is apart FROM sin.
Paul again showed this saying, “Therefore much more, having been JUSTIFIED now by His BLOOD, we WILL be SAVED by Him from WRATH!” Romans 5:9. Look at the two distinct judgments here, the First justifies us from sin and Death by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is in the past tense. However the Second saves us from the WRATH to COME which is in future tense and this is based on the Life of the Second Man that is of the righteousness of the Spirit. And Paul describes this saying, “we were RECONCILED to God through the DEATH of His Son, much more, having BEEN reconciled, shall we be SAVED in His LIFE!” Romans 5:10. God is NOT judging us for sin but in regards to our willingness to walk by His Spirit in righteousness through faith on which account we are able to cross the Jordan which is an expression of the Wrath to come. And the Church IS NOT exempt from it! The result of this judgement is described by John as the Second Death in Revelation 20:6. Which Paul describes as, “How much worse punishment do you think will he deserve, the one having trampled upon the Son of God, and having esteemed ordinary the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and having insulted the Spirit of grace?” Hebrews 10:29. This is expressed in the first part of our study as being cast into “Gehenna of fire.” Matthew 18:9.
In keeping with the theme of our study, the source of the Jordan River is a spring which is found at the base of one of the highest mountains in the land of Israel, Mount Hermon. And this mountain is said to have three distinct peaks which are covered with snow and is an analogy for the expression of the Trinity of God. Please Note, the source of the River springs up from the base of this mountain, and this ought to invoke the image of Living water that comes out at the base of the throne of God as in the visions of Ezekiel and John. And the Jordan River flows through the land of Israel all the way to the Lowest place on the entire earth, the Dead Sea, where there is NO LIFE. The point we have to see is that the Jordan River specifically addresses the final judgement of God which sweeps away into Gehenna of Fire. Hence the root is at Mount Hermon and its End is the Dead Sea, as the Lord said, “Indeed rather you should fear the One being able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” It is worth to note that Mount Hermon is also known as the Mountain of Transfiguration, and this is apt since we are saved from the judgement to come on the account of the glorification of the Son of Man to be at right hand of the Throne of Heaven, and have now become the Template of our Salvation.
And when Israel crossed the Jordan River, Joshua states it was during the Harvest Season when the river breaks its banks, which is a representation of the Wrath of God that was stored up since the day Adam fell being unleashed in full force. [Joshua 3:15.] And this relates to writings of John in Revelation 14 where he describes the Harvest Season in respect to the gathering of wheat and grapes. The MAIN point to take away from this is that, the Jordan River which is the expression of the Judgment of Wrath to come is directly intended to address the Devil and his angels, which is in respect to the closing of the Ages. Remember, the Lord said, “Depart from Me, those being cursed, into the eternal fire, having been prepared for the devil and his angels.” Likewise, the flow of the Jordan River into the Dead Sea is meant to illustrate this VERY point. And it is on this account when the feet of the priests carrying the Ark of God stepped into the waters of the river, that the flow was cut off, and the water stood up as a pillar at a city called Adam near Zarethan. [Joshua 3:16.] Now, we might think this has to do with the disobedience of Adam but this is not the case, since the disobedience of Adam was judged in Death at the Red Sea. However, this judgement is specifically addressing the source of ALL sin, that is the Devil himself.
And the general belief which we take for granted is that the Devil rebelled against God long before Adam came into the picture. But this is not supported by the Scriptures, as Ezekiel says of Lucifer, “You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God.” Ezekiel 28:12-13. So we know on the day Adam was brought to life, Lucifer was still an angel of honour, but it was also the beginning of the day of his doom. That is, when dominion was given to this simple creature of clay to rule over the whole earth and have fellowship with God, it was like a red rag to a bull and exposed the inequity that was in him. And in a bid to make himself like God, he contrived a plan by which he may be worshipped. Remember only God in all of creation receives and is worthy of worship and that is what Lucifer wanted. And this is evident when he tempted the Lord and said, “All these things I will give to You, if falling down, You will worship me.” Matthew 4:9. So he set a plan to usurp the dominion from Adam to be the god of this world and held him hostage in order to keep the Wrath of God at bay. However now salvation is provided for all of mankind, the Wrath of God is set to be unleashed in full force, to sweep the devil and his rebellious angels to Gehenna of fire.
Now, the time Israel spent in the wilderness is an expression of a Christian walk having escaped the pollution that is in the world through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is in this regard Peter expressed our time on earth as sojourners and pilgrims saying, “And if you call on as Father the One judging impartially according to the work of each, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your sojourn.” 1 Peter 1:17. And again, “Beloved, I exhort you as aliens and sojourners, to abstain from fleshly desires, which war against the soul.” 1 Peter 2:11. And this place that exists between the crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan River, there are several significant events that are necessary for us to acknowledge from which we plan to correlate with the Christian walk.
The First and most important one is the Day of Pentecost. For the Isralites this is the day God appeared to them at Mount Sinai, and He gave them the Ten Commandments, recorded in Exodus 19-20. The corresponding event in the New Testament is the SAME day on which the Holy Spirit was given to believers as recorded in Acts 2. Which the Prophet Ezekiel described as, “I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” Ezekiel 36:26-27. What Israel was expected to fulfil in the flesh in obeying the commandments that were written on a tablet of stones, was fulfilled in us by the Spirit of God written in hearts of flesh. And this is the VERY pinnacle of the purpose of God in redeeming us from sin and death by the precious blood of Christ, that is we might know His will and walk in ALL His ways. God did not save us from sin for the sake of saving us from sin, but rather for us to resemble Him according to His own nature that is of Righteousness.
This is what Paul calls, “Newness of Life,” in Romans 6:4, “Newness of the Spirit” in contrast to the letter of the Law in Romans 7:6, and “a New Living way,” in Hebrews 10:20, all of which is built upon the foundation of the DEATH of the Last Adam. The relation to us is that as Israel that came out of Egypt were expected to follow a different way of life, we are ALSO expected to do the same. As Paul says, “For if you live according to flesh, you are about to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Romans 8:13-14. Meaning the manner we lived in the world which was according to the flesh has to be put to death by the Spirit of God in order to LIVE to inherit the Kingdom of God. Now, many fail to understand what this means as if you have to work to gain salvation, but “by the SPIRIT” means it is an act of faith in believing God which we are expected to practise, and failure to do so is evidence of unbelief! Consider: When Israel entered into a covenant with God according to the Law which was ratified by the blood of goats and calves, they were expected to walk according to the Law and failure to do so resulted in death. Likewise we have also entered into a greater Covenant with God which is ratified by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the condition of which is that we have to walk by the Spirit through faith, and failure to do so will also result in death.
And, the effect of this new way, both for us and the Isralites is expressed in the construction of the dwelling place of God. That is after God gave Moses the Law on Mount Sinai, he was instructed to build the Tabernacle in which His Holy Spirit was intended to dwell in. And the instructions were given to Moses with these specific words, “See that you shall make all things according to the pattern having been shown you in the mountain.” Exodus 25:40. This building was to be the centre of life for Israel, the main governing Law being, “The man having done these things will live by them.” Leviticus 18:5. So, accordingly they themselves were required to construct the dwelling place of God, using gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; ram skins, badger skins, and acacia wood and so on, which the bible refers to as a Temple made with hands. [Exodus 25:2-7.]
The corresponding event in the New Testament is that our bodies are to be the Temple of God in whom the Holy Spirit makes His dwelling, that is a Temple made without hands. As Paul says, “Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16, And again, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit in you, whom you have from God?” 1 Corinthians 6:19. And, the pattern for this building is also revealed in similar circumstances on Mount Hermon, when the Lord was Transfigured before His disciples, which the Holy Spirit now works to mould us into the very same Image of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Paul said, “And we all having been unveiled in face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18. Meaning the Holy Spirit works to transform us into the very image of the Lord we behold in His word, which is the main difference between us and Israel that the builder of the present House is God Himself by His Spirit. And this building is described by Paul as, “Having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is increasing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22 & in 1 Peter 2:5.
So, what does this building signify? The purpose of the building for Israel was to wash them from all the evil manners they walked while in Egypt and to teach them the way of righteousness. Likewise we are also required to be cleansed in Mind and Body from all the evil manners we walked while in the world through the knowledge of God’s will. As Paul says, “You are to have put off, concerning the former way of life, the old man, which is being corrupted according to its desires of deceit, and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to have put on the new man, having been created according to God in righteousness and holiness of truth.” Ephesians 4:22-24. And in Colossians Paul makes this very clear and says, “put to death the members which are upon the earth,” and “you also put off all these things,” and lists all manner of things and says, “Having put off the old man with his practices, having put on the new, the one being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the One having created him.” Colossians 3:10. The idea being as we are renewed in mind in the knowledge of the will of God, and as we willingly consent to the working of the Spirit, we shed the old manner of ways and are conformed to the New. It is VERY important to Note, putting the deeds of the body to death is an AFTER effect of having the Spirit of God which results in eternal life.
And this is the purpose the SECOND MAN, the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of God serves, that is to be the Template, whom we are to resemble through the process of sanctification, on which grounds the inheritance of the Kingdom of God is based. Meaning putting off the old and putting on the New is the very essence of salvation. And this is illustrated in the example of Israel, where the death of the old generation of Egypt was a necessary aspect so that the new generation of the wilderness could enter and possess the Promised land. Which the Lord describes as saying, “Truly I say to you, if unless you are not converted and become like the little children, you shall never enter into the kingdom of the heavens.” Matthew 18:3. That is, God’s purpose from the foundation of the world has ALWAYS been that we are to be conformed to the image of His Son. As Paul writes in Romans, “Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:29. And Paul describes this process saying, “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water by the word, so that He might present to Himself the church in glory, not having spot or wrinkle or any of the such things, but that it would be holy and blameless.” Ephesians 5:25-27. There are two clear distinct events taking place here, Christ gave Himself in death for the forgiveness of her sins that is Justification, but now He works to wash His bride from the ways of the world by His word so that she might be Holy and blameless before Him and that is Sanctification.
When Israel failed to possess the land because they feared the people, God saw that as the rejection of Himself, an act of great unbelief on which grounds many failed to enter into the promise. [Numbers 14:11,22-24.] In a similar way, MANY have laid down to accommodate sin in their lives as if God is without power to help them, as a result they have failed to put the deeds of the body to death and have accepted to live for the flesh, the result of which will also be DEATH. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: You are to abstain from sexual immorality; each of you to know how to win mastery over his own vessel in holiness and honour, not in the passion of lust, as also the Gentiles, not knowing God;” Then he says, “For God has not called us to impurity, but into holiness. So then, the one rejecting this does not disregard man but God, the One also giving His Holy Spirit to you.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 & 7-8. Please Note, God sees our failure to hold our bodies in holiness of honour to be the rejection of Himself, the same as Israel in the wilderness, on the account He has given His Holy Spirit to dwell in us. And it is a GREAT failure of any Christian to live for the forgiveness of sins and to forsake the life of righteousness in sanctification of the Spirit.
Paul wrote to Titus, “He saved us, not by works in righteousness that we did, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by that grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:5-7. Again there are two distinct processes that take place here, even though they are inseparable from one another. The first is Justification from sin through the Lord Jesus Christ, the other is sanctification by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is NOT about the forgiveness of sins, He is all about sanctifying us to walk in a New way on the account that we have been forgiven in Christ. As Peter said of Cornelius’s house, that God gave them the Holy Spirit having sanctified their hearts through faith, the moment Peter declared to them, through Him sins are forgiven. [Acts 15:8-9.]
And this is where the practice of righteousness comes to effect, not because we have done anything of our own but because God has given to us His righteous Spirit to dwell in us. Having the Holy Spirit in order to walk in Him is the WHOLE POINT of redemption, He is the Gift, He is the Promise and those that do not know Him are in dire trouble. We make a very big mistake when we separate sin from the devil and righteousness from the Holy Spirit. Paul made it very clear in Ephesians 2:1-3 that the sons of disobedience were victims of the spirit of the power of the air that works in them to produce the lust of the flesh and mind. Likewise, righteousness is INSEPARABLE from the Holy Spirit, and Paul says of the kingdom of God, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17. Meaning, Righteousness is the character and nature of God as much as Peace and Joy are, and also in Romans 8:9-10, Paul inseparably links the imputation of righteousness to the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God.
Now, if righteousness is the very being of the Divine Nature then the PRACTICE of this nature is an indispensable fact of the Christian walk. That is righteousness means we are required to practise it, on the account He has made His righteous Spirit to dwell in us, on which ground John says, “Little children, let no one lead you astray; the one practising righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. The one practising sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.” 1 John 3:7-8. That is why having the nature of the Second Man as Spirit is a critical factor in obtaining the inheritance of the Kingdom of God. Which is portrayed by Israel crossing the River Jordan into the Promised Land led by the priests bearing the Ark of God, with Joshua as their Head. Please bear in mind, it is not the death of the Lamb that opened the Jordan River, EVEN though it is an INSEPARABLE part of it, and it is the VERY FOUNDATION of the Covenant that allows us to come to the inheritance. We DO NOT diminish the value of the sacrifice, since without the foundation there is NO Building, nonetheless the building is the intended Goal, just as a seed is not sown for the sake of it but for the harvest. [Hebrews 6:7-8.] This is the error of modern theology because we have separated Righteousness from the Holy Spirit, whereby we invalidate the requirements of the believer to walk by faith in the Spirit according to the will of God.
And Paul saw the resurrection as something He had to strive to obtain and said, “to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from out of dead.” Philippians 3:10. Even though Paul was certain that he was saved from Sin and Death, he did not count the resurrection as a foregone conclusion but something to fight to obtain in faith. So in Corinthians he says, “I batter my body and bring it into servitude, lest having preached to others, I myself might be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:27. Please Note, this great man of God to whom the revelation of salvation by Grace through faith is given, did not count himself to be beyond disqualification if he failed to restrain his body, yet somehow we think we are. Holding our body in holiness of honour is an expected part of our walk as Christians. And God sternly warns us in many places that we ought not to give ourselves into sexual immorality through which we defile our own body, which is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. [1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, Philihpians 3:18-19, Ephesians 5:4-7, 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8.] That is, those who live for the dictates of the flesh, even though they have been forgiven from the Sin of Adam and are saved from Death, will not Inherit the kingdom of God because they have rejected the ways of righteousness, that is God Himself.
We end this section as we began it, by comparing Paul to James. Paul said, God counted righteousness to Abraham when he believed the promise, that his descendants will be as many as the stars through the one born from his own body. [Genesis 15:6.] To this James adds and says, Abraham’s faith was perfected by his works when he offered up his son. [James 2:21-23.] Which is in reference to the moment the angel appeared to Abraham, emphatically declaring, “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing.” Genesis 22:16-18, and repeats the EXACT same promise as earlier. And James makes the EXACT reference to, “it was counted to him for righteousness,” and says, “You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.” James 2:24. The Very Same promise that was received by faith was later established by works, which James calls, “the Scripture was fulfilled.” Likewise, righteousness is given to us when we receive the Spirit of God when we believe in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. [Romans 4:24-25.] However, the genuineness of our faith is determined when we walk in Him, as Paul says, “If we live by the Spirit, we should also walk by the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25.
Consider: The son whose name is Isaac meaning laughter, is expressed as both the Promise and the means by which a sacrifice to God is made, which is an expression of the Holy Spirit, that is in respect to righteousness given by faith to produce the fruits thereof, which James counted as being perfected. Hebrews says of the Lord that He offered Himself, that is His body to God through the eternal Spirit. [Hebrews 9:14.] So, Abraham also offered up his son, and God saw his willingness to do so as his WORK of righteousness through faith. Likewise we are required to offer bodies as living sacrifice to God through the Holy Spirit, which is our expected service. [Romans 12:1-2.] Which Paul describes as, “but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” PLEASE NOTE: by the Spirit means it is by faith through Grace. God is not interested in the effort of our flesh, but the disposition of our hearts to uphold the truth of His word, on the account of which He gives us His strength to overcome. Not one man can cure the tongue, or overcome wrath or anger, but as we offer our body as a living sacrifice to God, He works with our willingness by His Spirit according to the working of His will. And it is the Rejection of His power that is given to us through the Holy Spirit which God considers to be the rejection of Himself, when we give ourselves to the practice of sin, which could possibly result in our disqualification. [2 Corinthians 13:4-5.]
The Wilderness: the Outer Darkness
We have come to the final section of our study, where we are going to draw a correlation between those who fell in the wilderness, to those who are disqualified in the New. Which Paul drawing a parallel between us and them says, “For who were those having heard, REBELLED, but not all those having come out of Egypt by the leading of Moses? And with whom was He indignant forty years, if not with those having SINNED, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they shall not enter into His rest, if not to those having DISOBEYED? And we see that they were not able to enter in because of UNBELIEF.” Hebrews 3:16-19. And Paul applies this to the Church and says, “Take heed, brothers, lest ever there will be in any of you an evil heart of UNBELIEF, into falling away from the living God. But encourage one another every day, while it is called today, so that not one of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:12-13. We need to bear in mind, Paul is not speaking to unbelievers but believers in Christ for which reason he calls them, “brothers.” And he warns us of the dangers of UNBELIEF so that we may not be deceived by sin to the point of hardening our hearts that we fall away from the Living God, and fall short of our inheritance.
Now, when confronted with the word UNBELIEF, our immediate thought is that Paul is speaking of those who turn away from the faith but that is NOT what he is referring to, but the expression of UNBELIEF through acts of Rebellion, Sinning, and Disobedience. And in our case this is manifested in the manner of life we live in the flesh being in UNBELIEF of the power of the Holy Spirit who is given to us in order to live righteous lives. Remember: prior to the Law sin was not imputed, likewise prior to the Holy Spirit we were not expected to live righteous lives, since we were all sinners by nature. And this is what we get wrong when we are obsessed with the state of the flesh and neglect what is required of us by the Spirit, which is the very SUBSTANCE of the New Covenant. And the IMPORTANCE of this statement cannot be underestimated, that is a life led by the Spirit of God is the VERY CORE of our Faith. [Romans 8:14.]
And the association between us and Israel is encompassed in this one statement, “Just as the Holy Spirit says: “Therefore I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Always they go astray in their HEART; and they have not known My WAYS;’ so I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter into My rest.’” Hebrews 3:7, 10-11. Consider: the purpose of God in saving Israel from Egypt, and us from the world, is so that we may know His ways as to walk in Him. And it is the REJECTION of this, where many have chosen to live for the flesh in defeat according to the leading of the devil, which makes them to be subject to the judgement of Wrath EVEN though they have escaped the First Death through the sacrifice of the Last Adam. The emphasis being, the Church is NOT exempt from the Second Death, which is determined by nothing else than our willingness to live for Him according to the working of His Spirit in us. As the Lord says, “I am the One searching affections and hearts; and I will give to each of you according to your works.” Revelation 2:23. And it is in the same regard Paul also emphasises the part we have to play and says, “Therefore we should be diligent to enter into that rest, so that no one should fall by the same example of DISOBEDIENCE. For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even as far as the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrows, and able to JUDGE the thoughts and intentions of the HEART.” Hebrews 4:11-12.
So the main correlation between us and Israel is illustrated in the two edged purpose of salvation, that is to say coming out of Egypt by the blood of the Lamb is NOT the end, but the VERY beginning. And the ENTIRE PURPOSE of redemption is so that we may resemble our God in Heaven, which for Israel was illustrated in the giving of the holy and just Law and for us through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. So, just as receiving the Law changed every aspect of the life of the Israelites, the Holy Spirit is also intended to bring about the same change in us. God is looking for those who choose to walk with His Son being one spirit with Him, in order to be conformed to His image. So what we have submitted our body to be used for, and what we have done with what God has given to us, will have a serious consequence.
And it is in this respect that Paul repeatedly warned us saying, “For this you know, realising that any fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous man, who is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the WRATH of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.” Ephesians 5:5-7. As well as in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and in Galatians 5:19-21. The important point here is that Paul is not saying those practising such things will not be FORGIVEN, since he tells us in Ephesians 4:32 as well as Colossians 3:13, that we are all ALREADY forgiven in Christ Jesus. However, Paul’s point is that EVEN though these are ALREADY forgiven yet because they make the PRACTICE of sin in the flesh as a normal aspect of their walk in Christ, they will NOT inherit the kingdom of God. Therefore, they are partakers of WRATH, which is absolutely different from the judgement of sin that came on the account of Adam. Wrath has to do with the Second Death, and as stated above, the Church is NOT exempt because it is conditional in our walk in the Spirit.
And Jude perfectly parallels our condition to that of Israel and says, “Now I want to remind you, you having known all this, that Jesus, having SAVED at one time a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward He DESTROYED those not having believed.” Jude 1:5. In this statement, Jude refers to the Lord, by the name “Jesus,” whereby he makes a clear association between our condition and theirs, in the illustration of the UNCHANGEABLE nature of the Lord as Paul stated, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and to the ages.” Hebrews 13:8. Meaning the very same principle that applied to them applies to us, which was according to the Law to them but according to the Spirit to us. So it is in this regard that Paul makes a very clear point and says, “Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone DESTROYS God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is HOLY, which you are.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.
The word translated to mean destroy [φθείρει] in the first instance, is not quite suitable, since Paul is speaking to the individual in respect to the treatment of their own body, that is why in the next verse he says, “Let no one deceive himself.” However, the same word “φθείρει,” can also be translated to mean to defile or corrupt, which is MOST appropriate since Paul is speaking about acts of immorality that are committed in the BODY, that is UNCLEANNESS. And this is evidenced by the fact in 1 Corinthians 6:18-19, he makes a directly corresponding statement, only this time he specifies sexual immorality as the means by which one sins against his own body, thereby defiling the Temple of God. And this was illustrated according to the theme of our study in Numbers 25:6-9, where a man presented the daughter of Moab named Cozbi in full view of Moses, the congregation and the Tabernacle of Meeting and committed sexual immorality in his TENT, which is an expression for the temporary body. [2 Corinthians 5:1.] So it is IMPORTANT to note, Paul, the SAME as Jude is saying, if anyone defiles the TEMPLE of God, that is the BODY, God will destroy him. Meaning, knowing that the body is a place of the habitation of the Holy Spirit means there is a huge consequence in regards to the manner a Christian is expected to live! That is why Paul said, “each may receive back the things done through the body according to what he did, whether good or evil.” That is in respect to the judgment of righteousness that is yet to come.
Now, the consequence of falling short of the inheritance is expressed in Israel in those whose bodies were scattered in the wilderness, and in respect to us it is in regards to those who fall short of the kingdom of God, whose end is to be cast out into the Outer Darkness. The main emphasis being that the outer darkness is a place that is specifically suited for the sons of the kingdom, that is those who have escaped the grips of Death and Hades through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ in the forgiveness of their sins. However, they have failed to walk in righteousness by the Spirit of God through faith, that is to know His ways and to walk in Him. As a result the Lord said, “But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of the teeth.” Matthew 8:12. The important point to note here is that, the sons of the kingdom are not cast into Hades but into the outer darkness, which holds true to the statement of the Lord that, “the gates of Hades will not prevail against the Church.”
And it is in regard to falling short of the Promise that Paul said, “the same example of disobedience,” which he elaborates in his epistles to the Corinthians saying, “Now these things have become types to us, for us not to be desires of evil things, as they also desired. Neither are you to be IDOLATERS, as some of them, as it has been written: “The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.” Neither should we commit SEXUAL IMMORALITY, as some of them committed sexual immorality, and twenty three thousand fell in one day. Neither should we TEST the CHRIST, as some of them tested, and were destroyed by serpents. Neither are you to GRUMBLE, as some of them grumbled, and perished by the Destroyer.” 1 Corinthians 10:6-10. Meaning, he is warning us, just in case we might be tempted to think that what happened to them does not apply to us, so he says, “THEREFORE the one thinking to STAND, let him take HEED, lest he FALL.” 1 Corinthians 10:12. And these are the basic qualifications we have used to evaluate those that are disqualified in the parables of the Lord: in regards to the Wicked Steward in Luke 12:45-46 & Matthew 24:48-51, the Lawless Mighty Worker in Matthew 7:22-23, the Wedding Guest without a Garment in Matthew 22:13, the Bewildered foolish Virgins in Matthew 25:11-12, and the Lazy Gifted Steward described in Matthew 25:30.
We begin with the ROOT of all Rebellion, Sin and Disobedience that was first illustrated in the wilderness when Israel turned away from the Promised Land in UNBELIEF through the Fear of Man. This is the most basic of all offences which John referred to in Revelation 21:8 as “the cowardly,” which is in direct opposition to “the overcomers,” that is, those who inherit the kingdom. And the Lord described this group as those sown on Rocky grounds saying, “this is the one hearing the word and immediately receiving it with joy. And he has in himself no root, but is TEMPORARY. And having come tribulation or persecution on account of the word, immediately he falls away.” Matthew 13:20-21. That is, even though they have believed the truth with joy and are saved from Death and Hades, yet they do not have the fortitude to stand for Christ in endurance.
So like the Israelites, that turned away from the Land flowing with the milk and honey through fear saying, “Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” Numbers 14:3. Likewise, these are also indistinguishable from the world through the fear of man. In which respect the Lord said, “And whoever shall deny Me before men, I also will deny him before My Father in the heavens.” Matthew 10:33. And again, “For whoever may be ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him when He shall come in the glory of His Father, with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38. We need to pay attention to the two aspects which the Lord is referring to here, the First is in regards to the Lordship of Jesus, however the Second is in respect to His values. Meaning, many may say He is Lord, but when it comes to the Truth of His word, they water-down and compromise in order to ingratiate themselves to the world, which is an aspect of cowardice. [Galatians 6:12]
The Wicked Steward:
This category is specifically referring to the leaders of the faith, that is those who are given charge over the flock of the Lord. Which the Lord described as, “My master delays to come,’ and should begin to beat the men-servants and the maid-servants, and to eat and to drink and to get drunk.” This is a description of a steward that abuses his position and misleads the flock in that he does not give them their appointed food in due season and makes a practice of living like the world. Point of note, “due season,” means there is a teaching appointed for a specific period which the servant of God is meant to keep in step with. [Ephesians 3:1-7.] And we have as an example the Judaizers of the time of Paul, who could not keep up with what God was doing as a result became insubordinate and were disapproved. [Titus 1:10-11.] So in this instance the term, “to beat the men-servants and the maid-servants,” is in respect to bringing the flock BACK under Sin and Condemnation through the teaching of the Law, which is out of season. As a result they bring the people into a perpetual state of sin and forgiveness, when they were expected to declare their complete liberty. [Galatians 5:1.]
This is paralleled in respect to Korah son of Levi, Dathan and Abiram sons of Reuben, in Numbers 16, who incited rebellion against Moses and Aaron, in rejecting the revealed TRUTH of God and their challenge was brought before the Tabernacle of Meeting. The expression of which was shown in that they offered a rejected means of worship. Korah, one separated to God, as Moses says, “to do the work of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to serve them,” not only rejected the way God specified He is meant to be worshiped, but also presented Egypt the land of his captivity as the land of milk and honey, that is he desired to live like the world, to eat, drink and be drunk. Reuben is in respect to one who defiles, as Jacob says of him, “Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it—” Genesis 49:4. The essence of which is an expression of the rejection of the covenant of God and defiling it. As a result, these three became the cause through which 250 leaders of the congregation of Israel were consumed in fire and 14,000 members of the congregation perished in a plague when they complained in defence of those that perished.
So the Wicked Servants is a type of those who GRUMBLED and were destroyed by the destroyer. The key point is that they were made SUBJECT to the Destroyer, that is Death on the account they opposed the revealed truth of God. And the corresponding event in the the New Covenant is described as, “How much worse punishment do you think will he deserve, the one having trampled upon the Son of God, and having esteemed ordinary the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and having insulted the Spirit of grace?” Hebrews 10:29. This is what we described earlier as Tampering with the Foundation, meaning, when we establish Laws to justify ourselves we diminish the blood of Christ and insult the Spirit of Grace, through which we invalidate our foundation.
And their punishments parallels that of the New Testament in that, Korah, Dathan and Abiram were swallowed up into Sheol alive, likewise the Lord says to the Wicked Steward, “the master of that servant will come in a day in which he does not expect, and in an hour that he does not know, and he will cut him in two and will appoint him a place with the unbelievers.” The place appointed for unbelievers is Hades, that is Sheol, as to be destroyed by the Destroyer. The point is, those tasked with the responsibility to watch over the flock of the Lord are held to a greater standard as James says, “Not many of you should be teachers my brothers, knowing that we will receive greater judgment.” James 3:1. Of which we have as an example the Leader of the Church of Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6, who became a cause by which many defiled their garments and the Lord warned him saying, “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard—and keep it and repent. If therefore you shall not watch, I will come like a thief, and you shall not know at what hour I will come upon you.” Revelation 3:3. The basis for his admonition was that he had departed from the CORE TRUTH of the Faith.
This is what is commonly described by many servants of God as one side of the ditch of the narrow road of salvation, that is to go back under the Law, through which many are made transgressors and are disqualified as Paul says, “For if I build again these things that I had torn down, I prove myself a transgressor.” Galatians 2:18. And there are many admonitions of such teachers in the early church, for which the Book of Galatians was dedicated, also 2 Corinthians 11, 1 Timothy 1:3-11 and Titus 1:10-16.
The Lawless Mighty Worker:
Here the other side of the ditch of the narrow road is portrayed in one who has twisted the Scriptures to his own destruction. [2 Peter 3:16.] So contrary to the Wicked Servant that beat the household by bringing them under the Law of sin and condemnation, these have misapplied Grace to be an opportunity for the flesh and have misled others to do the same. And Jude describes them as, “For certain men came in stealthily, those having been designated long ago unto this condemnation, ungodly ones changing the grace of our God into sensuality and denying our only master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” Jude 1:4. Which is a stark contrast to the statement of Paul, who said of the Wicked Servants, “even because of the false brothers brought in secretly, who came in by stealth to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus that they will enslave us.” Galatians 2:4. So we can clearly see the two ditches of the NARROW ROAD of SALVATION, One to the Law and condemnation, the other the Abuse of Grace leading to sensuality and lawlessness.
So, while Paul, an apostle to the Gentiles, worried about those who try to bring them under the Law for which they were not under. Peter and Jude apostles to the Jews, worried about those who would try to bring them under Lawlessness through the false teaching of Grace. And it is of the latter that the Lord said, “Many will say to Me in that the day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare unto them, ‘I never knew you; depart you from Me, those working LAWLESSNESS.” Matthew 7:22-23.
Before going any further we need to address the important point of, why these lawless workers were able to operate in power, in prophesying, casting out demons and performing many miracles? The basic answer is, these wondrous works operate in anyone who believes, as the Lord said, “And these signs will accompany those having believed: In My name they will cast out demons; …. they will lay hands upon the sick, and they will be well.” Mark 16:17. And Mark also records an incident of one who did not follow with them casting out demons in the name of the Lord Jesus, in Mark 9:38. The basic principle is, these powers work through Grace and Faith. So anyone who has faith to act on the word of God is able to perform these works, since the gifts are NOT dependent on the merit of the person but of the Grace of the Lord. More so, the gift and calling of God are without repentance, meaning they will still operate in a person even when they are living less than acceptable lives. [Romans 11:29.] The IMPORTANT point here is, these have a perception of GRACE, even if they have misapplied it to be an opportunity for the flesh. And it is this MISUNDERSTANDING, which they perceived to be an approval of God, and did not correct their ways, so they ask the Lord “Did we not do these and that in Your Name?”
Now, the Basics of the New Covenant in comparison to the Old can be described as, “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us, to lay upon you no further burden, except these necessary things: to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality. Keeping yourselves from these, you will do well.” Acts 15:28-29. The main classification being idolatry and sexual immorality being a portrayal of breaking a Covenant with God, on which grounds both Israel in the Wilderness and we in the present age are also judged.
And this is related to us in the story of Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab and Balaam the son of Beor mentioned in Number chapters 22 to 24. There are two main points we need to take into consideration here. The First point is that Balak is a descendant of Lot, a nephew of Abraham, from whom the people of Ammon and Moab descended. And God says of them, “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord forever, because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.” Deuteronomy 23:3-4. The significance for us is in the representation of those who are disqualified from the faith. The Second point is, represented in the person Balaam as one who is gifted of God and is a prophet, yet he went astray seeking after the wages of unrighteousness in that he contrived a plan to bring Israel under the curse of God so, “[He taught] Balak to cast a snare before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.” Revelation 2:14. So the overall concept is, ones that are disqualified from the faith, who teach false doctrine seeking after the wages of unrighteousness, as a result they put a snare by which others are made to fall.
So while the Wicked Servant beat people down with the Law, they seek to deceive them into immorality through which they make them stumble. And Peter addressing this issue said of them, “Having eyes full of adultery, and unceasing from sin; enticing unestablished souls; having a heart having been exercised in craving—children of a curse! Having forsaken the straight way, they have gone astray, having followed in the way of Balaam son of Bosor, who loved the wage of unrighteousness.” 2 Peter 2:14-15. Note the comparison he makes of them with the prophet Balaam, as ones who corrupted themselves for the sake of covetous gain. Then he follows this with, “For speaking arrogant words of vanity, they entice to sensuality with the passions of the flesh those barely escaping from those living in error, promising them freedom, themselves being slaves of corruption. For by what anyone has been subdued, by that also he is enslaved.” 2 Peter 2:18-19. The accusation he makes of them is that these have brought those who were escaping the world in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, back to the working of the deceitful lusts of sins and are destroyed. Which he describes as, “For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to have turned from the holy commandment having been delivered to them.” 2 Peter 2:20-21.
And it is in the same regard that Jude also describes them saying, “Yet likewise also these dreaming ones indeed defile the flesh, and set aside authority, and blaspheme glorious ones….[And] Woe to them, because they have gone in the way of Cain, and rushed for profit to the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are the hidden reefs, feasting together with you fearlessly in your love feasts; shepherding themselves;” Jude 1:8,11-12. The first point he brings against them is that they defiled the flesh, that is in the practice of sexual immorality. [vs. 7.] Then he makes three main comparisons, Cain, in respect to the one who killed his brother, Balaam who put in effect false doctrine for sake of profit, and Korah, one who rebelled and defiled the Covenant of God. So the main point is, these for the sake of covetous gain, teach false doctrines against the revealed truth of God through which they become a cause by which their brother is destroyed and says, “These are grumblers, discontented, following after the own lusts; and their mouth speaks great swelling words, flattering faces for the sake of profit.” [vs. 16.] The main point being, teaching that is given to supplicate people for the sake of profit, to flatter them with words of vanity that does NOTHING, in regards to the way of righteousness, as a result they became a cause through which their brothers and sisters are destroyed.
It is in this respect that Paul said of the last days, “For there will be a time when they will not endure sound teaching, but according to the own desires, having an itching ear, they will gather around them teachers to suit themselves, and indeed they will turn away from hearing the truth, and will be turned aside unto myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4. So as people seek out teachers to suit their own passions, they in return will tell them what they want to hear for the sake of profit. Last of all both Peter and Jude describe their end as, “the gloom of darkness has been reserved to the age.” Jude 1:13 & 2 Peter 2:17. Please Note: The wicked worker that brought them under condemnation of Sin and death through the Law ended up in Hades, because he opposed the foundation, that is the Sacrifice of the Last Adam. However, because these, who believed in the Grace of God in covering sin to the uttermost, did NOT see Hades but were cast out into the gloom of outer darkness on the account they opposed the building of righteousness, that is of the Second Man.
The MAIN concept of this group has to do with the great offense of a Stumbling Block. In Which regard the Lord said, “Woe to the world because of the causes of sin. For the stumbling blocks are necessary to come, but woe to the man by whom the offense comes!” Matthew 18:7. The Lord spoke this in regards to, “whoever shall cause to stumble one of these of the little ones believing in Me,” [vs. 6.] The point the Lord was making was, in respect to new believers, those who have become as little children in coming out of the world through faith in Him. And He gives this stern warning against anyone should cause them to fall into sin, for which Balaam is an ideal picture and Type!
Now, this concept is portrayed in the Book of Revelation, under the the Church of Pergamum and the Church of Thyatira, both of whom were accused of exactly the same offences, in that they caused people to practice Sexual Immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols, nonetheless the motivation of each church was different. That is while the Church of Pergamum was engaged in false teaching for the sake of profit in making others to stumble, as a portrayal of the doctrine of Balaam. The Church of Thyatira, were engaged in the same practice because that is what they believed, and this is represented in Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess who is a counter to Cozbi daughter of Median in the story of Israel. So Just as Cozbi, who engaged in the worship of Baal and sexual immorality as a normal practice of her faith, Jezebel also engaged in the same, being deceived and deceiving others.
So the Lawless Mighty Work is of the Type of those who Tested Christ and were destroyed by serpents. The event of which was recorded as, “Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” Numbers 21:5. Edom, is a representation of Blood people that is those who are of the world. The relation we are making is to the statement of Jude who said, “These are grumblers, discontented, following after their own lusts;” Jude 1:16. The point is a portrayal of a people who are unsatisfied with the current state of walking in the Spirit, so they COVET the things of the world to walk in the practice of the sensuality of the flesh, in Sexual Immorality and drunkenness.
So the relation to us is in terms of those who try to push the boundaries in eating things sacrificed to idols, to live like the world in which respect Paul says, “You are not able to drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You are not able to partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?” 1 Corinthians 10:21-22. So the idea is in pushing boundaries of salvation, the consequence of which was the fiery serpents, which according to Luke 10:19-20 is a representation of demons. Point of note: Idolatry is not far from Sexual Immorality, which is portrayed when Israel joined themselves to the Baal of Peor in eating things sacrificed to idols. Meaning, to eat, drink and play like the world will increase the appetite to live and act like the world.
The Wedding Guest without a Garment & the Foolish Virgins:
These two categories are one and the same and they relate to any common believer that has not given due regard to their salvation. In this instance the garment is in reference to the righteous acts of the saints as specified by John saying, “And it was given to her that she should be clothed in bright, pure, fine linen.” For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” Revelation 19:8. And this directly relates to the foolish virgins in respect to the lack of Oil, which is a reference to the Holy Spirit. That is even though they have the lamp, that is the word of God, they did not have the Oil in order to produce the works of righteousness. Both these categories were duped into thinking that they had escaped the pollution that is in the world through faith in the Last Adam to be a guarantee for entering Heaven, as a result they neglected the building that is of sanctification and righteousness.
Please Note: the fact they were virgins means they are without fault and the Guest was also qualified enough to even be received into the banquet hall. The outcome of these groups is that the Guest was cast out into the outer darkness and the Virgins were left behind but would suffer the same fate, as ones that have escaped Hades yet fell short of the inheritance of the kingdom of God, all because they have not known the Second Man in order to walk in Him. And the Lord described the cause of their shortfall as, “These are those having heard [the word], and moving along are choked under the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and do not mature [are unfruitful].” Luke 8:14. Note: they have received the Word, so they have the foundation which is based on the Last Adam, however they lacked the building of the Spirit which is the fruit of righteousness, that is of the Second Man. As such this group is a Type of those who became IDOLATERS, because they valued and desired the things of this world rather than the kingdom of God, as “to Eat, Drink and Play.” [Colossians 3:5]
The main issue of this group is that they are unaware of what is required. In that, they know all about the Last Adam and the REST that is associated with Him, but they are unaware of the WORK that is associated with the Second Man of the Spirit. That is why when the Wedding Guest was asked, “friend how did you get in here without a wedding garment?” he had no answer to give. And it is in this respect that the HOLY SPIRIT says, “Here is the endurance of the saints, those keeping the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice out of heaven, saying “Write, ‘Blessed are the DEAD DYING in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they will rest from their labors; for their WORKS follow with them.” Revelation 14:12-13. The first and main point that applies directly to the topic of our study is the statement, “Blessed are the DEAD DYING in the Lord from now on,” in that the Holy Spirit is emphasising the need to endure to the very last breath in faith. The point being, if once saved, always saved is significant then, the main point would have been, “blessed are the dead that are ALIVE in the Lord from now on,” as it is true according to Ephesians 2:4, which would signify an uninterrupted state of being. However, the Lord chose to direct our thought to the finality of our bodily existence and says, “dying.” In which regard, the Lord says, be faithful EVEN unto death. [Revelation 2:10.] If enduring to the end was not a necessary aspect of salvation that statement would be INVALID. [Matthew 24:13.]
The Second point, has to do with labouring to enter to Rest. Now we are NOT speaking about labouring to be justified from sin, which no one can do, and any attempt to do so, is an insult to the grace of God that is made available through the Last Adam. This rest has to do specifically with entering Heaven itself, as to have obtained the promise for which Paul laboured intensely to apprehend in Philippians 3:12, and Peter exhorted us to make our call and election sure in 2 Peter 1:10-11, which is the outworking of the Nature of the Second Man. And this process is described by Paul as, “WORK out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12. Which is every bit consequential for salvation that is to enter the everlasting kingdom.
And the Holy Spirit describes the process as, they WILL enter into REST, which is in the future tense, and their work will follow. Meaning the labour with which they laboured on earth while being in the process of dying in the body will follow after them as a garment of the righteous acts of the saints. And in the same parable when the Lord rewarded the faithful servants He said, “Enter into the joy of your Lord.” The point is, REST as it applies to the Second Man of the Spirit is yet to come. This is best described by Paul as, “For you have need of endurance, so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the PROMISE.” Hebrews 10:36. The promise which Paul referred to here, is the promise of entering into rest that is of the kingdom of God, which is directly linked to having DONE THE WILL OF GOD.
The Lazy Gifted Steward:
This is one who knew what God had called Him to do but did not do it. So when he says to the Lord, “Master, I knew you, that you are a hard man, you reaping where you did not sow, and gathering from where you did not scatter,” he is revealing to us, this servant KNEW exactly what was required of him, as Paul says, “They will see, to whom it was not proclaimed concerning Him; and those who have not heard will understand.” Romans 15:21. Meaning, his job was to share the Gospel with those who have not heard, but being AFRAID he kept the good news to himself, saving himself and failing others. Which Luke describes as, “Now that servant, the one having known the will of his master, and not having prepared nor having done according to his will, will be beaten with many blows.” Luke 12:47. The basic principle of the kingdom of God is, “Everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from him to whom much has been committed, more will they ask of him.” Luke 12:48. That is why Paul recognising the enormity of the Grace that was given to him said, “For if I preach the gospel, there is no boasting to me, for necessity is laid upon me. But WOE BE TO ME if I should not preach the gospel.” 1 Corinthians 9:16.
So while the Virgins and the Guest are in terms of the fruit of righteousness, the Lazy servant is in terms of using the specific gift the Lord has given in order to advance the kingdom of God. And the consequence of such failure is described as “Cast out the worthless servant, into the outer darkness.” Matthew 25:30. The point of note here is that the Lord calls him “worthless,” meaning unprofitable servant, which is specifically in regards to the commodity of the kingdom that is of souls. Hence, the reason the Lord asked why he did not then support others through investment so profit could be had. So he was reprimanded Not for sin nor for the lack of the fruit of righteousness but failure to consider the need of the fallen world. Now we might be tempted to think this does not quite apply to ourselves, but Paul wrote, “Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” Ephesians 4:7. And Peter also says, “As each has received a gift, to them serving each other as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:10. Meaning every believer has a GIFT given of Christ for which each is responsible in playing a part to advance the Kingdom of God. The Lazy aspect of the servants is that even though he understood the requirements of his master yet he did not even seek to discover his part nor even consider others who are already engaged in the work.
So the issue of modern Christianity is we look for the lowest common denominator, so we either focus on the foundation and neglect the building, or we look at the gift and neglect holiness or we look to our own salvation and neglect a dying world. However, righteousness is the whole complete package, because it is the Nature of God expressed in us by the Holy Spirit. As Paul says, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the One working in you both to will and to work according to His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13. So we are not supposed to focus on sin and forgiveness and give no due regard to righteousness and sanctification. Nor are we to pay attention to our own righteousness and sanctification yet disregard a dying world. We need to give heed to the example of the four lepers who said, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king’s household.” 2 Kings 7:9.
And it is precisely in this regard that Paul said, “For land having drunk in the rain coming often upon it and producing vegetation useful for those for the sake of whom also it is tilled, partakes of blessing from God. But that bringing forth thorns and thistles is worthless and near to a curse, of which the end is unto burning.” Hebrews 6:7-8. Meaning, God is INTERESTED in FRUIT, but He does not disregard Holiness for the sake of the work nor does He disregard laziness. It is important to bear in mind, doing the work for the kingdom does not take much. Note: Ammonites and Mobites were disqualified because they did not meet the children of Israel with bread and water, in which regard the Lord says to us, if we give a cup of water to a disciple we will by no means lose our reward. [Matthew 10:42.]
And Prayer is one of the main ways EVERY righteous child of God is expected to engage in the work. So when the Lord says, “Therefore keep WATCH, for you do not know on what day your Lord comes.” Matthew 24:42. The Lord is instructing us to ACTIVELY be engaged in PRAYER, as He said to Peter, “WATCH and PRAY, that you do not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the flesh weak.” Matthew 26:41. And Jude says, “But you, beloved, building up yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” Jude 1:20-21. The ONE task Jude emphasises while waiting for the redemption of our body is that we ought to be active in prayer in the Holy Spirit. And it is also through prayer we can engage in the work making supplication to God, as Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 1:11 in regards to the Ministers of God, Ephesians 6:18-19 in regards to the Saints and 1 Timothy 2:1-3 in regard to those who are in the world. Which Paul affirms saying, “For God is not unjust to forget your work and the love that you have shown toward His name, having ministered to the saints, and still ministering.” [verse 10.] So, do not let the simplicity of prayer make you think that it is any less consequential aspect that accompanies salvation. It is the one task everyone is commanded to engage in unceasingly. [1 Thessalonians 5:17-18.]
The final point we will address in this study is by showing how disqualification from the faith is illustrated in the analogy of Israel in the wilderness. Paul wrote, “All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were drinking from the spiritual rock accompanying them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not well pleased with most of them, for they were strewn in the wilderness.” 1 Corinthians 10:3-5. Here Paul is referring to the water that flowed from the Rock when Israel was on the way to the Promised Land and Moses was instructed by God to strike the Rock in Exodus 17:6, which is a portrayal of Christ being Crucified. Now, there is a Second similar incident which is recorded in Numbers 20:7-11, AFTER Israel had turned away from the Promised Land in Unbelief. [Numbers 13-14.] Only this time the Lord told Moses to SPEAK to the Rock, however he being frustrated by the people struck the Rock TWICE, on which account Moses was denied entry into the Promised Land.
The significance of this analogy is that to show Christ CANNOT be crucified a SECOND time, which is illustrated in Moses striking the Rock TWICE. As Paul writes in Hebrews, “For it is impossible for those once having been enlightened, and having tasted of the heavenly gift, and having become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and having tasted the goodness of God’s word and the power of the coming age— and then having fallen away—to restore them again to repentance, crucifying in themselves the Son of God and subjecting Him to open shame.” Hebrews 6:4-6. As such none of the children of Israel that turned away in UNBELIEF were allowed to enter the Promised Land. The application to us is that we also can fall away by the same example of disobedience, as to permanently disqualify ourselves. And we have as example the Church Pergamum, the Church Thyatira and the Church of Sardis all of whom the Lord commanded to REPENT. Meaning, these Churches were playing religion and drinking from the Rock all the while they were unaware how close to destruction they came, because they gave heed to false doctrines and made a practice of sins. It is IMPORTANT to note, that the Lord gave them time to REPENT, which is illustrated in the instruction given to Moses to SPEAK to the Rock, and John says, “If we should confess our sins, He is faithful and just, that He may forgive us our sins and might cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. However, there is a limit to the time the Lord gives us to Repent, before we utterly fall away after which there is no means of restoration to repentance. Therefore, the very possibility that ANYONE can be disqualified through falling away from the faith, means, Once Saved Always Saved, is a MYTH. [2 Timothy 4:4]
In summary, the error of once saved always saved stems from our misunderstanding of the gap that exists between the Red Sea and Jordan River, between Hades and Heaven, between the Sacrifice of the Last Adam and the Life of the Second Man. And this gap is illustrated in the wilderness, where the genuineness of faith is tested, to determine our desire to live for righteousness by the Spirit of God. Important Note: if you take anything of VALUE from this study let it be this, that is the COVENANT of GRACE has a CONDITION and that is to LIVE by the SPIRIT of God! Meaning, it is the Life of the Son of God that saves us from the WRATH to Come. [Romans 5:9-10 & 1 Thessalonians 1:10] The MAIN stumbling blocks for Christians being, Idolatry that is the Love of the World and Sexual Immorality that is the lust of the Flesh.
And this is portrayed through two main groups: the Shepherds, that is, the Wicked Steward in terms of those who bring people under the Law of Sin and Condemnation, and the Lawless Mighty Worker in regards to those who Abuse Grace into sensuality. The Second is in respect to the Flock, that is, the Foolish Virgins who through ignorance did not produce the FRUIT of Righteousness, the Wedding Guest without a Garment, again through ignorance did not produce the WORK of Righteousness. And Last of all, we have the Lazy Gifted Servant that is those who KNOWINGLY failed to produce the WORK of Righteousness. [Luke 12:46-48.] And this is NOT to add any burden on anyone, but to exhort us to take our salvation seriously. The walk in the Spirit is of Faith through Grace, which if we truly understood it will bring total freedom coupled with responsibility. That is to understand it is the presence of the Spirit of God dwelling in us that enables us to do all things, which ought to impress upon us the solemnity of this honour. That is if we TRULY understood the DEPTH of being the dwelling place of the Divine person of the Holy Spirit, we would conduct ourselves in fear and trembling and we would not be unfruitful.
So we hope, in this study we have managed to give a clear VISUAL illustration of the process of Salvation through differentiating the crossing of the Red Sea from that of the Jordan River. And have illustrated the need for modern Christianity to distinguish between being Saved from Sin from that of the WALK of Righteousness!
Bread Bait. 
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