So what would you do?

What would you do if on the day of closing where you go to the title company to sign all the final documents on your brand new home that is now complete, you are informed of some ‘news’ you were not aware of.

This was to be your ‘Forever Dream Home’ that you have longed to build and move into; and there in the office where all the paper work is laid out, you see your contractor getting ready to leave, and he winks at you. He then pulls you aside and lets you know that he saved you a ‘boatload of money’ on the construction of your new home. Curious to know just how he did this, he then informs you that he used absolutely no rebar in the concrete slab.

Hopefully that needs no explanation of the implications of this now known piece of ‘news’ that has been brought to light. But just in case you might not be aware, this is no small matter. Foundation issues are critical; especially when it ties in to our faith and Christian walk. Why is that? Well, you only need read the closing paragraph in Jesus’s sermon on the mount found in Matt. 7:24-27.

A house not built on a solid foundation has no chance of withstanding the storms, the winds, and the floods that will come as they beat against that house. And Jesus lets it be known: It is not a matter of ‘if...the flood comes, but When’.

I am fully aware that what I am sharing here today (and have been sharing for nearly the past two years if you can believe that) is not ‘mainstream’ teaching. It does not ‘fit’ in our man-made doctrines and many actually are offended to hear this kind of talk. Nevertheless, I cannot underscore enough the sense of urgency and compelling I have to continue to ‘speak truth in love’ with the hopes that we all ‘come to our senses and know the truth, and that we might repent and escape the snare of the devil who has taken so many captive to do his will.” (2 Tim. 2:25-26)

I’m not sure how I would advise you on what action to take in the unlikely scenario of moving in to a new home where you discovered there was no rebar in the concrete slab. I’m guessing most people would be unnerved, but also tempted to ‘do nothing and hope for the best’. But it would only be a matter of time before serious flaws show up in the house, especially if it was built on this clay soil many here in Texas are familiar with.

But when it comes to your faith, your soul, and the outcome of eternity, well...that is a different matter. Sadly, when people are presented with scriptural truth they may have never heard before, it tends to unnerve them. And instead of examining further to ‘see if these things are so’ (Acts 17:11), many get agitated, unnerved, but then quickly dismiss what is presented, telling themselves all those other people could not be wrong’, and they ‘do nothing and hope for the best’.

James compares this action, or should I say ‘inaction’, like someone who looks into the ‘mirror of God’s word’ but quickly forgets or dismisses what they have seen. He warns of the danger of being ‘deceived’ when one does this. (1:22-25)

Anyone ready for me to make the connection with the. missing ‘rebar’ in the slab and where I am going with this study today?

I want to lay out here, the three main foundational points that I firmly believe have been neglected, omitted, or at best, have been given shallow ‘head-nods of acknowledgment in so many church teachings and doctrines today. Let me assure you, again, I am not here to debate who is ‘saved’ or not; nor am I here to argue with anyone. I merely want to present truth from the pages of God’s word that you may want to spend a bit of time on your own and examine for yourself. There is much...I do not know and understand myself. But these three areas...have been pretty much the ‘rebar’ that my studies over the past three years have focused on. It’s almost as if God has wanted to drive these things further in to my heart and soul of understanding, and kept me ‘camped out’ in this particular area of study.

I would liken this to a foundation crew, getting ready for a slab to be poured who spend much time in the trenches tying all that steel together, digging deeper, making sure all is secure in the foundation work. They know the importance of their job and what to focus on. Those roofers and electricians and painters will be along in due time to do ‘their part’.

These three pillars of study have had to do with: 1- The Law, 2-Dealing with the sinful, flesh nature (the old man), and 3- the role and reality of the demonic forces of spiritual wickedness that are active and at work in the world today. When John writes that the ‘whole world is under the influence or sway of the wicked one, we would do well to understand this more fully. (1 John 5:19)

The Law, The Flesh. The Enemy.

If you are so willing, to take some time and open up your own Bible and begin to study out the many scriptures I will provide here for you to examine, you too, might come to discover some liberating truth that I to have learned, received, and been blessed by. :- ) There are way too many people today who attend church regularly, and have for years, yet remain in bondage to all sorts of ‘issues. Friends, this not need to be so. Psalm 107:10-20 paints a grim picture as to the ‘afflictions and irons that bind them’ and all for one reason: They rebelled against the words of God. (10). And do you know what led to their healing and deliverance? God ‘sent His word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions.” (107:20).

And let’s not forget - God never changes. (Mal. 3:6). He sent His only begotten Son, the ‘Word who became flesh and dwelt among us’. (John 1:1,14). It was this only ‘begotten Son’ who reminds us of why He came:

God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17). Much is wrapped up in that one word, (‘saved’) as it suggest to ‘heal, preserve, rescue, deliver, and protect’.

So what did Jesus come to ‘save’ us from? It is the ‘wrath of God’ that we are ‘saved’ from. (Rom. 5:9). We will look at just what the ‘wrath of God’ is later, but we can safely assume for now it is not a good thing. And this ‘wrath’ was on every single one of us in this world who sat in spiritual darkness. (Matt. 4:16; Luke 1:79)

John’s words found recorded there in his gospel should have us all sitting up and making note of this fact: “...he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (3:36). It remains on him, as in, we were born into this world with this ‘wrath’ on us because...of sin. All of us were born with this defective heart and nature that was passed down from Adam (Rom. 5:12) which is why we remained ‘dead in our sins’ (Eph. 2:1) and separated from God. (Isa. 59:1-2). It is also the source of influence as to why we ‘were all sinners’, having all sinned and fallen short of what God’s original design and plan was for us. (Rom. 3:23)

So why was this ‘wrath’ on us all? Well, it has to do with this thing called God’s ‘law’. And for this study, you may quickly dismiss the idea of ‘dietary restrictions and animal blood sacrifices’ given those were all done away with. But the ‘law’ itself (think Ten Commandments for now) was not done away with. Jesus affirmed this in Matt. 5:17. So when someone breaks the law, it is called ‘sin’, or ‘lawlessness’. (1 John 3:4). I know, that often used definition of ‘missing the mark’ sounds so vaguely easier to digest. But why not let God’s word explain itself. Sin is lawlessness. And God has this thing about wanting people to pay attention to His law.

You should be aware by now, thanks to the many times I have repeated the words of Jesus here from Matt. 7:21-23, that a day is coming when “many” people will stand before Him and be shocked to their very core to hear Jesus say “Depart from Me, you who continue to practice lawlessness...I never knew you!” (7:23). These are the very people who try to defend themselves boasting of all the marvelous works of service they offered up to God “in His name” even. Their defense fell on deaf ears.

The reason I suggest that God still ‘has this thing’ about people paying attention to His law, is because look how often, when Jesus was asked what one needed to do to ‘inherit eternal life’, He pointed people to ...the law, of all things. “Do this, and you will live”. (Matt. 19:17;Luke 10:25-28).

Why? Why would Jesus tie this in to inheriting or receiving eternal life if the law was about to become extinct or irrelevant given all one would need to do is ‘say they believe in Jesus’ in order to be ‘saved’ and receive eternal life? And why would Paul make the case that in the end, it won’t be the ‘hearers of the law who are justified, but the doers of the law’? (Rom. 2:13)

We are going to take our time with this, given the importance of how the law figures in today in this world and in our ‘walk of faith’. But you can be sure of this: ‘faith actually upholds, confirms, and establishes the law’. (Rom. 3:31) And the reason the ‘wrath of God is on everyone who breaks this law, is because that is what the law was established and designed to do. The law brings ‘wrath, curse, death and condemnation’. (Rom. 4:15 Gal. 3:10; 2 Cor. 3:7,9)

The law had nothing to do with the covenant God established with Abraham given it was instituted and laid down some 400+ years later. (Gal. 3:17,19). The law was added because of transgressions. This same law, Paul would write to Timothy in his first letter, was ‘good if one uses it lawfully knowing that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and ungodly....etc...” (1 Tim. 1:8-10)

Do you know what Jesus came to do? He came to lead us to fulfill the law of God. (Rom. 8:4; Matt. 5:17; 1 John 2:6). See you tomorrow?