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You Who Judge: Romans 2:1–16 and God’s Impartial Verdict

This is a companion study to “Dead, Not Innocent”, “Without God in the World”, “Testimony, Not Life”, and “The Gospel Before the Wrath”. Romans 1 ends with a catalogue of the world’s corruption — men who not only do such things, but have pleasure in them that do them. It is easy to read that catalogue and feel nothing but agreement. Yes. Exactly right. That is precisely what they deserve. This study picks up the very next verse, and shows what Paul does to the reader who just nodded along. Agreeing with God’s verdict on someone else’s sin has never yet placed anyone outside the reach of that same verdict.

The voice that just agreed.

“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” (Romans 2:1–3)

The opening address is deliberately generic, and that is worth pausing on rather than rushing past. “O man, whosoever thou art” addresses an imagined interlocutor in the manner of moral indictment familiar from the ancient diatribe style — a teaching method in which a writer questions and answers an imagined opponent. Paul does not immediately name the Jew. He first exposes a posture any moral judge can recognize in himself, and only gradually narrows the address — “to the Jew first” surfacing at verses 9–10, the name finally landing at verse 17: “Behold, thou art called a Jew.” The trap closes in stages, the way Nathan’s parable closes on David before “thou art the man” is ever spoken.

The content does not need an archive to establish it — it is direct from the text. “Wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself” is not claiming this man committed every specific vice cataloged in Romans 1:24–32. But “thou that judgest doest the same things” is not merely gesturing at a shared root beneath the surface either. Paul is saying the religious judge participates in the very unrighteousness he condemns — knowing the standard, violating it, and attempting to exempt himself from the verdict. This will not stay abstract for long. Romans 2:17–24 names it concretely: preaching against theft while stealing, condemning adultery while committing it, abhorring idols while committing sacrilege. Verse 3’s question is the piercing one: “thinkest thou… that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” — naming outright the assumption the rest of this study exists to dismantle. Moral agreement with God’s verdict on someone else does not place you outside the reach of that verdict.

Romans 1 ended with people who not only commit such things, but have pleasure in them that do them. Romans 2 opens with someone in the opposite posture — condemning rather than approving. Paul’s point is that neither posture actually escapes the verdict.

Patience mistaken for permission.

“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

The man in view has noticed something real. God has not struck him down. No visible punishment, no interruption to his standing, nothing but continued ordinary life. Paul does not deny what has actually been observed — the goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering are real, and named as such. What he corrects is the conclusion drawn from it. The judge reads God’s restraint as evidence that his knowledge, moral superiority, and privileged standing have kept him safe. Paul says the opposite is true. The patience was never a verdict at all. It was an interval, and the interval had a purpose: “leadeth thee to repentance.” Delay is not acquittal. It is opportunity, and opportunity that goes unused does not stay neutral. It becomes the very thing named next, a wrath being stored up rather than a danger being avoided.

“Despisest thou” carries the real weight here. This is not neutral inattention to God’s kindness. It is active contempt for it — treating a gift meant to draw someone toward repentance as though it were instead a reason not to bother.

The treasury he doesn’t know he’s filling.

“But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Romans 2:5)

The irony is built into the metaphor itself. “Treasurest up” is a deliberate word choice, the same word family behind treasury. This man believes he is accumulating something valuable — covenant standing, moral capital, the credibility that comes from correctly judging others’ sin. Paul says he is right that he is accumulating something. He is simply catastrophically wrong about what. Every day of unrepented hardness adds to the account, and the account is not merit. It is wrath. He thinks he is building a treasury of privilege. He is building a treasury of judgment, one day at a time, without knowing it.

“Hardness and impenitent heart” names what his response to real light has actually been. This is not a man lacking evidence. He has the law and God’s own patience, as the previous verse has just established, specifically aimed at leading him to repentance. Hardness is an unyielding refusal. Impenitent means, literally, without the change of mind that goodness was meant to produce. His problem was never insufficient testimony. It is what he has done with testimony that was already sufficient.

This adds to “Dead, Not Innocent” without contradicting it. That study established present wrath — Romans 1:18’s “is revealed,” John 3:36’s “abideth on him,” a real condition already in force. This verse adds a second, future dimension without walking that back: a coming “day of wrath” when the judgment already resting upon the sinner receives its full and final disclosure. Both are true of the same man simultaneously — under wrath now, and moving toward the day it is fully revealed. Present wrath is the condition. The day of wrath is the treasury finally opened.

One word here is worth noticing, and it will matter more later than it seems to now. “Revelation” translates a noun from the same word family as the verb behind Romans 1:17 and 1:18 — the righteousness of God revealed, the wrath of God is revealed. That word family does not stop at verse 18. It resurfaces here, describing the day when what is presently abiding gets fully disclosed. The thread that opened this whole series is still unfolding.

The verdict will answer to the life.

“Who will render to every man according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; but glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile” (Romans 2:6–10)

Read carelessly, this sounds like a second track to eternal life running independently of grace and faith — earn it by patient good works. That cannot be right, and not because it is uncomfortable, but because it would directly contradict what Paul himself says one chapter later: “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified” (Romans 3:20), “a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28) — and it would unravel everything already established about total inability and faith as gift, not achievement.

But this passage sits before Paul has established universal sin (Romans 3:9–20), before he has introduced justification apart from works (Romans 3:21–26), before Abraham ever enters the letter (Romans 4). Resolving it too quickly risks importing an answer from later in Romans that this verse has not yet earned the right to give. There are at least three live readings: a real description of final judgment in which Spirit-produced perseverance evidences saving faith; a statement of the law’s own impartial standard, which no fallen person fulfils apart from grace; or a deliberately open formulation whose resolution comes only once Paul has established universal sin and then introduced justification and life in the Spirit. Paul is not teaching that isolated good works purchase eternal life. The contrast is between two settled allegiances — persevering pursuit of the good, and contentious obedience to unrighteousness. Whether Paul is stating the standard to expose universal failure, describing the final evidence of a Spirit-renewed life, or allowing both functions to stand until the letter develops them, one conclusion is already certain: possession, profession, and ancestry will not determine the verdict. God’s judgment answers to the life actually lived.

“Patient continuance in well doing” is not a scorecard of isolated acts. It describes endurance in a settled direction — the life consistently seeking what God calls good rather than obeying unrighteousness. Deeds are not presented here as an independent price paid for justification. They are the actual life brought under judgment, revealing whether the person has obeyed truth or obeyed unrighteousness. How that life becomes possible apart from fallen human effort is a question Paul will answer only as the letter proceeds.

The payoff is worth landing explicitly. Verses 9–10 restate the two destinies with “to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile” — the exact phrase already used in the other direction: “to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” in Romans 1:16. Priority is not one-directional privilege. Salvation to the Jew first, and tribulation to the Jew first. Same order, both directions. This is the promise made when that earlier study set the full weight of this ordering aside for “later studies in this series.” This is that payoff, kept.

No favorites.

“For there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11)

The danger is reading “no respect of persons” as no distinctions at all — as though this verse flattens every real covenant difference this series has carefully built. That reading does not survive five verses. The very next verse announces Gentiles judged without Torah and Jews judged by Torah — differentiated judgment, stated directly, right next to the claim that God shows no partiality. Paul is not contradicting himself in back-to-back sentences. “No respect of persons” has a narrower, more precise meaning than identical treatment for everyone.

What it actually means: the verdict itself is not bribed. Not by ancestry, not by covenant badge, not by religious reputation, not by how much someone possesses. A Jew does not receive a lighter judgment because he is a Jew. A Gentile does not receive a harsher one because he lacks Torah. Each person is judged truthfully, according to what he was actually given and what he actually did with it — but the standard of truthfulness itself never bends for anyone’s status. Impartiality is not the erasure of real differences. It is the refusal to let real differences corrupt the verdict.

This is the reason the symmetry in the previous section holds together at all. If God’s judgments could be swayed by covenant standing, priority would function as a shield rather than an ordering. It does not, because the verdict itself cannot be bought.

Different light, real accountability.

“For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law” (Romans 2:12)

Paul states a clean parallel. The Gentile, who sinned without possessing Torah, perishes without reference to Torah — he is not condemned for failing a law he never had. The Jew, who sinned in possession of Torah, is judged by the actual standard he was given. Neither is judged as though he had possessed a form of revelation that was never given to him. The Gentile is not judged as a covenant possessor of Torah; the Jew is.

One thing worth guarding, briefly, without re-arguing it: “without law” does not mean without any moral testimony at all. That is exactly the distinction “Testimony, Not Life” already worked out in full — the Gentile lacks Torah specifically, not creational witness generally; conscience still testifies, even where Torah was never given. This verse is what sets that discussion up two verses later, but the actual content belongs there, not here.

This closes the loop the previous section opened. Impartiality does not mean identical evidence for everyone. It means each person judged truthfully according to what he actually had. Different light, but never less real accountability for the light each one held.

Hearing is not doing.

“(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.)” (Romans 2:13)

This is the delusion the whole passage has been moving toward exposing, and it deserves to be stated as plainly as Paul states it, without softening it because it is uncomfortable.

The immediate target is a specific, real confidence — hearing Torah read aloud in synagogue, being taught it, having it available, knowing its content. Paul strips that away directly. Possession is not performance. The law was never satisfied by proximity to it, only by actual obedience to it. This is the same delusion diagnosed earlier from a different angle: mistaking access to something, God’s patience, God’s law, for standing secured by it.

Now the real difficulty, held honestly rather than resolved too quickly. How does “the doers of the law shall be justified” sit next to Paul’s own later verdict, “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified” (Romans 3:20)? These are not contradictions once you see what each is doing. This verse states the law’s own internal logic — if anyone were to be justified by the law, it could only be the one who actually does it, never the one who merely hears it. Romans 3:20, arriving after the full case Paul builds through 3:9–19 that all have sinned, supplies the universal result for fallen man considered under law: no flesh has rendered the obedience by which it may establish its own righteousness before God. This verse is the standard. Chapter 3 is what happens when every person, considered on that basis, is measured against it.

One precision worth naming, since this series has been careful about vocabulary before: “doers” and “hearers” here are not the same pair as “Testimony, Not Life’s” ergon nomou and erga nomou distinction. Different words, different distinction. Worth being exact about that rather than letting a reader collapse two separate technical points into one.

What this verse does not yet do is just as important as what it does. It does not explain how a sinner becomes a doer God actually accepts. That answer is coming — Romans 8:4’s “righteousness of the law fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” is the fuller Pauline resolution, but it belongs to a different stage of the argument. Right here, Paul’s only job is negative: strip the confidence that hearing without doing has ever justified anyone. Nothing more is being offered yet, and nothing more should be claimed on the text’s behalf.

Secrets judged through Christ, according to my gospel.

Verses 14 and 15 sit between this point and the next: “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves… their conscience also bearing witness.” The Gentile without Torah is not without all testimony — conscience still bears witness, while his thoughts accuse or sometimes defend him, real evidence inside the very courtroom this passage has been building. But what that testimony is, and what it is not, has already been fully worked out in “Testimony, Not Life”, and this study will not re-argue it.

“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel” (Romans 2:16)

Everything the judge in this passage has relied on has been outward — visible conduct, public identity, religious standing, separation from the nations he condemns. This verse moves the whole case onto different ground entirely. God judges secrets — motives, concealed hypocrisy, whatever sits beneath the profession rather than in the record anyone else could examine. The man who has spent this whole passage comparing himself favorably to others is about to be measured by something no comparison could ever reach.

“According to my gospel” is worth pressing hardest, and it ties this whole study back to where this series began. Judgment is not an embarrassing leftover bolted onto the gospel from outside it. It is inside the gospel’s own content. The resurrection that marked Christ out as Son of God with power (Romans 1:4) is the very same resurrection Acts 17:31 names as the grounds for coming judgment — “whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” The resurrection does both jobs at once. It is Christ’s enthronement, and it is the world’s guarantee that He will judge it. “Without God in the World” already named Christ as the one “ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead” (Acts 10:42) in its own treatment of judgment. This verse is where that thread finally surfaces inside Romans itself, not just alongside it.

And here is where the thread opened at verse 5 finally gathers rather than being spent piecemeal. “Revealed” — apokalyptetai — announced the gospel’s righteousness (Romans 1:17). The same word announced wrath, adjoining it in the very next verse (1:18). The same word family named the coming disclosure this man has been storing wrath toward (2:5). Three uses, one progression: righteousness revealed, wrath revealed, and the coming revelation of God’s righteous judgment. And when that day arrives, the identity of the One through whom judgment is executed is finally named — Jesus Christ, according to Paul’s own gospel. The gospel does not hide the judgment seat. It names the Judge.

The man examined through this whole study has been shown his presumption, his stored wrath, his misreading of patience as permission, his confidence in hearing without doing. What he has not yet heard is his own name. That comes next — “Behold, thou art called a Jew” — where the case Paul has been building all along is finally, explicitly, addressed to the one who has been standing inside it from the first verse.

Without God in the World: Why the Gospel Cannot Be a Script

Modern evangelism runs on formulas — heaven or hell, just believe. Scripture shows something else. See what Ephesians 2:12 reveals about why the gospel cannot be scripted.

Why the Gospel Cannot Be a Script — On the Deficiency of Modern Evangelism and the Grounds for Recovering It

This piece is deliberately the last in the series’s reading order — the practical, ministerial payoff. “The Gospel Before the Wrath” opens the series by tracing what Paul himself establishes in Romans 1:1–17 before he ever diagnoses the unbeliever, and “Dead, Not Innocent” establishes that unbeliever’s condition from Romans 1 itself; this piece traces how the apostles, knowing that condition, still discerned a different door for every hearer rather than reducing the gospel to a formula.

The Diagnosis

Something has gone thin in how the gospel is offered on the street today. Ask the average passerby-evangelist what he preaches and you will hear a question before you hear Christ: do you want to go to heaven or hell? Or you will hear an assertion detached from its ground: God loves you unconditionally — just believe in Jesus. Both may contain a fragment of truth. Neither carries weight.

A question is not a gospel. An assertion of love without the cross that proves it is not a gospel either — it is a sentiment wearing gospel language. Paul did not preach “God loves you.” He preached “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures… he was buried… he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). That is the gospel — not a mood, not an invitation to feel better, but an announcement of what God has done, rooted in what man actually is: guilty, alienated, without hope, without God.

Strip out holiness and you have no reason for the cross. Strip out sin and you have no reason for repentance. Strip out the resurrection and you have no living Lord to submit to — only a dead teacher to admire. Strip out repentance and you have a decision with nothing underneath it, a foundation poured on sand, a house that will not survive the first storm of real testing.

This is not a small deficiency. It produces converts with no root (Matthew 13:5–6) — people who “receive the word with joy” and fall away the moment the sun of affliction rises, because nothing was ever planted deep enough to survive it. A shallow gospel does not just under-deliver. It endangers the very souls it claims to save.

And this was never the pattern. “The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). The power was never in the technique, the phrasing, the question asked at the right emotional moment. It was in the cross itself, proclaimed in full. A script cannot carry power that was only ever attached to substance.

The question, then, is not “how do we say it more cleverly.” It is: what did the apostles actually do, and why did it work where our formulas fail?

The Biblical Pattern of Address, Not Formula

Scan the Gospels and Acts looking for a script, and you will not find one. You will find something better: a single Christ approached from a hundred doors.

To the woman at the well, worn down by five marriages and a sixth man who was not her husband, Jesus did not open with sin. He opened with thirst — hers, and His own. “If thou knewest the gift of God… thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water” (John 4:10). He met her at the well with what she already knew she lacked, and led her from that ache to the truth about herself, and from there to worship “in spirit and in truth.”

To the crowd that had eaten bread by a miracle and come back the next day for more, He did not open with thirst but with hunger — theirs, misdirected. “Labour not for the meat which perisheth… I am the bread of life” (John 6:27, 35).

To Martha, standing over her brother’s grave, He did not open with doctrine about the resurrection at the last day, which she already affirmed and which brought her no comfort. He gave her a Person: “I am the resurrection, and the life” (John 11:25).

Paul does the same with even sharper variation. At Pisidian Antioch, before a synagogue that knew the Law and the Prophets, he reasons from Israel’s history — from Egypt, from the judges, from David, to Christ (Acts 13:16–41). At Athens, before philosophers who had never opened a Hebrew scroll, he does not mention Abraham at all. He begins with their own altar “To The Unknown God,” quotes their own poets, and only then brings them to the resurrection and the coming judgment (Acts 17:22–31). Before Felix, a Roman governor whose conscience needed confronting more than his intellect needed persuading, Paul reasons “of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come” until Felix trembled (Acts 24:25). Before Agrippa, he tells his own testimony — the same Paul who, as Saul, was first approached not with an argument but with a name and a touch: “Brother Saul…” (Acts 9:17). Ananias speaks to a broken, blinded persecutor with the gentleness due a brother newly humbled. Years later Paul stands before a king and reasons as an equal, testimony against testimony. Same gospel. Two entirely different doors, because two entirely different men stood behind them.

Philip shows the same discernment in miniature. Told by the Spirit to join a chariot, he does not begin with a fresh word of his own. He asks what the Ethiopian is already reading — Isaiah 53 — and “began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus” (Acts 8:35). The door was already open in the man’s hands; Philip’s task was only to walk through it.

Peter, preaching to the very nation that had crucified its Messiah just weeks before, is sharper than any of them — “this Jesus, whom ye have crucified” (Acts 2:36) — because Israel’s condition demanded it. They were not ignorant pagans; they were covenant-breakers who needed to see precisely what they had done before they could ask what to do about it.

And John the Baptist, harshest of all — “O generation of vipers” — speaks that way almost exclusively to the religious who presumed on their birthright while bearing no fruit of repentance (Matthew 3:7–8). It is worth noting where Jesus reserves His own severity: not for the sinner who knows she is a sinner, but for the Pharisee who does not think he is one. Zacchaeus, the woman caught in adultery, the woman who anointed His feet, the thief on the cross — all received compassion. The scribes and Pharisees received seven woes and the words “whited sepulchres… full of dead men’s bones” (Matthew 23:27).

One gospel. A hundred doors. And the door was never chosen by convenience or technique — it was discerned. Paul names the discipline itself: “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). Not one thing to all men. All things — a deliberate, Spirit-guided reading of what stands between this particular hearer and Christ, so that the same unchanging gospel can reach him through a door built for him.

This is what today’s formula-evangelism forecloses before it begins. It does not ask where the hearer actually stands — covenant-breaker or covenant-stranger, guilty and knowing it or guilty and denying it, hungry or hostile. It asks one question of everyone and offers one sentence to everyone, and calls that faithfulness to Scripture, when in fact it is the abandonment of the very pattern Scripture models.

But this raises the harder question. Why should the address differ at all, if the gospel is one? On what ground does Peter get to be harsh with Israel while Paul must reason gently with the Athenians? That ground is not stylistic preference. It is covenantal.

The Covenantal Ground: Two Kinds of Distance from God

Here is the distinction the modern gospel-script flattens entirely: not everyone is far from God in the same way.

Paul draws the line precisely for the Ephesian Gentiles: “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12).

Without God in the world — atheoi, in the Greek. Not “unaware that a God exists.” Paul has already established in Romans that the Gentile world perceived enough of God’s eternal power and divine nature through creation to be “without excuse” (Romans 1:20) — they knew, and suppressed what they knew (Romans 1:21). So atheoi cannot mean bare ignorance. But be precise about what the word itself carries and what it doesn’t: atheoi means, literally, without God. It does not itself mean “without covenant” or “without promise” — those come from the wider sentence Paul is writing, not from that one word. Taken together, however, Ephesians 2:12 describes the Gentiles as possessing none of Israel’s covenant standing: alienated from its commonwealth, strangers to the covenants of promise, without the hope those promises carried. God still had a real claim upon them, as Creator, Judge, and Lord — Romans 1 is built on exactly that claim, and their failure to render Him honor and thanksgiving is what made them guilty in the first place. What they lacked was not God’s claim on them, but any covenant standing before Him — none of the promises, privileges, and obligations by which He had bound Israel to Himself.

This is why Israel’s summons to return cannot simply be transferred unchanged to the nations.

Israel had a covenant to return to. That is why the prophets use the language of shuv — turn back: “Turn ye even to me, saith the LORD” (Zechariah 1:3) — and why John the Baptist and Peter continue that same prophetic summons in the New Testament call to repent and turn: “Repent ye, and be converted” (Acts 3:19). This is not a Gentile being invited into something new. This is a covenant people being called home from a covenant they broke. The very sharpness of Peter’s word — “this Jesus, whom ye have crucified” — only makes sense against that background. You cannot break a covenant you were never given. Think of it this way: Israel corporately bears the guilt of an unfaithful spouse, while the nations stand outside that Mosaic bond like strangers who were never parties to the marriage covenant.

The Gentile had no such covenant to return to. He was never a party to it. So when Paul stands before the Athenians, he does not call them to shuv. He calls them to turn — for the first time — from idols to the living God: “the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30). Thessalonica confirms the same shape: “ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). The word “turning” is present in both cases, and both are turning toward the very same living God. What differs is not the object they turn to, but the place they turn from: Israel turns from covenant infidelity; the Gentile turns from idols, without any former possession of Israel’s covenant standing to return to. Both are called to turn. Only Israel, in this comparison, is called back to a Mosaic covenant it once held and departed from.

This is not a technicality. It is the ground beneath the very audience-sensitivity we traced above. Peter begins within Israel’s own covenant history and names its rejection of its Messiah directly. Paul, before Athens, begins instead with the Creator, with providence, with the idolatry standing in front of him — and only from there moves to repentance, judgment, and resurrection. Both sermons accuse; both call to repentance; both end at the resurrection. What differs is where each one starts, because each hearer stands in a different history. Both are guilty. Neither is innocent. But their guilt stands within different covenantal histories, and faithful preaching should address the hearer within the history he actually occupies.

This is what “God loves you unconditionally, just believe” utterly fails to reckon with. It treats the covenant-breaker and the covenant-stranger identically, as if both simply need to be informed of a fact they’d overlooked. But the covenant-breaker must not have his betrayal concealed from him — faithful preaching names what he has repudiated rather than addressing him as though he had never received light, and that naming is what pierced three thousand hearts on Pentecost (Acts 2:37). And the covenant-stranger needs to be brought, often for the first time, into contact with a God he has never known in covenant terms at all — which is why Paul spends so much of his Athens address simply establishing who this God is before he ever calls for repentance (Acts 17:24–29).

A minister who never learns to distinguish these conditions will repeatedly misfire — crushing hearers who were never given Israel’s covenant to break, or excusing hearers who have repudiated light they genuinely received. This is not because the Spirit’s power is mechanically blocked by an imperfect opening — He is free to work through preaching that is incomplete or poorly aimed. It is because faithful, deliberate discernment is itself part of what Scripture calls us to, not a technique that earns a result God would otherwise withhold.

Between Jew and Gentile, the gospel does not change, but the distance each hearer must cross to reach it does — and that particular distance is not psychological or cultural. It is covenantal: has this hearer inherited Israel’s covenant history and its revealed promises and turned from them, or has he stood outside that commonwealth entirely, possessing only the witness of creation and conscience until the gospel comes to him? This is the deepest structural distinction underneath everything traced in the last section, but it is not the only one. Within whichever covenantal history a hearer occupies, the apostles still attended to the particular soul in front of them — Martha’s grief, Felix’s conscience, the Ethiopian’s open scroll, the crowd’s misdirected hunger. One gospel; two broad covenantal histories; and, within each, as many doors as there are people who need one.

The Mechanism Is Not Persuasion But the Spirit

Even where the address is rightly discerned — even where the preacher has correctly diagnosed covenant-breaker or covenant-stranger and has built the door to fit — the door itself saves no one. Something else must happen, and Scripture is careful to show us what, and in what order.

Watch Pentecost closely. Peter does not open with an appeal. He opens under the Spirit’s power — “they were all filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:4) — and what follows is proclamation: Jesus of Nazareth, approved of God, crucified by their hands, raised up, exalted, made both Lord and Christ. Only after this full declaration does Luke record the result: “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart” (Acts 2:37). “Pricked” translates katanyssō, a word for a sharp inward piercing — a deep conviction, not a passing discomfort. Luke places the whole sermon inside the Spirit’s outpouring: Peter proclaims, the crowd hears, their hearts are pierced. The narrative leaves Peter no room to claim the result as the fruit of his own technique — the preaching itself is Spirit-enabled from verse 4 onward, three verses before a word of the sermon is even given, and the inward effect exceeds anything rhetoric alone could produce.

Only then comes the question — “what shall we do?” — and only then comes the command — “repent.” The order matters. Conviction precedes the appeal. The appeal does not manufacture the conviction; it answers a question the Spirit has already provoked.

Lydia is the same pattern in miniature: “whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul” (Acts 16:14). Paul spoke. The Lord opened. Attention — real attention, the kind that leads to faith — is the fruit of the opening, not of the speaking alone.

Yet Scripture does not lock this into one rigid sequence for every soul. Later in that same chapter, the Philippian jailer, shaken by an earthquake that has burst open every prison door, cries out in terror, “what must I do to be saved?” — and Paul’s answer is immediate: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:30–31). Paul’s first answer is immediate, but Luke does not leave the encounter there: Paul and Silas go on to “speak unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house” (Acts 16:32). The urgent answer was not a substitute for fuller proclamation. It opened into it. No lengthy proclamation precedes his question the way it did at Pentecost, and none is needed to prompt it — but fuller proclamation still follows once the question is asked. Luke is not laying down a fixed order of operations that every conversion must replicate. He is recording, faithfully, what the Spirit did in each particular case — sometimes through a long sermon that pierces over minutes, sometimes through a moment of terror that breaks a heart in seconds, always opening into the fuller word once the door is there to walk through. What never changes is that the piercing itself belongs to God, not to the method used to occasion it.

This is exactly what Paul means when he refuses to let his own ministry rest on technique: “my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:4–5). And it is why he can say elsewhere that the natural man does not receive spiritual truth at all — “neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). No formula crosses that gap. Only the Spirit does.

This is where the modern altar-call model most reveals its weakness — not in its sincerity, but in its sequence. It very often asks for the decision before there has been any proclamation weighty enough to be the occasion of real conviction — no exposure of sin, no cross, no resurrection, no lordship. No minister can see directly into another soul to know whether the Spirit has actually pierced it; a response may be emotional and still sincere, or quiet and still false. The danger is not emotion itself. It is treating a visible response — a raised hand, a repeated prayer — as proof of new birth merely because it happened publicly and on cue. Acts 2 does not present a visible decision as the cause or evidence of regeneration. It records proclamation, inward piercing, repentance, and a life that continued afterward in the apostolic fellowship (Acts 2:42).

None of this diminishes proclamation. Quite the opposite — it is what makes proclamation urgent rather than optional. The Spirit does not normally convict apart from the word preached; He convicted through Peter’s sermon, through Paul’s word to Lydia. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). But the preacher’s task is to proclaim Christ fully — not to engineer a response. “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6). The increase was never the planter’s to give.

This is the missing hinge in so much evangelism today: it has kept the appeal and lost the proclamation that alone gives the appeal its weight, and it has kept the decision and lost the conviction that alone gives the decision its life.

Judgment Is Preached, But Not Where You Think

There remains one more distinction the modern script collapses: not only does the gospel’s address shift with its hearer, so does its treatment of judgment.

Judgment is everywhere in the apostolic witness. Jesus speaks of Gehenna more than anyone else in the New Testament. John the Baptist warns of “the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:7). Peter names Christ as the one “ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead” (Acts 10:42) and later writes at length of the judgment awaiting the ungodly (2 Peter 2–3). Paul teaches of coming wrath and everlasting destruction (Romans 2:5–8; 2 Thessalonians 1:8–9). Jude warns of “the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 7). Hebrews repeatedly sounds the danger of falling away. Revelation closes with the lake of fire. No one who reads the whole counsel of God could conclude that judgment is a peripheral theme.

But look carefully at where each of these appears, and a real pattern is visible, even though it is not a rigid rule. Jesus’s sharpest words on Gehenna are aimed at the scribes and Pharisees, not at crowds being called to faith for the first time (Matthew 23). The extended teaching on wrath in Romans 2 and the warnings in Hebrews and Jude are addressed to churches — to people already gathered under the gospel, being instructed in the full weight of what they were saved from and what remains for those who reject Christ. Peter’s word to Cornelius’s household names Christ as Judge in a handful of words, within a message overwhelmingly given to who Jesus is and what He offers (Acts 10:36–43). At the same time, judgment is not absent from public preaching to the unconverted, nor should it be: John the Baptist warned crowds of the axe already laid to the root and the wrath to come (Matthew 3:7-10); Paul reasoned with Felix about righteousness, self-control, and coming judgment until Felix trembled (Acts 24:25); Athens itself ends on a fixed day of judgment and a risen Judge (Acts 17:30–31); Paul’s synagogue sermon at Pisidian Antioch closes with a sharp warning drawn from Habakkuk (Acts 13:40–41). Some of this difference in proportion reflects genre and preservation as much as design — epistles are longer documents written to churches, while Luke’s sermons in Acts are condensed summaries — so no rigid ratio of world-to-church can be read directly off the page.

What can be said without overreaching is this: judgment belongs to apostolic evangelism, and Scripture gives no warrant for hiding the coming judgment that makes repentance urgent. But it is never allowed to displace the announcement of Christ, and it is never the whole of what the unconverted hearer is given. The proportion and point of emphasis vary with the hearer and the occasion, but the center of gravity, wherever judgment appears in evangelistic preaching, remains the same: the risen Christ who alone answers it. A street preacher who leads with hell and closes with hell, with Christ only mentioned in passing, has inverted that center of gravity — whatever the exact ratio Scripture allows.

Even Noah, of whom Peter says only that he was “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), gives us no recorded sermon at all. Genesis preserves not a single line of what Noah actually said. The flood itself was the judgment; the ark itself was the warning. Scripture simply does not preserve Noah’s sermon content — which means Noah cannot honestly be used to justify any particular modern hellfire script, since we do not know what his own preaching sounded like.

What This Means for Ministers

None of this is a call to complicate evangelism with theological subtlety the untrained cannot use. It is a call to recover what was already there before it was worn smooth into a script.

Know your hearer before you open your mouth. Not his personality — his condition. Is this someone who has lived under Christian instruction — perhaps baptized, catechized, publicly professing Christ at some point — but has since rejected what he once confessed? He is not identical to Israel under the Mosaic covenant; a Christian upbringing is not Israel’s covenant standing. But his history of received light and repudiated profession still has to shape how he is addressed — he has more to answer for than someone meeting these truths for the first time. Or is this someone with little or no Christian instruction at all, whose only knowledge of God has come through creation and conscience and been suppressed? Then he needs what Athens needed: patient establishment of who God even is before any call to repent will mean anything to him. Preach shuv — come back — to the man who was never given a covenant to return to, and you will produce confusion or false guilt. Preach mere introduction to the man who has already repudiated a real profession and knows it, and you will let him off with less than the truth requires. Discernment here is not optional sensitivity training — it is obedience to the pattern Paul himself calls being “made all things to all men” (1 Corinthians 9:22).

Preach the whole gospel or preach nothing. Not “God loves you” alone — love unproven by the cross is sentiment. Not “heaven or hell” alone — a threat with no Savior offered is law without gospel. Do not replace the whole gospel with one detached fragment. Not every encounter will state every doctrine at equal length — Philip simply “preached Jesus” to the Ethiopian (Acts 8:35), and Paul’s word to the jailer was a single sentence before it opened into more (Acts 16:31–32) — but the proclamation has to remain rooted in the true God, real human guilt (named, not gestured at), Christ crucified and risen according to the Scriptures, His present lordship, and the call to repentance and faith. The door may differ; the message the door opens into has to stay whole. A gospel that costs nothing to say will hold nothing when the hearer is tested.

Do not mistake your appeal for the Spirit’s conviction. You are not commissioned to manufacture a decision. You are commissioned to proclaim Christ fully and trust that the Spirit who filled Peter and opened Lydia’s heart is still able to work through the faithful proclamation of Christ — often invisibly, often not on your timetable, often not producing a hand raised in that hour at all. Ask for a response if Scripture warrants it. But never let the absence of an immediate response tell you that you failed, and never let the presence of one tell you that you succeeded. “Neither he that planteth is any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:7). That verse is not comfort for after a slow response. It is the actual doctrine of how conversion happens, and it should govern the minister’s expectations before he ever opens his mouth, not console him afterward.

Preach judgment where Scripture preaches it, and how. Scripture gives no warrant for hiding the coming judgment that makes repentance urgent, and it gives no warrant for reducing the gospel to terror either. To the stranger meeting Christ for the first time, judgment belongs as solemn warning within a message centered on who Christ is — present, urgent, but never permitted to become the whole message. To the church already gathered, teach the full weight of it, at the length Scripture itself gives it in the epistles. And reserve the sharpest words, as Christ did, not for the sinner who already knows what he is, but for the self-righteous who do not think they need saving at all. The convicted tax collector, the woman caught in the act, the dying thief: these received compassion. It was the Pharisee, confident in his own righteousness, who heard “woe.”

This is not a gospel of many gospels. It is one gospel, one Christ, one cross, one resurrection — and a Spirit who alone pierces hearts through whatever door the preacher has faithfully built. The apostles never worked from a script because they were not selling a decision. They were proclaiming a Person, discerning where each hearer actually stood before Him, and leaving the increase to God.

Ministers who build on anything less than this are not simplifying the faith. They are building on sand, and calling it the gospel.

The PASSPORT of the HEAVENLY Jerusalem

THE HERMENEUTICAL QUILL

bvthomas.com • Biblical Theology & Exposition

The Passport of the Heavenly Jerusalem

Kingdom Immigration and the Terms No One Is Preaching

b.v. thomas

Walk into any embassy on earth and you will feel it immediately — the weight of a jurisdiction that does not belong to the street outside. The flag on the wall, the seal above the consul’s desk, the forms in triplicate, the queue, the scrutiny, the stamp that either opens a door or closes it. Embassies do not apologize for their requirements. They do not whisper their regulations. They publish them. They enforce them. A nation that cannot define who belongs to it ceases to be a nation at all.

We live in an age when every ism on the earth — communism, nationalism, liberalism, capitalism — has its manifesto, its politburo, its membership criteria, its border enforcement. The wealthiest among us chase golden passports, shelling out fortunes to purchase citizenship in places that offer security, mobility, and privilege. The world understands, with brutal clarity, that belonging somewhere costs something.

And then there is the Kingdom of Christ.

The most real, most ancient, most consequential polity ever constituted in the history of the cosmos — and somehow, in the hands of a comfortable, sentimental Christianity, it has been reduced to this: “Just believe. You’re in. Don’t worry about the rest.” The passport handed out like a party favour at the door. No scrutiny. No terms. No understanding of what the document actually requires of the one who carries it.

This is not the gospel. This is a counterfeit stamped to look like one.

“But our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” — Philippians 3:20, NKJV

Paul did not use the word politeuma — citizenship, commonwealth, colony — loosely. His audience in Philippi knew exactly what it meant. Philippi was a Roman colony: Roman law, Roman customs, Roman loyalties, planted in foreign soil. When Paul said “our citizenship is in heaven,” he was invoking the full architecture of civic identity. We are a colony of the heavenly Jerusalem. We live under a foreign jurisdiction. And that jurisdiction has rules.

ARTICLE I

The Issuing Authority

No passport is valid without a legitimate issuing authority behind it. The Heavenly Jerusalem has one: the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — operating through the sole Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no consulate on a street corner. There is no secondary issuing office. There is no appeal to heritage, lineage, sentiment, or religious performance apart from what Christ has secured.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” — John 14:6

The exclusivity of Christ is not theological narrowness. It is the nature of authority. A Kyrgyz passport is issued by Kyrgyzstan. A British passport is issued by the Crown. The passport of the Heavenly Jerusalem is issued by Christ, and by no other, and through no other channel. To imagine that sincerity, religious affiliation, moral effort, or cultural Christianity can produce a valid document is to imagine that you can print your own currency and expect the central bank to honour it.

The Father elects. The Son mediates and seals. The Spirit authenticates. The document, when legitimately issued, is irrevocable — but the process of acquisition is not what most pew-warmers think it is.

ARTICLE II

The Entry Stamp: Justification

Let us be precise, because imprecision here has cost millions their eternal standing without them knowing it.

Justification is the entry stamp. It is not the passport itself. It is the moment at the border when the document is examined, found valid, and the officer presses the seal: Approved. Righteous before God. Penalty paid. This is the work of the cross, received by faith. It is entirely God’s act. It is not earned. It cannot be lost by stumbling. It is the judicial declaration that the sin-debt has been discharged in full through the blood of Christ.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” — Romans 5:1

This is glorious. This is the foundation. But a foundation is not a house. The entry stamp is not the journey. The moment of justification is the beginning of a life, not the conclusion of one. And modern evangelicalism, in its terror of anything that sounds like ‘works,’ has collapsed the entire journey of the believer into that single moment and then sent people home to live however they please, clutching their ticket as though the destination is already reached.

It is not.

Justification declares you righteous. Sanctification makes you righteous in practice. Glorification perfects you in the age to come. To know the first and despise the second is to hold an entry stamp for a country you have never entered and do not intend to.

ARTICLE III

The Residency Terms: Sanctification

Every nation that grants you entry also defines the terms of your continued residence. You do not simply arrive and then do as you please. There are obligations, alignments, and expectations that come with the privilege of belonging.

The Kingdom of Christ is no different. The Sermon on the Mount is not a list of suggestions. The letters of Paul are not optional lifestyle content. The commands of Christ are not the fine print you skip before clicking “I Agree.” They are the residency terms of the Kingdom — the shape of what it looks like to actually live as a citizen of the heavenly polity while stationed in this present age.

“But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” — 1 Peter 1:15–16

Sanctification is not a second-tier Christianity for the spiritually ambitious. It is the normal trajectory of every person who has genuinely received the entry stamp. The one who has truly been justified by faith will hunger for holiness — not to earn standing, but because the nature of the issuing authority has begun to reshape the holder of the document.

The one who is justified and then returns wholesale to the old life — who loves the world, who nurses the old appetites, who has no appetite for the Word, no grief over sin, no longing for God — has not been sanctified. And the uncomfortable question that the church has stopped asking is whether, in such a case, the justification was genuine at all.

“By this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” — 1 John 2:3–4

John is not soft about this. He never was.

ARTICLE IV

The Register: The Lamb’s Book of Life

Every nation maintains a population register. Every valid passport corresponds to a real name in a real record. The Heavenly Jerusalem maintains its own: the Lamb’s Book of Life. This is not a metaphor for church membership rolls, denominational records, or the list of names on a baptismal certificate. It is the register of those who have been genuinely born from above — justified, sealed by the Spirit, and walking in the newness of life to which they have been called.

“And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” — Revelation 20:15

“But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” — Revelation 21:27

The sobering implication is this: the register is not maintained by human institutions. It is not updated by water baptism, confirmed by confirmation, or secured by signing a card at an evangelistic meeting. The name in the Book corresponds to a reality in the person — a genuine work of regenerating grace, evidenced by a life being progressively conformed to the image of the Son.

The self-deceived carry a counterfeit. And many will not discover the counterfeit until the final border crossing.

ARTICLE V

The Counterfeit Passport: Self-Deception and Easy Believism

Christ Himself raised the alarm. He did not leave us to discover the problem only at the end. He named it, described it, and placed the warning at the very center of His most famous discourse.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” — Matthew 7:21–23

Note who is being described here. These are not atheists. These are not nominal pagans with no religious interest. These are people who called Christ Lord, who prophesied, who operated in supernatural gifts, who did works in His name. They had the vocabulary. They had the activity. They had the confidence. And they had a counterfeit.

The counterfeit passport is issued by the self, endorsed by a Christianity that has stopped preaching repentance, stamped by sentimentality, and carried with complete assurance into the final day. It is perhaps the most dangerous document in existence: it looks real, it feels real, and it fails at the border where it matters most. The anatomy of those who carry it — and why they knock without entering — is traced in Two Knockings.

Easy believism — the reduction of salvation to a single moment of cognitive assent, detached from repentance, discipleship, and the ongoing work of the Spirit — is the great passport-forgery operation of our age. The presses have been running for decades. The product is everywhere.

“Even the demons believe — and tremble!” — James 2:19

Belief alone, separated from the obedience of faith, separated from repentance, separated from the regenerating work of the Spirit, produces a document that demons could carry. Belief is the first breath of saving faith — not the whole of it.

ARTICLE VI

The Border Crossing: The Final Judgment

Every journey culminates at a border. And the final border of the age is not a formality. It is the most rigorous immigration process in the history of existence.

Scripture speaks of two distinct judgments that the student of the Word must hold without confusion. For the believer, there is the Bema Seat — the judgment seat of Christ — where not guilt is assessed, but stewardship. The entry has already been secured. What is examined here is the quality of the life lived within the Kingdom’s terms: the gold, silver, precious stones of faithfulness — or the wood, hay, and stubble of a wasted residency.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” — 2 Corinthians 5:10

This is the accounting of the citizen who arrived legitimately. The passport was real. The name was in the Book. But how was the residency lived? What was built? What was sacrificed? What was laid at the altar of the Kingdom’s purposes versus consumed on the altar of personal comfort?

And then there is the Great White Throne — the final reckoning for those outside Christ. No entry stamp. No name in the register. The counterfeit passport examined and found wanting. This is not a harsh technicality. It is the inevitable conclusion of a self that chose, over an entire lifetime, to hold a document it never actually possessed.

ARTICLE VII

Full Citizenship: The Glorified State

And for those whose document is real — for those in whom the work of justification, sanctification, and perseverance has been genuinely wrought by the grace of God — the final border crossing is not terror. It is homecoming.

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” — 1 John 3:2

Full citizenship in the Heavenly Jerusalem is not the mere avoidance of hell. It is the inheritance of the age to come: co-heirs with Christ, governing with Him, bearing the full weight of the glory for which we were created. The passport was not a fire-insurance policy. It was the first document of a destiny that stretches into the eternal ages — that in the coming ages He might show the exceeding riches of His grace (Ephesians 2:7).

The Heavenly Jerusalem descends as a city because it is a city: a real polity, a real government, a real jurisdiction, a real population of real people who were genuinely changed, genuinely redeemed, genuinely formed into the image of their King. This is not a metaphor. This is where history ends and where the real story begins.

THE KINGDOM PASSPORT: A SUMMARY FRAMEWORK

A theological framework for what the passport of the Heavenly Jerusalem actually entails:

PROVISION	KINGDOM EQUIVALENT
Issuing Authority	The Triune God — through Christ alone, the sole Mediator (John 14:6; 1 Tim. 2:5)
Document	The Lamb’s Book of Life — the definitive register of the genuinely redeemed (Rev. 21:27)
Entry Stamp	Justification by faith — the judicial declaration of righteousness; peace with God (Rom. 5:1)
Residency Terms	Sanctification — the progressive conformity to Christ; obedience of faith (1 Pet. 1:15–16)
Citizenship Rights	Co-heirs with Christ; inheritance of the coming age; governing with the King (Rom. 8:17)
Authentication Mark	The indwelling Holy Spirit — the seal and down-payment of the inheritance (Eph. 1:13–14)
Border Control	The Bema Seat (for citizens) and the Great White Throne (for the stateless) (2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:11–15)
Destination	The Heavenly Jerusalem — the city that descends; the eternal polity of the redeemed (Rev. 21:2)
Counterfeit Signal	Belief without repentance; profession without transformation; the lawless who called Him Lord (Matt. 7:21–23)
Final Status	Full citizenship in the age to come: glorification, full conformity to Christ’s image (1 John 3:2)

CLOSING WORD

Stop Taking the Passport for Granted

The golden passport hunters of this world understand something the comfortable church has forgotten: belonging costs something, means something, and demands something. They part with fortunes because they understand that citizenship in a stable, prosperous nation transforms your life, your options, and your future.

The passport of the Heavenly Jerusalem is not for sale. It cannot be purchased with religious performance, moral effort, or theological correctness. It is received, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. But it is not free of cost to the one who carries it. It costs you your old life. It costs you your allegiance to the world. It costs you the right to be the final authority over your own existence. It costs you, in the end, everything — and in return, it gives you everything that lasts.

Stop assuming you have it because you said a prayer once. Examine the document. Not with terror, but with the sober clarity of a traveller who knows that only one border crossing in eternity matters, and that border is not impressed by church attendance, charismatic gifts, or the fervency of your self-confidence.

Is the name real? Is the seal genuine? Is the life being lived consistent with the terms of the citizenship you claim? Is there fruit? Is there hunger? Is there the unmistakable mark of the Spirit at work — producing, pressing, convicting, conforming?

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.” — 2 Corinthians 13:5

That is not a verse for the faint-hearted. It was written to a church. To people who thought they knew. To people very much like the ones in the pews today who have booked a ticket they have never actually examined.

The Kingdom of Christ has policies. It has terms. It has a register. It has a border. And it has a King who will not be fooled by a counterfeit.

The Heavenly Jerusalem is accepting applicants. The consulate is open. The Mediator is at the right hand of the Father. But the terms have not changed, and the Book is not amended by wishful thinking.

Get the real passport. Carry it with trembling and gratitude. Live worthy of the citizenship it represents.

— b.v. thomas

The Hermeneutical Quill • bvthomas.com

If Anyone Does Not Love the Lord Jesus Christ: The Forgotten Anathema of 1 Corinthians 16:22

In the final lines of his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul delivers one of the most solemn and unsettling statements in all of Scripture:

“If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema. Maranatha.”

(1 Corinthians 16:22, KJV)

After teaching on the resurrection of the dead, the collection for the Jerusalem saints, and sending greetings from fellow workers, Paul suddenly pronounces a curse. The Greek word anathema is not a mild disapproval or a gentle warning. It is the strongest term Paul ever uses for spiritual condemnation—something or someone devoted to destruction, set apart under the judgment of God. The Aramaic cry that immediately follows, Maranatha—“Our Lord, come!”—only heightens the intensity. The return of Christ is the blessed hope of those who love Him and the day of terror for those who do not.

This verse is almost never preached today. It is too severe, too uncompromising, too far removed from the tone of modern, seeker-friendly, positive Christianity. Yet it stands in the canon, untouched and unflinching. What does Paul mean when he says someone “does not love the Lord Jesus Christ”? And what does this warning mean for the church in our time?

Jesus Himself Defined What Love for Him Looks Like

Jesus answered the question long before Paul wrote it. In the upper room, on the night He was betrayed, He spoke plainly to His disciples:

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”

(John 14:23–24, ESV)

One of the most sobering realities of Paul’s warning is that he is not addressing unbelievers or atheists. He is writing to the church — to people who already profess faith in Christ, who have been baptized, who partake of the Lord’s Supper, and who call Jesus “Lord.” Yet within that very church, he pronounces this anathema.

Most Christians today instinctively assume, “This can’t be about me — it must be about those who don’t believe.” But Paul does not say, “If anyone does not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema.” He says, “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ…”

And love, as Jesus defined it, is not mere intellectual assent or a one-time confession. It is obedience, submission, and loyalty to His lordship. The verse is aimed squarely at those who claim to know Him but deny Him by their lives — through persistent sin, lukewarmness, self-seeking, or refusal to submit to His word. The Lord detests lukewarm believers (Revelation 3:15–16), and Paul’s warning makes it clear: even those inside the church are not exempt.

The writer of Hebrews echoes this same sobering reality when he warns of those who have been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, and tasted the goodness of the word of God — yet fall away. For such people, he says, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt (Hebrews 6:4–6). This is not a description of unbelievers who never truly came to Christ — it is a warning to those who have experienced the reality of the gospel but do not persevere in love and obedience. The trajectory is the same as Paul’s: those who do not continue to love the Lord Jesus Christ by keeping His word stand under the most serious judgment.

No wonder Paul himself instructs the Corinthians:

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Corinthians 13:5, KJV).

The very apostle who pronounces the anathema commands believers to test the authenticity of their faith and love for Christ — lest they prove to be reprobate.

Paul gives a similar warning to Gentile believers in Romans 11:

“If you have been cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree… Do not be arrogant… if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you if you do not continue in his kindness” (Romans 11:20–22).

The message is unmistakable: even those grafted in by faith can be cut off if they do not persevere in faith and obedience.

In the very same letter to the Corinthians, Paul uses Israel in the wilderness as a stark example:

“Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did… Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11–12).

The Israelites had been delivered from Egypt, baptized into Moses, ate the manna, drank from the rock (Christ), yet most were destroyed in the wilderness for idolatry, immorality, testing God, and grumbling. Paul’s point is clear: those who have experienced God’s grace can still be destroyed if they do not continue in love and obedience to the Lord.

And earlier in the same discourse:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

(John 14:15)

For Jesus, love for Him is not primarily an emotional experience or a warm feeling. It is obedience, submission, and loyalty to His lordship. Where there is no keeping of His word, there is no genuine love. Paul’s anathema in 1 Corinthians 16:22 is not an addition to Jesus’ teaching — it is the apostolic application of it, delivered with the full weight of his authority.

The Marks of a Life That Does Not Love the Lord

Scripture paints a clear and sobering portrait of what a life that “does not love the Lord Jesus Christ” looks like. These are not occasional failures that believers repent of and turn from. They are persistent patterns that reveal a heart that has not truly submitted to Christ’s lordship.

Persistent, unrepentant sin

“No one who abides in him keeps on sinning,” John writes (1 John 3:6). A life marked by willful, ongoing rebellion against God’s commands shows that the person is not abiding in Christ. When sin becomes a lifestyle rather than a struggle, it is evidence of a heart that does not love the Lord.

This includes maintaining a loving heart toward the brethren — for hatred, backbiting, discord, quarrels, and fights among God’s people are equally clear signs of not remaining in the Lord. “Whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and does not know where he is going,” John declares (1 John 2:11). Love is the crux of the Christian life: “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Where there is persistent division and lack of love for the brethren, there is no genuine love for Christ.

Taking grace for granted / absence of the fear of the Lord

“Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!” Paul exclaims (Romans 6:1). Those who presume upon God’s grace, who treat it as a license to sin without reverence or awe before a holy God, show contempt for His holiness. “Our God is a consuming fire,” Hebrews reminds us (Hebrews 12:29), and those who lack the fear of the Lord despise both His mercy and His justice.

Disregarding or disobeying the word of God

“Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar,” John declares (1 John 2:4). To ignore, twist, or disobey Scripture is to reject Christ’s authority as Lord. Those who approach God’s word without trembling, who engage in eisegesis to bend it to their own desires or agendas, lack the fear that is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; Isaiah 66:2). “The ignorant and unstable twist [the Scriptures] to their own destruction,” Peter warns (2 Peter 3:16).

Hating the brethren / sowing division and discord

“Whoever hates his brother is in the darkness,” John writes, and “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 2:9; 3:15). Hatred among professing believers, gossip, slander, and the sowing of division prove there is no love for God. “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar” (1 John 4:20).

Self-serving ministry / exploiting the sheep

“They are shepherds who feed only themselves,” Jude laments (Jude 12). Ministers who use the flock for personal gain, reputation, or power—rather than caring for them as Christ the Chief Shepherd—do not love Him. They are hirelings who flee when danger comes (John 10:12–13) and wolves who devour the sheep (Acts 20:29–30).

Friendship with the world / spiritual adultery

“Friendship with the world is enmity with God,” James declares (James 4:4). Those who coalesce with the spirit of this age, who love its values, its entertainment, its philosophies, and its morality, declare themselves enemies of God. “Do not love the world or the things in the world,” John warns (1 John 2:15).

Loving and pursuing mammon

“You cannot serve God and money,” Jesus said plainly (Matthew 6:24; 1 Timothy 6:11). Greed, the pursuit of wealth, status, or power, is idolatry (Colossians 3:5). When someone’s life is driven by the love of money rather than the love of Christ, they have chosen a different master.

Dragging souls after themselves instead of after Christ

“From among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them,” Paul warned the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:30). Personality cults, manipulation, control, and the building of empires around a human name steal the allegiance that belongs to Jesus alone. True shepherds point people to Christ; false ones draw people to themselves. Men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness – 1 Timothy 6:5; Mark 13:22.

Denying Christ in word or deed

“Whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven,” Jesus said (Matthew 10:33). A life that refuses to confess Christ’s lordship in practice—whether through cowardice, compromise, or open rejection—stands condemned.

All of these are not mere imperfections or “struggles” in believers. They are marks of a life that does not love the Lord Jesus Christ in the biblical, covenantal sense. Paul’s warning is not an overstatement. He repeats the same curse in Galatians 1:8–9 against those who preach a false gospel. In both cases, the root issue is the same: rejection of Christ’s lordship. The result is the same—separation from God’s covenant blessings and exposure to final judgment.

The Weight of the Warning and the Cry of Maranatha

Paul does not pronounce this anathema lightly. The immediate follow-up, Maranatha—“Our Lord, come!”—makes the stakes clear. The return of Christ is the blessed hope of those who love Him and the day of terror for those who do not.

That is why Paul writes elsewhere, “knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade others” (2 Corinthians 5:11, KJV). This terror of the Lord is not just the dread of giving an account at the judgment seat — it is the fearful reality of final condemnation for those who do not truly love and obey Christ. It is the very foundation of New Testament ministry and Christian living, driving Paul to warn and plead with urgency.

One of the most terrifying realities of this warning comes from the lips of Jesus Himself in the Sermon on the Mount. On the day of judgment, many will say to Him, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” But He will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:21–23). These are people who professed faith, performed religious acts, and even claimed to serve Christ — yet they are cast into eternal fire. Their entire Christian profession was for nothing because they never truly loved Him; they never truly submitted to His lordship. They were never abiding in Him.

A Call to Examine Ourselves

This is not a message to despair over every sin or moment of doubt. Scripture distinguishes between those who stumble but repent (1 John 1:9; 2:1) and those who persist in rebellion with no fruit of genuine faith (Matthew 7:19–23; 1 John 3:9–10). The difference is repentance, humility, and a life that increasingly bears the marks of true love for Christ.

But it is a solemn call to self-examination:

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Do we truly love the Lord Jesus Christ?

Do we keep His word?

Do we fear Him?

Do we love His people?

Do we point others to Him alone?

Conclusion

The church today is filled with noise, platforms, programs, and personalities. Yet Paul’s final word in 1 Corinthians cuts through it all like a sword:

If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ—let him be anathema. Maranatha.

Therefore, let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28–29)

And if you call on the Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your sojourning. (1 Peter 1:17)

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:22)

Come, Lord Jesus.

And may He find a people who truly love Him—not with lip service, but with lives surrendered, obedient, humble, and wholly devoted to His name alone.

The Narrow Gate: Why Most Churchgoers Will Not Inherit the Kingdom

Look around your church this Sunday.
Look at the worship team, the elders, the smiling faces in the seats, the people posting Scripture memes and “Jesus is King” captions.

Now hear the words of the King Himself:

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13–14)

Jesus did not say “some.” He did not say “a troubling minority.”
He said most.

And He was talking about the very people who thought they were on their way to heaven.

It’s evident that many who profess to know God in Christ do not even in the remotest way resemble the Spirit of Christ. They lack the divine imprint. They possess a different spirit and a different wisdom — earthly, sensual, devilish — and from within them flows muddy water and bitter fruit (James 3:15–17). They sing about the blood of Jesus while stabbing brothers in the back. They preach grace while living in greed, lust, and pride. They are tares dressed up as wheat, goats wearing sheep’s clothing.

And one day Jesus will look them in the eye and say, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23).

“And Such Were Some of You”… Or Were You?

Paul wrote to a church full of people who thought they were safe:

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

And such were some of you.
But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9–11)

Notice the past tense: were.
True conversion is not a prayer you prayed once. It is a radical, irreversible transformation. You do not just get a new label — you get a new heart, a new spirit, a new Master. The old man dies. The new man lives.

Yet look again at the average church.

Where is the evidence of this washing? Where is the sanctification? Where is the fear of God?

People shack up and call it “love.”
Greed is called “blessing.”
Gossip and slander are called “prayer requests.”
Hatred for a brother is called “discernment ministry.”
Pornography is winked at while the preacher yells about politics.

John could not be clearer:

“Whoever says ‘I know Him’ but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4).

“Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15).

If you hate a brother or sister in Christ — if bitterness and unforgiveness live in your heart — John says you do not have eternal life. Period.

The Terrifying Marks of False Profession

False Professor (Never Truly Born Again)	True Child of God (Imperfect but Real)
No real grief over sin — only damage control when caught	Ongoing brokenness and hatred of sin
Fruit is consistently bitter: division, pride, sensuality, greed	Fruit of the Spirit grows: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness…
Loves the praise of men more than the praise of God	Loves God and loves the brethren, even when it costs
Can quote Scripture while living in rebellion	Trembles at God’s word and obeys, even imperfectly
Eventually falls away or hardens under trial	Perseveres through fire because God keeps His own

Paul told Titus:

“They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work” (Titus 1:16).

That is not a description of a “carnal Christian.” That is a description of a lost person play-acting faith.

Do Not Be Deceived

The most dangerous lie in the church today is this:
“You can live however you want and still go to heaven because you prayed a prayer in 1997.”

That is a demonic lie straight from the pit.

Grace is not a license to sin. Grace is the power that kills sin.

If your life does not look increasingly like Jesus — if there is no war against the flesh, no growing love for holiness, no supernatural affection for God’s people — then the Bible says you have every reason to fall on your face and cry out for mercy while mercy can still be found.

The Good News for Today

The narrow gate is still open.
The blood of Jesus still cleanses the worst sinner who truly repents.

The same Paul who wrote the terrifying list also wrote:
“And such were some of you. But you were washed…”

Today — right now — if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart.
Run to Christ.

Confess every sin.
Forsake every idol.
Plead for the new birth that only the Spirit can give.

Because one day the door will close.
And most who thought they were inside will find themselves on the outside, forever.

The narrow gate is narrower than you think.
Make sure you have entered it — truly entered it — while there is still time.

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.” (2 Corinthians 13:5)

The King is coming.
Be ready.
Be real.
Be found in Him.

Maranatha. 🔥

Let God FIX Your Marriage FEARS: Step into His HOLY Design

Introduction: The Illusion of a Savior-Spouse

Are you paralyzed by marriage fears, waiting for a perfect spouse who fits your worldly ideals? Let God fix those fears and guide you into His holy design for matrimony. You’ve prayed for years, waiting for the perfect spouse to sweep you off your feet and make life complete. You’ve envisioned someone who fits the world’s mold, attractive, charming, and perfectly aligned with your desires. But what if you’ve missed God’s choice because they didn’t match your checklist? Worse, what if you’re expecting a spouse to heal your inner brokenness, childhood trauma, or unresolved conflicts? The truth is stark. Only God can make you whole. Marriage is not a cure for your wounds. It’s a crucible for selfless love. To embrace this sacred union, you must be prepared in mind for what you are entering. As Paul said, “Nevertheless, such shall have trouble in the flesh” (1 Corinthians 7:28). You must enter marriage with Christ and His Word abiding in you. Unlike the present reality, one should not marry or love someone for career prospects, financial gain, or a comfortable life, but to fulfill God’s plan through this union and to raise godly offspring. This article will shatter the myths of perfection and self-reliance, urging you to find healing in Christ and step boldly into God’s plan for holy matrimony.

The Lie of the Perfect Fix

The world sells a fantasy. A soulmate will fulfill every longing, erase every scar, and make you whole. But Scripture declares, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). No human, no matter how godly, can heal your deepest wounds. Expecting a spouse to fix your inner conflicts, whether from childhood trauma, insecurity, or past hurts, is a recipe for disappointment and relational strain. God alone completes you. “And in Him you have been made complete” (Colossians 2:10, NASB). A spouse is a God-given partner, a comfort and help, but not your savior. Jesus must always be your first love, and your heart cannot be given to anyone but Him, allowing you to love others with Christ at the center. The world teaches you to fall in love, a phrase that hints something is off. You don’t simply fall. You are meant to become alive in love. You choose to love the unlovable, even when your flesh struggles to bear it. Clinging to the myth of a perfect spouse, or expecting a marriage to fix you, is rebellion against God’s design, trapping you in a bubble of unreality.

This worldly mindset manifests in practices like living together and “tasting” intimacy before marriage, which is outright corruption. What is even more shocking is to see this mentality infiltrating the Church and the Christian sphere—it is like a termite working silently from within. Satan has penetrated this sacred space.

This is humanism and extreme individualism at its peak, rejecting God entirely. As Scripture warns, “men shall be lovers of themselves rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:2). It represents a total refusal to trust God, His plan, and His timing for our lives.

We must remember that you and I are the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God dwells within us and is grieved when we embrace worldly, sensual, and devilish wisdom, as James 3 clearly exposes. Choosing this path is a rejection of God’s way and a denial of the sanctity He has called us to.

Incompatible!

Beyond the deception of a perfect spouse lies another worldly myth: the idea of incompatibility. I’d like to bury the word “incompatibility”—because in truth, there is no such thing. We are all incompatible by nature. There is no one out there exactly like you, and there is no one exactly like you. What bridges the gap is not natural compatibility, but Christ. We are called to put on Christ and His nature (Romans 13:14; Colossians 3:12–14) and to choose love.

Love is not a natural occurrence that simply falls into place; it is an intentional choice. Modern culture teaches us to search endlessly for someone who “matches” us, but the gospel calls us to grow into Christlikeness and actively love—even when it costs, even when it doesn’t come naturally.

Healing Your Inner Brokenness with God

Before you can love another, you must first be made whole in Christ. Inner conflicts, whether rooted in childhood wounds, rejection, or shame, must be resolved with God, not your spouse. I am not saying that you must be perfect before entering into marital life, but rather that we should recognize our weaknesses, insufficiencies, and inner conflicts—and step into it with God at the center. When we trust Him fully, He is able to bring into our lives the very person who can walk alongside us in that healing. Psalm 147:3 promises, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” God may use marriage as the beginning of a healing process. But that healing may not unfold in the way you imagine—it may come through fire and trials. For just as the crucible purifies gold and the furnace refines silver, fire is crucial to purge the impurities of embedded lies. Without it, true purity cannot be brought forth. Through prayer, Scripture, and surrender, God mends what no human can. When you rely on Him to heal your trauma, you stop demanding that others fill a void only He can satisfy. This freedom allows you to love without selfish motives, offering the selfless, Christ-like love marriage demands (Ephesians 5:25). Yet, under God’s guidance, marriage might help lift you out of your misery of inner conflicts as you work with the Spirit of God through His Word to align yourself correctly and to bring you out of unwholesomeness. Marriage can function like a pulley that lifts you up and a fire that burns all your falsehood to be the person God wants you to be. Only when you’re anchored in Christ’s completeness can you enter marriage ready to give, not just receive.

Practical Steps for Healing

– Pour out your hurts to God in prayer (Psalm 62:8). Ask for His healing and wisdom.

– Meditate on Scripture. Let verses like Isaiah 61:1 (“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted”) renew your mind.

– Seek a Christian counselor or mentor to guide you through trauma with biblical wisdom.

– Surrender to the Spirit. Let Him transform your heart, producing love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22-23).

Repentance and Preparation for God’s Design

With a heart cleansed by Christ, you can prepare for marriage by aligning with God’s holy design. Have faith in God. If you have led a sinful life or committed fornication, which is sexual relationship outside marriage (a covenant relationship before God), know that you have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1). Come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace (Hebrews 4:16). If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). Confession must be followed with measures. The sexual union was not merely a bodily exchange but tied the souls in the union, for the twain shall be one flesh, they are no more twain but one flesh (Mark 10:8). By joining yourself to a person, you carry their spiritual and emotional baggage, such as guilt, shame, or spiritual bondage, in your flesh, and that must be purged. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse it. You must cut off all soul ties by the help of the Spirit of God. Be in His presence in fasting and prayer as the Lord directs you. For example, pray, “Lord, by Your blood, sever any ungodly soul ties from my past, and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.” Or ask church members for help. Confessions are powerful to eliminate all possible footholds of the devil that you have given him over (Ephesians 4:27).

Pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit to guide you to the right person. Your mind tends to wander, never satisfied with one, but decide to stick with one person with the intention to love them with agape love. Study the Word of God to see what He expects of you as a man or a woman. Both men and women have different roles to fulfill. If you resist God’s Word, you are your own lord, and your confession of calling Jesus Lord is false, deceiving yourself. It is easy to call Jesus Lord and worship Him with endless songs, but if your heart is not aligned with the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, you are wasting your life. You must replace the law of sin and death with the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, which will set your life on the right course (Romans 8:2).

Scripture provides clear roles for husbands and wives to fulfill God’s holy design.

Diagram: Biblical Roles in Marriage as described in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3

Temperaments: God’s Design in Imperfect Vessels

God created each person with unique temperaments, reflecting His character yet marred by the Fall (Genesis 3:6-7). Understanding these helps you embrace a spouse’s imperfections, moving beyond superficial expectations. Here’s how the five temperaments shape relationships and require God’s healing.

Choleric: The Bold Leader

– Confident and driven, cholerics lead like Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:20).

– Pride or impatience can mask insecurities, often rooted in a need for control.

– They bring vision but may struggle to empathize unless healed of self-reliance.

– Surrendering pride to Christ fosters humility and love (Philippians 2:3).

Sanguine: The Joyful Connector

– Warm and uplifting, sanguines shine like Barnabas (Acts 4:36).

– A need for approval may stem from rejection wounds, leading to shallow connections.

– They bring joy but need discipline to love deeply.

– Rooting identity in Christ frees them to love without seeking validation (Colossians 3:3).

Phlegmatic: The Steadfast Peacemaker

– Calm and loyal, phlegmatics foster peace like Abraham (Genesis 13:8-9).

– Passivity may hide fear of conflict or unaddressed pain.

– They offer stability but must confront issues boldly.

– God’s strength empowers initiative (Isaiah 41:10).

Melancholy: The Thoughtful Idealist

– Deep and precise, melancholics reflect God’s truth like Jeremiah (Jeremiah 9:1).

– Perfectionism or unforgiveness often masks fear of failure or past hurts.

– They bring depth but must release grudges.

– Resting in God’s grace frees them from despair (Hebrews 4:16).

Supine: The Faithful Servant

– Gentle and serving, supines love like Mary (John 12:3).

– Fear of rejection or bottled emotions may stem from early wounds.

– They serve selflessly but need confidence to express needs.

– God’s love empowers bold service (Romans 8:38-39).

Reflection Question

Which temperament reflects you? Are you expecting a spouse to fix its weaknesses, or are you seeking God’s healing to redeem them?

The Heart of Marriage: A Crucible for Christ-Like Love

Marriage is not a fairy tale. It is holy matrimony! It’s God’s holy design, a sacred test where you die to self and learn to love as Christ does. Enter marriage not with the intention of fixing your spouse, but with the humility to be refined and corrected yourself. True marriage is a journey with Christ at the center, sustained by prayer and grounded in obedience to the Word of God. If you resist these scriptural commands, recognize that it is not merely a marriage problem but a heart problem. Your flesh is warring against the authority of God’s Word. Marriage has a way of unmasking who you truly are. It will reveal whether you are a genuine disciple of Christ or simply one who honors Him with words while denying Him in life.

Think about this: why do you believe God commanded the husband to love his wife as Christ loved the church, and the wife to respect and be subject to her husband in everything? Col 3:18; Eph 5:22,24 If both were perfect beings, such commands would not have been necessary. The very fact that God gave these instructions shows that both husband and wife are inherently flawed, capable of failing and even acting opposite to what He requires. That is why He had to address these areas—instilling and demanding such virtues—because without His guidance, we would never live them out on our own.

That said, ‘as it is fitting in the Lord’ does not give a Christian the freedom to divorce at will, even if the other spouse behaves selfishly or follows their fleshly desires. As you’ve been praying—‘Break me, mold me, fill me, and use me’—know that God may assign a cup for you to drink in life. You can choose to accept it or reject it, just as Christ did. But remember, both acceptance and rejection carry their own consequences. And don’t blame God for your lack of growth or effectiveness in your spiritual journey when you reject the trials He allows and choose to live a neutral, safe life instead. True transformation comes when we embrace His refining work, even through discomfort, fire, and testing. As 1 Peter 5:10 reminds us, ‘But the God of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will, after you have suffered a little while, perfect you, establish you, strengthen you, and firmly settle you.’ God’s refining work is always purposeful, shaping us for His glory and eternal design. Patience, forbearance, and a gentle, loving spirit are essential in marriage. Know that tribulation worketh patience – Romans 5:3 – But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing – James 1:4. Submission is never about weakness—it’s about reflecting Christlike love and maintaining harmony.

Of course, this does not apply if the relationship is violent, abusive, adulterous, or unsafe. In those cases, protection and wisdom must come first.

Love bears all things. Through the faith and godly conduct of a believing wife or husband, the other spouse—and even the children—can be sanctified, experiencing God’s transformative work within the family. 1 Corinthians 7:14

This is a faithful saying: For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off – 2 Peter 1:2-9. This is the only path by which the grace and power of the Spirit can increase and flow abundantly in you to carry out the will of God. For it is God who works in us both to will and to do His good pleasure – Phil 2:13. To access all that God has for us in Christ Jesus, we must align ourselves with His Word and walk in accordance with Scripture.

I want to make something clear. When Scripture says “wives, submit to your own husbands,” it’s not talking about blind obedience or treating a wife as if she’s less valuable. The original word used in Greek, hypotassō, carries the sense of voluntarily coming into alignment, creating order, not being forced into subjugation. It’s more about harmony than a struggle for power.

Notice also it says “your own husbands.” That’s intentional. It doesn’t mean women must submit to all men — it’s about the covenant of marriage and the unique order God designed for that relationship.

Then we have the phrase “as it is fitting in the Lord.” That’s the safeguard. Submission is not without limits. It only applies in the context of what is right before God. If a husband were to ask for something sinful, abusive, or outside God’s will, this verse does not require obedience.

So, Paul is really pointing wives toward an attitude of respect and partnership, walking in step with God’s design. And right after that, he gives husbands the command: “love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” That’s not about domination — it’s about self-sacrificial love, the same kind Christ showed the church.

Taken together, these verses show that marriage is not built on hierarchy for its own sake, but on a relationship of mutual love, respect, and order under God.

Why God’s Commands Matter

The Lord doesn’t hand down these commands randomly. There’s a theological and creational logic behind why He tells men and women to walk in their respective callings. Here’s the heart of it.

– God is a God of order, not confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Headship and submission in marriage aren’t cultural accidents. They’re rooted in creation itself (1 Corinthians 11:8-9; 1 Timothy 2:13). The husband’s role mirrors Christ’s sacrificial leadership, and the wife’s role mirrors the Church’s willing submission. This order is a living parable of the Gospel.

– Man was tasked with leading, guarding, and providing (Genesis 2:15). Woman was tasked with helping, nurturing, and completing (Genesis 2:18). These roles aren’t arbitrary. They are tied to our very design, physical, emotional, and spiritual. To rebel against them is to rebel against how God made us.

– Marriage is meant to sanctify us (Ephesians 5:26-27). By commanding men to love sacrificially and women to submit respectfully, God is chiseling away at the two great strongholds of the flesh. For men, it’s selfishness, pride, and harshness. For women, it’s control, resistance, and disrespect. The commands are perfectly aimed at our fallen tendencies.

– If a man refuses to love like Christ, it reveals his heart of stone and pride. If a woman refuses to submit and respect, it reveals her rebellion and unbelief. That’s why Paul says marriage shows whether you are truly walking in the Spirit or still enslaved to the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17).

– A Christ-centered marriage is a sermon to the world (Ephesians 5:32). It testifies of Christ and the Church. When husband and wife reject their God-given commands, they aren’t just failing each other. They’re misrepresenting Christ.

The Lord commands each gender this way because:

– It reflects His divine order.

– It cuts against the grain of our sinful flesh.

– It puts on display the mystery of Christ and His Bride.

Jesus said, “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25). Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16). This isn’t optional, but a mandate. In marriage, you lay down pride, prejudice, and selfish ambitions to love an imperfect person with God’s perfect love. Your spouse may not be the most attractive or charismatic, but if God has chosen them, they’ll be your partner in sanctification. Trust His promise, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

Overcoming Fears That Hinder Marriage

– No spouse is perfect. Their flaws are opportunities to reflect Christ’s sacrificial love.

– If you’re waiting for a spouse to heal your brokenness, you’ll burden them with impossible expectations. Seek wholeness in Christ first.

– Scripture warns against marrying non-believers (2 Corinthians 6:14). If already in such a marriage, rely on God’s grace to navigate it (1 Corinthians 7:12-14).

– Marriage is a “cup to drink” (Matthew 20:22), a faith journey where God equips you to succeed through His Spirit.

A Call to Action: Trust God’s Healing and Plan

If you long for marriage, stop chasing a worldly ideal or expecting a spouse to complete you. First, bring your brokenness to God—your traumas, fears, and conflicts. Let Him heal you through Christ’s love, making you whole. Then pray for a spouse, trusting God to lead you to the one He has chosen. They may not match your vision, but they’ll be a partner in God’s redemptive work. Don’t pick anyone you see or deem worthy; be led by the Spirit of God and let Him guide you. Here’s the secret: if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him (1 John 5:14). Trust Him with all your heart and wait for Him.

If you’re married, stop looking to your spouse for the fulfillment only God can provide. Recommit to loving them selflessly, as Christ loves the church. Know this: marriage is where your self dies, and in that death you are made alive in Christ, united to your wife as one flesh. Marriage is a holy adventure. Take a bold step into God’s holy design, trusting Him to guide your heart and heal your fears, with your eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Signs of a DERAILED or BACKSLIDDEN Christian: Recognizing the Signs of Straying from God’s Grace

A Christian can indeed fail to live in the fullness of God’s grace, and there are several signs described in Scripture that indicate a person may be in a backslidden or derailed state. While someone may still identify as a believer, their life may not align with the way God intends for His followers to live. The Bible warns that it is possible to stray from God’s path, even while still outwardly claiming to be a believer. Here are key signs and characteristics of a backslidden Christian, as well as insights into what may indicate a failure to remain rooted in God’s grace and the vine of Christ.

1. Lack of Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Spirit

The ‘Kingdom of God’ is described in Romans 14:17 as ‘righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.’ These three elements are marks of a life aligned with God’s will. When someone fails to experience these qualities, it strongly indicates that something is wrong in their spiritual walk. At the very least, it suggests that they have either not reached the point where they should be or have strayed from the course, making it a focal point for immediate concern and correction.

The ‘Kingdom of God’ and the qualities of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit are central to a Christian’s foundation. These elements reflect the heart of living in alignment with God’s will and are vital aspects of a believer’s spiritual walk. Just as a pilot relies on instruments to control and fly the aircraft, and ignoring them would be disastrous, these spiritual elements must become our indicators. We must continuously monitor them to check our spiritual status and keep ourselves on an even keel, ensuring we remain aligned with God’s will. They demonstrate the transformation that occurs when someone fully embraces God’s kingdom and His presence. If these qualities are missing, it suggests a need for spiritual reflection and growth, in line with the Christian pursuit of becoming more Christlike.

Being deficient in righteousness, peace, and joy can indeed suggest that a person is either off course, derailed, or has failed to fully embrace the grace of God in their lives. In spiritual terms, this could be seen as falling short of God’s intended plan for them, possibly due to sin, distraction, or a lack of spiritual discipline. As Hebrews 12:15 warns, failing to experience God’s grace can lead to bitterness or a lack of spiritual growth. It emphasises the importance of staying rooted in God’s presence and allowing His grace to transform us.

Now you understand why the Holy Spirit is urging us to examine ourselves to see whether we are truly in the faith, as it is written in 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” And also, as Jesus said in John 15:4, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” This highlights the importance of remaining connected to Christ as our source of strength and spiritual vitality—and not swaying, drawing back, or falling away from Him. Our constant dependence on Christ ensures that we stay rooted in His grace and remain steadfast in our spiritual walk.

Entering into His Rest: A Foundational Virtue of the Christian Life

The promise of rest that Jesus offers in Matthew 11:28—“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”—is a foundational virtue for every believer, alongside righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. This rest is not merely a physical or emotional reprieve but a profound spiritual reality, the rest of God Himself, into which we are invited through faith in Christ. The Psalmist foresaw this rest as a divine inheritance for God’s people, yet Hebrews 4 warns that some failed to enter it due to unbelief. Importantly, this rest, along with righteousness, peace, and joy, does not mean a life free from struggle, sorrow, or tribulation. Jesus Himself declared, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Though the heart may face tumultuousness and trouble, through the Spirit of God, prayer, and tears, we can realign our hearts to abide in Christ’s rest, righteousness, peace, and joy. These virtues establish the heart, enabling us to stand firm despite life’s trials, for just as Christ overcame the world, so too can we through Him. Many saints through the ages have testified to this truth, such as Horatio Spafford, who, after losing all he held dear, penned the timeless hymn, proclaiming, “When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.” As Philippians 4:4-7 exhorts, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” This divine peace, coupled with joy, guards our hearts in trials. Likewise, 2 Peter 1:2-4 reminds us, “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” This divine nature empowers us to live in God’s rest, sustained by His grace and peace. Furthermore, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-23 urges us to “rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, in every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The enemy seeks to rob us of this rest through unbelief and the stirrings of the flesh, draining these Kingdom virtues from our lives. As believers, we must diligently labour, as Hebrews 4:11 urges, to enter this rest by crucifying the flesh and walking in the Spirit. Being filled with the Spirit is essential to guard our spiritual inheritance, ensuring that we remain steadfast in Christ’s rest, preserving the righteousness, peace, and joy that mark a life aligned with God’s will.

– Righteousness: A failure to live according to God’s standards of holiness is often one of the first signs of a drifting Christian. When a believer lives in unrepentant sin or neglects God’s commands, their heart may begin to harden. Many Christians take their salvation for granted, thinking that justification is solely by faith and that works hold no weight. While it is true that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us for the purpose of initiation and justification, this is not the end of the story. There is also a righteousness that becomes assimilated or naturalised in us through our obedience to the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:16).

Before the redemptive work on the cross of Calvary, no law could ascribe righteousness, and the blood of bulls and goats could never redeem the spirits of men. However, the blood of Jesus Christ is unlike any other. It has the power to wash away all the stains of sin. It can penetrate deep into the conscience, purging all defilements and transforming even the grossest sinner into a saint of God. After being grafted into the true Vine, our works should reflect this transformation. In that way, our actions speak volumes. A tree is known by its fruit, right? A fruitless tree is destined for burning.

Yes, Jesus did cleanse us from our sins, but which sins? He cleansed us from PAST sins and the condemnation inherited from Adam—those we committed in ignorance while being slaves to sin. “His righteousness for the remission of sins that are” ‘past’”—Romans 3:25. What about the sins we commit after coming to Christ? Yes, for those too, we have an advocate who allows us to approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us. As we walk in the light, just as He is in the light, the blood of Christ will continually cleanse us. But we bear the consequences ourselves if we do not comply with these.

There’s a verse that’s often misquoted, saying that if we sin wilfully, there is no more remission of sin. However, this verse is not referring to the sins that a Christian may still commit, as we all possess a fallen nature, which we must put off, and the Bible itself says that if we claim to have no sin, we deceive ourselves. If we can’t sin, then why would we need to live according to the Spirit and make confessions and supplications for grace and mercy? The verse in question refers to those who intentionally reject the sacrifice of Christ—those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, experienced the goodness of God’s word, and witnessed the powers of the world to come. If they fall away, it is impossible to renew them to repentance because they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and openly shaming Him (Hebrews 6:4-6). Hebrews 10:28–30 emphasises that if someone rejects God’s grace, they are deserving of even greater punishment than those who despised the law of Moses because they have trampled on the Son of God, treating His sacrifice as unholy, and insulted the Spirit of grace. This is that sin unto death, which the Bible talks about (1 John 5:16).

Hebrews 6:4-6 and Hebrews 10:28-30 are addressing a wilful rejection of Christ’s sacrifice, not the ongoing struggles or sins that Christians may still face as they live in the flesh.

Don’t believe that your heart is completely purified and free from sinful tendencies the moment you are born again; do not deceive yourself into thinking this.

– “Peace”: The inner peace that comes from the Holy Spirit is essential for a right relationship with God. Without peace, a Christian may experience anxiety, fear, or inner turmoil, which signals a disconnect from God’s presence. This peace is not the fleeting peace the world offers but the very peace of Christ Himself—shalom. Shalom is not merely peace in the heart; the ancient Hebrew understanding means “to destroy the one who created chaos.” Wouldn’t that imply that, despite our struggles in life, we must have the assurance that Christ Jesus has already defeated the enemy of our souls? Hebrews 2:14; Colossians 2:15

In other words, shalom refers to much more than just peace or tranquillity—it signifies wholeness, restoration, and the defeat of chaos or disorder. It’s the kind of peace that comes from the victory Christ has already won over sin, fear, and the enemy. So, even in the midst of life’s struggles, a believer can experience deep, lasting peace, knowing that Christ has already overcome the forces that would seek to disrupt our spiritual well-being. As a crown to it all, the peace of Christ Himself will reign in our hearts.

Listen to what Romans 2:6-10 (AMP) says: God will pay back to each person according to his deeds [justly, as his deeds deserve]: to those who, by persistence in doing good, seek [unseen but certain heavenly] glory, honour, and immortality, [He will give the gift of] eternal life. But for those who are selfishly ambitious and self-seeking and disobedient to the truth but responsive to wickedness, [there will be] wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and anguish [torturing confinement] for every human soul who does [or permits] evil, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, but glory and honour and inner peace [will be given] to everyone who habitually does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

So, if we lack inner peace, we now understand where the problem originates!

1 Corinthians 3:3 says, For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk as men?
James 3:14-18 says, If ye have bitter envy and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descends not from above but is earthly, sensual, and devilish. Where envy and strife are, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

This is a chaotic situation—one that has arisen because souls have not been embraced by the shalom of God. It is the kind of wisdom one comes to possess that ultimately determines the outcome.

You can’t simply possess this wisdom, nor can you access it through education or mere knowledge, nor is it a spiritual gift in the traditional sense, nor is it automatically imputed to us when we come to Christ. If it were, there would be no need to instruct us to acquire it in the first place. While the Bible says, ‘If any lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives liberally’ (James 1:5), the way you receive it and the nature of this wisdom is not what we often think it is. It’s not merely about gaining knowledge or understanding through study or gifting. This wisdom comes through a process of spiritual transformation, requiring purging, sanctification, and growth. It’s not about intellectual achievement but about a profound change in your inner character as you absorb God’s divine nature and live out His will.

To simply put, Wisdom is a person of the Godhead—1 Corinthians 1:24, and being aligned with His person is what it’s all about. That alignment requires the scraping away of our own selves by the Spirit and the Word, doesn’t it? Do you see the process one must go through to reach Him on that level?

You could say this is a hard road to life, and yes, it is. But it’s not a life that we accomplish through our own effort; rather, it’s about letting Christ live within us, making what seems impossible a reality. Our duty is to prepare the way for the Lord in our hearts through the Spirit and the Word. It is God who works in us, giving us the will and the ability to do His good pleasure, not the other way around. Is there anything too hard for the Lord?

As Jesus said, “The Son can do nothing on His own; He only does what He sees the Father doing” (John 5:19). Similarly, just as He was in the world, we too are completely dependent on the Father and His Spirit, as it is written, “As He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17).

I can assure you that you’ve probably been trying to live your Christian life on your own up until now, haven’t you? And now, my message comes as a surprise, doesn’t it?

Did God ever ask you to live the Christian life on your own? Why do we assume that we must live out the Christian life when, as humans, we can’t possibly meet the standards that Jesus set? The Pharisees believed that breaking any law was a transgression, but Jesus took it a step further, saying that even lusting in the heart is equivalent to committing adultery, and hatred is like murder. So, how can we ever measure up to that level of righteousness, especially when we are saved by grace? Why do you think the Holy Spirit was poured out on humanity at Pentecost if God expected us to do it all on our own? Why would Christ need to live through us if we are in control? The sad truth is, many Christians try to live the life themselves, relying more on human effort than on the work of God within them.

Many call Jesus “Lord, Lord,” but in reality, they are their own lord. They may acknowledge Him with their words, but their lives are still driven by their own desires, control, and decisions. It’s easy to claim Him as Lord with our mouths, but true lordship means surrendering our will to His and allowing Him to lead us, not the other way around.

A sheep can’t shepherd itself—it needs the guidance, protection, and care of the shepherd. Similarly, as believers, we can’t navigate life on our own strength or wisdom. Without the Good Shepherd, Jesus, we’re lost and vulnerable. Just as a sheep relies fully on its shepherd for direction and safety, we too are called to rely on Christ to lead us, nourish us, and protect us. Trying to shepherd ourselves is like a sheep wandering without purpose—it needs the guidance of the shepherd to thrive.

“Joy”: “Joy in the Lord” is the joy we experience in response to knowing God and walking closely with Him—Galatians 4:9; 1 John 4:6, 7, 16. It arises from a deep connection with God, His love, and His work in our lives. This joy is both an emotional and spiritual response to God’s goodness, guidance, and presence. The Spirit of God makes God’s presence tangible, imparting all the heavenly experiences to the soul that has been regenerated or quickened by Him. Joy in the Lord is rooted in Christ in us, the hope of glory. It’s His light shining in the dark places of our hearts, illuminating us from within. As the Day Star rises in our hearts, His presence brings the joy that transcends circumstances, filling us with peace and strength. It doesn’t come through religious practices or rites but through being born of God. It is the inheritance of a child of God. As Jesus said, one must be born again to inherit the kingdom of God, which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. This joy is a fruit of the new birth, made possible through the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. It is the liberation of the soul from the grasp of the enemy that brings about this joy.

On the other hand, “the joy of the Lord” refers to the joy that God Himself possesses and provides, and that’s what gives strength to the soul. It is a divine joy that sustains and strengthens us, even in difficult times. As Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength,” meaning that this joy, rooted in God’s own nature, empowers and upholds us through life’s challenges. The joy of the Lord is the joy of the Lord Himself.

Psalm 16:11 tells us, “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” And this is where Christ is seated—at the right hand of God, the place of ultimate honour and authority—Romans 8:34; Hebrews 12:2. This position signifies not only His divine status but also the eternal joy and peace that flow from God’s presence. For in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily—Colossians 1:19; 2:9. The pleasure and joy that come from being in Christ’s presence are immense and immeasurable, like a reservoir that will never deplete. No matter how much we partake in it, there is always more to experience. It is a never-ending well of love, grace, and fulfilment, reserved for all who are in Christ. This truth invites us to rest in the unshakeable joy that Christ offers, knowing that the depths of His goodness are limitless, and His joy will sustain us forever. This joy is not merely a fleeting emotion; it is the joy that comes from being in the presence of God, where true fulfilment and lasting joy are found.

It’s the assurance of Christ in us—the hope of His presence and His promises—that fuels our joy. It’s not about what we can do on our own, but about the confidence that, through Him, we have everything we need. That hope, knowing He is with us and working in us, ignites a joy that doesn’t depend on circumstances. It’s a deep, unwavering joy that comes from knowing we’re not alone and that He’s fulfilling His purpose in us every day.

Just as Jesus said, ‘My peace I give unto you’ (John 14:27), the joy of the Lord is not simply a human emotion, but a divine joy that flows from His presence, His nature, and His work in our lives. This joy is not based on circumstances but on a deep connection to God and the transformation He brings through the Holy Spirit.

Both forms of joy are essential for the Christian walk. Joy in the Lord comes with the saving of the soul or when the Spirit of God quickens a person. It is the effect of God’s redemptive work in the soul of man, as Scripture says, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (Psalm 51:12). This joy is the result of being made spiritually alive through salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The joy of the Lord, however, comes later as the person continues with the Lord, matures spiritually, and is sanctified wholly. As believers grow in their faith, they experience a deeper, sustaining joy that strengthens them through trials, as Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” This joy becomes a powerful force that empowers and sustains the believer, no matter the circumstances.

A Christian who has lost their joy or isn’t experiencing joy in their heart is likely not abiding in Christ and is missing out on the fullness of life He offers. When we speak of the joy of the Lord, it refers to a deeper, enduring state of joy that comes from a relationship with God. It is not simply a fleeting emotion based on circumstances but a deep sense of peace, fulfilment, and strength that arises from being connected to God’s presence and His promises.

This joy can exist even in difficult or challenging times because it is rooted in trust, faith, and God’s character rather than external circumstances. As the Bible says in Nehemiah 8:10, “The joy of the Lord is your strength,” showing that this kind of joy can sustain and empower us through life’s trials. Therefore, the joy of the Lord is not merely a momentary feeling of gladness, which is often triggered by positive events or external circumstances. Instead, it is a profound, inner joy that transcends temporary happiness.

The joy of the Lord is not a one-time gift given at the moment of new birth but rather something that comes through continual fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. It is indeed a progressive acquisition, not something automatically given or fully experienced right away. The joy of the Lord is deeply tied to ongoing intimacy and connection with Christ. As believers walk with Him, spend time in His Word, pray, and live in obedience, they grow in experiencing His joy. It is nurtured and strengthened through this relationship, much like any other aspect of spiritual growth.

The joy of the Lord is nurtured over time through a deepening relationship with Christ. The Psalmist expresses in Psalm 1:2 that ‘his delight is in the law of the Lord,’ indicating that there is a deep love and joy found in God’s Word. You cannot truly profess to delight in the Lord if you do not find His Word delightful, because the Word is God Himself (John 1:1). This is reflected in the experience of the prophet in Ezekiel 3:3, who says that when he ate the Word, it was as sweet as honey. The law, or Word of God, is not just a set of rules but a source of life, peace, and joy. This joy, rooted in the Word, comes from meditating on it, following its guidance, and experiencing the fellowship it brings with God. As we grow in understanding God’s truth and align our lives with His will, we experience His joy more fully.

The more we delight in God’s Word, the more we receive His joy because we are brought closer to His heart and purpose for our lives. As the Psalmist said, “His delight is in the law of the Lord,” and in the same way, the Word of God imparts the joy of the Lord to those who meditate on it and follow its guidance. This connection between joy and the Word highlights the importance of staying rooted in Scripture as we seek to experience the fullness of joy in Christ.

2. Decreased Desire for God’s Word and Prayer

In John 15, Jesus refers to Himself as the ‘true vine’ and His followers as the branches. He says, ‘If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit’ (John 15:5). In verse 7, He adds, ‘If you remain in me, and my words remain in you.’ To remain in the vine means staying in constant communion with Christ through prayer, Bible study, and worship. It is about being transformed by the renewal of our minds and living according to the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

When a Christian neglects these spiritual disciplines, it could be a sign of a heart that is leaning away from God—ultimately resulting in spiritual apathy, diminished zeal, or a loss of spiritual fervour, which becomes entrenched in the heart—a spiritual condition nurtured by the dark world through the avenue of the flesh. This lack of desire to engage in prayer, study of the Word, worship, and fellowship may reveal an inner complacency or a disconnection from the life-giving source of faith. This gradual erosion of passion for the things of God often reflects the subtle influence of worldly distractions, temptations, and spiritual complacency, which can lead the believer further away from the life-giving relationship with Christ. This lack of desire to engage in prayer, study of the Word, worship, and fellowship may reveal an inner complacency or a disconnection from the life-giving source of faith. Over time, such neglect can lead to spiritual dryness, reduced sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, and an inability to discern God’s will. This decline often mirrors a deeper, internal struggle that must be addressed through repentance, renewal, and a reawakening to the power and joy of living in communion with God.

The Christian life is like a tightrope walk, with a narrow margin of error—one step away from the Lord can lead to disastrous consequences. However, the Lord will preserve His saints whose hearts remain true to Him, while those who intentionally stray, despite many admonitions from the Lord—as He warned Solomon in 1 Kings 11:4-10—will fall away to perdition. Solomon’s heart turned after other gods despite God’s repeated admonitions, and his failure to heed God’s commands resulted in the Lord’s anger and judgement.

As a Christian is transplanted into a new life in Christ, becoming a new creation, the culture of God’s Kingdom should replace everything he has absorbed throughout his life since birth. Without a transformation of the heart and life, Christianity would simply become a religion—and that is not enough.

The Christian life is not merely about adopting a new set of beliefs or practices; it is not just about attending church and singing songs. It is about a profound transformation of the heart and life, becoming like Jesus on the inside. This change goes beyond external actions, shaping one’s identity, values, and worldview to reflect the culture of God’s Kingdom. It is about a personal relationship with Christ and a new way of living that mirrors His teachings and character. If this inner transformation doesn’t occur, faith can become nothing more than a set of rituals or rules, lacking the true power and life-changing impact that Christianity is meant to bring.

– Neglect of Scripture: A backslidden Christian may begin to neglect the Bible, treating it as less of a priority. Their focus is on the world—on their own lives, their children, their ambitions, and passions in life—their life in this world. The cares of life, the deceitfulness of riches, the pleasures of this world, and the love of other things enter their hearts, gradually replacing their first love, which is Christ. As a result, they become fruitless, unable to bring any fruit to perfection—Luke 8:14.

Jesus made it clear that if we love anything more than Him, we’re not truly worthy of Him (Matthew 10:37). When our hearts are consumed with the things of this world—whether it’s our desires, possessions, or relationships—it becomes difficult to fully surrender to Christ. Our love for Him must take precedence over everything else, or else we risk becoming distracted and unfruitful. True devotion to Christ means prioritizing Him above all else, recognizing that nothing else can satisfy or fulfil us the way He can.

When Jesus says someone is “not worthy of Me,” He’s pointing to a deeper commitment. It means that if we prioritize anything over Him—whether it’s relationships, possessions, or even our own ambitions—we’re not fully embracing Him as Lord of our lives. To be “worthy” of Him means to give Him our first love, our full devotion, and to place Him above all else. It’s not that He won’t be in our lives, but rather that we won’t be truly following Him if He isn’t the ultimate priority—and if He isn’t the ultimate priority, He won’t be their Lord. This is whom the Lord was speaking of when He said, ‘They worship Me in vain’ (Matthew 15:9), because their hearts are far from Him. If our hearts are divided, then we’re not reflecting the kind of wholehearted commitment that He desires. This is what the Bible calls a double-minded person, and such a person cannot receive anything from the Lord (James 1:8).

The Greek word used for “double-minded” in James 1:8 is “dipsychos” (δίψυχος—DEE-psoo-khos), which is a compound word derived from “di-” (meaning “two”) and “psychē” (meaning “soul” or “mind”). The word “dipsychos” literally means “two-souled” or “double-souled,” indicating someone whose mind or heart is divided or torn between two different directions. It describes a person who is wavering between conflicting desires or allegiances, making them unstable and indecisive. This instability affects their relationship with God, as they cannot fully commit to Him while still holding onto the world.

In the context of James 1:8, this double-mindedness reflects a lack of wholehearted devotion to God, making it difficult to receive guidance or blessings from Him. It’s like trying to serve two masters—God and the world—at the same time, which leads to confusion and spiritual weakness.

In short, a divided heart or mind results in spiritual instability and an inability to receive from God.

Some see Christ as their marriage broker, someone who will help them find their partner, help their business grow, or one who will help them settle in life and prosper. That’s why they come to Christ—when they face troubles in life and need answers for the challenges of this world. But their original intention is not about being saved from the burden of sin and becoming a child of God. Once, when I asked the Lord to help many Christians struggling to find partners and experiencing loneliness, I was shocked to hear Him say, ‘I am not their marriage broker. I attend to those who are diligent and devoted in their hearts to Me.

I’ve come to understand that, in a way, He was conveying to me that these were professing Christians whose hearts were not aligned with His Spirit. And yes, it was true. As I had closer associations with some, I could clearly see how spiritually barren they were and how worldly their minds were set. What shocked me even more was the kind of performance and worship they put up on Sundays, which seemed completely disconnected from true spiritual devotion. On the outside, they appeared to be Christians, and some were even ministers of God, but on the inside, there was rottenness and corruption. It terrifies me to even think of living such a life, knowing all too well where the Lord has saved me from and how vulnerable I am without being close to His heart.

A healthy fear of God is what is missing in much of Christendom today. This lack of reverence is reflected in the Scriptures, where we are reminded of God’s severity and goodness. As Romans 11:21-22 warns, ‘For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in His goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.’ In Hebrews 2:3, we are asked, ‘How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?’ The writer of Hebrews continues to emphasize the need for godly fear, saying, ‘Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire’ (Hebrews 12:28-29). Moreover, Philippians 2:12 calls us to ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,’ highlighting the serious, reverent attitude with which we must approach our salvation. These verses show us that a true fear of God is essential for our walk of faith, and without it, we risk losing sight of His holiness and the seriousness of our salvation. We cannot afford to take things for granted, as the stakes are far too high.

I am not saying that the Lord doesn’t care for His own; on the contrary, He deeply cares for His beloved. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who love Him (Psalm 103:13). However, those He has disowned are superficial Christians who have not fully surrendered their lives to Him. They hold onto their passions and ambitions in the world—the pride of life, which is not from the Father but from the world (1 John 2:16). This pride, too, is their driving motive, as they seek to gain leverage in the world rather than live for God’s Kingdom.

The Greek word used in Matthew 10:37 when Jesus says, “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,” is “axios” (ἄξιος). Axios means “worthy,” “deserving,” or “having the proper value or weight.” In this context, it implies that someone who loves something more than Jesus is not properly aligned with the value or priority He should hold in their life. They are not living in a way that reflects His supreme worth.

So, when Jesus says we are “not worthy of Him,” it means we’re not giving Him the rightful place of priority and honour that reflects His true value. It’s about our relationship with Him not being in the right balance, not just about His availability to us, but more about us not fully living up to the devotion that should be given to Him.

If you say someone is “not worthy of me,” it implies that you are choosing not to be available to them or not giving them your time or attention because they haven’t shown the right level of respect or devotion. In the same way, when Jesus says someone is “not worthy of Me,” He’s essentially saying that if our hearts are divided or we place other things above Him, we are not in the right position to truly receive or experience the fullness of a relationship with Him. It’s not that He won’t be present in our lives, but rather that He will not have the rightful place of honour and priority in our hearts, which means we can’t fully experience the depth of that relationship.

He’s also indicating that He won’t be available to us in the way we might expect, because we haven’t truly prioritized Him above all else. It’s about the depth of commitment and the kind of relationship He desires with us. If we don’t put Him first, we’re not in a place to experience all that He offers. In essence, Jesus is saying that a genuine relationship with Him requires wholehearted devotion, and without it, we can’t fully engage with Him the way we’re meant to.

John 14:23, where Jesus says, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” This verse directly supports the idea that Jesus is looking for a personal, intimate relationship with those who are wholeheartedly devoted to Him. It emphasizes that those who prioritize Him above all else—those who love and obey His teachings—will experience His presence in a deep and personal way.

“We will come to him”—In this context, Jesus is pointing to a specific person: someone whose heart is fully aligned with His will. This is the kind of person with whom Jesus and the Father will make their “abode.” The key here is that it’s not about mere acknowledgement or casual faith; it’s about a deep commitment and surrender, which makes space for God to dwell fully in their lives.

The Word of God is where His voice is heard, and His instructions are found, so this neglect can lead to spiritual dryness. A soldier would never go into battle without his sword; it’s both his weapon and his means of defence. Similarly, as Christians, we are called to “take the helmet of salvation” and “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). The helmet of salvation guards our minds and keeps us grounded in the security of Christ, while the sword—the Word—empowers us to stand firm against the enemy’s attacks. Without these, we’re vulnerable. A soldier who is unarmed is easy prey for the enemy, and the same applies to a believer who neglects the power and protection found in God’s Word. We can’t face the world and its challenges without fully relying on the armour God provides.

– Prayerlessness: If prayer becomes more mechanical or is neglected altogether, it indicates a loss of intimacy with God. Prayer is meant to be relational, not simply a duty. Praying always, as Ephesians 6:18 tells us, is how a true Christian is strengthened and built up from within. It’s more than just asking for things; it’s about maintaining an ongoing, intimate connection with God—the kind of relationship that transforms us. It is being aligned with God on the inside. Prayer is a spiritual stance of being attuned to the Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer is about bringing everything to the Lord—both the good and the bad—laying it all before Him with openness and vulnerability. Though He knows us inside and out, He desires our confession and expects it. It’s not just about knowing Him, but about Him wanting to know you and to help you know yourself more deeply in His presence. Through prayer, we discover solutions to our struggles by exposing the hidden, dark elements within us that harass, torment, and seek to destroy. Prayer is like a constant link, a two-way communication line with the Father. As we pray, we pour out our hearts, thoughts, struggles, desires, and needs while also receiving His guidance, peace, and strength. It’s this ongoing exchange that shapes us into the people He’s called us to be, helping us persevere in faith and stand firm in His will. Without constant communion, we become disconnected. But when we pray continually, we remain rooted and aligned with His purpose. And the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, as Philippians 4:7 says: ‘And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’ Praying in the Holy Spirit also builds our faith, as Jude 1:20 says: ‘But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.

Prayer isn’t just about transmitting our personal thoughts and feelings—it’s also about bringing the situations we face into God’s presence. It’s recognizing that we are not only praying for ourselves but for the world around us, for the challenges we encounter, and for others who are struggling. We bring the reality of the “situation on the ground” to God, knowing that He is fully aware of it and is working in every circumstance. Through prayer, we align ourselves with His will, seeking His guidance, intervention, and strength to navigate the struggles of life. It’s an act of surrender, allowing God to work in us and through us, transforming both our hearts and the situations around us.

A Christian can indeed work as an ombudsman, gathering the information around them and bringing it to God in prayer. Just as an ombudsman collects and reports crucial details to ensure proper action, a Christian observes the world, situations, and the needs of others, then brings those concerns to the “central command”—God. In doing so, the believer doesn’t just passively observe but actively participates in God’s work by lifting up what’s happening around them. The Lord gathers insights about His church through such vessels. I have witnessed God responding with great impact after receiving such reports from His faithful people. I speak with such assurance, for it was the Lord Himself who taught this to me. It was God who did great things among His people, but it was the effect of the prayers of His faithful saints that compelled Him to come down and do things that would not normally take place.

At times, prayer may feel like we are confronted with an enormous, impenetrable bronze door, closed before us, with no certainty of it ever being opened or any understanding of what lies beyond it. Yet, in those moments, we sense a quiet prompting from the Spirit of God, urging us to persist, to not lose heart, or to withdraw. Instead, we are called to continue knocking in faith, believing that even in uncertainty, God is working through our perseverance.

It’s so true how prayer can feel like an uphill battle, especially when the answers seem distant or unclear. But there’s a deep prompting in the Spirit to keep pushing forward. It’s almost like a test of faith and perseverance, where we’re called to trust in God’s timing and wisdom, even when the situation feels like a closed door.

That constant knocking can be exhausting, but there’s something so profound in the act of staying persistent, even when everything around us feels uncertain. It’s a reminder that prayer isn’t just about receiving answers—it’s about deepening that relationship and learning to trust in the process, whatever the outcome may be. And you would find that when you press on in those moments, there’s a peace that comes with it?

At the time of this writing, the author is personally experiencing this very scenario, and it is from this place of firsthand struggle and reflection that these words are shared. And let it not be assumed that these words are simply the work of a skilled wordsmith; rather, they are the product of a life lived, deeply etched into the fabric of this writing. This is my own life I am sharing with you, not just words on a page, but a personal journey laid bare.

The prayer closet is the sacred space where you experience intimate fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, a place where personal communion with Him unfolds.

When we pray, we offer our observations—our concerns, struggles, and the needs of others—into God’s hands. These observations, made in the light of His truth and guidance, are taken as valuable evidence for His action. They aren’t just idle words; they carry weight and authority, as we are co-labourers with Christ in His mission to restore and heal. Our prayers and petitions become the channels through which God can move in the world, with our faithful reporting providing Him the space to act. Through this process, we engage with God’s purposes and align ourselves with His will in a way that brings both transformation to our hearts and change to the world around us.

3. Growing Worldliness and Attachment to Sin

The Bible consistently warns against loving the world or its desires (1 John 2:15-17). When a Christian begins to prioritize worldly pleasures, material success, personal ambitions, or sinful habits over their relationship with Christ, it signals a move away from a true Christian walk.

The relationship with Christ is not what many might assume it to be, merely a casual connection. It is unlike any other relationship—it requires a transformation of our nature and obedience to His Word. Without this alignment, deep fellowship with Him becomes impossible. Not to mention, it creates an environment where the spirit man gets choked, and it is through the inner persona that is born of God that the Lord reigns in us. When we fail to put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, we remain hindered in our spiritual growth. You could only imagine the state of being unable to fully embrace the transformation that Christ offers, leaving us spiritually stunted and disconnected. It is only through the renewal of the mind and the putting on of the new man that we can truly live in the fullness of God’s purpose for us.

Our flesh, at enmity with Christ, prevents us from experiencing His presence as deeply as we desire. It’s not that He doesn’t love us—His love is the very reason He saved us in the first place. However, as James 4:4 points out, a person who loves the world is considered an enemy of God and a spiritual adulterer. Unless we conform to His standard of living, He cannot provide us with what we are truly deficient in. So be ye transformed by the renewal of your mind—Romans 12:2.

Please get this: While salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is a gift that cannot be earned (Ephesians 2:8-9), many aspects of the Christian life are conditional upon our response, obedience, and alignment with God’s will.

The good news is, you don’t have to do it alone. God provides the grace and power to accomplish everything. As 2 Peter 1:2 says, “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” Can grace and peace be multiplied unto us in any other way? The key to receiving them is through knowing God and His Son.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:19-23, we are reminded that God sanctifies us wholly—spirit, soul, and body—preserving us blameless by His power until the return of Christ. And the peace of God is the effect of compliance, flowing naturally from our obedience and alignment with His will. Can we accomplish this in any other way? These are only two examples of how God provides grace, peace, and sanctification, all conditional upon our response, obedience, and alignment with His will.

Just as in any system, where membership and participation are conditional upon adherence to its doctrines and rules, the Kingdom of Christ also has its own principles and dogma, which the devotee must adhere to. Without such adherence, the devotion is not considered valid, as it is through our response, obedience, and alignment with God’s will that we experience the fullness of His grace, peace, and sanctification.

That doesn’t mean, however, that you need to be perfect to come to Christ; rather, it means coming as you are, acknowledging your need for Him. Let me be clear about this: It has nothing to do with the initiation into Christ, which is a drawing by God to Christ, but the life that follows requires some reconstruction as we align ourselves with His will and grow in obedience. Because we have built lofty things in our minds, and our souls have absorbed the filth and errors of the world, these must be torn down. Every high and exalted thought must be brought into the obedience of Christ, dismantling the false foundations we’ve built and allowing God’s truth to rebuild us from within.

So, this coming is not without transformation—because it is an entrance into the life that God, through Jesus Christ, has led you into by His Spirit. It is a divine passage that ushers you from death into life, where your mind, heart, and soul are renewed, and you are shaped into the image of Christ. It is a new and living way that Christ opened for us to come in, a way of life that is transformative and vibrant. This is not a mere play of religion, as we see around us—empty practices and rituals that lack power and substance. Christ’s way is a life-giving path, where His Spirit leads us into genuine transformation, empowering us to live out His will with purpose and strength.

Whether you deem this true or not, the fact remains that, although it is by grace that we are saved, it was our adherence to a specific form of doctrine that made this initiation into Christ possible. As Romans 6:17 says, ‘But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.’ And verse 16 emphasizes obedience unto righteousness. It is through the quickening of the Holy Spirit that we are empowered to adhere to this doctrine of Christ, aligning our hearts with His truth and entering into the new life He offers. Now, we know that all is conditional—salvation, transformation, and the fullness of the Christian life are all dependent on our response, obedience, and alignment with His will. Yet, this empowerment to respond is itself a gift of grace, the divine strength God provides to live according to His will. For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure—Philippians 2:13. Isn’t this powerful and beautiful?

This transformation begins the moment you respond to His call and continues as you align yourself with His will, growing in grace and truth. It requires a willingness not only to transition from your broken, fallen world into His but also to shed your fallen culture and corrupt nature, embracing His holiness and righteousness. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature: The old has gone, the new is here!” This process is about a radical shift—leaving behind what is destructive and stepping into the fullness of His life and character.

The phrase “New creature” (ἄνθρωπος καινὴ κτίσις, anthrōpos kainē ktisis) literally means “new creation” or “new creation of a person,” signifying the revival of a dead spirit and a transformation in nature, identity, or being through Christ. As 1 Corinthians 15:48-49 states, “As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.” This transformation involves moving from the earthly nature—defined by sin and death—to a new, heavenly nature, defined by life and righteousness in Christ. It can be thought of as a kind of hypostatic union, where the person, once earthly, becomes both divine and human, participating in the divine nature through the power of Christ’s resurrection.

– Love of the World: A derailed Christian may become consumed with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Their pursuit of wealth, status, or sensual pleasures may overshadow their passion for godly things.

– Recurrent Sin: Sin (inherent or indwelling sinful disposition) may no longer be seen as serious, and a believer may justify pride, anger, bitterness of heart, unforgiveness, lust, or other recurring sins. This reflects a failure to walk in holiness and repentance.

4. Unfruitfulness in Life

In John 15, Jesus teaches the importance of abiding in Him to bear much fruit. He explains that those who remain connected to Him, the true vine, will produce abundant fruit, while those who do not bear fruit are cut off. The Greek word used for “cut off” in this passage is “αἴρω” (airō), which means “to take up, lift, or remove.” In this context, it signifies the removal or separation of branches that do not produce fruit. This serves as a stark reminder of the necessity of staying connected to Christ, as failure to do so leads to spiritual disconnection, highlighting the critical importance of remaining in Him to experience the fullness of life and fruitfulness. Similarly, in Romans 11, Paul speaks of genuine branches being cut off to warn us of the consequences of unbelief and disobedience. This principle is also evident in the history of Israel, as God brought His people out of Egypt, but many were destroyed in the wilderness due to their lack of faith and disobedience (1 Corinthians 10:5). This further emphasizes the importance of not just beginning the journey with God but remaining faithful to Him throughout, as those who fall away or refuse to obey face serious consequences. Therefore, the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) should be evident in the life of every Christian. This includes qualities like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

– A lack of spiritual fruit can be a clear sign of disconnection from Christ. If a Christian is not exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit, their life may be marked by selfishness, bitterness, or frustration, indicating that they are not abiding in Him. It could also reflect spiritual immaturity, as Paul addressed the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, where he noted their inability to digest deeper spiritual truths because they were still “babes” in Christ. Paul went on to say that they were still acting in worldly ways, full of jealousy and strife, because they were unskilled in the word of righteousness. Similarly, James 3 warns that embracing wisdom, which is “earthly, sensual, and devilish,” gives rise to bitter envying and strife in the heart (James 3:14-16). Such wisdom, which is rooted in the flesh and not in the Spirit, leads to disorder and division, further emphasizing the need for spiritual maturity and alignment with God’s wisdom. Just as a tree that doesn’t bear fruit is unhealthy, so too, a believer who is not growing in maturity and fruitfulness is a sign that they are not fully connected to the life and power of Christ.

That being said, God doesn’t expect you to bear fruit immediately, as growth is not spontaneous—it takes time. Just as a farmer patiently waits for his crops to mature—weeding, nurturing, and nourishing them—so too does God work in us over time. The point here is that, regardless of our current state—whether immature or still growing—we are rooted and planted in Christ. Our foundation is secure in Him, and even in our immaturity, God is at work in us, patiently bringing about transformation. Just as the farmer trusts the process, we must trust that, though it takes time, the fruit will come as we remain in Him. But what we should be diligent about is not being derailed from the track by allowing the flesh or the corrupt self to dominate, thus choking the life of the Spirit.

– A failure to evangelize or serve can also reflect a deeper issue of disconnection from Christ. Bearing fruit includes not only sharing the gospel but also serving others in love and using the gifts God has provided. This does not mean that one must be an evangelist by specific calling, but rather that every believer, according to the gift the Spirit has furnished them with, is called to contribute to the body of Christ. If a Christian is no longer actively engaged in serving or sharing the gospel in whatever capacity their gifts allow, it may be an indication that they are disconnected from the true vine. When we are connected to Christ, His love compels us to serve others, and our actions become an outflow of the life He has given us.

5. Hardness of Heart and Dullness of Spirit

A backslidden Christian may experience a gradual hardening of their heart and diminishing spiritual sensitivity. Hebrews 3:12-13 warns against having a “hardened heart through the deceitfulness of sin.” When a Christian compromises little by little, over time they may become spiritually numb.

– Unwillingness to Repent: A backslidden Christian may no longer feel convicted by sin or may refuse to confess and repent. This shows a hardened heart and a loss of spiritual sensitivity. I have come across many Christians who show no remorse for things like lying, harbouring hatred, or holding grudges, even though the Bible tells us that these actions defile us. What shocks me is that they will still rush into church, worship, pray, and do things they deem righteous, all while thinking they are on good terms with God. How can they be like this if not for the fact that their conscience is seared? The Bible warns us that when we persist in sin without repentance, our hearts become calloused, and we lose the ability to feel the weight of our actions. This is a dangerous place to be, as it leads to a disconnect from God and the life He desires for us.

And many times, when I tried to instill truth in them and warn them, I felt their intense displeasure towards me. I would often withdraw, having received blows of hatred, with some making me feel as if I were no longer one of them. Some even went so far as to call me false and sick in mind. It was painful to experience, but it only highlighted how deeply hardened their hearts had become, unable to hear the truth and respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

– Spiritual Laziness: A person who once had a vibrant relationship with God may become lethargic in their spiritual life, with little to no desire to worship, pray, or serve. This may be the result of a malnourished spirit, lacking the spiritual “sap” that comes from consistent fellowship with God. Just as a tree that is deprived of water and nourishment becomes dry and withered, so too does the soul that neglects to feed on the Word of God and neglects prayer and worship. Without the lifeblood of God’s presence and His word, spiritual lethargy sets in, and the desire to grow and serve diminishes.

The book of Proverbs speaks of slothfulness, where a lazy person refuses to sow, and instead, lets thorns and thistles overtake the field they should have cultivated. When they come looking for fruit, they find none. Similarly, the New Testament reminds us in Galatians 6:7-8, “God is not mocked; whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” If we neglect our spiritual lives and fail to invest in our relationship with God, we cannot expect to bear good fruit. Spiritual laziness leads to a barren life, while sowing to the Spirit brings forth life and fruitfulness in Christ.

6. Neglecting Fellowship with Other Believers

In Hebrews 10:25, Christians are urged not to forsake the “gathering of believers.” The Christian faith is not meant to be lived in isolation. A strong community of believers provides mutual support, accountability, and encouragement. I am not suggesting that one must be part of a large congregation, as many would argue, but Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them.” I know many missionary families who are left in solitary, spiritually dry, and volatile places, with no churches around to support them. Yet, the Word of God comforts us with the fact that the spiritual body of Christ is made up of all believers in Christ, scattered across the globe. Each believer is linked to one another through the Holy Spirit. Just as a natural body functions with each member connected and working together, so too does the body of Christ, with each believer contributing to the whole. This action maintains the unity of the spiritual body of Christ. When we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). This is why Ephesians 4:3 urges us to “endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. It becomes an automated process when we maintain our stance in Christ. Loving one another as Christ loved us is what keeps us united.

That said, local church fellowship is crucial for a newborn believer to grow and be nurtured. When Paul wrote Hebrews 10:25, it’s important to remember that the Bible wasn’t readily available to all believers at that time. Access to Scripture was limited, and when a letter was sent to a church, it was expected that the entire congregation would gather to hear it and receive what the Lord was saying. Neglecting that gathering meant potentially missing out on the spiritual nourishment that was essential for their growth.

However, the world is not the same today. We are immersed in a wealth of written material, especially the Word of God, and resources that provide life. The Bible has been translated into over 700 languages in its entirety (Old and New Testament), with the New Testament available in over 1,500 languages. There are portions of the Bible in more than 3,000 languages. We now have access to countless churches and ministers through digital platforms and are richly blessed with such resources. However, the truth is that this dispensation also holds some of the most corrupt and godless churches. Many have strayed from the truth, following the Nicolaitans’ ways and being confounded by a different spirit, just as Israel gave birth to alien children through spiritual whoredom. Hosea 5:4 and 5:7 describe how Israel, by forsaking God, was influenced by a foreign spirit and led into idolatry, producing “strange children”—spiritual offspring that were corrupted by this unholy influence. Similarly, many churches today are allowing foreign, ungodly influences to shape their teachings and practices, resulting in a distorted faith that no longer aligns with the truth of God’s Word. Instead of remaining rooted in Christ, they give birth to “alien” doctrines, drifting further from the authentic gospel.

– Isolation: A backslidden Christian may begin to isolate themselves from others in the faith, making them more vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks, as 1 Peter 5:8 warns: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” In today’s world, we see denominational biases and divisions that at times create barriers to unity within the body of Christ. These divisions often cancel out the bond of love and fellowship through the Holy Spirit, undermining the very essence of the Church. When you observe such discord and separation, one must ask: Does the Spirit of Christ truly rule in these churches? It’s evident that the unity that Christ prayed for (John 17:21) seems absent in many places, where personal or doctrinal preferences take precedence over the love and unity that should characterize the body of Christ. These divisions only serve to weaken the church and make believers more susceptible to spiritual isolation and the enemy’s influence.

Many professing Christian churches today remain limited to mere religion and institutional structures, such as episcopacy, while leaving behind the true essence of Christ and His doctrines. They have valued the seat of episcopacy and positions of authority more than embodying the humility of a child and the servant-hearted nature that Christ calls us to. These churches have become like a shell, retaining only the framework of faith, yet lacking the spirit of life that should animate and empower believers. Though they may have started with genuine fervour and a desire to follow Christ, over time, they have become dry and withered, forsaking a living relationship with the Lord for the comforts of ritual and tradition. Their faith has become shallow, stripped of the vibrancy and power that comes from abiding in Christ, and as a result, they fail to bear fruit in keeping with true discipleship.

– Avoiding Accountability: Fellowship and accountability are vital for spiritual growth. If a Christian resists accountability or avoids close relationships that challenge them spiritually, it may indicate they are not walking in God’s grace.

7. Doubts About Salvation and Lack of Assurance

Backsliding can lead to deep doubts about salvation. A Christian who is disconnected from God may struggle with assurance, feeling unsure about their relationship with God. While it’s normal for Christians to sometimes question their faith, persistent doubt is often a sign of spiritual drift.

– Loss of Assurance: When a believer stops abiding in Christ, they may begin to doubt God’s promises of salvation and eternal life.

– Guilt and Shame: A backslidden Christian often feels guilty or unworthy, which can lead to spiritual isolation and a sense of separation from God’s grace. The Bible tells us that there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear has torment. “He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18). We love Him because He first loved us. In the past, it was terrifying for the high priest to enter the Holy of Holies, let alone for an ordinary person. As Hebrews 12:20-21 describes, the fear was so intense that even Moses trembled at the sight of God’s holiness at Mount Sinai, where anyone who approached His presence without proper sanctification was struck down. Deuteronomy 5 further emphasizes this fear: “If we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die” (Deuteronomy 5:25)—that was the situation then. But now, through Christ, He has paved the way for us to enter the holiest of all without fear. Instead of trembling in terror, we are called to come boldly to the throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). This is the transformative power of Christ’s sacrifice—what was once a fearful and distant experience has now become an invitation for boldness and confidence in God’s presence. Jesus assured us of this in John 6:37, where He says, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” In Matthew 11:28, He further invites us, saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind—2 Timothy 1:7.

8. Fruitless Efforts in Serving God

Even when a Christian attempts to serve God while backslidden, their efforts may lack effectiveness or fruitfulness. Jesus warns in John 15:5 that apart from Him, we can do nothing. When a Christian is disconnected from the vine (Jesus), even acts of service can become empty or self-serving. This is in line with the concept of “holding the truth in unrighteousness” from Romans 1:18. Without being rightly connected to Christ, any good works or acts of service can lack the righteousness and life that come from Him. They may become self-centred or devoid of true spiritual value, as the power to serve effectively and righteously comes only from abiding in Him. Furthermore, holding the truth in unrighteousness is a punishable offence. As Romans 1:18 says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” This shows the seriousness of living in a way that distorts or suppresses God’s truth. It is not merely about outward actions; the heart must remain aligned with God’s will, and when truth is misused or ignored, it invites divine judgement. To remain spiritually effective and fruitful, we must continually abide in Christ, ensuring that our actions are rooted in His righteousness rather than in selfish motives or disobedience.

“For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23, KJV) – This verse emphasizes that actions or decisions made without faith, or without a clear conscience before God, are considered sinful. This doesn’t only apply to eating or certain practices but speaks more broadly about how our actions must be rooted in faith and aligned with God’s will. The key idea is that faith must guide everything we do, ensuring our hearts and actions are aligned with God’s righteousness and His Word. And this faith, which comes from God, is activated only by putting on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24). When we embrace the new nature in Christ, we are empowered to live in a way that reflects His righteousness and holiness, allowing our faith to grow and be expressed in all that we do. Without this transformation, our faith remains dormant and ineffective, but when we walk in the newness of life, faith becomes the driving force behind our actions.

Conclusion: A Christian Can Feel Saved but Not Live as God Intended

It is possible for someone to identify as a Christian and still be living outside of God’s perfect will. The Bible cautions believers to “examine themselves” to make sure they are still abiding in Christ and not letting sin, worldliness, or indifference derail their spiritual walk (2 Corinthians 13:5).

If righteousness, peace, and joy are missing from one’s life, it’s a strong indicator that they may not be living in God’s grace or abiding in Christ as they should. “Repentance, restoration, and abiding in Christ” are essential for returning to the fullness of life in God’s grace, where peace, joy, and spiritual fruitfulness are restored.

If you sense that you may be in a backslidden state, I urge you to run into the arms of God, seeking His forgiveness. Open your heart to Him, allowing Him to help you out of your struggles and replant you in Christ. Ask Him to rekindle your thirst for Christ and His Word. Pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit, that you may walk worthy of the Lord and live in a way that is pleasing to Him. Imagine the Father of the prodigal son, whose arms were wide open to receive him, even when the son couldn’t envision such love and grace. Despite the son’s waywardness, the Father was waiting, eager to restore him. So, no matter how far you’ve strayed, the Father’s love and mercy are ready to welcome you back, even if you can’t fully comprehend it. His embrace is always there, waiting to receive you with open arms. Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Allow His transforming power to renew your mind and spirit so that you may bear the fruit of righteousness and grow deeper in your relationship with Him. Remember, He is always faithful to restore, heal, and strengthen those who come to Him with a humble heart, seeking His grace. His mercy is limitless, and He is eager to bring you back into the fullness of His love and purpose.

If you or someone you know feels distant from God or is experiencing spiritual drift, remember that God’s grace is always available. 1 John 1:8, 9 reminds us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The road to restoration begins with repentance and a return to the true vine, Jesus Christ.

INIQUITY and SIN: Understanding the MYSTERY of Iniquity and Its Spiritual Consequences

Introduction

The terms “sin” and “iniquity” are often used interchangeably in everyday language, but the Bible distinguishes between these two concepts in profound ways. While both represent forms of moral wrongdoing, “iniquity” goes deeper, pointing to a premeditated, entrenched evil that flows from a rebellious heart. Understanding the differences between sin and iniquity is crucial for grasping the spiritual consequences of human actions and the broader cosmic struggle against God’s holiness. This article explores the definitions, distinctions, biblical examples, and theological significance of sin and iniquity, culminating in an exploration of the “mystery of iniquity” and its role in human and spiritual rebellion.

Hebrews 12:1 encourages believers to “lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us.” The phrase “the sin which doth so easily beset us” refers to habitual, entangling sin that hinders spiritual progress—something persistent, entrenched, and often difficult to shake off. This is definitely a depiction of “iniquity” (which can also be understood as deep-rooted, wilful sin) working in someone’s life.

Iniquity in the New Testament is often associated with sin that goes beyond mere actions to involve a condition of the heart—persistent rebellion, defiance, and a hardened state that resists correction. Here are a few other New Testament verses that relate to the concept of iniquity, entrenched sin, and the need for spiritual cleansing or freedom:

Matthew 7:20-23 says, “That which cometh out of the man,” that defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness: All these evil things come from within and defile the man.

James 1:14, every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed.

These two scriptures reveal something with immense power, capable of entangling and capturing us in its grip. Is this not the essence of iniquity? It echoes the ‘law of sin and death’ described in Romans 7, a governing power that resides within our members, controlling our actions and thoughts, and ultimately leading us toward destruction. This law, as a force or principle, has dominion over us unless replaced by the ‘law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus’ as outlined in Romans 8, which brings liberation, life, and righteousness. Iniquity also manifests as the result of the wisdom we choose to follow, as seen in James 3, where earthly, sensual wisdom leads to disorder and every evil thing, contrasting with the wisdom from above that brings purity, peace, and divine order. To walk in true freedom, we must strip away this earthly wisdom from within us, eliminating its jurisdiction and influence, so we can be fully aligned with the wisdom of God, which leads to holiness and life. This is why the doctrine of total depravity is true—the entirety of human nature is corrupted and bound by the law of sin and death, leaving us in desperate need of Christ to liberate us and replace that corrupt law with the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. While humanity speaks of free will, Paul’s words in Romans 7:18 reveal the inability of the will, on its own, to perform what is good. Our will, left to itself, is corrupted by sin. But as Philippians 2:13 teaches, it is God who works in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Without God’s grace to quicken and transform our will, even our most sincere desires are incapable of leading us to true righteousness. This reveals the immense power that iniquity wields!

Having said that, through Jesus Christ, as the power of sin is dealt with, we have hope in putting our inner being in order through the Word of God and the Spirit of God.

Sin can definitely be seen as the expression or outward manifestation of iniquity. Iniquity, in its essence, refers to the inward corruption, the deeply rooted moral distortion or perversity that resides in the heart. It’s the internal, hidden force that bends a person away from righteousness. Sin, on the other hand, is the expression of that iniquity—it’s the action, the behaviour, the outward manifestation of what’s happening inside. Sin is the natural outcome of an iniquitous heart. As James 1:14-15 explains, when we are drawn away by our own lust, which is empowered by iniquity, it gives birth to sin. The process begins in the womb of the heart, where lust conceives, and when it is fully grown, it brings forth sin. And sin, when it is finished, leads to death. This cycle shows us how deeply iniquity governs our actions and ultimately brings destruction unless broken by the power of Christ.

All unrighteousness is sin, and it is the direct effect of the inward iniquity of the heart (the inherent sinful disposition). Iniquity, as a corrupting force within, brings forth unrighteousness in both thought and action. As 1 John 5:17 states, ‘All unrighteousness is sin,’ showing us that every form of sin, whether in action or attitude, is a result of the deeper iniquity in our hearts. Until iniquity is dealt with, sin will continue to manifest, for it is the fruit of a corrupt and unredeemed heart. Even for the believer, though redeemed in spirit, the flesh remains a battleground. The carnal nature is not yet fully disposed of, and the believer must actively mortify (Colossians 3:5) the deeds of the flesh—putting to death fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. This is a strong, decisive action, for the wrath of God is upon such things. The believer is called to work out his salvation (Philippians 2:12), putting off the old self, which is dead because of sin, and putting on the new self, which is alive to righteousness through Christ (Ephesians 4:22-24). This continual process of mortifying the flesh is essential, as the believer sheds the dead cells of the old nature, allowing the life of Christ within to transform and purify both the heart and actions.

To put it another way: Iniquity is the root, while sin is the fruit. Iniquity works from within, shaping thoughts, desires, and inclinations, and sin is the inevitable result when those internal forces are acted upon.

Iniquity, as described in Scripture, is not just an internal flaw; it is a powerful, active force that flows from within, controlling and defiling the heart. Matthew 7:20-23 says, “That which cometh out of the man,” indicating that sin is not merely an external act but a powerful force flowing from within the human heart—evil thoughts, adulteries, thefts, deceit, and all forms of wickedness. This “coming out” is significant because it shows that iniquity has the power to manifest itself and influence our actions. This defiles a person. Iniquity in the heart is what God looks at, and it was iniquity—pride and rebellion—that was found in Lucifer, which led to his fall (Isaiah 14:12-15). Similarly, James 1:14 tells us that “every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed,” highlighting that sin has the authority to draw away the person. The phrase “drawn away suggests a jurisdiction—an active force that lures and pulls a person in a direction they would not otherwise go. This internal pull, which leads us into sin, is what iniquity is all about—it’s the subtle yet strong force that entangles us. These two elements—what comes out and what draws away—reveal the power iniquity holds over us, like a current that pulls us under or a force that compels us to act in ways that defile us. This aligns with what Paul describes as the “law of sin and death” in Romans 7, a governing power that dwells in our members. In the book of James, this is also seen as the outcome of the wisdom we choose to follow—earthly, sensual wisdom that leads to disorder and every evil thing, versus wisdom from above that leads to purity, peace, and righteousness. But in Romans 8, we are given the alternative: the “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus,” which liberates us from sin’s jurisdiction. Through the power of Jesus and by the work of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, we have the ability to overcome this force and reorder our inner being, replacing the law of sin with the law of the Spirit. Thus, iniquity is a governing force with power and its own version of wisdom, but while it holds authority over a sinner, it does not have the same dominion or menacing influence over a Christian.

The power of iniquity is what makes the tongue unruly, as James 3:6 describes it as a ‘world of iniquity’ and even says it is ‘set on fire of hell.’ This highlights that the corruption in the heart, when left unchecked, doesn’t just lead to uncontrolled speech but opens the door to deeper destruction. The untamed tongue, a direct result of iniquity’s influence, has the potential to destroy relationships, stir up conflict, and lead to spiritual ruin. This serves as a warning of the critical need to deal with the iniquity within our hearts. If we fail to confront this inner corruption, it will inevitably manifest in speech that has the power to bring about hellish consequences in our lives.

2 Corinthians 7:1 calls us to ‘cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.’ This command reveals the depth of corruption that iniquity reaches, not just in our external actions but deep into the spirit realm. It’s not enough to merely address the outward behaviours; we must confront the filthiness within our spirit, where iniquity can hide and manifest. Iniquity’s influence is far-reaching, impacting not only the tongue but also our innermost being. The purification process must extend to both the flesh and spirit, highlighting the serious need to deal with iniquity at its root if we are to walk in true holiness before God. This is why the tongue, which James warns is ‘set on fire of hell,’ can be such a powerful force—it’s the expression of an unclean spirit and heart that has not been fully purified.

Defining Sin and Iniquity

Sin

Sin is any thought, word, or action that falls short of God’s perfect moral standard. The Greek word hamartia (ἁμαρτία) means “to miss the mark,” suggesting that sin is any deviation from God’s holiness. Sin encompasses both intentional and unintentional wrongdoings, whether by omission or commission. It includes not only acts of rebellion but also the failure to do good when one has the knowledge and ability to do so.

Example of Sin: James 4:17 states, “Anyone, then, who knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” This highlights that sin is not always an active wrong but can also involve neglecting the good.

Another critical aspect of sin is the neglect of exercising the faith that God has imputed in us. When there is a need to be met by God, failing to act on the faith instilled in us can also be considered sin, as it reflects a lack of trust in God’s provision.

While sin has been condemned in the body of Christ and no longer has dominion over us, we still face the ongoing challenge of dealing with it in our daily lives. This truth reflects our position in Christ, where we are justified and liberated from sin’s eternal grip. However, living out this freedom requires more than just understanding our stance in Christ. Sin continues to hold power over anyone who disregards living by the Spirit, and the reality is that living according to the Spirit is not easy—it demands spiritual maturity. Spiritual growth and sanctification through the Holy Spirit are essential to manifesting the victory Christ has secured for us. Justification is a one-time event that opens the door to deeper phases of Christian living, but it’s through the continuous work of sanctification that we experience the transformation the Word of God desires. This process of growing in faith and holiness requires time, effort, and cooperation with the Holy Spirit, and it’s through this ongoing journey that we are empowered to overcome sin and live the life God calls us to. While sin has been condemned in the body of Christ and no longer has dominion over us, we still face the ongoing challenge of dealing with it in our daily lives. This truth reflects our position in Christ, where we are justified and liberated from sin’s eternal grip. However, living out this freedom requires more than just understanding our stance in Christ.

Otherwise, what do all the commands given in the epistles mean if, by the initial phase, we have already come to grips with all that life in Christ has to offer? While our justification in Christ sets us free and gives us a secure position before God, the commands in the epistles are vital for living out the transformation that comes with that freedom. These commands are not about earning God’s favour but about guiding us in spiritual maturity and sanctification. They call us to reflect our new identity in Christ by putting off the old self and putting on the new (Colossians 3:5-10), living worthy of the calling we’ve received (Ephesians 4:1-3), and resisting sin as we present ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness (Romans 6:12-13). In the same way, the commands in the epistles help us overcome iniquity—the internal, habitual sin that seeks to corrupt us from within. While justification secures our position in Christ, it is through ongoing sanctification that we actively resist the power of iniquity and grow in holiness. The commands guide us in this internal transformation, teaching us not just to avoid sin outwardly but to purify our hearts and minds, reflecting the righteousness of Christ in every aspect of our lives. Thus, as we obey these commands and yield to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, the inherent iniquitousness within us becomes inept and incapacitated. The power of habitual sin and internal corruption, which once held sway over our desires and actions, is progressively dismantled as we live according to God’s Word. In this way, sanctification works not only to refine our behaviour but to weaken the grip of iniquity on our hearts, making it less and less capable of controlling us as we grow in spiritual maturity.

Some may think that we cannot fully rid ourselves of the sinful disposition as long as we’re in this body. While there’s some truth to that, it raises the question: why would the Holy Spirit instruct us to “put to death the members which are upon the earth” (Colossians 3:5)? This implies that it is indeed possible to incapacitate the inherent sinful nature through the power of the Spirit.

Christian life is meant to be lived through the Spirit, not merely about following religious rituals and traditions. Some believe that keeping Sunday holy, fasting, and attending all conventions is enough—but that’s not what Christianity is about. It’s about entering into and possessing true life, for we’ve been transferred from spiritual death to eternal life. Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit form the foundation of our faith. If we can’t experience this, we’re missing the essence of it. So, what’s the purpose of it all otherwise?

Iniquity

Iniquity refers to a more specific and severe type of wrongdoing. It is not just sin but a deliberate, premeditated evil—rooted in moral corruption and defiance against God. The Hebrew word avon (עָוֹן) means “perversity” or “crookedness,” suggesting a deeply entrenched wickedness. Iniquity is always intentional, often habitual, and stems from a heart that is bent on rebellion.

Example of Iniquity: In Psalm 51:2-3, David confesses, “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight,” acknowledging that his sin was not accidental but driven by a corrupt heart and willful intent.

Additionally, the Bible warns that wounding the weak conscience of a brother is not only an offense against them but is considered a sin against Christ Himself. This underscores the seriousness of causing spiritual harm to others through our actions or choices (1 Corinthians 8:12).

Key Differences Between Sin and Iniquity

Aspect	Sin	Iniquity
Scope	General wrongdoing, both intentional and unintentional.	Intentional, premeditated wrongdoing.
Focus	Missing the mark of God’s standard.	Reflects moral corruption and rebellion.
Severity	Can be unintentional or momentary.	Persistent, defiant, and entrenched.

In essence, sin refers to any form of disobedience to God’s law, whether deliberate or accidental, while iniquity is a deliberate, willful, and often repeated act of defiance against God. It is more severe, revealing a deeper corruption of the heart. It is the inherent nature that resulted from the fall, a nature marked by sin and corruption, which has been passed down through all generations, influencing our thoughts, desires, and actions apart from God. And our duty is to replace that nature with the divine nature and holiness, which is nothing less than uprooting iniquity from its very roots, transforming our inner being to reflect the character and righteousness of Christ.

Biblical Examples of Sin and Iniquity

Iniquity in Genesis: Judah’s Deception

In Genesis 44:16, Judah acknowledges the sin of selling his brother Joseph into slavery, calling it “iniquity.” This is a clear example of intentional, premeditated evil.

Genesis 44:16: “God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants.” Here, Judah and his brothers recognize that their actions were not just wrong but rooted in a corrupt heart, reflecting the nature of iniquity.

Iniquity in Micah: Premeditated Harm

The prophet Micah speaks of those who plot evil in secret, embodying iniquity through calculated actions.

Micah 2:1-2: “Woe to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! When the morning is light, they practice it.” This passage highlights how iniquity is not accidental or unintentional; it is an evil planned in secret and carried out with deliberation.

The Mystery of Iniquity: A Spiritual Force

One of the most profound aspects of iniquity in the Bible is its connection to a larger spiritual force known as “the mystery of iniquity.” In 2 Thessalonians 2:7, Paul speaks of this mysterious influence working in the world.

2 Thessalonians 2:7: “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work.” This “mystery” refers to a pervasive, hidden force that subtly leads people toward rebellion against God. It is embodied in the figure of the Wicked One (Satan), whose influence has corrupted humanity since the fall of Lucifer. Paul explains that this mystery will eventually culminate in the rise of the Antichrist, a manifestation of ultimate evil.

2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 describes how this mystery of iniquity leads people to reject the truth and embrace a lie, ultimately leading to their destruction.

Iniquity and the Fall of Lucifer

The Bible traces the origins of iniquity to the fall of Lucifer. In Ezekiel 28:15, Lucifer’s downfall is attributed to iniquity:

Ezekiel 28:15: “Thou wast perfect in thy ways until iniquity was found in thee.”

Lucifer’s pride and rebellion against God’s authority introduced iniquity into the spiritual realm. His fall serves as a model for understanding the destructive power of iniquity, which begins with the rejection of God’s boundaries and a desire to ascend to God’s position.

Isaiah 14:13-14 further describes Lucifer’s prideful declaration: “I will be like the most High.” This moment of defiance was the seed of iniquity that led to his ultimate rebellion.

The Personal and Collective Nature of Iniquity

Iniquity is not only a cosmic force but a deeply personal and communal influence. In Hosea 4:8, the prophet condemns the leaders who lead others into sin and iniquity.

Hosea 4:8: “They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.”

Here, iniquity is portrayed as a spiritual virus that spreads from leaders to the people, corrupting their hearts and leading them astray. This communal aspect of iniquity reflects how this deep-seated rebellion can infect societies and nations.

The Workers of Iniquity

Throughout the Psalms, those who practice iniquity are described as “workers of iniquity,” people who deliberately choose evil. These individuals are contrasted not only with the righteous, who seek God’s truth, but also with those who, though they may have knowledge of the truth, hold it in unrighteousness. This includes unsanctified workers of miracles and prophecy, who may display signs and wonders but are still entrenched in wickedness, using God’s truth for selfish or corrupt purposes. The key difference lies in their rejection of God’s holiness, continuing to live according to their own desires, rather than submitting to the transforming power of His truth. Even when these individuals perform acts that appear righteous on the surface, their hearts remain untransformed—as Jesus Himself warned in Matthew 7:22-23, when He rejected those who claimed to have done mighty works in His name, saying, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of iniquity.” Despite their outward displays of power, their lack of true sanctification and submission to Christ exposed the deceit of their hearts. Their works, though seemingly miraculous, are ultimately tainted by unrighteous motives and a disregard for God’s holiness, revealing that true transformation is not about outward performance but a heart genuinely aligned with God’s will.

Psalm 5:5-6 expresses God’s hatred for those who work iniquity: “Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.”

These workers of iniquity are not those who fall into sin by accident; they are those who choose to persist in evil, rejecting God’s authority. Their actions have consequences, and they will ultimately face judgment and destruction.

Psalm 92:7 highlights how the workers of iniquity may seem to prosper temporarily, but in the end, they will be destroyed: “When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed forever.”

Eternal Consequences of Iniquity

Iniquity, when it takes root in the heart, severs the relationship with God. Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” This verse emphasizes the spiritual separation caused by harboring iniquity.

Psalm 32:1-2 provides a message of hope and forgiveness: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” This passage underscores the blessing of repentance and the restoration of a right relationship with God.

Matthew 7:23 provides a sobering warning: “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

At the end of time, those who persist in iniquity will be rejected by God, leading to eternal separation from Him. This ultimate consequence reflects the profound seriousness of iniquity in both the spiritual and moral realms.

Guarding Against Iniquity: Wisdom from Proverbs

Proverbs 16:5-6 offers valuable insight into overcoming iniquity: “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.” These verses highlight the role of humility, mercy, truth, and reverence for God in purging iniquity and leading a life of righteousness.

Conclusion: Guarding Against Iniquity

The mystery of iniquity represents a profound spiritual force that works to corrupt humanity and lead people away from God. It begins in the heart, manifesting as a willful rejection of God’s authority and moral boundaries. Throughout Scripture, we are warned of the dangers of iniquity, which hardens hearts, separates us from God, and ultimately leads to eternal destruction.

As believers, we must guard our hearts against iniquity, humbling ourselves before God and submitting to His righteousness. Only through repentance and the redemptive power of Christ can we be freed from the bondage of iniquity. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross offers forgiveness for all sins, whether accidental or premeditated, and calls us to live in alignment with God’s will.

In the end, both sin and iniquity require a heart transformed by the Holy Spirit, a heart that seeks to honor God in all things. Let us heed the warnings of Scripture and pursue a life of righteousness, guarding ourselves against the subtle but powerful force of iniquity.

By MERCY and truth iniquity is purged:
and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. Proverbs 16:6

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain MERCY, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive;
and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee – Psalam 86:5

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:1

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 John 1:8-10

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

The Seed of GOOD and EVIL: Origin of Spiritual Lineage

Introduction:

In the intricate tapestry of human existence, a profound question echoes through the corridors of time—when did the tares enter the human race, and who sowed their seeds among us? This exploration delves into the biblical narrative, unveiling the intertwining threads of good and evil, light and darkness. From the fall of Adam to the choices of each individual, the journey of the human spirit unfolds, shaped by the essence of religion and the pivotal moment of divine intervention.

When did the tares enter the human race and who seeded them? It is evident that with Adam’s fall, the evil seed joined the human race. God let the wicked line, or tares, grow alongside the good seeds. The disposition of a person’s spirit determines their offspring. The spirit of a religion shapes the spirit of its followers; or the essence of a religion influences the essence of its followers. Hence, the shift in spirit determines whether one is an adversary or a child of God. How did I come to be God’s child? I was the devil’s offspring, carrying his seed, the spirit that operates in the disobedient children – Eph 2:2. However, when God quickened me by the power of His eternal Spirit, a new spirit—which is of God—was produced within of me, driving out the spirit of darkness that held me captive. The distinction is that, in contrast to previous enslavement and the power of death, you obtain both liberation and a new spirit that is fashioned after God’s likeness in Christ. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. A person born of any other religious spirit is a tare, but if they are born of the Spirit of God, they are a good seed that is incorruptible, holy, and righteous. Both bear fruit—one leads to death, the other to life. If not, why do you suppose the kingdom of evil has introduced a multitude of religions into the world? Its purpose is to entice humanity and quench their innate religious desire, preventing them from accepting the life that God has to offer. One benefit of other faiths offered by the devil, as opposed to the religion of Christ, is that you can indulge your carnal desires without exhibiting any remorse. You may gain according to the world’s standards while losing nothing. However, practicing authentic faith may come at a cost in life, but it is secure in God, which guarantees eternal life. There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it – Ecclesiastes 8:8.

And what would a sinful man choose? Light or darkness? Men preferred darkness over light – John 3:19. However, man cannot save himself; just as he did not choose to be born, he cannot choose to be saved. Man is placed in a favorable position solely by God’s election. Otherwise, he would never be able to consider soul redemption; he is incapable of even considering the possibility of soul restoration. The Father of lights must draw a person to Christ – John 6:44. Despite man’s inability to choose life, the light of God, which brings light to man, has shined in darkness, just as the sun shines on all creation impartially – John 1:1-5. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined – Isaiah 9:2. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ – 2 Cor 4:6.

Today’s globe is home to practically every kind of religion that a wicked heart would wish to align itself with. Man is free to select whatever religion that best suits his or her current needs or problems, as per their wishes. Additionally, man is entering into a pact with the devil each time he chooses to follow a religion other than God’s.

Being unable to choose life is God’s condemnation, for God will give every soul who enters the world the grace to enter life; nevertheless, because mankind preferred darkness, they despise light and deny God’s inner call. And as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient – Rom 1:28. For many are called, but few are chosen – Matt 22:14; The call is for everyone; and the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent – Acts 17:30. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live – Ezekiel 33:11. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled – Luke 14:23.

Known as the line of the wicked, Cain and his grandson Lamech were the vehicles through which that evil spirit first appeared. Subsequently, we observe the emergence of wickedness in the fold of Jacob’s sons. The Holy Ghost through Jacob addressed thus in Genesis 49; when it comes to Simeon and Levi, it is said that, instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they dug down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel – Genesis 49:5-7. Did wickedness end there? No, it didn’t. It engulfed the entire planet. According to Jesus of Nazareth, it has spread to Christendom as well. What exactly did he say? Whoever hates his brother is a murderer – 1 John 3:15. And many Christians despise each other. Hatred is the binding force. That is the fruit of the world of evil. What astounds me is how many people I know who are members of the church are bearing the fruit of the wicked. I’ve witnessed the worst kind of hatred within the ranks of many professed Christians.

Conclusion:

As we navigate the diverse landscape of religious beliefs in today’s world, a crucial decision emerges. The choice between the path of light and darkness is not merely a philosophical contemplation but a spiritual reality. The ancient struggle between the seeds of good and evil persists, evident in the actions and attitudes of humanity. In understanding the origin of the tares, we find that the call to life is universal, yet the response lies within the divine election.

The narrative transcends historical boundaries, reaching into the present, where the echoes of Cain’s line and the descendants of Jacob’s sons still resonate. The imperative to choose life, the light that shines in darkness, beckons every soul. In this exploration, we confront the age-old question: What does a sinful man choose? The dichotomy between light and darkness is inherent, yet salvation is a gift bestowed by the Father of lights.

In the midst of a world adorned with a myriad of religions, the call to repentance and the plea for the wicked to turn from their ways reverberate through the ages. The intertwining of good and evil, the choice between life and death, unfolds in a cosmic drama where divine grace and human responsibility converge. As we journey through the annals of spiritual lineage, the call remains—choose life, for in that choice lies the redemption of the soul.

Must a sinner REPENT to be justified?

How can a soul repent of sins, without being convicted first? How can a person save himself when he is dead?

‘Dead’ in Greek is ‘Nekros’, which means, destitute of life, without life, inanimate, totally depraved. Metaph = spiritually dead, destitute of a life that recognizes and is devoted to God, because given up to trespasses and sins, inactive as respects doing right, destitute of force or power, inactive, inoperative, etc…

Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned (Lamentations 5:21)

In THY righteousness give me life/quicken me – Psalms 119:40.

By the righteousness of one (the last Adam) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life (Romans 5:18/1Corinthians 15:45)

If that be the case, how could God command all men everywhere to repent? (Acts 17:30) Why does the Scripture often seem incongruous? Let’s see what it means!

Jesus said, With men this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

For as the Father raises up the dead, and quickens them; even so the Son quickens WHOM HE WILL (John 5:21).

And no man can come to the Son, EXCEPT the Father which hath sent him draw him (John 6:44).

Jesus of Nazareth lived, believed, fulfilled the requirement of the law and God raised him from the dead – Acts 3:15 – not for himself* (Messiah be cut off, but not for himself – Daniel 9:26 – unlike other high priests, this Son, is consecrated for evermore – Heb 7:28 – he is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners – Heb 7:26 – though he was similar to us according to the flesh, he was able to offer himself without spot to God THROUGH the eternal Spirit – Heb 9:14) *but he did it all for us – he pleased God on our behalf by his obedience and thus made us right with God, he quickened us together with him, having forgiven all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross (Col 2:13,14).

So now God commands all men everywhere to repent! On one side, He is letting us know–making us aware of the need for repentance, which is the starting point. Jesus said, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish (Luke 13:3). That’s the requisite and that’s the bare truth. But the question is, can a sinner fulfill the demand? Or does a mere man possess the potential to execute that stipulation? That is what we shall investigate.

Yes, we all should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance (Acts 26:20) – God wants all men everywhere to repent – I am not repudiating that at all; all I am saying is that “this repentance must be wrought by God (the work of the Spirit of God) within the heart of man” before one could do works meet for repentance. What use would it serve to spread grace and truth otherwise? John 1:17

Apostle Paul instructed Timothy that – In meekness should one instruct those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth (2 Timothy 2:25)

Know that an unregenerate soul–being in a dead state is unable to respond to the holy calling; and we expect them to repent? Repent from what? Israel knew their God; hence, they should repent. But we had no hope, and were without God in the world – Eph 2:12. Being dead in sins, God would quicken the elect by His Spirit in order to make them respond – Eph 2:5/Rom 4:17/ John 5:21. He by His eternal Spirit quickens our spirit – John 6:63/3:6.

If a man could repent on his own, then Christ would not have come. The truth is, we need to be SAVED* (a sinner must be SAVED from God before he/she could be SAVED from the power of the enemy – that is where propitiation comes in – Propitiation refers to God’s wrath, which must be appeased or calmed – Rom 3:24,25 – Propitiation is a blood sacrifice that absorbs and appeases God’s wrath against sin. In the Bible, the word for propitiation is also used of the mercy seat – then from the power of Satan/darkness/sin – Acts 26:16/ Col 1:13/Rom 1:3 – he must purchase or own us before He could work on us – Acts 20:28 – he must ransom us – 1Tim 2:6/Mark 10:45) *before God could give us a penitent heart.

Penitence is the result of the work of redemption within the heart, not the other way round. And that’s what “the gospel of grace” does to a soul. It first prepares the soul to receive the incorruptible seed of the word – 1Pet 1:23. And the unseen hand that does all is the Holy Ghost. When God says, let there be light, in a moment the Spirit that broods over that formless, void soul, transforms him/her into a new creature. What did God say? A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you (Ezekiel 36:26). To Israel God says: I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: AND they shall look upon me – Zech 12:10. Unless God initiates no creature can be saved, period.

The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power (Eph 1:17-19).

When Peter said to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” To this Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 16:16-17).

And for the Spirit to work in a soul, that soul must first experience the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost (Titus 3:5). Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts – Gal 4:6.

The work of Grace within the heart of man precedes the Spirit indwelling. For no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost – 1Cor 12:3. That is why it is called the “gospel of the grace of God” – Acts 20:24/Titus 3:4/2Tim 1:10/1John 4:9/John 1:17. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus – 1Tim 1:14/Acts 15:11/Rom 8:32.

This gracious gift of faith (imputed precious faith – 2Pet 1:1/Rom 12:3), entitles us to be justified “by his grace” (Rom 3:24/Tit 3:7);
God forgives our trespasses “according to the riches of his grace” (Eph 1:7);
He saves us “through the grace of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 15:11);
And “makes all grace abound” to us for “every good work” (2 Cor 9:8);
He makes his grace sufficient for all our affliction (2 Cor 12:9) and empowers us to strive harder than we thought we could (1 Cor 15:10) through the grace of God.
He grants “grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16);
He gives us “eternal comfort and good hope through grace” (2 Thess 2:16);

That in the end “the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in us, and we in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess 1:12). Where is boasting then? God hath chosen us in Christ, that no flesh should glory in His presence – 1Cor 1:29. That’s why we sing:

Amazing grace
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!

To Israel it was the “gospel of Peace” Acts 10:36/Rom 5:10/2Cor 5:18. But they turned it down – Acts 13:46/3:14,15.

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again (John 3:7) – Except a man be born of water (word of God – Eph 5:26/1Pet 1:23) and of the Spirit, he CANNOT enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5) – the kingdom of God is righteousness, and peace (rest), and joy in the Holy Ghost –Rom 14:17– and thus be delivered from the wrath of God first –Eph 2:3/Col 3:6/Rom 5:16,18/Rom 1:32/2:5 (Propitiation – 1John 2:2 – means “to appease someone’s anger” – Propitiation is the sole means to assuage God’s wrath against sin – What was our condition? We were “dead in sins,” “powerless,” “ungodly,” “sinners,” “enemies”); and once you are at peace with God –Rom 5:1, that alone orients us to be saved from the power of darkness, and thus be translated into the kingdom of his dear Son (Col 1:13). This is that strait gate and the narrow way which Jesus was talking about, that alone leads to life (Matthew 7:14). There is simply no shortcut to it.

We were not only estranged from God, but were also under his anger (John 3:36/Rom 1:18/5:9/Gal 3:10). None of them can in any way redeem his brother or pay a ransom to God for him (Psalm 49:7). For all have come short of the glory of God – Rom 3:23. As a result, God intervened in his infinite mercy to provide Christ as the propitiation for God’s own wrath (Rom. 3:25).

But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared – Titus 3:4/John 1:17 – by the righteousness of one the FREE GIFT came upon all men unto justification of life – Rom 5:18.

That is why it is called “good news” = God’s grace/mercy is come to earth to ransom us, to justify (legal term), to purchase, to deliver, to redeem. The SAVIOR of the world is come that believing* (as many as were ordained to eternal life believed – Acts 13:48 – them that have obtained like precious faith – 2 Peter 1:1) *we might have life through his name – John 20:31.

The truth is, according to His mercy, He saved us (Titus 3:5/Rom 9:13-18). It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. Some of us venerate our ‘free will‘ don’t we? Well, there’s no credence to that – to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not (Romans 7:18) – for I am carnal and sold under sin – Rom 7:14 – this is how weak a soul is apart from Christ. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 7:25) – that now we are more than conquerors through him that loved us (Romans 8:37) – nevertheless, it is God which works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13)

Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardens (Romans 9:16-18). What did Jesus say? For judgment, I am come into this world, that they which see not might see (the heathen); and that they which see (Israel could see what Moses and the prophets were saying) might be made blind (John 9:39).

This is the reason why the children of Israel were given the choice to repent (baptism of repentance – Mark 1:4) when the Master was present with them. But when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful (Rom 1:21) – they denied the Holy One and the Just (Acts 3:14) – they rejected the word of God – Acts 13:46 – and thus some branches were broken off – Rom 11.

And that door got shut. Didn’t Jesus warn them? He was in a way telling them that, this is one opportunity that you should not fritter away – Strive to enter in at the strait gate – Otherwise, When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without (the tabernacle of witness now in custody of the Gentiles – Acts 7:44,45), and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are (Luke 13:24,25).

That no flesh should glory in his presence (1 Corinthians 1:29) -But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:30) – That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:31) – toward us is pure God’s goodness – Rom 11:22

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3) – We dare not forget that! Toward us, goodness of God, if we continue in His goodness…Rom 2:4/11:22.

We received forgiveness of sin (justification unto life) not because we have repented; on the contrary, we could repent because we were forgiven in Christ and the grace of God was made available. We were able to repent because we were freely justified in believing and received the promise of the Spirit.

What does the Bible say? By the obedience of one (Jesus Christ) shall many be made righteous (Romans 5:19). Of course, repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations (Luke 24:47).

Hearing the Spirit-drenched words of Peter, they were pricked in their heart (Acts 2:37) – something supernatural had taken place in their heart before Peter could lead them to the next step. One way or the other the recipients must manifest the work of the Spirit in their hearts before they could be led further. Pricked in their heart (convicted by the Spirit of God), they said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men, and brethren, what shall we do? (Acts 2:37). Then, Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). When Peter perceived by the Spirit that the Holy Ghost had touched their hearts, he understood that they have received grace from God and are now able to perform whatever they could not do on their own.

At other instances, hearing the word of God, the Holy Ghost fell upon them even before they were baptized in water – Acts 10:44-47. They all experienced the new birth in the Spirit before they could begin to know what repentance really means. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God (1 Peter 1:23).

The abiding presence of the Holy Spirit and our continual feeding on the word of God brings us to the full disclosure of our true nature and thus being conscious of our innate fallen nature, we in our personal devotion and fellowship with God often show remorse and shall thus be sanctified.

Repentance is not a one-time action but an ongoing one. Thus we get to confess our sins, and he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9/2:1). “Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21) Our hearts get sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies get washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22) in believing. If “repentance” was erstwhile, then what is the purpose behind an advocate being assigned with the Father? 1John 2:1

What does the new Covenant say? I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them (Hebrews 10:16) – And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more (Hebrews 10:17) – For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified (Hebrews 10:14)

To Israel God said, I do not this for your sakes, but I had pity for mine holy name – for mine holy name’s sake – I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean – A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you – I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes – I will also save you from all your uncleannesses – Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Ezekiel 36:21-31. Here we see that forgiveness precedes repentance. Being justified freely by his grace – Rom 3:24.

But mere words like “I repent of my sins” which many ministers of the gospel would coerce their hearers to say isn’t a valid one. You don’t need anyone to tell you to repent anymore, he could tell you ABOUT repentance but command TO repent that was for Israel. I will tell the difference! Israel who KNEW God had forsaken Him – Jeremiah 2:13 – when they KNEW God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened – Rom 1:21 – they denied the Holy One and the Just – Acts 3:14/5:30-32 – and they must repent and turn back to God. That was what John’s baptism had meant – He baptized Jews for repentance in the River Jordan.

An exclusive grace (of the manifold grace of God – 1 Peter 4:10 – KJV) was made available to them, as the author of ‘grace” himself – John 1:17 – was present with them. The Apostles were prohibited to convert the Gentles but were commanded to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:6), why? Because firstly, their rejection must come to its fulness, which would result in our acceptance – Rom 11:19/Acts 13:46 – secondly, the New Testament was not yet in force and Gentiles couldn’t be designated for inheriting that which belongs to Israel, to whom pertains the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came – Rom 9: 4,5.

And for this cause, he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance – Heb 9:15.

The word which God sent unto the children of Israel (Acts 10:36) – one of the primary reasons why God hath exalted with his right hand, Jesus Christ whom they slew and hanged on a tree, to be a Prince and a Savior is to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins – Acts 5:30-32. Otherwise, Israel would not and cannot repent – they couldn’t bring forth fruits worthy of repentance (Luke 3:8), why? they still had the conscience of sin – Heb 10:2 – for they have gone astray like a lost sheep (Psalm 119:176/Isaiah 53:6/Matt 18:12/ 2Pet 2:15) – Psalmist prayed to seek thy servant (Jacob)(Psalm 119:176) – And God in His great mercy had heard that prayer and sent the good shepherd to seek and to save that which is lost – Matt 15:24/John 10:11/Luke 19:10.

Remember Jesus was not yet glorified when the baptism of repentance was being preached – John 7:39 – And without shedding of blood is no remission (Hebrews 9:22). Only the shed blood of Christ can purge a soul and make a soul right with God.

On the other hand, the heathens, were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world – Eph 2:12 – they that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even their mind and conscience is defiled – Titus 1:15. And how on earth one could expect a heathen to repent? Repent from what?

There must be first the conscience of sins for one to repent, right? His heart is so lost that only God’s grace can save him. He must be justified freely to walk again in newness of life. He’s lost his soundness way back in Adam. If we expect the heathen to repent, it’s just wishful thinking. You are wasting your time preaching it. Even Israel with whom God had dwelt couldn’t come to repentance.

One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see (John 9:25). The goodness of God had led to my repentance – Rom 2:4. I don’t know about you; it was nothing other than pure goodness towards me that had saved me – Rom 11:22. That is why we are called the elect, the chosen – 1Pet 1:2/Rom 8:33/Col 3:12/ 1Thess 1:4/Titus 1:1/James 2:5 – God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation – 2 Thess 2:13/Eph 1:4/John 15:16.

Introducing people to Jesus Christ is what we must do than trying to make them repent. Isn’t it a ludicrous idea to approach a Hindu who has no clue about who YHWH is and ask him to repent, who believes in 330 million gods and goddesses? Isn’t it proper to introduce Christ to the world first and then the rest of the work leave it to the Holy Ghost? Why would men want to interrupt the work of the Spirit? Our job is to preach Christ crucified – 1Cor 1:23 – Know that, the Gentiles weren’t grafted in until Acts 10 – it began with the conversion of Cornelius and family.

Afterwards we read: God also granted the Gentiles repentance unto life – Acts 11:18. As he was commissioned an apostle to the Jews – Gal 2:8 – Peter got used to preaching repentance; but that all changed after he saw a vision in Acts 10. If we study carefully the commissioning of Paul was so crucial and his positioning within the Christendom was pivotal in bringing stability to the structure of the Christendom – Gal 2:11.

What did Saul do, he straightway preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God (Acts 9:20) – Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them (Acts 8:5) – And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ (Acts 5:42).

But what are we doing? What kind of gospel message is now being disseminated? Christ is not the crux of the matter anymore. To simply put it, He is not the central theme.

Israel had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness (Acts 7:44) – but is now in the possession of the Gentiles (Acts 7:45 – a more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands – Hebrews 9:11).

Now you know the reason why the message of repentance was primarily preached in the gospels; mind you, they were still under the Old Testament – for Christ was not yet crucified. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise, it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth (Hebrews 9:17). And the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing (Hebrews 9:8-11).

Having now received the remission of sins and iniquities – by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh – and having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, we now can boldly enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:17-22).

Repentance is solely the work of the Holy Ghost in the heart of man – otherwise, what is grace for? If a person is broken and contrite in heart or is lost and is desperately longing for life within, the grace of God is made available to such.

Jesus said, Come unto me, all ye that labor (wearied) and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28) – He revives the spirit of the humble, and revives the heart of the contrite ones (Isaiah 57: 15/Psalm 51:17) – The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saves such as be of a contrite (crushed) spirit (Psalm 34:18)

Confession of the mouth is the effect of the inward work of the Spirit of Grace. If so, how could we demand a confession of the mouth without having a change of heart first? For with the heart, man believes unto righteousness (Romans 10:10). Justification unto life happens at this point. Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness – Rom 4:3. We also believed the witness of God – 1 John 5:9-11 – and thus were freely justified. The next phase: And with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:10).

Natural man receives not the things of the Spirit – he doesn’t understand for it is foolishness—which means, unless the Holy Ghost regenerates him so as to discern. Natural man is the antonym of a Spiritual man, and the spiritual man understands the things of God. The word of the cross is repulsive to the natural man. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18). If you preach to the natural man, follow the crucified Christ, he will tell you it is foolishness. The natural man is sensual (psuchikos), having not the Spirit (Jude 1:19).

So how do we resolve this issue of the heart. Grace must seek or invade a sinner and the preaching of the gospel is crucial. The preaching of the cross and the work of Grace in the heart go in tandem. Grace gets initiated in the elect’s heart when the gospel, which is the power of God is heard by the mouth. The Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe (Acts 15:7 – KJV). The light of Christ that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts (2 Peter 1:19). Now we have received the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God (1 Corinthians 2:12) – God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10) – no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 12:3). His or her spirit must confess Jesus – but the dead in spirit cannot unless they are revived by the Holy Spirit. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God (1 John 4:2)

Salvation is ‘Soteria’ = the redeeming work of God (an ongoing work). Only a person that is justified/pardoned/vindicated can continue to experience the redeeming work of the Spirit of God. Know that, confession is not repentance.

So, repentance must take place within the heart first before one could confess with the mouth. And without a change of heart or the nudging of the Spirit of God, it isn’t possible. But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart”; that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom 10:8,9) – the word of faith near you, in your mouth, in your heart, is that grace knocking – Jesus said, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door (of the heart), then I will come into him (Rev 3:20).

A thirsty fellow would definitely drink the water of life that’s been offered to – John 4:13,14 – They that be whole need, not a physician, but they that are sick (Matthew 9:12) – them that are content with life, the wise men after the flesh, the mighty, and the noble, wouldn’t reach for life – 1Cor 1:26 – they wouldn’t get the chance – but the foolish things of the world and things which are despised, get to receive from God’s mercy His pardon – 1Cor 1:26-28. Jesus said, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32) – This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles (Psalm 34:6).

If sin isn’t bothering/weighing down upon a soul; in other words, if the soul isn’t feeling the burden of sin heavily laden on him, if the sin isn’t crushing him, which are the inevitable signs of God’s Spirit moving upon that soul to lead that person to Christ, the source of all life; then there is little hope for that being.

This life that all creation longs for is in His Son (1 John 5:11,12) – but the soul must respond, the grace of God will enable the soul to respond to the call of God. On their own can these bones live? (Ezekiel 37:3) – God says, Behold, I will cause breath (ruwach) to enter into you, and ye shall live (Ezekiel 37:5) – I will put my spirit within you, and CAUSE YOU to walk (Ezekiel 36:27). How do we get this faith operating in us? To them that have OBTAINED like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1) – as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith (Romans 12:3).

Even the faith to jumpstart our life in Christ is a gift from God. What I am trying to say is that Jesus is “the author“ (originator) of our faith, and not us – Heb 12:2 – it is then proper to say that, he which hath begun a good work in us – Phil 1:6 – For it is God which works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure – Phil 2:13. Christ living inside of us makes us do things that are pleasing in His sight. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities (weakness), that the power of Christ may rest upon me – 2 Cor 12:9. Christ in us is the hope of glory – Col 1:27 – nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me – Gal 2:20. Where is the boasting?

We pursue God because, and only because, He has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit. “No man can come to me,” said our Lord, “except the Father which hath sent me draw him,” and it is by this drawing that God takes from us every vestige of credit for the act of coming. A.W. Tozer

So, repentance should arise from within yourself – your conscience must prick – the participation of the conscience is vital. And if their mind and conscience are defiled (Titus 1:15), how could one expect that soul to respond to life unless one is drawn to Christ by the Father – John 6:44 – and his heart gets sprinkled from an evil conscience? (Hebrews 9:14/10:22)

The question now would be, can a soul just repent on its own? The answer is No, why? Because there is no soundness in him, he is lost, he is in a spiritually dead state that it would require his spirit to do anything that is godly and righteous; and since the spirit is dead, he or she is unproductive by nature, a branch of a wild olive tree, to be precise – Rom 11:17,24. The flowers of such trees are sterile. When the incorruptible seed (spora – parentage) of the Word – 1Pet 1:23/John 3:6 – is let in or enters the heart of man, that individual has come in contact with life itself. Then and then only can this soul gain any strength to do the things that are pleasing to God.

The spirit of man must experience regeneration, without which the will of man is impuissant. We were alienated and enemies in our minds by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight – Col 1:21, 22 – do you wish to claim any part in that reconciliation process?

We were sometimes darkness, but now are we light in the Lord – Eph 5:8 – we were without Christ, having no hope, and without God in the world – Eph 2:12. Despise not the GOODNESS of God – Rom 2:4/11:22 – Therefore, be not high-minded, but fear (Romans 11:20). Wherefore let him that thinks he stands (take it for granted) take heed lest he falls (1 Corinthians 10:12) – as Israel did.

We must first be saved from the power of sin that God condemned in the body of Jesus Christ, then the conscience of sin gets purged – Heb 9:14/10:2. Jesus said, Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest – Matt 11:28 – he didn’t say, repent, did he?

Absence of conviction – what does it convey? It says we cannot save ourselves or be right with God without external assistance. Doesn’t God know about our miserable state? Yes, He does. That is why it is written, God so loved! Why did He send the Word of God – the Lord from heaven – the Prince of Life to the earth, otherwise? What did he bring with him? GRACE and TRUTH came by Jesus Christ – John 1:17 – What else? He is the propitiation for our sins – 1John 2:2/4:10 – He is that ransom for us – Mark 10:45/Hosea 13:14.

If only repentance is what God expects from us all, then why would God sent His Son to be a propitiation? Where is the logic?

Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you (1 Peter 1:10)

The Bible says the goodness of God leads us to repentance. The goodness of God! Were we at peace with God at all for God to extend His goodness to us? No! We were all in a condemned state, weren’t we? Don’t you forget that! Being justified by faith, (now) we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).

Only by grace can we enter – Only by grace can we stand – Not by our human endeavor – But by the blood of the Lamb – Lord if You mark our transgressions, Who would stand
Thanks to Your grace we are cleansed – By the blood of the Lamb – Graham Kendrick

The Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Jesus Christ – the Spirit of holiness – Rom 1:4/8:2/1Pet 1:11/Phil 1:19) must convict a person, the Father must draw a person to Christ – John 6:44 – for that conviction of sin to take place.

That is why it is being said that we are in the dispensation of grace – Eph 3:2. Once this door is shut, then no soul will get to experience such grace. Without the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, our minds and conscience are in a defiled state – Titus 1:15 – For it is God which works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure – Phil 2:13 – where is the boasting then? To will is present with me; yes, I too acknowledge, but the Bible says, how to perform that which is good I find not (in me)(Romans 7:18) – even our ‘will’ to do good is decrepit and black with soot.

Then where can we find this ‘free will’ that many boasts of? I couldn’t boast in anything regarding my salvation. For this I know, I was lost, but now am found. I was blind (spiritually), now I see. Did we find him, the source of all life or he found us? By grace are ye saved; and that not of yourselves: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD: Not of works, lest any man should boast – Eph 2:8,9 – Jesus said, Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you (John 15:16).

See what the grace of God does to a soul? Could we call this “predestination”? Can we now claim that we are “the chosen” of God? The “elect” of God? Isn’t this the proper way than boasting about our free will, which is not a reality? This makes it clear that we cannot please God on our own – for all have sinned and have come short – there is none righteous, no not one. The whole Scripture upholds this view. Would Abraham (a heathen – the son of an idol maker) had come to know YHWH if God had not visited him? No

If our “free will” was intact, then why did Israel failed? We read about Esau, how that afterward when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears (Hebrews 12:17). That is the reason why Christ went and preached even unto the spirits in prison (the dead), which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah (1 Peter 3:19,20).

The Council of Trent declared that “the free will of man, moved and excited by God, can by its consent co-operate with God, Who excites and invites its action; and that it can thereby dispose and prepare itself to obtain the grace of justification.

Why is such a priceless redemption required? Why did God choose Moses to redeem Israel from the hand of the Pharaoh? Weren’t we under the power of darkness? Col 1:13 Weren’t we also through fear of death all our lifetime subject to bondage (Hebrews 2:15). What’s the point behind the Lord from heaven entering into the house of the strong man (the Devil) bind him, spoil his goods and spoil his house – Matt 12:29/Col 2:15 – if our repentance would satisfy demands?

What was the assignment that God gave to Paul? To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance (Acts 26:18) – that’s the way to go! How can the blind see, unless their sight is fully restored first? Mark 8:24,25

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith (not through repentance), preached before the gospel unto Abraham (Gal 3:8). Even as David also describes the blessedness of the man, unto whom God IMPUTES righteousness without works – Rom 4:6.

The visitation of God or His favour would result in our change of heart – Jesus said, the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life – John 6:63 – what happens when the seed falls into the good ground naturally – if it is hard on the surface, the birds would pick it and are lost but if the ground is plowed and PREPARED – the seed will fall into the crevasses and will be hidden from harm’s way and when the rain of the Holy Ghost douses that grain of seed, what happens? It sprouts naturally, right? That’s what happens to a dead soul too. The heart must be prepared by the Holy Ghost, the heart must be made receptive by the Holy Ghost (the Spirit of God) – unless God commands, ‘Let there be light’ the heart of man will be without form and void, being covered by darkness (Choshek – misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness).

That is why it is written, the times of this IGNORANCE God winked at (Acts 17:30) – but now commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30) – why? Because “the grace of God” is come. Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us (Luke 1:78), for what purpose? To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:79). The darkness is past (the times of ignorance is past – the sin is condemned – Rom 8:1-3 – and shall not have dominion – Rom 6:14 – the prince of this world is judged – John 16:11 – in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air – Eph 2:2), and the true light now shines (1 John 2:8) – a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts (2 Peter 1:19).

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Remember, before God commanded, the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters which had kept the formless earth buried. God spoke, and the light now shines, where? In the dark recesses of our hearts. This you may call “GRACE” – which is now made available to all. God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6). We were hopeless, that’s what it means. These dead bones couldn’t live, but the Spirit of God caused them to come to life. Receiving this “FREE GIFT” – Rom 5:15,16,18 – is only what one needs to do. God says repentance shall be hidden from mine eyes (Hosea 13:14). This does not mean at all that one wouldn’t be convicted (pricked in their heart – Acts 2:37). When the Comforter comes, Jesus said, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8) – why would He reprove the world of sin? Let’s hear from our Lord Himself – Because they (Israel) believe not on me (John 16:9).

Being justified freely by his grace (Romans 3:24/Titus 3:7). If on the contrary, Christ becomes of no effect unto you (Galatians 5:4). Or despise thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads thee to repentance? (Romans 2:4) Our former state was: after the hardness and impenitent heart treasured up unto ourselves wrath (Romans 2:5). By the offense of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation (Romans 5:18). There was no hope for us, period.

Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. (Acts 15:14)–they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. (Acts 14:27) – Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life (Acts 11:18)

Ezekiel 34 clearly states about the lost sheep of Israel, which are scattered around the globe and that got killed thereby. Christians must understand that the nation of Israel is that Olive tree into which we were grafted in; and mind you, only SOME of the branches were broken off – Rom 11:17 – KJV.

Know this also, Jesus had come for the lost sheep of the house of Israel – He said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel – Matt 15: 24. Redeeming Jacob from his transgression was what the Father sent him to accomplish – Heb 9:15.

Do you remember the parable of a certain man who planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen and went into a far country for a long time? Let’s brief through it a bit – Luke 20:9-16 – they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him – they killed the Prince of life – Acts 3:15 – even after the resurrection of Christ, the Spirit of God sent the Apostles to them – but what did they say? Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles – Acts 13:46 – they even rejected the word of God, so the Apostles turn to the Gentiles. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ (Acts 10:36).

Those who have read the book of Ezekiel knows the spiritual condition of Israel, and how low they have stooped into such a despicable state. Unless you know these truths, you cannot understand the gospels clearly and you are bound to take the verses out of their context and use them for the church.

God says because the shepherds failed to feed the sheep and are now scattered – Ezekiel 34 – For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out (Ezekiel 34:11). I will seek that which was lost (Ezekiel 34:16). As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep (Ezekiel 34:12).

Who is that good shepherd? Jesus said I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep – John 10:11. This isn’t specifically talking about us Gentiles, though he’s mentioned about sheep’s, which are not of this fold that he must bring in – John 10:16 – God says, I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd (Ezekiel 34:23)

Even though Israel forsook the Lord God, and went whoring after strange gods and did abominable things, they (the remnant of Israel) are still beloved for the Father’s sake – Rom 11:28 – they, the house of Israel, are my people, my flock, the flock of my pasture, saith the Lord God (Ezekiel 34: 30,31). God says For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee – Isaiah 54:7. He shall feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country and in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel (Ezekiel 34:13,14)

I say unto you, that likewise, joy shall be in heaven over one sinner (the lost sheep of the house of Israel) that repents* (for grace is now come – is made available – Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently – 1 Peter 1:10), *more than over ninety and nine just persons (the Gentile believer), which need no repentance (Luke 15:7) – to Israel, it was preached “repentance’ – the baptism of repentance – Mark 1:4/Acts 13:24/ 19:4 – but it isn’t a New Testament prerogative. And as the testator was yet alive the New Testament was not yet in force – Heb 9:16,17.

I come again, Israel knew their God. But they went whoring after other gods and did abominable things in the sight of God. They denied the Holy One and the Just – Acts 3:14,15 – even they refused Moses’s words, which said, The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him, ye shall hearken – Deut 18:15 – they not only have forsaken the fountain of living waters but also hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water – Jeremiah 2:13 – like fathers, like sons: their fathers we rebellious, weren’t they? – To whom (Moses) our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt – Acts 7:39 – read Ezekiel to know how their children behaved.

They are worse than their fathers. So God scattered them to the whole world that they are hunted down and killed – they are in that lost state – but as Paul said, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? How he makes intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and dug down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace – Rom 11:1-5

What I mean to say is that the casting away of Israel had led to the reconciling of the world – Rom 11:15. So Israel was required to repent, as they were still under the Old Testament; but now as Jesus had founded the New Testament in His blood – there is now no demarcation as before.

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believes on him (gift of God) shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall CALL UPON the name of the Lord shall be saved – Rom 10:11-13.