Life and Death

We think that we know what life is because we are experiencing it. In fact, that experience is life but only half of the story, as Paul Harvey would imply.

Life is actually existence. Of course inanimate objects exist, thus life is more than physical existence. There must be some type of "life blood" which distinguishes life. For plants, the lifeblood is a carbon dioxide and water solution made active by light (photons). Whereas, CO2 provides life to plants, it is fatal to animals. Animals require oxygen to live. Our waste is carbon dioxide which gives life to the plants. Thus there is interdependence between plant and animal life. They "breathe" our breath, and we eat them for nourishment. Only a small number of plants actually "eat" animal life.

To live, as the plants breathe our breath, we must breathe God's breath. His Breath is His Holy Spirit.

For human beings water is our life-blood. We also require light to live. Without light we could only exist for a short period unless we somehow adapted to darkness. Because of our flesh, we need protein to exist or our bodies would "eat" themselves.

Thus "living" is existence. However, that is only physical existence. With only half the picture, we are only "power plants" with processors which are parasites to other living things. There must be more than that but environmentalists seem to define us by the physical attributes only. Life means more than consumption and excretion. We have personalities. I believe even the animals do! Try to convince animal lovers that their pets are without personalities!

What animals don't have that human animals do are souls. God created mankind with something that animals don't have, and because of that, we were given dominion over the animal kingdom. As such, mankind is king within the animal kingdom because we are special!  Our kingship stops there but prideful people extend it beyond the animal kingdom

It seems our "flesh" is for the world. Much scripture implies that, and sacred writings say that outright (Books of Adam and Eve). In the Garden, as it will be in heaven, man had "glorified bodies". They were incorruptible meaning that they were without decay and were immortal. When Adam and Eve sinned, they did die. Like most people today, they knew little of death. Mankind fears death, even if it's just the lack of physical existence. We turn our eyes away from the inevitable!

Throughout the ages, sages have hunted for eternal life. Our flaw is that we love ourselves so much that we can't stand the thought of not existing. Even moldering in the grave is frightening enough but on top of that, we should fear forever dying. Whereas, physical death is just a sting, spiritual death is ongoing, painful, and infinite. I feared that option and chose to find something more favorable to my desires.

Spiritual life is that possibility. Adam and Eve thought only of physical death, not even understanding it fully, since it had never happened before. We have seen it many times and still don't understand it. Physical death, for years, was when the heart stopped beating. However, it's just a pump. Mortal death is when the mind dies. When it ceases to get the lifeblood, it's dead within moments. It is said that the brain dies within four to six minutes after the blood flow stops. The lack of oxygen suffocates the brain. Thus, the mind continues to function after the person is heart-dead. Think on that: the mind  finally finds out what death is for a few minutes before dying. That would be enough to scare one to death in itself!

Thus, crossover from life to death is only a moment in life. However, we all dread that moment! Right now, I have anxiety of knowing that I'm slowly dying. To circumvent that, God instilled in me hope! My hope is that there is life after death. I trust that there is because my Creator planned eternal life for those who remain faithful to Him. That provision is called grace. Since mankind disobeyed God, and always will, we deserve spiritual death. Adam and Eve were confused. They considered only the lack of physical existence. With disobedience, they did truly die right then. Their spirit died under that tree. However, grace means resurrection. God made their mortal bodies "safe" by grace until they are able to be glorified again; just like in the beginning. At that time the dust will rise from the grave from which it came, and be reformed again in the image of God. That is the second portion of life.

In heaven, humans will be just as they were in the Garden. Their flesh will be repaired to what it was at the creation! Glorification is the flesh in the presence of God. Death is not in God's presence. No person ever died in the Garden, and there will be no "dead" in heaven. Everyone there will be vibrantly alive. The Tree of Life will be there but the forbidden tree was destroyed ironically, by another tree: the Cross at Calvary! It was there that Jesus, with his heel, stepped on the head of the serpent as he was led to the cross. The Tree of Life produced saving fruit that day!

I'm reminded that I am alive by my heart's pumping. I fear that it will quit, and that death will sting me.  That fear is in my mind. God takes away that fear because I have hope. Hope is when I am truly physically alive because the Spirit Comforts my soul. Before mankind was in the flesh, they were in the Spirit. Their souls were full. Sin emptied out their souls, and unknown to our forebears, they spiritually died that day.

Because the soul cannot remain empty for man to exist, Satan fills it with iniquity. That is the soul full of sin in it's entirety. To live again, that iniquity must be removed. Just as Adam was created with his soul clean, those born again will have it laundered again. Jesus's blood on the cross did the cleansing.

With the soul cleansed, the born-again person has the soul "supplied" (pletho) with the Holy Spirit. I hesitate to say "filled" because even when sin enters again, the Holy Spirit is still there. Unfortunately, until we're glorified, sin can still enter in, although the Spirit is resident in the temple of the soul. They battle heartily for "the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" (Mat 26:41). It is the mind's willingness that overpowers the flesh's weakness. As long as the willingness to obey is there, we are safe from the evil one.

God keeps us safe because we are willing until our hope comes true - salvation. Each day we are nearer to salvation that when we first believed (Rom 13:11)! Before rebirth, we are spiritually dead for all that we can look forward to is the grave. That thought is dismal. The second birth is when we are made alive in Christ. With trust in Jesus there is something to which to look forward. What is that? Living forever, and not in this chaotic world but but in a utopia we call heaven. We return to the Garden where Adam spiritually died; restored to the Designer's Intent.

Thus, Jesus and the apostles called death "sleep" because it's only the body which rests. The soul ascends to heaven just awaiting the day of the General Resurrection.

No one will ever really die. Everyone will suffer dying but mortal death lasts only for an instant. It's the time human beings cross over from what is seen to the unseen. It's when everyone will move from Eden to either the Garden or the wilderness outside the Gate.  It's going from the state of the living dead to the dead living. That is confusing. Let me explain. Jesus said that Lazarus was not dead but merely "asleep" (John 11:11), although he stank and had been dead for days!

Also, the little girl who died was revived by a miracle.

Luke 8:52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. 53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. 54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. 56 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway:

When the little girl died, apparently her soul left and went to where souls go. Her spirit went into the spiritual world someplace in heaven. Like the unknown man of whom Paul spoke, this was the third heaven (2 Cor 2:2).  Sacred scripture indicates that the third heaven is where the righteous go. We call that place Paradise or Heaven. Also, in the third heaven, from the Secrets of Enoch is where the damned go as well. We find  two terribly different places that are separated by an impenetrable chasm (Luke 16:26).

Thus the soul does not sleep as some say; only the body does. The soul ascends to heaven to await the day of the General Resurrection. After death, the body is asleep but the spirit lives on. I suspect without a source, that since the soul is the container for God's Spirit, that it ascends to heaven as well. There the true "person" merely awaits a set of clean clothes - the glorified flesh, which will be made like new again, and without spot, stain, nor wrinkle!

Why do Christians belief in this stuff? It's because Jesus died and was resurrected that we know that we can be!

1 Thes 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

These passages validate that contention. Because Christ lives today, we will live too. Our hope is so strong that we already are living the life. Life without hope is not worth the living. We can make it worthwhile by being one who is born-again. 

Behold Him

One day things will change! Jesus will come? Eschatologically speaking, the first event which is spoken of in Revelation is us being made priests and kings. My last commentary pointed toward the end of time or the new beginning; i.e.; New Jerusalem.  The next event discussed is what theologians call "the rapture" - "the state of being carried away in overwhelming emotion" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). That "overwhelming emotion" is resurrection and/or ascension into heaven. Either way, I'm sure the day that day happens will be emotional!

Does John see that before any subsequent visions? Let's look at scripture:

Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

The timing of the rapture is important. I have been taught that the rapture comes before the tribulation period. There are all types of fancy charts marking the sequential events of the last days. Admittedly, I'm not that smart, and not motivated or proud enough for me to dictate time. Those charts are of the apocalypse - end-of-time events in both the physical and spiritual world. Revelation is about the apocalypse - the destiny of everyone.

The scripture above says, "behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him". "Cometh" is present tense but John saw into the future. Nowhere does he place this in chronological order. "Every eye shall see him". Shall is future tense. From the time John saw the vision until any time afterward, the rapture would come about. Therefore, it does not necessarily initiate the apocalypse. We shall see.

There will come a time of tribulation - suffering emotionally or physically from persecution.  It's when Christians face severe oppression. Some see that as the past and present because Christians have always been persecuted. In fact, the apostolic period ended with the persecution of the apostles. Even the life of God terminated with his death, the ultimate persecution. What we look for is a particular time of severe persecution related to other events.

I have been educated to believe that the rapture will come before the tribulation period. That is called "pre-tribulation rapture" in the apocalypse (See the figure below from Wikipedia; "Rapture").  In this view, when the tribulation period arrives, all Christians would have ascended, and would not have to experience tribulations.

Tribulation Views

"Post-tribulation rapture", from the same illustration, is when the tribulation period comes before the rapture. Thus, all living Christians would suffer the tribulations. In either view,  those Christians already dead would never suffer tribulation. Of course, "mid-tribulation rapture" would occur part way through the tribulation period, generally considered to be after the first half of the seven-years of tribulation.

Regardless of the timing of the tribulation period, it will not come abruptly. Just as it took years for things to get so evil in the time of Noah, in the end, it will take considerable time to exhaust God's patience! I believe that there is a continuum of evil with a crescendo at the tribulation period. The continuum is not constant but variable. The general trend is for iniquity to steadily increase with occasional dips as God convicts more people. For instance, in the last century, economic depression revived people. They had no place to turn but to God.

On the other hand, I believe that the current period is the worse that we have had within my lifetime. Hatred is rampant as well as everyone "doing what is right in their own eyes" (Jud 17:6). Homosexuality is rampant as is every type of lasciviousness. Hollywood and entertainment in general would even embarrass Jezebel. Worst of all is the condition of the Church! When everything comes to a head, a tornado will explode, so to speak.

For those who know tornadoes, the storm resides, and all becomes quiet. Then, like a locomotive, a vicious funnel-cloud marches across the skyline, sucking up things in its vacuum, then spitting them outside the funnel. That's the way the tribulation period will come. We are in the storm at the present, the first half of the tribulation will be the silence, and the last half the explosion.

Before we proceed, let's look at Jesus "coming". It would seem to me that his first coming was at his birth. Rev 1:7 says "he cometh in the clouds". It would appear that his appearance in the clouds is the "second coming" but theologians refer to his "second coming" with the church to establish his thousand-year (millennial reign). Scripture does not number the times Jesus "comes". Mankind has elected to number them ourselves. It seems that since Christ only appeared in the clouds, that  those who count do not consider that a "coming again".

So, whenever the tribulation happens, let's see what happens:

1 Thes 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Tomorrow we will continue with this line of thought.

Our Destiny: Priests and Kings

On earth, people seek prestige. That is "of the flesh". Our heart desires to be "as God",  not more like God, which is noble and desirable. Indeed, being Christ-like is the disposition of the new creature after being born-again. Sanctification is being as much like Christ in the heart's desires as one can humanly be!

How is that disposition? Christ is a Servant. His service was his own life instead of ours. When Jesus made the ultimate sacrfice of his own blood, he served eternal life to all mankind. When we take communion with the bread and wine, we commemorate Jesus's service to mankind - his body and blood, both of which redeemed us. Just as Jesus served us, we are to serve God and others. The service we are to provide is love. It sounds so simple but love comes hard because all mankind are sinners. God loved sinners without reserve. As God, Jesus loved everyone. Think how difficult that was next time someone wrongs you!

Being a servant is meekness. Proud servants just don't serve well because being a servant diminishes their view of themselves, what the world calls "low self-esteem". Scripture says that no one hates their own flesh:

Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church...

Indeed, as self-imposed gods, we nourish and cherish ourselves. How much? As the Lord does the Church. The Church is the Lord's "bride". Hence, we love ourselves as much as the beautiful blushing bride we lust after to marry! The degree to which we love ourselves supersedes how much we love God, if there is love at all!  The esteem for themselves for most of mankind is that they think they can save themselves from ever perishing. Meekness is required for the new birth - realizing that we are not gods and have no power to save our precious selves!  God can! That spark of Light is what regenerates the old person into a new one.

Christians lose their self-induced god-ship. Rather than life all about us, it should be all about God and others. Thus, we quit serving the self, and begin to serve God and others. This is what Jesus called, the Greatest Commandment and the one like unto it. We love God with our heart. soul, and mind (Mat 22:36-40).  Meekness is spiritually the rebirth - when one turns away from self-pride and starts serving God. Meek people are faithful to God (the heart), allow our will to be God's will (the soul), and obey him willingly (our mind). Those characteristics make us good servants.

Many of us have seen movies where the meek faithful servant inherits a fortune upon his master's death as the spoiled and proud heirs are snubbed. Well, that's the Way of God also!  Meek Christians, and Christians must be meek, have a promise from the Master:

Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

That promise is to be fulfilled because as children of God who honor our Father we are adopted:

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Us faithful servants are rewarded just as children of the Master, not at the Master's death but ours. Our reward as children of God is to be on the same footing as Christ, our adoptive brother.

Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

Servanthood is taking up the cross of Jesus:

Mark 8:34 Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 

This is our greatest service to Jesus! Just as Simon the Cyrene bore Jesus's cross on the Via Dolorosa, we are to bear Jesus's cross on the narrow path to salvation. Walking the Way of Christ is our own Via Dolorosa - our own "way of grief". We pick up Jesus's cross and bear it with him. Simon could have been killed for helping this insurgent, or at least knouted! He denied his own self in favor of Jesus. Like Simon, we are to serve Jesus. Don't blame all the Jews for Simon was a Libyan Hebrew as we can tell from his name! 

Those who take up our own cross - servanthood to Christ, do that with meekness. Proud Christians are many but all too few are proud of Christ. It is the Christ in us which the world should see. Sadly, there is little meekness in most of his adoptive children. 

By the way: from whom did God adopt us? Mankind, although created by God, were emancipated by Him upon the original sin. We were given freedom to choose our master and father. By default, unless one is born-again, his father is the devil (John 8:44). The rebirth is walking away from the devil unto the arms of God. God adopts us when He emancipates us, by His authority, from the devil. He takes the proud person, convicts, and gives a new nature of meekness; at least that's how it should work. 

Thus, life consists of stages in the path to eternal life. At birth, we are created in sin, come to enjoy the pleasures of sin, choose to remain in sin or not, and if we choose correctly, live safely under the protection of God in hope just awaiting for the day of salvation. From birth to the rebirth, we are masters of our own domain, or so we think, but at the rebirth just as Jesus, we are born in a "manger", so to speak. The "manger" for us is realizing that the earth is not our home but someday we will live in a mansion:

John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

We serve but are not to be troubled by those who are cruel to servants. Christians indeed were, are, and will continue to be persecuted for Jesus's Namesake: 

Mat 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. John 15:20 ...The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you...

It's clear that we are to be servants to Christ, and like Jesus, we too will be persecuted. The reward is the Kingdom of Heaven, and there is where the meek receive their inheritance! On earth, with regeneration (born-again), we become royal priests of God, and serve Jesus (1 Pet 2:9). Hence, those with the hope of salvation immediately become royal priests whose role is to "dress and keep the Garden". "The Garden" is the presence of God. We were created by God to serve Him - to be His priests. When we're born-again as new creatures, just like the original Adam, we become royal priests to God. Sure, we will fail him because we are meek servants, but it is our willingness to serve which pleases the Master.

Then, sometime after our death, in addition to our priesthood we become kings as well:

Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

In eternity, we will live in a mansion with the King - sort of "Divine Caesar", and we become kings paying tribute to THE KING. Jesus Christ is "King of the Jews":

Mat 27:29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 

Of course, Jesus was more than king of the Jews but King of Kings:

Rev 17:14 These (of the beast) shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

To Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord (Isa 45:23). In heaven, we will be one of those kings! Unlike even Saul who sought to be both king and priest, we shall be. Eschatologically speaking, the destiny of meek ones shall be even more than either Saul or David. Our priesthood and kingship won't be for self-aggrandizement but "unto God and his Father" (Rev 1:6). Note that with that verse, John recognized Jesus as God and saw "his Father". Truly, when we see Jesus, we will indeed see the Father, reinforcing John 14:9 "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father."

Every Word ever said in the Bible points toward this end! In the beginning, knowing we would fail, "God so loved us" that He made a Plan. In the beginning, God had a Plan for me, and one for you. We can either be part of His desire that we not perish, or choose perishability. The wise one chooses life; the fool chooses death. At death everyone either continues slavery to Satan or becomes royalty alongside God!

Oh yes. I about forgot to explain the meek inheriting the earth in Mat 5:5. Jerusalem - "the foundation of peace", is the location to which New Jerusalem - the City of God, will be after the earth is cleansed by fire (Rev 3:12). The meek, heirs of God, as kings and priests will return to the original location of the Garden. Heaven will come down to where it once was, and there our inheritance will be the earth; the very foundation of it!

Time, Work, and Existence

We all say quite often, "I don't have the time," to do whatever. Most often people have the time to do what they want to do, and seldom have the time to do what the Lord wants them to do! In fact, most things you do are what you want to do. My daughter begged to differ. She said, "I don't want to work." My response was, "yes you do, or you wouldn't be working!" You see, working is a choice. Every person, as he matures, evaluates whether he wants to be nourished, clothed, housed, have health care, be educated, and entertained. Work, at least before socialism came along, was the way to obtain things! The choice motivated people make is working.

In recent years, as we have seen, less motivated people have figured out a way to not work. That is by obtaining free things from others. Millennials suck the life out of their parents until the well runs dry, and sloths allow the government to parent them, at least until that well runs dry. People have even figured out a way not to work for God, that which Bonnhoeffer called "cheap grace" (see https://kentuckyherrin.blogspot.com/2017/03/cheap-grace.html?m=0).

This commentary, however, is not about slothfulness nor socialism. It is about time, work, and existence! Unfortunately, because of original sin "work" at one time was not effortless but it was easy. We know that by scripture - when work began!

Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 17 And unto Adam he said, ... cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread...

"Work" is defined as: "to exert oneself physically or mentally especially in sustained effort for a purpose or under compulsion or necessity" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). In the Herrin Lexicon, I prefer "expending energy to influence change,"  remembering that change is loss or gain.  Energy can be either physical or mental, and we learn from the Pharisees it can be spiritual as well! Some really work hard and obtain little. That is the curse of mankind.

The Pharisees followed all 613 commandments put forth in the Old Testament. Following all those "laws" is called "works". The Pharisees worked hard in an attempt to earn eternal life. That was non-valued added, and was lost in the spiritual dynamics of things. All their work was to no avail because they had not love:

1 Cor 13:2 ...that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

In other words, without love (charity), even hard work (moving mountains) is to no avail! The Pharisees attempt to move mountains - the impossibility of keeping the Law, without loving God and others. That loss was in "spiritual entropy" - the unrecoverable losses in changing states. In the case of the Pharisees, it was the time and existence lost in attempting by their own works to make their time eternal. For slow thinkers, that is wasting time trying to obtain eternal life on your own. Sure, we can credit God, but somehow we know inside that we are the ones who are working to increase time.

The entire existence of mankind, which we refer to as "life", is used to increase our time. I expend physical energy every day with exercise to extend my life on earth. I feel that is gain. Likewise, I exercise my will every day to extend my life into eternity by communing with God each day. I do that by studying His Word, contemplating on God's will, praying, loving God the best that I know how, endeavoring to love others, and telling others about grace. Grace is a free ticket to extend my time to the outer limits, but in thanks for that gift, I do things.  "Working" is my only way to show my appreciation for existing. How do I know that? Right after mankind came into existence by the grace of God, God gave him a job assignment:

Gen 2:15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Because the Garden was made for man by grace, there was nothing man needed to do to tend to the trees, fruits, animals, or much else. Paradise is without physical work. How then was man to "dress and keep" the Garden? By loving the Lord. In Paradise, love comes easy because there are no hurdles. Then along came the devil and erected only one: our will verses God's will. Our forebears made the wrong choice.

Eating the fruit was work. They expended energy in changing God's fruit into their fruit. They stole from God, and by works, men continue to steal from God! Spiritual entropy was lost, and it was irrecoverable. They could be restored back to their previous state by sorrow and repentance but the loss was the consequence of sin. Although mankind was designed with immortality, mortality was the physical loss of entropy. It's measurement is in heartbeats. Mankind is limited in allowance for work. Our heartbeats, in practice, do not exceed those beats acquired over 120 years. Thus, heartbeats are mankind's physical clock. With each beat, time is shortened as we slowly tick, tick, tick until our hearts quit ticking.

To extend our time, mankind must do that in God's realm. We somehow must obtain a "pass" back into the Garden where there is immortality. To increase our time, the problem of spiritual entropy must be fixed. By grace, there is a fix! God died that we may live! He did that so that we need not. God is without name. He is defined as Existence: "I Am That I Am" (Exod 3:14). God is eternal. What is it that God desires of his creature?

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

"Grace" is a result of God loving his creatures. He loved us so much that He gave His Name - God who was called Jesus, to provide unlimited time for us. There is nothing here that says man must expend the "sweat of his face" (Gen 3:19) for eternal life as he had to for everything else! God created man in "his image"  (Gen 1:27).  God is eternal Existence:

Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

What does God desire to do for us? For us to be forever existing - to "have everlasting life". His desire is that our existence extend beyond the life of our physical pump. What need we do? Quit depending on our pump for our existence! The loss of God's own blood was the propitiation for our sins (Romans 3:25). We quit worrying about pumping our own blood and pump His instead! We build Him up, and not ourselves.

The blood of God is the "living water" which fixes our heart. We allow God to fix it for us. That allowance heals the heart: We submit to God, and He cuts off that loss which I called "spiritual entropy" with His Sword - the Word. That operation is performed by God, and is called "circumcision is that of the heart" (Rom 2:29). Never again, unless we give up faith in the blood, need we worry about spiritual entropy again! That is "dressing and keeping" God. God will never leave or forsake us thereafter. That is spiritual "safety", and only we can choose to return to the wilderness outside the gate of the Garden.

The Christian must understand: (1) God is forever, (2) He wants us to be forever, (3) God is without beginning nor end, and he wants us to be without end, (4) that God is always with us -  He is called Emmanuel and Jesus, and (5) He is Almighty -  God had the power to Create everything in the beginning, and He can recreate us again to return to the beginning.

The Covenant of Adam was God's promise for him to return to the Garden. When Adam was Created, God knew you and me. We were Created at the same time Adam was. We have Adam's DNA and Eve is our mother. Eve was created with all the ova she would ever have. Although she is not born with our blood, her genetic makeup is the foundation for our own bloodline. Mix a little Adam with a little Eve, and God supplies the blood. It took Adam's seed and Eve's ova for all mankind to exist. Ironically, when God promised Adam a return to the Garden, that promise holds true for us as well! Like Adam, our presence was there back in the Garden, and God's will is, like Adam's, to return us to the Garden. We call the return to the Garden as "Paradise."

So, you don't want to work? I don't either! My hope is a return to God's Garden where I merely "dress and keep" God. I need not wait. Even in life, my "job assignment" is to dress and keep God.My "dressing" is to take up the cross and follow him (Mat 10:38), an my "keeping" is keeping the faith (Rev 14:12).

Or existence - ontology, started with Adam and Eve back in the Garden since God planned for us in the beginning. Our everlasting existence - eschatology, is that we don't have to ever end. We an return to Paradise where God first knew us. In between the beginning and eternity are two-types of lives: the physical and the spiritual. Revelation is about when the two become one, and we're glorified. "Glorification" is the return to the original state (to the image of God) in which man was created. Revelation is that time revealed. Who would not want to know their eternal destiny? Only those for which it is bleak.

Anger and Hatred

During President Trump's State of the Union message, I saw ugliness at its worst. Anyone capable of seeing should have recognized that Trump was reaching out. I'm sure the airwaves the last year or so has troubled him much. Constantly being accused of racism and hatred must be enervating.  Of course, he has made some crude remarks but haven't most of us? I'm astounded by the filth and derogatory comments coming from the mouth of anyone. The most profoundly disgusting and hateful are the Hollywood and media bunch.

First off, to call someone a "hater" and "racist" is presumptive. No one can read the contents of the mind of others. However, we know our own very well. Those who continually spew hateful epithets certainly know hatred for it lives within them. In bygone days, when someone flatulated, the denier would announce, the smeller is the feller. Indeed, those who perceive hatred propagate hatred. Like a flatulation, it's invisible, but with the spiritual senses, it can be smelled. 

Leviticus 6:15 And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the incense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the Lord.

The Lord loves the sweet smell of burning incense! It's aroma masks the stench of sin. Hatred is still in the air but the act of offering the perfume covers our human odor!  What incense is it that we should burn before the Lord?

Psalm 141:2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Luke 1:10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

"Incense" is the atmosphere mankind creates for prayer. Prayer covers the "smell" of hatred and division. People don't like it, but we are to pray for our enemies. Admittedly, that is hard to do!

Now for some truth: on the left side of the congress sat haters. There is no question about it. I don't know their hearts, of course, but they loudly proclaimed their disdain for the authority of the President by their facial expressions, lack of respect, and in words said afterward. Although I don't know what is on the inside, I couldn't help but detect their display of hatred on the outside. Mr. Trump was offering reconciliation but those on the left let their pride capture them. As they sat there, it was easily perceived that they were fuming. They were angry people, and the response to anger is hatred.

Hatred is associated with jealousy. The left was resentful that their desires weren't appeased but the right's was.

I perceived that those folks have a severe hatred of the President. To be honest, their attitude was projected onto me; my reaction to their lack of action was that I too was seething inside. I was beginning to hate them as much as they hate the President and people like me - "us basket of deplorables!"

Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

I sinned because they were sinning.

My brother and I were talking about that issue yesterday. We agreed: we don't like to be haters! The childish actions of the Democrats made me angry. My self-god needed appeasement but it was not forthcoming. Because of I was discomfited, admittedly I felt hatred inside. I was no better than them!

I like to think my anger is righteous because I defend the tenets of God. That is noble but my attitude was ignoble:

Rom 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 

For the hard-of-spiritual-hearing, it's not me who should deal with God's enemies but God Himself. I rationalize that the enemy of my God is my enemy.  God tells me to love him as myself and my neighbor:

Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you...

I can't argue with God! Because the left is God's enemy, He is the One who will deal with them. What is it that I must do?  Love and pray for them. That is hard work, and why it is commanded. If it was easy, then we would just do it.

Human beings get a satisfaction out of hating others. Of course, contrary to the left, there are many types of hatred beyond all the phobias they have identified. The main one, and my new term, is Christaphobia - the fear of Jesus Christ. Those are the ones that "despitefully use you" (verse 44 above) because they fear God's authority. 

God does not need our hatred. His method is love. I think that I saw love in action from Mr. Trump. He was trying to reconcile to cover the aroma of hatred. The left were angry campers that night, and there incense was the burning dung from prideful people. The dung was afire with burning anger. They and me, two opposites, in harmony together. They hated, and I hated them back. Satan smiled. Jesus cried.

If we get nothing else from the Bible, hatred is wrong. It comes easy and often but it's still wrong. It doesn't come from only the right or left; Satan is an equal opportunity hater. He has plenty to go around for everyone.

Loving our enemies is indeed hard work. Jesus said, give unto Caesar what is Caesar's" (Mat 22:21). Jesus hated Caesar's many sins, but he loved Caesar. In fact, Jesus died for him! Tiberias Augustus was one of the "whosoevers" in John 3:16 who would be saved if only he believed. Jesus was as gracious to Augustus as he was to Paul and us. Jesus didn't want that Caesar should perish, although Augustus was the archenemy of and "god" in opposition to Jesus! (Caesar worship).

Today, people are still Caesar worshipers. However, its not truly the leader to whom they are faithful; people appease their own gods by demanding things they want. Many seek power. The left seeks that power. On the other hand, Trump already has power, and it seems that he truly wants is what is in the best interest of the citizens of America. I must give Trump credit. Whereas, I was angry and hateful, he was cool and calm. If he hated, he concealed it well; better than I would have.

What should we Christians do? Pray for Congress and the President. Is that easy to do? No! That's why God respects our prayers; it shows meekness toward Him and others. Who wins? The meek shall inherit the earth (Mat 5:5). Is that under Trump? Nope; it's under Jesus when New Jerusalem comes down replacing this chaos (Rev 3:12). In that city it is us Christians who will be "kings and priests". Until that time, Satan is prince of the air (Ephes 2:2).

Obama was in office because it was the will of God. Trump is there because that too is God's will. Like it or not, Hillary is not president because it wasn't God's will. As I stayed calm with Obama, I call on the opposition to stay calm with Trump. That's the sane and right thing to do.

Compassion

This week we studied "Compassion" using the video of Dr. David Jeremiah. I believe the good doctor was half-way there, but missed the basic point of compassion. He focused merely on the Good Samaritan, and not the ultimate compassion, our suffering with Jesus as we present ourselves a "living sacrfice" (Rom 12:1). That sacrifice is compassion for God's "Name" - the God/man "called Jesus" (Luke 2:21).

The disposition of a Christian should be "compassionate" marking the experience as genuine. "Compassion" is the willingness to come to the aid of those in distress. That comes about by sympathizing with their turmoil. I hesitate using the word "sympathize" because it is more empathetic -  feeling their pain. Compassion is operationalizing the Golden Rule:

Mat 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

The Golden Rule has always been the rule: 

Lev 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.

Hence, loving thy neighbor is tantamount to "whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."

John seemed to contradict himself with these two verses:

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

2 John 1:5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 

We see from Lev 19:18 that the command to love our neighbors is ancient, thus, not a new commandment! Was John confused? Hardly - he explained it well:

1 John 2:8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

John implied that that commandment always was, but is new because before Christ, the Jews failed to practice it. John was declaring that those who know Jesus will practice brotherly love, not because they must but because it's their heart's desire! The newness was not in the letter of the law but the willingness to love without being coerced into it! Christians are to love others, not because of the law but in spite of it.

Let me give an example. If a man is honest only because he fears punishment, his honesty is not his but belongs to the law. If a man is honest because he empathizes with the victim, then the honesty is his own. The difference is compulsion compared to willingness. Those with a "circumcised heart" are willing to love because that became the creature's new nature. It was always so:

Deut 10:16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked. 

Deut 30:6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. 

(Note that Deut 30:6 is the Greatest Commandment!) Verse 10:16 allows that we must circumcise our hearts but 30:6 assigns the task to God. Indeed, God will circumcise the heart if we are willing to let him because we want that!

As you can see, "circumcision of the heart" was always God's will. It was symbolized by "circumcision of the foreskin" because the genitals were unclean and the focus of mankind's attention. Likewise, after Christ's coming, "circumcision of the heart" was the born-again experience symbolized by baptism - washing away the filth of the old creature and becoming new.

The new creature, with selfishness washed away, becomes a compassionate creature if the experience was genuine. It is God who bestows the compassion but it is man who operationalizes it. God gifts it; Christians execute it just like "circumcision of the heart".

With circumcision of the flesh, God required it and man did it. They were compelled to do so because being "stiff-necked" they had not the circumcised heart to do it willingly. With circumcision of the heart, God invokes the desire but man must assist with the sword - he reads the Word and responds of his own volition:

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

It's the Word of God which circumcises the heart. It is not dull and blunt but "sharper than a two-edged sword!"  When a Christian reads the Word of God, if it's sharpness is tested, the desire to change should come about. The Word slices through the flesh and reveals the soul and spirit!

Sacred literature relates that before original sin, mankind had a different covering. I contend that divine flesh which we will see again in Glory is our soul. The flesh was provided for mankind to live in the world. It's there to protect from the elements as well as suffer for Adam's sin. Our flesh is a constant reminder to obey willingly as we're tempted in the flesh. At death, the flesh will no longer comfort nor plague us!

Our plague right now is a lack of compassion. The etymology of compassion is from the Greek compati - "to suffer with".  Who are we to "suffer with?" I resort back to the Ten Commandments: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." (I commented on this command earlier in my blog http://kentuckyherrin.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-reverence-of-gods-name.html). I believe that "taking the Lord's Name - "Jesus" in vain (blasphemy) withholds salvation from those who take the Name's death frivolously. (God is without name but "is called Jesus").

Claiming to be disciples of Christ but not sympathizing with the agony of Christ, is taking the Lord's sacrifice as being without merit. To be a Christian, we must have compassion on Jesus - suffering with Him! We must contemplate Jesus's body and blood, and do that as he said, "in remembrance of me":

Luke 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

What are we to remember? The Passion of Jesus - the time from his coming to Jerusalem to his crucifixion. What are we to respond to Jesus's passion? We are to "suffer with him". When we commemorate the Last Supper, that's when we have compassion. Those who "unworthily" take the body and blood of Christ, take the Lord's sacrfice in vain.

1 Cor 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

This, I believe, is to what the Third Commandment refers! Not having compassion on Jesus's compassion is a violation of the Third Commandment. Jesus's passion - his suffering, was the ultimate show of love for mankind. We must, in our minds, suffer with Jesus as we take the wine and bread to remember him. When I take the elements, as I partake of each, I think on Jesus's passion for me. By not taking his body and blood frivolously, I am compassionate; thus worthy of taking the elements.

We think of compassion as for our neighbor - our fellow man. That is compassionate in humanism. Christians must have compassion for right reasons! If we're have not compassion for Jesus, our compassion for our fellow man is in vain! We can see that reality with the Bible story of the rich young ruler, whose focus was on his neighbors but not God.

Dr. Jeremiah spoke on compassion for our fellow man. That is good. I write on compassion for Jesus's Passion. That is better because the former without the latter is the work of man.