The resurrection of Jesus is a non-negotiable belief of the Christian Faith: Paul said, without it, all the preaching is empty and futile. So is your faith in Christ. Further, we are still under the curse of sin (death). In one short sentence he gets his point across:
And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty,and your faith is also empty…And if Christ has not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
1 Corinthians 15: 14, 17
Paul then states that everyone, including those who have died (fallen asleep), is forever gone (perished), and we are pitiable (worthy of pity).
Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable
1 Corinthians 15: 18, 19
The understanding of the teaching and reality of the resurrection is an all-or-nothing situation for the follower of Christ.
The New Testament alone uses the word “resurrection” (anastasis) 51 times. It means “rising from the dead. ” But it is also described in the Old Testament as well. Other related words such as “rise,” “risen,” and “raised ” double the number of times this topic appears in the Bible. Here are a couple of examples.
“Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’”
john 11:24
She had her theology right.
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:44
John’s theology was also correct. In the 6th chapter, John uses the phrase “raise him up’” three times in connection with those who “believe Him,” those “drawn to Jesus by the Father,” and those who symbolically “eat his flesh and drink his blood.” Just as daily food and drink gives life, a daily relationship with Jesus gives eternal life.
A pastor should be able to preach a sermon on this topic of resurrection every week for two or more years! So why is it, basically, only taught once a year at Easter?
It is because the focus of Easter programs are on the resurrection of Jesus only. Just as important, but rarely taught correctly, is our hope of being resurrected just as Jesus. This is our only hope of living forever.
The resurrection occurs at the literal return of Christ. Paul said this was His hope.
“…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and [the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; if somehow I may attain (achieve at succeeding) to the resurrection from the dead.
Phil 3: 10-11 (NKJV)
At another time,, Paul said this was not only his hope but also for those who look for His appearing (second coming):
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:8
The Cross and the Resurrection are the bedrock of the Apostle’s teachings because they had seen both events with their own eyes. They were eyewitnesses.
… if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9
The resurrection has been watered down by pagan beliefs that the soul is immortal and will live somewhere forever. The picture of the soul floating away at death to its reward is highly unbiblical and, quite frankly is for ghost stories and Halloween, not for the reality or resurrection of the body and the soul at the time of Christ’s return. The immortal soul teaching negates the need for a resurrection or even the second coming of Christ.
Probably, the most desperate attempt to make sense of the importance of the resurrection and an immortal soul flying away to heaven at death is the teaching that we all come back for our bodies. This contradicts Paul’s discussion on receiving immortality and changed bodies at the return of Christ (1 Corinthians 15: 51-55).
The Bible plainly teaches that death is exactly what the word means and is an enemy to both the body and soul. Jesus said,
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10: 28
There is no such thing as an immortal soul on this side of the return of Christ. It does not appear in the Bible. The person who sins is subject to the death of the soul:
“The soul who sins shall die.”
Ezekiel 18: 4, 20
We are not given immortality at death but at the resurrection. Paul describes it very clearly in the entire 15th Chapter of 1 Corinthians.
“The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.”
1 Corinthians 15: 16
When is death destroyed? At the Second Coming of Christ! When the trumpet will sound, and the dead are resurrected. It is then that we receive new bodies not subject to corruption, decay, or death.
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Corinthians 15: 51-52
It is at this point that we receive immortality of both body and soul, and death is never more for the redeemed.
So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
1 Corinthians 15: 54
What a great thought! When Jesus returns, we all go to meet Jesus in the air. A spectacular family reunion of all those who sleep in Christ! Angels delivering long lost loved ones, babies returned to the arms of mothers and fathers!
How important is the resurrection? It is everything to the Christian. Jesus has the keys to death and the grave and one day He will unlock it!
Jesus demonstrated the possibility and the hope of our resurrection when He returned by His own resurrection. We become the fruits of His resurrection. He was the First Fruit!
“But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.”
1 Corinthians 15:23
Until next time, blessings as you consider these things. May it bring comfort to your soul. Comfort one another with these words as Paul instructed the disheartened people of Thessalonica:
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
I heard this question many years ago from a famous speaker, Morris Venden. Professor Venden taught religion at Andrews University when he was not traveling and talking about his favorite topic: Righteousness by Faith Through Jesus Christ.
What do you think? Your answer may reveal your view of God and His plan of salvation.
The Difference Between Religiosity and Born-Again.
We all know, from the lips of Jesus, that we are lost if we’ve never been born again: Jesus told the very religious Nicodemus,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3
Nicodemus was a ruler and a Pharisee, but he was drawn to the Savior, whose words often cut across the pious religious teachers and theologians. The well-educated church leader sought a private meeting with Jesus at night to evaluate Jesus and His teachings. Nicodemus was good at being a (fill in the name of any denomination). But Jesus quickly and directly told Nicodemus of his critical need for a new heart…a new way of thinking.
Before you answer the question of the day, let’s consider the elements of Salvation. First, it always starts and ends with God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They are all involved in saving you from eternal death. It was love that instituted the plan of salvation. They planned it and instituted it. They maintain it. Both our justification (title to heaven) and sanctification (fitness for heaven) are two different experiences connected together thru Christ, but both are God’s gifts! Philippians 2:13
Was the Plan of Salvation Easy or Hard for the Godhead?
I maintain it was easy to do, in one sense, because of God’s great love for His creation, but it was not an easy road to travel to ensure our eternal life, especially for Jesus, whose cross was the object lesson of God’s great love, grace, and forgiveness available for sinners of all kinds.
Jesus faced rejection, sorrow, shame, and eventually, a horrendous bloody death on the cross. The Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Angels must have suffered with Him. They were not casual observers; they were invested in this work of salvation.
Jesus died a perceived “second” death, unable to see through the portals of the tomb. He was sure He would never see His Father nor Heaven again. Yet, He became sin for us…filthy, dripping, smelly sin! But, Paul tells us it was “joy” that motivated Him to stay on the cross. Jesus could see a happy multitude of people who would receive atonement for their sins and, thereby, a blissful eternity near His beloved Father.
“…for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,…”
Hebrews 2:2
But it was God the Father’s great love for us that initiated the act of Grace and the free gift of Jesus for us. Read those familiar words in John 3:16 again. What is it that is at stake in this verse? Repeat it very slowly, listening to every word. It is eternal death (perish) or eternal life. Before Jesus “gave up His spirit” that day, He felt God the Father had forsaken Him, and He (Jesus) was perishing. The lost will perish because they “choose” not to believe (trust) Jesus. Perishing is not living for eternity in flames.
So is it easier to be saved or easier to be lost?
It was difficult for God, so it would be easy for us.
We don’t have to die on a cross for forgiveness from our stinking sins. We don’t have to whip ourselves or go on long pilgrimages to win the favor of a Holy God. We don’t have to pay our way into Heaven. We don’t have to have perfect church attendance or halos around our heads. We don’t have to do penitence or say a thousand “Hail Marys.” These are left-over teachings of false gods who worked off of guilt, fear, and control.
But we do have to choose Jesus. This can be hard because there are so many choices out there. But choosing means yielding to the drawing of the Holy Spirit (aka conviction). When you decide, it is as easy as opening a door.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20
It was easy for the thief on the cross even though he was a the height of pain and hopelessness. All he had to do was ask Jesus to remember him when Jesus returned.
Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
Luke 23:42
Yielding to the conviction of the Holy Spirit is almost always referred to as “surrender,” giving up our sins for his righteousness….our own thoughts, and ways to His leading. Then peace will flow like a river, even in tough times.
The Jesus Journey Begins
Once we start on our journey with Jesus and our new heart, obedience to His will becomes our heart’s desire. Obedience because of a changed way of thinking…not obedience to receive salvation. It is already yours! So, once you choose Jesus, your salvation is easy. But the road can be difficult. Don’t buy the dangerous doctrine of not being able to lose your crown. Once you have been born of the spirit, the flesh will war against the Spirit. But it is easy to let God fight this battle for you by giving yourself to him afresh every day.
God cannot make us choose. But if we do, He will change our hearts and mold us into new creatures. We will be transformed from the person that looks and thinks like Jesus. This is the goal, but the trip is made easy with Jesus at your side and you at His side. While the experience of being born-again is instantaneous and joyous, we are constantly told in Scripture to be on guard. Why? Because we are now in a battle with the world…with the flesh.
If you look at the council of scripture, it is almost always directed to the believer. Why? Because we must be aware and on guard for the crown being taken away from us:
“Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.” Revelation 3:11
If we let Jesus reign in our lives, our path, though tough at times, will be smoothed by His grace and power. He promises to save us to the uttermost.
“…grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Roman’s 5:20-21
Let God’s Grace “reign through righteousness” in your heart today!
Our salvation was hard for God so that it would be easy for us…If we will accept it. Turn to Jesus and be saved today, and let Him rule in your life. You will find peace and joy in your journey even though there may be a cross in your future. or there is one now. He will remember you when He comes into His kingdom. Praise His Name!
Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain, and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He compassionately said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he, who was dead, sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.
Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us”; and, “God has visited His people.” And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.
Luke 7: 11-17
More Than A Prophet
Jesus had left Capernaum earlier in the day and walked 20 miles to the little village of Nain. His disciples, and many others, had followed Him after witnessing the healing of the Centurion’s servant.
Jesus never actually met the Centurion. The powerful ranking officer of the Roman army felt so unworthy that he sent messengers to Jesus, expressing his great faith, unlike the chosen of Israel, in Jesus’ power to heal by simply saying the word. Jesus didn’t need to come to the Centurion’s house to perform the miracle. Jesus marveled at his faith and said,
“Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 8: 10-12
Such a contrast between the faith and destiny of an “unchosen” (A Gentile) and the “chosen!” (Abraham’s descendants). The unchosen’s faith saved him for eternity. The Chosen’s faith and religiosity, absent of faith in Christ, would lead to outer darkness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth.
The people, too, marveled at the words of Jesus that went contrary to the arrogant religious leaders’ self-serving theology. It left many wondering about the mission of Jesus.
An only son brought back to life.
As the crowd walked toward Nain, the thoughts of Jesus’ miracle of healing the Centurnion’s servant still lingered in each person’s mind. Was He the promised Messiah described by all the prophets of Israel? Hope was in the heart of many who saw Jesus perform miracles, and doubt in the minds of others who saw it as trickery.
On Nain’s outskirts, Jesus and followers came upon a slow-moving and mournful funeral procession. Following the open casket was the bereaved mother whose only son lay lifeless on the raised carrier of his body. This young man was her only son and the only support left in the widow’s life. Her weeping was painful and pitiful. In the heart of Jesus awoke sympathy and sadness for the widow.
Because of her downcast posture and eyes full of tears, she didn’t see Jesus at first, but He came close to her and said,
“Weep not.”
“When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her.” (Luke 7:13) As she moved on blindly, weping, noting not His presence, He came close beside her, and gently said, “Weep not.” Jesus was about to change her grief to joy, het He could not forbear the expression of tender sympathy.”
Desire of Ages, p. 318
In the moment of her deepest despair, not knowing of Jesus’ presence, her pain was to turn into pure joy! Likewise, even when we cannot sense the presence of God, He feels our grief and anguish! Let us look up, in faith, from our troubles into the eyes of Jesus!
“He came and touched the open coffin.” The crowd stopped and grew silent in anticipation of Jesus’ next words. They were not to be disappointed.
“Young man, I say to you, arise.”
That voice pierces the ears of the dead. The young man opens his eyes.
But much more…
“So he,who was dead, sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.“
“Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.”
But Jesus is more than a prophet! He has the keys to the grave and death (Revelation 1:18). He can unlock those bound by death and let them go!
“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Matthew 28:18
Real Death
The young man was returned to life on this earth but would die again someday, awaiting another resurrection. One that would last forever. There is no indication of how long the widow’s son had been dead. The mourning and preparations likely took a few days.
The Bible records others who were raised back to life. Lazarus had been dead for four days. Long enough to give off the stench of rotting flesh.
“Lord, by this time, there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
John 11: 39
Another raised from the dead was Jarius’ daughter. While Jesus was on his way to help the young girl, she died.
He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”Jesus went with him.
While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
Mark 5: 23-24, 35
Unlike Lazarius (dead four days) and the widow’s son (dead approximately the same time as Lazarius), the little girl died that day.
Some commentators forget that Jesus raised more than three people. Many in the graves came forth when Jesus died and was resurrected. Their time in death must have been even longer than Lazarus, the widow’s son, and Jarius’ daughter. It could have been weeks, perhaps even years.
Why is the length of time of death significant? For a few reasons:
1.) Their coming back to life was not a few moments or even minutes on an operating table or elsewhere. It was to the point of decay! This is why I cannot put much confidence in the modern stories of those who “died” and came back to life. They are unbiblical delusional accounts. and often motivated by fame and fortune in book sales.
2.) Of all those that Jesus resurrected, they are no stories of them seeing heaven. No books of the Bible are written by them describing paradise’s beauties. So where were they? Simply put, they were dead and in their graves awaiting the resurrection. Jesus described their condition as like sleep (unconscious of time or space).
Of Lazarus, He said,
“Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”….Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.
Luke 11:10, 14
To the mourners of Jarius’ daughter, Jesus said,
The child is not dead but sleeping.”
Mark 5: 39
3.) The best comfort a Christian can get at losing a loved one is not that the deceased are looking down on a sinful hateful world or are anxious about whether a loved one will join them. This cannot be heaven to them. But instead, their death is like a quick moment of sleep in the arms and mind of Jesus, who “has the keys to the grave and death.” He alone can bring back loved ones from dust to life. That dead person will feel like their death was just a moment, while it may have been hundreds, even thousands of years!
Even in the oldest book of the Bible, Job put his comfort in the fact of the resurrection by the Redeemerin the last day even though the skin would be destroyed in death.
For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! Job 19: 25-27
The last-day-resurrection-of-the-saved was known in Jesus’ time. Martha knew it when she said to Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus:
“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
John 11:24
My friends find comfort in Paul’s statement to the Thessalonians. These believers were worried about those who died and did not live to see the return of Christ. He ends the encouraging description with “Comfort one another with these words.” This is where I find comfort for my mother and father, who passed away. They were “in Christ.” They sleep for a moment; then they see Jesus coming in the clouds!
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep (There’s that word again!) lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. …For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1
Thessalonians 4: 13 14-18
The widow of Nain, Lazarus, Jarius’ daughter, and the many saints resurrected with Jesus after His death on the cross all testify of the power of the resurrection. This power separates Him from any other person claiming to be God. He has the keys to the grave and death!
Brother or sister, are you “in Christ”? If you are, you too will see Jesus when He gives you and all those asleep in Christ immortality at the second coming (See 1 Corinthians 15: 51-55)
Note: I have edited Pastor Salazar’s article using words to make it non-denominational specific. Why? Because if we are in Christ, we are in His body of believers regardless of where we attend church.
As a pastor, I have noticed over the years that one of the main reasons people stop going to church is the lack of friends and meaningful relationships in the church. Loneliness and church should be an oxymoron.
The Church is losing members at an alarming rate. Even though the evangelism in our churches is winning people, we lose about 49 of every 100 baptized,” writes Kirk Thomas.”* We are losing many members because of the lack of meaningful connections in the church.
Recently a friend who will soon retire and move away went to a church where no one made eye contact with him. The next weekend, he went to a different church. The people were friendly. A man asked if he had plans for lunch and told him not to make other plans because he was coming with his family to eat. I call that a warm welcome!
Our present post-pandemic culture is making it harder to develop meaningful personal relationships. The shopping mall is Amazon. The movie theater is Netflix. The office is Zoom. And the church service is on the Internet.
Church as a Social Club
Some say we go to church to meet God, which should not be used as a social club. I disagree. Acts 2:45 says, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers (KJV).
The social aspect in our churches is bigger and deeper than we realize. In fact, this verse says that as important as doctrine is, it is not the only thing the early Christians were committed to do. They steadfastly had koinonia (Greek for “fellowship”).
Acts 2:46, 47 continues: “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
People should join the church because of the doctrines (or the truth), but they should stay because of the friends they have in the church.
After the pandemic, people are more disconnected than ever before, and some are not returning. Fut for those that do, there should be a small-group ministry they can be immediately connected to–not only for Bible study but also to socialize and have fun.
This small group should be established for more than studying theology–it should also develop deep friendships.
Weekend Bible Classes as Small Group Ministry
Several years ago, my wife, Janet, and I had just moved to Columbia, Maryland, and were looking for a church to call home. After visiting several churches, we found the one we were looking for–all because of the Bible class. They gave us a warm welcome in their class. We join their potluck; we go on weekend afternoon walks. We play table games on Saturday nights; we go camping together and celebrate special occasions together. Our class goes beyond the worship time because there is koinonia.
If every Bible class were as engaging, many of our churches would need to have a couple of services. Why? People are looking for meaningful Christian friends that go beyond a few hours at church. It should be a requirement for the local church to plug every newly baptized member into an active Bible class.
During the month of January this year, Maryland went through a wave of COVID-19 Omicron variant illness, and my wife and I got sick. Our Bible class showed their care for us by bringing us food. The best medicine against the loneliness of COVID is an active Bible class that is watching out for each other.
And for us, going to Bible class is not a duty but a delight.
The average person is often amazed at the people who join a cult and wind up giving their lives for their charismatic leader and his beliefs. But this is exactly what the Christians of the early church and some in different oppressive parts of the world have done. What makes the difference? Is Jesus a cult leader? The answer to this is a resounding “No.” What makes Him different? The answer might surprise you.
Some may judge others as cultic but are in a cult and don’t even know it. The first cult leader is Satan. He is the father of lies and cultism—these questions we will explore over the next few articles.
In our search to understand Cults, let’s start with the English definitions. Webster’s Dictionary has five ways the word can be used. The second use of the term has three subsets.
1. A religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious. Spurious means “not appearing to be what it claims to be.”
A religion that doesn’t fit the mainstream or majority of religions.
2. a.) Great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (such as a film or book.).
Musicians, actors, politicians,and other famous or infamous people would also fit here. A band and its members who are, in effect, worshiped and adored fiercely. They come before anything else.
b.)The object of such devotion
This appears to be non-living objects or non-philosophical, e.g., cars and activities such as travel. I am still pondering the exact meaning of this definition.
c.) A usually small group of people characterized by such devotion
The critical concept among the subsets (a, b, c) is “devotion.” From this first definition, a cult is not just the classic understanding of religious cults. A person devoted to other people, activities, or anything of great devotion can be considered a cult under this definition. That sounds like quite a few categories, not just churches.
Webster continues with the definitions:
3. A system of religious beliefs and rituals also: its body of adherents
The key word here is “system” It is a programmed set of rules, ideas, and activities required and obeyed by its “adherents.” The Bible refers to such cults in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. We will explore this later.
4. Formal religious veneration: Worship
The key word here is “formal” and “veneration.” The act of showing great reverence and respect in a formal pastoral setting.
5. A system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator. A promulgator is a person or organization that promotes an idea to make it popular. An example would be health cults,
Summary
From these definitions, cults are all around us. While religious cults are most widely recognized, non-religious people can also fall into a cult but try to call it something else. According to these definitions, the key elements of a cult revolve around the concepts of devotion, beliefs, and rituals. This sounds like most mainstream religions of the day, including the many subsets of Protestantism, i.e., denominations.
RELIGIOUS CULTS
That is the subject of this article. What makes up a religious cult? Are they easily identified?
Can a mainline denomination be a cult and not realize it if they have unfounded devotion to their charismatic pastor, priest, etc., above Jesus? Do they depend on him or her for answers to Biblical questions or direction?
Author
Famous cults are led by strong, charismatic, deceptive, controlling, narcissistic men and women. Here are just a few that most people would recognize.
1.) The Manson Family
The infamous 1969 family of young people controlled and mesmerized by Charles Manson was persuaded to murder at least nine people in the Hollywood area of California. The followers of Manson lived communally in a movie ranch outside of Los Angeles.
The elements of a cult are here:
Charismatic, strong devotion of the adherents, deception, control, beliefs about the corruption of Hollywood people, and narcissism even though religion, per se, had nothing o do with the motivation and lifestyle of the followers.
2.) Heaven’s Gate
Founded by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Lu Nettles, they recruited adherents through the Internet. They believed that the end of the earth was near.
The followers believed they would be beamed into the “Next Level” in their living bodies into an alien spacecraft. When Bonnie Lu Nettles died of cancer in the mid-’80s, Applewhite changed his philosophy: Death would be necessary to climb to the Next Level of existence. In March of 1997, 39 cult members were found dead in their commune, all arranged in excellent order and wearing Nike running shoes. A later autopsy showed the male members had been castrated. The group had strict rules against sex.
The elements of a cult are here. First, a strong follower recruits vulnerable people to participate in a new order of belief that leads to death on the word of a charismatic leader who talks and establishes a set of beliefs with authority.
3.) David Koresh’s Branch Davidians
Koresh claimed to be the Messiah. What he said was the law. He believed he had a special revelation from God, and God was directing him to have sex with many different women. He annulled all earthly marriages by his word alone.
He believed and taught that the world’s end was imminent and that there would be a great battle between good and evil before that time came. For the Branch Davidians, the end of the world came on February 28, 1993, when the ATF using its power of a search warrant and looking for a stockpile of weapons, gave up on negotiation and used the force of military-type weapons on its target…a home filled with women and children. Seventy-seven people, men, women, and children, died in flames or gunfire.
It could be said that there were two cults involved here. One was religious in nature, and the other was the police agencies. Strong leaders lead both with their own set of beliefs. But unfortunately, its leaders’ use of control, stubbornness, and lack of common sense led to death.
The Peoples Temple
Jim Jones, a former Methodist Minister, founded it. The church and its members had the noble goal of freeing people from racial segregation and poverty. Most of its members were black, inspired by the message of Jones.
Jones promised a utopia in Jonestown, but the rules were strict, and mock suicide drills were common. Eventually, after continued rumors of financial fraud and physical abuse in the congregation, 909 people took their lives at Jones’ command with a “Kool-Aid” mix laced with cyanide. Approximately 300 of the dead were children.
We could go on and on and discuss the many other easily recognized cults in our society,
*NXIVM, led by Keith Raniere;
*The Children of God started as Teens for Christ in Huntington Beach, California, in the late 1960s by a man named David Berg
*The Rajneeshees Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh was an Indian guru with thousands of disciples who lived in a commune near Antelope, Oregon. Rajneesh lived a good life. He owned 93 Rolls Royces. He believed sex was fun, materialism was good, and Jesus was a madman.
Acceptable and Superious Cults
Webster’s forensic definition gives us a framework for understanding cults, but the cults themselves provide detailed characteristics.
The cults listed above have these 6 simple things in common.
1.) A strong charismatic leader with definite or evolving beliefs. They are narcissistic and materialistic while teaching ideals to others.
2.) Strong, charismatic leaders often benefit through sex, wives, riches, or power. The followers devote all they have, including money to their leader to the exclusion of family.
3.) The followers adhere to these beliefs, usually without a Biblical basis. They are missing something in society and have little self-worth. They exhibit naivety and lack common sense or the ability to think on their own. They find their mission and purpose for life in the group.
4.) The adherents are controlled by tough rules. If a person doesn’t pay by the rules, they are “excommunicated.”
5.) They would die for their beliefs.
6.) There are no options for choice or doubt.
There is a fine line between cultism and not, as there is between truth and error.
Next time, we will look at modern religions that have the characteristics of a cult and those that don’t. We will also explore the Bible’s warnings against following anyone other than Jesus. We will discover why Jesus is the anti-cult leader and what makes Him so.
I was asking this same question for a moment as I studied the bible. But I was looking for a specific verse I wish you would address.
Revelation 14:10-11
“…they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”
I can understand all the verses but this one. If truly it’s destruction, how do you see this one as an eternal torment with no rest day and night?
Response:
Hasin, Thank you for your question. If Revelation 14: 10-11 were the only verses we had in scripture on the fate of the lost, I would still see a conflict in its words with the remainder of the Bible, which describes our Creator’s character of love, mercy, justice, and fairness. There are so many verses that describe something different from what we think we are seeing in this one verse. Very clear verses without symbols or metaphors tell us clearly that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23, not life in non-ending flames. God’s love for the world was so great that He allowed His Son to perish on the cross for our sins so we don’t have to perish as He did.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him SHOULD NOT PERISH but have everlasting life. John 3:16
The lost do not live forever (even in flames). Only those “who has the Son has life” not those who do not have the Son:
And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1 John 5:11-12
When we think it through, those who maintain that God burns people alive in a place called hell for eternity want us to believe that a loving, merciful Creator exchanges a lost person’s short time on earth for trillions of years of punishment in stinging hot flames without any mercy at all.
They want us to believe that God’s wrath is so great that it can never be quenched. His anger will never be satisfied.
So, what is John describing in the book of Revelation that we may be missing? He is describing through symbols the end of those who choose to worship the beast over Himself. It is a specific group at the end of time. First, let’s look at this verse and see what is literal and what is symbolic, and always careful to remember context with God’s character of love.
“…he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
Revelation 14: 10-11
Here are the metaphors and symbols lifted out of the verses:
1.) Drinking the wine of the wrath of God.
2.) God pouring out this wrath
3.) Smoke of torment.
If we take this passage literally, we see people burning in flames right in front of Jesus and the lamb forever…every day…without end…The redeemed can actually see the smoke off their suffering bodies! So how can that be heaven for them and us who “follow the lamb wheresoever he goes?” (verse 4). Logically, and knowing what we know about Jesus, we suspect we may be missing the symbolism of a one-time fire of everlasting “destruction.”
Also, if we take it literally, those who worship the beast and its image continue to do so in the flames. So something about taking this literally doesn’t add up with the nature of God, Jesus, and heaven.
The problem with the Western mind is the understanding of the word “forever.” We use it one way, i.e., “without end.” The same with the word “everlasting.” We look at it as it without end. But the Greek word aiōn, translated into English forever, can mean until its purpose is completed. Here is an example to consider.
The Bible uses Sodom and Gomorrah as an example of suffering the “vengeance of eternal fire” Jude 1:7 Yet the flames have gone out and turned into ashes,
“turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;” 2 Peter 2: 6
So very clearly, we see that there is an example of the fate of the lost. Their fire will have eternal effects…not eternal duration. They will be turned to ashes.
Malachi and other passages confirm that the fate of the lost is being burned to ashes, and there is nothing left of them…no root or branch.
“For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch. Malachi 4:1
Even Satan, himself, will be turned to ashes
“You defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you. Ezekiel 28:18
Ask a fireman about an unquenchable file. When they arrive on the scene of a house engulfed in flames, they can’t put it out …it is unquenchable…Consequently, they wait for the flames to die down after doing its work of destruction. An unquenchable fire can’t be put out, but it will eventually die out.
Those who know God personally like they would a loving earthly father feel uncomfortable with the ancient Pagan belief in a vengeful God who tortures unbelievers in flames without end. It doesn’t fit the remainder of the Bible’s description of the love and mercy of a benevolent Father and Son. Many preachers are turning away from the scare tactics of hell to the love expressed in the cross. It is the love, kindness, and mercy that leads people to Christ.
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”
John 12: 22
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” Jeremiah 31:3
Pastors, draw people to Jesus this way without the scare tactics and you will see revival in your church. Show His mercy, and eagerness to forgive. Lift Him up! Be like Paul when he said to unruly church at Corinth:
For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 1
You love your father greatly. You have a thousand reasons to do so. As a child, you can recall sitting on his lap as he read Bible stories and books about adventure. He took you to church every week and told you about the love of the Creator and how Jesus gave his life so that you could live eternally without any pain or sorrow. You had great times with him at the many places you went together, especially the hiking trips and fishing for your supper.
You noticed him praying in the morning and crying over loved ones who had passed away or had walked away from his Savior. He helped strangers in need and would give any of them the “shirt off his back.” He was your rock in times of trouble, pain, and doubt. You know without a doubt that he loves you and would give his life for you without even thinking about it.
One day America was attacked, and he joined the Air Force to protect liberty and shield you and the rest of the country from tyranny. He became a high-ranking officer and directed a lot of men into battle. Most all of them respected him (in the same manner you would) for his kindness even when he had to be resolute in making tough life-and-death decisions.
One day you hear that your sweet Dad tortured the enemy he captured. He did so by slowly burning them. He would let the fire slowly roast them until they cried out for mercy, willing to tell any war secrets, but your Dad showed no mercy. He wanted to punish the prisioners.
Would you believe these stories? Of course not, because you know your Father. You have a relationship with him. Yet, modern Christian teachers describe our heavenly Father as One who has reserved a place where people burn without end, tortured throughout eternity without any mercy or relief. The Author of life keeps them alive, so they continue to burn and suffer. Do you believe this?
I know my Heavenly Father. He is gracious, full of compassion, slow to anger, and great in mercy. Quick to forgive! This is the first reason why I know that this place of torture is not real but created by the enemy himself.
The next way I know the truth is from the Bible. The wages of sin is death or perishing…The warning against unbelief is found in John 3:16., but it is not eternal torture.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should NOT PERISH but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
Everyone knows God loved all of us so much that He was willing to let Jesus die so we could have eternal life and NOT PERISH! If we believe the false teaching about torture, John 3:16 would have to be rewritten to say,
“whosoever believes in him will not go to hell and be tortured…”
The warning to Adam and Eve would be,
“The day you eat of the tree, you will surely go to hell and be tortured forever.
Genesis 2:17 (modified)
What amazes me is that these teachers get angry when someone rejects the idea that God tortures those who choose not to believe. Is this the kind of God you want to serve in heaven? Or is it a human desire for the wicked to experience unsatisfied anger? Many preachers ask,
“How how can I get people to come to Christ without a non-stop burning place? In other words, they feel that scaring the lost will create a life-saving relationship with Jesus. Here is my answer; bring them to Christ by demonstrating the great love of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Did we scare our spouses into marriage? Or did we woo and draw them with our great love for them?
“…I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3.
Lift Jesus up and He will draw the the lost to himself,
“If I am lifted up, I will draw all men unto myself.” John 12:32. “
Here are some of the clearest and most powerful verses on the fate of the lost (not a parable.). As instructed through inspiration, we should consider the coming of Jesus and how we live and relate to the lost. There is a hell, but it is not eternal. It burns people up instead of torturing them. The coming destruction is a warning to the people of this earth.
By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
2 Peter 3: 7-12
An apparent delay…out of mercy:
2 Peter 3: 7-9 (above) reveals some important truths about the character of God:
1.) We think God is slow concerning His promises, but He is not tied to our mortal time-keeping and has a purpose for His apparent delay.
2.) God is patient with us. What is He waiting for that requires his divine patience? It is repentance from sin.
3.) He does not want anyone to perish. The Greek word for “perish” is “apollymi.” It means to destroy or abolish. This makes sense if you read the verses proceeding today’s verse:
4.) At the Second Coming of Jesus, He burns up the earth and those who are “ungodly.”
5.) These facts tell us we should be living lives where we remember what God is going to do to this earth.
The coming of Christ is a destructive event. It destroys the earth and those who are unrepentant “perish” in its fire. Please note: The verse does not say God does not want anyone to “go to hell” or be tortured throughout eternity. The fate of the lost is eternal destruction (Perish). Those who twist scripture to ignore the love of God and His desire to keep people from perishing ignore passages that demonstrate that God is love. Any teaching that is not founded on this Biblical principal is false.
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.” Psalm 103:8.
How do we relate to the wickedness of this world? Do we want unrepentant sinners to burn in hell forever? This is a human wish not God’s. Or do we want to save them from the coming eternal destruction?.
For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Hebrews 10:39
The soul that sins shall die…For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!
A predominant word used in today’s politics and legal circles is “tolerance.” Tolerance is defined as:
“the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular, the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.
What does it mean to”tolerate something?” It means to:
“allow the existence, occurrence, or practice of (something that one does not necessarily like or agree with) without interference.”
To tolerate different opinions should be in the heart and mind of every American who understands that this country arose from the ashes of religious and civil intolerance in Europe. The driving desire of the settlers of America was to create a nation of tolerance and acceptance because of their experience with intolerance and persecution in the “old country.”
During the Reformation era, as the Bible became more and more the source of faith for individual believers, it conflicted with the teachings of the powerful church in Europe, and persecution soon followed. The followers of Jesus and the Bible during these tough times longed for the freedom of conscience and to worship without being claimed a heretic or facing death. But, the ruling class and the powerful Roman Catholic church forbid any thoughts different than its own dogmas and traditions. Throughout its history, the papacy leveraged the power of the state to enforce its will upon the masses. Thus, a forbidden marriage of the church and the political power of the state combined to enforce its religious decrees.
Millions died who were not “tolerated” by the church/state. These people were not “allowed to exist” because of their Biblical views. The history of persecution and death from the papacy over the controversy of who should be the final source of truth (Jesus and the Bible or the Pope and its commentary called the Catechism) is the classic definition of intolerance using the power of the state. Millions of dissenters from the church were destroyed because the Pope did not want them to exist.
“From the birth of Popery in 606 AD to the present time, it is estimated by careful and credible historians that more than fifty million of the human family have been slaughtered for the crime of heresy by popish persecutors, an average of more than forty thousand religious murders for every year of the existence of popery.”
— “History of Romanism,” pp. 541, 542. New York: 1871.
The founders of America wanted a nation without a pope or a king. Why? Because they had come to learn the importance and rights of all to have views and to be allowed to exist, particularly Christian Biblical views.
Of course, to have a nation like this, the Christians would have to live by their own words and “tolerate” other worldviews.
Does Disagreement With Someone’s Religion or World View Necessarily Mean They are Intolerant?
If we understand the word “intolerant” and the history of “intolerance,” we know the answer to this question to be “No.” The deciding factor in turning the answer into a “Yes” are the actions taken by those with the power to force the dissenter to either not exist or to persecute them in some way.
The Christian who believes that Jesus is the only truth and does not accept a different view is not intolerant in their beliefs any more than the Muslim who feels the same way about Mohammed, but it becomes intolerant when one of the groups persecutes the other.
The apostle Paul expressed the concept of “tolerance” in the great love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 when he said,
“Love suffers long and is kind….endures all things.”
1 Corinthians 13: 4,7
A follower of Christ must be tolerant and loving even though they are compelled to make known the truth as found in Christ.
“♦…today a new definition of tolerance is systematically being foisted upon the minds of all people. For example, Thomas A Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity states, ‘The definition of new tolerance is that every individual’s beliefs, lifestyle, and perception of truth claims are equal…Your beliefs and my beliefs are equal, and all truth is relative.”
So the modern, historically uninformed college student is encouraged to erase and rewrite “bad history” hope to adopt an exaggerated form of tolerance where all philosophies and world views are equal. I can’t help but think of the words of a classic rock song,
“Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong.”-Buffalo Springfield, For What It’s Worth.”
In the context of an equal and relative truth, these lyrics could also read,
Nobody’s wrong if everybody’s right.
But, here is the immediate danger in this new definition of tolerance….the real truth becomes lost or eliminated if we discern truth by our feelings and whatever we desire it to be. Under this thinking of relative truth, everybody is right!
♦The misconception about relative truth assumes that truth is inclusive, that it gathers under its wings claims that oppose each other. The fact, however, is that all truth is exclusive---at least to some degree---for it must exclude as false that which is not true.
For instance, it is true that Washington D.C. is the capital city of the United State of America. This means that no other city in the United States is that country's capital. In fact, no other city on planet Earth or anywhere in the universe can lay legitimate claim to being the capital city of the United States. One city and one only fits the bill and that's Washington D.C.
Simply because just one city is the United States' capital does not mean that the people who affirm this truth are therefore intolerant. They may like scores of other cities and even live in different cities themselves. They may even live in different countries and prefer their country to America. Accepting the exclusive truth claim about Washington D.C. does not make a person tolerant or intolerant---it simply makes him or her correct about what the capital city of the United States is.
The same is true about Christianity. If the claims of the Christian faith are true---and many people accept them as true---these people are no more intolerant for their belief than those people who accept Washington D.C. as the United States capital. They are either correct or mistaken about how God has revealed Himself in the world.
The main problem with the all-inclusive view of truth is that it also stifles the follower of this philosophy from seeking the truth. The Christian will tell you that the source of truth is found in God’s word and in the life of Jesus. To test this or any other claimant of truth, must have a starting place. That origin of entry for truth must be historical with eyewitness accounts and proof that the truth works on a practical plain.
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 14:6
He made many other claims. He clearly stated that the Tanakh (Old Testament) was about Him:
You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
John 5:39
He explained to the uninformed and confused and misunderstanding disciples how the Tanakh “testified of Him.”
Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Luke 24: 44, 45
But many people are afraid to “Search the Scripture” to see if what He claims is true or not. Why? The only reason can be FEAR.
Fear of being wrong. Because of pride, people resist the admission of having the wrong idea, philosophy, or worldview.
Fear of Change or Lifestyle. They reason their life won’t be as fun and enjoyable.
Fear of Accountability. Things they practice may have consequences.
Fear of Losing Friends. Accepting the truth may push away friends and family.
It was these types of fears and misconceptions about tolerance that kept the people of Noah’s time from getting on the boat and saving their lives. In the end, failing to pursue truth regardless of what one might think to be truth will keep many from eternal life as promised by God and Jesus Christ.
Nothing has changed since the days of Noah. People continue to avoid the pursuit of truth because of fear.
And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will also be in the days of the Son of Man:
Luke 17:6
To conclude this short discussion on tolerance and its relationship to truth, an appropriate story (from the book Great Controversy) about the pursuit of truth comes from a man called Gaussen, who was influenced by the prevailing truth of the day (18th and 19th century) i.e., rationalism. It is definedas:
A belief or theory that opinions and actions should be based on reason and knowledge rather than on religious belief or emotional response.
But, as he studied Jesus and the prophecies…his life changed. He wanted to tell the adults in his part of the world about what he discovered in the Bible but found them resistant, so he taught the children to see if they could understand the information. The results were unexpected.
Many today claim to be tolerant and have an open mind. There is no human with a mind more open than a child. Jesus knew this when he said,
“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:3
♦As he (Gaussen) pursued his investigation of the prophecies, he arrived at the belief that the coming of the Lord was at hand. Impressed with the solemnity and importance of this great truth, he desired to bring it before the people, but the popular belief that the prophecies of Daniel are mysteries and cannot be understood was a serious obstacle in his way. He finally determined—as Farel—had done before him in evangelizing Geneva—to begin with the children, through whom he hoped to interest the parents.
“I desire this to be understood,” he afterward said, speaking of his object in this undertaking. “it is not because of its small importance, but on the contrary because of its great value, that I wished to present it in this familiar form, and that I addressed it to the children. I desired to be heard, and I feared that I would not be if I addressed myself to the grown people first.” “I determined, therefore, to go to the youngest; I gather an audience of children; if the group enlarges, if it is seen that they listen, are pleased, interested, that they understand and explain the subject, I am sure to have a second circle soon, and in their turn, grown people will see that it is worth their while to sit down and study. When this is done, the cause is gained,” I. Gaussen, Daniel The Prophet, vol. 2, Preface
The effort was successful. As he addressed the children, older persons came to listen. The galleries of his church were filled with attentive hearers. Among them were men of rank and learning and strangers and foreigners visiting Geneva, and thus the message was carried to other parts.
The understanding of God’s word is simple— provided the person is willing to pursue the truth no matter where it leads and with an open mind free of preconceived ideas. Fear will be replaced with joy and confidence. But a person will never know unless they start…they will never receive from God if they desire their own pleasures.
You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
James 4:3
The new definition of tolerance (all ideas are equal and true and, therefore, should be accepted) is false, and it is dangerous. To believe the truth found in God’s word and the exclusive claims of Christianity is not intolerance. A true follower of Christ will demonstrate acceptance of the person in love but reject what they know to be false and detrimental to that person. They will encourage the pursuit of truth out of love and no other reason.
In modern America, the country of religious freedom, it is the founders of tolerance (Followers of Jesus) who are now being forced through legal actions to accept the beliefs of people they know to be in error. The courts want to control the beliefs of Christians regarding sex and their worldview. This is persecution. No other religion is being sued and harassed, as are Christians. So, I end with this question. Who are the people who are intolerant? Who hates those who don’t accept their beliefs? Who desires for the other group to not exist?
Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake.
Luke 6:22
The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testifyofit that its works are evil
John 7:7
♦The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Josh McDowell
“And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”
John 20:26
_________________________
Introduction
This account is from the eyes of Thomas, who separated himself from the other disciples after the betrayal by Judas in the garden. He did not see them again for eight (8) days after Jesus appeared to the others. Thomas became disappointed and did not want to see anyone. Doesn’t that sound like many of us when we are discouraged? We stay away from those who could help encourage us.
The meaning of the cross, the resurrection, and the words of Jesus were just starting to come together for 10 of the original disciples, plus the women who proved to be more committed and braver than the men who watched the crucifixion from a distance (except James and John). The disciples had seen Jesus on the third day after his death (1st Day of the week-Sunday). Jesus began to build up their faith by appearing to them alive and teaching them from the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) about Himself. These are the books of the Bible we call the Old Testament.
“Then He (Jesus) said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.”
Luke 24:44-45
Their faith, indeed, began to grow as they heard Jesus give them a Bible study on how it was fulfilled in Himself, but Thomas was not with them and missed this important revelation. Choosing, perhaps, to reevaluate everything that had happened. He, like the disciples earlier in the week, was terribly disappointed and depressed. He had hoped Jesus would save Israel and himself. The cross seemed to dash all hopes of any deliverance!
How often do we miss the blessing of Bible study due to our depression and desire to be alone? May Thomas’ story teach us to believe and trust and not to doubt.
Greetings. I am Thomas, one of his original 12 disciples. I was commissioned by Jesus to do mighty works for the kingdom of God, but I am confused and skeptical, just as you may be. Allow me to tell you what I know.
I have not seen the other disciples since the night of the Preparation Day. We had eaten the Passover supper and looked forward to a festive weekend.
But most of us were scattered like sheep without a Shepard when Jesus was taken at the garden and then sent to trial and was crucified. I saw Peter on the other side of the hill weeping on that horrible day. My own tears were bitter and soaked my garments as they took that precious innocent man I had come to love and nailed him like an animal to a cruel wooden cross.
I know that Jesus is dead! I saw him beaten, scourged, and eventually expire on a Roman cross. He was a bloody mess after the all-day cruelty and beatings. He died on the afternoon of the Preparation Day. This is the day you Gentiles call Friday. It is the day us Jews and some of the converts prepare for the Sabbath, a day of rest and worship. I have always enjoyed the Sabbath, especially with Jesus, but this Sabbath was different.
We all retreated to a secret spot to literally rest from the exhausting events of the previous 24 hours, but our souls were not at rest. The women had seen the body of Jesus and were resting according to the Sabbath commandment. Their plan was to go to the tomb of Jesus at the rising of the sun on the First Day of the week to prepare his body for burial.
The Scribes and Pharisees wanted Jesus dead because they said He claimed to be God and that he could tear down the temple and build it again in three days. Often Jesus would say things like this that made little sense to me. But, later, he would explain it to His followers, and we could see its true meaning.
Since the religious leaders didn’t want Jesus and the two thieves hanging on the cross during the Sabbath, they broke the legs of the thieves to hurry the death process. When a man is hanging on the cross with broken legs, he is unable to push up against the nails in his feet and its platform to get a breath. The diaphragm will collapse in such a way that they gasp for air and suffocate.
Such a disgusting and uncomfortable slow death! But since the Sabbath was only a few hours from starting, the three on the hill, called Golgotha, were fortunate and did not have to suffer for days… as have many others. The Romans are so cruel! But I don’t blame them. It was our own religious leaders that pushed and pushed until they finally got what they wanted…the scourging and death of Jesus.
But, when the soldiers came to Jesus, they noticed He was already dead and did not break His legs but rather took a sword and pierced His side just to make sure. Blood and water came forth. I saw it even though I watched from a distance to protect myself from the same fate. It was horrible! It took the air out of me (so to speak) and made me wonder why I followed Jesus in the first place. So, I know Jesus to be dead, even as the women when they went to His tomb that Friday afternoon to look at his body and to prepare spices to anoint Him early on the 1st Day of the week (Sunday morning).
It has been reported that Mary Magdalene, whom Jesus had cast out 7 demons, said she had seen Jesus at the tomb with two angels. But I don’t know about her. She did have demons, didn’t she? Jesus cast out her demons, but maybe one was leftover and it is making her mad. The whole city must be mad because it is also reported many people who were dead were resurrected and appeared to many! I have not seen any, but I must admit I have not been going out much lately. I feel lost and with no purpose or direction. I just want to sleep.
Then I heard that about eight days ago, on the day you Gentiles call Sunday, Cleopas and his friend were on their way to Emmaus and had an encounter with a spirit or something. It was reported to me by the other disciples that a stranger spent a good three hours giving a comparative study of the writings of the Tanakh, or the Old Testament as you call it. As they walked down the dusty road towards Emmaus the stranger told them about how Jesus could be found all through scripture. As they began to understand from the Tanakh about Jesus. They could see why He had to die on the cross,. It is reported they said, it made their “hearts burn within them.”
I do remember Jesus saying something about dying and being resurrected, but it was so far from my thinking that I put it out of my mind.
Cleopas (one of the two men on the road to Emmaus) reported that when they reached their destination, they begged him to stay and tell them more of what he knew. But, the stranger turned out to be Jesus himself! They apparently recognized him as He broke bread and then He disappeared. Can you imagine that? He just disappeared!
They then raced the 7 or 8 miles back to Jerusalem with the news of what had just happened. But the disciples were skeptical, as I am.
Now the other disciples are claiming Jesus showed up at their meeting and that He also gave them a comparative study from the Tanakh about Himself. He then asked for something to eat and he ate some fish.
So that is what I know so far. It is all only rumor and wishful thinking as far as I am concerned. Tragic events like this can lead you to think weird things.
I think I will walk over and see how my friends are doing. The last time I saw them, they were fearful and unbelieving as I am, but something has come over them this last week. They swear they have seen Jesus.
As I walk in, I notice the doors are not shut and there is a certain confidence in the countenance of each one. Peter rushes over to me and says,
“We have seen the Lord!”
My response is quick and to the point,
“Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
I am serious too! His death has been difficult to both understand and accept. My mind begins to fall back to those final moments before he died. He said,
“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
What did He mean by this? Is there more to this than forgiveness?
As I am thinking about this, I look up, and right there in front of me is Jesus! But….Jesus…you….are… Am I seeing a spirit? I don’t believe in ghosts! Then I hear His voice and His words:
Thomas…. “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here,and putit into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
I take my trembling finger and place it on the place where the nails were…both hands! It is strange to feel a scar where I saw nails piercing his skin only a week or so ago. I reach out and put my hand inside His robe and feel the warmth of His skin and the scar where the sword had been. I then look up at His eyes, and I see the kindness and royalty of a wise and gentle king and savior. He IS alive! I fall at his feet and say in remorse and acknowledgment.
“My Lord and my God!”
_______________________
Conclusion
Jesus told Thomas these important words:
“Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are thosewho have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20: 29
How Important is the Resurrection in your life? How important is studying the Old Testament to find Jesus? Has your search for Jesus been confined to only a small portion of God’s word?
We will never have the experience (before Jesus returns) that Thomas had when he touched the risen and glorified body of Jesus. But we can still find evidence which will result in faith to believe that Jesus is alive and is preparing a place for those who believe and love Him. You see, faith is based on substance and evidence.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
If Christ was not raised, then the disciples are liars we have no hope and we are not saved from anything. Those who have “fallen asleep” in Christ have perished. And when we sleep in Christ, there is no resurrection for us. If we only have a Christ that died and did not come back to life, He is just like every other person who claims to be God. Follow the logic of Paul’s argument in the following portion of scripture:
“Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” 1 Corinthians 15: 12-19
Here is the logic:
If Resurrection is not possible, nor important, then Jesus has not been raised.
If Jesus has not been raised then preaching and teaching is in vain.
If Preaching and teaching is vain then faith is empty (It has no substance-nor basis).
If faith is empty then that means the disciples are false witnesses because they said they saw him alive.
If the Disciples are false witnesses then Christ is not risen.
If Christ does not rise then our faith in Christ is futile. All those who have died have perished.
Since there is no hope of a resurrection, we are of men, most pitiable.
Paul told us that he did not want us to be ignorant about the resurrection and those who have fallen asleep (died). If we are ignorant about it, we will sorrow like everyone else that does not have hope. But, the fact that Jesus died and was resurrected gives us the hope of one day coming back to life through the resurrection: Our hope is that Jesus is all that He claimed to be. He claims to have the keys of the grave and death (Revelation 1:8). He claims to be the resurrection and the life and even though we die, we will live again. John 11:25
“ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep (died), lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring (resurrect) with Him those who sleep in Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13, 14
Paul goes so far as to provide us with the clearest passage in the Bible about the day when all who have died in Christ will be resurrected. It will happen this way: The Lord will descend from heaven. It will be loud because there is a shout and a loud trumpet. Also the sky will be lit up with the angels and the glory of the Jesus and the Father.
Those in the grave will hear his voice and will meet with those who are alive at the 2nd coming and meet them in the air. This is the start of eternity with Jesus. This picture described by Paul is the comfort us who are to be resurrected one day; we will all be reunited with those alive at His coming. Not at any other time, but at His second coming:
“For this, we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
I Thessalonians 4:15-18
For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.Matthew 16:27 (Note: our reward is when he comes)
Then the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.Matthew 25:31
So how important is the resurrection? It is critical to our salvation:
“… if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
Why is the resurrection not discussed more? It is the bedrock of the faith we follow regarding Jesus.
Many of the writers of the Bible believed in and put their hope in the resurrection. Here is but a few:
Job:
“For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27
Isaiah:
Your dead shall live;
Together with my dead body they shall arise.
Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust;
For your dew is like the dew of herbs,
And the earth shall cast out the dead. Isaiah 26:19
Daniel:
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2
David:
“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness”Psalm 17:15
Abraham:
Of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the deadHebrews 11:18
There is no precedence for the resurrection except for Jesus. No other person has raised themselves from the dead. Jesus said this about the resurrection:
Jesus said,
“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” John 11:25
“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”John 6:40
Until the Lord returns, the dead sleep and wait for the last day when Jesus will raise them up. What a day that will be!
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Philippians 3: 20-21
Look again at the resurrection of Jesus and His body. Here you will see what our bodies shall look like. As the verse above , and many other, tells us: We “wait” for that glorious day when He returns and changes us. It is not until that day that we can say,
“Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Corinthians 15:55
We cannot say this at a funeral. The context tells us, these words cannot be said, until our risen Savior returns and changes our bodies like to his risen body:
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? :1 Corinthians 15: 51-55
In conclusion, let us not doubt, as did Thomas, but believe the miracle of Christ’s resurrection. Without it, your faith is futile. We are promised a blessing if we believe that Jesus was raised from the dead and that He can do the same for us! He has promised to do that very thing when he returns. Oh, what a day that will be!
“Now, these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
1 Corinthians 10: 7-9
A Personal note:
As I read Gideon’s story, I asked myself this question to make it more meaningful to my own Christian experience:
Are the actions of Gideon ones I should emulate? Can I follow his example in my relationship with God? Or was his story one written to caution me about testing God?
Gideon’s experience with God starts off badly but ends up with one of the most remarkable examples of God’s leadership and might. God is the center of the story. It is all about faith and trust in Him.
Gideon would eventually learn and trust in God and become a picture on the great wall of faith found in Hebrews 11. But before He got there, he was a man of doubt and mistrust.
Learning From Mistakes-God’s Grace
The Lord has preserved the stories of the people of God in the Old testament primarily to help future generations learn from their mistakes. God’s people were, by no account, perfect, even those who are mentioned in Hebrews 11‘s people-of-faith chapter. Many started off on the wrong footy but would eventually find the narrow path of faith in Jesus. Most often, they learned by trial and error with God. Faith, my friends, is the only path that leads to life. It is a trusting relationship with the One who made us and rescued us! May we learn from the mistakes of ancient Israel and our own!
Gideon is a victorious warrior who struggles with trust in God’s word, much like many of us. But eventually, He would learn to trust God. Paul puts Gideon among the other great people of faith.
Gideon’s story is one of the longer and more detailed ones in the Bible. Paul seems to say that with these words.”
And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon
Hebrews 11:32
Testing God
Before Gideon became an illustration of a man of faith, he had a crisis of faith when he “tested” the Lord. This is something we should not do, as God points out in the passage above.
We should not test Christ, as some of them did. The question remains for us. Do we test God…even unconsciously?
In so many words, Jesus said the same thing first:
Then said Jesus unto him, Except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe John 4:48
Signs and Wonders in Ancient Israel
Throughout the history of God’s dealings with ancient Israel, signs and wonders were prevalent among the people of God. Perhaps the most famous came from the rescue of the Israelites from Egypt.
Their history with God was an unending circle of prosperity and blessing, rebellion, enslavement, repentance, and God’s rescue through both prophets and signs and wonders. Once they were comfortable, the cycle would start over again.
Had they consistently remained faithful to God alone, even in the tough times, they would have been blessed, protected, and prosperous. Despite their circumstances, trust was God’s ultimate goal for Israel and is the same for us today!
Thought Question:
Is my experience with God consistent, or do I go through a similar cycle as the children of Israel? How does this affect my witness for Him?
The Egyptian Experience: Miracles, Unbelief-Gripe, and Complain
Before the experience of oppression with the Midianites, Egypt had enslaved God’s people. Egypt became Israel’s oppressive, racist master for 40 years (Numbers 32:13). The children of Israel’s unbelief led them to adjust and accept their new way of life. They became comfortable with slavery. They began to look, talk, and walk like Egyptians. The promised people had gone so far from God that their unbelief would follow them through the desert of their escape despite the miracles God performed, starting with the ten plagues that fell on Egypt but not on them! (Exodus 8:22, Exodus 9:4, Exodus 9:11
Despite the miracle of escaping through the Red Sea that God parted just for them, then closed up on their drowning enemies (Exodus 13:18, Exodus 15:4), they griped and complained throughout their entire escape. They wanted to go back to the comforts and rich foods of Egypt.
In the desert, the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodus 16: 1-3
They saw the miracle of manna falling from heaven to feed them (Deuteronomy 8:16, John 6:31); the pillar fire provided light and direction (Exodus 13:21). Even their clothes did not wear out, nor their feet swell (Nehemiah 9:21). Can you imagine having 40-year-old garments that looked like you had just purchased them yesterday or walking all day and your feet felt fine?
Despite all this, they did not trust and obey! Consequently, those who escaped their captors through the might of God’s hand never reached the promised land, except for a few. This is because they did not take God at His word, which led to a lack of trust in God. They had failed the test of faith and trust in God.
Thought question:
Has unbelief and not trusting God made me a person who complains, gripes, and is a weak follower of Christ? If so, how do I increase my faith?
Preconceived Scenarios-A Trait of God’s People
At the time of the Messiah’s arrival, rescue from the Romans was choreographed in the Jews’ minds as a military action complete with swords and multitudes of people led by a mighty king or general. But because they believed more in their imagination than the word of God, they slew their Messiah, who would have made them a great nation of evangelists had they simply believed (trusted) Him in His word.
Perhaps their biggest mistake was not knowing God or His word for themselves. They depended on professional teachers of the law, the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. Here was the source of misinformation!
All of this came honestly to the people of Christ’s time on earth, but it had its roots in their ancestry.
Enslaved Again!
In chapter 6 of Judges, we see the children of Israel at the cycle point of enslavement again. This time, enslavement came in the form of oppression by the Midianites. The reason for the oppression is found in the first verse of this chapter (6):
Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years.
Englaved again! And again, they cried out for deliverance. God heard and was prepared to deliver them. But here starts the story of their deliverer-Gideon. Rather than trust God in His word and promises, Gideon wanted assurance of God’s guidance through signs and wonders. But even these signs did not increase his faith for long.
A Rebellious People and God’s Grace
Through an unnamed prophet, God sent a reminder of their miraculous delivery from Egypt. God would soon deliver them similarly through Gideon by destroying the Midianites, as He did in Egypt.
And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord because of the Midianites, that the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you and drove them out before you and gave you their land.
Judges 6:7-9
Because of God’s love, grace, and mercy, He would (yet again) deliver them. God would do more than stop the persecution. He would give His people the land of the Midianites and bring peace to the people for 40 years! Wow! God always goes beyond our expectations!
But, before God powerfully used Gideon, Gideon went through phases of doubt and unbelief. Because this story was recorded for posterity, we can learn lessons on faith from Gidon and the bad decisions of the children of Israel.
Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition (instruction) upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
1 Corinthians 10: 11
Thought Question: Will I react differently to difficult daily living and thought decisions that must be made? How about the worldwide time of trouble? Will I repeat the people’s sins of unbelief as recorded in the Bible?
Gideon’s Had Good Reason For Doubt
Gideon had reasons to fear and doubt that God would deliver the children of Israel. His brothers had fallen during the battles with the Midianites. He was the only remaining son of Joash. Also, the Manasseh tribe was the weakest of the other twelve tribes. But it was Joash”s remaining (only) son who would deliver the enslaved Israelites. Because of these circumstances, Gideon had doubts:
“O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
Judges 6:15
“Gideon was the son of Joash, of the tribe of Manasseh. The division to which this family belonged held no leading position, but the household of Joash was distinguished for courage and integrity. Of his brave sons, it is said, “Each one resembled the children of a king.” All but one had fallen in the struggles against the Midianites, and he had caused his name to be feared by the invaders. To Gideon came the divine call to deliver his people.” Prophets and Kings, p. 546
God Sends Encouragement-Unbelief Example #1
To encourage Gideon to trust His promise of deliverance (as He did with Egypt), God sent both an unnamed prophet (Judges 6:8) and the Angel of the Lord (Judges 6:12).
“….the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel
Judges 6:8
And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
Judges 6: 12
The Angel of the Lord reminds Gideon who he is, a “mighty man of valor‘ brave and strong. But despite this powerful compliment, Gideon complains to God! He instantly becomes a man of complaints against God and doubt.
Gideon said to Him, “O my lord IF the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” v.13
Was God responsible for their troubles? Had He forsaken them? Remember verse 1 of Judges 6. They had left God and went after other gods and did evil in plain sight of God!
Nothing has changed since the beginning of time. People who doubt God, even His existence, always fall back on the IF and Why reasoning. Example: IF God cares or exists, then WHY (fill in the blank)…why is there suffering and war? Or Why did He let my child die?
Thought Question:
Often, I bring trouble upon myself, or others bring pain and suffering to me. I often don’t want God around, so I separate myself from the protection offered to me because things don’t go as I thought or planned. How can I change this?
God makes a promise to Gideon.
Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” v. 14
These words of the Lord should have been enough. But Gideon doubted again even after the compliment and encouragement from both a prophet and an angel of the Lord. This led to unbelief example #2.
Unbelief (Doubt)-Example #2
So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” v. 15
Instead of trusting God and taking Him at His word, Gideon looks at His weak family, and he points out to God that he is the least of the weakest! What a pity party!
A famous saying of Christians is, “God said, I believe it, and that settles it.” But that is usually stated in the comfortable pew with other believers in good times. So in difficult times, how often do we doubt instead of simply believing what God has said?
But Gideon’s doubts don’t stop here. He tests God by requiring a sign from Him. Example #3
Unbelief and Doubt Example #3
Then he said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me. Judges 6:17
Instead of trusting God, taking Him at His word, or (at the least) knowing God enough to acknowledge His character of love and mercy is sufficient, he looked for a sign. Is our relationship with Him based on signs or simply knowing Him personally? Which is more important? Signs or trusting God at His word?
An offering of meat and bread.
The Angel of the Lord instructed Gideon to put the offering on a rock and pour the broth over it. Then fire came out of the rock and consumed it. God did the same with Elijah in 1 Kings 18:38. This impressed Gideon. It was a clear sign of God’s power. But he still had doubts.
Tear Down the Alters
Later that night, God tested Gideon’s faith by commanding him to tear down the altar to Baal and the wooden image beside it. Then Gideon was to build an altar to God and put an offering (bull) along with the wood from the image he destroyed! But Gidon was still not strong in his faith. He was so afraid that he took ten men to do the work, and they did it with the cover of night! Again, a similar experience for Elijah in 1 Kings 18:32
Before God could deliver the Children of Israel, they had to get some things straight in their own lives. Worship God and Him only! Tear down the idols in their lives. Gideon successfully had the altar and wooden image destroyed.
Thought Question:
Are there cherished alters in my life that need to be torn down? Idols that affect my witness for Christ… Things that take my eyes off of the only true God…things like money, position, tradition, or cherished unbiblical beliefs?
When the city’s men discovered what had happened to their offering and idol, they demanded to know who it was. Joash, Gideon’s father, told them,
But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself because his altar has been torn down!” Therefore on that day, he called him Jerubbaal,[ saying, “Let Baal plead against him because he has torn down his altar.”
Judges 6: 31,32
These are some pretty snarky and bold statements form Gideon’s father! But notice that Gideon did not boldly tell them, “It was me!” Instead, his father (Joash) exhibited confidence in God in the face of the city’s men! Joash’s argument against idols has long been, “let them take care of themselves if they are as powerful as you think.”
But Gideon’s doubts don’t end. He demanded another sign despite four already given:
1.) The encouraging words of an unnamed prophet.
2.) The appearance Angel of the Lord reminds Gideon that he is a “man of valor.” The Angel tells the encouraging story of God’s salvation of the people from Egypt;
3.) The sign of the offering being consumed.
4.) The destruction of the idols and His father standing up for the true God instead of Baal.
Unbelief and Doubt-The Sign of the Fleece Example #5
“So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said….” (Judges 6:36) There is that word again, “IF.” This fleece was not the will of God. It was a test by Gidon to seek assurance and instructions that God had already given Him! God had already said the victory was his! Gideon did not trust God. He wanted a sign! Let me repeat it again!
It was a test by Gidon to seek assurance and instructions that God had already given Him! God had already said the victory was his! Gideon did not trust God. He wanted a sign!
Author
God, in his mercy for this doubter, answered the request as Gideon requested.
Look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said. V. 37
And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water.” V 38, 39
But the doubt kept coming.
Unbelief and Doubt-The Sign of the Fleece-Part 2- Example #5
Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.” V 39.
And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground. V. 39
Testing God
Gideon was not a believer that subscribed to trusting God in His word. He did not express faith in a God that He should have known. Instead, like the “wicked and adulterous generation” seeking signs and wonders, Gideon demanded signs like the religious leaders in Jesus’ day.
Thought Question:
Is the story of Gidon our example or a lesson of His mistakes we are to learn from? Is asking for a sign a practice of doubt when making tough or seemingly impossible decisions?
How the Story Should Have Gone in Three Words:
Grace, Faith, and Obedience are three in one. It is understanding the grace and character of God that is the solid foundation for unshakable faith or trust in God’s promises that leads to obedience.
“Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” God desired Gideon would know Him and His word enough to trust Him through a simple request or prayer rather than testing Him with fleece. We are not to tempt the Lord (Test the Lord) through signs and wonders. We must know God enough that He will do what He says,
for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11: 6
“You shall not tempt( test) the Lord your God as you tempted (tested) Him in Massah. You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you. And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land of which the Lord swore to your fathers, to cast out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has spoken. Deuteronomy 17: 16-19
…whatever is not from faith is sin Romans 14:23
In a sense, we should have an advantage over the people of the Old Testament. They had signs and wonders; we have examples of their mistakes despite the miracles.
It is a high spiritual experience not to be this type of Gideon, but rather have faith like the gentiles who trusted in God’s willingness to answer prayers. “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Luke 5:12. No signs, no wonders requested, only trusting in God’s will. The miracle for the Leper came at the choice of God after he trusted in God’s will.
Of the approximately 35 miracles performed by Jesus, there was no fasting, no signs, and no wonders, no fleece test. Instead, it was faith that God desires of us. He wants us to know Him…to trust Him! In the final analysis, to require a sign is an act of doubt, not faith.
But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these, I delight,” says the Lord.
Jeremiah 9:24
Gideon’s Eventual Victory
In Judges Chapter 7, we will see the crossover from a doubter to a mighty man of valor. What made the difference? Was it all the signs and wonders? This we will examine next time!
