How You Can KNOW You Are Saved
For anyone struggling with assurance of salvation, here are a few relevant passages from God’s Word that will help:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
That last passage promises “you will be saved” if you do this.
For details on receiving eternal salvation see this article.
For info on growing spiritually once you are saved see this article.
Related Topics:
How to Walk FREE OF THE FLESH by being Spirit-Controlled
HEBREWS / ISRAELITES / JEWS — Why Did God Choose Them?
The LORD chose Abraham because he was an extraordinary man of faith (Romans 4:11). Abraham originally hailed from Ur of the Chaldeans, a city of moon worshippers in the lower Mesopotamian region near the mouth of the Euphrates River (Genesis 11:28), not far from modern-day Baghdad. This is today southeastern Iraq, which is the center of what we know as the Middle East.
God called Abram and his wife Sarai — later renamed Abraham & Sarah — to leave the moon worshipping culture of Ur and travel some 900 miles West to Canaan (650 miles due West), which was eventually the Promised Land of the Hebrews, aka Israel (Genesis 12:1). The LORD would not give this land over to them until the sin of the Canaanites had reached its full measure thus incurring God’s judgment with the land, in essence, spewing them out (Genesis 15:16; Leviticus 18:28).
Semites, Hebrews, Israelites, Jews
Noah’s son Shem produced the Semitic peoples (Genesis 10:21-31), which includes Moabites, Assyrians/Chaldeans, Arabs and Hebrews, amongst others.
Abram (Abraham) is plainly referred to as a Hebrew in the Bible (Genesis 14:13), which is Ibri (ib-REE) in the Hebrew language and stems from Shem’s great grandson Eber (Genesis 10:21; 11:14-17). Abraham sprang from Eber’s line six generations later.
Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, was renamed Israel by the LORD (Genesis 32:28) and Jacob’s twelve sons were the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel who were naturally called Israelites. These were God’s “chosen ones” (1 Chronicles 16:13).
By the time of the Babylonian exile, the Hebrews or Israelites were referred to as Jews, which is simply a shortening of Judah, the main southern tribe of Israel (2 Kings 25:25). Judah became the name of the southern kingdom when Israel split into two nations (1 Kings 12:16-17).
After the northern kingdom was taken into exile by the Assyrians in two phases in 740 BC and 711 BC (1 Chronicles 5:26; 2 Kings 17:5-6), Judah — the southern kingdom — was all that was left of Israel for well over a hundred years. The Babylonian conquest of Judah occurred with several deportations of Judeans between approximately 607-586 BC (2 Kings 24–25).
Both David and Jesus Christ were incidentally from the tribe of Judah (Matthew 1:1). The Greek word for Jew is Ioudaios (ee-oo-DAH-yos) and is used in reference to Hebraic people some 185 times in the New Testament.
While Abraham was Hebrew, he wasn’t an Israelite or Jew because the Israelites wouldn’t exist until the time of his twelve great grandsons, one of which was Judah wherein — again — the term Jew originated much later.
Abraham Was a Gentile
Gentile in the Hebrew is goy (GO-ee) while in the Greek it’s ethnos (ETH-nos), both of which refers to the “nations” or non-Israelites. The Greek word hellén (HEL-layn) technically refers to Greeks, but often figuratively refers to Gentiles — non-Jews around the globe (e.g. Romans 2:9-10).
God’s chosen nation in the Old Covenant was the Israelites (Exodus 6:7, 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6). Abraham was technically a Gentile since the Israelites/Jews did not exist yet. While Abraham was the physical forefather of the Israelites/Jews in the inferior Old Covenant, he’s more importantly the father of all believers in the superior New Covenant (Romans 4:11 & Hebrews 8:6). This can be observed here:
16Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” c He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
18Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” d
Romans 4:16-18
Notice the LORD’s original intention for Abraham:
“No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.”
The name ‘Abram‘ means “Exalted father” whereas ‘Abraham‘ means “father of a multitude” or “father of many nations.” God made one nation through the loins of Abraham, Israel, but many nations through the faith of Abraham, which is one global spiritual nation regardless of sectarian tag, i.e. the Church of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:9).
Physical Israelites vs. Spiritual Jews
This explains why the Scriptures say that “not all who are descended from Israel are Israel” (Romans 9:6). The same was pointed out by Christ when he told the unbelieving Jews — who prided themselves on being children of Abraham — that, if they were truly Abraham’s offspring, they’d do the things Abraham did, which they didn’t (John 8:39). Thus the Lord told them frankly that the devil was their father (John 8:44).
In short, there are two kinds of Israel:
- The ethnic variety, meaning people physically descended from Abraham.
- The faith-oriented variety, meaning people who have the spirit of faith, i.e. those who turn to God in faith as their father of faith did (Romans 4:17).
There are some people of the first definition who are not of the second (Revelation 3:9). Yet there are some of the second definition who are also of the first, like Paul. Today, you’ll often hear the latter referred to as Messianic Jews.
Those of the second definition are truly “Abraham’s seed” or “Abraham’s offspring” and are thus spiritual Jews, as it is written:
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.
28A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.
Romans 2:28-29
This isn’t just a New Testament phenomenon as it can also be observed in the Old Testament. For instance, Numbers 13-14 details how Moses sent twelve Hebrews from each tribe into the Promised Land in preparation to take it, but ten came back with a spirit of fear, discouraging the masses, while two had a spirit of faith — Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14:6-9). The ten doubters were dyed-in-the-wool Hebrews, but they weren’t children of Abraham because they didn’t have a spirit of faith. Joshua and Caleb, by contrast, were Abraham’s true offspring, not just in flesh, but in spirit as well.
For anyone who argues that Gentile believers are not spiritual Jews, you can observe further scriptural proof here.
Why Did God Choose the Israelites/Jews to Reveal the Truth?
The Bible makes it clear that God did not choose Abraham’s descendants — the Israelites/Jews — because they were superior to anyone else on Earth (Deuteronomy 9:4-6). However a couple of obvious things contributed to the LORD’s choice:
- Their capacity to develop an advanced written language.
- Their capacity to preserve vital documents from generation to generation, both of which were necessary for us to have God’s Word today (Romans 3:2, 9:4; Deuteronomy 4:8).
Another obvious reason the Creator chose this people and the corresponding locale — the proverbial “cradle of civilization” — is because it was the geographical center of the continents, which used to be one supercontinent, Gondwana, and, later, Pangaea before splitting into separate land masses (Genesis 10:25).
Being centrally located, the truths of Judeo-Christianity would more easily spread to the four corners of the Earth and reach:
- The people of the Mediterranean, Europe and northern Asia,
- The people of sub-Saharan Africa,
- The people of the Far East,
- And, eventually, the people of the Western Hemisphere, who are not actually native to the Americas since their progenitors came from East Asia via Beringia to settle in the “New World.”
This illustrates that…
From the Beginning, God’s Plan of Redemption Included ALL Peoples
This can be observed in comparing Matthew’s genealogy of Christ with Luke’s version. Matthew traces Christ’s heritage back to Abraham (Matthew 1:1-17) whereas Luke traces it all the way back to Adam (Luke 3:23-38).
The reason for this difference is that Matthew wrote his account primarily for Hebraic readers while Luke, believed to be a Gentile, wrote primarily to Gentiles with the hope that they would learn that God’s love & truth reach beyond the Israelites/Jews to the entire world. With Luke’s list going all the way back to Adam, the first man (Genesis 2:7; 1 Corinthians 15:45), it illustrates that the Messiah came for all humanity since every skin-color sprang from Adam’s loins (Romans 3:29-30).
This shows that there is, in essence, only one race, the human race. And since Earth used to be one continent, Gondwana and, later, Pangaea, we’re all native to the same continent, the same Earth, regardless of the fact that the land mass eventually split into several pieces, including thousands of islands (Isaiah 51:5; 66:19).
Secondly, observe what God said when he called Abram, aka Abraham:
1The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:1-3
The Almighty would use Abraham, the father of faith (Romans 4:11), to express his heart and purpose for all peoples of Earth (Galatians 3:8). God’s desire was to redeem humanity from the depths they had fallen after Adam’s sin. Through Abraham, the LORD would send the Messiah to fulfill the awesome plan of redemption for the whole world.
Closing Word
Let me close by stressing something emphasized in the Scriptures:
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
“Jew” refers to the Israelites descended from Abraham while “Gentile” in this context refers to all non-Jewish people. In other words, there is no white, black, brown, yellow or red in Christ Jesus. Believers are all brothers and sisters — spiritual family — in the body of Christ. There’s no place for racism, which of course doesn’t mean you can’t take healthy pride in your physical heritage and culture. Please notice I said healthy pride à la Galatians 6:4, not carnal pride.
The world is obsessed with skin-color and race/racism while believers should be focused on the heart of the individual. It’s why Paul said:
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:16-17
Regarding a person from a worldly point of view means to focus on what’s on the outside, including skin-color. God isn’t like this. The LORD looks to the inside of a person — the heart — as observed when Samuel was trying to discern which one of Jesse’s sons God chose as the next king of Israel:
6When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”
7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:6-7
Related Topics:
REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation
The Five Earths of the Bible (and the Eight Ages)
What Are THE BASICS of Christianity?
Insights for Today From the BOOK OF RUTH
The short book of Ruth details the account of Naomi’s family moving from Bethlehem in famine-stricken Israel to Moab, which was a 7-10 day trip to the Southeast by foot (which you can get a visual of here). The two sons married Moabite women but, unfortunately, Naomi’s husband and sons soon died and thus Naomi & her two daughters-in-law were left without husbands.
While disillusioned, Naomi heard that food was available in Israel again and set out to return, but encouraged her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab. Orpah chose to stay, but Ruth insisted on sticking with her desperate mother-in-law and accompanied her to Bethlehem.
What are some key insights believers today can get from this moving story? Remember, the very purpose of these Old Testament accounts is to teach us, as verified by Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:11. Here are ten insights to chew on:
- Bethlehem literally means “place of bread,” but unfortunately there was no bread (food) there and so Naomi & family felt compelled to leave Bethlehem and go to Moab for sustenance. Quoting the Old Testament, Christ said “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3). People will leave Church assemblies if there’s not enough spiritual food there to live on. They’ll go elsewhere to find sustenance. In some cases they’ll unwisely turn to the world for succor, like bars, alcohol, drugs (illegal or legal), psychologists & psychiatrists, psychics, sexual immorality, ‘gay‘ culture, government idolatry, etc. In short, if there’s no bread in the Church fellowship they’re naturally going to look elsewhere for sustenance, even turning to the world in some sad cases.
- “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and so going to Moab (the world) for succor results in heartbreak and disillusionment. Cruel Moab can destroy your marriage and steal the lives of your children. The world will rob you of your life-passion and leave you embittered. It will “steal, kill and destroy” but, thankfully, the LORD “gives life and life to the full” (John 10:10).
- When Naomi “heard” that the LORD had come to the aid of his people in Israel and that there was food there, she dropped everything to return home for sustenance. The prodigals—i.e. people who leave the Church to find possible sustenance in the world (Luke 15:11-32)—will come back when they are desperate enough and hear there is spiritual bread available.
- The prodigals probably won’t come back alone. Ruth accompanied Naomi to Bethlehem—the house of bread—a place she’s never been to before. In other words, the prodigals will bring those from the world—the unsaved—who’ve never been to a genuine Church assembly and experienced the abundant spiritual bread thereof (John 6:35 & 6:63). These are hungry people, longing for true spiritual sustenance since the cruel world has left them empty and bereft.
- Unfortunately, some, like Orpah, won’t come because the reputation of the Church has been so sullied by lifeless legalists and the impotence of human religion. They thus choose to live and die in “Moab,” the world (Ruth 1:8-14).
- Thankfully, there are those who are utterly sick of the world and hunger for truth, like Ruth (Matthew 5:6). They’re willing to leave everything they know and go to “the house of bread” merely because it’s rumored there’s spiritual succor there.
- Yet Ruth didn’t stick with Naomi merely due to a rumor, but also because of (1) a noble sense of loyalty to her deceased husband and, therefore, his mother; and (2) despite losing her husband and witnessing Naomi’s disillusionment, Ruth discerned from her time with this flawed family that they had something she didn’t have, spiritually speaking. She discerned that they were a “golden connection” to something better, perhaps even the abundant life she so desired (John 10:10).
- Loyalty is underrated. Note Ruth’s moving declaration of loyalty to her embittered mother-in-law:
16“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
Ruth 1:16-17
- Ruth’s moving loyalty and her passion to obtain spiritual bread by leaving everything she knew behind pays off as she meets & marries Naomi’s relative, Boaz, and they have a son, Obed, who was the father of Jesse, the father of the great King David, which placed a Gentile in the lineage of the King of Kings (Luke 3:23-38). In short, those who refuse to starve to death in a spiritual desert, but wisely take advantage of the “golden connections” the Creator provides will be placed in the line of royalty! See 2 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6 & 5:10.
- By calling a Moabite to be in the lineage of the coming Messiah, the LORD illustrated that the New Covenant would apply to all people of every skin-color around the globe and not just to the Israelites/Jews. You can get amazing insights on this here.
This article is available in book form as (part of) chapter 24 in…
- The print book is available here for only $12.50 (303 pages)
- The Kindle eBook is available here for just 99¢!
Both links allow you to “look inside” the book.
Related Topics:
Religion and Christianity — What’s the Difference?
SPIRITUAL GROWTH Is Like Climbing a Mountain
Does Christianity Weaken People or EMPOWER?
Legalism — Understanding Its Many Forms
What Are THE BASICS of Christianity?
Is the LORD a “JEALOUS GOD”?
The Bible plainly describes the LORD as a jealous God:
4“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Exodus 20:4-5
But isn’t jealousy a work of the flesh according to Galatians 5:19-21? It is, but “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5), which shows that God’s jealousy is not carnal in nature. You see, the LORD has a healthy jealously for his beloved people: God views those in covenant with Him as a marital partner, which can be observed in the LORD’s comments here:
6During the reign of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. 7I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. 8I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. 9Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. 10In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 3:6-10
Our Creator considered it adultery when Israel & Judah followed after pagan non-gods made of stone and wood and thus viewed them as unfaithful.
Paul had the same godly jealousy in regards to the misled Corinthian believers, an assembly he started:
2I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. 3But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:2-3
Here the Corinthians weren’t being unfaithful by worshipping idols made of stone or wood, but by following false teachers who were leading them astray from their pure devotion to Christ.
Godly Jealousy vs. Carnal Jealousy
Whether a person is experiencing godly jealousy or carnal jealousy comes down to whether or not they are walking in the spirit or walking in the flesh:
16So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Galatians 5:16-26
It’s similar with the emotion of anger, which can be righteous and productive (Mark 3:5, Mark 11:15-18 & Acts 13:8-12) or foolish and destructive (Proverbs 29:11 & 29:22).
Related Topics:
How to Walk FREE OF THE FLESH by being Spirit-Controlled
Is There Such a Thing as RIGHTEOUS ANGER?
Was Jesus WHITE, BLACK or YELLOW When He Was on Earth?
Some depictions of the Messiah are too Caucasian-like, such as blue-eyed Jeffrey Hunter playing the role in the 1961 film King of Kings. You’ll also come across sincere believers claiming that Jesus was black in the sub-Saharan sense when he was on Earth. I’m sure there are others who insist he was Far East Asian. So what was his skin-color according the Holy Scriptures. Let’s start with the fact that…
The Eternal LORD Transcends Skin-Color
The Son has existed from eternity since he’s God and everything was created through him, including every race of people, as observed here:
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
John 1:1-4
This helps explain this prophetic verse from the Old Testament:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
While the child Jesus was born to us when Christ was incarnated (Philippians 2:5-11), the Son of God was given since he had already existed from time immemorial, i.e. forever.
What Race/Ethnicity Was Jesus Christ on Earth?
As far as the physical stock of Yeshua goes, he sprang from the lineage of Abraham (Matthew 1:2; Luke 3:34) and Abraham was a Hebrew from the Near East, not a European, sub-Saharan black or Far East Asian. For proof, consider his land and language:
- Abraham originally hailed from Ur of the Chaldeans, a city in the lower Mesopotamian region close to the coastline near the mouth of the Euphrates River (Genesis 11:28). This is today southeastern Iraq, which is the center of what is we know as the Middle East.
- Of course God called Abram & Sarai — Abraham & Sarah — to leave Ur and travel some 900 miles West to Canaan (650 miles due West), which would soon become the Promised Land of the Hebrews, aka Israel (Genesis 12:1). The LORD would not give this land over to them until the sin of the Canaanites had reached its full measure thus incurring God’s judgment with the land, in essence, spewing them out (Genesis 15:16; Leviticus 18:28).
- Abraham named his sons Ishaq (Isaac) and Ishmael, which are Hebraic names.
- Speaking of which, Abram (Abraham) is plainly referred to as a Hebrew in the Bible (Genesis 14:13), which is Ibri (ib-REE) in the Hebrew language and stems from Shem’s great grandson Eber (Genesis 10:21 & 11:14-17). Abraham came from Eber’s line, six generations later.
For details on Abraham and the Israelites/Jews that sprang from his loins, see this article.
Why Did God Choose This Location to Reveal the Truth?
While the LORD chose Abraham because he was an extraordinary man of faith (Romans 4:11), the Bible makes it clear that God did not choose his descendants because they were superior to anyone else on Earth (Deuteronomy 9:4-6), although I’m sure their capacity to 1. develop an advanced written language and 2. preserve vital documents from generation to generation was a factor, both of which were necessary for us to have God’s Word today (Romans 3:2, 9:4; Deuteronomy 4:8).
Another obvious reason the Creator chose this people and the corresponding general location — the proverbial “cradle of civilization” — is because it was the geographical center of the continents, which used to be one supercontinent, Pangaea or Gondwana, before it split into separate land masses (Genesis 10:25).
Being centrally located, the truths of Judeo-Christianity would more easily spread to the four corners of the Earth and reach:
- The people of the Mediterranean, Europe and northern Asia,
- The people of sub-Saharan Africa,
- The people of the Far East,
- And, eventually, the people of the Western Hemisphere, who are not actually native to the Americas since their progenitors came from East Asia via Beringia to settle in the “New World.”
This shows that…
From the Beginning, God’s Plan of Redemption Included ALL Peoples
This can be observed in comparing Matthew’s genealogy of Christ with Luke’s version. Matthew traces Christ’s heritage back to Abraham (Matthew 1:1-17) whereas Luke traces it all the way back to Adam (Luke 3:23-38).
The reason for this difference is that Matthew wrote his account primarily for Hebraic readers while Luke, believed to be a Gentile (a non-Jew), wrote primarily to Gentiles with the hope that they would learn that God’s love & truth reach beyond the Hebrews to the entire world. With Luke’s list going all the way back to Adam, the first man (Genesis 2:7; 1 Corinthians 15:45), it illustrates that the Messiah came for all humanity since every skin-color sprang from Adam’s loins (Romans 3:29-30).
This shows that there is, in essence, only one race, the human race. And since Earth used to be one continent, Pangaea, we’re all native to the same continent, the same Earth, regardless of the fact that the land mass eventually split into several pieces, including thousands of islands (Isaiah 51:5 & 66:19).
Secondly, observe what God said when he called Abram, aka Abraham:
1The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:1-3
The Almighty would use Abraham, the father of faith (Romans 4:11), to express his heart and purpose for all peoples of Earth (Galatians 3:8). God’s desire was to redeem humanity from the depths they had fallen after Adam’s sin. Through Abraham, the LORD would send the Messiah to fulfill his awesome plan of redemption for the whole world.
Closing Word
Let me close by stressing something emphasized in the Scriptures:
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
“Jew” refers to the Israelite people descended from Abraham while “Gentile” in this context refers to all non-Hebrew people. In other words, there is no white, black, brown, yellow or red in Christ Jesus. Believers are all brothers and sisters — spiritual family — in the body of Christ. There’s no place for racism, which of course doesn’t mean you can’t take healthy pride in your physical heritage and culture. Please notice I said healthy pride à la Galatians 6:4, not carnal pride.
The world is obsessed with skin-color and race/racism while believers should be focused on the heart of the individual. It’s why Paul said:
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:16-17
Regarding a person from a worldly point of view means to focus on what’s on the outside, including skin-color. God isn’t like this. The LORD looks to the inside of a person — the heart — as observed when Samuel was trying to discern which one of Jesse’s sons God chose as the next king of Israel:
6When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”
7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:6-7
Related Topics:
REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation
The Five Earths of the Bible (and the Eight Ages)
What Are THE BASICS of Christianity?
What Is a SAINT According to the Bible?
A ‘saint’ in the biblical sense does not refer to a deceased Catholic of heroic faith canonized by officials of the Roman sect, but simply to God’s people — whether Old Testament or New Testament — assuming they are set apart through dedication and service to the LORD.
The Hebrew Word for ‘Saint’
In the Old Testament the Hebrew word for ‘saint’ is qadosh (kaw-DOHSH), which means “holy” or “sacred” and comes from qodesh (KO-desh), meaning “set apart” or “consecrated.” The corresponding Aramaic word is qaddish (kaw-DEESH). While qadosh can refer to items of worship separated for the LORD’s use, like the altar and garments (Exodus 29:37 & 31:10), it also refers to noble people consecrated unto God (Exodus 22:31; Leviticus 19:2 & 20:7).
Here’s a reference to Old Testament saints:
I say of the holy people [qadosh] who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
Psalm 16:3 (NIV)
As for the saints [qadosh] in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.
Psalm 16:3 (ESV)
Here’s a another example:
Fear the LORD, you his holy people [qadosh], for those who fear him lack nothing.
Psalm 34:9 (NIV)
Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints [qadosh], for those who fear him have no lack!
Psalm 34:9 (ESV)
A Secondary Hebrew Word for ‘Saint’
Chasid (khaw-SEED) is another Hebrew word translated as ‘saint,’ which means “pious” or “godly,” that is, to be like God. Here’s an example of its use in the Scriptures:
Love the LORD, all his faithful people [chasid]! The LORD preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full.
Psalm 31:23 (NIV)
Love the LORD, all you his saints [chasid]! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
Psalm 31:23 (ESV)
Chasid can also mean “kind or merciful,” which are qualities of the LORD. You see, chasid people are kind and merciful because they are godly, i.e. like God. Thus being a saint of God doesn’t refer to people who merely say they follow the LORD, but to those who actually do so on a daily basis while humbly “keeping with repentance” when they inevitably miss it (Matthew 3:8; Psalm 32:5; Proverbs 28:13).
Take two of the worst kings of Judah, Joram (aka Jehoram) and Ahaz, the Bible plainly describes these men as evil (2 Kings 8:18 & 2 Kings 16:2-3). They were full-fledged Hebrews and leaders of God’s nation on Earth, yet they obviously were not saints of God despite being technically in covenant with the LORD. So it’s possible to be in covenant with God and yet not be a saint.
‘Saint’ in the New Testament
The Greek word for ‘saint’ in the New Testament is hagios (HAG-ee-os) and corresponds to the meanings of qadosh and qodesh above, that is, “holy” or “sacred” and thus “set apart by/for God.” Notice how Paul uses the word in his first letter to the believers at Corinth:
To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people [hagios], together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:
1 Corinthians 1:12 (NIV)
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints [hagios] together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
1 Corinthians 1:12 (ESV)
Observe that the Corinthian believers were “called to be saints” — God’s holy people. ‘Called’ in the Greek is klétos (klay-TOHS), which means “called or invited — summoned by the LORD to an office or position.” In this case, the position happens to be God’s holy people — set apart for service to the Lord.
Since all believers are called to be saints, the New Testament speaks of all believers as saints even though, technically, not every believer is a saint in practice. Here’s an example:
Greet all God’s people [hagios] in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings.
Philippians 4:21 (NIV)
Greet every saint [hagios] in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you.
Philippians 4:21 (ESV)
You could view this as an example of calling into being things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17), which ties into positional truths vs. practical reality. For instance, the Scriptures describe the spiritually-regenerated believer as “holy in God’s sight” (Colossians 1:22). The LORD sees the believer as holy because that’s his/her position in Christ via spiritual rebirth (Titus 3:5). It’s a positional truth and it’s reality whether the believer feels holy or not. In order to walk in practical holiness, the believer simply needs to renew his/her mind with this truth, which you can learn about in this video.
A similar example is how all believers are called to be disciples (learners) of Christ but, unfortunately, not every believer is a disciple of the Lord (John 8:31) in actual practice, even if the Scriptures refer to them as such.*
* Interestingly, Judas Iscariot is plainly called a disciple of Christ in the Bible, but he obviously wasn’t one in reality since the Messiah plainly referred to him as “a devil,” which was verified when Judas shortly later betrayed the Lord (John 12:4 & John 6:70). So what made Peter, James & John true disciples (Mark 9:2–3; Matthew 26:36–38) and Judas a false one? Keeping in mind that we’re talking about a time when spiritual rebirth wasn’t yet available to believers since it was before Jesus died for our sins and was raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25), the former were genuine disciples simply because they actually repented of their sins & believed (Mark 1:15 & Matthew 3:8) whereas Judas obviously did not.
“Be Holy Because I Am Holy”
As noted above, hagios can also be translated as “holy,” as Peter does here:
14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy [hagios], so be holy [hagios] in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy [hagios], because I am holy [hagios].”
1 Peter 1:14-16
Peter is quoting three verses from the Old Testament (Leviticus 11:44-45 & 19:2), supplanting the Hebrew qadosh with the Greek hagios, which shows that these are equivalent terms. A saint of God is a holy person who separates himself/herself from the world for service to the LORD, regardless of what their particular calling may be (and I don’t just mean those called to fivefold ministry, like a pastor). God is in essence saying, “Be a saint for I am the absolute saint, separate from the world and its inherent pollution.”
All believers are instructed to do this in the Bible:
14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial b ? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
17Therefore,
“Come out from them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.” d
18And,
“I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”
1Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
‘Holiness’ in that last verse is derived from hagios (hagiósuné). In other words, we’re to perfect saintliness out of reverence for God.
This passage is foundational to any believer who wants to fulfill their God-given calling to be a saint in the LORD’s service. Saints are holy people of the Most High who separate themselves from the world, its viewpoint, its ideologies, its idols and its idolatries so as to focus on relationship with the LORD. Your work will proceed from that, whatever your unique assignment might be. Obviously this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t associate with unbelievers, as Paul did so on a regular basis in order to positively influence them (1 Corinthians 9:19-23), not to mention Jesus Christ (John 4:4-26; Mark 2:17).
However, being “yoked together” with unbelievers suggests working in union with them and therefore agreeing with their perspective, such as embracing their unbelief, their false doctrines and celebrating their sinful practices (or, worse, participating in them).
A good example would be young believers who go off to secular university wherein they make the mistake of yoking together with unbelievers thereof — whether students or faculty — and come out years later dyed-in-the-wool atheists. This unfortunately happens all the time. What good is obtaining a high-falutin degree and landing a lucrative job if you lose your faith, relationship with God and eternal life? You can read details on such here.
A good question to ask yourself concerning relationships with unbelievers is this: Are you positively influencing them or are they negatively influencing you? If it’s the latter you’ll obviously have to break associations with them for your own spiritual well being (at least as far as is possible).
The reason Paul wrote 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1, led of the Holy Spirit, is because some believers in Corinth found certain pagan teachings appealing and so tried to combine them with the Christian message. Yet there’s no place for linking something false with that which is truth, aka reality (John 8:31-32).
Also, keep in mind that Christ conflicted with religious leaders of his day who knew the Judeo Scriptures like the backs of their hands, but they were polluted by legalism, a spirit of fake religiosity:
39“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”
John 5:39-40
I add this because not everyone who is seemingly devout and says “Lord, Lord” is a genuine believer if the fruit they bear on a consistent basis tells otherwise and they’re arrogantly not “keeping with repentance” (Matthew 7:15-23; 3:8; 1 John 1:8-9). While such people put on the airs of being saints of God, it’s simply not true. Thus, if you want to be an effective saint in God’s service you’ll have to “leave them” (Matthew 15:14).
Related Topics:
How to Keep Yourself BLAMELESS (While Not Being SINLESS)
How God Sees You (video)
What Are THE BASICS of Christianity?
Why Wasn’t God Pleased With CAIN’S OFFERING?
Let’s read the passage in question:
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
6Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
8Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.
Genesis 4:2b-10
Abel was a shepherd while Cain was a farmer. Thus when they presented offerings to the LORD, Abel sacrificed some of the choice firstborn of his flock while Cain naturally gave an offering of the fruits of the soil. God looked favorably on Abel & his offering, but not Cain, why? We know it wasn’t Cain’s offering itself that the LORD took issue with since:
- “Cain worked the soil” (4:2) and thus his sacrifice to God would be based on the fruits of his work.
- Grain offerings and harvest offerings would later be revealed as legitimate expressions of worship under the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 2:1-6; Leviticus 23:9-14).
So what was God’s issue with Cain’s offering? It was not his offering, but the attitude of his heart, as revealed in the New Testament:
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
Abel gave a “better offering” than Cain due to his faith, which refers to belief; and belief has to do with one’s heart or mindset. We know that:
- The pure in heart are “blessed” and “will see God” (Matthew 5:8; Hebrews 12:14; Proverbs 22:11).
- Yet Cain’s heart was obviously not pure since he didn’t hesitate to murder his brother due to jealous hatred and then brazenly lied to the LORD about it (verses 8-9).
- Thus Abel was “commended as righteous” and Cain wasn’t.
You could say that Cain gave out of a spirit of religion: His heart possibly begrudged giving the offering, but felt he had to do it because it was the law; in other words, he gave out of an attitude of legal-ism. Abel, by contrast, gave out of a spirit of faith and therefore pure-hearted cheer (2 Corinthians 9:7). The latter are the people who will experience closeness to the LORD and the favor (grace) thereof.
Top Levite musician Asaph recorded how the LORD rebuked the Israelites, but the problem was not their ceremonial sacrifices, as witnessed here:
I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices
or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.
So what did God take issue with? The rest of the psalm reveals:
14“Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,
15and call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
16But to the wicked person, God says:
“What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant on your lips?
17You hate my instruction
and cast my words behind you.
18When you see a thief, you join with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.
19You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.
20You sit and testify against your brother
and slander your own mother’s son.
21When you did these things and I kept silent,
you thought I was exactly like you.
But I now arraign you
and set my accusations before you.
22“Consider this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
23Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
and to the blameless I will show my salvation.”
Psalm 50:14-23
The LORD didn’t have a problem with their religious sacrifices, but rather with the carnal attitude of their hearts:
- They were unthankful
- Ignored the Almighty
- Ignored God’s instruction, i.e. God’s Word
- Committed thievery
- Committed adultery
- Maliciously lied
- Falsely testified against innocent people
- Slandered their own brothers (physical or spiritual)
- Forgot about their Creator
Likewise, God didn’t have a problem with Cain’s ceremonial offering, but rather the sinful condition of his heart, which resulted in murder (1 John 3:12).
David commented on such things:
6Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—
but my ears you have opened —
burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require…
8I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.”
Psalm 40:6,8
It’s not that the LORD didn’t want David’s offering, it’s that God wanted genuine worship even more. Going through the motions of religious ceremony does not please our Creator. The desire to do God’s will must come from the heart, as observed in verse 8.
Related Topics:
HEART – Is It “Desperately Wicked”? (It Depends)
The Gist on Giving and “Tithing”
SPIRITUAL GROWTH Is Like Climbing a Mountain
What Are THE BASICS of Christianity?
LEGALISM Creates Sheeple; CHRISTIANITY Creates Unique People
Because religious legalism is obsessed with outward adherence to the letter of the law and “the letter kills” (2 Corinthians 3:6), it typically creates either automaton-like sheeple or prune-faced authoritarians; it can’t produce unique people who are freed-up and full of the life and love of the LORD.
Consider some of the mighty men and women of God in our modern era. Are they boring and drone-like? No, they’re exciting, passionate and very unique individuals. That’s because they’ve consecrated themselves to the Almighty, who is the Fountain of Life (Psalm 36:9), and the life of God naturally brings to the fore all the magnificent aspects of their unique personalities. As such, people who are truly close to God aren’t boring sheeple, but rather exciting individuals who stand out from the crowd, albeit in a godly way, not worldly.
Do you think for a second that if Jesus Christ was some dull, lifeless milksop—as religion and the world depict him—he’d have turned the world upside down as he did? Would such an impotent person inspire large numbers of people to want to murder him and others to be willing to die for his cause, even up to the present day, two thousand years later?!
Unfortunately, the typical image of a Christian in the eyes of the world is either some dull, feeble “goody-goody” or a sourpuss bigot. The reason they have these images is because legalism has so thoroughly infected the Church, but nothing could be further from the truth. Anyone who simply reads the Bible without blinders on will see that both images are profoundly false.
Make no mistake, true Christianity sets free, gives life and empowers. These are the hallmarks of genuine Christianity, not being some lifeless, drone-like, powerless sheeple.
This article was edited from Chapter 3 of…
- The print book is available here for a special low price (291 pages)
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Both links allow you to “Look inside” the book.
Related Topics:
Does Christianity Weaken People or EMPOWER?
What Are THE BASICS of Christianity?
Libertinism — What’s Wrong with It and How to Walk FREE
Sabbath — What is it? Should Believers Observe It?
Spirituality — How to be Spirit-Controlled Rather than Flesh-Ruled
Holidays—Which Ones Should Christians Observe or Not Observe?
Is There Such a Thing as RIGHTEOUS ANGER?
We tend to look down on anger and for good reason in light of passages like these:
A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.
An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.
As such, the Bible discourages being a hot-tempered fool while emphasizing self-control (Proverbs 16:32) and the wisdom of turning away anger in tense situations (Proverbs 29:8).
However, there is a place for righteous anger on occasion, like when Christ was angry with the legalists who objected to his healing a man’s hand on the Sabbath:
1Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
4Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Mark 3:1-6
Another good example is when the Lord cleansed the Temple like a holy terror on two occasions (separated by three years):
13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
John 2:13-17
15On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’ ? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ ”
18The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
Mark 11:15-18
Since the Messiah was “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15), he did not sin on these occasions despite his anger. In short, you can be angry and not sin (Ephesians 4:26).
The key is to 1. always be led of the Spirit (Romans 8:14) and 2. “do everything in love,” even when you’re doing something bold or radical:
13Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14Do everything in love.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14
This is in line with the law of Christ. To explain, the only law New Covenant believers are under is the law of Christ, which is the law of love (Galatians 6:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21). This law corresponds to the two greatest moral commands of the Bible, as revealed here:
36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:36-40
There are three applications to these commands:
- Love God
- Love others
- As you Love yourself
Anyone who does this automatically fulfills all the moral law of the Torah. As it is written: “Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10).
Yet there is such a thing as walking in tough love when necessary and led of the Spirit. Thus when Christ radically cleared the temple it was an act of love – love for God and love for the people. It wasn’t a time for gentle, soft love; it was time to break out the whip and render tough love by the dynamite power of the Holy Spirit!
Make no mistake, Yeshua did those ungodly clods a favor when he sternly rebuked them and drove them out of the Temple on the two separate occasions. Those who possessed even an iota of wisdom learned an unforgettable life-changing lesson. Remember:
5Better is open rebuke
Than love that is concealed.6Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.Proverbs 27:5-6
There are other examples of biblical saints walking in righteous anger on relatively rare occasions, like Nehemiah (Nehemiah 13:23-27), Peter (Acts 8:18-24) and Paul (Acts 13:8-12).
While all this is true, it’s not an excuse to fly into a carnal fit of rage. After all, fits of rage – outbursts of carnal anger – are works of the flesh while self-control is a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:19-23). We are discussing righteous anger here, not carnal anger.
So be careful not to sin when you experience righteous anger (Ephesians 4:26). Resist the temptation to be a hotheaded, reckless fool (Proverbs 14:16 & 14:17) and always shun the fleshly bent toward authoritarianism and machismo posturing, including authoritarian tactics like bluster, intimidation and unnecessary insults. Channel your righteous anger positively as led of the Spirit, like Christ, Peter and Paul.
Related Topics:
Is There Such a Thing as RIGHTEOUS HATRED or RIGHTEOUS ENMITY?
The Four Types of LOVE in the Bible
Jesus Christ — Milksop or Mighty Lord?
What Does Love “Always Protects” Mean?