What Is Living Water?

John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

“Living water” was a metaphor Jesus drew from His location, and the Samaritan woman's daily chore of drawing water from a well. Jesus didn’t intend to imply she would never have to come to this literal well again to draw water. In fact she probably drew water the next day. His intent was to highlight a spiritual truth about what salvation supplied by Him would mean for her.

As I have stated in other posts, it would mean her salvation would be permanent and portable, and that she would not be dependent on worship in a temple or some special location, or some human intermediary or priest standing between God and her, or rituals. If she had to go somewhere, or to some person, or engage in some ritual for her salvation then His "living water" metaphor would not contrast with her everyday chore of going to the well for water.

But “living water” is a contrasting metaphor. The water Jesus gives doesn't have to be drawn from a well outside her personal spiritual life. This "living water" is ever present and goes with her wherever she goes. Jesus' "living water" metaphor introduced a revolutionary truth to this woman. But what exactly did Jesus offer that could permanently quench her spiritual thirst? What is this "living water"?

"Living water" illustrated the knowledge -the good news- He would give her that she was permanently reconciled to God and in a continual relationship with Jesus based on faith in His Gospel. Living water is a metaphor for the Gospel she would learn, believe, and then never forget. So when, in her very complex guilt laden life, she would wonder if God still loved her, if all her sins were really forgiven, and if Jesus was still saving her, she could remember the Gospel truth He taught her, and know for sure that she was loved and everlastingly saved from condemnation. She would draw living water from a Gospel spring of truth flowing in her soul. Living water... it is the knowledge of a salvation that is permanent and portable. This is a Jesus kind of salvation... a sure salvation.

Jesus Stopped A Fight So He Could Die On The Cross

There was deadly tension at Jesus' arrest. The conspirators were afraid of reprisals from the masses who followed Jesus, so they came prepared to fight. Jesus' disciples knew Him well, and knew there was no just reason to arrest Him. They also knew He had a large following and might be able to start a war, which everyone expected the Messiah to do. They, too, were ready to fight.

A large armed mob was there to support a delegation, led by Judas, assigned to arrest Jesus. John 18:3 Jesus, instead of retreating, walked straight toward them with His small group following. John 18:1 As the groups approached each other the tension was thick. Jesus engaged them first, asking who they were seeking. Twice Jesus revealed who He was, the mob fell back. John 18:4-9 Judas stepped forward and confirmed this was indeed Jesus by kissing Him. Matthew 26:49

When a fight is about to begin the adrenaline starts flowing and a fevered, passionate rage begins to rise. Some of the High Priest's men stepped forward and grabbed Jesus to arrest Him. Mark 14:46 As they were taking Him away His disciples moved forward, Peter pulled a sword and began a close quarter street fight, cutting off an ear with a deadly slash. John 18:10

Then an amazing, startling thing happened... Jesus pulled away from His captors and quickly moved between His disciples and the mob. A mob looking for a fight. Jesus demanded that Peter put away His sword, and then He spoke clearly to Peter and the rest of His men to calm them down and back them off. Matthew 26:52-54 This is where all the warring dreams of His disciples died... Perhaps their bold bravery sunk into a sort of angry helplessness, a kind of shame, that comes when a man is prepared, but unable, to prove his faithfulness and mettle when it is needed most...

Then, in this trigger ready tension, Jesus reached down to the ground, picked up the sliced ear, and with the care of the greatest physician repaired the injured man's wound... a man who had come prepared to fight to take this Great Physician to His death. Luke 22:51

Jesus then turned to the mob to calm them. He reminded them that He had been among them for days, and had always been available for arrest. He was not a criminal who needed to be arrested with weapons drawn. Mark 14:48-49 Then they bound Him and led Him away. John 18:12-13 Jesus could have died there with His disciples... but His destiny was the Cross... it was always the Cross.

Believe Or Believe Not

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

The context of this verse is important. John the Baptist had just informed his disciples that Jesus had been given the authority over all things in heaven and earth. Opposing Him is foolish and futile. Everyone should follow Him... believing.

John boldly confronted people about unbelief and its consequences. He did so without coercion or force, just words... truth. Truth so simple and clear that they could not claim they had never heard, or did not understand. They were faced with either believing the Gospel, or not believing.

John's message is clear. There is a single belief, Gospel faith, which frees a person from the abiding wrath of God. Based on what John said here, the eternal affects of Gospel faith, or lack of faith, exist in the present. John taught that the wrath of God actually lives with unbelievers waiting to be permanently released into their existence. But for those who believe, their endless life in Jesus Christ has already begun.

As far as we know, there were no atheists standing there listening to John. These were religious people, but this wasn't about religion. It was about their belief concerning Jesus and His Gospel. These words openly communicate John's belief that religious people can be people without Gospel faith. Religious but lost. We must make sure we know Jesus and believe His Gospel. Nothing else, in the context of eternity, really matters.

Absolute Proof - Beyond Any Doubt

Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs,

In US courts we have various standards for decisions made by jurors. In criminal cases a verdict of guilty cannot be returned unless the juror is sure of guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt”. This means that the evidence presented to the juror has established a particular point to a moral certainty, and it is beyond dispute that any reasonable alternative is possible. But “beyond a reasonable doubt” does not mean absolute proof or the absence of any doubt.

In civil cases there is the standard of “proof by clear and convincing evidence.” This is a lower burden of proof than reasonable doubt. It is a decision by the Juror that there is high probability that “a fact sought to be proved is true.”

In the language of the New Testament a word of evidence and decision making was used in this verse. It is translated “infallible proofs”. The Greek scholars in Friberg’s Analytical Greek Lexicon defined this word as: “evidence that removes doubt.” This is the highest level of proof: these people witnessed the same reality over, and over, and over again, to the point that they could not mistake the truth of what they had witnessed. The proof was absolute. This word was used here by Luke concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Mercy's Rainbow

Genesis 9:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

The skeptic may look at this verse and reply, “The rainbow is simply a product of sunlight refracted in air-born water molecules, it is created by rain not God.” Well... the first part is correct, but the second betrays a misunderstanding of the text.

The key to understanding this passage is sunlight. There shouldn't be any, at least not enough for a rainbow. In fact, God's justice requires that the earth be covered by rainclouds until life is drowned out. Sunlight peeking through the clouds creating a rainbow is evidence God's justice is being withheld by God's mercy.

The story began in Genesis 6:1-8. God was finished with the earth and mankind, His justice seemed to have overridden the mercy He had extended to Adam, Eve, and their children. In 6:7 He declared the final, absolute destruction of all mankind including Noah and his family. Justice destined all to die in a cataclysmic flood with no rainbows visible. No sunlight would pierce these clouds.

But then in Genesis 6:8, just as in the Garden Of Eden, God allowed mercy to peek through the foreboding clouds of justice and lifted this judgment from Noah and his family. Noah had been condemned with the rest of humanity, so Noah wasn't freed from justice because of his goodness, he was freed by God's grace purchased on his behalf by Jesus' gospel work. Jesus future death was symbolized by the offerings in Genesis 8:20-22. Mercy withheld justice.

Noah and his children were lawbreakers just like the people who drowned in the flood, and the people who would come after them... us. Justice demands a flood again. Every moment of everyday since Noah, God's stormy justice has been withheld by His mercy in Jesus Christ. The sun always shines through the storm clouds somewhere on earth, so there is ever a bow in clouds on the mercy side of the storm... our side of the storm. These rainbows send us the mixed message of justice and mercy: we deserve destruction, but Jesus has secured mercy for us.

One more thing... when hurricanes hit our coasts I periodically hear the inland preachers of doom point the finger of judgment at us coastal dwellers and say our judgment is deserved. They are right, at least as far as they go. But the rest of the story is (and this is when the preacher of doom becomes a gospel preacher) that if justice had its way the storm would extend from the coast to them, and then past them to the whole earth... because they are cut from the same cloth we are... Adam's cloth. We all deserve the storm, but when the storm stops short the message is mercy. Mercy in Jesus Christ. The rainbows surround us, everyday, every moment. Thank God for His covenant of Mercy! Genesis 9:8-17

Why Didn't God Do What He Said He Would Do?

Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Adam's use of the garden of Eden was conditional. Like any conditional covenant, there was a clause detailing what will happen if the conditions are not met. In this case the penalty for breaking the covenant was immediate execution.

Some may say this is a difficult verse because, they observe correctly, Adam did actually break God's law, but the penalty of death was not executed as stated. To answer this glaring problem we might assume that “day” in verse 17 means a long period of time because Adam did die later (roughly 339,449 days later). But there are those who will argue that the word day used in the previous chapter for the seven day creation is a 24 hour period. They would be right and it is the same with this usage. Adam, using the language definitions God placed in His mind, would have believed he would die within the 24 hour period surrounding his disobedience. That is the common biblical usage of the word day, especially in the book of Genesis.

Perhaps we could hypothesize that Adam only died spiritually in that 24 hour period. Hmmm – Putting “spiritual death” (and any combination of those words or related words) into my Bible program search function finds no place in the Bible where it says that Adam exclusively died spiritually on that day. A. W. Pink said, “It is not said, “thou shalt die physically,” nor “thou shalt die spiritually,” but simply thou shalt surely die. The absence of any modifying adverb shows that the term death is here taken in its widest scope, and is to be defined according to whatever scripture elsewhere signifies by that term. It is the very height of presumption to limit what God has not limited.” The verb translated “die” appears in 64 verses in Genesis and every use is exactly as Pink said.

So the real question becomes: why did God not do what He said He would do? If we look carefully throughout the Bible we find this same cycle repeated over and again. God's law with its penalties is communicated clearly to someone by various means. They break the law. God declares their guilt. But the penalty required by justice is not immediately executed. Sometimes, we are told, people are permanently freed from their guilt and its penalty. How does that work?

The reason justice was stayed is Gospel mercy entered the scenario. God didn't do what justice demanded for Adam because another person committed to fulfill the demands of justice on behalf of Adam. Another person, Jesus the incarnate Son Of God, would by His death, burial, and resurrection secure forgiveness and grace for Adam. So Adam lived to see another day because Jesus would secure mercy on his behalf.

The reason Adam and Eve didn't die the very day they disobeyed God is because forgiveness was introduced into the world on that same day. God forgave Adam and Eve based on an everlasting Covenant which included Jesus Christ's gospel work on behalf of sinners. The reason we, Adam and Eve's children, are allowed to live is because this mercy of God in Jesus Christ still rules the earth, so justice is withheld by mercy. But this common grace, by which all sinners live on God's earth, gives way to eternal justice and death unless personal faith has laid claim to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Was A Nobody...

If the wife of an emperor, king, or powerful merchant gave birth to a child, it would have been widely known and celebrated. Everyone would know where that child was living.

But almost no one seemed to know Jesus was born. Herod would not have known if the Magi hadn't told him, and the Magi wouldn't have known if God hadn't told them by the use of a star. The shepherds would not have known if the angels hadn't told them. Even after Herod knew the Christ had been born he still was unable to find the child Jesus.

Jesus was born to such an unknown inconsequential family that He blended into the mass of humanity wherever his family lived. With few exceptions no one seemed to ever suspect this child born to Mary and Joseph was anything but just another face to feed in the mass of Jewish peasants.

Jesus' existence was so nondescript that even today some scholars question He ever lived. Think of it: He was virtually unknown until His baptism by John, and then only personally known in His local region in a small country in the Roman Empire. Even then His period of public notoriety was short lived, about 3 years, and he was executed with criminals as a law-breaker.

His short rise to fame was off the tracks people used to become famous. He didn't go to any famous schools or seminaries. He wasn't involved in the politics of His country. He wasn't in a scribal college and He was “unpublished.” He didn't seek license to teach... he just did it.

In a world where duplication was done by hand, 3 years is barely enough time to complete the publication of just a few copies of the biography of a famous person's life... but the life of a Jewish peasant?

Sure... there were writers who wrote about His life: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But if no one valued their writings then there would have been no scribal duplication of their books. But the writings of these men became the most widely translated and widely read publications in human history. People like William Tyndale have died trying to get these writings into the hands of the masses.

Jesus' fame spread in the same way it generally does today: by one person telling another person. This is one of the most miraculous realities in all of human history. The fame of this virtually unknown Jew has been kept alive because people talk about Him. Jesus was and is a nobody only to people who don't know Him. But when you come to know Him He is somebody who must be talked about. There has never been somebody like Him.

People have tried to eradicate His fame from popular culture over the centuries only to see His fame spread more widely by their efforts. They find it is more like trying to put a fire out with gasoline.

How could this happen? Why is He so famous? Because of who He is, what He said, and what He did. If you don't know much about Him I suggest you begin your reading with the Gospel of John or with His Gospel.

The Well Of Religion Is Too Deep

John 4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

In this historical account Jesus met a woman by an ancient water-well. To illustrate a truth in the ensuing discussion Jesus contrasted the water-well to living water, which is water flowing on the surface of the ground coming from an artesian well. The well is a metaphor for human religion, and living water was used to represent the everlasting salvation which comes freely though a faith relationship with Jesus by His Gospel.

In the metaphor of the water-well we find the marks of salvation-less religion.  If your religion has these characteristics, then you can be sure it is not the salvation offered by Jesus and illustrated by the metaphor of living water.

First of all, “the well is deep.” The water of salvation in religion is always out of reach to the thirsty person who walks up to the well needing a drink. A person who is thirsty for righteousness and looks for salvation in man-made religion will never find it flowing freely on the surface within reach.

Second, “Sir, thou has nothing to draw with.” Gaining salvation by religion will always take something more than a person has available. Thirsty travelers will have to go to someone in that religion to gain the tools needed to reach the water. But even with the tools the water always seems to remain out of reach. The depth of the well creates an economic niche for religion, but leaves the thirsty traveler unsatisfied. Christ Jesus offers tool-less access to the water of life. He died and rose from the dead to bring the water close... because without Him the water is too deep for any of us to access.

Third, “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:” Even when you know how deep you have to go for water, and have the tools to get there, human religion cannot give you a lasting, sure salvation. You find yourself chained to the deep well of religion by a reoccurring thirst for righteousness which religion can never quench. The process never ends... even when you purchase a golden bucket with a silk rope. In the Gospel we have all the righteousness we will ever need.

In the salvation Jesus offers, you go straight to Him for it, and He gives it freely. You don’t need anything but gospel faith, and you only have to go to Him once. He gives living water, an everlasting artesian well within you. It goes where you go. His salvation is free and eternal.

The Problem Of Fire In Biblical Justice

KJV 2 Thessalonians 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

NIV 1:8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

These are two translations of the same verse. Notice any differences? I use this contrast to illustrate that the Bible words “flaming fire” and “vengeance” are unpopular and some folks would rather these words be softened or removed altogether. The NIV (New International Version) softened the word vengeance by translating it with the word punish, and then moved fire to the previous verse associating it with the brightness of Jesus' coming instead of the vengeance in His coming.

I can't get into the head of the NIV translators, and I'm sure they would defend their translation with technical arguments. But my intent for bringing this up is not to get into a technical argument about translation. I am more interested, at this point, in the effect of softening the language of justice.

That there is an inclination in our popular culture to soften the sometimes blunt language of justice used in the Bible is beyond argument. But every thinking person must realize that soft language will not soften the severity of justice. Justice is what it is, and it is harsh no matter what refined words we use to describe it. The only real effect I see from softening the language of justice is to dull the language of mercy.

Mercy is dependent on justice. It's the word we use when a guilty criminal doesn't get what is deserved by law and required by justice. The depth of mercy is in direct proportion to the intensity of the penalty justice demands for a crime. The more horrible the crime the greater the penalty, and the greater the penalty the greater the mercy when the penalty is forgiven.

Using soft words to a criminal about the penalty before he is convicted only serves to lessen his interest in mercy... but the soft language doesn't change the reality of justice or the severity of the penalty by even the smallest fraction. It only serves to dull the foreboding dread of the guilty.

A guilty criminal is done a great disservice by his lawyers when the harshness of the penalty faced is degraded and made unclear by their choice of words. My first request to my lawyers, if I was facing a criminal trial, would be, “Tell me in plain English what I'm facing if found guilty.” I would then ask, “What are my chances of being found not guilty?” If they answered "none" then my next question would be, “Is this judge known for being merciful?” These are straight questions which demand clear straight answers.

After studying the Bible for decades I know it is mercy I need when facing the justice of God... great mercy. I know this because the Bible is clear about what I am facing: hell. Don't be fooled by the soft language of popular religious culture. We--that means all of us--need great mercy, because the penalty for our sins is extreme and we have no chance of being found not guilty. Call me coarse or unrefined if you will... but, as I said earlier, that will not change the reality of justice or the severity of the penalty by even the smallest fraction. Thankfully our Judge is merciful and He has given us access to everlasting mercy in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mercy... It's In God's Hands

Psalm 94:18 When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.

In God’s justice there is no choice or liberty for the accused. There is no help for the condemned. God's Justice is solid, unquestionable, irreversible, unchangeable… absolute. A person is tried by a perfect law, and judgment flows from an absolute purity in God called Holiness.

But since God's Grace and Mercy entered the scenario of life nothing has been solid in this existence except God, His Word, and His Sovereignty over the affairs of life. Life's experiences under Mercy's rule are fluid, questionable, reversible, changeable… mysterious to us. We can be forgiven...

The first man Adam, who justice condemned to die the very day he broke God's law, was, by God's mercy, allowed to live… but... for how long, and to what extent would he now be punished while he lived? Who decided when the penalty would finally be executed, and what the quality of his life would be while he lived under this Mercy? God. He alone decides when mercy ends and justice begins. We are indeed “at His mercy”.

There are those who would like to concretely say of every matter in life, “If you do that God will do this!” But... we live lives overwhelmed by Mercy not Justice. If it were Justice that ruled... well... we wouldn't be here would we? While we are under the pleasant rule of Mercy we do not always or often receive the punishment we deserve. But don't let the joys of God's mercy lull you to an apathetic sleep, for without the promises found in Jesus and His Gospel, withheld Justice will pile up like storm-water behind a dam of Mercy, a dam which God will one day remove, and unrestrained justice will flow.

For Mercy to exist there must be a Being who has all authority over justice, and, therefore, authority over all the affairs of mankind. This authority extends to the powers of death, hell, and the grave, and liberty from the same.

God Cannot Because He Will Not

Psalm 89:14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne:

God is the great lawgiver since the origin of Law is His nature. Divine Law is therefore as unchangeable as God. A consequence of God being the lawgiver is justice, which also flows from His nature.

Justice involves a measurable standard by which all reasoning creatures are judged equally. This standard is eternal and unchangeable because it comes from Him, and His being is unchangeable.

Justice also involves the method by which all are judged. Justice brings order to judgment. Some say God is sovereign and can do anything. Well in a sense that’s true, but in another sense it is very inaccurate. God does what His nature inclines Him to do. And it is in His nature to be Holy and Just, therefore He cannot, because He will not, capriciously override justice.

Justice is the reason Jesus had to die. God, in accord with justice, tried and convicted all of us because of our sin. No person convicted in the courts of heaven can then be set free without the demands of justice being met. Justice and judgment must be answered. Jesus chose to answer the demands of justice on behalf of all who believe and trust His Gospel. God's Love and Justice required that Jesus take our judgment upon Himself, thus fulfilling our obligation to the just demands of the law of God, and opening the door for eternal reconciliation.

Cutting Off The Thief's Hand

Matthew 5:48 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Earlier in this sermon Jesus told His audience that their personal righteousness would have to exceed the standard of the most morally disciplined among them. Without this excess they would “in no case” enter the kingdom of heaven. He then proceeded to display the insufficiency of biblical law to reach this goal.

A person with perfect moral nature would never have to be told what to do or not to do. Their pure heart and mind would guide them, making a statute unnecessary. The very existence of moral law points to a deficient morality in the first place. Corruption precedes law.

Let me illustrate it this way. Some middle eastern cultures highlight their moral purity by touting the precision of their laws and the harshness of their punishment. Some will go so far as to cut off the hand of a recalcitrant thief. But such law really only advertises the moral failure of the people and their culture. Imagine how corrupt a people must be to be threatened by their leaders with amputation to keep them from stealing. A morally pure people would never think of a law against stealing. It would be totally unnecessary because their nature would never be tempted to steal. Moral law and punishment is evidence of corruption not righteousness.

This text gives the true standard of moral righteousness. It is a person not a body of laws. Only an intelligent being can possess the beauty and balance of moral purity. This purity flows from the inside out, and only becomes a law for impure moral creatures. The impure study the statute, systematize it, and enlarge it, but those very acts reveal their failure to attain it... To BE it.

This is where all human religion is deficient: it is law based. The Bible uniquely claims to have given the law to show the inability of the law to bring true righteousness. From Adam to Israel the Bible displays the failure of statute law to bring righteousness. The failure is in us... not the statute.

The Creator is the standard of moral purity. Those who move from the coarseness of the statute to the living nature of the person find themselves facing an unattainable standard: perfection. We cry, “I can't ever be as He is! The standard is too high!” Ah... now we see the righteousness that exceeds. Now we understand why Jesus had to die, and why the Gospel is really good news. By faith God imputes to us a righteousness that is living, pure, and sufficient.

The Power Of Little Words

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

For

This little word ties every verse in which it is used to the previous verses. Bauer-Danker, the great scholarly Greek language lexicon, says it was used here as a “marker for clarification.” Which means what follows was intended by Jesus to give Nicodemus and the modern reader a more in-depth understanding of what was stated in the previous verses. This word marks the beginning of a journey to a place where only Jesus could take us: into the mind and motive of the Godhead.

So

“So” is an adverb used by Jesus to modify love. “So” means: in this way or in this manner. This is the setup for the expression of a result of God’s love which demonstrates the manner or way God loved. That expression will help clarify the salvation Jesus introduced in the previous verses by highlighting the intensity of God’s love. It placed God’s love as the root motive behind everything Nicodemus had ever been taught from the Holy Scriptures.

First “that”

This conjunction was used to introduce an actual result. One language scholar said this word was used in John 3:16 to introduce the only possible result. This means that God’s love was of such intensity and nature that the action following this word was not one among many options. It was the only action His perfect nature would consider or allow. The words that follow describe the singular result intended by the little word so... here is the way God loved: “he gave his only begotten Son.”

Second “that”

This conjunction, which is different from the first “that”, was used to “show a purpose or goal.” So here we see the ultimate purpose or goal flowing from God’s love which produced the result of God giving His only begotten Son. We were the objects of His love... it was us... It was His love for us which passionately forced Him to create a way to be eternally, legally reconciled to us, the people He so loved... even though we were His enemies by nature. And... He did it! This astounding everlasting reconciliation which was secured by love is ours by faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Didn't Come To Condemn

John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

When Jesus came into the world the fall of mankind had already taken place. Condemnation had already begun and multitudes had already met eternal justice. There had been laws, police, judges, prisons, and other forms of justice for thousands of years. Justice and judgment were well known in this world.

The wrath of God was also known in a myriad of ways. There was no human untouched by God’s wrath over sin. Did Jesus come to continue that work? Did He come to revolutionize police methods, make prisons stronger, put more judges on the bench? Did He come to drive out all sin and destroy all the rebellious? Is that why He was sent? This passage gives the concrete answer --no-- that is not why He was sent. He was not sent to reinforce human or divine justice. He was sent to answer justice on behalf of those already condemned by it.

For those who are just learning about Jesus it is imperative you know that truth about His mission. It is the basic reason for His birth, His life, His death, and His resurrection. It is important you know this is still His work today. Seek to understand the Gospel.

If Christians don’t get this right then we are not what our name implies: Christ followers. Justice has its place and is necessary both in government and as an essential part of the gospel, but Justice is not the purpose of Jesus’ Church or His people when they are claiming to do His work. “That the world through him might be saved” is our purpose. Let’s get to work.

Is Prayer Necessary For Salvation?

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

I was asked the question in the title a few months back at the end of a Bible class. The notion that a prayer for salvation is necessary to receive salvation is so popular today that it is tightly woven into the fabric of contemporary Christianity. Question it and some look at you like you are seriously disturbed. So... I guess you can just call me crazy Larry, because... well... I questioned it...

This is not such a difficult question to answer, but it may be difficult to hear the answer. I didn't have time in that class to answer the question properly, so I wrote this answer to make it available for our members to read and carefully study. I have posted it on my blog to make it available to anyone who wants to study the subject. So… here goes… first some Bible facts:

• There is not one verse in the Bible that claims a person must pray to be saved… not one.
• Even though the Bible records various examples of people being evangelized, there is no example in the Bible of any believer asking an unbeliever to pray for salvation… not one.
• There is no place in the Bible where prayer as a component of salvation is systematically discussed. What I mean by that is there is no place in the Bible where a serious Bible student can go to find instruction on how this prayer for salvation thing works.
• There is no place in the Bible that tells me what should be said in this prayer or any example of a prayer for salvation. Some might say that Luke 18:13 tells us what must be said. But that prayer doesn’t meet the standard usually required by those who teach prayer for salvation from Romans 10:13. There is no confession, and no mention of Jesus in the prayer. This prayer contains no acknowledgment of saving faith or the Gospel, and there is no place in the context of this verse or the rest of the Bible which promotes the use of this prayer by others.
• There is also no place in the Bible where a person is requested to “ask Jesus into your heart.” In fact the two words “ask Jesus” never appear together in the Bible.
• There is no place in the Bible where prayer and salvation are discussed in the same context. Ah, but some may say Romans 10:13 meets that standard. Before I go there let me first mention that resting an essential salvation doctrine on one verse that appeared decades after the ministry of Jesus is dangerous.

Romans 10:13 is a partial quote of the Old Testament passage Joel 2:32. So in order to interpret it properly it must be studied in two locations, first the Old Testament and then the New Testament. But it is interesting that I have never come across a proponent of prayer for salvation who even knew this was a quote from the Old Testament. I'm not trying to be rude, but if a person hasn't studied the verse enough to know it is a quote, then it is clear that person hasn't studied the subject sufficiently enough to even have an opinion. Especially when dealing with the bible doctrine of salvation.

It must be noted that the word “prayer” does not appear in Romans 10:13. Paul did use the word prayer in Romans 10:1, but not anywhere else in chapter 10. The words translated prayer and call are not the same words. Confession, as it is used in Romans 10:9-10, is also not prayer. Confess means, "a public statement of what one believes." (Friberg's Analytical Greek Lexicon) The word call is used in Romans 10:12, and the Old Testament verse quoted in Romans 10:13 was used by Paul to support the statement he made in Romans 10:12. Verse 12 is part of the contextual discussion that Jews and non-Jews can now have the same standing with God.

The word call in Romans 10:12 is a present participle. Which means it defines “its subject as belonging to a certain class.” (Burton’s Greek Grammar) Call is not something done once, but it is a repetitive habitual action which identifies someone as belonging to a specific class of people. This class of people has already believed (Romans 10:14) and are, therefore, in the class of those who regularly call on the Lord. The intent of this verse is to teach that God "is rich" to this class of people no matter their race. 

Call in Romans 10:13 comes from a Hebrew word which means “to enter into an intensive relationship as someone who calls.” (Koehler-Baumgartner Hebrew Lexicon) Paul’s reason for using this Old Testament verse was to support the truth that Jews and Gentiles can now both be in a relationship with the Messiah because of the “righteousness which is of faith” (Romans 10:6). Paul was not discussing how a person gets into a relationship with God, but what class of persons are in a relationship with Him. This righteousness which comes by faith to all who believe the gospel, both Jew and Greek, has been the heart of Paul's discussion since the beginning of Romans.

An understanding of the gospel is necessary for salvation along with belief in that gospel. In every case of evangelism in the New Testament people were called to believe or have faith in that gospel. Those who have believed the gospel can and will now freely and regularly “call” on the name of the Lord. This teaching of salvation by grace through faith in the gospel of the Lord Jesus is supported throughout the New Testament. Prayer associated with the immediate work of salvation is supported nowhere in Scripture.

Why is this so important? Well there are at least three reasons:

1. Salvation is the most important doctrine in the world and accuracy on this subject is profoundly important. Even if you differ with me on this subject of prayer the importance of the doctrine should cause you to pause and carefully seek the truth apart from your own tradition or personal desires.
2. The bible is the rule of our faith and practice, so every belief should be tested by the Scriptures.
3. People who have been led in a prayer for salvation, as I was, often struggle with doubts about their salvation. They may tend to examine their prayer and wonder if it was good enough... did I say the right words, or was I sincere enough? Instead of looking with faith and confidence at the gospel for salvation and trusting that Jesus did everything right on our behalf they may be forever bound to look at themselves and their performance for confidence. And that leads to doubt and spiritual struggles, because we can never be sure we did something good enough. If you were led in a prayer for salvation I am not saying you are now lost, what I am saying is there is no evidence that prayer has any essential role to play in salvation. Turn your attention to the gospel work of Jesus Christ... that is where the firm confidence of salvation is found. Prayer is a good thing... but it cannot save. Only Jesus' Gospel work can reconcile us to God.

Doctrine Matters

I Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

The City of Corinth was one of the most culturally mixed cities in the world. It was strategically located on a major shipping lane between Spain & Italy to the west, and Turkey to the east. Its location gave rise to a complex, multicultural populous.

The church at Corinth mirrored the population, and this complexity spilled over into the church’s belief system. It seems the church was plagued by division. It may seem odd to say, but this division has been a blessing to every Christian since that time, because it gave us the Apostle Paul's response to doctrinal error. We have both the example of how to deal with error, and his clear statement of vital truth.

If it doesn't matter what a church believes then 1st and 2nd Corinthians would have never been written. And I am not speaking of the doctrinal confession of a church, even though that is of great importance, but the belief system of the people. Paul wrote these letters to the people not just the ordained leadership. The notion that professed Christ followers can believe anything and everything without accountability is invalided here. Belief systems matter.

In the case dealt with in this chapter, various groups in the Corinthian membership contended for the false notions that there is no resurrection of the dead, or the resurrection of Christ had not happened yet. So we are blessed with the Christian answer on this issue. Paul responded by stating that the resurrection:

• is a vital part of the Gospel, I Corinthians 15:1-4
• was testified to by witnesses, I Corinthians 15:5-10
• was preached and professed at the founding of the Church in Corinth, I Corinthians 15:11, 12
• was a required belief, I Corinthians 15:12-19, 31-34
• is vital to every other Christian doctrine, I Corinthians 15:16-18, 20-28
• is the hope and glory of all Christians. I Corinthians 15:51-58

Based on this chapter we know that faithful Christ followers must believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I affirm this truth... I believe, without any reservation, that Jesus has risen from the dead, and He is alive in a physical body at this very moment.

The Beauty Of Brutal Honesty

Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Brutal honesty has a unique beauty. But, oddly, religion can provide the motivation to abort that beauty before it is born. In religion people often cloak the truth about themselves so they will appear to be what they know they are not. But this man, looking into the face of Jesus, knew he couldn't hide the truth from those eyes. He believed, but he also struggled with doubt. So the hard truth just came tumbling out. Beautiful... So vulnerable and real...

I once heard a preacher say, “If you doubt, you’re damned!” He taught that a constant perfect faith is necessary for eternal salvation, and if we ever waver in our faith it is evidence we weren’t really reconciled to God in the first place. I was intrigued and repulsed all at the same time. Intrigued by how far people will go to steal the credit for salvation. Repulsed by the pain and confusion caused by deflecting attention away from Jesus, the source of salvation, to self. This is the slight of hand used to place the chains of religion around fearful, guilt-laden hearts. An honest person's examination of self will always find insufficiency, but when we keep our attention on Jesus and His gospel we will find all sufficiency.

It would be a wonderful thing if we could compartmentalize our personality so that one part of us was perfectly pure, while the other part struggled with imperfection. But, sadly, imperfection stains every attribute of our being. When religion says you must be perfect in this way or that, we either fake it, or walk away.

Jesus either died for all our sins, or He effectively died for none of our sins. There is nothing completely pure in us this side of heaven, and that includes our faith. It is mercy that our struggling faith seeks from God, or it is nothing at all. Heaven will not be ours because of our perfections. It is ours because God chose in His mercy to save us in and from our imperfections by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Look to Jesus for salvation... and be brutally honest with Him.

Sounds Of Victory

Romans 10:15b as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

The apostle Paul partially quoted Isaiah 52:7 here. The historical context of that verse is the deliverance of Israel from the oppression of another country. Israel seemed to always be in a cycle of judgment. She would break her covenant with God, then God would bring the judgment described in the Covenant. This judgment often included bondage by a neighboring country. Then God would, in His mercy, allow a repentant Israel to victoriously drive the invaders from her land.

This victory message was joyfully carried by messengers to all the villages and cities of Israel. And it is these messengers of victory whose feet are called “beautiful” in this passage. But Paul used this verse to describe a messenger who carries a different message of victory: the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The context is broader and everlasting. Every person in the world is under the judgment of God because of sin. The oppression of this judgment should be clear to all of us. We are captives to sin, illness, death, and then the final judgment. Since we all have sinned (Romans 3:23), this will not turn out good unless we have heard and believed the victory message: the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The gospel is the good news about the victory won by Jesus Christ on behalf of all who, by faith, receive the benefits of His death, burial, and resurrection. He fought and won the everlasting victory over sin, death, and eternal judgment.

The Gospel

God the Son came to this earth in the form of a man thru supernatural conception, and birth to a virgin. Matthew 1:23 He is God manifest in the flesh. Colossians 2:8-10; John 1:1-14 The baby was named Jesus, and He came to save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

He lived a life free from sin so He could become the perfect sacrifice for sinners. 1 John 3:5 He was taken by wicked hands, and crucified on a cross. Acts 2:23 While on the cross the full debt repentant, believing sinners owed to the justice of God was laid on Him. He paid this debt in full. Isaiah 53: 6, 7; 2 Corinthians 5:21 He died while on that cross, and was placed in a grave for three days and three nights. Matthew 12:40

Then He rose from the dead, having defeated death on behalf of sinners. 1 Corinthians 15:1-26 After His resurrection He visited a great number of people, then ascended to God the Father where He now intercedes for all believers as an everlasting high priest. Hebrews 7:26-28; 8:1

He is also preparing a place for resurrected believers to live for all eternity. John 14:1-6 At an appointed time He will return to take His people to their eternal home. John 14:3

A sinner is a person who is guilty of breaking God’s law. Romans 3:19-23 I must first know I am a sinner in order to receive the everlasting benefit of the Gospel. Matthew 9:11-13 As a sinner I cannot save myself from God’s justice; this is why Jesus died and rose again for me. Romans 3:20-22; Titus 3:5

To be saved from the penalty of my sin I must repent and believe the Gospel, and trust in Jesus as my Lord and Savior who died for all my sin, and then rose from the dead to give everlasting life to all who, by faith, have trusted in Him as Savior. John 3:15-21

If you want to know more about the gospel, drop me a message. If you are a new believer please send me a message so I can help you find a spiritual guide as you learn and grow in your faith.

Bringing Pigs Into The Temple

Romans 15:16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

Paul used symbolic terms in this verse to describe his ministry to non-Jews. The Greek translation of the Old Testament “reserved this Greek word (translated ministering) for the official service of the priests only.” Harris By using the noun “minister” and the verb “ministering” Paul symbolically presented himself as a priest in the temple of God making sure non-Jews were worthy to be offered to God on the altar.

But non-Jews were not even allowed to enter the Temple. In the Jewish mind a non-Jew as a temple offering would be the equivalent of offering some unclean creature on the Altar… like a pig… or a snake.

Paul’s ministry was to make sure this offering was made “acceptable”. How could this be done? How could the uncleanness of the pig-like non-Jews be changed? Can the leopard change his spots? Paul’s priestly duty on behalf of non-Jews was to make sure they understood and, by faith, received the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Through the power of this Gospel non-Jews are changed from unacceptable pigs into pure spotless lambs! Their uncleanness is removed by faith in the pure sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Though their sins are as scarlet, now they can be made as white as snow by the High Priest himself: Jesus Christ. I thank my God today that I, an unacceptable pig, am now, by faith, made acceptable in Christ... and I am ready to be offered.