Living the Christian Life

Transcript

GR 2232
03/08/2020
Living the Christian Life
Romans 8:12-17
Gil Rugh

We’re in Romans 8 together. I plan on leaving some time for our ‘Q & A.’ I have several questions I have received from you, and you may have some you want to bring up, so we’ll try to allow time for that after we look at a portion of Romans together.

We’re in the great section of the word of God on living the Christian life. Romans 8 is considered by some as the most important chapter on that subject. Hard to pull sections of the word and say this is the most important but it certainly does lay out clearly what God has provided for us in our salvation, for the walk we have with Him, and it draws a clear contrast. We’ve talked about this. One of the things that is difficult for us as believers is when we allow the waters to get muddied, then life becomes confusing. That’s where we like the clarity of the Scriptures to guide us and that’s what’s been happening.

Paul started chapter 8 by simply saying, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We’ve heard that in the song that was presented. That great truth. What a wonder it is. There’s no condemnation. Not that it’s been pretty much dealt with, there is no condemnation. The work of Christ is complete and full. Isaiah said, “Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord…” And what does God promise? “Though your sins are as scarlet…” I’ll wash you whiter than snow. You’ll be cleansed. My past is not an issue. It’s not what I was, but it’s what He has made me, and now I am His child. That’s what he’s building to. We’ve been set free by the work of the Holy Spirit and through faith in what Christ has done on the cross. He has redeemed us and made us new. Beginning with verse 5, he said “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”

So, there’s two different realms and only two different realms. One characterized by minds set on the flesh, the old man, sin, and living in rebellion against God. The other, the new person, we have been made in Christ as now the children of God. “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace...” I mean the contrast is immense and we’ll appreciate it in a greater way when we get to eternity and realize all that God has done for us. Verse 7, “…because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so…” It doesn’t want to, and it can’t. We’ve noted that. That’s the condition.

That’s why we don’t get involved in reformation projects. As though if we meet some of the physical needs of people, if we do this for them, then…. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be kind, that we shouldn’t be godly in our character and our treatment of others and be compassionate. But their problem is a spiritual problem, it’s not a physical problem. We see that. People of all strata of life, from the poorest people, the homeless living on the streets to those living in the finest mansions. They’re still in the same spiritual condition. If you took the person off the street and put them in that great mansion and all of that, you’d still have the same person. A person who was hostile toward God. We don’t want to confuse things and muddy the waters, so to speak. “…and those who are in the flesh (verse 8) cannot please God.” Because nothing can come from the heart that bows in submission and obedience to Him. That’s why all the religious activity is repulsive to God. Remember Isaiah 1, where He told the Jews, quit bringing those sacrifices. It’s a sacrilege. It profanes My temple that you would come. You don’t come with a heart bowing in obedience to Me. Manmade religion is an offense to God. “…those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

And then that great transition, verse 9, “However, you are not in the flesh...” Paul was writing to a church at Rome, believers in Jesus Christ. How good does it get? We go from being the enemies of God, being hostile toward God, unable to please God. Now, we are no longer in the flesh. That’s no longer the realm in which I live my life. I’m no longer under the control of the old person I was. “…you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit…” That’s the realm now I live, the Spirit of God and His control. “…if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.” You’ll note that mutual dwelling we talked about when we looked at these verses. It’s a mutual abiding. It’s mutual, the Spirit lives in me and I live in the Spirit, in the sense that He’s the realm in which I conduct my life now. He lives within me, and He is the One directing me, controlling me, guiding me as I walk in obedience to the Word. If you don’t have the Spirit of Christ, you don’t belong to Him. Again, he wants to make clear, there’s only two realms here. Only two realms. You are either in the Spirit or you’re in the flesh. The Spirit is either in you or He is not, and if not then you are living under the control of the old person. It’s important. He’s clarifying this for us as believers.

You can have people in the church and they’re trying their hardest to do everything they should, but if their heart hasn’t been changed, it’s a world of frustration, of unhappiness, of discontent because they think if I keep at it, I’ll just… Now wait a minute! I need to resolve the basic problem, and it has to come from a new person. That constant effort to change the old person is not acceptable toward God. That’s the beginning when I recognize I can’t do anything, and I realize God has done for me what I could not do for myself when He provided Christ and salvation in Him. Verse 11, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” There’s a part of my salvation that has not yet been realized. I still live in this physical body and the old man, as called in chapter 6, his power and authority has been broken. But there still is a desire for that to be manifest, and there soon comes the release when this body is transformed. Then the pain, the suffering. It’s a mortal body. Because even though we’ve been redeemed, our redemption is not complete in the sense that it has not yet been fully realized. Believers still die. We have funerals for believers. That aspect of sin remains, but it is temporary. So, the promise, the same Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, He dwells in you, and He’s going to give life to your mortal body. We’re familiar with the passage. It will either happen at the rapture when there’s a transformation of the body, in an instant of time, as we’re caught up to meet the Lord. Or it will happen when that body that has been placed in the grave will be raised from the dead, glorified. Then all the effects and remnants of sin will be finally dealt with, the promise of the resurrection of the body that will give life to our mortal bodies.

Verse 12, “So then, brethren…” You see the logical way he is walking us through step by step. Each one is important to keep us from being confused, and we come to appreciate what God has done. “So then, brethren…” he writes to them as fellow believers. “…we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh--- for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Very similar to Romans 6, where we are identified with Christ, in His death, His burial, and His resurrection to new life. We’ve had the Spirit come into our life and dwell within us, so that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and from within He directs and controls. But since my redemption isn’t finalized yet… I want to be careful how I word that, so people don’t misunderstand. I have been completely saved and it’s all done, but it hasn’t all been accomplished in the sense that I haven’t entered the realization of the final aspect of my salvation, which is glorification. That’s to prepare me for eternity in God’s presence.

Verse 12. “…we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh...” No obligation to fulfill fleshly desires, sinful desires, sinful passions. I am a debtor now to fulfill the obligation I have to the God who has redeemed me. You are no longer your own. You have been bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, as Paul has written to the Corinthians and as he is developing here. “…we are under obligation, not to the flesh...” Back in chapter 6, and the first part here, those who are in the flesh, that’s the realm in which they live. They are slaves to the flesh and to sin. They cannot please God. Now the flesh hasn’t been removed. The old man’s power and authority has been broken, but it has not been removed. There are times he makes his appeal and tries to turn me aside. Tries if he can to overrule the Spirit’s rule in my life, and can make sin tempting; disobedience, appealing. But I never have to go there anymore. I’m not saying I never do. That’s the process of sanctification. That’s why Paul is unfolding this.

You should understand, you don’t have to go there anymore. I don’t have to be the old me. Well, you don’t know my background. How many people have I talked to over the years and they said, well, you don’t know my background? I don’t need to know your background. I need to know your “new-ground”. Where are you in Christ? We don’t have to go there. I don’t have to go there. We talked earlier today about parents and that parents aren’t responsible for the conduct of their child. It’s a blessing to have godly parents, but even if you don’t, it’s not an excuse for me not to live a godly life. I have been made new when I placed my faith in Christ. Even if I had believing parents as I was privileged to have from a relatively young age, that didn’t mean I could live a godly life. All they could do was point me to life in Christ by faith in Him. So, we are under obligation. We have a debt. We are not our own any longer. This is where we’re going. We have been purchased remember. The price has been paid. We have been redeemed out of the slave market, enslaved to sin and the devil. Now we belong to God. He is the Lord. We are His slave, but more than His slaves. We are His sons and that’s where he is going.

I have a question, what about a person who says they are a believer but continues to live in the flesh? Well, if you’re living according to the flesh you must die. If that’s the pattern of your life, you have never been redeemed, period, end of that discussion so to speak. This idea, well, you know I can’t. I have shared with you my approach in dealing with a person like that. I can’t see a heart. When they say to me, I know I’ve trusted Christ, but I can’t live free from the sin I’m involved in. What do I say? Oh, that’s too bad. I feel bad for you. Let’s pray and hope. No! I have to be honest. That’s not true! You sit here lying. You tell me you’re a believer, and you tell me you can’t live free from the control of sin. By definition, a believer is one who has been set free from the control of sin. Now, where are we? That’s why I say we need to come back to say the Scripture is correct. Otherwise we get into the feelings, the emotions. We think we ought to be empathetic and say well, that’s too bad, it is hard, and well wait. Maybe they’re not believers. Maybe they’re trying their hardest to live what they believe is the Christian life and had to have attitudes of the Christian should have, but their heart has never been changed. That is a miserable life. And if they’re honest, they acknowledge that.

I’ve shared with you, one example that happened a little while ago. A person came and we had that kind of discussion. They didn’t attend this church, but he came to see me because he had attended at one time. I have sinned. I know I’m a believer, but I just can’t stop the sin. And that’s what I said. Here’s what the Scripture says. So, you’re lying. I don’t know what your lie is because I can’t see your heart. You say you’re a believer, but you can’t stop sinning. You’re controlled by it. Well, the Bible says that’s not true. It’s the unbeliever who is controlled by sin and can’t stop. You need to decide where you are. He said well, I guess we’re done. But a few weeks later he called me and said you know, you were right. I was lying. I am a believer and I have dealt with it before the Lord and I could stop. Well, praise the Lord! Sometimes as a believer I have to come to realize that’s just an excuse, because I don’t want to quit. There’s uncertain pleasure in sin that draws me. That’s where I can’t see a heart, but I have said David was saved, when he was going through everything he went through.

So, we come to Romans 8:13, “…for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die…” Is that the pattern of your life? Well, if it is, and you know yourself, settle it with the Lord, one way of the other. “…but if by the Spirit…” Note this, “…but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” This is an ongoing pattern, what we call progressive sanctification. The maturing process of becoming more and more like Christ. More and more, the character of God characterizes me. That doesn’t mean I don’t struggle, it doesn’t mean I don’t at times fail, but there’s no excuse for it. When I do fail, I know there’s no excuse. I failed because I wanted to. I failed because, and I sinned because I thought it’d be worth it. And I allowed myself to be deluded. “…if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” That’s a mark of a believer. This is 1 John, if the pattern of your life is sin, why would you say you’re a believer? That’s the issue, that’s what he’s saying here. “…by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body…” The deeds of the body are the things we do with the body.

Come back to Romans 6. After talking about our identification with Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection to new life, verse 11, “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead...” I’ve been made spiritually alive. I can live a new life. Now I live in obedience to God. Verse 17, “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” I’m not living a perfect life yet, but sin is the exception in my life. That’s what he is saying. There’s no excuse for any sin, but it’s not the pattern of my life anymore. My thinking is different. My actions are different. And the rest of chapter 6, good chapters to remind ourselves of. Because he’s building on that.

Come back to Romans 8:13, “…you are putting to death the deeds of the body…” That means I no longer use this body for what I used to use it for. And if I do stumble, I get it right, I can’t live there. I can’t live in that world anymore. I can’t live in that realm. I’m not the person I used to be. That’s the beauty of this salvation. It’s why we don’t want in any way to confuse people. This is life changing. It’s not, you’re changed by your works. But when your life is changed, your actions change. Your desires change. That’s the whole point that he is making. Come over to Colossians, just so you see it in another passage. Colossians 3, and note how the chapter begins. “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ…” It’s what we talked about in chapter 6 of Romans. You died with Him, now you’ve been raised up with Him. You have new life, the old life died. You set your mind on things above. The mind set on the flesh is death, the mind set on Christ, the things above, where Christ is. Set your mind on things above, not on the things of the earth. Why? You have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Verse 5, “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” And these are just examples. Sin of the old life.

We’re going through Romans, and we’ll get to chapter 12, if the Lord doesn’t come. “I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable spiritual service of worship.” That’s the point. It’s a growing time here. And we do struggle with sin. And I wish I could say, for as long as I’ve been a believer, there’s no reason I shouldn’t be living a perfect life. But I’m not. And you’re reminded, and sometimes you’re disappointed in yourself, and you say, what was I thinking? Why would I say that? Why would I act like that? But it comes to mind, it’s out of character. The more we grow in Christ, the more quickly we realize and hopefully we catch things before they happen. When you’re ready to say what you shouldn’t say, you stop, and you say, I don’t need to say that. That’s the realm now in which we live. And you’ll note verse 4 while you’re in Colossians 3, the promise of the resurrection, which he just dealt with earlier in Romans chapter 8. These truths go together, they are repeated, again and again, and again. Why? Because we’re God’s children, that’s where we’re going. Just like you keep telling your kids, again and again, and again, as they grow up. You remind them of the same lessons. The same thing, and the same thing. Why? Because it’s a process of growing.

So, that’s for us spiritually, we keep coming up to these same truths. It’s not because God repeats Himself because He forgot. He’s the infinite God, there’s an infinite material He could have unfolded to us. But He has unfolded to us what is necessary for us at this stage of what He is doing in our lives. And this work of sanctification that’s growing more and more into conformity to His character. Romans 8:14, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” How do you know that you’re being led by the Spirit? You’re living a life consistent with what God says is true of His children. The fruit of the Spirit, those things. We’re living a new life. If you’re not, you don’t belong to Him. And if you’re living a pretend life, stop and be honest with God. You can fool everybody around you, but you can’t fool God. I’m a happy, miserable person. I keep trying to be what these Christian say I should be, but it doesn’t work very well for me. It probably doesn’t work at all for you. Because if He hasn’t made you new, you can’t make yourself new from the outside, try as you may. “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” Think about the privilege that is ours to have the Spirit of God who Himself is God. He was called earlier the Spirit of Christ. He lives in every believer and we live in the realm of His control. That prepares us for anything and everything. Greater is He who is in you than He who is in the world. The devil can’t defeat me. Sin can’t win. Why would I not submit to Him consistently all the time? Because I haven’t grown enough yet. Keep working on it.

“For you have not received a spirit of slavery…” That word spirit ought to be capitalized I think, in both instances in verse 15, as is consistent through the chapter. The Spirit we have received, “the Spirit of God” in verse 14, is not a Spirit of slavery. He’s talking about the Holy Spirit, leading to fear again. So even though we have become slaves of God, that’s true freedom. Because we were created to serve God, to live in fellowship with Him and obedience to Him. “For you have not received a Spirit of slavery…” The Holy Spirit who indwells us is not a Spirit of slavery in that sense, “…leading to fear again…” a life of fear. Paul talked about the Jews trying to honor God and please God, and always failing. “…but you have received a Spirit of adoption…”

Remember when the Greek was written, our Greek New Testament, they didn’t use capitals like we do. It was all the same. So, you could have it written in all capital letters. You could write it out. But they didn’t distinguish the way we do, so that’s a subjective decision. The word ‘spirit’ when you read it will just be ‘pneuma.’ It won’t be capitalized in the Greek text. So, the translators into English make the decision. When I tell you that should be a capital ‘s,’ that’s why. It’s a decision they make. I don’t think they made the right decision they have on that second spirit there. A little number 2 indicates that it could be “Or the Spirit” because all you have is the word spirit. You have to decide. Is this talking about a human spirit? Is this talking about the Holy Spirit, because you can’t tell from just the word. I think it’s the Spirit. The Spirit of God that we received is not a Spirit that leads us to slavery and bondage and fear. It is “…a Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’”

The picture we had in chapter 6 is now we are slaves of God and of righteousness. That just pictures our realm of obedience, but I have been exalted. Not just a slave, I am a son. It’s a Spirit of adoption. I have been placed. I spent the last week or two reading articles and so on, on adoption. We’re not going to go into all that could contain, but we have been placed as God’s sons with all the benefits, all the privileges. “…a Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out ‘Abba! Father!’” The Aramaic word, the Greek word for father. He’s just saying father, father. He’s our father. That’s the same expression Christ used in the Gospel of Mark as He prayed to His Father, Abba, Father. We have been elevated to sons of God. That’s why we are to live like it. I am a child of God. He is my heavenly Father. There is nothing higher that I could desire. I call Him Father, Father. We have that Spirit, the Holy Spirit, as verse 16, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are the children of God.” As the Spirit of God comes into a life, He brings a confirmation and a confidence that testify to us that we are the sons of God. We have been placed fully in God’s family. God is my Father. That supersedes every relationship. He is the One now that I love. What greater privilege than to serve Him. Who else would I want to honor and obey with my life that He has placed me in such an honored position? That’s the contrast of what I was and now what I am. We can’t muddy these waters. Only God can do that in a life.

That’s why I spend talking about concerns I have. The things that come into evangelicalism added to the gospel. Social work, social justice, these things don’t do anything. You need to be made new in Christ. If the church abandons that, where else will the message be proclaimed? The church is the pillar and support of the truth. It’s the center of the gospel. When that gospel gets corrupted, that’s why Paul pronounces a curse to hell on anyone, including an angel, if it would corrupt that gospel. It transforms a person now. They can call God their Father, Abba, Father. The Spirit, the Holy Spirit, and there it is a capital S. I think it is consistently through chapter 8. “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit…” Now obviously there, our spirit is referring to our inner person. The Spirit is testifying there. It’s a confirmation. That doesn’t mean, well, I feel like I’m a Christian. It’s different. It makes you new. Your thinking is different. Your attitude is different. Your desires are different. He produces His joy. I’m not a happy person. Well, maybe you don’t have new life. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy.

In a world of unhappiness, they ought to be unhappy. They’re living in a world of frustration. Their very purpose for life is not being realized. They’re chasing things. Only God can bring us to reality. “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God…” Note this, “…and if children, heirs also…” You know, we’re not back here in the line. We are “…heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ...” Can it get any higher than that? Christ is unique in His Sonship. He is a Son like no other. But because of the salvation I have in Him and my identification with Him, the Father has made me a joint heir with Him. An heir of God and fellow heirs with Christ. What does it matter what I have here? That’s why Jesus said don’t lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, they’re temporal. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.

It doesn’t mean it’s wrong to have things here. But it’s wrong for the things here to absorb my heart. I can enjoy what God has given, the life I have here. We talked about that with Ecclesiastes. But be careful it doesn’t begin to absorb you in the wrong sense. I’m an heir of God. A fellow heir with Christ. “…if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” We need to be identified with Him in His death, and His burial, and His resurrection. And now I follow Him. And Jesus reminded His disciples as He was preparing them for His departure, in John 15 for example, they have hated Me, they’ll hate you. We begin to court the love of the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. We have to be careful. We as Christians want to fit in and we get concerned if people say things about us that are negative. It must be something we’re not doing. That’s why we ought to get involved in social action, social programs, and programs that the world looks at as good. Then they’ll think we’re good people too. I’m not courting the favor of the world. I should tell them what they don’t want to hear. They’re hostile toward God. I should tell them they’re God’s enemy. I don’t have to do it with an arrogant way because I was once too. But I must bring the truth to them. I don’t think well, if we get involved with social programs, we do housing for the poor, and we feed the hungry, and we’re concerned with social justice and we’re going to develop these programs. And then what? We’ll make people more comfortable going to hell. The gospel is the power of God for salvation. They must hear it to believe it.

Come over to 1 Peter and then we’ll have to stop so we have some time for questions. In 1 Peter chapter 1, you find this comes up. We don’t want to take our eye off the goal. What it’s all about. Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. They are enduring. Look at 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 3. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you...” My inheritance is secure and so am I. Because we are those believers, verse 5, “…who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” We’re walking by faith. The best is yet to come. That’s why suffering with these difficulties, Peter is writing this. Peter knows in these two epistles that his life is going to end unpleasantly. He’s going to be martyred. He’s not sitting there moaning, it’s overwhelming to think that I’m going to…how will I endure it…Wait! I have my eye on the inheritance. God is protecting me. However, I exit this life, whatever happens in this life to me, will not change anything of eternal importance because I’m protected by the power of God. And He who has begun a good work in you will continue to bring it to completion as Philippians 1 promises. So, we ought to have a steadiness. A confidence, not an arrogance, but a confidence. The Spirit of God never leaves me. It’s so important that I allow Him to direct me and He does that through His word and as I walk. And nothing comes into my life that God hasn’t prepared for me, for the work He wants to do in me, with me, through me. I can have a confidence. Lord this isn’t unexpected. This isn’t something that curtails your plan for me. It’s going to enable me to trust Your grace to have the Spirit of God take me through it. Well, He doesn’t give me the grace for tomorrow. I can’t say, oh yeah, I can’t wait for this operation tomorrow. But I can trust God for the grace today and trust that he’ll take care of tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Let’s have a word of prayer, then we can talk about some things. Thank You Lord, for the riches of Your word. Lord, that they are bottomless riches no matter how many times we consider them, study them, go over them. Lord, it seems that we learn more and we want to continue to have these truths grip our hearts, our minds so that it is the pattern of our life to live according to them, regularly, day by day, moment by moment because You’re the God who never leaves us. Your sufficiency is there for us every moment of every day. Lord, we would take hold of that truth and make it a reality in the way we live, day by day. Thank You for the blessings of Your word. Bless our further conversation together. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

Okay, I had a couple questions. I’ll start with that, then if I don’t talk too much, you’ll get to ask a question. A couple questions that came in. One related to a comment I made in a message before I left on vacation for a break. You said this morning (that was a couple weeks ago, maybe three weeks ago), that you went to Ezekiel 34:23 and said that some people think “My servant David” refers to Christ, but you think it simply refers to David. What are the two sides and why do you lean towards David, other than just literal interpretation? Well, it’s probably just because of literal interpretation, but let me elaborate a little bit. Let’s look at a few verses quickly. Jeremiah chapter 30, verse 9, then we’ll come to the Ezekiel passage. These are just passages, that speak of David. In Jeremiah 30, verse 9, it’s talking about what God’s going to do in delivering Israel and so on. Verse 9, “But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.” So, this is one of those passages. David will be their king. I’m going to raise him from the dead. Let’s look at Ezekiel 34, the passage that I alluded to. Then there’s a passage in Ezekiel 37. But in Ezekiel 34, verse 23, where he says, “Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the Lord have spoken.” Come over to chapter 37 of Ezekiel, verse 24. “‘My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances…They will live on the land verse 25, that I gave to Jacob My servant...” Then down at the end of the verse, “…and David My servant will be their prince forever.”

Hosea chapter 3, verse 5 is the other reference that speaks of David ruling. Let me read you what some have commented on this, so you don’t just have what I say. This is John Walvoord and he refers to some of the references that I just read to you. And then he refers to the fact that some, and he refers to Peters and his work on the kingdom, say well, this is a reference to David, not to Christ. Keil and his comments on this, they’re good solid commentators, but they say well, it’s really a reference to Christ, the Son of David. But Walvoord makes the note, there are some problems with trying to say this is not David, but Christ. Christ is never referred to as David elsewhere in the bible, although He is frequently called the Son of David, the Seed of David, and so on. So, he says, by David is meant the resurrected David who shares with Christ, as prince, some of the government duties of the millennial kingdom. Remember resurrected saints are promised that they will rule in the millennium, in the kingdom, so why wouldn’t David? And David is selected out because of his unique position. The Davidic covenant was given to him and ultimate realization is in his son. Christ will rule the earth but there’s no reason a resurrected David wouldn’t be ruling in Jerusalem. He’d be the natural one. There’s going to be the sub-rulers under Christ throughout. Remember Jesus told His twelve, His disciples, you’ll sit on twelve thrones governing the twelve tribes of Israel. Well, it would be fitting that David would be ruling as king over the Jews. So, I don’t see any reason to abandon the literal interpretation. Alva J. McClain, in his book on the kingdom says, “in Ezekiel’s visions of the coming kingdom, David is named a prince who will resume his shepherdly care and reign in the midst of Israel forever. If the saints are to possess the kingdom there can be no sound hermeneutical reason for denying to David a regal position in that kingdom.” Andrew Woods in his book on the kingdom, which is a more recent book, but a very fine book. He quotes some other writers. He’s in agreement with these. But Arnold Fruchtenbaum, some of you have read and use Arnold Fruchtenbaum’s material, writes this, “Nothing in the text indicates that David is to be taken symbolically. If the prophets wanted to refer to the Messiah in connection with David, they used terms such as Root of Jesse, Branch of David, Son of David, or Seed of David. None of these expressions are used here. The text simply says David.” So, in keeping with literal interpretation it’s best to take the text as it reads, meaning a literal David who in his resurrected form will function as king over Israel, as a prince in subjection to the King of the world. Another writer says, “while Jesus the Messiah will reign over the entire earth, David will be resurrected to reign with Christ as vice-regent over the nation Israel.” And then he quotes some others. I guess I would say, I see no reason not to take it as literal. If the literal sense makes good sense, you don’t look for any other sense. I don’t have any reason to take it other than literal. So, in your question, is it valid, other than a literal interpretation, why would you do symbolic? I go the other way and take it literally unless there would be a reason not to. And since we know that saints will rule in the kingdom, both Old Testament saints and New Testament saints, I would assume that would include David. And he’s specifically mentioned here because his importance as king. He is the first king that God chose and appointed for Israel and established His covenant with. So, I assume that David will rule in Jerusalem.

Since we had testimony for deacon tonight, I had a question. What qualifications does our church generally hold for deacons? Do they use the same qualifications as those used for eldership? Basically, they are the same, with a few adjustments. But the qualifications that are set down in 1 Timothy chapter 3, is the only place that the qualifications are given. When the selected deacons in Acts chapter 6, like Stephen was selected, “he was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit.” You see a godly man selected there, often taken as the first deacons. We do have a separate questionnaire for deacons because there a couple of things that are different, but basically the qualifications are very similar. Family qualifications, character qualifications, as given in 1 Timothy 3, and then our structure. 1 Timothy 3 gives the qualifications. When Paul writes to the Philippians, he starts out in Philippians chapter 1, by addressing the elders and deacons, so they were recognized, two groups in the early church there. The deacons are godly men who do serve in the ministry. They have to have their families in order according to 1 Timothy 3. But they serve under the elders, it seems in the instructions given for elders. They are the overseers. They are the ones given the authority, but the deacons serve with the elders under the oversight of the elder but administering the ministry.

We have, I don’t know, somewhere around seventeen or eighteen men who are deacons at the time. They serve in areas overseeing areas of the ministry. When the elders meet, their responsibility is not for a certain area of ministry. The deacons are appointed to a certain area of ministry. For example, as Ben shared his testimony, he’ll be a deacon in the area of the ‘Wee Care’ of the nursery. That’s the area he focuses. They are appointed for an area. The elder’s responsibility is the overall church. So, the elders meet. Each elder doesn’t have an area. They may serve in an area, teaching or a Sunday School class, but they come as an elder representing the church. Each deacon represents an area, but they have to be godly men of high qualification. They have a high standing, 1 Timothy chapter 3 says. It is a position of recognition. So that’s a little bit how we’re structured, and I think it’s consistent with what the scripture says. The deacons were appointed to help the apostles. We don’t have apostles now, but elders have been appointed to carry on the leadership in individual churches. The apostles had a broader function. But in the church at Jerusalem where there were issues, they had deacons appointed to carry out the particular ministry, for there it was serving tables. But it’s a ministry that takes men of godly character that will carry it out. That’s one of the strengths of our ministry. We have godly men serving as deacons administering areas. Then we have godly people. Godly people, that’s the goal. You know that’s what we want to be. Godly people exercising their gifts in carrying out the ministry. So those administering are facilitating that ministry and enabling the gifts to be exercised more effectively.

Ok, I have some other questions, but does anybody have something they wanted to bring up?
Question – Well, in Judges, I know it’s in the Old Testament, how did God condone or okay what Jephthah did?
With his daughter?
Yeah, and that was before the battle and still made him victorious in the battle, so he thought it was okay and he actually did.
You know it’s interesting. I just happened to be reading that account here in the last week myself. (Judges 11, verses 29-40.) You have the puzzle. You make a commitment to God. You keep it. And you have to admire him. You’re familiar with what Jephthah said, Lord if you give me victory in this battle I’ll offer as a sacrifice the first thing that comes out of my house. The first thing that came out of his house was his only child who happened to be a daughter who had no other kids. He said this is terrible. He tells his daughter what I vowed to the Lord I’ll offer you as a burnt offering. And she says, well you made a vow to the Lord, you keep it. And so, she asked to be able to go for a few months to wail her virginity of never having children, never having a family. And then it says he did to her according to his vow. There’s discussion among commentaries. Did she just remain a virgin and that fulfilled it? Or did he offer her as a literal sacrifice? I don’t know of any biblical reason she couldn’t be offered as a literal sacrifice. Sacrificing a child is forbidden because it was done to false gods. But remember God told Abraham, you go bring your son Isaac. And it wasn’t that Abraham tells God, well, that wouldn’t be right. When God tells you, that’s what you do. That’s what is right. He would have had sacrificed him. God intervenes there, but it does at least give some background. If God hadn’t intervened, the right thing would have been for Abraham to what? Follow through. Now God did intervene, but He doesn’t have to. If God requires a sacrifice in some way, sometimes we have to deal with that. If you lose a child, God chose to take that child. I accept it. I realized the debate is perhaps he didn’t offer her, and they had a feast, a celebration that annually was held to honor her virginity. But there’s nothing that indicates an adjustment in the vow. Why would he do it? It would be consistent. And better you not vow, than you vow and not keep it. I take it, he would accept it. Now I’m not going to go to the wall on that, because I only know what’s there and God leaves it there. But his vow is I will offer as a sacrifice. When he confronted his daughter, she says you have to do it. God could have clarified that, and she could have said well, alright, I’ll never be married. I’ll be a virgin. That’ll be the sacrifice. The sacrifice was a burnt offering. And some of these things, we don’t have full answers to. You go through the Old Testament. Why did God deal with this person this way and this person that way? Why did God do that here and it seems…He’s God! So, you want to be careful and function appropriately. It’s a good question and there’s quite a bit written on it.

Ok, well let’s have another word of prayer. Then we’ll go. I have some other questions. Along the way here I may take a whole evening for questions, because I’ve got some other things that I want to go over too. We’ll get them all in eventually. Let’s pray.

Thank You Lord, for a good day. It’s refreshing for us to come together as Your people. To be together to be reminded of Your grace in one another’s lives and be privileged to be used in one another’s lives. So, thank You for the day, for the ministry of the Spirit in our hearts with Your word. Now we look forward to the week before us. The opportunities, the challenges, and Lord we’re reminded that You are sufficient for whatever lies ahead. And we look forward with eagerness to how we might best honor You in the days of the week we have to live before us. We pray in Christ’s name, Amen.