Faith Comes by Hearing A Note to You…

The Decree of God

We will deal with high points, look briefly at the 1689 Confession, and summarize by “what does this mean to me?”

Description: The “Decree of God” / Will of God / Counsel of God / is often referred to in the plural from the human perspective; but as God is not bound by our humanity, He has decreed all things singularly in His Omniscience and Omnipotence. The Divine Decree contains more than can be covered here. The Counsel of God did not require time to create, think through – but was in the mind of God in eternity. If God is Omniscient (and He is) and Omnipotent (and He is), this could have been Decreed in a single moment. We see the outflow and manifestation of His Decree working through time as we are bound by those hours which God is not bound to.

This is the backdrop of our time today: Isaiah 46:9-11 “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” Also – Psalm 119:89 “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.”

My plan is to discuss some of what we can understand the Decree of God to be, and how it should affect us. There are also things of Himself that God has not revealed, so we need to trust His wisdom where Scripture isn’t explicit. There is enough in the Bible that is plain to live our lives by.

I will begin with several ideas and their implementations, what has been decreed (far as we know), and what has been permitted (again, as far as we can know). The underlying idea behind this study is Deuteronomy 29:29 “the secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” There certainly are things not yet revealed concerning God’s Decree, election, reprobation, evil, and such. There certainly are things that are unknowable, which is why the 1698 London Baptist Confession 3.7 states: “The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care”. We are peering into the most secret recesses and into eternity with these nuggets, therefore special grace is needed for both the presenter and the listener.

Some of my guidance is coming from Wilhelmus a’Brakel, Louis Berkhof, and missionary Roger Smalling (on Theodicy).

Louis Berkhof “Systematic Theology”:

1. The Decretive and Perceptive Decree / Will of God. The first is always completed, and the second is often disobeyed

2. The Hidden Will and the Revealed Will. The secret things belong to God, but He reveals what He wants us to know in His Word.

The goal is the Glory of God, and your assurance of the absolute sovereignty of the One Whom sits on the Throne of Heaven.

Louis Berkhof also:

“Reformed theology stresses the sovereignty of God in virtue of which He has sovereignly determined from all eternity whatsoever will come to pass, and works His sovereign will in His entire creation, both natural and spiritual, according to His pre-determined plan. It is in full agreement with Paul when he says that God “worketh all things after the counsel of His will,” Eph. 1:11. For that reason it is but natural that, in passing from the discussion of the Being of God to that of the works of God, it should begin with a study of the divine decrees. This is the only proper theological method.”

In the Divine Decree, the entire result adheres to the predestinated Will of God. The “use of means” is also decreed, and any / every contingent action and all potential contingencies are set from eternity.

The “means” can include the standard means of grace, the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God in the elect, and any / all external means to execute the Divine Will. The establishment of secondary causes and those matters that are used to implement them – so as not to wrongly charge God with evil, as He is Holy and separate from all evil – those agents being used as means can be angels, men, nature.

The natural man (and plenty of Christians) has issue with this from his finite mind – he doesn’t think that there is not one rogue molecule in all the universe that isn’t directly under the command and review of God.

Confessional Support

“1689 London Baptist Confession, Chapter 3; Of God’s Decree:

Paragraph 1. God hath decreed in himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass;1 yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein;2 nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established;3 in which appears His wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree.4

1 Isa. 46:10; Eph. 1:11; Heb. 6:17; Rom. 9:15,18
2 James 1:13; 1 John 1:5
3 Acts 4:27,28; John 19:11
4 Num. 23:19; Eph. 1:3-5

Paragraph 2. Although God knoweth whatsoever may or can come to pass, upon all supposed conditions,5 yet hath He not decreed anything, because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.6

5 Acts 15:18 
6 Rom. 9:11,13,16,18

Paragraph 3. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated, or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ,7 to the praise of His glorious grace;8 others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of His glorious justice.9

7 I Tim. 5:21; Matt. 25:34
8 Eph. 1:5,6
9 Rom. 9:22,23; Jude 4

Paragraph 4. These angels and men thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.10

10 2 Tim. 2:19; John 13:18

Paragraph 5. Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love,11 without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto.12

11 Eph. 1:4, 9, 11; Rom. 8:30; 2 Tim. 1:9; I Thess. 5:9 
12 Rom. 9:13,16; Eph. 2:5,12

Paragraph 6. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so He hath, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto;13 wherefore they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ,14 are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified,15 and kept by His power through faith unto salvation;16 neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.17

13 1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Thess. 2:13
14 1 Thess. 5:9, 10
15 Rom. 8:30; 2 Thess. 2:13
16 1 Pet. 1:5
17 John 10:26, 17:9, 6:64

Paragraph 7. The doctrine of the high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending the will of God revealed in His Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election;18 so shall this doctrine afford matter of praise,19 reverence, and admiration of God, and of humility,20 diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.21

18 1 Thess. 1:4,5; 2 Pet. 1:10 
19 Eph. 1:6; Rom. 11:33 
20 Rom. 11:5,6,20 
21 Luke 10:20”

Decrees of a Positive / Active Type (a few examples for illustration):

There are generally two areas of decree – those that God positively and actively decreed, and those things that God permitted / allowed to happen. Here are a few positive decrees:

1. Creation
   1. Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
      Psalm 148:5 – “For he commanded, and they were created.”
   1. Psalm 33:8 Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. 10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. 11 The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

God commanded the universe from nothing, by His own command, without need or assistance. His act of creation was not reactionary but decreed before time began and Decreed “ex nihilo” (from nothing).

• Providence
  • God’s Word. We can know some of God’s mind, will, decree, counsel through His Word. There is not enough time to cover all of the verses needed to establish this!!
  • Hebrews 1:3 – “…upholding all things by the word of his power…”
    Proverbs 16:9 – “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”
  • 1 Samuel 23 David’s inquiry regarding Saul at Keilah- God providentially has every contingent covered and under control

Providence is God’s execution of His decree in time. It is the unfolding of His will, moment by moment, ruling over nature, nations, and individuals. God has not “wound things up” to sit idly by and watch them happen or unwind. There is not a single thing that has happened or could happen that God has not been either actively or passively involved in providentially. For the elect, all of those things are manifestly good per Romans 8:28. Our view into events may appear to be negative, but this is our own estimation and viewpoint – and God has a different view.

That said, God has also given man a will constrained by his election. The sinner sins as it’s his nature, and does do freely. The regenerated is given a new heart and will that has the ability to please God – and does so under the control of the Holy Ghost – albeit imperfectly.

• Stumbling Blocks / Offences
  • In scripture, stumbling blocks, stumbling stones, “offences” are providentially laid by God. As a positive decree, they are manifestly good and to the benefit of the believer. For the wicked, they cause them to stumble to their ultimate demise.
    • There are 16 occurrences of the idea of a “stumbling block” and 6 of “offences”.  As used in the KJV.
    • Strong’s Number G4625 matches the Greek ????????? (skandalon), which occurs 15 times in 13 verses in the Greek. A trap, snare , a movable trigger or a trap stickAny impediment placed in the way and causing one to stumble or fall, (a stumbling block, occasion of stumbling) i.e. a rock which is a cause of stumbling The idea applied to Jesus Christ, whose person and career were so contrary to the expectations of the Jews concerning the Messiah, that they rejected him and by their obstinacy made shipwreck of their salvation any person or thing by which one is (entrapped) drawn into error or sin
• The Sending of Christ
  • Acts 2:23 – ” Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain”

The plan of salvation was determined and decreed in eternity, including the means and every possible contingent action of those involved – all to include the specific men and women which played a role in the final outcome; from Mary, the scribes and Pharisees, Judas Iscariot, Herod, Pontius Pilate, etc. Every action, reaction, date, time, season, were all determined from eternity as well as every means used of God to implement them. More on that later.

• Election and Redemption
  • Ephesians 1:4–5  – “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world…”
    2 Timothy 1:9  – “Who hath saved us… not according to our works, but… before the world began.”

God’s Will / Decree / Counsel determine the outcome; they are not contingent on human action or will, though they may work through means, such as preaching or human actions. God has also Decreed every means beginning at Christ to any sermon you have ever heard and its content – all to include any and all circumstances to bring you to those sermons, and the preparation of the one writing the sermon. The regression of all these activities of all involved people and actions brings glory to God.

Romans 8:28-30 : “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

God has this under control from the moment you were conceived to the first time you heard the Gospel, unto today, and to the day you die and are glorified.

Permissive / Passive Decree (a few examples for illustration):

Again, not exhaustive but directionally giving thought to areas where God has permitted things to happen. The use of secondary causes, stumbling blocks, the hardness of men’s hearts are used as means to perform God’s Decree / Counsel.

• The Hardening of Pharaoh’s heart
  • Exodus 8:15 (Pharaoh hardened his heart), Exodus 9:12 (the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart).
    God withheld / withdrew restraining grace – and Pharaoh’s heart was made hard both by his own sin, and God’s permission allowing him to harden what was already a wicked hard heart. God let it happen, and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened – not because God was the active agent in the hardening – but because God permitted Pharaoh to harden his own heart after Moses’ unwelcome command to let the Hebrews go.
  • This hardening of the heart of Pharaoh (per Exodus 9:12) is considered “judicial hardening” because God willed it using secondary means, just like Job’s family and goods in the first chapters of the book.
  • Romans 9:18  – “Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.” Again, the heart of wicked men is hardened because God is left out of their lives. Scripture does not teach strict determinism; 1698 LBC does not support it either, but scripture does teach God leaving sinners to their sin.
• The Betrayal of Christ
  • Luke 22:22  – “And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!”
    God’s purpose was fulfilled, but Judas acted freely and sinfully, and God did no violence to the will of Judas. As for the “determining”, Judas was prophesied about 1000 years before his birth that he would betray Christ.
  • Acts 4:27-28 “For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.” The disciples did not fight against the sovereign hand of God in this verse, but agreed that God’s plan was determined to include every nuance of the trial and Christ’s crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension. The Apostles not only had no problem with the sovereignty of God in the Decree, but entirely agreed with it’s execution to the last detail. To further elucidate this as a note and my own comment and opinion; every action in the life of Pontius Pilate from his birth, education, political aspirations – all brought him up to that moment when he met Christ, and washed his hands of the matter.
• The Fall of Man
  • God permitted Adam to sin without being the author of that sin.
    Romans 5:12  – ” Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”. Every mechanism of the fall of Adam and Eve was permitted / allowed. Man became evil, yet God was not the One that was the “active agent” in the fall.
  • We will not cover Supralapsarianism or Infralapsarianism here. In both cases, the sending of Christ is concomitant to the determination of the elect. This is a secondary doctrinal issue.
    • Supralapsarianism is election a priori the fall of man. Those in this position generally have God’s sovereignty in view
    • Infralapsarianism is election res simul or a posteriori the fall of man Those in this position generally have God’s mercy in view
• The Judgment of the Wicked
  • In many places in the Bible, God allows the wicked to be destroyed:
    • God exercises patience with sinners, permitting reprobate sinners to fill up their vessels of wrath against a day of wrath.
    • There is a fullness measure of wickedness that God knows, yet permits until He causes wrath to cease and judgment to begin:
      • Amorites (Genesis 15:16), “But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full”. All on their own.
      • Pharaoh (Romans 9:17), “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.” All on his own.
      • The “transgressors coming to the full” (Daniel 8:23), “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.” All on their own.
      • The “measure of your fathers” (Matthew 23:32), “Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” “Ye” – all on their own.
      • “Filling up their sins” (1 Thessalonians 2:16), “Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.” “Their sins” – all on their own.
      • “Vessels of wrath” in Romans 9:22 “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:” All on their own.
    • In every case, the sin of man carries him to hell and destruction without any effort needed by God; only the withdrawing of His grace and allowing those circumstances to happen on their own exactly because He wasn’t involved by a positive Decree.
• Eternal Punishment of the Wicked
  • Unlike the vessels being filled to capacity by permissive decree, their final judgment is a positive decree based on God’s Holiness, requiring final judgment and it’s execution eternally. As God is eternally Holy, so judgment and torment is, of a necessity eternal. Habakkuk 1:13 “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil..”
    • God’s act of judging and punishing the wicked is an active and just execution of His will by a positive decree.
    • The final torment of the wicked manifests God’s Holiness and divine justice in alignment with God’s positive decree
    • God permits evil (permissively), but He decrees its punishment (positively and righteously).
    • The purpose of eternal punishment displays the glory of His justice, as mercy displays the glory of His grace – also as a positive decree.
    • Since the vessels of mercy enjoy the positive decree of God’s mercy, they also enjoy the positive decree of God’s judgment on the wicked, as the elect are finally and eternally cleansed and vindicated against all enemies physical and spiritual.
    • The eternal punishment of the wicked glorifies God as well as the believer, and is an element of future worship in the new heavens and Earth. (Isaiah 66:22-24)

What Does This Mean to Me?

1. Creation was in the mind of God. We can rest that He has it under control, and nothing happens without His permission.

2. The Providence of God is still in operation. Not only is what we see under His dominion, but that which we cannot see. There is nothing in the past that ever happened to you, happening today, or will happen in the future, that God does not know about and that God isn’t intimately involved in.

3. If you are in Christ, then you were elected from the foundation of the world – furthermore, the substitution of Christ as the penalty for your sin was also determined in eternity. This means your salvation is on solid rock and unshakable. It can be lost.

4. You can act with complete assurance that any presentation of the Gospel is the work of God, and that God is the active agent in every salvation. If a person is unresponsive, that is not your failure, but God’s allowance for that person to either a. get saved later, or b. for that person to act on their own sin unto eventual destruction. Either way, salvation is God’s business, and we are commanded to play a role, but not in the result. We certainly will be shocked at who is in heaven once we get there.

5. Those that perish eternally do so by acting on their own sin as God has left them to it. He did not intervene. There is no second chance. While a difficult thought, we are to be grateful to God for His faithfulness to us – and our heaven would not be as wonderful if they had not gone there: ultimately God does all things for His Glory.

Summary:

The Decree / Will / Counsel of God from eternity sets in order all things, and not one of those things is out of order, or acting independent from Him and His Divine guidance: and though sinful men act contrary to the Holiness of God, their reprobation is permitted by the lack of a positive / active decree, and they act on their own sin. This ultimately brings glory to God, satisfies His justice, and glorifies the elect.

 Text: Matthew 25:1–13

Mt 25:1 ESV “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed (kosme? – root of cosmetic) their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out (sbennymi – extinguished). 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch (gr?gore? – pay careful attention to – Also Rev. 3:2 to the church as Sardis – “be watchful”) therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

We are looking at a solemn text concerning the state of the church visible – hence the term “kingdom of heaven” which is used elsewhere. In fact, Matthew uses this term 32 times – in some cases it describes the future kingdom, but here it describes the church visible. In the future state there are no fools in heaven.

I could dwell on the potential eschatological (end times) implications, but I will not spend but a moment there. God’s Word is calling for a singular return of Christ which I see evidenced here unlike doctrine of dispensationalists, and that is where I leave it today.

The parable of the ten virgins is a mirror held up to the end-time church since we now live in the end times. The puritan pastor Thomas Shepard in 1600 felt the parable was so important, he preached four years on it, and the short sermon notes are found in his book “The Parable of the Ten Virgins”.

1. A Visible Church with an Invisible Reality

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins…” v1

The first words “then shall the kingdom be likened” critically links chapter 25 back to chapter 24, so we need to understand the parable in context. In Chapter 24 of Matthew, the disciples asked a number of questions, one of which would be signs of the end. There are many indicators of end times which I will not concern myself with here. The first thing in chapter 24 Jesus says to His disciples is: “Take heed that no man deceive you” in verse 4. As the world grows old and the return of Christ draws nearer, deception will grow worse, and the deceivers will become more adept at their craft of deception – and the worst deception is the deception of one’s self.

These ten virgins represent “professing” believers. Those in the parable are church people. Our own church is a microcosm of the kingdom of heaven. They show up every Sunday, sing the songs, raise their hands in “worship”, give to the work of church, they’re cordial and nice to everyone. In that culture, a virgin’s effort was very particular – actions, dress, activity, company they kept. They wanted to be pleasing both to the bridegroom and to their peers. They were not unconcerned about their lives. The people you want as next door neighbors.

They all went forth to meet the bridegroom. All awaited His coming. All had lamps – symbols of their visible religion, of their professed desire to welcome the bridegroom. These were not people just “playing church” – they were serious about their religion, yet you can’t tell one from the other. They were not drunk, coarse or rude, scoffers / athiests, but they were “virgins” – symbols of purity, separated from the world. And yet, five were wise, and five were foolish. This is Christ’s division – not man’s. What was the difference?

The wise took oil with them – the foolish did not. V3.

Clearly the “lamp” represents “Christian profession”; the “oil”, possession of an internal change / salvation. One is outward; the other, inward just like the “call of God” – one is external (preaching, etc.) and the other is internal (from the Holy Spirit). The foolish had no oil – no true grace, no Spirit of God, no abiding life within. I cannot see your oil, but God does. Make certain you are not deceived – that you think you have oil – when you don’t.

Those with no “oil” had religion but not regeneration / no new birth. Activity without anointing. Doctrine without deliverance. Church attendance, but no change of heart. They looked the part. If you saw them at church, you wouldn’t know the difference between those virgins. They all looked good and righteous. But God knew. And midnight revealed it. Consider that Judas Iscariot was a “religious” person according to scripture. Let’s look at Judas for a moment:

• In Matthew 10, Jesus sends out His disciples. All of His disciples. Including Judas Iscariot. What is stunning is what was not mentioned in scripture. No doubt Judas had great spiritual gifts, for he was a preacher of the gospel in Matthew 10, sent out from Christ – and our Lord Jesus Christ would not have put him to work and not prepare him for that work – yet we know “Judas is gone to his own place”. Judas was sent out with the others to preach the Gospel saying the “kingdom of heaven is at hand”. Healed the sick. Cleansed the lepers. Cast out devils. Raised the dead. Yes – Judas Iscariot was indistinguishable from the others in his profession and his actions – even in the success of his works. If Judas miscarried in his efforts, scripture would have called it out, but it doesn’t. He was in with the rest of the disciples and active.
• Judas was so good at is act that in John 13:25, John the disciple asked Jesus who the betrayer was – and even after Jesus giving the clue of the sop in the dish, yet John didn’t understand. When Jesus told Iscariot to do what he had to do quickly, it says “no man at the table knew” (John 13:28). Judas was so similar to the others, he fit in without question.
• Man may go to great lengths to deceive others even as well as himself, yet – be as much a child of hell as Judas Iscariot; that is what we see in churches everywhere.

You are not saved by proximity. You are not saved by your works. Being part of the ten virgins (the complete visible body of Christ), does not mean being redeemed. Jesus said, “Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father.” (Mt. 7:21).

Also as a note: the Bible says that the gate is narrow and few find it. Eight were saved in the ark. Three were saved from Sodom. Two entered the Promised Land. The original seventy disciples sent by Christ were reduced to 12 as the rest “walked with Him no more” John 6:66.

**A Note on the Number TEN as a number of completion in Scripture if time permits – just a quick mention:

• The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21) Given by God to Moses, they form the complete moral law for Israel.
• The Ten Plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7-12) The full judgment of God on Pharaoh and Egypt, leading to Israel’s release.
• The Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) A parable illustrating the completion of preparation for Christ’s return—five wise, five foolish.
• The Tithe (Genesis 14:20, Malachi 3:10) A tenth of income given to God, symbolizing complete financial dedication.
• The Ten Generations from Adam to Noah (Genesis 5) Represents the completion of an era, leading to judgment through the Flood.
• The Ten Generations from Shem to Abraham (Genesis 11:10-26) Marks the transition from Noah to the covenant with Abraham.
• The Ten Days of Testing (Daniel 1:12-15, Revelation 2:10) Daniel and his friends were tested for ten days with a strict diet—proving God’s faithfulness.
• The Church of Smyrna in Revelation faced ten days of persecution, symbolizing a complete trial.
• The Ten Toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s Statue (Daniel 2:41-42) Symbolic of the completion of world kingdoms before Christ’s ultimate reign.
• The Ten Horns on the Beast (Daniel 7:7, Revelation 13:1, Revelation 17:12) Represents complete political power of end-time rulers before God’s final judgment.
• The Ten Lepers Healed (Luke 17:11-19) A full representation of God’s grace and healing, though only one showed gratitude.

2. Delay Tests the Soul  

“While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.” V5

Delay – the long period of waiting. The Lord is not asleep or forgetful but has decreed the beginning from the end, and does not lack mercy. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise… but is longsuffering to us-ward.” (2 Peter 3:9).

When delay comes, we see the test. When the darkness of midnight arrives, we see more clearly.

They all slumbered and slept. Both wise and foolish. Even the most watchful saints know seasons of spiritual dullness. But note this: the wise had oil before they slept. Their prepa ration preceded the delay. Here is a truth: a sudden return will not permit sudden preparation.

When the call is made and the trumpet sounds, the time for buying oil is past. Distractions are over. Time has run out.

3. The Midnight Cry – Final Separation  

“And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh!” v6

Midnight – the darkest and least expected hour. As with the Parable of the Midnight Friend, the occurrence here is midnight when it is darkest and man is least prepared. This is the sudden return of Christ. “As lightning cometh out of the east… so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.” Mt 24:27.

All ten virgins rise. All ten trim their lamps as they are all still careful and attending to their duty. But then the crisis: the foolish cry, “Our lamps are gone out!” v8. They don’t ask for light. They ask for oil. They had the appearance, but no substance. Now, in panic, they beg from the wise. Reality hits them that they lack what is necessary. They see clearly that their schemes and mechanizations don’t hold.

But grace is not transferable. You cannot rely on your parents’ salvation, your pastor’s prayers, your own church membership.

The wise say, “Not so… go and buy.” v9.  There is a right time for salvation – and it is now. 2 Corinthians 6:2b “behold, now is the day of salvation.” Not later. Not tomorrow. Giving attention to the necessary at an hour that’s too late, buying too late, praying too late, repenting too late – the bridegroom came and many were unprepared.

4. The Shut Door    

“And the door was shut.” v10

Finality. Fearfulness. Isaiah 33:14 “The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites.” The door of salvation was closed for those living to see that day. How many have had the door of mortal life closed, and were yet unprepared?

It is the very door of salvation, of heaven, of life eternal. And it is shut by the hand of the King. You cannot reopen it.

The foolish return. They cry with intensity, “Lord, Lord!” – the same cry as in Matthew 7. They do not deny Him. They do not curse Him. They plead with Him. But He says, “I know you not.” Same as these verses: Luke 13:24-27 “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.”

He doesn’t say, “I knew you once and you fell.” He says, “I never knew you.” They were never His. They were near the church, but far from Christ.

 “The door was shut.” That door, once closed, cannot be opened by man or angel – it has been closed by the hand of God as He has a determined day / hour / limit of judgment until He acts. John 7:6 – “Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.”

Genesis 15 details a conversation between Christ and Abraham regarding the promises where Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness. We also see in Genesis 15:16 where Christ makes an interesting comment not possessing the land until the iniquity of the Amorites not being full. Now contrast this against Romans 9:23, where God is patiently waiting for the vessels of wrath to be filled to capacity. Daniel 8:23 states “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full”. Matthew 23:31-33 ”Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers”. , 1 Thessalonians 2:16 “to fill up their sins” . There is a measured amount that only God knows, where His extreme patience has been exhausted and judgment begins on those souls prepared for wrath.

In our present “kingdom of heaven, we cannot see as God does. There can be relationships, allegiances, commitments that are not of God – yet go to fill up that measure mentioned in scripture.

4a. What Else? Depending on something other than Christ

Many cry, “Peace, peace,” but they don’t want the peace that passes all understanding. They only want a worldly peace. They want “Jesus”, but not His cross. They want “the kingdom”, but not the King’s Law and Decrees. They want heaven, but they want to get there on the world’s method. A promise of a false religion will not gain heaven.

These are the foolish virgins — outwardly waiting, inwardly spiritually blind and wandering.

They have made a treaty with the Gods of Egypt. They are still in secret love with their idols. Secret loyalties polluting them. False friends, forbidden unions and oaths, and fleshly indulgences are the alliances they think are hidden — but they will be brought to light when the cry is made, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!” v6

If you are a friend of the world, you are at war with Christ. “Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” — James 4:4

4b. What Else? Spiritual Adultery: They have Two Loves

The foolish virgins say, “Lord, Lord,” but their hearts are divided. Their affection is not singular. They would have Christ — but also keep their favorite sin. They would walk with God — but also dine with devils. They would serve the Lord — but keep an idol on the shelf.

The Lord will not have a double-minded bride.

Elijah cried out on Mt. Carmel “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.” — 1 Kings 18:21. The crowd was silent, as they knew this was the moment of truth for them. They were uncommitted to God.

Their spiritual adultery shows itself in their associations — those who love their secret things more than the Lord’s house; those who entertain the world while professing to love the Bridegroom. Spiritual adultery brings spiritual death.

To be very clear: the Bridegroom is coming for a pure virgin — one not only clothed in His righteousness, but also loosed from sins of this age.

Oil in the lamp is the work of the Spirit — not merely light, but life. Not merely form, but true fire. Not strange fire like Nadab and Abihu offered – and were destroyed for in Numbers 26:61.

4c. What Else? The Cry at Midnight Will Expose All Hidden Associations

When the cry calls out — “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!” — it is too late to break your alliances. The soul that spent its effort in worldly secret places will not make the marriage feast.

The foolish virgins will knock in desperation, but the door is shut. Why? Because the Bridegroom never knew them. Their outward show of religion was betrayed by inward alliances with falsehood.

Let every man examine his heart. What oaths are binding on you? What ropes of association draw your soul toward the gates of Sodom? What secrets, what unspoken allegiance, blindfolded vows, what hidden desire has placed itself between you and the Lord?

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” — Psalm 66:18

4d. Come Out and Be Separate

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” — 2 Corinthians 6:17

This is the call to the wise virgins — to be free from any and all rival allegiances. To renounce the hidden works of darkness. To forsake unclean fellowships and uneven yokes of darkness. Now is the day to stand openly, wholly, visibly with Christ.

The person who would have the Bridegroom feast must forsake the world’s banquet.

5. The Call to Watchfulness and Readiness 

“Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour…” v13

This is Christ’s conclusion. Not to speculate on dates. Not to sleep because of delay. But to watch. To watch is to live ready. To watch is to keep your vessel full. Be ye filled with the Holy Spirit as we discussed in the Parable of the Midnight Friend. To watch is to abide in Christ, to confess sin quickly, to walk in the Spirit, to keep oil in your lamp.

Be prepared for the midnight cry.

Revelation 3:1-3  “And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.”

The Bridegroom cometh.

Luke 11:5-13

“The Parable of the Midnight Friend & the Sovereignty of God in Prayer”

I. Introduction

• Context: This passage follows Jesus’ teaching of the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4). It continues the theme of prayer, emphasizing persistence, trust, and God’s sovereignty in answering prayers. A note on the Lord’s Prayer as the KJV begins with “Our Father, which art in heaven” and it is omitted from the ESV:
  • The Lord’s Prayer precedes the text we study here. There is a difference between the ESV and other versions as ESV omits parts of said in Matthew 6.
  • As a note, The 1563 Reformed Heidelberg Catechism, the King James, Martin Luther’s “Shorter Catechism”, an the 1662 “Book of Common Prayer” from the English Reformation all read more like the Matthew 6 passage. The LXX reads like the ESV using “?????” or “Father” where “which art in heaven” would be understood by the context.
  • In the Matthew 6 Olivet Discourse, many of the same parables appear, was Dr. Luke is paraphrasing Mt 6? Possibly, but the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray the way John the Baptist prayed, and Matthew 6 is more a public setting.

II. The Parable of the Midnight Friend (Luke 11:5-8)

A. The Context of the Parable (v. 5-6)

• This is written from the first person listener (those hearing Jesus) being the one who goes to his friend at night. We are the ones without bread. We are the ones with a traveler that is hungry, and we are the one with nothing to offer. Jesus is speaking to you / me. We are in a panic with nothing to offer because first the visitor is unexpected, and I am unprepared. I go to my friend’s house asking for three loaves because I’ve lacked in my own preparation.
• Thought: How often are we unprepared when prayer is needed, and we are taken unawares – just like the man seeking bread, we have left off being prepared. Jesus JUST said “give us our daily bread”, and the person in the parable has no bread. Not petitioning God daily? What is the message to us? In John 6:35, Jesus is called the “bread of life” – providing our sustenance as daily manna as was provided in the desert for 40 years to the Hebrews – and that bread only lasted for a day – and God provided again the next day. For 40 years daily. In the preceding verses, Jesus mentions “our daily bread”

• Spiritual poverty is the result of a lack of prayer. Christ is sufficient for all needs, but are we do we pray? Does just being a Christian enough? As the man in the parable went to his friend empty-handed, so we come to Christ with nothing to offer – and how much more is Christ able to provide?

• Daily bread! Asked for daily. Matthew 6:34- “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Daily bread lasts for today. God rained bread daily on the Hebrews to cause them to depend on Him.

B. The Reluctance of the “Friend” (v. 7)

• The friend initially refuses, as it was inconvenient to rise. He answers, but does not immediately rise to respond. The “friend” responds with “Don’t bother me”.
• Thought: Friends are willing to help when the time is right, but often not when it’s inconvenient. God’s readiness to hear our prayers – the contrast between the human and divine. God delights in hearing from His own children and responding to His elect in accordance with His divine will “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24). God is not reluctant like our human friends.

C. The Power of Persistence (v. 8)

• The friend gives in because of the man’s importunity (persistent asking). The Greek word translated as importunity implies shameless persistence. “Importunity” (???????? – Anaídeia – Ah-‘Ny-Day-Uh) – Luke 11:8 “I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.” (KJV) Your friend is only willing to wake and help you not because you are his friend, but because you are beating his door down. This word is only used once in the entire New Testament. It is also translated as “importunity” (KJV) or “persistence” (NIV) or “impudence” (ESV).
• Luke 18:1-6 – the Parable of the Unjust Judge who did not regard God. Similar idea “lest by her continual coming she weary me”. Christ summarizes in Verse 8: “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
• Jesus Christ in Gethsemane. Luke 22:40-44 – “ And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” “If you be willing”. “Not my will”. Agony. And He went along further. Are we going further??
• As this word only occurs once, the implication of this word is not a singular thought in scripture at all. Persistence in “means” is not a rare thing. The puritans spoke often about the “use of means of grace”. Are we using the means of grace available to us?
• And this: Matthew 11:12 – “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” What does this mean? Heaven suffereth violence? Puritan pastor Thomas Watson in the 1600’s said that “while the meek inherit the earth, the violent inherit heaven.” How does heaven suffer violence? It is violence to flesh so we can positionally be prepared to approach God in prayer:
  • Do violence to our sins – Romans 6:6 – “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him (that is, with Christ), that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” So long as we live, we will be dealing with our flesh that would like to rise up.

• Do violence to our actions – Ephesians 4:22 – “That ye put off concerning the former conversation (life / lifestyle) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts”.
• Do violence to our priorities. It takes effort to put off things of the world and distractions to read God’s Word. Everything else wants to intrude and become a priority. God God’s word the priority.
• Do violence to our thoughts – Meditate on Holy things, God’s severity against sin and His holy hatred of sin, uncoupling ourselves from this world. We should be meditating on heaven, and offer violence to heaven with our prayers.
• Thought: Perseverance / importunity is a mark of genuine faith. Unbelievers do not have this, as the unbeliever only sees sanctification as a waste of time. This does not mean we can force God’s hand because His will is determined, but it illustrates God’s ordained means — He commands us to persist in prayer as part of His sovereign plan – it is commanded.
  • Prayer does not change God’s mind, but aligns us with His will (1 John 5:14-15) “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”
  • *With Abraham on the Plains of Mamre in Genesis 28, God’s mind was settled, but Abraham left off his persistence under the assumption that there would be ten righteous in Sodom. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was settled, but had Abraham continued to ask, he could have learned the full intention of God.*
• Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:55-58 “I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.” Jeremiah gives thanks even from his lowest despair.

• Jonah 2: 2-9 “And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.” Jonah gives thanks even from his lowest despair.

III. The Call to Prayer: Ask, Seek, Knock (Luke 11:9-10)

A. Threefold Command (v. 9)

• Ask – Demonstrates humility, acknowledging our dependence on God. ????? (aite?)
• Seek – Implies diligence in pursuing God’s will. ????? (z?te?)
• Knock – Requires perseverance in faith. ????? (krou?)
• “Ask, Seek, Knock” (A Continuous Action) – Luke 11:9-10 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”  These verbs are in the present active imperative tense, meaning continuous action:  “Keep on asking” “Keep on seeking” “Keep on knocking”.
• Thought: These verbs’ tense are emphasizing ongoing, consistent, urgent prayer. However, only the elect will persist in true prayer, because God has first drawn them to Himself (John 6:44) as no one comes to Christ unless the Father has drawn him in. James 4:8 – “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” The use of means (prayer) and method (importunity) are declared in scripture. Those not regenerated by God may speak and speak much, but will not be heard.

B. The Certainty of God’s Answer (v. 10)  “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

• Persistence brings us into alignment with God’s will. Why? Because Jesus has said so in the text.
• God hears the prayers of His children, though He may not always answer as we expect. It can be yes, no, or later – hence the need for importunity. An answer of “Yes” is always a blessing and reveals we are in alignment with the will of God, and often the answer of No is also a blessing – we may not now see what was avoided or what we may have been saved from or we may have been asking for a lesser blessing when God wants to answer with His best. Not our best.
• An example of “later importunity” would be Revelation 6:9-11 “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” Later for these saints was yet in heaven / yet they were still importune toward the throne of grace. God will eventually answer.
• Often we fail because of our lack of faith and perseverance.
• Thought: Prayer is not a blank check for receiving whatever we want. God answers prayers according to His will, not ours (James 4:2b-3 “ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts., Romans 8:27 “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” The elect will ultimately seek spiritual rather than carnal blessings (Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”). Let us not continue to pray in the give me, give me, give me attitude, but in “whatever you deem to be the best for me, Lord” attitude.

IV. The Father’s Goodness in Answered Prayer (Luke 11:11-13)

A. Earthly Fathers and Their Gifts (v. 11-12) – Let me develop a thought:

• “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?” Some translations (ESV) uses the ask of a fish and giving a serpent. The idea is the same. God will not give His child something harmful – He is a good God Whom loves His children. We want God’s will and His best. God wants to give us His best.
• Thomas Watson, “Heaven Taken my Storm” – In the Book of Esther, she stands before the King Asashuerus with his golden scepter and tells Esther:  5:3 “Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.” We have a Heavenly Father Whom loves us and tells His children: Luke 12:32 – “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Not a half kingdom, but the entire kingdom. That is the goodness of our Heavenly Father. We want God’s will and His best. God wants to give us His best.
• 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 “Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” There is not one single thing that God is not willing to give you in accordance with His will. Not one thing. If there was one single thing that was held back, then scripture would be wrong when it says “all things”. (The End of the Wicked Contemplated by the Righteous – Jonathan Edwards). We want God’s will and His best. God wants to give us His best.
• The partition between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies was a curtain and not a door, and at the death of Christ, the veil was torn in twain from the top to the bottom giving us the same access as the priest. We can ask God our heart’s delight because we now have access. Mark 15:38. ?????????? – it is finished and forever stands complete. And we can ask. We want God’s will and His best. God wants to give us His best.
• Even sinful parents give good gifts to their children, and the general graces of God are also shed on the ungodly to reinforce the goodness of God generally to mankind, but He will not hear their prayer regardless of importunity.
• Thought: If sinful fathers provide for their children, how much more will the perfectly sovereign and good God provide for His elect? Are we asking amiss for lesser or lower things? If the cattle on a thousand hills belong to Him, too often we come to God as a pauper forgetting the knowledge that we approach the One Whom spoke the worlds into existence and sustains them with the Word of His power. We want God’s will and His best. God wants to give us His best. This leads us to this:

B. Here is the BEST AND THE GOAL OF ASKING – The Gift of the Holy Spirit (v. 13)

• After going this far in the study, I am sorry to disappoint you to say God’s best for you isn’t a new car, new house, perfect health, new clothes. New job. God’s best is the presence of His Holy Spirit.
• “How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” “How Much More”: ???? ?????? (pos? mallon). A rhetorical formula used in Jewish argumentation with Jesus arguing from the lesser to the greater:
• This passage parallels Matthew 7:11, where Jesus speaks of giving good gifts. Here we see the “Divine Passive” – it shall be given, you shall find, it shall be opened. This is akin to digging for a buried treasure. Not forced on you, but given freely to those that are willing to ask persistently.
• Here, the ultimate gift is the Holy Spirit—the greatest blessing a believer can receive.
• Thought:  The Spirit’s presence in a believer’s life is proof of election (Ephesians 1:13-14 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”). The unsaved pray for material things, but only the elect hunger for the Spirit (Psalm 42:1-2 “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”) God grants the Holy Spirit to those whom He has chosen  – Acts 2:39 “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself”. That is, only His elect.
• The Holy Spirit will assist you in “seeing God”. We cannot apprehend God without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We cannot apprehend God without His Word – which is illuminated by the Holy Spirit. When we properly apprehend God through the Holy Spirit, many things will happen to us.
  • We will purify our hearts
  • We will highly esteem His Word
  • We will become humble before Him

V. Application: The Proper Approach to Prayer

1. The Sovereignty of God in Prayer

• God has decreed all things from eternity past (Ephesians 1:11 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will”). Yet, He commands us to pray because prayer is His ordained means to accomplish His will. Prayer does not change God’s plan, but it changes our hearts to align with His purposes. We are His children. We May not see His complete outcome as He does, but He still implores us to pray with importunity to seek His will for our lives.

2. Praying According to God’s Will

• True, effectual prayer is not about manipulating God (because you can’t), but about seeking His will (1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us”). Where can see find God’s will? From God’s Word. You will not find it in the newspapers or on TV or the internet. God has chosen to reveal Himself in one place, and that is in His Word. Luke 16:17 – “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.” Is there freedom in asking? Yes, so long as it agrees with His will – period.
• The Holy Spirit intercedes for believers when they do not know what to pray for (Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words”). When we lack words, He takes over. If you let Him.
• Sometimes, those praying are left empty. There may be reasons:
  • Are you seeking in pride and not in humility?
  • Are you seeking diligently? Too many are lazily seeking in prayer. The one in the Song of Solomon desired her love, but only looked in bed first – it required her to search more earnestly in the city and broader ways – Song of Solomon 3:1-2.
  • We are not searching with all our heart: Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

3. The Greatest Gift: The Holy Spirit

• Many seek earthly blessings, but the greatest request we can make is for more of God Himself. The Holy Spirit is the seal of our salvation and the power for sanctification (Ephesians 1:13-14), and like the Greeks at the feast in John 12:21 “we would see Jesus” – make having more of God your goal in life. The presence of the Holy Spirit is not manifest in a “sign gift”, or other outward physical manifestation, but comes in the confidence that you belong to Him and have assurance of salvation. The Holy Spirit is parakl?tos (??????????) means “called alongside” or “one who is called”. It’s a verbal adjective that’s often used to describe someone who is called to help in court. In Christ, you are never alone, but have the help of the Holy Spirit – the third person of the Trinity – who is referred to as “He” by Jesus. John 16:13- “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

4. The Assurance of God’s Goodness

• God does not always grant our requests immediately, but He always gives what is best. Often, God withholds lesser blessings to give greater spiritual gifts and blessings. Jesus pointed to the Holy Spirit as the highest gift, explaining that God gives spiritual blessings more readily than earthly ones. Seek the best gifts.

Isaiah 66:24 – And they shall go forth , and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die , neither shall their fire be quenched ; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

Doctrine: In the text, we see Isaiah contrasting the everlasting blessedness of the redeemed in contrast to those that are eternally miserable. From this text, I posit: One – that those in a glorified and heavenly state are in full view of those that are in a wretched condition and; Two – that the sight and review of miserable souls in torments causes no anxiety to the redeemed. 

The overall theme of Isaiah’s text shows Israel under judgment for disobedience to the word of God and following His statutes. The book opens with the vision of Isaiah declaring that Israel does not know their Sovereign and King and has not considered the One who has cared tenderly for them and strengthened them through their tribulations. It was the will and plan of God to bring His own people from Egypt after many years of bondage and show His glory to mankind through the preservation of His own.

As the narrative takes us through the plagues of Egypt and the subsequent delivery via the Providence of the Hand of God, we see that the pharaoh which suffered the personal loss of his firstborn in Exodus 12 asking the Israelites to leave, plundering the Egyptians in the process but still having favor in their sight verse 36. It was in the open and before the eyes of all men in Egypt that day that the LORD had delivered Israel out of bondage.

Throughout the Old Testament and in the New Testament, it is not unlike GOD to deliver His own from affliction in the sight of those that had tormented them, and even with the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, there were upwards of two hundred witnesses that had seen Jesus in the flesh after the crucifixion. When GOD works, Isaiah 43:13 shows us that “Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?” and what GOD does is not hidden or done in secret, but before the eyes of men so that all may know to glorify the LORD of glory.

One: To our point of that those in a glorified and heavenly state are in full view of those that are in a wretched condition, we shall look at Luke 16 &cf. where Jesus accounts the death of a certain rich man and another certain beggar named Lazarus. As Jesus is accounting this to the listeners, he is using the term of a certain two people, which may have been known to the listeners at the time he is accounting this. Had Jesus spoken a parable, he would have not used the term of a “certain” man, leaving us to the idea that both persons would have been known and contemporary to the hearers. In chapter 15 of Luke Jesus is seen addressing the publicans and sinners while his disciples were with him. At the beginning of chapter 16 we see Him addressing His disciples also, and it is not shown whether these chapters represent two separate times or a single discourse, but we do know that the disciples were in His hearing.

In the account of Lazarus in Luke 16 verse 23 we see the rich man now in his state of misery seeing Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham afar off. The rich man in torments makes requests of Abraham but to no avail as in Abraham’s reply to the rich man in hell in v.31 that they have Moses and the prophets and to hear them, and even if One had arisen from the dead they would not have been persuaded.

It is from this account that the Savior shows that the occupants of the miserable place of hell have the ability to see in full view the blessedness of the saved and redeemed as they are being comforted. It is not enough that they are in full view of the damned, but that a great chasm has been fixed between the two and they are afar off so that the rich man in his torments clearly understands that under no course would he ever be allowed to attain to the blessedness of the beggar resting blessedly in the bosom of Abraham. It is in this scripture from the lips of Jesus that we know for certainty that the damned will be able to view the blessed yet be unable to attain their blessedness making their misery complete, and while there is only one account of this type in scripture, one accounting of this from the mouth of the Son of God cannot be measured against all of the wisdom over the ages of mankind; the accounting of this from Jesus is truth because His Word is Truth.

This is also a picture of the redeemed and the unbeliever – they are separated and far off from each other as objects of either the blessedness of GOD or the displeasure of Him. Those that are under condemnation are dead in trespasses and sin, and those that are being redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ are alive evermore – and the difference is such that scripture makes the distinction of using the words live and dead as we have experientially understood these two terms from our daily lives.

Two: Now that we see the validity of the point that damned souls can see the blessed, we must now turn our attention to those that are in a blessed state viewing the misery of the damned. A scripture in Isaiah 66 is showing us of the new heavens and the new earth. GOD has redeemed His own, and they are now in a blessed state. The nature of our time with Him will be spent in worship and blessedness. Isaiah shows us in verse 18 that all men will be gathered together to see the glory and brilliance of the LORD of Glory in His abode ruling the new heavens and new earth. There are verses here that tell mankind that there will be nowhere to hide on the eventual day where the sin of man is reckoned against his soul.

In Isaiah’s 66^th chapter, GOD is telling of those He regards, and those that He will not- and how the actions of those that will be damned testify against them. The contrasts brought about in the early part of the chapter show the magnificence of our LORD and Creator, that the heaven is His throne and the earth is a mere foot stool for Him; and further asks what man could contribute or build for His glory and majesty. There is nothing that man can build for the glory of GOD nor can the hand of man create anything that compares to those works that were spoken into existence eons ago by His Word, and the life that still continues into the nostrils of mankind thousands of years after our Creator breathed the breath of life into one soul. Man withers and fails absolutely before the LORD of glory!

There is one thing that our chapter in Isaiah notes and the one thing that the LORD will have regard to: that is the man that is poor and contrite in spirit and trembles at the Word of GOD. All of the efforts of religion and doctrines will not suffice when the LORD is looking for a poor spirit and the regard and obedience to His Word. Further more in the same chapter, we see the regard that the LORD has for those that are poseurs in religion: the actions of those showing religious fervor without faith in the author of salvation are seen as those that thinking they are going through religious motions – and in this case the act of an animal sacrifice of an oxen – to be seen as the equivalent sin of committing murder. It is a humble thing to draw near to Jesus, and every effort should be made in being certain that our heart is right before GOD.

The ungodly are also at peril of having their eyes blinded when they refuse to hear GOD. Hebrews 12:25 warns that not to “refuse Him that speaketh.” There is a day of hearing both from GOD and from the Word of GOD, but there will come a day that GOD will refuse to speak to your heart because you have refused to consider and hear His Word any longer. We see from Isaiah 66:4 that when GOD had spoken to you, the refusal of GOD was in your heart, and you closed your ears both to His Word and the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to you in love. GOD will speak in love calling you only so long, then GOD will speak to you in His anger and hot displeasure. Furthermore, this verse shows that GOD will chose things that bring a delusion to you – “I will choose their delusions” because you “chose that in which I delighted not”. Deuteronomy 32:36 is telling you that “their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.” GOD Himself is choosing that day that has decided in His heart He has had enough of you and your refusal of Him, and those days are coming faster by every moment that you draw in breath as His enemy. In John 7:6, Jesus said “My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.” The end purpose of these verses is the Glory of God – whom has glory in Himself, yet is glorified in all things. He is glorified in the elect as well as those not elect, and even in those in Isaiah 66- all things work toward His eternal glory – and to display His glory to all souls including the redeemed and other inhabitants of Heaven.

When GOD comes, He will come in fury and anger – verse 15: “For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire”. Today, GOD is speaking with Truth, Grace, and Love, although it will not always be so, as there is coming a day that GOD is preparing for and his arrows are bent toward you because He has pleaded with you long, and spoke to you quietly and lovingly for a long time, but that day is drawing to a close for you because you have made yourself an enemy of the Most High GOD. Holy GOD has said “If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me, Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.” Deuteronomy 32:42-43. GOD shows mercy to His own people, and will torment those who do not belong to Him.

The torment and everlasting destruction of those who reject GOD and His Christ will be a matter of display and a reason for celebration. Consider Isaiah 66:22-24 “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.”

There will come a day where part of the worship of GOD will be reviewing the ongoing ruination of those that transgressed against GOD by refusing Jesus Christ. We do not understand yet and have a limited capacity for fully knowing what it means to refuse Christ, and the heinousness of the sin of rejecting GOD, His Son Jesus, His Word, every prodding and conviction of the Holy Spirit – but a day will come for the redeemed of Christ to fully recognize and see the value of being in Christ. The redeemed will share in God’s holy perspective, loving what He loves and hating what He hates. This includes a perfect hatred for sin as rebellion against God, rather than a personal animosity toward individuals.

Days of celebration are set by the LORD where the reprobate who can already see the redeemed are also viewed by those upon whom Christ set His affections, and this is not an occasion of sadness, but a joyful celebration. One may say “if I see my relative in hell, that will spoil heaven for me.” Nonsense. You will be in Heaven and in the presence of the resurrected Christ Whom is sitting on the right hand of the Father in glory, and you will experience complete joy without the mixture of sin and the flesh that now burdens us. You will have perfectly Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” and have the ability to see sin for what it was, and how by God’s grace you were saved by faith in Christ.

You will know and understand how every joyous word written in the Bible was written for you and for your benefit, and how every curse against the ungodly carried a full penalty of the payment for sin. You will see sin the way that GOD always saw it, and have the same perfect hatred for sin and those that sinned against GOD, and you will not feel disappointment in their everlasting pain and destruction. As Heaven is the ability to see God in all His Glory, your beatific view will not be dimmed by the punishment of the wicked. In 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 –“Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your’s; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your’s; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” If indeed all things belong to the believer – including things to come – then the punishment of those that disobeyed and rejected GOD’s Christ are also a benefit to the redeemed, else GOD would have withheld something from His children. Judas Iscariot has been in torment for 2000 years, and should bring the believer peace and awe to see the perfect justice of God displayed in the retribution of those who rejected Christ, knowing that His judgments are holy and righteous. In John 6:60, the disciples remarked that the teaching of Jesus was a “hard saying; who can hear it?”

There are many hard sayings in the Gospel, and in John 6 after hearing hard sayings of Christ, “many” of His disciples “walked no more with Him” according to verse 66. Not all scripture is pleasing to the ear, and causes the believer to come to conclusions that are contrary with the world and flesh; all scripture is profitable for the called in Christ Jesus including the verses that are not easy to reconcile- and many Christians stumble with difficult passages because it requires the believer to reconcile beliefs that run contrary to their inward feelings. Our inward feelings may change, but the Truth of the Gospel is unchanging.

But why is it thus? Is it unfair to have the blessedness of the redeemed in heaven seen by the damned, and is it equally unfair to have the saved in Christ watching the suffering of the damned? Our guidance is here in Romans 9: 9-23

“9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.

10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;

11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,”.

In these verses we see why GOD does this at all. It is for the good of the good. GOD has prepared vessels beforehand “fitted” for destruction with the capacity to endure eternal flame and torment that He may make known His blessings onto the redeemed. Is it fair? Absolutely it is, as it’s the plan of a Holy GOD to visit everlasting blessedness onto those who are called by His Name, and He will eventually prepare a body for you capable of enduring the blessings of Heaven, as well as preparing you an everlasting home promised by Jesus Christ Himself.

While a difficult doctrine that causes believers to tremble, the redeemed in Christ should consider it all joy that the future state of the believer includes seeing the heinousness of sin, those rejected by GOD, and what the redeemed have been eternally saved from. Romans 5:8 reminds us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, demonstrating God’s love even as His justice is magnified. His love still extends to mankind today. Amen.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Often this verse is used in the context of the Lord wanting and desiring all men to be saved. If the Lord is not willing that any should perish – that is it’s not the will of God for mankind to be relegated to eternal torments – and that it’s the hope of God that every man born would come to the savior. Coming to the open offer of the gospel to all mankind seems to be the emphasis of this text, that God is desirous that men should be saved. Is the truly what this verse is saying?

Context matters in this case, and taking a single verse to build a case for universal opportunity to hear and decide for Christ is not where the text leads us. First we need to know who Peter is addressing and why. In verse one he is addressing the beloved, or the church. The church is called “beloved in other places. In Romans 1:7 we see: “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” The beloved here mentioned are those beloved of God, so they cannot be unconverted sinners. Further, they are “called to be saints”, which is not a term used for the unbeliever; there is not a single case in holy scripture where the unbeliever is ever referred to as being called to be a saint or beloved, so in this case and in these verses, the group addressed is a group of believers that Peter writes to. In 2 Peter 3:2, Peter addressed the listener to be mindful of words spoken by holy prophets and commandments of the Lord and Savior. The words of Christ and the prophets of old were precious gems and pearls, which is forbidden to be cast before swine. Matthew 7:6a commands “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine”, and in this case that which is holy are the words of God, and the pearls spoken of here are the pearls of great price which Christ encourages us to sell all and acquire Him for eternal gain. Christ encourages us to be diligent to give all for and to Christ.

In 2 Peter 3:3-7, we understand the world being ripe for judgment as men walk after lusts and scoff at the delay of Christ to return. In these verses, Peter makes his point that the forgetfulness of men is making them ready to be judged as the world was judged the first time by water, and the next time by fire.

Now in verse 9, Peter is bringing the hearer to a point and stands as a bridge between verses 8 and 10 where Peter returns to the theme of end times, judgment, and destruction – encouraging men to be holy in all godliness and conversation or lifestyle. The same treatment is given to verse 9 which is our concern here, and the first part of the verse continued the theme of the preceding and latter verses, that God has made promises, and is not slack or negligent in those promises as some count slackness. The verse is also telling us that God is longsuffering. By reading the verses that bracket verse 9, we can now that God is going to judge the world, and this judgment is promised, but does exercise longsuffering. This brings to mind Romans 9:22, “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction”. We see in both cases, God is exhibiting patience or longsuffering with sin that will eventually be judged. God is ready at any moment to open the chasm of hell to cast the wicked in, but He still is showing patience at this time.

In 2 Peter 3, we see that God is longsuffering. This is directed “toward” as a preposition pointed at the personal pronoun of “you”, meaning that the preceding verses building up to verse 9 were written to Christians in a church which were believers being mindful of the words of Christ and the prophets to be prepared while God is exercising patience and longsuffering with the wicked. Our word “willing” in Greek is boulomenos or “resolutely resolved” to a decision made at some point in the past. We see that God decided in some time past that He was going to judge the wicked as He did in the flood and how He will with future fire, but is now being “makrothymei eis hymas”or “patient toward you”, who are the ones address in 2 Peter 3. Those being addressed are believers, the elect of God chosen before the foundation of the world – in the past, because God is going to bring fully into His storehouses all whom He is planning to save so that none are lost. God will save all His elect without fail. The use of “choresai” or “to come” is aorist tense, which in Greek is an action that has a starting point that continues forever into the future with no stopping point. This means those that are repenting and coming to Christ are also sealed forever when they come to Him. They are forever secure in Him.

This scripture of 2 Peter 3:9 cannot be addressing people in general hoping that there will be an offer generally of the gospel to all mankind where men will make decisions for Jesus Christ; because the subject of the chapter is addressing the elect children of God in the church of God that are chosen by God. Before the world is to be judged, all His elect will be saved. All the elect will come to repentance. All the elect will exercise the grace of faith. All the elect will close with Christ fully and finally.

To use this verse in any other way is to remove it from context, and add meaning that isn’t in the original text – remember the  warning of this in Revelation 22:18-19. “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

May God be honored and pleased with His children as He (God) exercises longsuffering toward us as the elect are repenting and coming fully to Christ.

This will be short and sweet. The LORD placed us here to come into a relationship with His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. When Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” in John 14:6 – He (Jesus) was stating a narrow path of exclusivity.

There is no other way to Heaven. There is no other way to have a relationship with your Creator. There is no other way to live forever / have eternal life. No other way.

Jesus speaks of a “narrow way” in Matthew 7:13-14 ” Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Jesus also says that they way to destruction is broad and many go there. I know from my own personal experience that many people want to follow the crowd, do what everyone else is doing. I can recall being asked as a child, if all your friends were jumping from a bridge, does that mean you should do it? This hyperbole was intended to promote individual thinking followed by courageous action to do the correct thing even if it is unpopular.

Which brings me forward. Being convicted in conscience to be obedient to what God has told you do to has a cost. Most often, the cost is high and will mean change. In Acts 26 we see the Apostle Paul in front of King Agrippa and read the dialogue. Paul testifies of his persecution of the early Church, and his subsequent conversion – where he was told by Jesus to preach the Gospel. In Acts 26:19, Paul states to Agrippa ” Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision”. At the outset of the events of 2020 and 2021, the world had become divided over philosophy. You are either a “true believer” in “science” or something else. It is a shame that the current science cannot be questioned. I recall in school that for something to represent science, it had to be observable and repeatable – and that science was not a settled matter. History tells us that Galileo Galilei was imprisoned by the holy see in Rome for saying the Earth revolved around the Sun. More information and more light reveals more truth, and old feelings about what used to be science have changed. The other concern is that science cannot be settled. Science that cannot be questioned is propaganda, and you need look no further than WWII Europe to see that experiments were carried out on innocent people in the name of “science”.

I have another concern with the “science”, that it has become a religion, and it’s orthodoxy cannot be questioned. Masks are the magic talismans, agency heads are the high priests, chemicals put into your body by a needle are communion – and those that are not “part of it” are the “unbelievers” that are constantly proselytized by the media to become “believers”; and that the woes of the planet are to blamed for the “unbelievers”. If you read enough 1939 history, the next thing coming is to wear an emblem on your garment so you can be “recognized” and shunned. We are in a concerning place, and the last century is far enough in the rear view mirror for younger generations that they are on the precipice of repeating mistakes of prior generations.

God spoke to my heart early through His Word in 2020. I needed to avoid some of the popular science then. God gifted me with one body and one chance to keep it pure. The last number of months have been months of introspection and taking a hard look at what I believe. Do I believe God can Heal? Yes. Do I believe that God can protect me? Yes. Do I believe in body integrity? Yes.

Getting back to Acts 26. God spoke that I needed to not follow the “popular” opinions and should be separate from “what everyone else is doing”. Difficult? Absolutely. Does it have a cost? Yes.

I stand with St. Paul – I was not disobedient to my heavenly vision, and yes – the way truly is narrow and few find it. It’s narrower than you think.

Doctrine: The Little Ones of Christ are believers and not to be offended because Christ shows favor to them as citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Full Text: Matthew 8:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ² And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, ³ and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.“Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!” (NASB1995)

Focus Text: Matthew 18:6 particularly “And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” (NASB1995)

In Matthew 18, the disciples of Christ are asking who would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. It may have been a discourse between them for position, or possibly to know if there are preeminent spots in heaven whereas some have greater degrees of honor. It is not said the origin of the conversation in Matthew. What we do know is that Christ called a child over and set him as an example to the disciples. There are a few qualities that Christ calls out in this example.

1. “are converted”. The call is for conversion, which is the essence of election. It is Christ whom called the child to Himself as the example. No one comes to Christ unless the Father draws him in, and it is not a decision made by the converted, but is a action based on a positive decree of God.
2. “become like children”. This is not a declaration of pediatric innocence as all are sinful in Adam, but a responsibility of the converted to become like children – coming to Christ after He calls you in, living in innocence, having faith in and believing the Word of God, in obedience, diligence, and honor. It is right for a child to obey and honor his father, and in this case to his heavenly Father.
3. “then humbles himself”. There is no place for pride for the child of God, but to be humble with an abased self-attitude toward heaven.

The first two points above are the conditions of entrance into the kingdom of heaven. First to be converted, then to exercise the faith to follow Christ and honor Him in your life. This will be the hallmark of your ownership to God, with the proof being a humble life – with the simple point being made to make one great in the kingdom of God. A child is not encumbered with many cares in the house of his father, only to enjoy working for and pleasing his father – as all of his needs are met by his father, and he is cared for under the roof and protection of his parent – so much more should we have this child like humble attitude as a child of our Heavenly Father.

As for the kingdom of heaven, John the Baptist proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, meaning it was ready on that day and available for those who would repent and believe. This kingdom of heaven is a present reality as noted in the Beatitudes “is the kingdom of heaven”, which is not a far-off place, but a present reality for the believer. What does it mean to “enter the kingdom of heaven”? This is the entrance into the family of God through the gift of the new birth applied to God’s elect which was determined in eternity past, and paid for in full by the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross once and for all time. In the following verses, Christ is speaking as if the kingdom of heaven is in the life of the believer, as there would be no need to concern over stumbling in the presence of God’s eternal throne in the third heaven, as those impediments do not exist there. So then – we can see that Christ is speaking about the kingdom of heaven that the redeemed live in while yet on earth.  

Point 1. As an emissary of Christ “And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me”. We are an emissary of Christ on this earth, and Webster describes this word as a person send on a mission to act as a representative – with the Latin root of emittere, meaning to “send out”. As ambassadors of Christ, we are to represent Him as an ambassador of a foreign country would be. A foreign diplomat is not a citizen of the country visited, but of his own country… and in this same sense, the Christian is not a citizen of the world any longer, but is made a citizen of a land whose maker and builder is God. The diplomat is to represent in the best way his home country, and to speak what his leader would which him to speak, and act in a manner that would please the ruler of his home country – carrying out his leaders’ wishes and speak to the foreigners as if the leader was speaking himself. This is the picture used in Matthew 18:5. We are an ambassador for Christ in a foreign land.

Point 2. Ownership of the emissary by the home country. Again in this discourse, Christ is not specifically discussing pediatrics, although it could reference young children that are elect in God. The major emphasis in this verse and in other uses of “little ones” is of active believers in Christ of all ages. For example:

1. Matthew 10:41-42 in the commission of disciples at the beginning of Matthew 10, there are rules given of Christ to his disciples. At the end of the chapter, He once again uses the term “little ones” of God’s prophets being given a cup of water in the name of a disciple, they will not lose reward. Christ’s prophets, disciples, and followers are considered Christ’s little ones based on docility of spirit and obedience to their Heavenly Father.
2. Matthew 10:10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven” NASB95. It is a comfort to know that God has assigned certain of the heavenly host to view the face of the Father continually. Our life as an emissary is not to disappoint the One Whom sent us on our journey of faith in this world, as our angel do see the Father in all of His glory all of the time without slumber or sleep.
3. In Matthew 13 and 19, the term “hundredfold” indicates a state of blessing to the believer and not used in context with the reprobate. In Matthew 18:12, Christ has a hundred sheep, and one has gone astray. The sheep belongs to Christ and has wandered off, and the Good Shepherd goes off to find the one lost sheep because He values it and does not want it lost. The found sheep is a cause of rejoicing because it was found. The next verse is important as it says “So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish”. The sheep sought of the shepherd is considered one of Christ’s “little ones”, and can be counted into the emissaries in Matthew 10 – the use and language are the same.

Point 3. The protection of Christ’s “Little Ones”: “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Mt 18:6 NASB95. Christ can and does protect His own – those whom He has paid for with His own blood on the cross. Those little ones have a high value to Him, and He is willing to protect those whom were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1), by seeking after them when they are lost, and to protect them from those that would harm them. In a tighter focus, and the point at hand is those that cause Christ’s little ones to stumble.

Uses of the term stumble / stumbling block:

1. In Matthew 16:23 Christ speaks to Peter to get behind him as he is a stumbling block doing the work of satan trying to thwart the work of Christ – so we can see that unknowingly Peter stood in the way of Christ’s ministry. Probably Peter was unaware of what he was saying at the time, but in that moment his heart was not right, causing Christ to address him as an emissary of the enemy at the moment. At the moment Peter was speaking, he had not come fully to Christ.
2. Matthew 18:7 “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!” There is a pronouncement of woe upon the world bringing stumbling blocks before Christians – the “little ones” spoken of in the prior verses. The world brings stumbling blocks onto the child of God – sometimes as a test, and sometimes to bring that child closer to his heavenly Father. Christ pronounces this woe to the world, that is everything outside of the kingdom of heaven, where Christ began this chapter. The verse also states that that it is “inevitable that stumbling blocks come”. We know that if anything is inevitable, it is God Himself that makes it inevitable. Lamentations 3:37 “Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?” It is insolence to believe that anything comes to past except by a divine ordination and a positive decree of God. Those stumbling blocks that cause Christ’s little ones to stumble are placed there by God who is the ordainer of all things.
3. Stumbling blocks cause the unpardonable sin to the unbeliever. “it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” The language unpardonable sin is not specifically used here, but there is no hope for a person weighted down by a heavy millstone and drowned. The word “drown” means a final death, and though unpardonable sin isn’t used here, the action as a final descent to ruin is used as there is no hope for the person mentioned here, both in this world and the one to come. It would be better if this person is destroyed because there is nothing they can do to improve their cause, and their immediate destruction – “it would be better” – shows that if they continued to live, they would be heaping wrath upon wrath onto themselves making the flame of hell worse by every miserable moment they lived.

Point 4. The purpose of stumbling blocks. The child of God is elect / chosen before the foundation of the world by an active decree of God in His everlasting mercy and good pleasure. The price for the elect was paid by the Son of God with His own precious blood at Calvary, thereby sealing the elect forever as an act that cannot be changed, lost, or diminished. The elect are citizens and emissaries of the Kingdom of Heaven, both here in the present life and eternally sealed in heaven. Nothing can separate the saint of God from Christ, lest the blood would be of no effect, but we know that the power of Christ’s blood taken into the heavenly temple and offered once to the Father caused the final payment for the sealing of the elect.

Romans 8:28-32: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” If indeed all things work to the good of them that love God, it also stands that even stumbling blocks – ordained and placed by God – also work for the good of the believer. We know that stumbling blocks come, but the question remains – why?

Romans 9:22-23 gives us the reason. “What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? ²³ And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory”.

Those stumbling blocks ordained by God by a positive decree to be placed into the way of a child of God are placed there for the good of the Christian and the demise of the reprobate. If all things work for our good, so do the stumbling blocks, and so does the destruction of the wicked, and it works for the blessing of the elect of God – those vessels of mercy – those that have received the promises of God and are citizens of the kingdom of heaven bought and paid for by the blood of Christ. Those stumbling blocks are placed of God, but the stumbling is caused by the wicked person’s own will and devices and evil heart, and God is not the efficient cause of the person’s fall – only the divine ordainer of the obstacle. The fall is the exercise of a reprobate will and action against the child of God.

Point 5. The final stumblingblock. Romans 9:33 “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” That stumblingblock spoken of in Isaiah 28:16 is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ – the ultimate stumbling block and stone of offense. In 1 Peter 2:8 we see “And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” – this showing that Jesus being the rock of offence causes stumbling to those that are stumbling and disobedient to the Word, yet the reprobate is appointed unto this stumbling. The appointment is a positive decree from God to set Christ as the Chief Cornerstone and the Rock of Offence, and other stumblingblocks are place in life that the unbeliever stumbles over to their final and complete demise.

May you find yourself not stumbling over the person and work of Christ, and if you are not in Christ, may you not be the efficient cause in causing a child of God to stumble thus causing your final and irreparable ruin.

You have one life. What will you do with it?

Many say they are “living their truth”. This is a worldly philosophy and does not align with the Holy Bible. John 14:6 says “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Only one Truth exists, and that is the truth in Jesus Christ.

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