The Storms of Life

Let us look in Mark 6, from v. 45, when Jesus walked on the water. The Lord Jesus had just fed the five thousand men, plus women and children—so probably maybe closer to twenty thousand— with five loaves of bread and two fish. There was a big crowd. Many people there.

And in v. 45 LITV, the Bible says 'And at once He constrained His disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before to the other side, to Bethsaida, until He should dismiss the crowd.'

Jesus was going to send the people away, and Jesus made His disciples to get into a boat, to sail across the Sea of Galilee to the other side, and Jesus went into the mountain to pray. The Bible says, 'And taking leave of them, He went away to the mountain to pray.' (v. 46 LITV)

Then it carries on to say that the boat was in the midst of the sea when Jesus was still on land, and the disciples were distressed in the rowing, for the wind was against them; they were in the middle of a storm, and the sea was high. The Bible says in v. 46-48 LITV,  

And taking leave of them, He went away to the mountain to pray. And it becoming evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He alone on the land. And He saw them being distressed in the rowing, for the wind was contrary to them. And it was about the fourth watch of the night when He came toward them, walking on the sea. And He willed to go by them. 

So we see that the Lord Jesus told them to go over the Sea of Galilee, and while the disciples sailed across, they got caught up in a storm, and struggled to row the boat. They had to face a storm, and it was not a very nice storm. The disciples were facing a storm which was against them, and must have seemed like to the disciples that the storm was pulling them under. 

Firstly, that shows us (as Christians) a truth here. We as Christians are not immune to the storms of life.  The Redeemed can go through the storms of life, and not because of the consequences of sin. The disciples were obedient to the Lord, being in the will of God. They were in the place where the Lord Jesus clearly put them. Jesus told them to sail over the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus was not caught off guard by the storm. He knew the storm was coming, and His disciples would be in the middle of this storm. Amen.

Now, there can be times when we (Christians) are in a storm because of the consequences of sin, and this is clearly seen in the Bible. What about Jonah, when he went through a storm because he disobeyed God. Jonah attempted to run from God, being out of the will of God, being in the wrong place, and he faced and went through a storm, being swallowed by a great fish. He was there for being out of the will of God. Jonah found himself going through this time of adversity. 

But here in Mark 6, they were facing the storm not because of sin, but because they were obeying the Lord; they were in the right place, being in the will of God. The same for us in our Christian life, we can face adversity (the storms of life) when we are obeying the Lord, doing the will of God, being in the right place, the place where God wants us to be. Amen. Another example from the Bible would be Paul the apostle, when he was in the Philippian prison, Paul was in the will of God, he was in the place where God wanted him to be, doing the will of God, but going through a time of adversity.  

What is the reason for this? The reason is the Lord Jesus Christ is working on his people. The Bible says in Romans 8:28 LITV, 'But we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to purpose.'

Then in the next verse it tells us the purpose—to be conformed to the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord is spiritually enlarging us in Christ Jesus, conforming us to His image.

Yes, we can grow in the light times, when the storm is calm, but there are certain things which can only be discovered in the dark (the storms of life). There are things in the storms of life we will discover, enlarging us spiritually. It is not because God does not love us, it is because He does love us, and it is not because God does not care, it is because God does care for us. These times will strengthen us in the Lord. The Lord loves us too much to allow us to remain still, but He is making His people more like the Lord Jesus Christ, in our words, thoughts and deeds, and in that, Jesus our Lord is glorified. God is glorified.  Amen. 

Again in v. 46-48 LITV, the Bible says,  

And taking leave of them, He went away to the mountain to pray. And it becoming evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He alone on the land. And He saw them being distressed in the rowing, for the wind was contrary to them. And it was about the fourth watch of the night when He came toward them, walking on the sea. And He willed to go by them. 

The Lord Jesus, as we have discovered, put His disciples into the middle of the storm, and Jesus had a purpose for doing what He did. Now we will see what Jesus was doing for them while they were in the storm. While they were in a storm, the Lord Jesus was interceding for them on the mountain. The Lord Jesus was watching and interceding for them. When the Lord Jesus puts His people into a storm, He will never leave His people, nor forsake them, just like we see here with His disciples. So the second thing we see—Jesus was interceding for them.

Thirdly, Jesus had His eyes upon them. Notice what it says in v. 48 LITV, the Bible says, 'And He saw them being distressed in the rowing, for the wind was contrary to them.'  The Lord Jesus saw them being distressed in the rowing, for He could see them, but they could not see the Lord Jesus. When believers in the Lord Jesus are going through the storms of life, when adversity comes, the Lord Jesus always has His eyes upon them. He loves His people, and cares for His people, and will always provide for His people when they are going through a storm. The Lord Jesus Christ never leaves nor forsakes His people, for His people are His redeemed, and always will be. 

We also see here that Jesus intercedes for His people. Understand that Jesus intercedes for them who are His. He interceded for His people here, and the Lord Jesus intercedes for all His people (Christians), wherever they may be on this earth. The Bible says in Hebrews 7:25 LITV, ' From this also He is able to save to perfection those who come to God through Him, ever living to intercede on their behalf.'

If you are a believer, be blessed to understand and to know, that every Christian has the intercessory work of the Lord Jesus Christ before the Father in Heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ represents His people before the Father. We need His intercessory work. The intercessory work of the Lord Jesus Christ is based on His finished work; His death, burial and resurrection. The very reason His people will endure to the end, and reach the shores of eternity, just like His followers reached the shore here, is because the Lord Jesus Christ intercedes for us, based on His finished work for our salvation. The Lord Jesus can never, and will never fail in His intercessory work.

So not only does the Lord Jesus put us (Christians) in the storms of life at times, to conform us (His people) to His image, the Lord Jesus has His eyes upon us, intercedes for us, providing for us, whatever we go through, even when we fail Him, He will not fail us in His intercessory work—just like we see with Peter when he failed the Lord Jesus when he denied the Lord Jesus Christ—for the Bible says that Jesus prayed for him, knowing that Peter would fall, praying for Peter to come back up again, which Peter did, and was used by the Lord in a great way, and Peter was kept by the Lord until the end. Thank the Lord for His intercession before the throne in Heaven. 

Lastly, we see that Jesus came to them. We have already seen that Jesus was with them all the way, His eyes were upon them, and He was interceding for them, and then we can also see the Lord Jesus Christ came to them at the perfect time, and He calmed the storm. The Bible says in v. 48 LITV, 'And it was about the fourth watch of the night when He came toward them, walking on the sea. And He willed to go by them.' Jesus came to them. In v.51a LITV the Bible says, 'And He went up to them into the boat, and the wind was cut off.' The same for all His people, He will come to us at the right time (never too late, never too early) and He will calm the storm, and get us through to the other side. He is a faithful God. He is faithful to His Word. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we can trust Him whatever may come. Let us trust Him whatever we face, whether prosperity or adversity, we can trust our Lord because He is the one true God, who is the God of truth, and His Word is truth. Let us trust Him—Let us stand on His Word. 

Notice what the Lord Jesus says to them. He says in v. 50, 'For all saw Him, and were troubled. And immediately He spoke to them and said to them, Have courage. I AM! Do not fear.' Notice Jesus said to His disciples, 'Do not fear.' When we go through the storms of life, God wants us to experience His peace which has been given to His people in Christ, and not be fearful. Notice what Jesus said in this same verse, 'Have courage. I AM! Do not fear.' Let us not be fearful when we go through the storms of life, for we serve the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the I AM.  We belong to Him. The Lord Jesus Christ can always be trusted in all things. The Lord Jesus has already given to His people the greatest gift of all, Himself. We serve a faithful God. Always remember, even when things do not go the way we would like them to go, or our prayer is not answered the way we asked, God can always be trusted, because He is faithful to His Word, and He will always do the right thing, just like we have seen here in Mark 6. Amen.

I will finish with this scripture in Isaiah 51:10 LITV, 

Who among you fears Jehovah, obeying the voice of His servant, who walks in darkness, and no light is in him? Let him trust in the name of Jehovah, and lean on his God. 

Let there be Light!

There are Christians who believe in prevenient grace, which means God gives this prevenient grace to every individual, to all people, for them to be able to come to the Lord Jesus Christ, while still having a heart of stone, being dead in trespasses and sins. They believe a person can come to Christ being in a spiritually dead state.

The problem with prevenient grace is it is found nowhere in the Bible. The Bible teaches that a person who is dead in trespasses and sins can not come to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says in Romans 3:11 LITV, There is none that understands, there is not one that seeks after God. In 1Corinthians 2:14 LITV, the Bible says. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The Bible teaches that a person needs to be born from above, to be regenerated by God to even see the kingdom of God, and enter the kingdom of God. John 3:3 LITV, says, Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, if one does not receive birth from above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God. Notice that without being born from above, a person cannot even see the kingdom of God. Then in John 3:5 LITV, Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, if one does not receive birth out of water and Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. One must be born from above to able to see and to enter into the kingdom of God.

When God regenerates a person, when they are born from above, God takes out the heat of stone and gives unto that person a heart of flesh, they are raised to spiritual life, and the will of that person is changed by God, which will result in that person wanting and coming to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. The Bible says in John 6:37 LITV, All that the Father gives to Me shall come to Me, and the one coming to Me I will in no way cast out.

When we go to Ephesian 1:4 LITV, the Bible says, according as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, for us to be holy and without blemish before Him in love. He chose us means God chose His elect people, and then says, in Him, which refers to Christ. God chose His elect people in Christ, and then it tells us when God did this, the Bible says, before the foundation of the world. God chose His people in Christ Jesus in eternity, even before Genesis 1:1, when the Bible says, God created the heaven and the earth. And then the verse says, for us which means His elect people, to be holy and without blemish before Him in love. v.4 speaks about God choosing a people for Himself in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ- God has chosen whom He will extend His saving grace to, in His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

Then in v. 5 LITV, the Bible says, predestinating us, again referring to the elect, to adoption through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. The ones whom God has elected in Christ Jesus for salvation, God has predestined to be placed into the position of sons through Christ Jesus. Notice what is said at the end of the verse, according to the good pleasure of His will. Not according what God saw down the corridors of time what we would do, but by the good pleasure of His will.

Now let us go to in Genesis 1:3 LITV, and the Bible says, then God said, Let light be! And there was light. Here we see that God created light on the first day of creation, and it was good. Everything that God does is good. In Genesis 1:3, when it speaks of light, it is speaking about the physical creation, physical light, which God created on the first day.

Now let us go to in 2Cor. 4:6 LITV. Notice what it says in v. 6,  Because it is God who said, "Out of darkness Light shall shine," who shone in our hearts to give the brightness of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Notice what Paul wrote here, Because it is God who said, “Out of darkness Light shall shine”- this is referring to what God did in Genesis 1:3, when God said, Let there be light, when God created the physical light on the first day of creation. Then we see Paul moves on to write about the spiritual light that God gives in the same verse, v. 6 LITV, when Paul wrote, who shone in our hearts to give the brightness of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Just like God did in creation, when God said, Let there be light at the appointed time of His choosing, God does that spiritually for His elect people at the appointed time of His choosing, God says let there be light, and there will be light, and they will come to the Lord Jesus Christ and receive the salvation which He accomplished for them.

God has to bring light to a person in darkness, and when God does bring light to a person in darkness, they will no longer be blind but be able to see, having been regenerated, born from above, having now been given a heart for God, will come to godly repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, and be saved by the grace of God in His Son.

When God says, Let there be light in sinner’s life, that person will come to Christ, not forcibly, but willingly. They will desire to come to Christ Jesus, and they will come to Christ, because God said, Let there be light. If God does not bring light to a person in their lifetime, that person will continue in darkness, always continuing to have pleasure in unrighteousness and not in the truth, and will continue to reject Christ not forcibly, but wilfully, and will die in their sins without Christ and get what they rightly deserve, which is the just judgment of God, and they will spend eternity in hell.

When the Lord divided between the light and the darkness in creation in Genesis 1:3, God also divides His own people from the people in the kingdom of darkness, because the people of God enter into the kingdom of Light. This is the work of the Lord.

The Saved and The Lost

The saved believe God, but the lost call God a liar. 

1John 5:10 LITV, The one believing in the Son of God has the witness in himself.  The one not believing God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness which God has witnessed concerning His Son.  

The saved are thankful to God, but the lost are thankless to God.

1Thessalonians 5:18 LITV, In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. 

Romans 1:21a LITV Because knowing God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful.

The saved worship and serve the Creator, but the lost worship and serve the creation.

John 4:23a LITV, But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. 

Romans 1:25 LITV, who changed the truth of God into the lie, and worshiped and served the created thing more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

The saved have pleasure in righteousness, the lost have pleasure in unrighteousness.

1John 3:7-8a LITV, Little children, let no one lead you astray; the one practicing righteousness is righteous, even as that One is righteous. The one practicing sin is of the Devil, because the Devil sins from the beginning.

The saved practice obedience to God, the lost practice disobedience to God.

John 14:21 LITV, He that has My commandments and keeps them, it is that one who loves Me; and the one that loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I shall love him and reveal Myself to him. 

Colossians 3:6 LITV, on account of which the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience, 

The saved say evil is evil and good is good, but the lost say evil is good and good is evil.

1Thessalonians 5:15 LITV, See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue the good, both towards one another and towards all.

Isaiah 5:20 LITV, Woe to those who say to evil, good; and to good, evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

The Inheritance given by God

Ephesians 1:11-14 LITV

Notice what Paul wrote, in whom we also have been chosen to an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of the One working all things according to the counsel of His own will. Notice the word ‘We’. The word “we”refers to all Christian believers. We know this because after v. 11, Paul wrote in v.12, for us to be to the praise of His glory, the ones who had previously trusted Christ, referring to Jewish believers in Christ, and in v. 13, in whom also you, hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also believing you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, referring to Gentile believers in Christ, and then v. 14, who is the earnest of our inheritance. “We” in v. 11 refers to all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, whether Jew or Gentile believer in the Lord Jesus, we are one in Christ, and both are heirs according to the promise of God.

Because we have election, we have redemption, and because we have redemption, we have been given an inheritance. All this was predetermined in the very mind of God before the foundation of the world. Paul emphasizes the master planning of God from eternity, to choose and redeem a people for Himself, and to give them a heavenly inheritance in the Lord Jesus. 

Notice the words, being predestinated according to the purpose of the One….. This is referring to the Father. This inheritance was predestined by the Father in His Son. God set the boundary and limited to His elect people in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Not only are the people of God elected for Salvation, but also predestined to an inheritance. It was predetermined by God. Notice the words in v. 11 according to the purpose of the One working all things according to the counsel of His own will. It is according to God, not man. The word "will" is the same word in v. 1 (thelema), which means a thing willed. It was the very will of God. It was in the very heart of God, His pleasure, the desire of God’s heart. He is the source of this work. The author of this work, the one who writes the story. The Lord is the One who puts it into progress, and the Lord is One who will bring it to completion. This was done by the Lord’s own direction and will, no other gave Him advice, nor direction, nor by the will of another, no one persuaded Him, nor inspired Him, nor made an effort on Him, nor gave Him any reason to do what He did, but all done by His Grace. The Inheritance has been establised by God to give to His people, and may we never forget to praise Him for His goodness in the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son. 

Look at the word, “working” in v. 11. It is the Greek word, “energeo”, and it is where we get the English word, “energy”.  God never plans something, and then try and to work out how to accomplish the plan, but He predestined, and by His omnipotence, fufills whatever He predestined. In v. 14,  the Bible says that the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inhertance, which means He has been given to us as a guarantee, what we have in part, we will receive in full.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, Our Father loves you and me with a measureless, eternal, and perfect love. We will be with Him. Nothing can change that, it is all fixed and secured in the Victorious One, our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus. No man could stop creation, nor the incarnation, nor the crucifixion, nor the resurrection, nor our salvation, and nothing can stop our glorification, nothing can stop us from being with Jesus. Heaven is a real place, but what makes heaven, heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ. Being with Him makes all what we have in Him, special, and without Him they would be empty. Jesus is in heaven, and we will be with Him. Amen.

Salvation Belongs to Yahweh

Welcome to this blog article. We are going to look at 2Thes. 2 from verse 13. This is a great scripture to show that God elected certain people for salvation. The Bible says in 2Thes. 2:13 and 14 LITV, But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers, beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, to which He called you through our gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now we see here very clearly that Paul wrote, But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers, beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to salvation, in sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth, which He called you through our gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We see here very clearly that Paul wrote that God chooses people for salvation. God chose His people from the beginning to salvation, from the beginning, they were chosen, for Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose us, which means His people, in Him, which means Christ Jesus, before the world was. The Bible makes it very clear that God chose His people from the beginning, not God chose His people at the beginning, but God chose His people from the beginning to salvation, for His people were chosen in Christ before the world was.

Then Paul wrote, in sanctification of the Spirit. This is the work of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been sent by the Father and the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is setting apart those who are the people of God, those whom God elected, those whom God choose to extend His saving grace to, by the good pleasure of His own will. When the Holy Spirit sanctifies, sets apart those whom God has chosen, the Holy Spirit regenerates them, takes out the heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh, and raises them to spiritual life, He changes their wills, and that person will come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Bible says, belief of the truth. This is seen here in this text, for Paul wrote, because God chose you from the beginning to salvation, in sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth go hand in hand, and cannot be separated. When one does not come to belief in the truth, it is because the Spirit did not set them apart, and they remained in their wilful rebellion against a Holy God.

Important to understand that the Holy Spirit is not trying to save everybody equally, and whereby some people say yes, and some people say no in an unregenerated state, but the Bible teaches that those whom the Holy Spirit sets apart, will come to believe in the truth. They will believe in Christ Jesus.

Paul continue to wrote, which He called you through our gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the work of the Holy Spirit and His gospel. The Holy Spirit works with His gospel, and when He does, they come to God through the Lord Jesus Christ, and receive the salvation which Christ accomplished for them when He came and laid down His life for  them.

We also see the Triune God here. God chose you, referring to the Father,  and then the sanctification of the Spirit, which refers to the Holy Spirit, and then belief of the truth, which He called you through our gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. We see the three persons of the One true God, working together in the salvation of the people of God. We clearly see here that this is a work of God. The Father thought salvation, the Son bought salvation, and the Holy Spirit wrought salvation.

When we go to Romans 8:28, the word foreknew is a verb and not a noun. There are people who use this like a noun and not a verb, but the word ‘foreknew’ is a verb in the Greek. That is important. This is a verb, and God is the One doing the action of the verb. Why did God foreknow them who would come to Christ, because God choose them for salvation, and because He did, they will come to Christ, as we have seen in 2Thes. 2:13. 

This is seen clearly in v. 30 in Romans 8 LITV, for the Bible says, But whom He predestinated, (they are those whom He foreknow) which means He choose them, He predestinated them, these He also called. Remember what Paul wrote in 2Thes. 2:14, to which He called you through our gospel. It is the Spirit and the Gospel.

Now, this call here in Romans 8:30 is not referring to a general call, but an effectual call. We can see this here in v.30, for the Bible says, for whom He called, these He also justified. Who are justified? Those who have been saved. This is speaking about an effectual call because them whom God calls are justified, they are saved, just like we have seen in 2Thess, 2:13-14. All who God calls here, are justified. They receive salvation. It can not be referring to the general call to salvation, for many do not come to the Lord, and not receive salvation, which obviously means they are not justified. Amen. Then it continues to say in v.30, those whom He justified, these He also glorified. God, God, God all the way. So whom God foreknew, He predestinated, He called, He justified, and He glorified, God from the beginning to the end. Amen.

It is very clear in the Word of God, that whom God chooses to save, He will save, and they will spend an eternity with Him in Heaven. Praise the Lord that He does, for as Jonah said in Jonah 2:9 LITV, Salvation belongs to Jehovah (Yahweh). Amen.

The Rider in Revelation 19

We are going to look at the second coming of Christ. We are not looking at what is called the rapture,  when believers are taken up to meet the Lord, and we will be made like Him, because we will see Him as He is, which is the time of glorification,  but we are going to study when Christ comes back and places His feet upon this earth, the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, when His saints will come back with Him, when He returns to the earth to set up His Millennial Kingdom.

In Revelation 19:11 LITV, the Bible says, And I saw Heaven opened. And, behold! A white horse, and He sitting on it having been called Faithful and True. And He judges and wars in righteousness. 

So let us look at the identity of the rider on the white horse begining in v. 11. 

• First, we see that the rider is called faithful and true. The rider on the white horse is called Faithful and True. Who is called the Faithful and True witness? The Lord Jesus Christ. In Revelation 3:14, we see Christ said to one of the seven churches, the church at Laodicea, These things says the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Head of the creation of God: (LITV). We see here that the faithful and true Witness is the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ is calling Himself, the Faithful and True Witness. So we see here that the rider in 19:11 is called Faithful and True, and Jesus is the Faithful and True witness. 

• Secondly, What is one of the names for our Lord Jesus Christ in the Bible. Jesus is called the Word in John 1:1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (LITV). John the apostle is clearly telling us that Jesus is the Word, and the Word has been God from all eternity. He is God. What about in Rev. 19:13? We can clearly see the rider of the white horse is called the Word. Revelation 19:13, says, And His name is called The Word of God. John the apostle is writing this book, God used John, and he is writing The Word, like he did in the Gospel of John. So we see here that the rider is called The Word of God, and Jesus is the Word.

• Thirdly, in Revelation 19:16, it tells us about the rider, And He has on His garment and on His thigh a name having been written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (LITV). Who is the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, well, it is the Lord Jesus Christ, and we can see this truth in Revelation 17:14 LITV, These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and the ones with Him are called and elect, and faithful ones. Who is the Lamb, well that is Jesus Christ, He is the Lamb of God. So we see here that the rider is called Kings of kings and Lord of lords and Jesus is called Lord of lords and King of kings in Rev. 17:14.

We see here very clearly, the rider on the white horse here in Revelation 19 is the Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful and True, The Word of God and King of kings and Lord of lords, all which identify the Lord Jesus. The rider on the white horse is the Lord Jesus Christ in Rev. 19.

We see Heaven open, and the divine glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, and He comes forth through the gates of Heaven, with the armies of Heaven, which are His saints, and He judges and wars in righteousness. The Lord Jesus Christ in His second coming is coming to destroy His enemies on the earth, and the anti-christ's reign will come to an end. Amen.

Holding the Truth in Unrighteousness

Romans 1:18-20LITV

The Bible says, For God's wrath is revealed from Heaven on all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, holding the truth in unrighteousness, because the thing known of God is clearly known within them, for God revealed it to them. For the unseen things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things made, both His eternal power and Godhead, for them to be without excuse.

The word truth here does not mean, or does not refer to the gospel, because not all men possess the knowledge of the gospel, but here it refers to general revelation, as seen in v. 19, 20, referring to creation and conscience. That is the reason a person who has never heard the gospel is without excuse, because if they lived up to the light he or she had, and earnestly seek to know the true God, then God will bring the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to them, to hear the good news, so they may be saved.

For example, we see this in the Bible, with the Ethiopian eunuch, in the book of Acts ch. 8. He had just been to Jerusalem, and he was seeking the true God, but yet he did not know Him, because he did not know Christ, and he needed to hear the gospel. What happened? God sent his messenger, Philip, to go to Gaza, the deserted place, to tell him about Christ. Philip joined him on his chariot, and the eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53, and from Isaiah 53, Philip preached the gospel to him, he preached Jesus. 

Look in v. 35 LITV, And opening his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, Philip announced the gospel to him, Jesus. Obviously, a person is not saved by just hearing the gospel, but hearing the gospel, and believing the gospel. Exactly what happened! The eunuch asked Philip, what prevents me from being baptized. Acts 8:38 LITV, And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 

What did Jesus command in Matthew 28:19 ESV, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Notice Jesus commanded to make disciples, disciples are believers, and to be baptized as a believer in Christ, which is seen here in Acts 8 with the eunuch. He was saved by the Lord Jesus in Gaza, the deserted place. God made him ready to hear the gospel, and to believe the gospel. 

It is also true, if a man who has never heard the gospel, does not live up to the light he has, knowing there is a God, and not seek after Him, the true and living God, to know Him, and does not come to the Lord Jesus Christ, they will die in their sin, and they will face the wrath of God, and will spend eternity in hell. There is only one way to God, and His Name is Jesus.

But understand also, a man who had been given more light, for example heard Bible teaching, heard the gospel, and refused Christ, they will receive a higher degree of punishment in hell, than those who did not hear the gospel, and refused Christ. Both will be in hell forever, no way out for either, but one will receive a higher degree of punishment in hell for all eternity, the other, a lesser degree of punishment in hell for all eternity. What did the Lord Jesus say about the people in Capernaum, Matthew 11:23 LITV, And you Capernaum, who "have been exalted to the heaven, you will be thrown down to Hades." For is the powerful acts happening in you had taken place in Sodom, it would remain until today. But I say to you, It will be more bearable for the land of Sodom in Judgment day than for you.

The people in Capernaum, they will receive a higher degree of punishment for eternity than even Sodom, because Jesus taught and preached in that city, and they received Him not. Both will go to hell forever, but one will receive the greater degree of punishment for eternity, the other a lesser degree of punishment for eternity. 

Now, look at the word, holding, in v.18. It is the Greek word, katecho, and literally means, to hold down or to quash. You notice this is in the present tense. This indicates that all ungodly people continually, wilfully, intentionally, to pin down and holding the truth in unrighteousness. 

In this same chapter in verse nineteen, the Bible teaches there is something in man that causes him or her to know there is a God. The word, truth, refers to that which is out in the open, not an open secret. One commentary says, unrighteous men continually put the truth in a box and sit on the lid and hold it down in unrighteousness. It speaks of people who hold down or quash his truth, and rather hold on to their wicked sins, and not the Lord. These are people who hold onto their sins but hold down the truth. They love their sin but hate God. They love their sin and hate God, so they suppress the truth, and seek to go even deeper into their sins, into their wickedness. The reason an atheist deceives themselves to believe there is no God is because to admit there is a God, means they are in trouble.

What does the Bible teach about a man who says there is no God or says no to the true God. The Bible says in Psalm 14:1 LITV, To the chief musician. A Psalm of David. The fool has said in his heart, There is no God! They acted corruptly; they did hatefully in deeds; there is none doing good. The Bible tells us in John 3:19 LITV, And this is judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness more than the Light, for their works were evil. Why do people love their darkness instead of the light of God,  because rebellious sinners want to live their way, and not the way of God. They have pleasure in sin. People are in open rebellion towards God. These people continually quash the truth of God, while persistently they are clinging onto their sins. 

It is like the boy who was told by his mum not to eat the cookies out of the cookie jar before dinner, but the boy was disobedient, and he put his hand into the cookie jar, and heard his mum coming back to the kitchen, and got his hand caught in the cookie jar while attempting to take his hand out, because he would not let go of the cookies in his hand, because he would not let go of his sin. 

It is not just they have rebelled against the truth of God, but they have rejected the truth of God. There is no excuse they will be able to use on the Day of Judgment, as Christ rejectors. There is something God has put in man to know there is a God, and a need for God, but when the ungodly who has pleasure in unrighteousness, and quash the truth, they are guilty of their denial of the truth of God, and are subject to the wrath of God, because ultimately, they reject the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the very same chapter of Romans, Paul makes noticeably clear, in v. 16, the one who genuinely believes in God, believes in Christ. To know God, you need to know Christ. Salvation is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wrote, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to everyone believing, both to the Jew first, and to the Greek. v. 17, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, even as it has been written, "But the just shall live by faith."

Let us not forget, as believers in Christ, we are to be continually be thankful to our God, for once we were going our own way, and rejecting the way of God, which is Christ, but God interrupted our lives, and saved us by His grace in His Son, and made us sons and daughters of God. Amen. By God's grace, we stopped rejecting the way of God, which is Christ, and received the way of God, which is our Lord Jesus Christ, by the gracious hand of God. Amen. 

For the Lord Jesus Christ paid our sin debt with His life, when He was crucified, and was buried, and rose again on the third day for our justification. He has satisfied the justice of God for His people. We serve a risen Lord, a victories Lord. Our God deserve all the praise and glory for our salvation. The Lord Jesus took the wrath of God for us. Let us give Him continual thanks and praise and honour, for He is worthy, but let us not just be thankful by the fruit of our lips, but let us be thankful in the way we live for Him according to His Word. Amen. We can lay our head at night, and know whatever happens, we will never go to hell, but be with Christ in heaven, all by the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Amen.