God Created the Heavens and the Earth

God Created the Heavens and the Earth

Pastor Ed Evans

Genesis 1:1-13

1 When God began to create the heavens and the earth — ² the earth was without shape or form, it was dark over the deep sea, and God’s wind swept over the waters— ³ God said, “Let there be light.” And so light appeared. ⁴ God saw how good the light was. God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God named the light Day and the darkness Night.

There was evening and there was morning: the first day.

⁶ God said, “Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters to separate the waters from each other.” ⁷ God made the dome and separated the waters under the dome from the waters above the dome. And it happened in that way. ⁸ God named the dome Sky.

There was evening and there was morning: the second day.

⁹ God said, “Let the waters under the sky come together into one place so that the dry land can appear.” And that’s what happened. ¹⁰ God named the dry land Earth, and he named the gathered waters Seas. God saw how good it was. ¹¹ God said, “Let the earth grow plant life: plants yielding seeds and fruit trees bearing fruit with seeds inside it, each according to its kind throughout the earth.” And that’s what happened.¹² The earth produced plant life: plants yielding seeds, each according to its kind, and trees bearing fruit with seeds inside it, each according to its kind. God saw how good it was.

¹³ There was evening and there was morning: the third day.

Prayer

          Father, we enjoy Your presence, and we look forward to shining the light of knowledge on the Scriptures You have kept alive for us.  We offer prayers and concerns for those unable to be with us this day, and thank You for the time and the place to come together in Your presence.  We know Father that for You a thousand years is as a day, while we struggle to understand the how and why of that which You are capable.  So in faith we put our trust in You, and thank You for Your patience and Your love, and the opportunities to share them with others.  We thank You, Father, and ask these things in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Introduction

          Some of you may be wondering why we are starting back at the beginning, and this is because the tradition here is to go through the Bible every six years.  So as our banner says, “We Are Going Back Home”, we’re starting over In Genesis.

          I do think that regardless of what we believe about Genesis, or what we have been told, that we will benefit from a fresh reflection on these Scripture passages.

          We get a close-up picture here of what the hymn-writer calls the “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”, in action.  Especially in this first Chapter, it is only us and God, and we can focus directly on Him.

          For example, have you ever wondered about the fact that God created a day and a night before he created the Sun and the moon and the stars?  Where did that light come from?  We’ll find the answer to that next Sunday.

          And how wild is it that God speaks things into being?  And we will see this goes beyond being limited to light or plants or human beings. 

          Genesis is the first book of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible). Genesis means beginning. Moses, who lived 120 years, was the one called by God to write this book for a four-fold purpose:

          1. To teach Israel that there was only one living and true God, the One who had created and purposed all.

          2. To teach Israel its roots, that they had actually been chosen by God Himself through Abraham appointed to be the chosen line of God’s people.

          3. To teach Israel that the promised seed, the Savior was to be sent into the world through them. Salvation—the Promised Seed—was to come through Israel.

          4. To teach Israel that they were to receive the Promised Land, the land of Canaan, and that God would be faithful to His Word and give them the Promised Land. Hebrews 11:3 "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."

          Now, often we read Scripture to learn about God’s nature or to hear our Savior speak.  As we meditate on a passage, we listen expectantly for a word of counsel, we seek insight into the purpose of life, or we try to fathom the fickleness of the human character.

          How curious is it, then, that often when we open our Bibles to the early chapters of Genesis, especially to the account of Creation in Genesis 1, we lay aside our normal reasons for reading Scripture.  Instead of listening for a word about God, we regard Genesis as if it were a modern scientific treatise.

          What might we learn about God and His Creation if we once again tried to read Genesis 1 as a religious – rather than scientific – text?

          In Genesis 1:1, the beginning of the beginning, we find there are eight actions attributed to God – create, say, see, separate, make, name,  put and bless.  God does all those things.  But perhaps the most intriguing is the first.  In the Old Testament, only God is able to create.  Human beings can make, we can produce, shape, cast, form, prepare, craft, and so forth.  But we cannot create.

          Still there in Genesis 1:1, we find that the term “Heavens and earth” refers to more than just the divine and human abodes.  Just as we pair together a couple of contrasting nouns (night and day, east and west, north and south, Republicans and Democrats) to imply everything or everyone, so did the Hebrews.  So we find that “Heavens and earth refers to the entirety of creation; the universe; all that is; the spiritual and the physical – literally everything.

          The Nicene Creed puts it this way, God is the “maker of heaven and earth (in other words), of all that is, seen and unseen.”

          Now, the translators of the Common English Bible – as used in these lessons – made significant changes to the traditions King James Version rendition of the first two verses.  First, they replaced the tradition “In the beginning” with the pedestrian-sounding word “When.”  Then they changed the verbe from the simple past tense (“created”) to the continuous past tense (“began to create”).  These two changes are grammatically defensible, but signify a changed theological stance that will become apparent in the translation of verse 2.

          In the second verse the two words “without shape or form (shapeless and formless) also appear in tandem in Jeremiah 4:23.  They describe an inhospitable, trackless, featureless expanse, similar to what one would experience at sea, in a desert or wilderness, in a howling blizzard, or,( to use a more contemporary metaphor) in the aftermath of a devastating bombardment.

          If we take it at face value, the phrase “it was dark” describes a landscape devoid of light.  Yet when linked to the preceding an succeeding phrases, “dark” evokes a sense of perilous foreboding and heart-stopping dread.  When in Exodus 10:21 the ninth plague is introduced, a similar use of the word “darkness” names something more tangible than a mere absence of light, “a darkness that you can feel.”  Is something out there?

          The phrase “the deep sea” refers to the fathomless ocean depths.  Since God had not yet separated water from land, the waters covered everything.

          Still in verse 2 we have Hebrew and Greek words such as “ruach” and “pneuma” for wind, breath, and spirit.  And only the context helps one determine which word to use.  The fact that God’s wind “swept over,” “was hovering over”, or “moved upon” the waters suggests God was keeping attentive watch on it.

          We see that what happens in verse 2 follows the actions of verse 1.  That is, since God existed prior to Creation, God created the universe “out of nothing,”  And yet we have dashes at the beginning and end of verse 2 suggesting that it is describing the situation God happened upon “when God began to create … that is, God fashioned the universe out of already-existing matter.  But what?

          In verse 3, we have included all the events in verses 1 – 5 as Day One.  The more common understanding of other translations has viewed the events of verses 1-2 as occurring sometime prior to verse 3, with Day One including only the events in verses 3 – 5.

          Which is correct?  Since we weren’t there, we don’t know.  Another question to ask Him when we see Him.

          Here in verse 3 God the Creator is revealed to be also God the Speaker.  Most of the acts of Creation in Genesis 1 were commands spoken into existence by the word of God.  Isaiah 55:11 suggests that God has never stopped speaking things into existence.  Into a world that was ominously, dreadfully dark, with no sign yet of life, God spoke light into being.  It provided a glimpse, literally, of things to come.

          The simple correspondence between God’s words and the resulting act – “God said … And so light appeared” – is easily to overlook.  Yet it offers a stark difference between God and us.  How rarely to our actions correspond to our words!

          If I tell my wife I’m going to feed the dog, I’ve got to get up, open the dog food bag, fill the bowl, give it water, etc.  I can’t just say it and sit there.  And of course, later I’m going to have to take that mutt outside, too.

          In verse 4, we have the action of “God saw.”  The notion of God standing back and taking appropriate pride in a job well done is one we can appreciate, and one that should bring a knowing smile to our face.

          The only one whom Jesus said can justifiably be called “good” evaluated the creation of light and judged it to be like its Creator: “good.”  God acknowledged the otherness of the newly-created light when He “separated” it from the darkness.  Whether this separation was a mental classification or a physical act, its full import becomes apparent in the next verse.

          Verse 5, having completed the first Creation project, God identified the work of light by giving it the name “Day.”  That which was not light (or darkness) God named “Night”.  Still today, the ability to name an item correctly requires wisdom and implies authority.

          So now we have our first “day”, an evening and a morning, and we are led to believe other acts of creation will follow.

          But there is an unspoken mystery here associated with this first day.

          Anyone know what it is?  For thousands of years people have wondered ….. how can you have a “day” before you have created the sun and stars?  And we’ll get to that in Lesson 2 next Sunday.

          In verses 6 and 7, God speaks a second creative act into being.  Having separated light and darkness, God now addresses the water covering the earth.  God calls into creation a dome which He names “sky” to separate the upper and lower waters. 

          In verse 8 now having a second morning and evening, God labels this one the second day.

          Verse 9, God sets boundaries for the land and water.  The waters are called into one place in order that the land may appear.

          Verse 10, God names the dry land earth, and the lower waters the seas. 

          Verse 11, God focuses His attention on the newly formed dry land, called Earth, and spoke into being “plant life”; vegetation and grass.  These included two types of self-sustaining plant life.  The first that God instructed to grow were plants yielding seeds.  The second were fruit trees, with each type capable of reproducing “according to its kind”.

          Verse 12, as God had commanded, two kinds of plant life began to spring from the earth.  And these plants, herbs, and fruit trees were replete with seeds that would guarantee their continued existence.

          Martin Luther suggested that God’s good work should cause us to marvel at the results.  Said Luther, speaking to us from the 14^th Century, “The first creation without seed was brought about … as a result of the power of the Word.  However, the fact that seeds now grow is also a work of creation full of wonderment.”

          Verse 13, once again God has brought about an evening and a morning, when He immediately labeled it “the third day.”

          Well, what about it, have you heard anything yet that surprised you?  Something you didn’t know or hadn’t thought about?  Your Study book asks the question, “What questions or concerns have always puzzled you about Creation?”

          When I was a child, my favorite book was Hurlbut’s Book of the Bible, with lots of color pictures of the stories of the Bible.  And the story of Genesis was filled with the wonder of green plants and new animals, and Adam and Eve sitting around naming the animals.

          What about you?  Did any of you attend Sunday Schools that captured your imagination with the stories from Genesis and God’s creation?

          You may remember that at the beginning of this class, I that God demonstrated this ability to speak things into action, and yet it went beyond being limited to plants and animals.

          God sometimes speaks truths into us that make us new.  Have you ever had a set belief about someone or something and suddenly – you don’t know where it came from – but you are aware of a truth you had not considered.  You mind is changed.  Something new has happened to you.  It’s like a new day!  It’s happened to me so many times I’m just not surprised at what He can and will do within a life.  Has that happened to any of you?

. . . . .

          Throughout the Bible, the writers of Holy Scripture are consistent regarding their use of the word “create.”  Only God can create.  You and I, we can craft, we can manufacture, reproduce, but not create.

          You and I can smear colors on a white canvas and have it approximate boats in an blue ocean dock, or green vines climbing up a white fence, blossoming with multicolored flowers.  But that’s just reproducing. 

          What does the distinction mean to you that God has the ability to create, even with His spoken voice, and you and I, His creation, do not have that ability?  Is there a reason for that distinction, do you think?

. . . . .

          In the handout I gave you from the Sunday School Lesson Editor, Jan Turrentine, she talks about light and dark, and she makes the statement, “New life starts in the dark.  Whether it is a seed in the ground, a baby in the womb, or Jesus in the tomb, it starts in the dark.”

          She goes on to say, “I have learned things in the dark that I could never have learned in the light, things that have saved my life over and over again, so that there is really only one logical conclusion.  I need darkness as much as I need light.”

          What about you?  How do you feel about light and darkness?

          Good or scary?

          Any other questions, comments, discussion?

          

          Lord God, we understand so little and speculate about so much.  Forgive our arrogance in believing that we can have all the answers.  Help us instead to trust You completely.  We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Practicing Justice

Practicing Justice

Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture: Colossians 3:5-17

⁵ Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ On account of these the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸ But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. ¹¹ Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

¹² Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

          In verses 1 – 4, prior to our lesson today, Paul is telling the Colossians, if you have been raised with Christ, then seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God.

          In Colossians 2, he had been telling them that man-made religion appears to be wise, but has no value against fleshly indulgence. Their dependence should be on a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The believer’s life is a life risen with Christ.

          Our modern world has as strange an idea about heavenly deities as did the early men and women.  I’m reminded of the woman who claimed the world rested on the back of a gigantic turtle, which then stood on the back of an elephant.  When asked what the elephant was standing on, she replied, “Oh no you don’t, it’s turtles and elephants, all the way down.”

          Well, if those of us who believe the world is still where God created it, are then risen with Christ, we are a product of dual citizenship. The things on earth will fade away, but the things above are eternal. Now is the time to seek, pursue, search for, and desire those things which are not earthly, but are above. Christ sits in the seat of authority on the right hand of God, so being raised from the dead, in Him then we conquer death, and are raised to new life because of being in Him.

          Then in verse 4, Paul tells them that Christ is now our life, and He gives us power to help us live; and He gives us hope for the future. This is where our real lives are lived—through Him.  And one day, Christ will be returning to earth. And if you are a Christian, whether your body died or was "raptured", you will return with Him. You will be revealed in glory, even as He is.

          So that lays the groundwork for today’s lesson…..

3:5  Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

          We’re talking here about sins of the body and its members:

          · Put them to death quickly.

          · Fornication: illicit sexual intercourse between unmarried partners; similar to, but not identical with adultery.

          · Uncleanness: impurity in thought and speech, dirty mindedness, indecency.

          · Inordinate affection: depraved passion, uncontrolled lust, an evil desire.

          · Evil desires, strong sexual desires; wicked craving and sensualness beyond natural expression.

          · Covetousness: greedy desire to have more; entire disregard for the rights of others.

          · Idolatry: the worship of false gods, putting things in place of God.

          Since we have died with Christ, we need to consider our bodies as unresponsive and dead to the idolatrous pursuit of evil (the things I’ve just  listed). The flesh must be kept in the place of death. It must be kept nailed to the cross. This is never easy, so we must make a conscious, daily decision to live according to God’s values and to rely on the Holy Spirit’s power.

          Therefore consider the members as alive to God and dead to sin. The point is: There is the fleshly nature, and there is the spiritual nature. The contrast is easy to understand. The fleshly nature causes sin to rise. God does not regard sin with indifference. Sin is sin whether we call it "little" or "big" sin.

          The spiritual nature is where the Spirit urges us to put to death, "sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry."

3:6  On account of these the wrath of God is coming. — Paul is talking about those things described in verse 5 that are not to just be looked over. They are to take notice that the wrath of God is coming upon those unbelieving disobedient children (unbelievers) that don’t want to listen; giving way to wrong passions.  It is because of these things that come from the old flesh nature that the wrath of God will come upon the children of disobedience (unbelievers). The Greek word for “wrath” means anger associated with punishment. The verse is clear that God will punish the children of disobedience.

3:7   In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. -- Yes, they once walked in and practiced being immoral and greedy, lustful and impure. But now as Christians, they are not to be present in their lives. Does this mean that you are not tempted?  That your body doesn't have immoral desires?  That your mind isn't tempted by money?  Not at all! However, your response to those temptations should be very different than they used to be.  Choose to put them to death (cut them away).

          They are to be destroyed and do not entertain them!

3:8   But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth

          Now we’re talking about sins of emotions and the tongue:

          · Anger: uncontrolled temper, a deep seated emotion of ill-will, a settled feeling of habitual hate, revengeful resentment.

          · Wrath: boiling agitation, fiery outburst of temper, violent fit of rage, passionate outbreak of exasperation.

          · Then there is malice: vicious disposition, depraved spite, willful desire to injure, cruel malignity which rejoices in evil to others.        

          · Blasphemy: slanderous talk, reviling, evil speaking, railing insults, reckless and bitter abuse.

          · Filthy communication: obscene speech, shameful speaking, foul-mouthed abuse, dirty epithets, unclean stories.

          Whoo!  I feel like I need a shower after all that!

          The sins we had to put to death in verse 5 were of the body. Now, we have the sins that are done with spiteful actions toward others. Paul urges them to "put off, lay aside, and rid themselves of" the sins that they now practice and he lists these sins as follows: temper, angry outbursts, ill-will toward fellow Christians, malicious gossip, and vulgar speech coming out of their mouths.

          If you just refuse to watch the nightly TV news you shouldn’t have any problem.

          This list is a bit different from the one Paul gave directly before it. Paul was appealing to the commitment the believers had made in their baptism and urging them to remain true to their confession of faith. The point is: these Christians had already put away many sins in their lives, but they still had many sins in their lives that they still needed to give up.

          The picture is that of putting off or stripping off clothes; taking off dirty clothes and throwing them aside. Paul's point is that we are in the new man of the last Adam, which is Christ. We have already put off the old man, which of course is the old self, which represents the body of the first fallen Adam. In salvation, we are in the one new man which is the body of Christ, that Christ established in Himself.  

3:9  Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices  —  Now, some of us might be tempted to say Paul has left off preaching, and he’s gone to meddling.  One temptation that we find so easy to give into is to lie to one another.  We lie for many reasons: to protect our reputation, to make things easier for ourselves, or to stay out of trouble.  Paul is calling this to the attention of the Colossians, telling these Christians to stop lying to each other, since they had put off the old man or the old nature.

          The Colossian Christians were to tell the truth in every situation. If we slip and tell a lie, we are convicted by it; we are to repent and get cleansed by the Holy Spirit.  Some Christians today will tell a lie without the slightest feeling of guilt.  Many Christians do not even comprehend that lying is a grave sin.  “Oh, it’s okay, he knew I was lying to him.”  Or,”well, I didn’t want to tell her truth and hurt her feelings!”  But, the truth of the matter is, when we lie to one another, we're really lying to God. There is no difference in a little lie or big lie, a lie is a lie.  We have to put on the new man.  In Christ, there is no lie.

3:10  and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.  — In addition to "putting off the old man", the Colossians had also "put on the new man", which is a reference to the new life in Christ. The new man is the person you are, after being saved.  The new man is received from Christ, at the time of the second birth, and is the regenerated man, the new nature.  The new man is the nature of Christ and must be renewed in knowledge in the believers who have decided to follow Christ.

          "Renewed" speaks of a continuous action. Salvation leads to the process of sanctification. It affects both character and conduct to be fashioned after the image of Jesus Christ. It requires perseverance and tenacity to realize the salvation of the soul, and it is not complete until the point of death or rapture. This battle of the new man occurs in our minds.

          That is why your mind must be renewed in the full knowledge of the New Covenant in Christ.  When we renew our minds with God's revealed knowledge, we hold our heads up high and dwell on heavenly things; we practice, review over and over His Word; and we learn and obey His Will.

          The “new man” does not lie but speak the truth. It is the old man or the old flesh nature that causes us to lie. The new man that is being conformed to the image of Christ is trustworthy. You can count on Him to speak the truth. Becoming more like Christ will take a lifetime. No Distinctions: We Are All One Body in Christ

3:11  Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

          As a Christian becomes conformed to the image of Christ, all distinctions or differences disappear.

          · Race and birth (neither Greek nor Jew) — No National distinctions.

          · Religion and ritual (circumcised or uncircumcised) — No Religious distinctions.

          · Education and culture, neither one (neither Barbarian nor Scythian) — No Culture distinctions.

          · Social class and wealth and property (bond servant or free) — No Economic or social distinctions.

          Jews referred to all people outside the nation of Israel as Greeks. We are all one when we walk in Christ. National, religious, cultures, economic and social distinctions disappear when Christians become conformed to the image of Christ. It is important to understand that Christ is absolutely everything.

3:12   Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, These are the attire; the garments of the new man.

          · Bowels of mercies refers to a heart of compassion, mercy in action, and heartfelt sympathy for the less fortunate.

          · Kindness: thoughtfulness of others, unselfishness, sweetness of disposition, gentleness, and graciousness. This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit and refers to the inner attitude.

          · Humbleness of mind: This refers to the outward expression of that inner attitude. Humbleness is modesty, it places self last, and regards self as least (Eph.2:8).

          · Meekness: not weakness, but lowliness; delicate consideration for others.  It is the opposite of arrogance and self-assertion.  Pride has no place in the Christian life.

          · Long-suffering: patient under provocation. This denotes the restraint which enables one to bear injury and insult without resorting to retaliation. It accepts the wrong without complaint. Long-suffering is an attribute of God (Rom.2:4) and a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal.5:22). The new man must not be left naked; he must be clothed, so, he puts on his spiritual wardrobe of practical righteousness.  There were eight commands in verses 12-13: mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, and love. These garments are now true of all who come to faith in Christ under the New Covenant.

          Notice that the same way we're to put off those negative things, we are to put on the positive ones.  Paul urges the Colossians as born-again believers who have been set apart and loved by God, to “put on” the “bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.”  The “bowels” spoken of here are, of course, the intestines, the heart, the lungs and the liver, and the Hebrews considered the “bowels” as the seat of the more tender affections of kindness, benevolence and compassion. These affections are not automatic upon spiritual rebirth, but they must be “put on” as a Christian would put on new clothes that are fresh and clean.

3:13  bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

          · Forbearing one another is to put up with things we dislike and get along with those who disagree.  Christians can disagree without being disagreeable.

          · Forgiving one another: the word forgiving is built on the same Greek root as the word grace and means to bestow favor unconditionally. The Christian not only forgives, he forgets.

          · When the verse speaks of disagreements, we’re talking about a cause of blame, a ground for complaint.  He thinks himself angry. The key to forbearing, forgiving others is remembering how much God has forgiven you.  With these two garments of love and forgiveness upon us, there would be no room for quarreling, instead we hold back under His control, imitating Christ’s merciful, forgiving spirit.

3:14  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  If these are merely things that we are trying to follow without being saved, then they are just outward expressions of a written commandment, and so Colossians 3:12-14 just becomes another law list to follow in the lost flesh.  “No Parking – No Speeding – No Bad Language.”  They appear like the real clothing, but they are fakes.  But, for us who have put on the new man in the Spirit, to put these things on in Christ is to put on Him, and so the key to what Paul is saying is that which ties all this together as the main outer robe, that is, like the layers of clothing that people would wear in the time of Paul.  On top of these things, like an outer garment, put on charity, love.  Love is the basis and cloak of all the graces.  Love is the bond that binds the others together; the bond of completeness; full grown and mature.  The love of Christ is that beautiful outer robe that covers all the other manifestations, and brings it all together. This kind of love is not an emotion. This is action love, of commitment, and caring, stronger than any emotion. It keeps on going even when emotions die or change.

          To often we think of love as some magical emotion.  Like the little girl playing in Mommy’s make-up, and Mommy walks in on her.  Mommy says “What are you doing!?”  And the child whirls around with a face full of lipstick and eye shadow and says, “I love you, Mommy.”  No, the love of Christ is no emotion.

3:15   And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 

          Jeremiah 17:9 tells us the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked….desperately wicked.  But now we’re going to consider three things about a heart when the peace of God rules in it.

          First, it is a choice that the heart is ruled by love.  And the reason is because we are one body.  The body does not war against itself.  And finally the response to this is that we are to be thankful.

          The Christian who has the love of God ruling in his life also has the peace of God ruling in his heart.  The choice of peace is up to the believer whether he lets the peace of Christ rule or not. He has to be willing to lay aside all the differences and circumstances, and let Christ handle them through the rule of His peace.  For again, we are one body.

3:16   Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 

          The heart where the peace of God rules is rich with the Word of Christ.  Again, it’s a choice—let the Word of Christ dwell, to teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, evidencing in us a singing spirit.

          The Word of Christ is to feel at home in believers. We are to allow it, make room within the heart by making that choice.  "Let" the Word of Christ saturate us and remain in us as a rich treasure, and by doing so, we teach and admonish one another not in man-made traditions, but in songs from the book of Psalms, hymns and other songs of praise, and in spiritual songs that affect your spirit by faith.

          We can’t teach what we don’t know. That’s why we have to dwell richly in all wisdom.  Together, we give praise and thanks to our great and glorious God. We do all of this as the one body, operating the way we should--connected—in unity—and focused.

          And finally, verse 17   And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

          The point is that a heart ruled by the peace of God does all in the name of Christ, and again, it’s a choice—do all, giving thanks.

          Paul sums up the point by telling the Colossians that whatever they speak or do, they should do it in the name of the Lord Jesus.  This means that every word and act of a Christian should be said or done in the power and authority of Jesus Christ.  This Christian does not speak and act in accordance with his flesh nature, but he speaks and acts in accordance with the Holy Spirit and the nature of Christ.  

          Our example to follow would be in the footsteps of Christ. Our new nature reaches toward God’s Spirit. If we find there’s no love, no peace, we still have some growing to do, until its right.

          Questions?  Comments?  Do Paul’s words make sense to you?

          If no questions, let us close by reciting together the prayer in your lesson book on page 96.

          O God, what a vision You offer for our life with You!  Grant us the grace and the strength to give ourselves away and to be filled and clothed with Your gifts and grace.  We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

God's Justice

Scripture: Romans 2:1-12

2 So every single one of you who judge others is without any excuse. You condemn yourself when you judge another person because the one who is judging is doing the same things. ² We know that God’s judgment agrees with the truth, and his judgment is against those who do these kinds of things. ³ If you judge those who do these kinds of things while you do the same things yourself, think about this: Do you believe that you will escape God’s judgment? ⁴ Or do you have contempt for the riches of God’s generosity, tolerance, and patience? Don’t you realize that God’s kindness is supposed to lead you to change your heart and life? ⁵ You are storing up wrath for yourself because of your stubbornness and your heart that refuses to change. God’s just judgment will be revealed on the day of wrath. ⁶ God will repay everyone based on their works. ⁷ On the one hand, he will give eternal life to those who look for glory, honor, and immortality based on their patient good work. ⁸ But on the other hand, there will be wrath and anger for those who obey wickedness instead of the truth because they are acting out of selfishness and disobedience. ⁹ There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. ¹⁰ But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. ¹¹ God does not have favorites.

¹² Those who have sinned outside the Law will also die outside the Law, and those who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law.

          I hope everyone has read these verses in advance.  I would hate to spring any of this on you.  Romans is a very hard chapter to read for some people, and I put myself in that number.  Romans is Paul’s longest and most complex chapter, as he lays out his doctrinal understanding of the gospel, and includes how Christians might live out the ethics of the faith.  It contains things we probably thought we knew about the Almighty God, but no one spells them out the way Paul does.  And he opens our eyes to the reality of God’s judgement.

          By way of introduction, the previous Chapter talks about how false religious systems enslave people both sensually and spiritually.  Paul describes the sensual enslavement when he says, “God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves” (1:24).  Paul then moves on from describing sensual enslavement to describing spiritual enslavement which results from idolatry when he says that God gave up those “who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator” (1:25).  In other words, a man becomes a slave to his idols.  Paul describes the wicked behavior of the heathen (1:26-32) in this way:

          1. They become morally perverted - Widespread Homosexuality (1:26-27). He describes how those who turn away from God give themselves over to shameful and unnatural vices. This was true then, and is still true today as we see this becoming more blatant, more aggressive, and more evident all the time.

          2. They become mentally perverted - Total Moral Depravity (1:28-32). Three times in this chapter we are told that God gives up those who give Him up (1:24, 26, 28). This clearly shows what happens to a man when he leaves God out of his life.

LESSON

In our lesson today we will be discussing God’s judgment, His goodness, His wrath, and His impartiality.

Well, how do we determine our position in life?  We often compare ourselves to others, don’t we?  I’m not doing as well as that one, but I’m doing okay.  I’m surely doing better than that one, he’s going straight to hell!  We just judged a couple of people.  And I want to point out that there is a great difference between judging, and discerning.  If we deal honestly with our own hearts, then we have the responsibility to help others.  Correction is not judgment.  But we have a warning in Matthew 7:6 not to give what is holy to dogs, not to throw your pearls before swine.  How can we know that someone, in their spiritual condition, is incapable of appreciating the truth—apathetic, cold, indifferent, unless you discern their character or their spiritual condition?  And having discerned, help them.

          So into our first verse…..

2:1 So every single one of you who judge others is without any excuse. You condemn yourself when you judge another person because the one who is judging is doing the same things.  This verse begins with the word "So" because the heathen were fully aware of God’s death penalty for the crimes they committed, yet they went right ahead and did them anyway, and even encouraged others to do the same (1:32).  

Paul is saying this now to the self-righteous moralists who would gladly agree and say amen that what was said about the heathen was right. But, now Paul flips this around to say O man (meaning every man), whoever it is that judges, that this is inexcusable (without excuse), because when you judge another, you are really judging and condemning yourself.  The one who judges practices the same thing as the heathen.  These self-righteous or moralists:

1.   They judge others meaning criticize, find fault, or condemn. Anytime we judge another person, we are declaring that we…

· are living by some rule that another person is not living by.

· are better than someone else.

· I am right and he is wrong, therefore, "look at me, but ignore him." Very simply, judging others raises self and lowers others, exalts self and debases others; and in the eyes of God this is wrong, prideful, thereby being a sin.

2.   They are inexcusable; without excuse because they condemn themselves, being guilty of the same. Very simply, he fails just as the man he judges. Paul could not call him a moral man. But he was inwardly living in an identical manner as the heathen was living outwardly. Perhaps he did not commit adultery, but did he lust?  Maybe he did not steal, but did he covet?  Perchance he did not commit murder, but did he hate?  In God’s eyes, sin is the matter of the heart and mind, not just the act!

2:2  We know that God’s judgment agrees with the truth, and His judgment is against those who do these kinds of things.   Paul’s letter continues to express the surety that God’s judgment is according to truth against those who commit such things, meaning they will be punished for such things.  The point is God’s the One who knows truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

2:3  If you judge those who do these kinds of things while you do the same things yourself, think about this: Do you believe that you will escape God’s judgment?   The self-righteous or moralists—

1. They think they will escape. However, he forgets that God sees the inner recesses of the human heart, and that God will judge men not only for their deeds, but for their thoughts: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  In 1^st John 2:15-16, we find a strong warning about the world: “¹⁵ Don’t love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them. ¹⁶ Everything that is in the world—the craving for whatever the body feels, the craving for whatever the eyes see and the arrogant pride in one’s possessions—is not of the Father but is of the world. ¹⁷ And the world and its cravings are passing away, but the person who does the will of God remains forever.”  They fail to see that God’s goodness is not a blank check to sin. He does not condone sin, and He does not overlook sin. And we will not escape the judgment of God!

2:4  Or do you have contempt for the riches of God’s generosity, tolerance, and patience?  Don’t you realize that God’s kindness is supposed to lead you to change your heart and life?  ¾ The self-righteous or moralists:  They think God is too good to punish. They perverted and abused the riches of God’s goodness (His kindness, grace, and love), forbearance (Him holding back punishment), and longsuffering (His patient and slowness in judging sin).  But because God hadn’t come forth in judgment and cut them off, they thought that He didn’t regard them as sinners.  They thought God’s goodness was too good to punish them, not knowing that the goodness of God is to lead one to repentance. They think that man is basically good. They thought that man can be good enough for God to accept…. for instance....

· good works

· good thoughts

· good behavior

· good feelings

What the self-righteous or moralists fail to understand is that God’s goodness is perfect, and God can only accept perfection. No man is perfect in nature, thought, or behavior.  That’s why man has to go through Jesus Christ to receive salvation.  He only looks at His Son Jesus Christ who is the only Perfect One!  So, we need to get any thoughts out of our heads of thinking the good we’ve done or good behavior has made us right with God.  The goodness of God made a way for us to get back to Him through the Grace of His Son Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit who causes us to see the riches of God’s goodness, and forbearance and longsuffering that would lead us to repent.

2:5  You are storing up wrath for yourself because of your stubbornness and your heart that refuses to change. God’s just judgment will be revealed on the day of wrath.   This halts all their thoughts of self-goodness. The self-righteous or moralists:

They will harden their heart against the judgment of God. The reason is because they refused to repent. They cannot accept the fact that (1) they are not good enough for God to accept them and (2) they didn’t think that God’s goodness and love would ever condemn them.

Paul says that their hardness (their rigid stiffness) and their impenitent (unrepentant; unremorseful) heart, is storing up wrath (anger and rage). The man who hardens his heart, and refuses to repent is storing up more and more wrath against himself in the Day of Judgment (Day of Wrath). We’re still talking about the self-righteous or moralists. They failed to understand that there is a righteous judgment of God, which means it is just, fair, impartial, correct, and exact. He will reveal to the sight of men the righteousness of His judgment against their wrath in the Day of Wrath.

2:6  God will repay everyone based on their works:¾ God will render to every man according to his deeds. What are deeds? They are acts or works in which God will pay to every man what his actions deserve. Everyone will be either rewarded or punished according to his works; according to what he has done with and for God.

2:7   On the one hand, He will give eternal life to those who look for glory, honor, and immortality based on their patient good work:¾ There shall be the well-doer’s wonderful reward.  Note how the well doer seeks: by patiently continuing, meaning to be steadfast and constant; to endure, persevere, stick to, and continue. The well-doer is faithful in doing good works.

· He does not just start, he finishes.

 · He does not live an inconsistent, up and down life. He continues and keeps on doing good deeds.

· He does not give in to hardships, difficulties, or opposition. He endures and perseveres always doing good.  Notice that he seeks for glory and honor and immortality.

· Glory means to possess and to be full of perfect light.

· Honor means to be acknowledged, recognized, approved, accepted, esteemed, and exalted by God.

· Immortality means living forever with God. His reward is Eternal Life!

2:8  But on the other hand, there will be wrath and anger for those who obey wickedness instead of the truth because they are acting out of selfishness and disobedience.  There shall be the evil-doer’s terrible and severe judgment. The reasons¾

a. They are contentious against God; doesn’t like what God says, therefore, he strives against it.

b. They do not obey the truth; sees and hears and knows the truth is to be done, but he refuses to do it. He simply goes about his own life, running and controlling it as he wills.

c. They obey unrighteousness, (wickedness) indignation, (resentment), and wrath (fury).

2:9  There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, for the Jew first and also for the Greek;¾ Just as the Jews were given the first opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel, they will be the first to receive God’s judgment if they refuse.  Israel will receive severe punishment because she was given greater light and blessing. Suffering and affliction will be upon every soul who works and persists on the side of doing evil—of the Jew first, and also of the Greek (Gentile).

2:10  But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, for the Jew first and also for the Greek:¾ The emphasis is heavily on "But!" To the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Gentile) that work and do good, glory, honor, and peace comes.  Eternal life is said to be the inheritance of a world of glory, honor, and peace.

2:11 But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.   God treats everyone the same.  God does not prefer one person or nation to another. He judges everyone in the same way.  This verse is often used as an encouragement for good, but in this context it replies to the great Day of Judgment where all will be judged by the same rule and by the same principle.

2:12   Those who have sinned outside the Law will also die outside the Law, and those who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law.

Verse 12 wraps it all up.  There will be no excuses, no exceptions.

a. The man who sins without law (without knowing what you’re doing) will also perish without law.

b. The man who sins in the law (knowing full well what you’re doing) will be judged by the law. The man who sins without the law will perish, and the man who sins in the law will both be judged.  Whether you didn’t have the law and tried to obey, or whether you had the law and didn’t obey it, both came short of the glory of God.  God’s judgment is impartial (fail) to both.

SUMMARY: It is inexcusable (without excuse), for the man who judges another, for he is really judging and condemning himself. The one who judges practices the same thing as the heathen. The surety is that God’s judgment is according to truth against those who commit such things, meaning they will be punished for such things. Therefore, the question comes to the self-righteous: "So do you think you will escape?" for those who judge, commit such things and are guilty themselves. Very simply, he fails just as the man he judges.  God is the only judge! (2:1-3). The self-righteous or moralists fail to understand God’s goodness. Paul asks them if they are despising the riches of God’s goodness, misinterpreting God’s generosity, seeing God’s patient mercy toward them as weakness on His part; and are they not realizing that His kindness is meant to lead them to repentance?  God’s goodness should attract us and lead us to repent (2:4). Those hearts that are hardened and unremorseful, storing up anger, against themselves in the Day of Judgment. They failed to understand that there is a righteous judgment of God, which means it is just, fair, impartial, correct, and exact.  God will render to every man according to his deeds. To them who continue patiently in well doing, seek for glory and honor and immortality. He rewards Eternal Life. But those that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath will receive God’s wrath (2:5-8).  Suffering and affliction will be upon every soul who works and persists on the side of doing evil.  But, on the other hand, glory, honor, and peace will be to every man who does the work of good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.  God treats everyone the same.  God does not prefer one person or nation to another.  He judges everyone in the same way. The man who sins without the law will perish, and the man who sins in the law will be judged (2:9-12).

          You will remember that the purpose of this lesson was to commit to leading a nonjudgmental and repentant life.

          So with that thought in mind, I’ll share with you the following story:

          This story comes from a David Letterman show about prejudice from about 20 years ago:

          One weekend in Atlantic City, a woman won a bucketful of quarters at a slot machine.  As she was about to enter the elevator to take her winnings to her room, she noticed two men already aboard.  One of them was a tall, intimidating figure.  The woman froze.  Her first thought was, “These two are going to rob me.”  Then, she decided that they might be perfectly nice men, so she chided herself, although she was still anxious.

          Her hesitation about joining them in the elevator was obvious.  Her face was flushed.  She couldn’t just stand there, so with a mighty effort of will she stepped forward and boarded the elevator.

          Avoiding eye contact, she turned around stiffly and faced the elevator doors as they closed.  As time passed, her fear increased.  The elevator didn’t move.  Panic ensured, and she thought, “I’m trapped and about to be robbed.”  Then one of the men said, “Hit the floor.”  Instinct told her to do exactly what the man said.  The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw out her arms and collapsed on the elevator floor.  A shower of coins rained down on her.  “Take my money and spare,” she prayed.  More seconds passed.

          She heard one of the men say politely, “Ma’am, if you’ll just tell us what floor you’re going to, we’ll push the button.”  The who said it had a little trouble getting the words out.  He was trying mightily to hold in a belly laugh.  The woman lifted her head and looked up at the two men.  They reached down to help her up.

          Confused, she struggled to her feet.  “When I told my friend here to hit the floor,” said the average sized man, “I meant that he should hit the elevator button for our floor.  I didn’t mean for you to hit the floor, ma’am.”  He spoke genially.  He bit his lip.  It was obvious he was having a hard time not laughing.

          The woman was too humiliated to speak.  She wanted to blurt out an apology, but words failed her.  The three of them gathered up the strewn quarters and refilled her bucket. 

          When the elevator arrived at her floor, the men then insisted on walking her to her room.  She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and they were afraid she might not make it down the corridor.  At her door, they bid her a good evening.  As she slipped into her room, she could hear them roaring with laughter as they walked back to the elevator.

          The next morning, a courier delivered flowers to her room, a dozen roses.  Attached to each rose was a crisp one hundred dollar bill.  The card said, “Thanks for the best laugh we’ve had in years.”  It was signed, Eddie Murphy and Michael Jordan.

          Let us pray:

          Holy God, forgive us for living apart from You in our acts.  Claim our hearts once again, and give us the courage and the grace to live as you would have us to live; in Jesus’ name.  Amen.