The Lord Builds the House
(Part 2)
God’s People are Established by the Word.
Let’s look at this passage from Ephesians 6:
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
When the Lord is our strength, we have the promise that we shall not be moved. God is our Rock and our fortress. The Lord is a sure foundation and nothing established on Him shall be moved. In Matthew 7 Jesus stated that the one who hears the word and does it is the man who built his house upon the rock. Jesus said that the one who keeps His word is wise and the one who does not keep His word or do the things commanded is a foolish man who will not stand. All of our labors are in vain if we are not building upon the rock of Jesus Christ. Look at Proverbs 24:3-5
3 Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: 4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. 5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
Strength comes from the Lord. Wisdom, knowledge and understanding come from the Lord. This passage instructs us that the wise man is strong and the man of knowledge is the one who increases strength. When the Bible instructs us to gain knowledge, it is always knowledge of His word. The Bible has given us the key to knowledge and understanding in this passage I refer to frequently in Proverbs 2:1-9
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
Just stop and consider the amazing promises God has given the Christian in this passage. When we receive his word and incline our ears to hear it, the entire truth of God and all of His promises are opened to us. To incline your ear doesn’t mean that you merely hear the word, but that you receive it by taking it to heart and do the things stated. The first command is to receive the word. The Bible commands us to study to show ourselves approved to God (2 Timothy 2:15). Seeking the word through study is how we incline our ears to hear. You are not going to find the deep truths of God through a daily devotional. You need the unfiltered word of God without mixture. With our crowded lives, this has become a great challenge. That is why the things of God must be looked upon as a treasure. Until we have a high value on God’s word, we will not consistently make it a high priority in our lives.
The only one who does not find these things is the one who does not make seeking the Lord a high priority. When you gain knowledge of the word and seek the Lord through His word, God will open your eyes. Knowledge alone puffs us up with pride (1 Corinthians 8:1) but love edifies us. When we love God, we will not merely seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge, but we will seek the Lord through our studies so that we can know Him. It is the Lord that gives knowledge through the word and understanding (through opening our eyes to see the truth), and wisdom to follow instruction. When the Spirit of God gives us understanding, then we have the promise that we will understand righteousness, judgment, equity ( or how to treat people fairly and with justice ) and every good path. What a promise! We also have the promise that God will intervene in our lives to preserve our ways.
When the word is forgotten or neglected, God’s people fall away from His ways and there is no blessing to those who turn from the truth. Look at the warning of Hosea 4:6-9
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. 7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. 8 They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. 9 And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.
Do you reject knowledge? If you neglect seeking God through the word, you are by default rejecting knowledge. If you push aside the commands that do not agree with your own opinion or desires, you are neglecting knowledge. This is also warned against in Proverbs 16:2-3
2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. 3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
We live in a body of flesh and as stated in Isaiah 55, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are My ways, your ways saith the Lord”. What seems right to our human minds is often not right at all. That is why we are commanded to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not to lean on our own understanding. Our understanding is flawed unless it is from the Lord. Mankind can justify almost anything in his own mind. We think the end justifies the means and can make ourselves believe that we are doing right even while we are rebelling against the word of the Lord. There is a way that seems right, but the end of it is death (Proverbs 14:12). Our heart is not a good measure of truth. Our culture falls into this trap and always has. What was repulsive to society a generation ago is readily accepted today and will be promoted tomorrow.
The cultural standard fully justified killing millions of Jews under Hitler and the church was right in line with the culture. When Dietrich Bonhoeffer spoke before a pastor’s conference and opposed the Holocaust, every pastor walked out in protest. The church was walking by the standard of the culture and the standard of the culture proved to be a travesty. Even after the war, the citizens justified their actions. Just look at the countless examples of atrocities committed by man throughout history. Everything is justified by man if our own reasons are the standards we hold to. We are not to hold to our own understanding but to stand upon the word of God so that we are prevented from drifting far from truth and always remain in the will of God.
When the word is lacking, God’s people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. God has warned the spiritual leaders and the average layman with the same warning’ “because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee”. In 1 Peter 4:17 we are warned that when God judges this world, He will begin at the house of God. When the church becomes indistinguishable from the culture, both the people of God and the culture join together and walk down the road if sin. When the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch. Every time God has judged His people in the past, He has always begun with His own house first. Every time judgment is foretold in the future, it also begins with His house. You cannot control what other churches do or the path other Christians follow, but you can wisely choose to follow the word of the Lord. Just as the people of God turned from the word before God judge, our modern church has also begun this shift and is well down the road of rejecting God’s word. Consider this excerpt from Brennan Manning’s writings.
"I am deeply distressed by what I only can call in our Christian culture the idolatry of the Scriptures. For many Christians, the Bible is not a pointer to God but God himself. In a word—bibliolatry. God cannot be confined within the covers of a leather-bound book. I develop a nasty rash around people who speak as if mere scrutiny of its pages will reveal precisely how God thinks and precisely what God wants."—Brennan Manning, Signature of Jesus, pp. 188-189
Walk into any Christian book store and you will see Manning’s books. They are highly recommended by many of our top evangelical leaders. When our leaders are telling us that holding to the word of God is equal to idolatry, the church is in serious trouble. Manning and others with similar views are heavily promoted by Rick Warren (Saddleback Church), Bill Hybels (Willow Creek assc) and many other high profile evangelical leaders. Is it possible to make the word of God into an idol? Consider this passage from John 1:1-5, 14:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
… 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Jesus Christ is the word and the Word is God. Calling the Bible an idol is equivalent to calling Jesus a false God or an idol. While we cannot force the church to obey or prevent those who cast the word behind them from departing from the faith, we can be a church that honors the Lord. God has promised that He will honor those who honor Him. Look at this wonderful promise of Revelation 3:8-10
I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
You will be condemned by those who claim to be people of God, but if you are faithful to the word, the Lord will prove His love for us and we have the promise that He will keep us from the hour of temptation. In this context I believe this applies to the time of judgment that tries the people of God. The judgment against the church will come as God’s people fall away from the truth, but those who hold to the word also have the hope of the promises of the word. This promise is only to the church that keeps His word, endures with patience and is walking in God’s will. This does not mean that we will never have to struggle or won’t have to endure trials and hardships. I do believe that the faithful church will be kept from the judgment God will bring upon the church to prove those who claim His name with words but deny Him through disobedience. Let’s go back to Proverbs to see how we keep His word. Look at Proverbs 4:20-27
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. 25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
To keep His word is not to merely hear the word, but to incline our ear and listen attentively to receive truth we can hold to, study the word, keep it always before our eyes, and keep it in the midst of our hearts. Do we meditate on the word? Or do we allow our minds to dwell on things that dishonor God? Keep your heart with all diligence! What you allow to enter your heart will directly affect your life. Most of the time we have no control over what comes across our path or enters into our minds; however, our mind is the guard of our heart. What you allow to cultivate in your mind will make it to your heart. That is why we are commanded not to even look down the path of wickedness, but to turn away and pass it by.
In the passage above we are told to guard our hearts from these things as we also put our minds upon the word of God that is continually in the midst of our heart. It is in our hearts because we are studying and meditating upon the word of God. We must think upon the word of God and consider what is being instructed. There are pagan ‘Christians’ that teach gullible people to repeat phrases or words from the Bible to enter into a state of meditation, but this is completely contrary to the Bible. The scriptures teach us to think on these things and to pray with the understanding. We meditate on the word so we can understand God’s ways and draw instruction from His word.
Consider this passage from Matthew 5:
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Pray that God will give you a seeking heart and a hunger and thirst for the word of God. According to the scriptures, we are cleansed by taking heed to God’s word and that His word is His righteousness (Psalm 119). Set your heart to seek the Lord and He will draw you to Himself. Through His word, the righteousness of God is revealed to us and we learn of Him so we can walk with Him.
Obedience leading to righteousness.
Let’s take a moment to consider the commandments of God and their role in our lives. While God has the right to require anything of us He chooses, it is also comforting to know the purpose behind the commandments of God. The word of God is the revelation of the character and nature of God to mankind. 1 Corinthians 2 tells us that the Spirit of God reveals to us the things of God and through this revelation we can know the mind of Christ. 2 Timothy 3 teaches that the scriptures were given to us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and that this word of God teaches us how to live in God’s perfection and be thoroughly equipped for the work God has called us to do.
Since these things are so, we should also realize that the scriptures are given to us so that we conform to Christ and become partakers of His nature and the promises He has given. Look at this passage from 2 Peter 1:3-4
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
We have been given everything we need to walk this Christian life, live in victory, and become partakers of His holiness. Everything good comes from the Lord. Our righteousness is not our own, but it is the righteousness of God given to us through Christ. We become the righteousness of Christ when we, by faith, surrender our sins to Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our faith does not come from us, but it is a gift of God placed within us (Romans 12:3 and 1 Corinthians 12:8-9). The same is true for holiness and all the good things of God. We become partakers of His holiness, partakers of His Divine nature, and partakers of His promises through our relationship with Him.
The Bible says that if we walk in the light of Jesus Christ, we have forgiveness of sins and that those who walk in darkness by walking in sin have no such promise (1 John 1:6-7). The promise is not to those who walk contrary to the Spirit because the goodness belongs to God and we are partakers by abiding in Him. You can’t take it away from God for it is your abiding relationship that gives you the goodness of the Lord. Take time out to read John 15. Jesus explains that the promises are given to those who abide in Him and we only abide in Him by keeping His commandments. Without that abiding relationship we can do nothing. Anything or anyone who does not abide in Christ is a withered branch separated from the vine and useful for nothing but to be cast out and burned (John 15:5-6).
God’s commandments are intended to conform us to the nature and character of God so that we have significance and eternal worth. Everything in God’s divine plan for your life is designed to conform you to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). Part of that plan is to correct our behavior when we go astray. Look at Hebrews 12:5-10
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Why does God chastise us? He does so because He loves us and wants us to conform to His likeness so that we can become a partaker of His holiness. This is absolutely critical for the Bible says, “Without holiness, no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). To walk in fellowship with your God, you must conform to His image by taking on His nature and His character. You cannot live contrary to God and expect to walk with God. Consider this warning from 1 Corinthians 10:
21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
Jesus also warned that we cannot serve two masters. We will love one or the other and we will cling to one while despising the other. No one will admit to despising the Lord; however, if you despise His word you are in rejection of the Lord. We love God through His word. The desire of the Lord is for you to inherit all things, be partakers of His holiness so you can become partakers of His promises. The Lord corrects our behavior and like a loving father, He gently corrects, but His hand grows heavy as we grow more stubborn. Look at the example God has given us through children. When my children are doing something wrong, I correct them through instruction. If they hear my instructions and do it, then they will be happy. If they are determined to do mischief and become stubborn, the chastisement grows more severe. God deals with us as a father with His children. He gently corrects us, but His hand grows heavy as we grow more determined to sin. God is more concerned with your good than your comfort. Teaching the word must be done with the focus of teaching God’s people how to walk with the Lord – otherwise it is useless. Consider the command of Hebrews 3:13-14
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
What value is there in making people feel ‘positive’ through feel good messages if we are denying them the greater good of knowing God, walking with God and becoming a partaker of His own nature? Sin is a deception. It promises to satisfy, but as Proverbs states, “In the end it bites like an adder”. To make someone feel good about something that will destroy them is not love. In fact, it is close to hate. Just as the Bible says that a father who does not correct his child hates his son (Proverbs 13:24), the teacher or preacher who does not exhort the congregation to keep the word of God and expose the deceitfulness of sin also hates his congregation. If you love others, you will work to build up their confidence in the Lord so that they will become partakers of Christ.
We are living stones and those stones must fit within God’s plan. Consider the stones that were used to build the earthly temple. The craftsmen hewed the stone out of the mountain, shaped it carefully and placed it snuggly in the wall of the temple. What would it look like if the builders took no care to shape the stones and just stacked them up? There would be holes and a weak wall with no unity among the parts. Look at Ephesians 2:19 - 22
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
You are part of the work of God and the Lord is shaping you to fit tightly in the building of God and be founded upon Jesus Christ. Romans 16:17 warns us to identify those who cause divisions in the church by not holding to the doctrine of scripture. Any who refuse to be shaped by the word of God and conform to Christ cannot have unity in the church God is building. It is God’s desire to bring you into His work and be a part of the building of God. You cannot be a part of God without being united with Him. You cannot be united with Him without conforming to His character and becoming partakers of His divine nature. As you conform to the image of Christ, you will grow closer to Him and will walk in fellowship with Him. Only when you allow God to shape you into His holy image can you have true unity with other believers and be tightly knit together with other believers. Do not let your heart grow hard through the deceitfulness of sin, but be tender and submit yourself to the Lord. If you truly desire to know and love God, the secret of having fellowship with Him is found in John 14:
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Your love is based on knowing and keeping the word of God. If you want to abide in Christ, abide in His word. As you learn the word and keep it, your mind will be transformed and your life will begin to conform to His image.
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Outreach
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