Life Walk Bible Lesson 73 — Equipped and Sent with Purpose
In a previous lesson I spoke about God behaving toward the ancient nation of Israel as a Husband does with a wife — it was a marriage covenant to God, and was with a whole nation up until the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
In the same way, when Jesus came to live among us in the earth, in order to show us how to live, to die for our sins that we may be forgiven upon repentance, and to be resurrected as the King of kings, He lives as an Husband to the Bride of Christ, His Body of believers in the earth.
This Body of people, this Holy Nation of kings, this Priesthood of believers, is just like a human body, which has many functioning parts, and each part does its particular work. For example the eye sees, the ear hears, and the mouth speaks. These functions are not interchangeable. And there are some functions that are incapable of being done by another part of the body.
When He lived in the earth approximately 2,000 years ago, Jesus walked along the shores of a lake, and chose several fisherman, asking them to follow Him. For three and a half years Jesus walked with them, taught them, encouraged and protected them, so that they could go into all the world, teach others what He taught them, and do even greater works than He was able to do because His location and calling to die for our sins limited His natural outreach capability. The Prophet Zachariah records, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord. [ Zachariah 4:6] His greater work would be by His Holy Spirit -- but that's for another Bible Lesson.
In the same way, God has, by His indwelling Holy Spirit upon our baptism into His Name, given each part, or indeed each member of the Body of Christ a function, so that the whole Body is benefited. Jesus chose fishermen and businessmen, older people and younger people, men and women, so as to reach every sector of society.
No matter what the natural career, vocation, or calling of the individual, each one is gifted with something to equip and send them out as Ambassadors for Christ, on behalf of the Kingdom of God, which is from heaven and now inside them, to make earth a better place because they live in Christ. [John 15]
This will always enhance, make better, and bring greater blessing to every sphere one touches in their life-journey in the earth. When you are part of the Kingdom of God, as a functioning member of this Holy Nation, you contribute more to the benefit of society than one who is not, simply because God lives inside you, and as Creator of heaven and earth, He knows what is best in all areas of living life well. [John 10:10]
Just imagine, if next time you walked into school, or work, or even the grocery store, you walked in with a renewed confidence that your spiritual function in the Body of Christ would change a circumstance for the better just because you were there to help.
The great commission given to all believers by Jesus before He ascended into heaven again, sends us all out into our world, to do good, to heal all, and deliver people from the oppression of the devil, and set them free to believe God.
Let’s look at these chapters from Scripture, where the Apostle Paul describes this incredible blessing from our Father in Heaven in greater detail:
Scripture Reading: Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12-14
Romans 1:1-2
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:6-8
“Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly:
if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;
if service, in his serving;
or he who teaches, in his teaching;
or he who exhorts, in his exhortation;
he who gives, with liberality;
he who leads, with diligence;
he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.
There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit,
and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;
to another faith by the same Spirit,
and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
and to another the effecting of miracles,
and to another prophecy,
and to another the distinguishing of spirits,
to another various kinds of tongues,
and to another the interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. “
1 Corinthians 12:27-28
“Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.”
Finding Yourself in the Book
Hebrews 10:7
“Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the Book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God.’”
Ephesians 3:14-21
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
Romans 12:9-21
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” [See also: Matthew 5-7]
Philippians 2:5-11
“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Empowered to Bless: Living Holy in Christ
1 Peter 1:13-16
13 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’
The apostle Peter is quoting, here, from the Book of Leviticus 11:44-45 (Verses 29-47 in context), regarding all “swarming” things which impact everything they touch, making them unclean and therefore inedible, because they defile everything they touch and, therefore, render it “unclean”, or unholy.
Let’s look at what God spoke to the Prophet Joel, in the Book of Joel, chapter 1, about the various kinds of locusts and what they do (Exodus 10:4; Leviticus 11:20-23; Mark 1:6):
Joel 1:4
“What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten;
And what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten;
And what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.”
What God sees: Sin steals our Harvest
Joel 1:6
“For a nation has invaded My land, mighty and without numbers; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and it has the fangs of a lioness. It has made My vine a waste and My fig tree splinters. It has stripped them bare and cast them away; their branches have become white.”
The epitome of peaceful life in the Kingdom of God was described as: every man sitting under his vine and under his fig tree, inviting one another over to fellowship with one another. [Zechariah 3:9-10]
Continuing on in Joel 1:9-12
“The grain offering and the drink offering are cut off from the House of the Lord. The priests mourn, the ministers of the Lord. The field is ruined, the land mourns; for the grain is ruined, the new wine dries up, fresh oil fails. Be ashamed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, for the wheat and the barley; because the harvest of the field is destroyed. The vine dries up and the fig tree fails; the pomegranate, the palm also, and the apple tree, all the trees of the field dry up. Indeed, rejoicing dries up from the sons of men.”
Joel 1:18-20
“How the beast groan! The herds of cattle wander aimlessly because there is no pasture for them; even the flocks of sheep suffer. To You, O Lord, I cry; for fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness and the flame has burned up all the trees of the field. Even the beast of the field pant for You; for the water brooks are dried up and the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.”
It is interesting that King Solomon says: “The locusts have no king, yet all of them go out in ranks;” [Proverbs 30:27]
In the Book of Judges, chapter 6, we find another comparison to locusts, which caused devastation in the land — the Midianites waited for ancient Israel’s harvest, and then came in and stole it.
Judges 6:3-6
3 “For it was when Israel had sown, that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sons of the east and go against them. 4 So they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts for number, both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it. 6 So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the Lord.”
Psalm 105:30-35 regarding the plagues in Egypt
30 “Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came a swarm of flies and gnats in all their territory.
32 He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.
33 He struck down their vines also and their fig trees, and shattered the trees of their territory.
34 He spoke, and locusts came, and young locusts, even without number,
35 And ate up all vegetation in their land, and ate up the fruit of their ground.”
We have now seen ample evidence that sin results in utter devastation in the life of a person bent on sinning. Coming to God, repenting for the Kingdom of God is at hand, and turning to live a Godly, and holy life, is the only right choice, in order to be blessed by God in every area of one’s life.
Ultimately, sin can only be destroyed by fire, as we have seen in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Apostle Paul’s words, in
1Corinthians 3:12-15, where he says:
12 “Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
Jude, the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ, says in verse 23, that we are to “save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.”
The sins, or deeds, of the flesh, have been made clear by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatian church.
Galatians 5:19-21
“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
18 “Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple [or: sanctuary] of the Holy Spirit Who is in you, Whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”
The Penetration of Sin
Numbers 16:22
“But they fell on their faces and said, ‘O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?’”
Romans 5:14
“Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him Who was to come.”
1 Corinthians 15:22
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”
1 Corinthians 15:45
“So also it is written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”
Repentance, Forgiveness and Restoration in the Kingdom of God
Restoration is a profound product of forgiveness. In the Book of Genesis, when God spoke to Pharaoh about restoring Abraham’s wife, Sarah, back to Abraham, God healed all the women of the nation of Egypt so that they could again conceive children, because Pharaoh’s sin affected the entire nation.
Genesis 20:7
“Now, therefore, restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, and you and all who are yours.”
The Promised Outcome of Holy and Righteous Living
Let's see, once again, what the Lord God promised the Prophet in Joel 2:21-29, for prophecy from God is a promise by God:
21 “Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has done great things.
22 Do not fear, beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness have turned green,
for the tree has borne its fruit, the fig tree and the vine have yielded in full.
23 So rejoice, O sons of Zion, and be glad in the Lord your God; for He has given you the early rain for your vindication. And He has poured down for you the rain, the early and latter rain as before.
24 The threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil.
25 Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; then My people will never be put to shame.
27 Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other; and My people will never be put to shame.
The Promise of the Spirit
28 “It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
The first miracle, wherein Jesus showed His glory, was a restoration of the time it takes to make a glass of wine — seven years omitted, because they obeyed His instructions. Let’s look at it here in the Book of John:
John 2:3
“When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, ‘They have no wine.’”
John 2:9-10
“When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, and said to him, ‘Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.’"
John 2:11
“This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed Him."
Jesus spoke once again about wine, in His earthly ministry — that new wine needs to be put in new wineskins — a new lifestyle, then, needs to be housed in a born-again believer so as to successfully continue being holy. [Matthew 9:17; John 3:1-3]
The born-again believer has help from the indwelling Holy Spirit to be holy.
John 3:9-12
9 “Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can these things be?’ 10 Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. 12 If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?’”
The Importance of Belief
Genesis 15:5-7
5 “And He took him outside and said, ‘Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ 6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 And He said to him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.’”
Psalm 27:13
“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
Matthew 8:13
“And Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.’ And the servant was healed that very moment.”
Mark 1:15
“The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Mark 9:23-24
“And Jesus said to him, ‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the boys father cried out and said, ‘I do believe; help my unbelief.’”
Mark 9:42
“Whoever causes on of these little ones who believes to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.”
Mark 11:23
“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘˜Be taken up and cast into the sea’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.’”
Mark 16:16-18
“He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Scripture Reading: John 8:4-15 the Parable of the Sower
John 8:13
“Those on rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.”
John 8:15
“But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.”
John 3:16-19
17”For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.”
In John 3:31-36 John the Baptist teaches us to Believe and Obey
31 “He Who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
John 5:24
“Truly, truly, I say unto you, he who hears My word, and believes Him Who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
John 6:29
“Jesus answered and said unto them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him Who He has sent.’”
The Kingdom of God is like…
Matthew 13
Even as sin penetrates everything it touches, righteousness and holiness also penetrates everything it touches, like yeast in flour leavens the whole dough.
Matthew 13:33
“And He spoke another parable to them, ‘The Kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.’”
One’s whole community is affected by either a lifestyle of sin, or righteousness. From the moment sin entered the earth, in the Garden of Eden, where Satan tempted Eve, Adam’s wife, it reigned until Jesus Himself came and died for our sins so that we could be forgiven and have a personal relationship with our Father in Heaven once again.
King Solomon makes it clear to stay away from those who would entice a person to commit evil acts against others.
Proverbs 1:8-19
8 “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching; 9 indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck. 10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. 11 If they say, ‘Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause; 12 let us swallow them alive like Sheol, even whole, as those who go down to the pit; 13 we will find all kinds of precious wealth, we will fill our houses with spoil; 14 throw in your lot with us, we shall all have one purse,’ 15 my son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path,16 for their feet run to evil and they hasten to shed blood.17 Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net in the sight of any bird; 18 but they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; it takes away the life of its possessors.”
Romans 12:1
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
18 “Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple [or: sanctuary] of the Holy Spirit Who is in you, Whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”
Spiritual Gifts in the Body of Christ Empower us to be a Blessing to Others
Bearing fruit others will want to “eat” (Ezekiel 47:12, Revelation 22:1-2) has its beginning in what it is deeply rooted in a lifestyle of love, from a loving heart, as was described in the Parable of the Sower.
Jesus said, Eat My flesh and drink My blood, in order to obtain eternal life, (John 6:53-55), which at the time separated those who understood the metaphor from those who did not accept Him in the first place, and therefore had no understanding.
So, being nourished by, and obtaining results from, the product of a lifestyle of holiness is described in Galatians 5:22-23, the direct result of the indwelling Holy Spirit in one’s life.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
The opposite of these things is what comes from a lifestyle of sin. The child of God, however, lives a life of imitating God. [Ephesians 5:1]
Romans 8:16-17
“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”
Ephesians 5:3-9
3 “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason it says, 'Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”
John 1:6-13
6 “There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Scripture Reading: Romans 12, and 1Corinthians 12
One Body, Many Functions within the Body
Romans 12:4-5
4 “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
1 Corinthians 12:12
“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.”
1 Corinthians 12:27-28
27 “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.”
Spiritual Gifts for the Common Good, in the Natural, in the Kingdom of God
A reminder from Joel 2, which we read earlier, that the Holy Spirit is for all people who believe — men, women and children, even the whole household.
Joel 2:28-29
“It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
Acts 2:38-39
38 "Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.’”
For the concept of household salvation see also: Genesis 7:1; and 18:19; Acts 7:10 a righteous life governs a whole household; Acts11:13-15; 16:15; 16:31-34; and 18:8.
Paul makes it clear that even the spouse of an unbelieving spouse covers the family, so that the whole household can be saved through their righteous lifestyle. [1Corinthians 7:14-16]
1 Corinthians 12:1
“Now about spiritual gifts, brothers [and sisters], I do not want you to be ignorant.”
Romans 12:6-8
6 “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
4 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing(s) by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”
Isaiah 11:1-5 Righteous Reign of the Branch
11 “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And He will delight in the fear of the Lord,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;
4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor,
And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth;
And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins,
And faithfulness the belt about His waist.”
A Lifestyle of Loving one Another
Romans 12:9-21
9 “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. 20 ‘But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Apostle and Prophets — the Foundation of the Church, in the Kingdom of God
Ephesians 2:19-22
19 “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the Corner Stone, 21 in Whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple [or: sanctuary] in the Lord, 22 in Whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”
We have already seen that the things which mark an apostle are signs, wonders and miracles. Lets see what else marks an apostle as having been with Jesus.
1 Timothy 2:7
“For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”
Galatians 1:11-12
11 “For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”
God told the Prophet Jeremiah that He would make a new covenant with the people, wherein He would place His way of life in their hearts, unlike rules and regulations written on tablets of stone, as under the Law of Moses. [Jeremiah 31]
God told the Prophet Joel that His Spirit would be poured out on all mankind, and they will all prophesy. This means to me that all who hear by the Holy Spirit will say what the Holy Spirit says for the common good of the Kingdom of God and all who are part of it in Christ.
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 4:1-20
1 Corinthians 4:1-2
1”Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.”
Contrasting examples: Luke 16: Parables of the Unrighteous Steward, and The Rich Man and Lazarus
1 Corinthians 4:15-16
15 “For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.†[NIV translates: “tutors” as “guardians”]
1 Corinthians 11:1
“Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”
Encouragement:
As we mirror Christ’s behavior, then, others will be able to imitate our behavior, when they follow us. It is important, then, for leaders over nations, communities, Churches, schools, and families — at every level of leading another person, to be holy and righteous so that what penetrates others lives is God’s Kingdom — His way of living and doing things for others.
From Ancient Writings
As a steward of the mysteries of God, then, I feel the need to also explain the relationship between “clean and unclean meats” now, and how this concept related to Israel staying separated from the Gentiles, in order to remain holy and blameless unto God.
Until the coming of Christ Jesus, Who declared all things (that is, foods, or nations) “clean” for his end-goal was to bring peace between the two once again — Israel was commanded not to intermarry, or do business with the Gentile nations in any way, who worship false gods, so as not to partake of their ways of life, their immorality, and idolatry. Israel was to worship the One True God, our Father in Heaven, and serve Him only, and God would supply every need they had, even the desires of their hearts.
In The Book of Enoch, chapters 85-90, a vision is given to Enoch, which describes the events of history, from creation to the consummation of all things, in terms of animals. We can easily understand this as many children's books have been written with animals as the characters in the story. I believe God makes the Gospel so simple that even a child can understand the concepts of the Kingdom of God.
In the vision, Enoch sees bulls born — white, black or red, according to the nature of their heart, whether righteous or evil (reflecting the two ways of either light or darkness) and then it progresses to other kinds of animals and birds, which are descriptive of the kinds of behavior, or human nature of the nations, and their manner of living. At the consummation of all things, once again there is a white bull born, signifying that only the righteous remain once all evil has been removed.
It is well worth reading the entire book, as I have often mentioned, however for this concept, it will help you to understand the idea behind “clean and unclean meats” and what it has to do with “the nations” or “the Gentiles” coming into the Kingdom of God, because of the Blood of Jesus sacrificed for mankind's forgiveness.
This concept is carried on in The Apocalypse of Baruch as well, where God declares to Baruch, the secretary or scribe to the Prophet Jeremiah, that Behemoth (land animal) and Leviathan (sea creature), whom God created on the fifth day, will feed the righteous at the consummation of all things. [See also: Isaiah 25]
The Apocalypse of Baruch, translated and annotated by R.H. Charles
https://ia600206.us.archive.org/27/items/theapocalypseofb00charuoft/theapocalypseofb00charuoft.pdf
The Scripture itself alludes to this when God states, “If I were hungry would I ask you. I own the cattle on a thousand hills.” This term “cattle on a thousand hills” is a reference to Behemoth. [Psalm 50:10-15]
So then, to summarize what we’ve learned:
An apostle must live a holy and righteous life, so as to impart a godly lifestyle into his/her sphere of influence, including every nation. As the leaders are, so are those who follow them.
An apostle is a guardian, father, steward, parent, admonisher, exhorter, instructor, corrector and encourager, to those whom God sends them for discipleship in the Kingdom of God.
An apostle, along with the prophet, is the foundation upon which their “community” is built, just as a husband and wife are the foundation of a family. Jesus made it clear that a foundation was to be built upon a rock, (i.e. Jesus Christ) and not upon sand, in order to stand firm no matter what comes against it. [Luke 6] An apostle must be “in Christ”.
Stand, therefore, having done all to stand, as Paul admonishes us. Stand firm in what God has promised, or declared over your life, for He keeps all of His good promises, just as it is written: To some He gave to be an apostle, so if you are called in the Kingdom of God as an apostle, you already know that God will equip you thoroughly with everything you need to be an apostle.
The calling to be an apostle comes with instructions, and testing, and corrections, as we see in the life of Paul which he was kind enough to share with us, both in his victories and in his sorrows. Take heart therefore, for God is with you in this, just as He was with Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest, and Prophet of our faith, for so it is written.
