HELL, What and Where It Is

The Meaning of Hell
Sermon # 456; by Joe McClure; Date: 9/16/2007
The reason that I have chosen to teach on this topic today is to clear up any possible confusion that you might have on the subject.
Hell is a word that is often misunderstood in the KJV Bible.
Our goal today is to prove by the Scriptures what God has chosen to reveal to us about ‘hell’.
As I understand the Word of God, as long as the world continues to exist, hell consists of two parts, the place of punishment, and the place of rest for those whose souls are safe, including Christians who have died in the Lord.
At the final end of all material things, at the Judgment, those who are in the Paradise section will go to Heaven, the abode of God on His throne, with Jesus, Holy Spirit, and all the heavenly host.

As I hope to prove by the end of our study today, the translators of the King James Bible translated [4] four different original text words into the same English word, which is the word ‘hell’.
In the original manuscripts, in the Old Testament, first we find the Hebrew word of ‘Sheol’.
Sheol has been translated into several words in the OT. It is translated as the word ‘hell’, as ‘grave’ [31] thirty-one times, and [3] three times as the word ‘pit’.
‘Hades’ is the corresponding Greek word which is found in the NT.

Keep in mind as we study that the meaning of the word ‘hell’ can be understood by simply looking at the context of the passage in which it is found.

The first usage of the word ‘sheol’ is found in the book of Genesis.
Genesis 37:35
And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.
Jacob was mourning for what seemed to him to be the death of his son Joseph, who had been sold into slavery down into Egypt.
Sheol in this instance was the place of one’s soul in death, in a general sense. We cannot tell whether ‘Sheol’ was considered by Jacob as Heaven or the place of torment.
In all the places that we find the word ‘sheol’ in the book of Genesis, the word is translated into English as the word ‘grave’. The meaning is obviously correct as we read and study the context of all those passages.
‘Sheol’ is not found in the book of Exodus, nor Leviticus; but we find it again in the book of Numbers.
At its time of appearance, the children of Israel are in the wilderness, and a group of people had risen up against the authority of Moses. They challenged the right of Moses to assign the Holy services only to the Levites.
In the 16th chapter of Numbers, we see the judgment of the Lord against Korah and his followers.
Numbers 16:29-33 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; [then] the LORD hath not sent me. 30 But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that [appertain] unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD. 31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that [was] under them: 32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that [appertained] unto Korah, and all [their] goods. 33 They, and all that [appertained] to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
The earth became their grave and their physical judgment for their sin. However, the meaning seems to simply refer to the depths of the cavern into which they fell, the place they perished.
The next instance that I want to consider is found in the book of Deuteronomy, in the Song of Moses. Apparently, Moses prophesied this shortly before his death on Mount Nebo.
Deuteronomy 32:21-25 They have moved me to jealousy with [that which is] not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with [those which are] not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. 22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. 23 I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them. 24 [They shall be] burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. 25 The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling [also] with the man of gray hairs.
The song speaks of how God had chosen and blessed the children of Israel, and then speaks of God’s reaction to them when they will turn against God in favor of worshipping idols.
Because of their rejection of God and His Word, God promises them that He will no longer bless or protect them.
The text here promises them that they will be chastised.
Deuteronomy 32:22
For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
Here it appears that God’s wrath against those who reject Him burns in the earth and in the underworld as well.
In many of the places where the word ‘hell’ is used in the OT, the place of the dead in general is referred to, but in some cases, it appears to be the word by which the place of torment is referred.
Psalms 9:15-17 The heathen are sunk down in the pit [that] they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. 16 The LORD is known [by] the judgment [which] he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. 17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, [and] all the nations that forget God.
By the context here, it seems that the wicked have been caught in the trap of their own making. The wicked have judged their own selves by choosing to forget God.
Psalm 55:15
Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.

There are several mentions made to the lowest hell, almost as if there were a part of hell that is higher.
Psalm 86:13
For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
Proverbs 15:24
The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
Proverbs 9:18
But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.
When hell is considered as the place of destruction, or in completely negative terms, we can determine that the lowest hell, or the place of torment is under consideration.
In several of the passages, you will find the use of the phrase ‘hell and destruction’.
Proverbs 27:20
Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
In such phrases, the word destruction is from the Hebrew word ABADDON.
We also find a mention of this in the book of Revelation.
Rev 9:11 And they had a king over them, [which is] the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue [is] Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath [his] name Apollyon.
As I prepare to move from the OT scriptures to the NT passages dealing with hell, let me emphasize one more time that ‘Sheol’, when translated as the word ‘Hell’ can either mean the general place of the
There is a prophecy concerning the death of Jesus, and His three [3] days and three [3] nights in the grave. Where was the soul of Jesus during this time?
Psalm 16:10
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Peter identified this prophecy as referring to our Lord in the Day of Pentecost sermon.
Acts 2:25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 6 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Acts 2:28-31 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 29 Men [and] brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
The Hebrew word used in the OT prophecy is ‘Sheol’ and the Greek word in Acts 2.27 is ‘hades’.
Where was Jesus when He was in hell? Was he in the place of torment?
When Jesus hung between the two [2] thieves on the cross, one mocked Him, and one believed. We notice what Jesus said to the believing one:
Luke 23:39-43 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
I believe the best explanation regarding Hades, or Hell, in the account of the rich man and Lazarus.
Luke 16:19-26 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence.
The rich man was in torment in hell, and could see across the gulf to where Abraham and Lazarus were, and spake to Abraham. This seems to teach that the place where all the current dead wait are in the same area; and would seem to agree with the picture we get from the OT concerning Hell.
As we earlier considered, the thief on the cross was in Paradise with Jesus.
It seems that Abraham and Lazarus were in Paradise as well.
GEHENNA:
The first place we find the word ‘Gehenna’ is in Matthew 5.22. This word is also translated into the word ‘Hell’; but it has a different meaning than ‘Hades’, in that it is more specific in that it refers to the punishment section of Hell.
Matthew 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 23:33
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Mark 9:43
And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

James 3:6
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
Tarturus: Finally we have our last word which is also translated as ‘hell, and is found in only one verse, and speaks of the hell for the angels who await the final Judgment Day.
2 Peter 2:4
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
In closing, it appears that the death and hell will give up their dead at the final Judgment Day, and then Hades will be burned up in the lake of fire which will be for the final punishment.
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

JEHOVAH YAHWEH

JEHOVAH, and OTHER NAMES OF GOD
SERMON # 451; BY JOE McClure; DATE: 5/20/2007

In thousands of the Hebrew Scriptures, the word ‘Jehovah’ is used to refer to God.
Today, many men have written books regarding the various names of God, and much is made of them as doctrinal issues. For instance, some say that it is imperative that we address God in prayer as Jehovah.
Let me preface our study by saying that I may have missed some of the designations by which God is referred to in the Scriptures, but by the end of this study, I hope that you might see the importance given to the name of God in the Holy Scriptures.
To begin with, I want to just read you a couple of passages, just to set the tone of our study, found in Deuteronomy 28.58 and Daniel 2.19-23.
Deuteronomy 28:58 If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;
The general idea was to give God and His name the utmost respect in obedience; to reverence and stand in awe of God.
To give you an idea of the complexity of the study of the name of God, bear with in looking at just these two passages of scriptures.
In Deuteronomy 28.58, the name of God, which is printed in the English language translation as ‘THE Lord THY GOD’ has as its original Hebrew the following:
The Lord---Hebrew word [Yehovah, pronounced as yeh-ho-vaw] is found in 6,519 times in the Scriptures. {Strong’s No. 03068}
Thy God—Plural Hebrew word [Elohiym, pronounced as el-o-heem] is used in reference to God 2, 346 times in the Scriptures. {Strong’s No. 0430}
In those times, there were many names used by the heathen nations to identify their false idol gods, such as the name of Baal.
So, we might easily understand the importance placed on a separate identity of the true God, and an understanding of His power, and a consideration of past great deeds that God had accomplished.
Next, we look at the passage from Daniel 2.19-23.
Daniel 2:19-23 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: 21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: 22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast [now] made known unto us the king's matter.

In Daniel 2.19, we find ‘the God of heaven’ used, in V.20, ‘the name of God’ and then in V.23 ‘God of my fathers’. The same word from the Aramaic is translated as God in all of these verses.
The God—Aramaic word [elahh, pronounced as el-aw’] is used in reference to God 79 times in the Scriptures. {Strongs No. 0426}
In many of the Hebrew passages, the word ‘el’ is used 213 times by itself to indicate the word ‘God, and 16 times to indicate the word ‘god’; such as when referring to the strange or false god; [Strong’s #410].
At times ‘el’ is used with various endings, such as ‘elohiym, and elowahh’ are plural and singular of God in some Scriptures.
Elohiym is the Hebrew word that is translated as ‘God’ in Genesis 1.1.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
It is interesting to notice that the plural of the word ‘elowahh’ (el-o’-ah). El-o’-ah is used 52 times in the Scriptures in reference to God.
In a couple of Scriptures we find the word ‘El’ put at the end of another word, such as with the word ‘Immanuel’, which means ‘with us is God’ [Isaiah 7.14; 8.8].
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
This word ‘el-aw’, used by Daniel to refer to God, is credited as the same word used by Jesus on the cross, but translated and written in Greek as ‘el-o-ee’.
Mark 15:34-- And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
El-o-ee’ in the Greek simply means ‘My God’. The Greek word translated as God in Mark 15.34 is ‘theos’ [theh’-os] and is the common word found in the NT Greek Scriptures, and is used by its writers 1,320 times.
· As you can begin to see; while various English words have been used to simplify various Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words into the idea of God or Lord; the subject is more complex than this.
The question for me today is whether I can do a good enough job on explaining this topic so that anyone could understand, or at least good enough so that you might be prompted in the right direction, in your home studies.
Lets start with the story of Moses, as he is being called by God to deliver the children of Israel from their bondage.
Exodus 3:13-14 And Moses said unto God, Behold, [when] I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What [is] his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
God’s name “I AM” seems to indicate the eternal existence of God, that he was, and is, and will be.
This passage in Exodus 3.14 reminds me of what Jesus said to the 7 churches of Asia.
Rev. 1:8I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Another familiar way that God is referred to is as the God of somebody.
Exodus 3:15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this [is] my name for ever, and this [is] my memorial unto all generations.
Next in our study of the name of God, look to Exodus 6.3, shortly before God dealt with Pharoah.
Exodus 6:2-3 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I [am] the LORD: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by [the name of] God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
God told Moses that His name is Jehovah, but when he appeared to the patriarchal fathers of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He was known to them by another designation.
To Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God was known as ‘God Almighty’, or in the Hebrew language as el-shadday [ale’-shad-dah-ee’] {Genesis 14.22; 17.1}. [Strong’s No. 7706 + 430]
Genesis 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I [am] the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
While the patriarchs made reference to Jehovah Elohiym in many places, they knew God by the designation of Almighty God, or El-Shaddai.
God was also known to Abraham as El-yone, or the most high God.
El-Shaddai expresses the MIGHT of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Elyon, [05945 ‘elyown, pronounced as el-yone’] identified God (el) as the highest of all authorities or rulers, or ‘the most high God’.
Genesis 14:22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
{Lord, most high, God=Jehovah, Elyon El}
ADONAI: [ad-o-nay’]
Abraham also addressed God as Adonai, as a proper name for God.
Genesis 15:1-2 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I [am] thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward. 2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house [is] this Eliezer of Damascus?
Adonay (Strong’s No. 136); found 431 times in the Scriptures, seems to have been a word used to show servitude to God as master. Adonay is a form of Adown [aw-done], which is translated most of the time as ‘master’ and is itself also used in a few cases to refer to God {31 times}.
ADOWN:
Adown is used when referring to the ark of the Lord, and in another occasion as ‘Lord of lords’.
Moses used ‘Adown’ in the following Scripture:
Deuteronomy 10:17 For the LORD your God [is] God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:
Later, in the wilderness, Moses entered into the Tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp, and there spoke with the Lord. This was on the occasion after they had built the golden calf, and Moses had come down off the mountain.
The Lord said the following to Moses:
Exodus 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
In other words, God told Moses that He would tell him the name of Jehovah [Hebrew words—‘shame’=name + Yeh-ho-vah’ or the Lord]
Then in the next chapter, Moses went back up on the mount Horeb, to receive the 2nd writing of the commandments.
God spoke with Moses, and we notice that he identified Himself.
Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name [is] Jealous, [is] a jealous God:
God told Moses that His name is the Lord [Yehovah], whose name is Jealous {qanna’ , pronounced as kan-naw’ }, or Jehovah Jealous.
Coupled with God’s desire to keep Israel faithful to Him only, in His possessiveness, with a desire for Israel to not be led away after false gods, God also revealed that He is a consuming fire.
Joshua 24:19-21 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he [is] an holy God; he [is] a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. 20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. 21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD.
Here in Joshua 24.19, Jehovah is an Holy Elohiym (plural); Jehovah is a jealous El [ale’](singular).
Lord God of Hosts:
Another designation which is used about 100 times in the Scriptures is that of Lord or God of Hosts.
1Sa 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
For Israel, El-Yeh-ho-vah was their Jehovah God of war against their enemies. In most of the places in which this phrase is used, it was written as ‘Lord God of Hosts’.
In such passages, we find other words for our study, that of JAH [Strong’s No. 3050, used 49 times].
Psalms 89:5-8 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. 6 For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? [who] among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD? 7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all [them that are] about him. 8 O LORD God of hosts, who [is] a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
Here in V.8, when it says ‘who is a strong Lord’, the word ‘Lord’ came from the Hebrew word JAH (yaw), another name for God.
In one occasion, we see this actually has been translated as JAH.
Psalm 68:4
Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
In Isaiah 26.4, JAH JEHOVAH is found together in reference to the Lord.
Isaiah 26:4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH [is] everlasting strength:
You might already know this, but the name of God is found at the end of the word ‘Hallelujah’, which means, ‘praise ye God’.
Throughout the Scriptures, it is common to find several words for God combined together, as we have seen above.
In Amos 5.16, you can find Jehovah Elohim Adonay all used together for an example, as well as God of Hosts.
Amos 5:16 Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing [shall be] in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.
Amos 5:16 Therefore the LORD <03068--Jehovah>, the God <0430--Elohyim> of hosts <06635>, the Lord <0136--Adonay>,
There are some less used words used to refer to God, such as the Rock of salvation. [Strong’s No. 6697, ‘tsur’, 2 times]
Deuteronomy 32:15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered [with fatness]; then he forsook God [which] made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

Before we leave the OT, I want to examine briefly some phrases we see as combination words with the name Jehovah.
JEHOVAH-JIREH:
As we know the account of the time that the Lord told Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac on an altar as a sacrifice to God, and that it was a test of Abraham’s faith, and that God in the end provided a ram as the sacrificial offering. In this context, we find the word Jehovahjireh [Strong’s No. 3070].
Genesis 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said [to] this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
While Mt. Moriah was called Jehovahjireh by Abraham, he did so because it meant that it shall be seen by the Lord in that place. The word ‘Jehovahjireh’ actually means ‘Jehovah sees’.
Some have used Jehovahjireh to mean that God will see our needs and provide, seeing that God did provide a sacrifice for Abraham.
If we are looking for a parallel, we might consider that those who go up to the mountain of the Lord’s house will be provided salvation and spiritual blessings promised by God.
Isaiah 2:2-3 And it shall come to pass in the last days, [that] the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
JEHOVAH-NISSI:
Exodus 17:15-16 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: 16 For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn [that] the LORD [will have] war with Amalek from generation to generation.
The saying ‘Jehovah-nissi’ means ‘Jehovah ,my banner’.
Obviously this altar was a sign of the promise God to Moses regarding the conflict with the Amaleks.
JEHOVAH-SHALOM:
Judges 6:22-24 And when Gideon perceived that he [was] an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face. 23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace [be] unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. 24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it [is] yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
The word ‘Jehovahshalom’ means that Jehovah is peace. Again, we see that it is used to name an altar to the Lord, as Jehovahjireh, and Jehovahnissi were names for places of altars.
Jehovah-shammah: Jehovah is in it.
Jehovah is there, the symbolical title given by Ezekiel to Jerusalem, which was seen by him in vision #Eze 48:35
We might rightly say that Jehovah is in the church of Christ, as God dwells in our hearts.
Ezekiel 48:35 [It was] round about eighteen thousand [measures]: and the name of the city from [that] day [shall be], The LORD [is] there.
JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU:
Jehovah our rightousness, rendered in the Authorized Version, "The LORD our righteousness," a title given to the Messiah #Jer 23.6.
Jeremiah 23:5-6 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this [is] his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
As we turn our minds to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, we would not want to ignore the prophecy of Isaiah regarding His name.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
We see this prophecy fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ, and the definition of the word ‘Immanuel’ in the NT.
Matthew 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Another Messianic prophecy is found in Isaiah 9.6, and the names of the Messiah are given.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
In the NT, we find far less words being used to name God in those texts.
The Greek word ‘theos’ is used to indicate the supreme deity in most cases.
John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God.
Jesus: The word Jesus is a form of the OT word ‘Joshua’ and means Yahweh is salvation.
However, the Most High God is referred to as distinct from the Son and the Spirit in:
Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
In this message from the angel, we see the work of the Holy Ghost, the Most High God, and the Son of God.
Here the ‘Highest’ is from the Greek word hupsistos, [pronounced hoop’-sis-tos] {Strong’s No. 5310}, meaning simply the Most High God. {used 13 times in NT}.
While the same word is used in the Greek for the word ‘God’ throughout the NT Scriptures, there are several qualifying words used with His name, such as God of glory [Acts 7.2]; God of peace [Romans 15.33]; God of love and peace [2 Cor. 13.11]; God of patience and comfort [Romans 15.5]; God of hope [Romans 15.13]; and God of all grace [I Peter 5.10].
Despotes—G 1203—Master, translated as Lord 5 times in NT.
Acts 4:21-25 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all [men] glorified God for that which was done. 22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed. 23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou [art] God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
While I know that this was a lot of information to take in today, I hope that I have at least planted some seeds in your minds for some future study.
I hope that you will no longer take the word God and Lord for granted when you read the Scriptures, but will hunt for more information when you study.
I also know that in regard to the titles of Christ and the Holy Spirit in the NT that I did not deal with them much, but to do so would take a couple of hours more to speak with you on them, as there are many descriptive words and phrases which apply to our Lord Jesus in the NT.
I might teach on them in a later sermon.
INVITATION:

Peter-Why Did He Fail?

WHY Peter FAILED
SERMON #303; 2/27/2000; BY JOE McCLURE; Text: Matthew 26.31-75


We live among a great number of people who claim to be Christians. These great numbers have reached a comfort level with their religion.

In their comfort zone, they have become confident that the religious doctrines they believe are founded on the rock of the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Most who name the name of Christ would tell you that they would not dare to ever disobey the teachings of Christ.

What is the difference in what the majority believes and what we believe?

There are two simple factors:

1. Perception of truth

2. Actual truth

If a person has been believing and practicing a doctrine, or following a particular system of religion their entire lives, it is understandable that they would reject the concept that they might be wrong, to the point of losing their souls.

The above is also true for us, to some extent. We should never get so comfortable in our faith that we stop studying and examining our faith by the faith of the gospel of Christ.

Today, I want each of us to humble ourselves, and to admit a truth that is brought out by our lesson today, that is, that we are just as likely to make a mistake as Peter was over 2,000 years ago.

Peter was blessed to have been with Jesus at the beginning of His ministry, and to sit at his feet, so to speak; and to have been privy to fellowship with the Son of God in the flesh. Peter walked with our Lord and expressed his love and devotion and loyalty to Jesus.

In a moment of weakness, Peter denied his Lord.

Turn with me to Matthew 26.31-35 for our first reading.

Matthew 26:31-35 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all [men] shall be offended because of thee, [yet] will I never be offended. 34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

Most of you would make this same statement. It might even be said that most who proclaim to be Christians would cry out with us that nothing in this world could ever cause us to deny Christ.

We should all have this attitude, that even though we were crucified for being Christians, we would never deny our Lord.\

Today, in this lesson, I want to examine several factors, which may give us some trouble as we continue to serve Christ.

I. Conceit—in our reading, Jesus told Peter that he would offended because of Him that very night. Jesus was incapable of lying to Peter, and in His divinity, he could not be wrong in His predictions. Peter should have known these facts about his Lord.

We see the conceit of Peter in his answer to Jesus in Matthew 26.33, from our text.

Matthew 26:33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all [men] shall be offended because of thee, [yet] will I never be offended.

While Peter’s protest is understandable from a human aspect, his protest is the same as accusing Jesus of not knowing what he is talking about.

Peter felt that if everyone else in the world denied Jesus, that he would be the one man left who would always remain loyal. To Peter’s way of thinking, it was inconceivable for him to fail Christ.

Even though our Lord told Peter that he would deny Him (3) three times before the crowing of the rooster that next morning, Peter refused to believe Jesus.

Matthew 26:35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

Today, consider that many folks in the church come to a place in their spiritual growth that they believe that they are so grounded in the true faith of Jesus Christ that there is very little, if any chance that they will fall from grace.

When complacent Christians hear a good strong sermon, which admonishes of the dangers to the soul, they refuse to apply it to their own lives. Instead, they hear the sermon as applying to someone else. They silently think of all the sinners who need to hear that sermon. Many are so filled with self-confidence in their faith that they can no longer be touched with the truth.

Such self-confidence is extremely dangerous for Christians.

Ask yourself these questions:

· Am I so conceited that I think that I know and understand the message of all the Holy commandments of God?

· Am I so conceited that I believe that I am in complete obedience to all of God’s teachings?

1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

· Am I so conceited that I refuse to admit the remotest possibility that I might fail at some point to obey the will of Christ in every part of my life?

Are you willing to take heed to your Christian service, considering that you might fall from your steadfastness?

2 Peter 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know [these things] before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

Too much self-confidence leads us to rely upon our own personal power, instead of placing our confidence in the power of God. To be a good servant, we must rely upon our master in all parts of our life.

Peter was conceited to the point that he knew with full confidence that, regardless of what Christ said, he could rely upon himself to stay true to Christ.

When we call ourselves Christians, we have committed to Christ to give up the old man of self, and to add the new man, which is in Christ.

Our confidence must be totally in Christ if we are to grow as Christians.

If Peter had trusted in the words of Christ, he would have known that he would deny Christ that night.

Our life in Christ must rest upon the faith of the gospel of Jesus Christ; else we will have our life in the world, and in its lusts.

Hebrews 10:34-39 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. 35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Unless you misunderstand, here we see that we are to have confidence, but not that confidence which is from our human flesh.

The confidence pleasing to God is that which is based totally upon the word of God and that Word warns us of our weaknesses.

The Word in which we trust warns us that we will be tempted to depend upon our flesh instead of the spirit. The Word teaches us that our strength should come from a daily feeding of the soul by our communion with God.

Philippians 2:12-13 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.

When the church has stopped trembling with fear, they are likely to look to themselves instead of to God for their leadership. We must continue to contemplate the greatness of our Father in Heaven, and the great Judgment Day where those who have rejected Christ shall experience His wrath.

One of the great problems of many who claim to religious is that they are more concerned with working out the salvation of everyone else, while ignoring their own salvation, secretly believing there is no possibility of falling from grace.

The cautionary note here is that we must realize the weakness of the human flesh compared to the perfect character of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must realize that human conceit is dangerous temptation that is arrayed against our souls. We need to realize our own personal need for humility before we insist upon that humility for others.

Proverbs 16:18-19 Pride [goeth] before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. 19 Better [it is to be] of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Now, let’s look at the next reason why Peter failed.

II. EASE—Peter was not alert and watchful over his own soul in the time of his denial of Jesus.

Again, we shall see that Peter denied for himself the truth of what Jesus had said. Jesus had warned the disciples that His hour was near. He and His disciples moved to the Garden of Gethsemane and Jesus went off to pray. When Jesus had prayed a while, He came back and found them asleep.

The disciples were at ease in the hour of His trial.

Matthew 26:37-41 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou [wilt]. 40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak.

By His own words, Jesus warned them of the weakness of their flesh. In such times, He pointed out to them of their need for prayer to sustain them in the moment of temptation.

Many times we fail to recognize the dangers around us in life.

We go off to work, or to play and those around us are busy with life, serving sin. For the most part, our fellows around us are not talking to the Lord. We must depend upon God’s Word to remind us of the need to watch and pray.

We are in danger of spiritually letting down our guard, and becoming at ease when danger is all around us.

Peter was not vigilant in watching against the temptation to deny Christ, and was not praying for strength to stand with Christ. Instead, he admitted that he believed that he would not deny Christ. Since no danger existed for Peter, there was no need to watch out for that danger, or to pray about it.

Later on in Peter’s life, he wrote this warning:

1 Peter 5:6-9 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

At the time when Peter failed, he was not vigilant. He was not watching and praying. He was at ease spiritually.

Peter should have been in prayer asking God for the strength to stand with Jesus in His hour of trial.

We fail sometimes to realize the dangers, and that in a figurative sense there is a Judas in our life that will bring Satan to attack us.

One danger is that our worldly friends can kill our spiritual life, if we allow it.

We must be on our guard against the desire to be like the rest of the world. If you are not alert, and watchful, with prayer; you can find yourself being led astray by those you admire the most.

III. RASHNESS—Another factor for Peter’s denial of Jesus was his tendency to make rash statements, and decisions.

In other words, we need to think a while sometimes before deciding a course of action; to meditate on God’s teaching, and think about what scriptures might apply to our situation, and how they lead us.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter [any] thing before God: for God [is] in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

After we have studied the Word of God, and learned its meaning, these words help prepare us to face the temptations of the world. However, when we are in battle against Satan, it is important for us to be access God’s message in our minds, for our strength and guidance.



1 Timothy 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. 15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. 16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Peter should have been prepared to face the capture and trial of the Lord. When Jesus was arrested, even though Peter had been taught to turn the other cheek, and to depend upon God, Peter’s first inclination was to fight with the sword.

As if not even thinking twice about what he had heard taught by Jesus, he reached for his sword as the answer.

John 18:10-11 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. 11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

Why did Peter act so rashly in this situation?

Peter should have known that Jesus was against using swords to protect Him. Peter did not show any trust in the power or will of God in this situation, but depended upon his own abilities to attack those who came to arrest Jesus.

Many times we are forced to react without thinking.

Sometimes we act rashly before thinking of the will of God.

When we are attacked by Satan, we should be prepared by our study of the Holy Scriptures, which will guide us; whether we are totally aware or not.

What does the Bible teach us to say, or to do in any given situation?

Doe we think about God’s will for most of our daily decisions?

Peter should have realized that God would take care of any vengeance upon the guilty.

Peter had sat and listened to the following teaching from the Lord:

Matthew 5:38-39 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Their enemies were evident. We have those today who are against us when we stand with Christ, and we should not act rashly when attacked.

We are tempted to use our own human power or wits when we should rely instead on the teachings of the gospel.

The cause of bringing the message of salvation to the lost must be promoted with love and not force.

Some religions use force to coerce the masses to assume their religion, but not Jesus.

We need to back up our words of conviction with Christlike actions.

We must find some way to love those who are against the truth; some way to love those who stand against us in every way. How to express such love is shown to us in the Scriptures, so the answers are in the Word, if we will but learn them.

It is hard from a fleshly standpoint to show love for someone who has just hurt you in some way; or for your enemies.

[ASV] 1 Peter 3:8 ¶ Finally, [be] ye all likeminded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humbleminded: 9 not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: 11 And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And his ears unto their supplication: But the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil. 13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be zealous of that which is good?

Jesus, through the inspiration of Peter, teaches us to not do evil to those who do evil against us. We are to bless those who curse us.

In the flesh, this is almost impossible to do; but it is possible ‘in Christ’.

We are to follow the example of Christ, and how he reacted when he was abused.

1 Peter 2:20 For what glory [is it], if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it], ye take it patiently, this [is] acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Do you follow this example, or do you insult those who insult you?

The only way possible is to live unto righteousness, or the way revealed by our Lord.

When someone shows that they dislike you or hate you, do you continue to do good things for that person, or do you withhold your favor until they apologize?

The rash thing is to respond as a human, but the spiritual thing is to stop and think and meditate upon the will of Christ before acting.

IV. FOLLOWED AFAR OFF—The fourth reason that Peter failed is that he was not close to the Master in the hour of temptation. As Jesus was being led to His trial, where was Peter?

Matthew 26:57-58 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led [him] away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.

Again, Peter showed his humanity.

To walk with Jesus means that we will be judged like Jesus. When there is a controversy between people, with some holding to the teachings of the gospel, and others departing from the truth; there are always some who are weak, and follow afar off.

Some consider that it is safer for them to not get involved and to stay quietly in the background, and wait until the dust settles, so to speak. If they choose the winning side, they won’t be persecuted; but if they wait to take sides with the resulting majority, they won’t suffer, from a fleshly view.

We should never be afraid to side with God. Are you following afar off, or are you jumping into the fray with both feet, willing to suffer for the cause of truth?

When your friends speak out against something you believe to be the truth, do you follow afar; that is, do you choose to stay silent?

Ephesians 4:25-27 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil.

Peter followed Jesus, but not very close. This is the way of many today claiming to be Christians. We claim to follow Jesus, but how close are we following?

Do we follow close enough to be condemned when the truth is on trial?

We are not only taught to follow Christ, but to also walk with Him, to be near Him, and to be close to Him; in communion with Christ.

James 4:7-8 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded.

V. EVIL ASSOCIATIONS—As Peter denied Jesus, he found himself in the company of the enemy. If he had been with all of the other disciples, walking by the side of Jesus, it would have been a lot more difficult to deny Jesus.

Many times today, when the truth is put on trial, there are many weak brothers and sisters who camp with the enemy.

It is easier for the weak to be convinced to do wrong when they are with the enemy than if they were in fellowship with those who would help them stand in the face of temptation.

The young and the middle aged and the elders are all supposed to work together to be of one mind and one judgment.

Philippians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

The youngest Christians are in the greatest danger when with the enemy. We have an example of the young converts from idolatry, in the city of Corinth, who were too weak to give up their old associations. Paul needed to teach them to not camp with the enemy, who would weaken their faithfulness to Christ.

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you,

Peter warmed himself at the fire of the enemy when the Lord was put on trial.

John 18:18 And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.

If Peter had been somewhere else, he might have found no temptation to deny the Lord as he did.

We must examine where we stand.

We need to examine our associations we choose.

Jesus associated himself with the sinners of the world, but in doing so, He taught them the truth. He brought spiritual healing to those who were under bondage to sin. Jesus was strong enough to associate with the sinners, and was not corrupted by them.

Whose fire do you warm by? Do you choose to stand with the world while the truth is put on trial in your presence and say nothing to defend it?

Peter placed himself in that arena of temptation. No one made or forced him to go where he went.

We can avoid many temptations that we may be too spiritually weak to withstand. If we know that we are about to face a tempting situation, we can prepare by much prayer, by studying and meditating on God’s Word, and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us, even at the cost of losing the friendship of the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-23 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Do you think that Peter would have denied Jesus if he had been standing by the fire with only the other disciples of Christ, and in prayer for Jesus?

1 Corinthians 15:33-34 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak [this] to your shame.

While it is important that we surround ourselves with truth, and those of the same mind and spirit; it is especially important for the young and those who might be weak in the faith.

It appears that Peter’s denial was furthered by his choice of companions in those final hours.

VI. OPEN DENIAL—Finally, Peter denied that he knew Jesus.

John 18:25 And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also [one] of his disciples? He denied [it], and said, I am not.

Many folks today who have obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ, and who have openly declared their faith, love, and loyalty to Jesus Christ are in many cases guilty of open denial of Jesus by the way they end up living their personal everyday lives.

Peter had declared his faith, but he denied Jesus.

A declaration of faith alone is not an assurance that a person will always stand strong in the face of temptation.

We must do the righteousness of Christ. We need to not only say the right things, but also do the works of righteousness.

Some are weak, and deny Christ everyday but Sunday for the time they at the church house with the other saints.

So too were some of those in the 1st Century AD:

Titus 1:15-16 Unto the pure all things [are] pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving [is] nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Just because you make a strong proclamation of your faith does not mean that you are a pure believer. The world should be able to tell whether you are a follower of Christ by your actions.

Most who proclaim to be Christians would loudly proclaim that they would never deny Jesus Christ.

If you are disobedient, you are denying Christ.

Every time you give in to the tempting of the world, you are denying Jesus his rightful place in your life to direct your steps.

Peter was one of the chosen to become an Apostle of Jesus Christ. He had been honoured with the deepest confidence and affections of the Lord. He shows us today that, even though we walk with Christ, there are great dangers that continue to face us everyday.

We can and should learn a lesson from Peter’s hour of temptation and his denial of Christ.

Regardless of all the reasons for Peter’s denial, our wisest fear, as a Christian, should be that of losing our precious relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. We should always be aware of all that Christi has done for us, and the promise of glory to come in Christ.

2 Timothy 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with [him]: if we deny [him], he also will deny us:

If we realize that every Christian faces the possibility of denying Jesus, let us realize that was salvation for Peter, after that he repented.

Peter repented and continued on as a great worker and Apostle of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 26:73-75 And after a while came unto [him] they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art [one] of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 74 Then began he to curse and to swear, [saying], I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

Peter found repentance and the strength to overcome his fear of the Jewish religion and he shows us that we too can overcome.

As servants of our Lord, who came to bring healing to many, let us be diligent to share these teachings of grace and repentance to not only those outside of Christ, but also those who have been wounded in battle.

By studying the life of the Apostle Peter, we can see that we too can overcome our fears and weaknesses. Like Peter, we can repent and go on to grow stronger spiritually, even after a weakness of the flesh has caused us to fail; even after we have denied Christ in our works, and even after we have allowed our fear of men to cause us to momentarily deny our faith.

1Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

We serve a loving and a forgiving Lord, one who loves a repentant son or daughter.

Who will you choose to stand with today? What about the rest of the week? Today is the easy part, but once out among the world, we will be faced with some of the same temptations of Peter.

Living in the World, and Dealing With It

LIVING In and DEALING WITH the WORLD
By: Joe McClure; Sermon #449; Text: I Cor. 2.14
Today, I want to try to help you to live as Christians in a world that does not have the same mind as the Christian is supposed to have.

We live in a world composed mostly of non-Christians. The unconverted sinner just does not understand the mind of Christ, and should really not be expected to understand, at least not in their current state of mind.

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Have you ever tried to explain to someone who is not yet a Christian why you cannot do the things they do, and they look at you as if you belong in an insane asylum?

They laugh at us because they simply cannot understand those things which must be spiritually understood, from a study of God’s will through the Word of God.

The natural man considers our spiritual principles as foolish.

**As members of God’s family; as children in the Kingdom of Christ; as priests and kings; we face a dilemma of how to deal with those we interact with in the world, with those who are outside.

Every day you are in the presence of non-Christians, you are being forced to deal with the world, its temptations, its urges, its desires, its lust, its sexual influences, and all that the world is so proud of.

While we are constantly being tempted to violate the principles of God’s Word, wherever we are, Satan has his best chance at hurting us in the world.

1 Peter 5:8-10 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle [you].

The devil was a reality in the 1st century AD, just as he was present in the Garden of Eden, and we need to be aware that the devil is real today.

We cannot see God, nor Christ, nor the Holy Spirit.

We believe in them by our faith in the Holy Word of God.

2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.

We may see the evidence of the devil in the world, just as we see God’s evidence; but we must not doubt the existence of the devil, just because we cannot see him.

He is real, and a danger to every soul on earth.

Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

These are just a few Scriptures that warn us of the devil, but we can see from them that he is real, and that the devil is our adversary in our Christian lives.

It is not my purpose to list today every sin that the devil would have us submit to do; but simply to try to help you understand how to deal with him.

The devil is opposite of God, and is promoting everything that is contrary to the righteousness of God, and we must resist the devil, who is seeking to destroy our faith.

If we have Christ fully expressed in our lives, we will be able to overcome the temptations of the devil.

The very purpose of the coming of our Saviour was and is to destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

When you go out into the world, and mix with your friends in the world; you will at times give in to the tempter.

As a Christian, then you will experience guilt for giving in to the devil. You will probably experience sadness, and then repentance.

I want you to always keep in mind that we have someone on our side, sitting on His throne in Heaven.

God understands that you will not always be successful in withstanding temptation.

1 John 1:8 ¶ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

However, it is not always necessary for us to fail.

I want to talk to you about winning a victory over the devil in real terms.

1Jo 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith.

While we may simply say that we can win our victories due to our faith in Christ; we need to understand how this can become a reality for us in our everyday lives.

1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].

As we can readily see, God understands the reality of the devil, the reality of our temptations in the world, the reality of our failures, and also that there is a way to escape the temptations.

From just these two passages of Scriptures, we can say that the way of escape can be found in our faith.

First of all, you must not be fooled into thinking that you will never fail Christ.

You must realize the truth of Satan, that he is just as present in our world as God.

In order to prepare to win the victory over the devil, when he comes into our daily lives, we must prepare to face any temptation which might come upon us.

God understands how easy it is to be tempted by sin.

Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

To prepare for the temptations to sin, we must educate ourselves about our world, and the natural man.

Consider your particular environment.

Who are the people you regularly interact with? List in your mind your friends, your peers who you respect, and even family members who are non-Christians.

Are the people in your circle rooting for you to win out over sin?

Are they for you or against you?

We need to become aware of the fact that most of those within our circle of acquaintances are not Christians.

Jesus said:

Matthew 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

There are some who are more actively involved in attacking the church of our Lord Jesus Christ than others; but the fact remains true that a person is either saved or lost; is either a Christian, or not; and is either for your success as a child or God, or against your victory, by faith in Christ.

Next, consider:

*Are you strong enough to relate to those, in your circle, who have rejected Christ in their lives?

Maybe you are not strong; and that may be as it should be at your state of spiritual growth.

The point is that we need to ask ourselves if we are ready to face those who are against the will and pleasure of Christ, our Lord.

Are you even aware of the dangers?

Do you realize that you are a warrior against everything which is contrary to God?

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

If we can just realize what we face in the world, then we can begin to prepare ourselves to win the victory over the flesh.

Should we just form a commune of only Christians and stay away from all temptation from those in the world?

This is not the answer.

One of our purposes as Christians is to influence the world for Christ, and if we are not in the world, we have no chance of preaching Christ.

Notice the prayer of Jesus for His disciples:

John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

I earlier posed the question regarding your spiritual strength, and whether you think you are strong enough to withstand the temptations of your friends in the world.

*We all have our weaknesses, and these may vary per Christian.

We must be aware of what our weak points are, and what our strengths are.

1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Do you have any spiritual weaknesses when you are with the world?

*The devil would like for you to think that you have him under complete control.

Even in the day of the Apostles, and during which many had gifts from the Holy Spirit, they realized that Satan was against them.

2 Corinthians 2:10-11 To whom ye forgive any thing, I [forgive] also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave [it], for your sakes [forgave I it] in the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

The Apostles were not ignorant of the devices that Satan used against the church of Christ; and neither must we be ignorant.

If you are not aware of the various ways of the devil, and how the devil will attack us, then you will be off your guard; you will be deceived into going along with the crowd.

It is our calling to think before we act; to examine everything to think about whether we are being asked to do good, or something wrong.

Let’s talk about a real life example.

I hope that you are not in a peer group where this could happen; but according to my facts of our community, I know that it could.

If someone you know were to try to talk you into just trying cocaine, what would be your reaction? Of course, if Satan came at you in such an obvious way, you would be ready to reject such an idea quickly.

The problem is that Satan will attack us at the place where we are the most vulnerable, the weak places in our armor, so to speak.

In the OT, we have an example which might make this point. God sent a prophet to cry out against the king, who had sinned, and God had given a specific commandment to this prophet. You can read the entire story in I Kings 13, but we want just to note how this man of God was deceived. Notice:

1 Kings 13:9 For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.

There was another man, who had been a prophet as well in his life; who approached the prophet of God.

1 Kings 13:15-18 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. 16 And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: 17 For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest. 18 He said unto him, I [am] a prophet also as thou [art]; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. [But] he lied unto him.

What was the temptation?

Although the good prophet of God had fulfilled his mission in delivering God’s message to King Jeroboam; he apparently is tired, hungry, and thirsty.

These were all temptations of his flesh.

His enemy is a man claiming to have a new message from God, through an angel.

He was easily deceived, and gave in to the desire to eat and drink and rest up for the return journey to Judah.

1 Kings 13:19-24 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water. 20 And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back: 21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee, 22 But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which [the LORD] did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers. 23 And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, [to wit], for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.

While our natural man is faced with many temptations that are easily rejected, our flesh is easily deceived into sinning, especially if it is something that we desire, deep down, to do anyway.

We live in a world, in which there are a multitude of various belief systems, which claim to be the true way of God. We have many friends in the world who claim to be religious, even to be Christians, but have not obeyed the truth.

These friends may do their best to deceive us into believing a lie; and they may do this with an honest heart themselves.

God gives us various lists of sins to avoid. Let’s notice one of these.

Ephesians 5:3 ¶ But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Most of these may be easily avoided for the Christian, even those who are just starting in their upward growth.

Having sexual relations outside of the marriage bed is evil. I will not fool you young Christians into believing that you won’t face this temptation. You will face it, and if you are strong in the faith, you will be able to withstand Satan’s temptation. You will show your love to Christ in keeping your bodies pure until you are married.

I faced this temptation as a young man, and it was a strong urge of my flesh; but I was able to overcome it.

However, some of the other sins are of the type that is not a frontal attack like the sexual temptation.

Notice in particular Ephesians 5.4, which commands the Christian to not engage in using obscene language. I know, as a young man, that most of my friends in the world used obscene words in their talk; and to fit in the Christian is tempted to use similar vulgarities.

We are not to talk with words that are unseemly to a Christian. We are not to use our words to abuse others.

We are not to use foul speech that might be considered indelicate, or with sexual overtones to get a laugh from our audience.

Many of our friends in the world may, at times, be vulgar in their talk.

We are tempted to engage in similar speech, and if not, to at least laugh at their dirty jokes.

How can you avoid the temptation to be one of the crowd?

The key is to have a mind that is thinking on good thoughts, and on how you might find an opportunity to share the gospel with these friends. If you are thinking on good thoughts, you will find that the temptations to use speech that is offensive to God easier to overcome.

Think: What is God thinking about this situation?

Does God approve of such speech?

Those who are worldly in their thinking and speech expect the same thing out of you.

When I went away to college, I found myself surrounded by many who seemed to have no other thoughts but vulgar sexual thoughts. They expected the same of me, and the temptation was there to deal with.

The key is to be aware of your environment, and the character of your peers, and go prepared. If you have just left your home, where you prayed to God to help you, and had just finished reading your Bible passages; then you will be more likely to be repulsed by filthy, foolish talking; and will find it easier to withstand the temptations.

It may not have happened to you yet; but it is certainly likely that at some point in your life; your friends will talk you into acting against your better impulses.

Hebrews 12:1 ¶ Why seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds.

The battle is in your mind. If your mind is prepared, you can withstand any temptation.

Satan is going to tempt you to not prepare. When you think to yourself that you need to study your Bible tomorrow, the devil is going to tempt you.

The devil will offer you something to take up that time you thought to allocate to prayer and study.

Satan will put before you the idea that you need to rest, to relax, to play, to watch TV, or anything but studying God’s Word.

Consider that there is nothing sinful in relaxing. Even our Lord rested on the 7th day. So, it is easy to convince ourselves that we are doing nothing wrong in choosing relaxation over Bible reading and prayers.

Romans 14:16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

What we must do is to set our priorities. If God, during the creation of all things, had rested all of the 7 days, there would be no creation.

If the Apostles had engaged in sightseeing in Jerusalem, instead of engaging in prayer and waiting on the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, there would have been a different result in Acts 2, when the church was established.

There is a time and a place for most everything.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 ¶ To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for [there is] a time there for every purpose and for every work.

Before you can hope to withstand the temptations of the devil while existing in a world of sin; we must build up our faith.

Sure, you can expect at times to fail, and to give in to various temptations. This is part of growing in your faith in Christ.

Even the Apostle Paul stated that he had experienced sin in his life.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 7:7 ¶ What shall we say then? [Is] the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

God recognizes the struggle that goes on between the desires of our flesh, and the commandments of God.

God recognizes the process of growing stronger as we learn to resist temptations, and as we increase in our faith.

We see this in Paul’s letter to the church of Christ at Thessalonica. He prayed that he might be able to go there to help them increase in their faith.

1 Thessalonians 3:10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

1 Thessalonians 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: 13 To the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

We too hopefully are on the upward path, growing and increasing in our own holiness before God.

You and I both have things lacking in our faith.

We must be aware of our weak places, because these are those where the devil will attack us.

**We must have vision of where we have come from, where we are currently, and where we hope to go.

Paul reminded the saints at Corinth of their past, and how that they had been made righteous by their obedience.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

God calls us to live a Holy life.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 For God has not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness.

We must study the Bible to find God’s definition of what ‘holiness’ entails.

Our growth in Christ happens in the world, not just on Sunday, in church. As human beings in the flesh, we are actively learning and getting prepared to do the work of the Lord.

Christians are imperfect beings, but steadily becoming more pleasing to Christ as we continue forward in our lives.

2 Timothy 2:21-26 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, [and] prepared unto every good work. 22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. 24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all [men], apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And [that] they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Finally, I want to read a comparison that is made in the Scriptures of the Christian as a spiritual warrior, or soldier for Christ.

Ephesians 6:10 ¶ Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Why take to you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

I am not going to go into great detail of all that this means, but I urge you to make this a part of your Bible study.

God has promised us the power to withstand the temptations that come upon us.

1 Corinthians 10:12-14 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it]. 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

There are times when we must run away from situations in which we know that we are going to be tempted beyond our current ability to withstand them.

But the way of escape is to have our minds prepared, and our battle armor always on.

Be aware of the enemy.

Study God’s Word, to know what the truth of God teaches.

Know that you are saved. Realize your weaknesses which have been revealed to you by the Word of God, and work to increase in your righteousness.

Know the gospel, that you might one day fulfill the call to teach others who are headed to eternal destruction, that they too might be justified in the eyes of God, and be saved.

Life is full of pitfalls that await us all, but we can face them with hope, knowing that the Holy Spirit lives within, and that we are never away from the ear of our Saviour and God in Heaven.

I have only touched on this subject, but my hope was to at least give you some basic thoughts, and encourage each one of you to continue to stand with Christ, and to know His grace in your life and continue to grow in your knowledge of the Bible.

Conscience--Should It Be Followed?

SHOULD YOU FOLLOW YOUR OWN CONSCIENCE?
SERMON #440; by Joe McClure; date: 7/30/06; Text: Romans 13.1-14; I Corinthians 8.1-13; Titus 1.10-16



Frye has requested that I preach a sermon that deals with how much we should trust our own consciences.

Should you ever do anything, which contradicts what you believe to be the right way?

Of course not, but can all people be saved by following their own conscience?

The idea, which I hope to explain, is that what you think to be right may not be right.

You may make a moral decision, honestly believing that you are doing the right thing, and be completely evil in your choice.

The word ‘conscience’ is defined as:

One’s moral consciousness

To consider that which one understands

That which convicts our actions as being right or wrong

There is a way that seemeth right to a man……

As I began to consider this subject for this sermon, I was actually surprised at the number of places in which the word is actually found; over 25 times in the New Testament.

The first time that the word ‘conscience’ is found in the NT Scriptures is found in the account of Jesus being tempted by the Jews to condemn the woman taken in the very act of adultery.

The setting is the temple, and the men were scribes and Pharisees; men who knew the Law of Moses, and who were trying to find some cause of condemning Jesus.

These men knew the penalty for adultery was for both the man and woman caught in the act of adultery, but they only brought the woman to be condemned.

As I read this passage of Scriptures, I want you to notice that since they caught her in the very act of committing adultery, they would have caught both the man and the woman together.

John 8:3-11-- And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, [4] They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. [5] Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? [6] This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. [7] So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. [8] And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

Notice in verse 6 what their purpose was, that is, to tempt Jesus. If they could get Jesus to condemn the woman whom they caught in the act of adultery, they could go and tell others that Jesus had blasphemed the Law of Moses. Under the Law, only those who sat in the place of the judges could condemn, and then only with 2, or 3 eyewitnesses.

[9] And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. [10] When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? [11] She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

The so-called witnesses were convicted in their hearts, knowing that they were in violation of God’s law concerning this matter.

In this case, their consciences were educated to know the truth, and that knowledge convicted them of the wrong they were doing.

However, we must consider that they were already aware of the writing of the Mosaic Law before they ever came with the woman caught in adultery.



Next, we look at the conscience of Paul, the Apostle.

Without going in to the entire defense of Paul, when he stood before Governor Felix, I want to note something important about a portion of Paul’s statement.

Acts 24:16

And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

Saints today should strive to follow this same pattern.

Paul also used the word ‘conscience’ as a way of testifying to the truth which he personally believed as being the same truth which was imparted to him by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 9:1-5

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, [2] That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. [3] For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: [4] Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; [5] Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Paul’s yearning for the salvation of the Jews was also a goal of Christ, and thus of the Holy Spirit.

We might learn from this that our own personal views, whatever they might be, should never stand opposed to the Holy Scriptures.

We should ask ourselves whether our views, our words, and consequently our actions, or entire way of life is approved by the text which is divinely inspired. If so, then we can say that our consciences are without offence to God.

Turn to Romans 13.

The Law of Christ, which is found in the New Testament, will educate our consciences, so that we can be without offence before God. However, an uneducated, and untaught conscience is not to be trusted as a good guide.

Until you are sure that you can trust your conscience, always study with prayer the Word of truth.

Romans 13:1-14

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. [2] Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. [3] For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: [4] For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. [5] Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. [6] For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. [7] Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. [8] Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. [9] For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. [10] Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. [11] And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. [12] The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. [13] Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. [14] But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Be Subject to Higher Powers

Do that which is Good

Pay taxes to whom due

Pay custom to whom due (indirect taxes)

Give fear to whom due

Give respect or honor to whom due

Owe no man any thing (pay your debts when they come due, on time, as agreed)

Love one another

Do not commit adultery, and you won’t if you love as you should

Do not kill, and you won’t if you truly love

Do not steal, and you won’t if you truly love

Do not bear false witness, or testify to a lie; and you won’t if you truly love

Do not lust after that which others have

Do no evil to your neighbor

Be watchful over your soul

Put on the armor of light, putting off works of darkness

Do not spend your life in pleasure seeking and in drinking

Avoid bad companions

Avoid unclean activities

Do not fight

In other words, when we put on Jesus Christ, we will stop making plans and spending our time and money in doing that which the flesh desires in opposition to that which is righteous.

With such commandments, as we find in Romans 13.1-14, in residence within our minds, we will naturally do those things which are approved by our Lord Jesus because we love God, and thus keep His commandments. We will obey our Lord, not just because we fear the wrath to come, but also because we have been educated to live right.

Next, I want you to turn to I Corinthians 8th chapter.

There we will see the comparison made between a mature, good conscience and the weak conscience.

In this passage, we see that a conscience may be weak when the Christian is ignorant, or unlearned concerning the will of Christ.

The topic has to do with eating meat, which had been offered in idol worship.

1 Cor. 8:1-13

Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. [2] And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. [3] But if any man love God, the same is known of him. [4] As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. [5] For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) [6] But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. [7] Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. [8] But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. [9] But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. [10] For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; [11] And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? [12] But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. [13] Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.



In this passage of Scriptures, many may just read over them because we do not know anyone who offers animal sacrifices to false idol-gods.

While we may not know of anyone who does this in our communities, there are many in our world who still do such sacrifices, but that is not the point that I want you to notice.

Instead, I want us to see the lesson regarding the weak consciences of others.

Paul said that the more spiritually mature brethren have knowledge. In other words, they knew that there is but one true God, and that the meat offered to the idols would be just as good to eat as if they had butchered one of their own animals to eat.

The lesson is that some may not yet understand that some things are acceptable to do, which you know that you have the liberty to do.

The point is that you may be a good student of the Scriptures and know and understand all the liberties which we have been afforded in Christ, while others may be offended when they see you taking those liberties.

If you are none the worse for foregoing the liberty in the presence of the brother with the weak conscience, then you are commanded, for Christ sakes to not harm the weak conscience of your brother.

We see that in the 10th chapter some more is said about eating meat offered to idols.

1 Cor. 10:27-29

If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. [28] But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: [29] Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?



Paul asks a very important question here. If I have a liberty, why is my liberty not allowed then for the sake of the other man’s conscience?

In the following verses, Paul answers his own question.

1 Cor. 10:30-33

For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? [31] Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. [32] Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: [33] Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

The rule that guides us in such matters is to not offend and cause harm to the church, and to seek the other man’s salvation.

As we can see from these passages, not every man has the same conscience. Some Christians believe one thing, and other Christians might believe another; due to each man’s knowledge and understanding of the will of Christ as portrayed in the Scriptures.

The Apostle Paul knew without any doubt all things through the Holy Spirit, but you and I depend upon those truths which are revealed in the written Word; so it won’t be as easy for any of us to understand these things. You and I can see why that it is so important for us to study together, so that we can be of one mind and one judgment.

Some of our brethren fervently defend what they in all honesty believe to be the truth. Even if they are in wrong about the intended message from Christ, their conscience is being led by their ignorance and misunderstanding.

The Apostle Paul, before he became a Christian, did and believed those things which he in all honesty thought to be the will of God, when he persecuted the church of Christ.

When the Apostle Paul stood before King Agrippa, he pointed out to him that he had at one time been a devout Pharisee, a sect of the Jews, and had persecuted Christians.

Acts 26. 9.11>>9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

Paul thought that he was doing God’s will, and his conscience during those events was clear, without doubt.

Those who killed the apostles also thought they were doing the will of God.

John 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

Just because these men listened to their consciences did not make them justified in God’s eyes, and did not free them from being condemned for the murder they committed.

Today, on the world scene, we have many in various wars who honestly believe that they are doing the right thing in killing their enemies, honestly believing that they are doing God’s will in many cases.

The Muslims believe that their Koran teaches them to kill all outside invading forces who intrude upon their homeland.

Does the fact that their conscience is clear when they cut off someone’s head make it right.

We can see that they are wrong in following their own consciences.

On the other side of the battle, those who believe that they are doing the will of Christ in killing the Muslims are also being led by consciences, which are misinformed as to the will of Christ.

The only consciousness which you and I should trust, is the knowledge given to us by the Holy Spirit.

1 Tim. 1:19

Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

Those who are not matured spiritually in the faith, and proclaim to be Christians, are those with weak consciences.

However, some have totally put away from their minds the calling of the gospel of Christ, and such men have bad consciences, which cannot be trusted.

1 Tim. 4:1-2

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; [2] Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

The educated, good conscience will bleed at first when we go against what the person knows to be right.

After a while, when that person can sin and not have his conscience bothered within his soul, at that point in time, it can be said that he has departed from the faith, and has his conscience seared, in a figure, like a person having a wound cauterized.

A former faithful saint can now lie, and teach false doctrines, and do all manner of sins against Christ, once that he stops the bleeding of his soul.

What we are considering now is the BAD conscience, who does not believe the teachings of Christ.

We see this contrast in our next passage of Scriptures, in Titus 1.

Titus 1:15-16

Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. [16] They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.



What did Paul tell Titus?

Paul is writing here about the DEFILED conscience. It does not believe, even though that person may declare that he knows God.

Yes, he may say that he is Godly, but look at his life. He is destestable by those who know the truth. He is disobedient to the truth. He makes bad judgments in his life.

Looking at more of the context of the above passage, we can see that Paul is speaking about false teachers in the church of Christ.

Titus 1:10-14

For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: [11] Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. [12] One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. [13] This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; [14] Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

Unfortunately, we have a similar situation today, in which entire congregations have been completely separated from the truth of the gospel.

Such men who have defiled consciences, have refused to submit to the rule of the Law of Christ.

Paul says that such must be rebuked sharply. Even though they have allowed themselves to have their consciences defiled, they may yet repent and come back to the truth.

Those who have never obeyed the gospel of Christ, and are following after their own set of rules, or some other religion, are named by the Scriptures as having an ‘EVIL CONSCIENCE’.

Hebrews 10:22-27-- Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) [24] And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: [25] Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. [26] For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, [27] But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

After becoming a Christian, and receiving the knowledge of the truth, you left behind your evil conscience, and now have a pure conscience, if you are faithful to that which you have learned of Christ.

Even our initial obedience to Christ came about because of truthful knowledge imparted to our minds, which moved us to believe in Christ, and to confess Christ, and to repent and be baptized into Christ.

1 Peter 3:21

The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Looking at the many denominations in our country, it may appear on the surface that there are millions of people who are good, conscientious folks. The problem with such a view is that they have not answered out of a good conscience toward God. They were not provided with the God’s proper instructions regarding salvation. Instead, their conscious mind listened to men’s false instructions and did that which they honestly thought to be the will of God.

Just like the Apostle Paul, they will not be saved until they wash away their sins by obeying the gospel of Christ, as first preached on the Day of Pentecost.

A couple of more points, and we will be finished with this sermon.

When a person has committed himself to the covenant with Christ, and is faithful in following His leadership through life, there is one thing that is sure to happen to us all, if we live long enough.

You are sure to suffer grief on behalf of your Lord, if you choose to fight against Satan, and his teachers.

1 Peter 2:19-21

For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. [20] For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. [21] For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Christ left us an example in His suffering for the right way. We should glorify God when we are counted worthy to suffer for Christ.

This fact is a part of our pure conscience, in that studying such Scriptures, we shall be prepared when we face the day of suffering, and will not fall from His grace.

We should not only be able to repeat what we hear the preacher and the older brethren say; but we are called by Christ to know the Word itself. We are called by the gospel to study the Word and to examine ourselves by that Word, and then get prepared to defend the faith of the gospel of Jesus Christ.



1 Peter 3:15-18

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: [16] Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. [17] For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. [18] For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Do you have a good conversation in Christ? Are the things you say to others approved by your Lord, or just by your human conscience?

A GOOD conscience is one, which is so educated by the Scriptures that it can defend the faith.

Brothers and sisters, the Scriptures teach us to prove all things. Daily we should answer God’s call by doing only those things commanded in the Law of Christ, and only then can we have assurance in Christ for our salvation.

Being excited about what we believe is not enough either, unless we are zealous toward Christ.

Finally, we need to pray for one another, and for all, that they and we might have a good conscience, without offence toward God, and work to that end.