Difficult Divine Decrees: Introduction
Notes
Transcript
Difficult Divine Decrees
Difficult Divine Decrees
At some point, you are going to be faced with a scripture that disturbs you.
It could be:
Something you read
Something you hear
Someone who challenges you
Why do this series?
Granted, most of what passes for Bible teaching online could be aggregated under the banner of the “P.T. Barnum School of the Bible.”
Michael S. Heiser
Bad bible interpretation can hurt people.
God chooses to send people to hell
God does not save infants
Scripture supports slavery
God values men over women
God commands ethnic cleansing
Scripture condones child sacrifice
God punishes children for the sins of the parents
How do these example fall under the banner of the P.T. Barnum School of the Bible?
Most poor teaching falls under the category called, ‘Click Bait.’
I want to shock you to get you to engage with me
The FeeJee Mermaid approach to theology
The torso and head of a monkey sewn to the back half of a fish
Then you parade it as a genuine artifact
Here is a recent example that I came across in my studies.
“…religiously the Israelites were obligated to the demands of God’s holiness in order to remain his special possession…”
Andrew E. Hill, “Education in Bible Times,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, electronic ed., Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996), 193.
Now that sounds right. It has all the correct words. It fits the narrative that we have been taught about scripture.
Except…there is not a single passage of scripture that connects becoming holy with remaining God’s treasured people.
Here are a few personal examples:
Adam and Eve are cursed
There was no rain before Noah
Jacob’s age when he gets married
We are going to take a look at some saying of Jesus, because that is where people are most confused.
Jesus is preaching love, acceptance, grace, mercy, and then he will rattle off some comment that does not seem to fit.
Let’s quickly look at one.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Where do you want to start?
Those who say to Jesus, ‘Lord, Lord?’
Or the one who ‘does the will of my Father?’
How about those who prophecy, cast out demons, do many mighty works.
Last, the part about ‘I never knew you, depart from me workers of lawlessness.’
Let’s look at the first…
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
***Not Everyone…
Let’s note first that some who say Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom.
We cringe at this because we know that calling on the name of Jesus is supposed to save us.
“For everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” Rom 10:13
Now, that is true, but Paul buffets his teaching with Believe.
Confess with your mouth AND
Believe (loyalty) in your heart
Here is what he says, “For with the heart one believes and is made righteous, AND with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” Rom 10:10
Why is not everyone who says entering the Kingdom of Heaven?
Not all believe
***The one who does…
But, those who do the will of my Father enter the Kingdom of Heaven
You must believe, you must be loyal, you must follow the commands of God
You must confess the name of Jesus
***On that day…
What is that day? It is the day of the LORD, when this age comes to a close
It’s the list that trips people up:
Prophecy in your name. The Hebrew Bible is full of false prophets.
Jeremiah 14:14 “And the Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.”
Jeremiah 27:15 “I have not sent them, declares the Lord, but they are prophesying falsely in my name, with the result that I will drive you out and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.””
Cast out demons
Do mighty works
***I will declare to them…
How will Jesus declare this to them? Resurrection.
Jesus taught the resurrection of all, the evildoers and the faithful.
Notice too, the term evildoers. Ones who do evil
As opposed to ones who do God’s will
Psalm 6:8 “Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.”
Doers of Injustice
Closing:
Jesus teaching is assurance to the one who is faithful that they will be heard and they will enter.
Moreover, it is assurance to the faithful that those who abuse the name of Jesus do not have assurance.
There is no magical safety in the name of Jesus if you are going to bear his name as a worthless thing.
For the faithful, you are assured that when you call on the name you are heard.
Difficult Divine Decrees
Difficult Divine Decrees