The term Nazarene derives from the Hebrew word for branch. Isaiah 11:1 states that a rod shall come forth from the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots. Nazareth was held in low esteem. When Philip tells Nathanael that they have found Him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote, Jesus the Nazarene, the son of Joseph, Nathanael asks, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). This aligns with Isaiah 53:3, where the Servant is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and with Psalm 22:6, “I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men and despised by the people.”

A Nazarene from Nazareth is distinct from one under a Nazirite vow in Numbers 6. Under the Nazirite vow a person separates himself to the Lord, abstains from the fruit of the vine, allows no razor upon his head (producing long hair), and does not approach a dead body even if parents die. Jesus drank from the fruit of the vine and raised the dead, so He was not under a Nazirite vow. A Jewish man under the Law did not wear long hair except under such a vow; long hair is a dishonor to a man (1 Corinthians 11:14). Jesus lived according to the Law in dress and appearance, set apart from the Gentiles so that one could identify a Jew by looking at him.

Matthew 3 introduces John the Baptizer heralding with authority the message of the kingdom of the heavens in the wilderness of Judea. He calls for repentance, which means a change of mind, not remorse, because the kingdom of the heavens is at hand. Israel should have been waiting for the Messiah according to Scripture, yet they were not believing. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah: a voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight (Matthew 3:3).

John is clothed in camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food is locusts and wild honey. This appearance associates him with Elijah, who was known as a hairy man wearing a leather belt (2 Kings 1:8). He comes in the character of Elijah, not as Elijah himself (Matthew 17:10–13). Eating locusts demonstrates strict adherence to the dietary requirements of the Levitical law (Leviticus 11:21–22). Honey symbolizes the goodness and sweetness of God’s message.

Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan go out to him and are immersed by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. Confession arises as a response to the change of mind concerning the coming Messiah. Under the Mosaic Law, immersion relates to renewal and washing (Leviticus 8:6). This is distinct from immersion in the Church. Hebrews 6:1–2 lists the doctrines of baptisms among the elementary principles that are left behind for maturity. Immersion does not save; Christ did not send Paul to immerse but to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 1:17). For the Christian, immersion is a result of salvation. It relates to a good conscience through the resurrection of Christ—an answer of a good conscience toward God, not the removal of the filth of the flesh (1 Peter 3:21). It is a public declaration of having been immersed into Christ’s death and raised to walk in newness of life.

When many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to the immersion, John calls them a brood of vipers and asks who warned them to flee the wrath that is coming. He commands them to bear fruits worthy of a change of mind. They are not to think that they will be saved simply because they are of the seed of Abraham, for God is able to raise up children to Abraham from stones. The axe is already laid to the root of the trees; every tree that does not bear proper fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. The trees represent Israelites who do not believe. The fig tree is predominantly used in relation to Israel’s failure to produce fruit.

John immerses with water unto a change of mind, but the One coming after him is mightier, whose sandals John is not worthy to carry. He will immerse with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Immersion with the Holy Spirit refers to being immersed into one body, whether Jew or Greek, slave or free (1 Corinthians 12:12–13). Fire refers to judgment: the winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor, gather the wheat into the barn, and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire (Luke 3:16–17). This begins the purging of Israel.

John reminds the readers that they are now children of God. This stands in contrast to their former condition described in Ephesians 2:1–7. They were dead in trespasses and sins, walked according to the age of this world and the ruler of the authority of the air, conducted themselves in the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath. God, rich in mercy, made them alive together with Christ, co-raised them, and co-seated them in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus so that in the ages to come He might display the exceeding riches of His grace.

Romans 8:14–19 confirms the same reality through the Holy Spirit. As many as are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. They have received the Spirit of son-placement (not merely general adoption, but the status and privilege of a son in the household), by which they cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with their spirit that they are children of God and therefore heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Their future is certain because of what Christ has done, not because of their own behavior.

Being children of God is intended to affect conduct. Believers are to walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8), shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation as children of God without rebuke (Philippians 2:14–15), and live as obedient children, no longer fashioning themselves according to former desires (1 Peter 1:14). First Peter 1:3–9 also ties the present standing as regenerated children to a living hope and an incorruptible inheritance kept by the power of God.

John connects this standing to a certain future. In 1 John 3:2 he states that now they are children of God and it does not yet appear what they shall be, but when He appears they will be like Him, for they will see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself. Biblical hope resting on a promise of God is certainty, not mere possibility.

A direct link is drawn between righteousness and being born of God. First John 2:29 states that if one knows that He is righteous, one knows that everyone doing righteousness has been born of Him. The verb “doing” is the Greek poieō in the present tense, indicating continual practice rather than a single act. The perfect tense of “born” indicates an event in the past whose effects continue into the present. The same word poieō appears repeatedly in the section (2:29; 3:4, 7, 8, 9, 10), always in the present, describing characteristic practice.

The one practicing sin is practicing lawlessness; the one practicing righteousness is righteous even as He is righteous; the one practicing sin is of the devil; the one born of God is not practicing sin; the one not practicing righteousness is not of God. These statements identify the children of God and the children of the devil by ongoing pattern of life.

John has already established in chapter 1 that believers can and do sin. If anyone claims to have no sin or never to have sinned, he deceives himself or makes God a liar. If anyone sins (aorist tense, a single point in time), he has an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation for sins. Chapter 3 therefore does not contradict chapter 1; it distinguishes occasional acts of sin from the continual practice of sin.

First John 3:9 explains why the one born of God does not practice sin: His seed abides in him, and he is not able to practice sin because he is born of God. God’s seed abiding in the believer makes indefinite continuance in sin impossible. The exact boundary remains with God as judge; John supplies no formula of permitted sin. The change produced by the new birth is not the removal of the capacity for carnality, but the addition of the capacity for spirituality.

That capacity is visible in the ongoing conflict between the flesh and the Spirit (Galatians 5:16–18). Walking by the Spirit means one will never complete a desire from the flesh. The flesh and the Spirit are contrary to each other. Romans 7:15–21 describes the same reality: the indwelling sin nature still produces what the believer does not want, yet the believer now possesses the Holy Spirit, something impossible before regeneration. The positive identifier remains: everyone who is practicing righteousness is born of Him.

Matthew

Voice in the Wilderness: Jesus Immersed and Tempted | Matthew 2–4

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Joseph returns from Egypt after Herod’s death, fears Archelaus, and settles in Nazareth, fulfilling the Branch prophecies. John the Baptizer heralds a change of mind concerning the Kingdom of the heavens, rebukes the Pharisees and Sadducees, and points to One who immerses with the Holy Spirit and fire. Jesus is immersed to fulfill all righteousness, anointed by the Spirit, and declared the beloved Son. In the wilderness He refuses independence, testing the Father, and worship of Satan, answering each temptation from Deuteronomy.

Jesus—the LORD delivers—will save His people from their sins. Joseph takes Mary as his wife and does not know her until after the birth. The Magi follow the star to the house of the child and present gifts that provide for Egypt. Joseph flees by night in fulfillment of Hosea. Herod’s massacre fulfills Jeremiah.

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And let us consider one another in stirring up love and proper works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves, just as is the habit of some, but encouraging, and so much more as we see the day approaching (Hebrews chapter 10:24–25).

In a world that often pulls us toward isolation, coming together face-to-face provides encouragement, clarity, and spiritual strength. At Word of Grace Studies, we gather because we value the opportunity to build up one another in truth, to stir up love and proper works, and to grow together in the faith. Whether you can come and fellowship with us or at a local assembly in your area, do not forsake the assembling of the saints, your presence matters—for your benefit and for the encouragement of others.

You’re always welcome to join us and experience the encouragement and connection that come from gathering together.

Children of God & Practicing Righteousness | 1 John 2:29-3:10

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Explore what it means to be children of God according to 1 John 2:29–3:10. See the former condition as children of wrath now made alive, raised, and seated with Christ; the Spirit’s witness that we are children and heirs; the call to walk as children of light who shine without fault; and the clear link between this identity and practicing righteousness. Understand the repeated use of “practice” as the characteristic pattern of life, the reminder of confession and cleansing in 1 John 1, the reality of flesh-versus-Spirit conflict, and the present-tense grammar of 1 John 3:9. Verse-by-verse teaching that distinguishes position from practice for those who walk in the light.

Join us in person at 811 W. Main Street in Monroe, WA 98272.

If you are unable to join in person, we will have a live broadcast of our main service at 9:45 AM.

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And let us consider one another in stirring up love and proper works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves, just as is the habit of some, but encouraging, and so much more as we see the day approaching (Hebrews chapter 10:24–25).

In a world that often pulls us toward isolation, coming together face-to-face provides encouragement, clarity, and spiritual strength. At Word of Grace Studies, we gather because we value the opportunity to build up one another in truth, to stir up love and proper works, and to grow together in the faith. Whether you can come and fellowship with us or at a local assembly in your area, do not forsake the assembling of the saints, your presence matters—for your benefit and for the encouragement of others.

You’re always welcome to join us and experience the encouragement and connection that come from gathering together.

Ephesians 4:20–24 sets the frame. Believers have not so learned the Christ. Having heard Him and been taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus, they put off the former manner of life, the old man, corrupt according to deceitful lusts, are renewed by the spirit of the mind, and put on the new man, created according to God in righteousness and true holiness. Lying is put away and truth is spoken with the neighbor, because believers are members of one another. Anger is permitted without sin, and the sun is not to go down on wrath. Neither is a place to be given to the devil.

Stealing follows that warning. The one who stole is to steal no longer, but to labor, working with his hands what is good, so that he may have something to give to the one who has need. Stealing does not appear in the works of the flesh in Galatians 5. Covetousness is the nearest item there, and the two are listed separately in 1 Corinthians 6:10. The Ephesians 4 setting is not simply greed. It is the person who does not labor and therefore takes from another.

In 1 Corinthians 6:8–11, wronging and defrauding even brethren stands beside the warning that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, the effeminate, abusers of themselves with mankind, thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners are named. Such were some of the Corinthians. The contrast is not that they stopped. They were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God. Righteousness is in Christ. Inheritance of the kingdom is not earned by being less carnal than another. At least one known fornicator remained in Corinth, and the assembly was boasting of its tolerance.

1 Peter 4:12–16 distinguishes suffering as a Christian from suffering as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a busybody in other men’s matters. Reproach for the name of Christ is a cause for happiness, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon the believer.

Stealing and covetousness are not the same act at two stages. Covetousness can be a desire from the flesh for a particular thing. Other motives also produce theft. Where there is no work, no income, and no food, the attack carries a line of reasoning: this is needed in order to survive. Ephesians 4 connects that case with the devil and answers it with labor that supplies both one’s own need and a gift for another.

Corrupt communication is the next item in Ephesians 4:29. No rotten word is to proceed from the mouth, but what is good for edifying, so that it may minister grace to the hearers. The phrase is sapros logos. Sapros is used of food that goes bad and of fruit in Matthew 12:33: make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten, for the tree is known by its fruit. The Holy Spirit, by whom believers are sealed unto the day of redemption, is not to be grieved.

Colossians 3:1–10 uses a different word for foul or abusive communication, and Satan is not named in that immediate context. Those co-raised with Christ seek things above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God, and set the mind on things above, not on things on the earth. They died, and their life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is their life, appears, they also appear with Him in glory. Members on the earth are put to death: fornication, uncleanness, passion, bad desires, and covetousness, which is idolatry, things for which the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. Anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and foul communication are put off, and believers do not lie to one another, having put off the old man with his deeds and put on the new man, renewed in knowledge after the image of the One who created him. The list mixes what can come from Satan and what can come from the flesh, gathered around what proceeds from the mouth.

1 Timothy 5 supplies the remaining three. Widows indeed are to be honored. Children or grandchildren first show piety at home and repay parents. Care falls to the assembly where a widow is truly alone, because the culture gave no guarantee of support without family. Younger widows are not to be enrolled in the same care given to the older widow without family. When they grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, having judgment because they cast off their first faith. They learn to be idle, wandering from house to house, and not only idle but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things they ought not. The determination is that younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, and give no occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully, for some have already turned aside after Satan. Believing families relieve their own widows so the assembly can relieve widows indeed.

Idleness in spiritual things is implied already in Ephesians 4:28: willing to steal, unwilling to work. Titus 1:12, not 1:2, quotes a prophet of the Cretans: always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies. 2 Peter 1:3–8 moves from partaking of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world through lust, to diligence: faith, virtue, experiential knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly fondness, and love. If these are present and abounding, they keep the believer from being idle and unfruitful in the full knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Good works are prepared, as Ephesians states, and idleness leaves them undone. The interval between past-tense salvation, believing the gospel, and future-tense salvation is not an idle void. What James says about faith shown by works does not stand against Paul. Paul also presses the importance of works and the refusal of idleness. God provides things for each person to do.

Gossip and the busybody are two sides of one coin in 1 Timothy 5:13. A busybody puts his own attention into another person’s affairs. A gossip puts other people’s attention into those affairs by talking. One acquires what is not his business. The other passes it on, not exactly as the truth, exaggerated or taken out of context. Both give the adversary occasion for reproach where some have already turned aside after Satan.

3 John 9–10 uses the same gossiping word of Diotrephes, who loves preeminence and did not receive the apostle. His works include prating against them with malicious words. He does not receive the brethren, forbids those who determine to receive them, and casts them out of the assembly. The speech is not mere passing along and not only dishonest. It is malicious and aimed at preeminence, stirring the pot, and it links to the earlier attack of lying.

Busybodies appear again in 2 Thessalonians 3:6–15. Believers withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not after the tradition received from the apostles. Paul did not behave disorderly among them, did not eat any man’s bread for nothing, and worked night and day so as not to be chargeable, not because he lacked authority as an apostle, but to set an example. If any does not want to work, neither should he eat. Some walk disorderly, not working at all, but busybodying. They are commanded to work with quietness and eat their own bread. The rest are not to weary in doing good. The one who does not obey the word of the epistle is noted and not accompanied, so that he may be ashamed, yet counted a brother and admonished, not an enemy.

Acts 19:19 uses the busybody word for curious arts. After the sons of Sceva failed, because authority belonged to Paul and not to a formula of names, many who believed confessed, and those who pried into such secrets brought their books and burned them. The sense is prying into what is not one’s business. 1 Peter 4:15 closes the set with one compound word: a busybody in other men’s matters, listed with murderer, thief, and evildoer as suffering a believer is not to incur.

Five attacks are thus tied to giving a place to the devil or turning aside after Satan: theft in place of labor that can give, rotten speech in place of edifying speech, idleness in place of prepared good works, gossip that spreads what is not accurate, and busybodiness that enters what is not one’s own. Bitterness is left, and then the armor of God.

The star has already fallen from heaven. It is not falling now. Satan has been cast out of the third heaven and is given the key to the pit of the abyss. That pit is a chamber within the abyss, and the abyss is in Sheol, also called Hades, in the center of the earth, where some fallen angels are imprisoned for their former activity. When the pit is opened they swarm out like locusts. They receive the authority of scorpions, so they may cause intense pain, but they are not permitted to kill. They may not touch grass, green things, or trees, and they may not touch the men who have the seal of God on their foreheads. That seal is a seal of judgment, of the same kind seen in Ezekiel 9:4, when those marked in Jerusalem were not to be killed as Babylon sacked the city. It is not the seal of the 144,000. The 144,000 seal concerned protection for their ministry. This seal marks those who belong to God. The word is anthropos, so it is not limited to Israel. Gentile saints come through the tribulation as well: many are killed by the harlot in the first half for opposing the world religious system, and many are beheaded in the second half for their witness of Christ. Israel in the wilderness is already kept while God purges the nation. The only people these demons may strike are those who belong to Satan. His own followers attack his own people. His house is divided.

The shape they are permitted to take is given in similes, not as an identical portrait. Humans see angels only when those angels take a physical form, and that form is usually human. Here the locusts are like horses prepared for battle. The locust figure is the swarm. In Exodus 10 an east wind brought locusts over all Egypt until they covered the land, a plague unlike any before or after. These demons likewise come in numbers, not one by one, darkening the land and going out to harm men. On their heads are crowns like gold. They are victor’s wreaths, but only likened to gold. The Church alone among the saints receives victor’s wreaths, and those wreaths are gold. These are false wreaths, likely given when these angels followed Satan in his attempt to set his throne in the third heaven. Satan can produce a likeness of gold, not gold. He has a limited power to produce life, as the Egyptian plagues show, but not this. These are not the whole third of the angels who followed him. They come from the pit, a small part of the abyss, and their equipment marks them as lower ranks. Their faces are like the faces of men, their hair like the hair of women, their teeth like lions’ teeth. Long hair on a male face is shame, not honor. Nature itself teaches that long hair is a dishonor to a man, while a woman’s long hair is her glory and covering (1 Corinthians 11:14). They have breastplates of iron. In a later battle, higher angels wear breastplates of sapphire and gold. Iron marks the general ranks. The sound of their wings is like chariots and horses running to battle. They strike with the tail. This is not the ordinary appearance of a demon. They are subjected to this shape for this purpose. The simile is speed, a swarm not bound to the ground, and a scorpion strike. It is not a literal horse with wings running the streets. The strike is so painful, and the swarm so thick, that the one struck is not left studying the attacker. They hurt men for five months. When they stop, about a month remains to the end of the tribulation.

They have a king, the messenger of the abyss (Revelation 9:11). In the context that messenger is the one given the key. His Hebrew name is Abaddon and his Greek name is Apollyon. Both mean Destroyer. Satan is the destroyer. The passage does not place a king of angels inside Hades governing the dead. The popular picture of a red figure with horns and a pitchfork, dragging men down and making bargains, is fiction. Satan is a cherub, still an exceedingly beautiful creature, whose reasoning is false: he still thinks he can be like God, and it is not working. Hades is not the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the final place. Their king is over them while they attack only his people. The first woe has passed. Two woes remain.

The sixth angel sounds, and a voice comes from the four horns of the golden altar before God, telling him to release the four angels bound at the great river Euphrates (Revelation 9:13–14). The golden altar is the incense altar of Exodus 37:25, acacia wood overlaid with gold, its horns of one piece with it. The temple was a shadow of things to come. Horns of the altar were the place of a cry for mercy when no sacrifice was available. Joab fled to the tabernacle, took hold of the horns, and was still struck down (1 Kings 2:28). Grasping the horns is a plea, not a guarantee. These horns, inanimate objects used to describe the plea, cry out because judgment is severe and no sacrifice remains to obtain mercy. Mercy is pity toward one suffering for sin, and it can mean withholding a penalty. Without that cry, the release would destroy all mankind. What follows kills a third.

The four angels were prepared for this hour, day, month, and year, and are released to kill a third of mankind. They are bound demons kept for this purpose, and their later description marks them as high-ranking. Angelic order is like a mountain and like a military order. Michael is the only archangel. These stand among the higher ranks, not the iron-breasted ranks of the fifth trumpet. They use the armies gathered under the sixth bowl. Revelation 16:12–16 belongs to the same time: the sixth bowl is poured on the Euphrates, the water dries so the kings from the east may pass, and three unclean spirits like frogs come from the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet to gather the kings to battle. The four angels lead those armies. Trumpets and bowls run on one timeline. The number of the horsemen is two hundred million. That number can still be drawn from the East after the deaths already suffered in the tribulation. About half the world’s population dies across the period, and a third of what remains dies in this movement, the armies included in that third. They are brought to the Valley of Megiddo for Armageddon. This is preparation for the great day of God Almighty, at the end of the tribulation, though other events precede the final gathering.

John sees horses and riders with breastplates of fiery red, blue, and sulfur yellow, colors of royalty, confirming high rank. The horses have heads like lions, and out of their mouths come fire, smoke, and brimstone. The language is the language of his time for warfare he had no technical words to name: swift mounts, men upon them, and weapons that throw fire. By these three plagues a third of mankind is killed. Authority is in the mouth and in the tails. The tails are like serpents with heads, and with them they do harm. The mouth kills as they advance. The tail is what follows: after they pass, the effect of the weapons still harms those not killed. They are not permitted to harm those who have the seal of God.

The rest of mankind, who were not killed, do not change their minds from the works of their hands (Revelation 9:20–21). By mid-tribulation it is plain that God is the One doing and permitting these things. They still do not turn to the one true God. They do not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood. They seek protection from idols. The beast does not forbid other gods. He forbids any god above him, mimicking God. They do not change their minds about their murders, senseless slaughters; their sorceries, religious superstitions; their fornications, following after their gods; or their thefts. To change the mind is not remorse. It is to stop what one had believed should be done. These are the followers of the beast. They have no seal. Under this death they still will not walk in the truth.

Revelation 10 opens a parenthesis. The trumpet prophecy pauses, and related events are added. A parenthesis is not a place to insert what does not belong. The first event of the parenthesis stands where the prophecy is interrupted. That place is the battle of Armageddon and the return of Christ. Later events inside the parenthesis may move forward or back. The timeline has to be read from the context.

The Son currently has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). He must reign until all enemies are under His feet. Death is the last enemy. When all things are put under Him, the One who put them under Him is excepted (1 Corinthians 15:25–28). He does not have authority over the Father, because the Father gave Him that authority. During the tribulation on earth the Son submits to the Father and works out the Father’s plan. He takes the scroll from the One on the throne, depicted as a Lamb that had been slain (Revelation 5:6–7). He appears with the golden censer, offering incense with the prayers of the saints, the work of the high priest in the Holy of Holies (Revelation 8:3). His prayers are offered with theirs. He is relating to Israel and to judgment on Israel under the dispensation of law.

The mighty messenger of Revelation 10 is again the second Person of the Godhead. No spirit being is called a mighty angel. The two uses of that term refer to the Son and His actions. The word is messenger, one sent for a duty, not a created spirit. He comes down out of heaven, the third heaven, clothed with a cloud. The only cloud of the third heaven is the glory cloud, and only God comes in it. He led Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). A rainbow is over his head, the sign that the earth will not be flooded again, and deity. In Revelation 4:3 the rainbow was around the throne; here it is over his head. His face is like the sun and his feet like pillars of fire. Fire is judgment. He is coming to judge. The same mighty messenger proclaims in Revelation 5:2 who is worthy to open the scroll. No angel could look on it. The Son proclaims it because He is worthy. The word translated mighty is potential, inherent strength, and it is not used of other spirit beings.

In his hand is a little book. That book is the title deed of the earth. Christ is about to claim the earth. He does not now rule the earth. He rules principalities and powers, but He has not yet asked the Father for the nations. When He asks, He will crush them and the world system will be destroyed. The little book, and the fig tree of Matthew 24 with the nation receiving its priesthood and the Jewish race remaining until these things occur, remain for the next study.

CHRISTIAN LIFE – LESSON 20

Do Not Give the Devil a Place | Stealing, Rotten Words, Gossip

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Christian Life Lesson 20, Satan and Demons Part 5, with Pastor Billy Myron. Ephesians 4:27 forbids giving the devil a place. Stealing, a rotten word, spiritual laziness, gossip, and meddling in another person’s matters each open that place. The thief is to labor with his hands so he may share. Speech is to build up according to the need and give grace. Idleness learns to wander, talk what should not be spoken, and neglect one’s own work.

If you are unable to join in person, we will have a live broadcast of Evening School of the Bible at 7:05 PM.

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And let us consider one another in stirring up love and proper works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves, just as is the habit of some, but encouraging, and so much more as we see the day approaching (Hebrews chapter 10:24–25).

In a world that often pulls us toward isolation, coming together face-to-face provides encouragement, clarity, and spiritual strength. At Word of Grace Studies and Growing in Grace Fellowship, we gather because we value the opportunity to build up one another in truth, to stir up love and proper works, and to grow together in the faith. Whether you can come and fellowship with us or at a local assembly in your area, do not forsake the assembling of the saints, your presence matters—for your benefit and for the encouragement of others.

You’re always welcome to join us and experience the encouragement and connection that come from gathering together.

Revelation 9: Fifth and Sixth Trumpets | Abyss, Locusts, 200 Million

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Revelation 9 opens the fifth and sixth trumpets near the end of the Great Tribulation. A fallen star, Lucifer, receives the key to the well of the abyss. Smoke rises as from a great furnace, and beings with the quality of locusts come out under the king Abaddon, Apollyon, the Destroyer. They torment for five months those who do not have the seal of God. They do not harm grass, green things, trees, or the sealed, and they are not permitted to kill. Men seek death, and death flees from them.

The sixth trumpet is preparation for the battle of Armageddon. A voice from the four horns of the golden altar cries for mercy, so that only one-third of mankind is killed. Four high-ranking demons bound at the Euphrates are released for that hour. They use armies gathered under the sixth bowl and bring about two hundred million men to the valley of Megiddo. Fire, smoke, and brimstone kill about a third of mankind. The rest do not change their minds from idolatry, religious superstition, fornication, murder, or theft.

Join us in person at 811 W. Main Street in Monroe, WA 98272.

If you are unable to join in person, we will have a live broadcast of Evening School of the Bible at 6:00 PM.

Live Broadcast

And let us consider one another in stirring up love and proper works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves, just as is the habit of some, but encouraging, and so much more as we see the day approaching (Hebrews chapter 10:24–25).

In a world that often pulls us toward isolation, coming together face-to-face provides encouragement, clarity, and spiritual strength. At Word of Grace Studies, we gather because we value the opportunity to build up one another in truth, to stir up love and proper works, and to grow together in the faith. Whether you can come and fellowship with us or at a local assembly in your area, do not forsake the assembling of the saints, your presence matters—for your benefit and for the encouragement of others.

You’re always welcome to join us and experience the encouragement and connection that come from gathering together.

Matthew 1:17 counts fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the captivity in Babylon, and fourteen from the captivity to Christ. Scripture uses numbers with significance, yet meanings must not be imposed on the text. Fourteen expresses a double portion: the land promise to Abraham and the promise that the Seed would come through him. Assigning numbers to Hebrew letters and allegorizing names, including claims that leaders’ names equal 666, is an inappropriate method. David’s name can be counted to fourteen, but that is not to be added to the passage. Ten relates to completion in a process. God uses numbers, and there is significance in them at times, yet there is no hidden meaning. Scripture says what it says. Numerology does not change what is written.

Matthew 1:18 begins the birth of Jesus Christ. After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, and before they came together, she was found with child out from the Holy Spirit. Betrothal under the Law was a contract and a promise to marry, not a modern engagement that could be ended by disagreement. Release required the contract to be broken, and penalties followed.

Joseph was a just man. The word marks one obedient to the Mosaic Law, not one producing his own righteousness by the Law. He obeyed because he believed that God brought them out of Egypt and was the One in the temple. His desirous will was not to make a public example of Mary. Pregnancy, as he then understood it, meant she had broken the covenant with another man. Even with the inner burning over what he believed she had done, he determined to put her away secretly. “Minded” is boulē, determinate will. “Thought” comes from a root for an inner burning, not a passing idea. While he was burning within over these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is out from the Holy Spirit. She will bring forth a son, and he will call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. The name is rooted in the Lord who delivers and saves.

All this was done so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, God with us. The prophecy was first addressed to King Ahaz. In Isaiah 7:10 the Lord told Ahaz to ask a sign in the depths or in the heights. Ahaz refused, saying he would not ask or test the Lord. The word then turned to the house of David: it is a small thing to weary men, but will you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself will give a sign: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel. Because Ahaz refused, the sign was given to the house of David, and the prophecy carries two meanings that God Himself sets. A passage is not to be reinterpreted so that an Old Testament prophecy is made to describe events of the present day. There is no prophecy and no prophet being fulfilled now. The next event on the prophetic calendar is the Church meeting the Lord in the air. Nothing else comes before that. Israel’s presence in the land is preparation, not the calling of Israel back. When God brings Israel back, He brings Israel back. Reports of wars, the man of lawlessness, and ten nations rising are not present fulfillments. Where God uses one prophecy with two meanings, He explains that use in Scripture.

In the near context, before the child can speak, the riches of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria are taken before the king of Assyria. Ahaz, fearing the coalition, was ready to submit to Assyria. Isaiah 8:3–4 records that Isaiah went to the prophetess, she conceived and bore a son, and the Lord named him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz: before the child knows to cry “my father” and “my mother,” those riches and spoils are taken away. Isaiah 7:1–6 sets the threat: Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel went up to Jerusalem against Ahaz son of Jotham. The Lord said it would not stand. The head of Syria is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin; within sixty-five years Ephraim would be broken so that it would not be a people. Before the child knows to refuse evil and choose good, the land Ahaz dreaded would be forsaken by both kings. Curds and honey belong to that near sign. The Hebrew almah in Isaiah 7:14 is a young woman and can be used of a virgin; it is not restricted to a virgin. The near fulfillment is Isaiah’s son and the sign in Ahaz’s time. God indicated a second use by directing the sign to the house of David after Ahaz was told to ask. Matthew 1:23 uses parthenos, the Greek word specific for a virgin, for the birth of Christ. Only God applies an Old Testament prophecy to what is coming. No prophecy is of anyone’s personal interpretation.

Christ had to come from a virgin because He could not come through the bloodline of a man, which was corrupt. The sin nature came through Adam, not through Eve. Genesis 3:15, after Satan manipulated Eve and Adam chose to eat, places enmity between the serpent and the woman and between his seed and her seed. He shall crush the serpent’s head, and the serpent shall crush His heel. The promise is to Satan, who stood behind the serpent: the seed of the woman will crush his head. As the seed of the woman, Christ did not possess Adam’s corrupt nature. Genesis 5:3 says Adam begot a son in his own likeness, after his own image—his, not theirs.

Joseph, aroused from sleep, did as the angel commanded and took Mary as his wife. They were no longer only betrothed. He did not know her until she brought forth her firstborn son, and he named Him Jesus. The name Emmanuel is not fulfilled in that naming. Emmanuel is God with us when He is visibly present, reigning from the New Jerusalem, seen year by year.

Matthew 2:1 places the next scene after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king. Magi from the east came. The account is not the night of the birth; it is about two years later. Magi comes from the Old Persian magu. They were priests among the Medes and Persians, noted for the study of the stars, the interpretation of dreams, and natural philosophy. Daniel was set as chief over such men. One line of thought is that their star cycles led them to expect a king for Israel. The stronger connection is what they received through Daniel, together with a physical star that did not belong in the sky they watched. Isaiah 60:1–3 is the prophecy of Gentiles coming to the light: arise, shine, for your light has come; darkness covers the earth, yet the Lord rises and His glory is seen; Gentiles come to the light and kings to the brightness of the rising. In Matthew 2:2 they ask where the one born King of the Jews is, for they saw His star in the east and came to worship Him. Numbers 24:17 is the star prophecy tied to Israel: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel. Travel from the east took years; they could not arrive the same night.

Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. He gathered the chief priests and scribes and inquired where the Christ would be born. They answered from the prophets: Bethlehem of Judea, not least among the rulers of Judah, for out of her comes a ruler who will shepherd Israel. Herod secretly called the Magi and determined the time the star appeared, so he could fix when the king was born. He sent them to search diligently for the young child and to report back so that he also might worship. The word for the child is paidion, used of a child around two years of age, not brephos, the word for a newborn. English translations that shift from “child” to “young child” reflect that distinction. The star went before them and stood over where the young child was. They rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. They entered the house, not the inn and not the manger. He had been in the manger only on the night of the birth, when the crowding of the registration left no room; a manger could even afford a private place when rooms were already filled. They saw the young child with Mary His mother, fell down, and worshiped Him, and opened treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Those gifts supplied the family for the flight that followed. Herod’s request to worship covered a purpose to destroy the child.

Warned in a dream not to return to Herod, the Magi departed to their own country another way. After they left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream: arise, take the young child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay until word comes, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him. Joseph rose that night, took the child and His mother, and departed into Egypt. This fulfills Hosea 11:1: when Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod saw that the Magi had deceived him, he burned with anger and put to death all the male children in Bethlehem and its districts from two years old and under, according to the time determined from the Magi. They had seen the star about two years earlier. Matthew 2:17–18 says then was fulfilled what Jeremiah spoke: a voice in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more. Herod acted to remove the one born King of Israel and to prevent a rising he feared.

The focus of the last verses read is that we are born of God, a point John repeats, together with the future mentioned at the beginning of chapter 3, so that past salvation is set beside future finished salvation.

In John 3, Jesus introduces to Nicodemus the concept of being born again, or born from above. The word is anōthen, from above. Unless a man is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom. Nicodemus, called the teacher of Israel, does not know these things. The concept is new. Nicodemus asks how a man can be born when he is old, and whether he can enter a second time into his mother’s womb. Jesus answers that except a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. The wind blows where it wishes; its sound is heard, but its coming and going are not told. So is everyone born of the Spirit. Being born again is necessary in order to enter the kingdom of God, the realm of salvation. Christians are born, and John says born of God. First John 2:29 already gave practicing righteousness as an indication that someone is born of God.

Love is another indication. In 1 John 4:6–8, we are of God. He who knows God hears us. He who is not of God does not hear us. By this the spirit of truth and the spirit of error are known. Beloved are to love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. The preposition ek marks source. Love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God: the source is in view. The love to be shown to one another is the agape love of the new commandment. Its source is God. That kind of love is not conjured on one’s own. Love is part of the fruit of the Spirit. A carnal person is not manifesting the fruit of the Spirit at that moment. Verse 7 says everyone loving is born of God and is knowing God. Verse 8 says he who does not love does not know God. It does not say he who is not loving is not born of God. A person does not stop being born of God in a moment of carnality, and salvation is not lost. The love in view is specific: love one another as I have loved you.

First John 5:1 says whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begat loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous. Whatever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. The one who overcomes the world is he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Christ is Greek for Messiah. Both mean anointed one. The belief is that this is the promised Messiah, the one anointed to do these things, not merely that Jesus was a man who happened to be crucified. Three indications have now been given by which it is known that one is born of God, because these are things of God. People do not show God’s quality of love or God’s righteousness purely from their own ability.

These statements stand in the context of antichrists and those trying to deceive the audience. John does not only state a thing; he also shows how it is known to be the case. The things that mark being born of God are the opposite of an antichrist. First John 4:3 says every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of antichrist. First John 2:22 says the liar is he who denies that Jesus is the Christ. The opposite appears in 5:1: whoever believes Jesus is the Christ is born of God.

Another effect is in 1 John 3:7–9. Little children, let no man deceive you. The one practicing righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. The one practicing 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. Whoever is born of God does not practice sin, for His seed abides in him, and he is not able to sin because he is born of God. The verb is poieō, rendered practice. John is not saying that anyone who sins even once is not born of God. The sense is habitual return to the same conduct. His seed abides in him and works against that continuance. First John 1 already states that denying that one has sinned is itself the problem. God does not save a person by belief in the gospel and then leave him to his own devices until the rapture.

One consequence of being born of God is eternal life. First John 2:25 says this is the promise that He has promised us, eternal life. Titus 1:2 speaks of the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began, and manifested in due time through preaching. Biblical hope based on the promise of God is not an uncertain wish that God might come through. The confidence is that what is hoped for will be received, because God who cannot lie promised it. Titus 3:3–7 recalls the former foolishness, disobedience, deception, lusts, malice, envy, and hatred, and then the kindness and love of God our Savior. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Regeneration is the rebirthing. The past guarantees the future. The moment the gospel is believed, the future is guaranteed.

First Corinthians 15 answers the claim among the Corinthians that there is no resurrection of the dead. If Christ is preached as raised from the dead, the denial of resurrection is empty, and if Christ is not raised, preaching and faith are empty. Verses 3 and 4 repeat the gospel: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. Belief in that past event guaranteed the future. When a person believes, the spirit is saved and regeneration is perfect; he is born of God. The body is not yet saved. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Not all will sleep, but all will be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. The dead will be raised incorruptible, and the living will be changed. This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. Then the saying is brought to pass: death is swallowed up in victory. First John 3:2 says it does not yet appear what we shall be, but when He appears we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. There is a change of the physical body.

First Peter 1:3–9 gives the remaining side. Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for those kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. The trial of faith, more precious than gold that perishes, is found unto praise, honor, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Though not seeing Him, they love Him and believe, rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of their faith, the salvation of their souls. The salvation of the soul is the completion of faith.

The point in the passage is that there are signs now, enough to know that one is born of Him, in contrast to those who went out earlier in chapter 2. Chapter 3 begins to press how these things are known, and what the difference is between someone who is of God and someone who is not.

Matthew

The Birth of Christ | Matthew 1:17–2:18 Genealogy, Virgin Birth, Magi

Matthew records three groups of fourteen generations from Abraham to Christ, the virgin conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit, Joseph’s just response under the Law, the double fulfillment of Isaiah’s sign to the house of David, the Magi from the East two years after the birth, the flight to Egypt, and Herod’s slaughter of the boys in Bethlehem.

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Jesus—the LORD delivers—will save His people from their sins. Joseph takes Mary as his wife and does not know her until after the birth. The Magi follow the star to the house of the child and present gifts that provide for Egypt. Joseph flees by night in fulfillment of Hosea. Herod’s massacre fulfills Jeremiah.

Join us in person at 811 W. Main Street in Monroe, WA 98272.

If you are unable to join in person, we will have a live broadcast of our main service at 11:00 AM.

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And let us consider one another in stirring up love and proper works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves, just as is the habit of some, but encouraging, and so much more as we see the day approaching (Hebrews chapter 10:24–25).

In a world that often pulls us toward isolation, coming together face-to-face provides encouragement, clarity, and spiritual strength. At Word of Grace Studies, we gather because we value the opportunity to build up one another in truth, to stir up love and proper works, and to grow together in the faith. Whether you can come and fellowship with us or at a local assembly in your area, do not forsake the assembling of the saints, your presence matters—for your benefit and for the encouragement of others.

You’re always welcome to join us and experience the encouragement and connection that come from gathering together.

Born of God: Righteousness, Love, and Living Hope | 1 John

Jesus told Nicodemus that a person must be born from above by water even the Spirit. 1 John marks that birth by righteousness, love, and believing Jesus is the Christ, and sets it opposite the antichrist. God’s seed abides, so the one born of God does not habitually practice sin and overcomes the world by faith. Eternal life is already given in the Son, the future body is prepared, and the living hope is kept by the power of God.

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Join us in person at 811 W. Main Street in Monroe, WA 98272.

If you are unable to join in person, we will have a live broadcast of our main service at 9:45 AM.

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And let us consider one another in stirring up love and proper works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves, just as is the habit of some, but encouraging, and so much more as we see the day approaching (Hebrews chapter 10:24–25).

In a world that often pulls us toward isolation, coming together face-to-face provides encouragement, clarity, and spiritual strength. At Word of Grace Studies, we gather because we value the opportunity to build up one another in truth, to stir up love and proper works, and to grow together in the faith. Whether you can come and fellowship with us or at a local assembly in your area, do not forsake the assembling of the saints, your presence matters—for your benefit and for the encouragement of others.

You’re always welcome to join us and experience the encouragement and connection that come from gathering together.

Pride is traced to Satan’s own fall. Ezekiel 28 addresses the king of Tyre and the anointed covering cherub, perfect in his ways from the day he was created until iniquity was found in him. His heart was lifted up because of his beauty, and he corrupted his wisdom by reason of his brightness. Isaiah 14 records his aim to make himself equal with God. He is the supreme example of an inaccurate opinion of himself.

Three Greek terms mark different shades of this attitude. Tuphoō pictures a person wrapped in obscuring smoke, unable to perceive himself accurately. First Timothy 3:6 warns that a novice must not be made a bishop, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the judgment of the devil. The line of reasoning is that rapid promotion proves unusual ability. The text speaks of judgment from the devil, not the same condemnation as the devil. First Timothy 6 places the same pride among those who reject wholesome words and the teaching according to godliness, dote on questions and strifes of words, and suppose that gain is godliness. From such, withdraw. Godliness with contentment is great gain.

First John 2:16 uses alazoneia, the vainglory or pride of life. It is not mere truthful boasting. It oversells and misrepresents physical life. Love of the world and love of the Father cannot occupy the same decision-making. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are of the world, and the world is passing away. Second Timothy 3:1–5 lists lovers of self and money, boasters (alazones), the arrogant (huperēphanoi), and the high-minded who have been puffed up, having a form of godliness while denying its power. Huperēphania is arrogance that places oneself over others. James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5 state that God resists the arrogant and gives grace to the humble. James 4:13–16 calls plans made without “if the Lord wills” evil vainglory. An accurate opinion of oneself leaves little for Satan or the world system to sell under the claim that a person deserves what is offered.

Worry is merimna, concern or anxiety, a word also used of proper care. First Peter 5:6–9 joins humility with casting all care upon God, because it matters to Him concerning you, then with sobriety and vigilance. The devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast by the faith. The same afflictions are accomplished in the brethren. Ephesians 6 likewise ends the armor with prayer for others under the same attack. Philippians 4:6–7 commands anxiety for nothing, and in everything, by worship, supplication after thanksgiving, that requests be made known to God. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guards hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus. The promise is not that the trouble immediately ends. Satan presses the reasoning that this should not be happening. What is given is peace and the certainty that God will carry the believer through. First Corinthians 12:25 uses the same word for members having the same care for one another. Concern is not to be sat on. It is taken to the Lord, or Satan makes use of it.

An unforgiving spirit is the third opening. Ephesians 4:31–32 puts away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, and malice, and calls believers to be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God in Christ forgave them. Colossians 3 teaches the same. First Corinthians 5 records open fornication, a man having his father’s wife, while the assembly was puffed up rather than mourning. Paul required that the wicked person be put away, distinguishing judgment inside the assembly from God’s judgment of those outside. The aim of withdrawn fellowship is that the person stop being carnal. Second Corinthians 2 shows the assembly then going too far the other way. Paul urges forgiveness and comfort, lest the man be swallowed up with too much sorrow, and confirmation of love toward him. Forgiveness is in the person of Christ, lest Satan gain an advantage, for believers are not ignorant of his devices. Satan supplies reasons to withhold fellowship after repentance: past failure, personal offense, or fear for reputation. Spiritual believers are to have fellowship with one another.

The dispensation of grace ends at the catching away of the Church. A short interval follows in which the man of lawlessness, the harlot, and the ten kings rise. These things occur after the Church is gone. The setting is after the war of Gog and Magog, in which the man of lawlessness is killed and later resuscitated. The seven messengers prepare to sound. Six trumpets sound in this section. The seventh does not sound until after the Millennial Kingdom and is the final manifestation of the wrath of God.

The trumpets are directed against the Gentiles around the Mediterranean. Their purpose is the protection of Israel by distraction. If the Gentiles were not occupied by these judgments, they would pursue Israel. The revived Roman Empire is trampling Jerusalem, and the man of lawlessness will set himself up as God in the temple. The judgments follow the pattern of the plagues of Egypt.

The first messenger sounds, and hail and fire mingled with that which has the quality of blood are cast on the earth. A third of the trees and all the green grass are burned. The blood is not literal human blood; it rots and stinks as blood does. The scope is the Mediterranean land, the region that still has green growth after the earlier famine, the same provision that drew Gog and his allies at mid-tribulation.

The second messenger sounds, and something like a great burning mountain, comparable to a meteor, is thrown into the sea. A third of that sea becomes blood-quality, a third of the living creatures die, and a third of the ships are destroyed, for ships cannot float on blood. The sea is the Mediterranean, not every sea of the world. In Exodus 7:20 Moses struck the river and the waters became blood-quality; the fish died, the river stank, and the Egyptians dug beside the river to drink filtered water.

The third messenger sounds, and a great star burning like a torch falls on a third of the rivers and springs. Its name is Wormwood. A third of the waters become bitter to the point of poison, and many die because thirst drives them to drink. The impact is on the waters around Palestine within the Roman sphere, not on every river of the earth.

The fourth messenger strikes a third of the sun, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of the day and of the night do not shine. This is distinct from the mid-tribulation darkening, when the sun is like sackcloth and the moon like blood. Here a third of the light is diminished because the messenger strikes the sun; the sun is not running out of fuel. The earth speeds up, and a day is about sixteen hours until the end of the Great Tribulation, so that those on the earth can survive as the sun intensifies toward supernova. The fourth bowl begins that supernova, and the trumpets and the bowls run together. The stated days remain solar days. God does not require them to be twenty-four hours. The count of three and a half years is not altered.

When Israel sees the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel standing in the holy place, those in Judea flee to the mountains. They do not return for goods. Matthew 24:14–22 records the gospel of the kingdom preached to the nations, then the end. That gospel is the kingdom gospel proclaimed by the 144,000, the same kingdom message presented when Christ came, not the gospel of grace. Great tribulation follows, such as has not been since the beginning of the world. In Revelation 12:14 the woman, Israel, is given the two wings of a great eagle and nourished in the wilderness for a time, times, and half a time from the face of the serpent. Unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; for the elect’s sake they are shortened. The elect is Israel. The Church is already complete and is not on the earth. Matthew 24 concerns Israel in the tribulation, not the present age. The shortening is the length of each day, not the number of days. Israel remains in the wilderness for three and a half years.

An angel—not an eagle—flies through the midst of heaven and cries three woes on the inhabitants of the earth because of the remaining trumpet blasts. The word for inhabitants marks earth-dwellers, unbelievers settled and at ease on the earth. Each woe matches a remaining trumpet. Those trumpets still focus on the Gentiles and the Mediterranean, yet they also reach Israel in the wilderness and begin to purge unbelievers from the nation. Some plagues of Egypt touched Israel and some did not. Frogs and lice covered the land, including Israel. The flies were kept from Goshen. Satan’s servants could mimic the frogs for a time and then could not mimic the later plagues.

The fifth messenger sounds about six months before the end of the Great Tribulation. John sees a star already fallen from heaven. To him is given the key of the well of the abyss. The fallen star is Satan. The place is the pit of the abyss, Tartarus, where many demons are bound. Second Peter 2:4 speaks of angels who sinned and were cast into Tartarus in chains of gloom, reserved for judgment. Before the flood, fallen angels sought to corrupt the seed of the woman. From that came the Nephilim and, after the flood, the Rephaim, giant men who will not be resurrected. Sheol still holds the unsaved in its lowest part; paradise has been moved to the edge of the third heaven. Tartarus is not Gehenna or the lake of fire. Isaiah 14:12–15 places Lucifer, who once had his throne on the earth, in the lowest depths of the pit. When Christ returns, Satan is bound there for a thousand years.

Satan opens the well. Smoke rises as from a great furnace and darkens the sun and the air. Out of the smoke come beings with the quality of locusts, swarming, and they receive authority like scorpions to inflict intense pain. They are not literal locusts or scorpions. They may not harm grass, green growth, or trees, and they may touch only men who do not have the seal of God on the forehead. The 144,000 are sealed to service and cannot be harmed. This seal is wider than that service seal. It marks all who belong to God and is a seal of protection, as in Ezekiel 9, where a mark on the forehead spared those who sighed over Jerusalem’s abominations while the rest were slain. Those sealed do not bear the mark of the beast. The demons may harm those who do. Their king is Abaddon, Satan. He releases them to help him, and they are permitted only to harm his own people. His house is divided, and a house divided against itself cannot stand. The unpersuaded belong to the ruler of the authority of the air. These demons do not ordinarily torment unbelievers, because those people are his. Here they are permitted to torment them for five months and are not given authority to kill. In those days men seek death and do not find it. They strongly desire to die, and death flees from them. Harm may be severe, yet death is not permitted.

Why is it that the worst things a human being can do comes so easily, while the good we desire to do always seems just beyond our reach? Why does the good we resolve to do work out the wrong we do not desire to do? Scripture offers an explanation that extends beyond a mere catalog of poor choices: the fundamental defect lies not only in actions but in the human nature itself. The term “sin nature” may be employed to describe this fallen condition, as revealed in Scripture. This concept refers to a principle residing in the flesh, characterized by total depravity, a predisposition toward rebellion, and a complete incapacity for genuine good.

Although the expression “sin nature” is not found in the canonical writings, the ontological reality it refers to is present throughout the historical-grammatical context of both the Old and New Testaments. A careful study of the original languages shows that the fall of Adam did not simply bring about a sporadic occurrence of wrong behavior; on the contrary, it caused a complete ontological corruption. The aim of this analysis is to demonstrate that the Bible describes the state of humanity as intrinsically perverse and entirely depraved, with an inherent tendency towards lawlessness so that fallen men are unable to produce righteousness.

By tracing the distinction between acts of sin and the underlying principle of sin—specifically through the grammatical nuances of the Greek root (ἁμαρτ-) and its Hebrew counterparts—one uncovers a consistent divine revelation regarding the nature of the fallen human race. Through a grammatical-historical exegesis, this analysis will demonstrate that the feminine, masculine, and neuter forms have distinctions within the Greek root (ἁμαρτ-) are not accidental, but instrumental in defining the presence of a corrupt nature passed down from Adam. By isolating these linguistic markers, we will establish the factual foundation upon which the doctrine of the sin nature rests, confirming that the current state of man is one of inherent bondage to a principle that is both perverse and immutable apart from the regenerative power of God.

When Adam trespassed, he separated his spirit from God, bending his nature contrary to its design, resulting in spiritual death (Romans 5:17). Adam was created in an innocent state, not knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:22). Thus, he relied on God to instruct him in these matters. When Adaπm rejected God’s instructions and broke the law, he corrupted his nature. Scripture describes this twisted nature in both the Old and New Testaments through a couple of concepts. We are going to examine the use of these terms and how to identify the fallen nature of man in Scripture. The intent is to display how Scripture reveals the sin nature of men through the use of specific words in the original languages and context that describe this nature as both sinful and perverse. It is a nature that is wholly corrupted and thus unable to produce good that reflects the original human nature as God designed it.

In John 8:32, the apostle John records a well-known and often misused statement from Jesus to His disciples. “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus was speaking to his followers (John 8:31); however, among them were the Pharisees and Sadducees, along with others of the Jews, who did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah (John 8:24). The response from the unbelieving Jews was to state that they had never been in bondage to anyone, even though they were currently under bondage to Rome. Jesus then clarifies that He is referring to a person who is a slave to “the sin”. “Truly, truly I say to you that everyone doing the sin is a slave to the sin” (John 8:34). “The sin” is not simply a term for the act of sin. It involves slavery for those who produce its works. The Greek word “sin” has a singular and plural form. Therefore, it is not a word used collectively in the singular, e.g., sheep. Since sin is singular and used with an article in John 8:34, Jesus is not referring to acts of sin but to a singular principle of sin that enslaves. This sin, by its nature, puts men in bondage to its strong desires.

To understand the significance of the use of the term “the sin” in Scripture, it is helpful to examine the different uses of the word “sin” in the original language. In Greek, the word “sin” is unique in that it may use all three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Not all nouns are used in this manner. Each of these genders conveys a different aspect of the root ἁμαρτ-. The feminine (ἁμαρτία), when used in the singular, may describe the principle of sin, or that which has a quality of sin. In the plural, it may denote a person’s sinful actions. The masculine (ἁμαρτωλός) is an adjective that emphasizes the characteristic of sin, e.g., a sinner. The neuter (ἁμάρτημα) conveys the result of an act of sin. Thus, it is important to consider the use of each word in its context to determine what is conveyed by the author. Gender alone does not dictate the definition; however, when the author uses a different form of the root ἁμαρτ-, this change is important to note because it affects the meaning.

The feminine form of sin (ἁμαρτία) may be used in context to describe the sin nature when it is accompanied by a definite article, or a quality of sin when it is anarthrous. In Romans 6:20, the article is employed to specify a principle, not an act. “When we were slaves to the sin, we were free from the righteousness.” Whereas, in John 8:46, a quality of sin is defined by the lack of the article. “Which of you convicts me concerning [a quality of] sin?” In the plural, we find the feminine form of sin (ἁμαρτία) describing the sins of the people, whether collectively or all the sins of an individual. “The blood of the new covenant is shed for the sending away of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Thus, within context and by use of the article, and whether it is in the singular or plural, will determine if the feminine use of the word “sin” is describing the sin nature, a quality of sin, or acts of sin.

Using the feminine gender to describe a principle or nature is not unique to the root ἁμαρτ-. Other words are used in the Greek language in the same manner. Wisdom (σοφία), in the feminine, denotes an ontological principle (Matthew 11:19; 1 Corinthians 3:19). When wisdom is masculine (James 3:13), it describes an agent. Truth (ἀλήθεια), in the feminine, describes a fundamental principle (John 1:17; 4:24), where the masculine (ἀληθινός) denotes the personal manifestation (John 4:37). When truth is used with an article, it conveys the same type of concept as the sin. The truth (ἡ ἀλήθεια) is the specific doctrine by which we have victory over our sin nature (John 8:32. This doctrine possesses an intrinsic ability to free a person from slavery to the sin nature. It is, by its very nature, the way freedom from the sin nature is enjoyed (1 John 1:6, 8). Context also determines whether the truth refers to the doctrine of victory over the sin nature or to a previously mentioned truth.

The masculine form of sin (ἁμαρτωλός), which is an adjective, describes a characteristic of a person. As an adjective, it is used to add a descriptive property to a noun. “And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner...” (Luke 7:37). James calls out saints who are determined to be friends with the world system in James 4:8. These sinners are to cleanse their hands and clean their hearts, for they are double-souled. This adjective also describes the sin nature in Romans 7:13. The sin [nature] becomes exceedingly sinful through the commandments.

The neuter describes the result of an act of sin. In 1 Corinthians 6:18, the neuter form of sin is utilized to reference the acts of sin that a man does. These acts are external to the body. Scripture enlists the use of sin (ἁμάρτημα) in the neuter form four times to describe the result of an act of sin done by men. In Mark 3:28, ἁμάρτημα is adopted to designate the acts of sins that will be forgiven while Jesus was on the earth. Whereas blasphemies against the Holy Spirit are actions that will not be forgiven.

By its nature, the feminine gender of nouns describes something larger. In contrast, the masculine is employed to illustrate the smaller version. Whereas the neuter gender primarily describes inanimate objects or abstract concepts that are undefined. The distinctive uses of the feminine and masculine genders are clearly demonstrated with the Greek word for rock. Changing this word’s gender significantly alters its meaning. Thus, this noun shows how a variation of gender better helps us to grasp the magnitude of the author’s purpose in making this type of change. In Matthew 16:18, rock is used in both the masculine (πέτρος) and feminine (πέτρα) genders. In the masculine gender, πέτρος describes a small rock, more akin to a pebble since it is smaller than a stone (λίθος). When the author uses the feminine form for a rock (πέτρα), it denotes a large, foundational rock. In this passage, when Jesus responded to Peter, He stated, “And I say to you that you are a pebble (πέτρος), and upon this [foundational] rock (πέτρᾳ) I will build my Church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” Jesus’ change of gender for “rock” signifies a distinction between the two terms. Jesus is the foundation rock, whereas Peter is the small stone. In like manner, when the author employs the feminine form of ‘sin’ rather than the masculine or neuter, it shifts its emphasis to describe a principle or nature, rather than simply an act or characteristic of sin. Therefore, Scripture may use the term “sin” in the feminine singular form to describe the principle of lawlessness within a human; the corrupt human nature passed down from Adam (Romans 5:17, for by one man’s trespass, death reigned).

The purpose of examining the Greek grammar is to provide a logical and factual foundation for understanding that Scripture affirms the existence of a sin nature, even though it does not use the precise terminology preferred in English. Numerous passages of Scripture clearly define sin as a nature or principle when kept in context. In Romans 7:8, the singular use of sin refers to the disposition in a man that exploits the commandments and produces strong desires to do wrong. An act of sin does not describe the determination in the mind, nor the process by which a strong desire develops. The action is not the source of the strong desire. Thus, in context, sin in this passage is not referring to an act, but a principle found within the flesh that produces these strong cravings. Paul explains how the sin nature took advantage of the law to bring him into bondage, producing all manner of strong desires within him that were contrary to the desires he wanted to fulfill. “But the sin [nature] taking the occasion through the commandment, worked out in me all covetousness, for apart from law sin [nature] is dead.” An act of sin does not take advantage of a situation. Since the sin produces its own desires and seeks to rule over a man, in this passage the word sin is not describing the acts of sin, but the bent nature within a man that desires to do wrong. Paul refers to the sin nature residing in his flesh. Thus, “the sin” describes a corruption of the human nature which has its own desires, seeks to rule over a person, and has strength through law (Romans 7:8; 6:14; 1 Corinthians 15:56).

Even within Hebrew, the corrupt nature of man is expressed through the Hebrew word for sin (חַטָּ֣את). In Genesis 4:7, after Cain offered the works of his hands to the LORD and was rejected, the LORD instructed him to rule over his sin nature, not succumb to its desires. “If you do good, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do good, the sin lies at the opening, and its desire is towards you, and you are to rule over it.” Cain’s attempt to offer the works of his hands as a pleasing sacrifice to God was done out of independence from God (Genesis 4:3). This action resulted from Cain’s willingness to follow Satan and was malignantly evil in its intent (Hebrews 11:4; 1 John 3:12). The sin that he is to rule over is not an action, for it has a desire to rule over him. Thus, the word “sin” in this passage describes the sin nature that resides within him.

Although the Hebrew word “sin” may be used in context to describe a nature or principles, the predominant word used to describe the nature of man in the Old Testament is perversity (עָוֺן). After God punishes Cain for slaying his brother as a sacrifice (1 John 3:12), Cain expresses his frustration against this corrupt nature to the Lord, saying, “My perversity is greater than I can bear.” (Genesis 4:13).

The term “the sin (חַטָּ֣את)” is later used in Scripture to describe a sin offering; however, Cain was not under the Mosaic law. Therefore, implying that Genesis 4:7 describes a sin offering raises issues with the context and the progression of revelation in Scripture. Romans 5:13 states that personal sins are not imputed where there is no law. Therefore, since Cain is not under law, there is no sin offering. The sin in this passage is not referring to a sacrifice for sin; rather, the sin desires to rule over him and thus relates to his corrupt nature.

The sin nature is a result of Adam’s trespass. When he trespassed, he separated himself within his spirit from God. A trespass happens within the mind when a determination is made to do something contrary to God’s standard. Adam was instructed not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If he ate, he would die (Genesis 2:16–17). While he was in the Garden of Eden, Adam was innocent, not knowing what would cause calamity or what would be beneficial. Therefore, he relied on God to instruct him concerning these matters. After Eve transgressed the law, being thoroughly deceived by Satan*1*, the question arises why Adam did not go to God to determine what the proper response to her actions should be. When he decided to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree Eve offered him, he broke his fellowship with God. This is seen in the death that the trespass caused (Romans 5:17). Since he walked with God every day and could have inquired about this situation, it may logically be assumed that he decided that his own wisdom was sufficient to determine the best course of action (Genesis 3:8). This is seen in the impact of this determination, which resulted in spiritual death; thus producing sin by eating the fruit.

Trespass (παράπτωμα), sin (ἁμαρτία), and offense (σκάνδαλον) are three distinct words in Scripture. Although each of these words has a separate meaning, they are often treated as synonymous in many English translations. This can cause confusion when reading passages where the proper definition of a word is not used. In Ephesians 2:1, we are informed that men are dead in both their trespasses and sins, making a clear distinction between them. The term “offense” describes something scandalous. It denotes thoughts, speech, or behavior that is morally or socially shockingly offensive. 1 John 3:4 defines an act of sin as practicing lawlessness. It is an action that violates God’s standards. In James 1:14–15, the process by which a desire becomes sin is explained. The desire draws a person out and persuades him to accept it as his own. When a person determines to fulfill the desire, the desire is conceived in the mind; hence, a trespass. From the conception of this desire within the heart, sin is born. Since sin is an act of lawlessness, it is always exterior to the body—something that is performed—that comes out from the heart*2* because of a trespass.

When Adam determined to eat from the forbidden tree, he made a choice to reject God’s instructions and chose to discern good and evil in that situation based upon his own knowledge and wisdom. After eating, Adam acquired the knowledge of good and evil; thereby, a conscience was formed within him. His act of sin then subjected him, and all his offspring, to physical death. Therefore, through Adam, both spiritual and physical death were passed on to all humans (Genesis 5:3). When God made Adam, after forming him from the red dust of the ground, He breathed the breath of lives into him, and he became a living soul. In Hebrew, the word for life is plural in Genesis 2:7. God breathed the breath of lives into Adam, and he became a living soul. The animals are described only as living souls in Genesis 1:23. Thus, they only possess a soul. Adam was created with two types of life. He was given life pertaining to a soul and a spirit. Genesis 9:4 reveals that the soul animates the physical body. Other passages of Scripture demonstrate that the soul interprets the five senses (Lamentations 3:51; Psalm 94:19; Proverbs 27:7; Job 6:7). 1 Corinthians 2:11 explains that the spirit is the rational part of a human. It is the part of the human nature through which he could commune with God. The condition after Adam’s sin was such that his corrupt nature could not understand spiritual things, for they were foolishness to him now, and he was subject to physical death (1 Corinthians 2:14).

In Romans 5:12, Paul reveals that humanity is subject to physical death due to Adam’s sin rather than individual transgressions. While personal sins may accelerate mortality, death is ultimately inevitable because of Adam’s sin. Physical death entered the world through Adam’s sin, and this penalty was transmitted to all humanity because all sinned in Adam. Although sin existed before the law, it was not imputed in the absence of law. Nevertheless, mortality prevailed over all humans (Romans 5:13–14). Genesis 5:3 indicates that Adam transmitted his corrupt nature to his descendants, as Seth was born in Adam’s likeness and image. Here, likeness denotes similarity in kind, while image pertains to appearance. Adam was originally created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26–27). Thus, when Adam inhabited in the garden, he was enveloped in a garment of light, reflecting the image of God, Who resides in an unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16). Adam’s likeness to God signifies his rational nature. When Adam trespassed, he bent his nature towards wrongdoing. After sinning, the impact of his trespass and sin is seen in the loss of his garment of light and the severance of his relationship with God. Genesis 3:7 indicates Adam and Eve were stripped, causing them to become naked. The Hebrew word translated in Genesis 2:25 as naked is not the same form as in Genesis 3:7. In Genesis 2:25, ‘ārōm (עָרוֹם) describes someone with no clothing (Job 1:21). In Genesis 3:7, ‘ērōm (עֵירֹם) denotes a state of being stripped (Ezekiel 23:29). His offspring subsequently inherited this altered condition. As Adam became subject to physical death, this consequence extended to his descendants. In addition, Adam’s spiritual death was also imparted to his children (Romans 5:15). Death is separation, not annihilation. Spiritual death refers to separation from God at the rational core of the human nature, while physical death denotes the separation of the soul and spirit from the body. Adam’s sin brought the penalty of physical death to all humans (Romans 5:12), and his trespass resulted in spiritual death as well (Romans 5:15).

The reality of corruption within the human nature is also manifested by our experience. In Romans chapter 7, Paul explains the response of the sin nature to the law, despite a strong desire to serve God. Rather than restraining the sin nature, the law arouses sinful passions that result in actions leading to death (Romans 7:5). When individuals seek to do what is proper, they simultaneously encounter an opposing desire to do what is wrong (Romans 7:21). This internal conflict demonstrates that human nature is fundamentally corrupt, as attempts to live by the law result in actions contrary to one’s intentions. The Mosaic law was instituted to reveal that humanity’s inherent nature cannot produce righteousness, exposing the depth of human sinfulness. The law itself is logical and good (Romans 7:14, 16). Yet there is an inherent principle within the human nature that manipulates the law to produce wrongdoing (Romans 7:15), contradicting the intended purpose of following the law. If the sin nature exploits the law to facilitate wrongdoing, is the law itself to blame? This conclusion is illogical, as the law serves to expose the sinfulness of the nature residing in human flesh (Romans 7:13). Without the law, individuals would not recognize covetousness (Romans 7:7). Covetousness involves acquiring what belongs to another through manipulation or idolatry, being different from theft in that it relies on advantage and persuasion rather than direct taking. For example, coveting another man’s wife may involve persuading her to divorce and remarry. The Mosaic Law commands, “Do not covet,” establishing a rational and just prohibition against taking what belongs to another. Nevertheless, the human nature responds by producing various forms of covetousness rather than suppressing the desire (Romans 7:8). This occurs because the law empowers the sin nature instead of subduing it (1 Corinthians 15:56). Since that which is good is used by our flesh to work out what is bad, the corrupt nature of man is exposed through law.

According to Romans 7:17, the sin nature resides in the flesh. It utilizes the flesh to manifest sinful passions (Romans 7:5). These passions are produced by manipulating the soul, which is the emotional center of the human nature (1 Peter 2:11). Individuals who direct their lives according to fleshly desires frame their minds on matters of the flesh (Romans 8:5). This carnal mindset, characterized by emotional impulses, is inherently hostile toward God (Romans 8:7). When individuals prioritize satisfying fleshly passions, their minds are unable to comprehend spiritual matters. Logical and rational desires may conflict with emotional impulses, causing spiritual truths to appear as foolishness to those who live according to their emotions (1 Corinthians 2:14). Although actions performed in the flesh may appear righteous, a carnal mindset ultimately results in death (Romans 8:6; Isaiah 64:6).

The works of the flesh also display the bent human nature. The flesh serves as the instrument by which the sin nature manifests its desires, which are fundamentally opposed to those originating from the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:17). While the works of the flesh may not always appear overtly immoral, they are inherently self-serving and seek the gratification of the flesh and soul, rendering them unrighteous. The works of the flesh include adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, religious superstitious awe, enmity, strife, jealousy, inner burning anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, senseless slaughter, drunkenness, revelries, and similar behaviors (Galatians 5:19–21). These are classified as works rather than sins because some are unrighteous while others work out wrong. According to 1 John 3:4, sin is defined by actions that proceed from an individual, rather than mere thoughts. Although not every unrighteous work of the flesh constitutes sin, all actions originating from the flesh are unrighteous. Such works illustrate the nature of desires produced by the sin nature. Using the flesh, the sin nature brings forth all types of sinful passions within us to produce the works of the flesh. It uses the natural sexual desires of the flesh to fulfill its corrupt aims. Adultery is sex with someone other than your spouse. Fornication is sex outside marriage. Uncleanness is perversion in sexual matters and affects the heart. From these passions, humans who reject God are turned over to dishonor their bodies among themselves (Romans 1:24). When these passions are allowed to act without restriction, they go as far as exchanging the natural use of the woman for what is unnatural, along with burning desires to commit shameful acts among themselves (Romans 1:26–27). Lewdness is a disregard for moral restraints. It is a licentious lifestyle that produces shameful, immoral behavior. Those who engage in this work of the flesh pursue the appearance of wealth, ignoring moral and social restraints and giving themselves to wanton behavior. Idolatry, which is covetousness (Colossians 3:5), and religious superstitious awe relate to religious practices. These works seek to present a person as favored by the gods, good in appearance, righteous in conduct, or having special access to the spirit realm through which they manipulate people to gain possessions, authority, and influence. They use the basic principles of the world—touch not, taste not, handle not, observation of days—in self-made religion and humility, and neglect of the body to produce the appearance of righteousness (Colossians 2:23). Enmity, strife, jealousy, inner burning anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, and senseless slaughter all relate to a self-seeking life. Drunkenness and revelries are about escaping life or overcoming the conscience to produce other works of the flesh. These works show the corruption residing in the flesh.

Given that the sin nature is understood to reside in the flesh, the question arises whether the sin nature is equivalent to human nature. The term “nature” refers to the inherent characteristics and properties of a person or thing, encompassing both the intrinsically possessed essence and attributes. From the Greek perspective, nature (φύσις) often denotes the composition of an entity and its inherent properties, which are acquired by birth or creation and are considered immutable.

According to Romans 1:18, God manifests His wrath against the ungodly and unrighteous who suppress the truth through unrighteousness. These individuals deny God, alter the image of the incorruptible God to resemble immoral humans, animals, and creeping things, and worship the creation rather than the Creator, or reject the evidence of God’s inherent ability in creation (Romans 1:18–24). Because they do not consider the knowledge of God worthy of retention, God allows them to pursue impurity through the unclean desires of their hearts, resulting in the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves (Romans 1:24). The text further states that, in the corruption of their minds, they exchange natural relations for those that are contrary to nature, experiencing strong desires for others of the same sex (Romans 1:26–27). This behavior is presented as contrary to the integral properties of the human body, which, by its nature, is not designed for same-sex relations. The passage states that such actions result in negative consequences for the body. The term nature (φύσις) in this context refers specifically to the immutable characteristics of the human body in relation to sexual relations, rather than to the entirety of human nature. The body cannot be fundamentally altered to accept same-sex relations as a normative state. The primary purpose of sex is propagation, and same-sex relations cannot result in reproduction, regardless of bodily modifications, because reproduction requires partners of different sexes. Paul uses nature (φύσις) to address the body’s physical nature; their actions are contrary to its inherent nature. He is not relating it to the sin nature. Rather, he is describing the corruptions that come from rejecting God. This illustrates the perversion of human rationality and reasoning, which is inclined toward wrongdoing due to Adam’s trespass, and the deterioration of the physical body, now subject to death as a consequence of personal sins.

In Romans 2:14, Paul employs the concept of nature (φύσις) to describe how the Gentiles act with respect to the Mosaic law. Since the human nature possesses a conscience, it has an inherent ability to know what is beneficial and what is wrong; good and evil. Therefore, when the Gentiles, by nature, do the things related to the law, these types of actions show the law written in their hearts (Romans 2:14). Paul is not implying that there is good in the human nature because men, by nature, obey the law. The prophet Jeremiah records God’s words concerning the heart. It is insidious above all things and sick (Jeremiah 17:9). Not sick in the sense of needing to be healed; rather, it has a terminal sickness. Although men can produce works that have a good appearance, the reality is that they are nothing more than filthy rags because they are inherently unrighteous in their nature (Isaiah 64:6). Paul is focusing on what is written on the heart. Thus, by the very nature of man, the conscience accuses or excuses his actions based upon the knowledge that resides within him.

Nature (φύσις) is also used to describe a quality of the Divine nature in 2 Peter, where the apostle states that Christians have all things pertaining to life and godliness in Christ Jesus (2 Peter 1:3–4). As partakers of a quality of the Divine nature, we are able to escape the corruption through strong desires in the world. When a person believes the gospel for salvation, he is washed, regenerated, and taken out of Adam and placed into Christ (Titus 3:4–5). This new birth is from above and results from God’s seed that is placed in the believer (1 John 3:9). This seed cannot be corrupted (1 Peter 1:23). Since birth happens in the human spirit, a Christian now possesses a spirit that cannot be perverted (1 Corinthians 6:17). In addition, since he is taken out of Adam and placed into the Christ, Christ’s death and resurrection are imputed to him so that he now has the inherent ability to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4–6). This does not change the human nature into another nature. That is, we do not become a new creation or creature. We are now a part of a new creation, which is the Christ, yet still fully human (2 Corinthians 5:17). As a part of this creation, we now possess the Son and thus have eternal life (1 John 5:12). Eternal life is God’s quality of life. Since Christ dwells in us, we now have access to a quality of the Divine nature that enables us to bear righteous fruit in our lives as we yield to the desires of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23).

The term nature (φύσις) is not specifically used to describe the human nature as a whole. Rather, it describes the inherent characteristics of the human body and heart. Nature (φύσις) is not used to describe the sin nature because it is a principle of corruption that resides within the flesh, not an aspect of the human nature. It is the impact of trespass and sin on the human nature. Therefore, sin nature is not a term that is used synonymously with the human nature, which comprises three parts: body, soul, and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Each of these parts possesses specific inherent abilities that can be used contrary to their nature. The term “sin nature” characterizes the inherent particular traits and properties of the fallen nature as sinful. The sin nature is, by nature, sinful and thus totally depraved.

The effects of the sin nature are learned throughout the dispensations. Dispensations are periods in time in which God, as the master of the house, appoints a steward to administer His rules for the household to the members. The purpose of each dispensation is to show something to humans about themselves and their corrupt nature. In the dispensation of conscience, since humans now possess the knowledge of good and evil, they are expected to do good (Genesis 4:7). Even with this knowledge, the fallen nature of man seeks out passive violence and wrongdoing, while wholly rejecting good (Genesis 6:5, 11–12). Cain described the perversity of this nature as something beyond his ability to control in Genesis 4:13, after being confronted by the LORD for slaying his brother as a sacrifice (1 John 3:12). After God destroyed the earth with a flood because of the wickedness of men; rather than obey God, the bent nature of mankind rejected the knowledge of who God truly is, and changed His glory into that of depraved man, animals, and creeping things. They knew God’s judgment concerning the wrong things they were doing but chose to reject the right way and follow their perverted desires from the sin that dwells in them (Romans 1:18–32). David laments the corrupt nature with which he was born in Psalm 51:5, as he dealt with his sin before God. He was brought forth in perversity (עָוֺן) and conceived in the sin (חֵטְא). David is not referring to the actions of his mother, but to the nature he possesses, which was passed on to him at birth. In the dispensation of law, the sin nature is revealed through the law. The law exposes the sin nature residing in the flesh for how sinful it truly is (Romans 7:7, 13).

“The sin” is not the exclusive term used in Scripture to describe the fallen nature of man. Since the sin nature resides within the flesh, the desires from the flesh relate to the appetites from the sin nature and thus may be used synonymously (Romans 7:23). Through the flesh, we are bound to the law of the sin (Romans 7:25). This is a law within us that works out the wrong we do not desire to do (Romans 7:21). In Galatians 5:19–21, we are given a grouping of the practices of the flesh that describe its intrinsic properties obtained by birth that are immutable. These works reveal that the flesh is inherently unrighteous, unable to produce good and thus perform what is proper (Romans 7:18). Since the sin nature resides within the flesh, the unsaved govern their lives according to the strong desires from the flesh (1 Peter 4:1–3).

In salvation, the human nature does not change. That is, we do not become a new creature or creation. Improper translations of 2 Corinthians 5:17 have imposed this concept into Christianity. In the KJV, this passage indicates that the one in Christ is a new creature. In the NKJV, creature is changed to creation. Both translations add “he is” into the verse, changing the subject from Christ to the person who is in Christ. However, when we follow the original language, the new creation is Christ, the new man. The use of “creature” was dropped by many English translations after the KJV, which is an appropriate change. Creation (κτίσις) describes an act of causing something to exist. Creature (κτίσμα) is the result of an act of creation. Creation (κτίσις) is the word found in 2 Corinthians 5:17. As for adding in “he is”, translations like the NIV and Darby do not include it, where translations that seek to follow the KJV, such as the ESV, NASB, and CSB, keep the addition. When the translator stays true to the original, the Christ is a new creation described in this verse. It is the new man, in whom the resurrected, glorified Christ is the head and the Church is the body (Ephesians 1:22–23). Therefore, a saved man is still fully human; although, he is now a part of the new creation, which is Christ. The difference is that he now possesses a saved spirit. This spirit is connected to God, enabling it to discern Spiritual things. The new birth happens in the spirit through the washing and regeneration from the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). God’s seed is placed into the believer, giving him new life (1 John 3:9). In this birth, the spirit is joined to God (1 Corinthians 6:17). The believer is then immersed into the body of the Christ by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:12–13). This does not change the intrinsic properties of the human nature. We still possess a spirit, soul, and body. It restores the believer’s relationship with God, cleanses him from all sin, and enables him to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14). He is now a part of a new man, who is created in righteousness and piety of the truth (Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10).

Victory over the sin nature is obtained by the believer taking God at His word and yielding his members to righteousness (Romans 6:13). Since Christ’s death and resurrection have been imputed to the one in Christ, the sin nature is rendered ineffective (Romans 6:6). Death breaks the bond that the sin nature holds on the person (Romans 7:4). This freedom is enjoyed by the one who reckons this to be true and yields his members to righteousness (Romans 6:11). If a person becomes a new creation, or creature, this concept gives rise to the idea that the believer no longer possesses a principle of sin in the flesh and therefore cannot sin. The apostle John exposes this kind of thinking and its negative impact on Christians. If someone says they have fellowship with God but walk in darkness, they lie and do not practice the truth (1 John 1:6). Darkness is where our sinful nature desires to reside so that it can do wrong without being detected (John 3:19). The truth that John is referring to was stated by Jesus in John 8:32. It is the truth that sets a person free from slavery to sin (John 8:34). John states that if a person claims they have no sin, they are deceived (1 John 1:8). If they say they have never sinned, then they make God a liar (1 John 1:10). Since the Christian still possesses a body that is affected by Adam’s trespass and sin, the principle of sin still resides in the flesh. Thus, if a Christian yields to the desires of the flesh, he will produce sin, which causes his fellowship with God to cease (Romans 6:16; 1 John 1:6). This is why it is important to understand that the human nature does not change in salvation. We cannot be a new creation, or creature, yet still possess the properties of the old nature, including the propensity to sin. When we deny that the nature of our flesh has been corrupted, we will not have victory over our sin nature because we are not taking God at His word and yielding our members to righteousness.

In salvation, the human nature does not become a divine nature. The believer is enabled to partake of a quality of the divine nature because the Holy Spirit resides within him (2 Peter 1:3–4). This makes it possible for the believer to use his renewed mind, which can approve what is acceptable to God (Romans 12:2). The human nature cannot inherently produce fruit of the quality of the Divine Nature. This type of fruit is only available for his use when he is filled by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:22–23). Because the believer has not yet received full redemption, he still possesses an unsaved soul and a fallen body. Therefore, his sin nature still resides within his flesh. However, the sin that dwells in the flesh is rendered ineffective—unable to work out its desires—when the believer is feeling at ease in the new man (Romans 6:6). Thus, he is free from slavery to the sin nature and bound to righteousness in Christ (Romans 6:18).

Scripture consistently and firmly describes the condition of the human nature: the fall of Adam introduced a spiritual and physical catastrophe that fundamentally corrupted the human nature. By examining the precise linguistic data—specifically the distinction between the feminine form (ἁμαρτία) denoting a principle, the masculine form (ἁμαρτωλός), expressing a characteristic of a person, and the neuter (ἁμάρτημα), conveying the consequence of sin—we observe that the biblical authors describe a reality far deeper than mere individual infractions. The sin nature dwelling in the flesh is an active, corrupting principle that manifests in opposition to God’s righteousness and enslaves the human will to its desires. The biblical doctrine of man reveals that righteousness cannot be produced through the refinement of the flesh or the observance of legal codes, as both are ultimately manipulated by this indwelling perversity. True righteousness is found only in the new birth of the human spirit through the washing and regeneration from the Holy Spirit, which, while not altering the intrinsic constitution of the human body or soul, imparts a new standing by immersion into the Christ and provides the necessary strength to mortify the deeds of the flesh. Therefore, acknowledging the totality of this corruption is not a concession to pessimism, but a prerequisite for grasping the magnitude of salvation; only when we recognize that our nature is entirely incapable of producing its own righteousness can we fully appreciate the grace that makes the believer a partaker of a divine quality of life, enabling him to walk in the light of the truth, apart from the works of the flesh.

*1*1 Timothy 2:14, Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being thoroughly deceived fell into transgression.

*2*1 Corinthians 6:18; Matthew 15:18

David is the king God chose. Israel chose Saul; God appointed David, a man after His own heart who, despite failures, pursued the Lord. Solomon followed. He was known for wisdom and a generally good reign until foreign wives turned his heart after other gods.

Rehoboam caused the split. He rejected the counsel of Solomon’s older advisers, increased the burden, and the ten northern tribes broke away. Two kingdoms remained. Abijah walked in the sins of his father. Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and corrected much that his father had done, though he did not remove everything. Jehoshaphat taught the people the law of the Lord, sent priests throughout the land, and sought peace with the north, which later brought trouble.

Joram (Jehoram) walked in the way of Ahab, followed false gods, died of a painful intestinal disease, and was not mourned. Matthew then jumps from Joram to Uzziah. Joash, Amaziah, and others stand between them. Athaliah and other royal mothers sought to destroy the seed; Joash was saved by his sister.

Uzziah became king at sixteen (2 Chronicles 26:1). Early he sought the Lord in the days of Zechariah and prospered (2 Chronicles 26:5). Strength produced pride. He entered the temple to burn incense, a duty reserved for priests. Leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests (2 Chronicles 26:19–20). He was thrust out, lived isolated until death, could not govern or enter the house of the Lord, and was buried in a field adjacent to the royal tombs because he was a leper (2 Chronicles 26:23).

Jotham judged the people while his father lived as a leper (2 Kings 15:5). He did what was right according to all Uzziah had done, yet the high places were not removed and the people still sacrificed there (2 Kings 15:34–35). He built the upper gate of the house of the Lord.

Ahaz walked in the way of the kings of Israel, made his sons pass through the fire to Molech (2 Kings 16:3–4; Leviticus 18:21), stripped the temple and palace to pay the king of Assyria (2 Kings 16:8), and after seeing an altar in Damascus ordered Uriah the priest to copy it and set it in the temple in place of the bronze altar of the Lord (2 Kings 16:10–16).

Hezekiah rejected his father’s way and did what was right according to all that David had done (2 Kings 18:1–3). He opened the doors of the temple his father had shut, sanctified the priests (2 Chronicles 29:3–19), destroyed the high places, sacred pillars, wooden images, and the bronze serpent that had become an idol called Nehushtan (2 Kings 18:4), and reinstituted the Passover on a national scale, inviting even Ephraim and Manasseh (2 Chronicles 30:1).

Manasseh did not merely drift. He rebuilt the high places Hezekiah had destroyed, raised altars for Baal, made wooden images, worshiped the host of heaven, made his sons pass through the fire, practiced sorcery, and filled Jerusalem with innocent blood (2 Kings 21:3–9). His evil exceeded that of the nations the Lord had driven out. The fall of Jerusalem and the exile are explicitly tied to the wrath provoked by Manasseh (2 Kings 24:3–4; Jeremiah 15:4).

Amon did evil as his father had done, served the same idols, and forsook the Lord (2 Kings 21:20–22). His servants conspired and killed him in his house. The people of the land executed the assassins and made Josiah king (2 Kings 21:23–24; 2 Chronicles 33:25).

Josiah began to reign at eight years of age (2 Chronicles 34:1). He did what was right, walking in the ways of David and not turning aside. He purged idolatry, broke down altars and images, beat them to powder, defiled Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom to stop child sacrifice, and removed mediums and household gods (2 Chronicles 34:4–7). While repairing the temple the Book of the Law was found. He kept a Passover such as had not been seen since the days of the judges (2 Kings 23:21). Yet the Lord did not turn from the wrath aroused by Manasseh (2 Kings 23:26). Josiah was killed by Pharaoh Neco at Megiddo (2 Kings 23:29).

From Josiah Matthew lists Jeconiah and his brothers, carried away to Babylon (Matthew 1:11). Intermediate sons of Josiah reigned briefly and were deposed by Egypt or Babylon. Jeconiah reigned three months and ten days before the siege. The curse on Jeconiah declares him childless as to the throne: none of his descendants shall sit on the throne of David or prosper in Judah (Jeremiah 22:24, 30).

This genealogy is Joseph’s line. Because Joseph descends from Jeconiah he has no legal right to the throne. Mary’s line, given in Luke 3:31, comes through Nathan, son of David by Bathsheba (1 Chronicles 3:5). Nathan carries the blood right without the Jeconiah curse. Jesus alone holds both the legal claim through Joseph’s house and the blood claim through Mary. No other person in history can claim both.

Though many kings failed and brought judgment, God remained true to His word. Jesus is the fulfillment.

1 John 2:18–28: It is the last time. Antichrist will come; even now there are many antichrists. They went out from us, but they were not of us; if they had been of us they would have continued (abided) with us. They went out that it might be made manifest they were not all of us. You have an anointing from the Holy One and know all things. These things are written because you know the truth, and no lie is of the truth. The liar is the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ. He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. Let that abide in you which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. This is the promise: eternal life. These things are written concerning those who seduce you. The anointing received from Him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you. The same anointing teaches of all things and is truth and is no lie; as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. Little children, abide in Him, that when He appears you may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

Meno means to stay, to reside, to call a place home, to make yourself at home—not only physical location. The same word appears in verse 19 of the antichrists, three times in verse 24 (the King James uses abide, remain, and continue for one word), and three more times in verses 27–28 of the anointing and of abiding in Him.

1 John 2:14: the Word of God abides in the young men, and they have overcome the wicked one. What is heard, taught, and read in the Word can abide in a person. It can also go in one ear and out the other, or be learned and ignored so that it is not at home.

Abiding in the Son. John 15:4–5: Abide in Me and I in you. The branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine; neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him brings forth much fruit; without Me you can do nothing. A dead branch may still be attached; abiding is being at home and not uncooperative with the vine that feeds it. A Christian can bear fruit or be carnal without losing salvation or attachment to the vine. Carnality means not abiding correctly.

Romans 6:20–23: When you were slaves of the sin you were free from righteousness. What fruit did you have in those things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. Now, having been made free from the sin and enslaved to God, you have your fruit unto holiness and the end eternal life. The wages of sin is death; the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Unsaved fruit was from the sin nature. Saved people have opportunity for fruit unto holiness, yet can still hinder fruit by carnality.

John 15:7: If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you want and it will be done to you. In this the Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be My disciples. John 15:16: You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give you. The qualifier is abiding in Him and His words abiding in you.

1 John 3:18–24: Love in deed and in truth. If our heart condemns us not, we have confidence toward God. Whatever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment: believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another. He who keeps His commandments abides in Him and He in him. By this we know He abides in us: by the Spirit He has given us. Commandments are not stored off to the side while another agenda is at home.

1 John 5:14–15: This is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. If we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know we have the petitions we asked of Him. Asking is not for anything you want; it is for anything He wants. James 4: you ask amiss that you may consume it on your pleasures. Using asking correctly teaches what the will of God is.

John 15:9–10: As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments you will abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

1 John 3:4–6: Everyone doing sin is also doing lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him is no sin. Whoever abides in Him is not sinning. Whoever is sinning has not seen Him neither known Him. Present tense: the one currently abiding is not currently sinning. This is not a claim that one abiding once never sins again. It is John’s way of speaking of spiritual versus carnal. Abiding in the Son has a positive effect on behavior. The question is not only position in Christ but whether you are abiding in that position.

Abiding in the Father. 1 John 2:24 joins abiding in the Son and in the Father. There is a position in the Father as well as in the Son. 1 Thessalonians 1:1 (and 2 Thessalonians 1:1): the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The anointing received from Him abides in you (1 John 2:27). 2 Corinthians 1:21–22: He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who has also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

1 John 4:7–16: Love one another, for love is of God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. The love of God was manifested toward us because God sent His one-of-a-kind Son into the world that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No man has seen Deity at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us. Hereby we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. God is love; he who abides in love abides in God and God in him. In this context the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are all named. Abiding is linked to loving one another, confessing that Jesus is the Son of God, and abiding in love.

1 John 2:23: whoever denies the Son does not have the Father. 2 John 5–9: the commandment from the beginning is that we love one another; this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. Many deceivers do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; this is a deceiver and an antichrist. Whoever goes forward and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. Doctrine is for belief and practice. Walking according to the commandment affects having the Father and the Son.

The three are linked: what was heard from the beginning abiding in you, you abiding in the Son, and you abiding in the Father. You will not have one without the other. You will not abide in the Son and the Father while ignoring what they command or failing to love one another. If the new commandment is not at home in you, you miss the effects of abiding. You cannot claim to abide in the Son while remaining uncomfortable with what He tells you to do. John states the crux without Paul’s full mechanics: if you are not loving one another, you are not abiding in Him. First John loops the same connections so they are not treated as isolated subjects.

Key verse: 1 John 2:24. Let that abide in you which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

Doubt is set against faith. Several Greek words are rendered “doubt.” The passages used here employ diakrino. The word can mean to distinguish or to differ from another; in the middle or passive it is often “doubt,” because one is differing with oneself and second-guessing what is so.

Matthew 21:18–22 records the withered fig tree. Jesus tells the disciples that if they have faith and do not doubt they will not only do what was done to the tree but may speak to the mountain and it will be done, and whatever they ask in prayer, believing, they will receive. Christians are expected to walk by faith; doubt is the opposite.

James 1:5–7 applies the same contrast to asking. If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and does not upbraid, and it will be given. Let him ask in faith, nothing doubting. The one who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed and is not to think he will receive anything from the Lord. Asking is for what is in God’s will; wisdom is such a request. Asking while wondering whether it will work is not asking in faith.

Romans 4:19–20 gives Abraham as the positive example. He was not weak in faith. He did not consider his own body as good as dead, about a hundred years old, nor the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not stagger at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. Unbelief is unfaith. Faith and this kind of doubt cannot coexist regarding the same promise.

Faith is a piece of the armor of God, the shield of faith in Ephesians 6, to be treated later. Romans 14 shows why doubt is dangerous: one cannot act on faith and on doubt at the same time. In the matter of food, nothing is unclean of itself, yet to the one who reckons it unclean it is unclean. Love limits liberty so a brother is not destroyed. Happy is the one who does not condemn himself in what he allows. But the one who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith. Whatever is not from faith is sin. Satan can take an otherwise innocuous act and make it sin by bringing the person to do it without believing it is right.

Satan and demons often work first on frame of mind, attitude, or mental state, then present an action. Job shows the same pattern: long labor on the inner life aimed at getting him to curse God, which he never did. The sin nature campaigns through what appeals. Satan’s method is frequently different: produce a state, then an act that may not in itself look like a listed sin.

Spiritual cowardice is such a state. It is fear that begins to govern behavior. Luke 22:31–34: the Lord tells Simon that Satan has asked to have “you” (plural, the disciples) to sift them as wheat, but He has prayed for Simon that his faith not fail, and when he is converted he is to strengthen the brethren. Peter claims readiness for prison and death. Jesus answers that the rooster will not crow before Peter has denied Him three times. After the arrest, Peter denies the Lord three times by the fire (Luke 22:54–62) and weeps bitterly. Between the warning and the denials he had even struck with the sword; fear of prison and death then changed his conduct. The denials are lies produced by that fear.

2 Timothy 1:6–9: Paul reminds Timothy to stir up the gift of God. God has not given a spirit of cowardice (deilia, timidity that affects behavior, not general phobos), but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Timothy is not to be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord or of Paul His prisoner, but to share the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. Given who God is and what He has done, is doing, and will do, such cowardice is not logical. Unpleasantness may be ahead, as the garden showed of the Lord, without calling the path off.

1 Peter 5:8–9: be sober and vigilant, because the adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour; resist him steadfast in the faith. The roar is not appealing; it is meant to freeze. Peter knew the method from his own denials.

Lying is itself an action and is tied to Satan. Acts 4:34–5:11: early in the church, possessors of lands sold them and laid the prices at the apostles’ feet. Ananias and Sapphira sold a possession, kept back part with the wife’s knowledge, and brought a portion as if it were the whole. Peter asks why Satan has filled Ananias’s heart to lie to the Holy Spirit. The land was their own before and after the sale; they lied not to men but to God. Ananias expires; about three hours later Sapphira repeats the lie and likewise expires. The reasoning was convenience and fear of looking bad when others gave all. Satan filled the heart; the line of thought made lying seem safer.

John 8:43–45: those who cannot hear Christ’s word are of their father the devil and want to do his desires. He was a manslayer from the beginning and did not abide in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it. “The lie” is specific. Manslaughter here is a means to an end, distinct from the flesh’s appeal in Galatians 5.

The lie reaches back to independence from God in the garden: “You will not surely die.” Romans 1:18–25: men suppress the truth in unrighteousness though what may be known of God is manifest. They knew God and did not glorify Him or give thanks; they became vain in their reasonings; they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into images; they exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshiped the creature rather than the Creator. Satan is involved in a world system that teaches independence from God.

2 Thessalonians 2:7–12: the mystery of lawlessness already operates; the restrainer will be taken out of the way; the lawless one will be revealed, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those who perish, connected again with the lie. In the tribulation many will know they face the wrath of God and still choose independence, growing angry at Him.

Christians are not to lie. The references given with the outline include putting away the lie and speaking truth (Colossians 3:9; Ephesians 4:25; James 3:14).

The collection of attacks differs from the flesh. Doubt and fear are not themselves the act; they are used to change the mind so that conduct follows. Lying is the act. Additional resources: wordofgracestudies.org for verse-by-verse teaching and notes; thechristianlife.org for ongoing Bible teaching through the week.

Revelation 7 then shows the 144,000 sealed Jews so they cannot be harmed. Angels at the four corners hold the four winds. Later demons from the abyss also cannot harm them. They preach the gospel of the kingdom of the heavens. They are from the tribes of Israel. After the church is gone God deals with Israel again in the realm of the dispensation of law. That does not mean Israel returns under the law to be obedient; Israel failed under the law by crucifying the Messiah who would wipe out the nation’s sins and settle them in the promised land. There is judgment on the dispensation of law. In the first half of the tribulation Israel is under the protection of the man of lawlessness. Heavy destruction on the Gentiles comes in the Great Tribulation. The 144,000 go throughout the world with the message of the kingdom of the heavens—12,000 from each listed tribe. Levi is included because the list is not about land inheritance. Dan is omitted because Dan brought idolatry into Israel; the tribe is not wiped out, but Dan has no protected 12,000.

Revelation 7:9 jumps three years forward to the result of their ministry. A great multitude with palm branches cries, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.” These are those saved by the 144,000. They serve day and night in His temple—the temple on earth, not the heavenly temple. “Dwell” means He tents among them. Palm trees in Ezekiel 41 mark the millennial kingdom temple, which is not Solomon’s temple. Cherubim and palm trees decorate it. Those saved by the 144,000 reside in that earthly temple for the thousand years. The throne in the heavens will be visible from the temple on earth. New Jerusalem is over the earth and supplies its light (Revelation 21:23–24). The nations walk in that light.

These come out of the Great Tribulation. They are not the fifth-seal saints under the altar slain by the harlot in the first half. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb—they believed the message of the 144,000. They will not hunger or thirst. The sun will not scorch them. If God did not shorten those days, not even the elect would survive. The Lamb in the midst of the throne shepherds them to living fountains of water and God wipes every tear from their eyes. They live in the temple the entire thousand years.

Revelation 8 opens the seventh seal. Silence in heaven for about half an hour returns the narrative to mid-tribulation. Silence does not mean no sound; it means no one is speaking. Satan is being cast out of the third heaven (Revelation 12:7–9). Michael and his angels fight the dragon and his angels; no place is found for them in heaven. Satan and his angels are cast to the earth. His time is short; his wrath is on the earth. Angelic warfare is not clashing swords; spirit beings are described in human terms so we understand. Michael, an angel, casts out Lucifer, a cherub—the highest rank of created beings. Michael had previously said to Satan over Moses’ body, “The Lord rebuke you.”

Seven messengers who stand before God are given seven trumpets. The trumpets belong to the messengers, not to God. They are for Israel’s deliverance while Israel is in the wilderness. Satan attempts to destroy them and fails. Gentiles are occupied with other judgments. Six trumpets are detailed; the seventh jumps to the end of the millennial kingdom just before eternity. Revelation covers more than the seven years.

Another messenger with a golden censer stands at the altar. He is given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne. “Angel” means messenger and can be a spirit being, a human, or the second Person of the Godhead as the Messenger of Jehovah. This messenger acts as high priest for Israel. The earthly temple was a shadow of the heavenly. The brazen altar, laver, and altar of incense (Exodus 27; 30) explain the scene. The golden censer belongs with the Holy of Holies (Hebrews 9:4) and was used on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:12). Coals and incense filled the place of covering so the high priest would not die when he sprinkled blood on the place of propitiation.

The incense is the prayers of the tribulation saints (Revelation 5:8). Saints after the church is gone are not added to the church. The church has a heavenly hope; Israel has an earthly hope. Different groups in the tribulation have different promises. The 144,000’s converts serve in the earthly temple. Christ adds His prayers to theirs. The messenger puts the incense on the golden altar, fills the censer with fire from the altar, and throws it to the earth. There are voices, thunders, lightnings, and an earthquake.

The coals relate to cleansing of lips for judgment on Israel (Isaiah 6:6–10). Isaiah was sent to make ears heavy, hearts hard, and eyes shut—to judge, not to save. The fire purges unbelievers from Israel in the wilderness, as carcasses of unbelievers fell in the desert for forty years. The work now is three and a half years. “Noises” means voices; cleaned lips can now be heard. Judgment falls on unbelievers. The messenger is Christ acting as the Messenger having a quality of Jehovah, completing the dispensation of law. After the incarnation the Angel of Jehovah is not seen because He is no longer dealing with Israel in that manner. In the tribulation He submits again to the Father for Israel. The same Person delivered Israel from Egypt (Exodus 14:19, 24)—Jehovah in the pillar of cloud and fire.

God will keep a remnant of Israel. They will possess the land from the river of Egypt to the headwaters of the Euphrates. The seven messengers then prepare to sound the trumpets. God the Son performs priestly duty related to Israel and the purging of unbelievers from Israel.

CHRISTIAN LIFE – LESSON 19

Satan and Demons Part 4: Pride, Worry, Unforgiveness

Christian Life Lesson 19, Satan and Demons Part 4, with Pastor Billy Myron. Satan’s heart was lifted up because of his beauty. Pride clouds the novice, marks the last days, and is resisted by God. Worry is to be cast on Him, while believers still care for one another. An unforgiving spirit gives Satan an advantage, as Corinth showed. Forgive as God in Christ has forgiven you.

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And let us consider one another in stirring up love and proper works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves, just as is the habit of some, but encouraging, and so much more as we see the day approaching (Hebrews chapter 10:24–25).

In a world that often pulls us toward isolation, coming together face-to-face provides encouragement, clarity, and spiritual strength. At Word of Grace Studies and Growing in Grace Fellowship, we gather because we value the opportunity to build up one another in truth, to stir up love and proper works, and to grow together in the faith. Whether you can come and fellowship with us or at a local assembly in your area, do not forsake the assembling of the saints, your presence matters—for your benefit and for the encouragement of others.

You’re always welcome to join us and experience the encouragement and connection that come from gathering together.