Category: Saturday Study

1 Timothy 6 – 2 Timothy 1-4  (10.21.23)

Grab your Bible, and let’s go deeper into 2 Timothy 3 and 4. Specifically, today I want to work through 2 Timothy 3:16-4:4.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The holy Scriptures are our ultimate and trustworthy authority for faith and practice. All that we learn about God and His world and all other authorities should be interpreted in light of Scripture. The Bible gives us everything we need for our theology and our lives.

We believe the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the inspired word of God, infallible and inerrant, complete in the original manuscripts, and the supreme authority for faith and life.

When the reformers used the words “Sola Scriptura,” they were expressing their concern for the Bible’s authority. They meant that the Bible alone is our ultimate authority—not the pope, not the church, not the traditions of the church or church councils, not personal inspirations or subjective feelings, but Scripture only. This is a conviction that needs to lead us still today!

According to the Bible, other sources of authority are established by God—such as the authority of church elders, the authority of the state, or the authority of parents over children—but Scripture alone is truly ultimate. Therefore, if any of these other authorities depart from Bible teaching, they are to be judged and held accountable or in contempt of the authority of the holy Bible.

We stand under the authority of the holy Scriptures above all other ruling governance in our life. So the question is how do we obey God’s word alone and not the opinions of men?

One of the key ways we must learn to do this is to test our understanding of Scripture with Scripture. This is called “The analogy of faith.” “The analogy of faith” is a hermeneutical (Bible study) principle which states that since all Scripture is harmoniously united with no essential contradictions, every proposed interpretation of any passage must be compared with what the other parts of the Bible teach. In other words, the body of doctrine, which the Scriptures as a whole proclaim, will not be contradicted in any way by any passage.

We must be careful not to interpret Scripture according to man’s preferences or religion’s traditions, but according to the rules and authority of Scripture alone. Let me help flesh this out with some base understanding of the word of God.

What are the holy Scriptures:

The word “Bible” comes from the Greek word for book. Holy Bible means holy book. It was written in three languages (Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic) over a period of 1500 years by more than 40 authors. The holy Bible contains 66 books: 39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that all Scripture is “inspired by God.” This is one word in the Greek: THEOPNEUSTOS. It literally means “God-breathed.”

We believe God inspired certain prophets and apostles so they then put down in writing the exact words God wanted them to write. 2 Peter 1:21 says that God “moved” certain prophets. The word “moved” means “to carry along; to overwhelm by force.” 

Since man’s main means of communication is words (greater than gestures, facial expressions, pictures, music, etc.), God used this means to communicate with us. Praise God!

Why we fully trust the holy Scriptures:

We trust the holy Scriptures because they are God’s word. They do not merely contain God’s word; they are God’s word.

• We trust the holy Scriptures because the Bible is inerrant.

It contains no errors in the original manuscripts. Truth and error are incompatible, like light and darkness.

• We trust the holy Scriptures because the Bible is infallible.

It cannot fail to speak the truth. It does not and cannot error.

Jesus said it “cannot be broken” (John 10:35), for all of its individual words are true. Thus, Scripture has no contradictions between its parts!

Yes, the Bible was written by fallible men, but God so breathed on them and inspired them to record His holy word perfectly, even through each one’s personality and purpose. God then so preserved His word down through the generations and translations by godly men to provide for us what we have today–God’s holy word.

What should we do with the holy Scriptures: 

• Obey God’s word above all else.

Acts 5:29 But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’”

Proverbs 13:13 Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.

No matter what you believe about God or life, if the Bible says different, you must believe what it says. You must submit yourself fully to it. I want us to be radically submissive and radically surrendered to His word.

John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

This is the good news of Jesus Christ: Because he took on our sin and gave us His righteousness, we now have right standing with God and the power to obey Him.

John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”

• Test all things up against God’s word.

I John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

I Thessalonians 5:21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.

Matthew 22:29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.”

We err if we do not know the Bible or if we contradict it.

• Watch out for and rebuke anything that comes against God’s word.

Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

Romans 16:17-18 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

I John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

• Do not add or take away from God’s word.

Deuteronomy 4:2 “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.”

Deuteronomy 12:32 “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.”

Don’t add anything to the Scriptures and don’t take anything away from the Scriptures. The word of God is sufficient to lead us in our lives, relationships and families to life and to life everlasting.

God tells us “not to go beyond that which is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6).

• Share God’s word.

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Mark 16:15-16 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

• Study God’s word.

Regularly seek and sit under sound teaching. Good and godly preaching means sermons are expositions of the Bible and its teachings and not sporadic expressions of the preacher’s opinions or the ideas of the age. We must settle for nothing less than what God has given. This is why pastoral elders are called to “hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9).

Professor and theologian, Wayne Grudem, once said this:

“Throughout the history of the church the greatest preachers have been those who have recognized that they have no authority in themselves and have seen their task as being to explain the words of Scripture and apply them clearly to the lives of their hearers. Their preaching has drawn its power not from the proclamation of their own Christian experiences or the experiences of others, nor from their own opinions, creative ideas, or rhetorical skills, but from God’s powerful words. Essentially they stood in the pulpit, pointed to the biblical text, and said in effect to the congregation, ‘This is what this verse means. Do you see that meaning here as well? Then you must believe it and obey it with all your heart, for God himself, your Creator and your Lord, is saying this to you today!’ Only the written words of Scripture can give this kind of authority to preaching.” 

Hold fast to God’s word in daily study.

Psalms 1:1-2 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

 There is a spiritual diet without which no Christian can be strong and healthy and fruitful. That is a diet of the word of God. Are you holding fast to God’s word daily?

2 Timothy 4:1-2 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season …

Are you ready in season and out of season?

2 Timothy 4:2 … reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

Are you doing the work given to us to do?

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Are you enduring sound teaching or settling for just what makes you feel good or comfortable?

Our tendency in the flesh is to submit to the rational of our human mind instead of the authority of the almighty, eternal God’s holy word. As a result, we form views of who God is and how He acts or doesn’t act based more on our personal feelings or logic instead of the divine and perfectly written words He gave us in Scripture.  This is so dangerous and detrimental.

Instead, we need to take very seriously the words of God, submit to God’s authority, and conform to His image and not try to make Him conform to our ideas or our will.

We are at war with our sin, selfishness, and self-reign. We must realize that we are desperate for the authority of God’s word to correct our futile view of God, ourselves, this world, and everything in it. We are desperate for His word to lead us with authority. 

Please, don’t slip away to something more comfortable, but fight with us as we cling to and delight in all that He is and has for us!  

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

1 Timothy 1-5 (10.14.23)

Grab your Bible, and let’s go deeper into 1 Timothy 3.

Read 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

In this passage, we are given one of the best and clearest pictures of what a mature, Christian man is. Paul is instructing Timothy in the qualifications of a biblical elder.

While very few will ever hold the position of pastor/elder in our churches due to its high qualifications and level of commitment, we can use the passages on elder qualifications as a tool of evaluation for how we as Christian men are growing in Christ and maturing in our faith and sanctification.

So today, let’s dig into this passage and do some self-evaluation. I pray as you read this, you are hopeful for what God can and will do when you grow in Christ, instead of being discouraged at how you are struggling. The key is to hear the word’s instruction and put it into action. I am praying for you as you prayerfully read, evaluate, and respond.

1 Timothy 3:2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach …

A mature, Christian man is blameless, holy, and presents no patterns of scriptural disobedience. This means this kind of man is vigilant in fighting sin and avoiding the temptations to practice sin. We all are tempted. We all will stumble. A mature, Christian man lives his life above reproach. It doesn’t mean he is perfect. It does mean he is a great example for the Christian life.

Really all the qualifications we are about to look at come back to this one. Is the character of God deeply at work in and through you? Do you desire to truly walk in obedience to God’s word, to practice holiness, and to honor God in all you do? It is one thing to desire it; it is another to truly put it into daily, regular practice.

1 Timothy 3:2 … the husband of one wife …

This means a mature, Christian man is emotionally and sexually pure. This means you are a one-woman man. You have emotional investment, eyes for, and physical interaction with only your wife. If one is not married, he must still be a one-woman man and practicing sexual purity. This means God’s design for sexual interaction is with your wife. This means if you are not married, you don’t have a wife; therefore, you are not to be sexually active in any way.

Pornography is not more acceptable if you are single. It is still sexual activity outside of marriage. There is a lie that is floating around in some Christian circles that has allowed Christian men to believe that porn is such a normal struggle for men that it is somehow okay. It is sin. You must make vigilant war with avoiding any kind of sexual sin or lust.

God’s design for intimacy is for marriage—not love, not engagement, not dating, not commitment. Marriage.

Men, how are you doing at a pure, faithful devotion and attentiveness to your wife if you’re married and to God if you are not? Is this an area where God is honored in your life?

1 Timothy 3:2 … sober-minded …

A mature, Christian man is sober, sensible, wise, and balanced in judgment and discretion.

We have all been in the situation where there is a good chance it could go badly. A prudent man is the one who stands up and says, “I am out, and you should follow me. This is riding the line too much.” He is willing to exercise wisdom and self-control even in the face of adversity. This is not the kind of man that likes to ride the edge of risk. A prudent or sober-minded man uses good decision-making and discretion in leading those who follow him.

1 Timothy 3:2 … self-controlled …

This is also called being temperate. A mature, Christian man is self-controlled and mentally and emotionally stable. Self-control means you do life with restraint. You don’t get caught up in stuff that could equal personal compromise. A temperate man doesn’t need to keep buying new things or working long hours to feel complete. A temperate man is given the opportunity to get super angry but exercises restraint. A temperate man is not emotionally all over the map all the time. Temperate men live life in moderation—a moderate, controlled temperature. It is the man who doesn’t gorge himself just because he can. A life of moderation is satisfying to him because, ultimately, he is satisfied in Christ and is not looking to be made happy in other things.

1 Timothy 3:2 … respectable …

Verse 7 says,“Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” A mature, Christian man must be well-ordered, disciplined, and an honorable man worth following or imitating. This is a man that people quickly have respect for in the ways in which he prioritizes and go about his life—he smells of balance, honor, and is worth following or imitating.

I know many guys who subconsciously turn away from this one. They are willing to lead others but not in such a way that it is worth imitating. This cannot be so, because those that follow you will imitate you. They will want to be like you—your kids, your brothers, those to whom you are ministering.

1 Timothy 3:2 … hospitable …

A mature, Christian man is unselfish with his personal resources, welcoming, and generous with others. He must understand to his core that what he has is not his. It is all God’s; he has been called to manage it for God’s glory. This means a hospitable man is quick to open his life, time, stuff, home, and family to others who need to be loved.

1 Timothy 3:2 … able to teach …

Are you growing your life in the word in such a way that it is not just for you but for those God puts in your path—your wife, your kids, your brothers, and those you interact with at work, at church, and on the road? A mature, Christian man is equipped to divide God’s word and rightly teach what it says—you are mature in your understanding and defense of sound, biblical doctrine.

Titus 1:9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

Since the church is “the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim. 3: 15), its men must be pillars of biblical doctrine, or the house will crumble. Since the church is also a small flock traveling over treacherous terrain infested with “savage wolves,” the mature men in the body of Christ must know the way, see the wolves, and lead the flock safely to its destination. Are you studying casually or are you really studying? Are you really digging into God’s word? Are you looking to sit under sound, Bible teaching more than just a Sunday sermon? There are so many great preachers to sit under, and you can do that through podcasts and the internet. Are you reading sound books that teach you accurately about Christ? I say this because there is so much junk out there. Just because it is in the “Christian bookstore” doesn’t mean it’s right or accurate.

Don’t hesitate to email me and ask about preachers to listen to or books to read. I want to help you grow in this area.

A mature, Christian man never grows tired of God’s word and its authority in his life. He loves God’s word and feasts on it daily. His aim is not a casual relationship with God and His word but a fervor and passion for God and His word. Without a growing understanding of God’s word, we will not know what and/or how to correct those who are promoting false doctrine or bad interpretation of the word.

1 Timothy 3:3 … not a drunkard …

A mature, Christian man must be free from excesses and be living a God-honoring lifestyle that doesn’t damage his testimony. Christians are to be controlled by Jesus and not by any other thing. Addiction can be to a variety of things—alcohol, smoking, caffeine, TV, video games, working, hobbies, spending money, internet, food/sugar, reading, and so many more areas.

Notice something: None of the things I just listed are in-and-of-themselves a sin. Any of these things you can enjoy in moderation. But ask yourself, “Is there an ‘I have to have it’ or ‘I need it’ mentality?” To check yourself on any of these, can you go 30 days without it? If not, you might very well be addicted, and this means something has you in its grip that is not Jesus.

Can you enjoy it without overindulgence or gluttony?

To give control of an area of life over to something else is detrimental and creates compromise. This sets you up to be disqualified and compromises your testimony. Don’t wait to bring around accountability for any of these things in which you are knowingly or possibly excessively participating.

1 Timothy 3:3 … not violent or quarrelsome …

A mature, Christian man is peaceable and not quarrelsome or divisive. This doesn’t have to mean physical violence. There are too many men who do not represent Christ in this area. Are you quick to argue, to make waves, or to engage in debates? Is the peace of God at work in your life? Are you quick to post things online that are critical and divisive? Are you argumentative with your brothers?

Ephesians 4:3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

1 Timothy 3:3 … gentle …

A mature, Christian man is kind, gracious, loving, and even-tempered. There is a big difference between one who tries to force you the direction he wants you to go and one who gently influences you to move. When you have to resort to yelling or throwing something to get respect, you are not ready to lead. The gentle route takes more time but builds a relationship and respect that goes much further.

There is a maturity that means if you are a big, tough guy, you don’t have to wield that in order to influence others. You are gentle in your words and actions so that you can make much of Christ and not yourself.

1 Timothy 3:3 … not a lover of money …

A mature, Christian man is not greedy for things or money and is financially content and upright. Money is a big idol in our society. It is so much so that it is commonly the idol-of-choice used by Jesus and the New Testament writers when illustrating how we are to worship God and not idols of the heart. The American dream equals get rich or die trying. Okay, that is maybe the more “gangster version” of the American dream, but it’s close. The American dream has to drown in the satisfaction one finds in the gospel of Jesus.

1 Timothy 3:4-5 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?

How one leads at home is one of the biggest signs of how one will lead God’s flock. The Puritans referred to the family household as the “little church.” A mature, Christian man has a high priority to lead and manage his household. Men, if we are not discipling our own wives and children, what business do we have in skipping the flock God has given us at home and going out to disciple the flock outside the home? Are you investing time into your bride? Are you investing time into your children?

My prayer is that the overflow of the ministry you do is out of solid ministry at home. Are you praying for your family, discipling your kids who are still under your roof, and leading them in Bible study? A mature, Christian man is well-ordered in his schedule and priorities to steward and lead well that which God has entrusted him. This starts with himself and his home before it goes to his outreach.

1 Timothy 3:6 … He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.

Anyone can be fired up to live sacrificially when the living water of Jesus first flows through him. The test is what one does with the grind and the trials of the seasons to come. A mature, Christian man is proven and tested by trials. His maturity in Christ shows he has ongoing harvest—the Fruit of the Spirit constantly coming out through thick-and-thin—not just when times are good and not just in intermediate moments, but constantly.

Now, I said it at the top of the lesson: This is hard. This is the measurement of a mature, Christian man. It doesn’t mean that if you struggle with many of these you are not a Christian man. It just means you have maturing to do.

This is the good news—God doesn’t save us based on merit but instead on His amazing grace. If you are saved, you are saved by His power and will and not your own. Thank God. It also means He will endure those whom He has saved to the end. The question is, are you maturing? Are you afraid to dig into the areas where you are weak? Are you growing in God’s word and maturing in gospel community so that the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work is happening in your life?

I pray that you are hungry. That is my biggest hope from this study—that you are hungry, and you stay that way. Dig into Christ and grow in Him, and He will mature you and endure you unto these things.

I look forward to growing with you. Keep Jesus the main thing. May we have more and more maturing men who are purposed to Glorify God by teaching God’s holy word, training up faithful disciples and testifying of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all those God puts in our path.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

1 Thessalonians 4-5 & 2 Thessalonians 1-3 (10.7.23)

Grab your Bible, and let’s go deeper into 2 Thessalonians.

Today, I want to talk about the biblical command to admonish one another. The simple definition of admonish is to warn or reprimand firmly.

2 Thessalonians 3:13-15 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom …

Luke 17:3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him

Whether it’s a formal process in response to some egregious error or misstep, or the informal everyday exhortations that are to happen in the life of Christian community, all biblical correction aims at repentance of sin and restoration unto God-honoring righteousness. Let me give a big example of each.

Formal Admonishment, Rebuke, Reproof:

Matthew 18:15-20 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Daily Admonishment, Rebuke, Reproof:

Hebrews 3:12-13 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

This is no different in my home. If one of my kids gets too rough with his or her sibling, I admonish—or correct—that child. I don’t wait; I don’t ignore it. I need to love them enough to not be lazy or fearful but to engage them with correction.

If one of my children shows a pattern of sin and no sign of repentance, I bring forth a more formal sit-down with that child. If that doesn’t go well, Jennifer and I begin a process of correction. If that doesn’t go well, we go so far as to invite a wider counsel of Christian brothers or sisters, pastors, etc.

Now, many might be thinking, “But doing this with my kids or my family is different. I don’t feel that I am in a position or that it is any of my business what my brothers and sisters in Christ do.” Let me ask you, “Are you hearing yourself?” Your brothers and sisters in Christ are your family! Biblically, you can make the argument that your Christian brothers and sisters are more your family than your unbelieving, blood family! This is what you must see today. The Bible calls us—God commands us to be family and to live out the mutuality, the oneness, and the unity of “one another” that Jesus died for us to have.

It is your business to admonish. It is your place to admonish. You might ask, “Says who?” Says, God!

For those who say, “But these things don’t feel good,” or “They don’t seem loving.” Does the Bible sit under the authority of your feelings, or should your feelings sit on the authority of the Bible? Our feelings are not our God—God is!

Any righteous rebuke is a kindness.

Psalm 141:5 Let a righteous man strike me, it is a kindness; let him rebuke me, it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it …

He is saying it is kindness to be admonished. Why? Because it is not loving to leave people in their mess. One of the most loving things you can do for someone is tell him when he is wrong.

There were Christian brothers God had put in my life in my late teens when I was tempted into sin. I was in an unhealthy relationship; my flesh was leading and not God. They fought for me, even if it cost them our relationship. They loved me enough to stand for truth instead of letting me swim in sin.

The truth is it is hard to receive rebuke or admonishment, but many times it is even harder to lovingly give it. However difficult it may be, if we really believe that we all are sinners, and that unchecked sin leads to pain, misery, and eternal destruction, then love will compel us to give the gift of loving reproof.

It is sad when family members do not understand the biblical foundation on which this practice is built. Unfortunately, some will roll it up when faced with biblical admonishment. There will be some who decide to walk when it gets uncomfortable. This is not a reason to be disobedient to this command. Even if they walk, you must see that it is unloving to not admonish a brother’s sin. There is no reason to avoid it or justify not doing it. We are commanded to do it. The big question is how?

Just because we are commanded to fight for truth and hold each other accountable to the word doesn’t mean we always do it right or well. This is surely an area in which we all can grow. Let me give us seven practical ways to admonish one another.

1. Admonish yourself first in the word and in prayer

Jesus gives us instruction how to do this when He says to first address yourself.

Matthew 7:5 “… first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

Also, Paul gives clear instruction how one must do this, and it, too, involves addressing oneself. In Galatians 6:1, it says when helping to restore a brother, “… Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

How do we best address our own heart lest we be tempted or hindered by the log in our own eye (our sin that could wrongly be driving our desire to rebuke another)? By studying God’s word and being in prayer.

Jesus says this of the Holy Spirit in John 16:7-8: “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”

The author of Hebrews says this of the word of God:

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

God’s word and the work of the Holy Spirit will bring conviction and insight into our sin, so we can confess and repent of it. Only then are we in a position to come to our brother/sister with humility and empathy, as a fellow combatant of that sin, and with integrity that we are not “the pot calling the kettle black” in that particular area.

2. Come with gospel-centered sympathy and humility

Whether you’ve “been there” and can empathize with his/her specific sin or not, you must remember that you needed the cross just as much as he/she did. Both of you, at one time, stood at the cross utterly helpless to bring anything good to God. All of your best deeds were like fifthly rags. This will help you with your posture and demeanor as you approach the brother/sister in “loving humility.”

As much as you’re able, put yourself in their shoes, and consider how to remind them of foundational gospel truths as you seek to open their eyes to some further reality relating to their remaining sin. Consider the manner in which you’d want to be approached with such an observation. “… Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them …” (Matthew 7:12).

Be sure you come across with a word of brotherly correction, not condemnation. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

3. Pray for their repentance and restoration

Ephesians 6:18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints

Do not just pray for yourself but also for them. Never forget the goal in your rebuke is not about being right but about helping them to repent and be restored back to righteous living.

Pray about the moment you confront them, that you would give it sufficient gospel preface, that they would receive your loving correction, and that if they resist in the moment, God would soon soften their heart to hear and receive the truth in your admonishment.

4. Do not wait

Hebrews 3:12-13 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Providing a corrective word in loving humility is not only for words and actions that are dead wrong or borderline blasphemous, but also when we become aware of some seeming trajectory of evil or falsity.

“The ideal is that we live in such honest and regular community—and speak without delay and receive it with gospel-conditioned thick skin—that mild, gentle words of rebuke and correction are commonplace, that sin is regularly nipped in the bud, rather than given time and encouragement to grow into the tall nasty weed it will become.” – David Matthis

Wisdom tells us that if it is a Matthew 18 formal reproof, then you plan for the right time. If it is a daily, out of step, then don’t wait. Love them enough to call them out.

5. Be gentle

Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness …

A warning as we approach our brothers and sisters in Christ to correct and admonish and restore: Our flesh can wrongfully motivate us to do this in a prideful manner. Paul warns the Galatians of this:

Galatians 6:3-5 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.

Now don’t miss this: This is not a warning against correcting and admonishing and restoring a person; it is a warning against doing it arrogantly. He says, “Since we all struggle with pride, make every effort to humble yourself when you point out someone else’s sin.”

6. Be clear and specific

When we’ve checked our “log,” prayed for restoration, and have been quick and kind in addressing the sin, we now should be empowered not to tiptoe around what has really caught our attention; instead, we should be frank and direct.

Before approaching someone with a corrective word, get it clear in your own mind what you’re observing and how it may be harmful. Bring Scripture that brings clarity. You may want to write a few key words, phrases, or sentences on paper to make sure it’s objective enough to communicate; have specific examples ready.

Paul’s prayer in Colossians 4:4 is about transparency in speaking the gospel, but it relates as well to correcting our brother, “that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”

7. Follow up

Finally, plan some way to follow up. If they receive it well, follow up with an email, call, or text, and commend that evidence of grace in their life.

If they don’t respond well, follow up with some further expression of love for them—perhaps a reminder that you have nothing to gain but their good, that you’re very happy to be wrong if the correction is pretty subjective, and that you’re praying for them as they consider your observation.

Providing regular, gracious words of correction can seem like such a small thing in the life of the body of Christ, but it is huge. It is how we fight for each other.

I bring this to you today because our faithful practice of these things is what God has called us to in His word. It’s so easy just to let little sins go and mind your own business. But the long-term effect of admonishing one another in active grace, when administered in loving humility, can have eternal implications.

As it is said in James 5:19-20, “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

James 4-5 & 1 Thessalonians 1-3 (9.30.23)

Let’s dig into James 5:1-6 as we look at sinful indulgence today.

James 5:1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.

James begins this next section of this letter with another round of warning and reproof for those who live for sinful indulgences. He opens with the words “come now.” Other translations say, “Listen now.” This is James’ way of saying, “Don’t miss this.” He wants his hearers to hear so they can be warned and so they can repent and honor God with their lives. May it be this way for us as well.

He says, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you” (James 5:1). Let’s first ask, “Is James saying it is wrong or sinful to be wealthy?”

Our goal is to, first and foremost, let Scripture interpret Scripture. We want God to inform us and direct us in these things and not popular culture or trendy movements. If we relied on popular culture to inform us, we would say it is the goal in life to be rich, to do well in school, and work hard to make as much money as possible. Culture would even say it is okay to do whatever it takes to outperform others to get to the top of the pile.

The culture-at-large looks up to the wealthy and aspires to have what they have. This fuels the sin of coveting and envy. This pursuit has caused parents to miss out on actually being parents, marriages to end, and people to live miserable lives overworking in order to fulfill what the culture says we should have and do.

An unbiblical position has been formed even in so-called churches when preachers teach that God’s desire is for you to be rich in what we call the prosperity gospel. This is a false gospel that is sinful and self-indulgent through and through.

On the other side of the spectrum are trendy movements whereby people condemn any form of wealth and believe all wealth should be mandated to be redistributed among the masses in an effort to relieve poverty and to create a more “fair” economy. This unbiblical position, that has been formed in so-called churches where it has been taught that any form of wealth or prosperity is sinful, is what has been called the poverty gospel.

Neither of these are what God’s word teaches. Consider with me some of what the Bible says about being wealthy.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

The key clarity we must see here is that “love for money” is what is sinful. A sinful craving for, or indulgence in, money is what is sinful—not money in and of itself.

Paul is clear in Romans 14:14 when he says, “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself …” Money is not the root of all kinds of evil. Money is not sinful. But the way we can handle or crave money is what makes it sinful. Therefore, the person who God ordains to be successful at making lots of money is not in sin as long as he is not driven by money in a sinful way. God has used those He has gifted to make good money for all generations to accomplish His work, just as He has used those He has called to be poor for His holy will as well.

In holy Scripture, God’s charge to His people is not to stop being wealthy but to steward their wealth in such a way that it honors God and helps others. The charge is to watch out for their hearts to not be consumed or caught up in their wealth as their hope or identity but in Christ. The Bible does not condemn wealth, and neither should we. The Bible does not uphold poverty as the pathway to righteousness, nor should we.

We can know that the presence or absence of money is not the way we measure God’s blessing. Proverbs 22:2 says, “The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.” God uses both rich and poor for His perfect will to be done in this fallen world.

1 Samuel 2:7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.

So, no, James is not saying it is sinful to be wealthy. But he is speaking about those who sinfully mishandle their wealth and life.

James’ emphasis is that these people who are rich are not sinful because of their wealth but are sinful because of their indulgence of life and their handling their wealth.

            Verses 2-3 says they have hoarded their wealth.

            Verse 4 says they have defrauded their employees.

            Verse 5 says they live a self-indulgent lifestyle.

            Verse 6 says they oppress the righteous.

Here is one more general thing the Bible says about the wealthy that is worth reminding you of before we dive deeper into the text. With access to money comes many blessings, but our sin nature means there are many temptations to sin when it comes to money. We have seen this struggle from the beginning of mankind. Jesus Himself warned about how hard it is for the rich to remain untangled by the trappings of their wealth.

Luke 18:25 “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

While this is not a condemnation on those who are wealthy, it is a high warning that with wealth comes a great battle not to find our identity or treasure in it but in God.

Next, let us delve into James’ warning and admonishment to those who are sinfully indulgent in their wealth or management of it.

James 5:1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.

Those who are rich that James is condemning and admonishing are in sin because of their wicked practices and selfish endeavors. James’ admonishment here fits in his overall theme, in that those who are of true, saving faith will put that faith to work and continue in it. In other words, they won’t become people who are known for sinful indulgence and manipulation like those whom James is pointing out here who are deserving of God’s righteous wrath.

Notice that James says, “they will weep and howl.” The word he uses here for “howl” means, “to wail.” This is the only place we see it in the New Testament, but it occurs regularly in the Old Testament as the prophets used it to describe the reaction of the wicked when the day of the Lord arrives, and they are condemned to eternal judgment. It is a picture of an intense outburst of despairing, violent, uncontrolled grief.

For example, Isaiah 13:6 says, “Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!”

Also, notice here in verse 1 the word misery used is in the plural—miseries. This is James’ way of emphasizing the fact that in eternal judgment misery is not short-term, but the miseries are many, and they are long-lasting.

In verses 2-6, James lays forth his case for why these particular wealthy people are unrighteous in their ways and worthy of eternal condemnation. Let’s first look at verses 2-3.

James 5:2-3 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.

James’ emphasis here is on the hording of wealth. This is the sinful practice of making more and keeping more than you need to live on and provide for your family. Instead, it is stored up and/or put into selfish indulgence in stuff, or storehouses. The problem with this is that the wealth is not being used to help others or to advance the kingdom. It is selfishly sat on or spent on things that just rot.

As Christians, we are to provide for our families and then advance the gospel, make disciples unto the nations, and care for the needy. For those of us who belong to Christ, we are not to amass a fortune and uselessly or selfishly stash it away without regard for God’s purposes for our days in the here and now. God has given us today to make much of His holy name, so let us live for Him today; if He gives us tomorrow, then we live for Him tomorrow. So, it is our joy to live openhandedly and to bless others. But our flesh is at war with this, and so the struggle is real. It’s a battle we must fight because the trappings of our sinful, over-cling to the treasures of the world will mean a great demise when those fleeting, temporary things fail us or are stolen from us.

Have you ever worked so very hard for something only to have it break on you or be stolen from you? This can bring such feelings of despair and letdown. When we make the created things of God our treasure, we set ourselves up for great letdown. To build our lives on things that are temporary is to “build our house on the sand,” as Jesus would say. When the waves come, the house is destroyed and carried away. All our hopes, joy, and identity are swept away with it—I have seen it.

I have seen great and successful men and woman who have staked their lives on their careers, their money, their kids, their stuff, or their looks only to lose those things which they had come to live for and be identified by and then be utterly ruined—led to despair and even for some addiction, depression, and suicide. Here is the thing. While these temporary consequences are real, James’ emphasis is not on the consequences of what will be experienced in this life but the consequences that will be experienced in the next. In addition to pointing out that things rot, are moth eaten, and corroded, James warns that their corrosion will be evidence against you in eternity. He says it will even eat your flesh like fire.

For those who stand apart from Jesus, their sinful over-grip on the treasures of the temporary will be the very means of suffering in the eternal—almost like a perpetual drowning in the very gold that once defined them. Wow! These are strong and sobering words by James. One sign that these penalties and sufferings are in eternity and not just the temporary is the fact that gold can’t rust. So, the corrosion James speaks of is a metaphorical eating away that will not be experienced in this life but in the next.

The fact that the wealth they lived for in this life will testify against them in the next is a way of saying that everyone will be represented by something or someone. We will stand before the judgment seat of the holy God represented by our sin and false idols, thereby earning us eternal condemnation; or we will be represented by Jesus in all of His holy perfection, forgiven for our sin and graciously given eternal life with God in holy heaven.

I want you to make this very personal for a moment. What are the things, or people, or accomplishments that you hold up and show off to others as a marker of what you have done with your life: a house, a car, a motorcycle or boat, a vacation portfolio, a fit body, good grades, successful kids, a spouse? Think about the utter lack of representation that any of these can make for you when standing before the judgment seat of God and your lifelong sin is what stands between you and His holiness. None of these will do—only Jesus. This is why we must only boast in Jesus.

Paul says it so well in Galatians 6:14: “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

Jesus preached this very point in His famous Sermon on the Mount:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mathew 6:19-21).

Let me ask you plainly this morning: Where is your treasure? What is so very important to you in this life? Do you have a right grip on the good things God has entrusted to you like money, family, skills, etc.? Or do you have an over-grip, a sinful indulgence, on these things—to the point that they are why you wake and live, and they are what defines you and makes you sing? Are you storing up treasure in heaven by living open-handedly with the things, people, and skills God has given you? Or are you hording these things for sinful, selfish indulgence?

Look with me at verse 4.

James 5:4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.

Again, the injustice of sinful selfishness to not pay a worker his fair wage is stored up as an evidence, or a witness, against us in the final judgment. These testimonies are before the omnipresent Lord. Consider the decisions you make in private in regard to how you pay others, handle money, how you do your taxes, or how you receive handouts from others. There are so many ways our character either reflects and honors the Lord in faith or reflects our sinful indulgence and selfishness, thereby making a stronger case of our guilt and deserved punishment.

Notice with me what matters most: The Lord sees all and knows all of what we do. There is not secret from Him. There are not decisions in the dark that He doesn’t see. So even the decisions we make in private matter and testify as to who we are. Christian, is your faith at work behind closed doors? When no one is looking or will know the difference? When doing the right thing will cost you in the temporary but honors God and His name forever? For whom are we really living—our comfort and our personal prosperity or the Lord and the good of those He puts before us?

James says in verse 5, “You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.” The word James uses here for self-indulgent is only used in two places in Scripture.

In the Old Testament:

Ezekiel 16:49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.

In the New Testament:

1 Timothy 5:5-6 She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.

These speak of a person who lives in sinful, selfish indulgence. She is concerned only or foremost with her own well-being.

The mode of operation is to take good care of self and disregard the need of others.

The self-indulgent widow is dead while she lives. This means she stands in her judgment already. This is the similar wording of James who says those who live self-indulgently have fattened themselves for the day of slaughter. That is a reference to the day of judgment. They are caught red-handed. The evidence of their crimes is all over themselves. It is their testimony. Their wealth is not used to glorify God and advance the disciple-making emphasis of the New Testament church. It is used selfishly for gluttony of self.

This is a similar wording to that which Jesus uses in a parable He tells in Luke 16 about a condemned man and a delivered man. Luke 16:25 “… ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.’”

This is a mega-theme of the biblical narrative and surely one that God wants people to understand and not miss: To only build this kingdom, to only live for the here and now, and to only live for self, is to enjoy these things for this short time and then to suffer for eternity.

Luke 6:24-25 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.”

Those who give up many things, are generous in the here and now, invest in the Kingdom, and make their days about the Lord have little in these days, but they are blessed beyond measure in eternity in the presence of God.

James condemns the sinfully indulgent in verse 6.

James 5:6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

The sinful lifestyle of those only concerned with themselves carried over into unjust manipulation of the court systems and other means by which righteous people were falsely condemned or judged in order to preserve the lifestyle of the wealthy. This kind of unjust activity was rank in the Old Testament as well:

Amos 5:12 For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins—you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate.

This was happening in James’ day as well, as we read in James 2:6, “But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?”

The term “righteous man” in James 4:6 is simply someone who is morally upright. These were victims who were defrauded by others but remained committed to God and trusting in God even when falsely accused.

This was the emphasis of Peter for the elect exiles in 1 Peter 2:21-23: “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”

Church, on which side of this are you—the sinfully indulgent, living of your flesh and manipulating others to hoard and consume and self only you and yours? Or are you the righteous one whose identity is in God—when threatened or treated unjustly you do not revile in return, but you entrust yourselves to Him who judges justly. Oh, how I pray you are the latter. And if you are the former, the one guilty of selfish indulgence, I pray that you repent, for the day of judgment is near. I pray that you trust your life to the only One who can save you from your sins.

For Peter continues in 1 Peter 2:24-25, “He himself [Jesus] bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

Oh, how I pray you repent and believe in Jesus for salvation and new birth to live for God and no longer for yourself. Jesus said very clearly in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Who do you serve? May the Lord be our source of joy and our power for living generously with others.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

2 John, 3 John & James 1-3 (9.23.23)

Let’s dig into James 1 verse 17 today as we look to who our good God is.

Let’s start with the first part of the verse:

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

King David sings of God’s goodness in Psalm 100:5 saying, “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” Jesus helped his listeners understand this truth when he said, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:11)!

We have to see that goodness is God’s nature. He is the measure of good.   All that God is and does is perfectly good, and He alone is the final standard of good. Jesus said in Luke 18:19, “… No one is good except God alone.” No one in their nature and very being is good and perfect like God is.  Now, not only is God the very definition and standard of what is good and holy, everything He does is perfect and good. Everything He creates is perfect and good.  

1 Timothy 4:4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving

It is sin and pride and selfishness in man and fallen angels that have caused us to take the good creation and gifts of God and turn them into things for sin and addiction and pain and suffering. So, money is not evil, it’s man’s craving for money that is evil.  Alcohol is not evil, it is man’s overindulgence in it that is sinful and hurtful.  Food is not evil, it is our over desire to over consume or to comfort ourselves with it that is sinful. Even the things God ordains and/or does with our sinful broken world that could seem by us to be wrong cannot be wrong for God to do because it is God who does them. 

William Perkins maybe said it best (really listen to this and I pray its truth begins to really sink in and shape how you think about God), “We must not think that God does a thing because it’s good and right, but rather the thing is good and right because God does it.”  Before we move on, do we give God the thanks He deserves for all that He constantly gives us? Do you see how God is constantly providing in all that He is entrusting to us? Do you see all that He is sustaining?

James is saying “every” good gift and every perfect gift is from above.

Are you thankful to God for “every” good gift?

When you get into your car and it starts … that is a good gift from God.

            But how often are we only thinking about the new car we want?

When you get to eat fresh and hot food … that is a good gift from God.

            But how often are we only critical about something in that meal that we don’t like?

When you get to hug or hold a loved one … that is a good gift from God.

            But how often do we miss the gift of loved ones and are focused on other things in our busy day?

When you get to open your Bible and study God’s word in your language … that is a good gift from God.

            But how often do we simply leave it sitting on the shelf or in the car neglecting all that it offers us?

When you wake up for a new day or stand up from your seat … that is a good gift from God.

But how often are we simply bitter at the responsibilities before us that day and not grateful at all for God’s good gifts of a body and mind that allows us to get up and live life!

Psalm 106:1 “… Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good …”  

In Psalm 34:8-10, David declares, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”

If your heart is constantly looking for and longing for the next thing, the next event, the next encounter, you are probably missing out on the good and perfect gifts of God. For those who seek the Lord lack NO GOOD THING!    

Let’s look at the next part of the verse.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James presenting God as “Father of lights” is another way of saying He is the Father of all good things. God is the Creator.  He is the source of all that we have and enjoy.

Psalm 136:4-9 to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever

Consider with me the disrespect creation shows to God with our utter lack of awe and worship for all that He has made and done.  We are so guilty of making our days and our focus about us. We are utterly bathed in the goodness of His mighty hand and yet lack a resounding and ongoing praise for His creative and sustaining power. 

Job 38:4-12 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone,

when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’? Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place”

He is God, He is power, He is love, He is life, He is worthy, He is the Father of lights!

As if that wasn’t enough. James is not done laying this massive foundation for who God is and for how He works. Maybe his biggest declaration in this verse is saved for last. Let’s read it.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

In a world that is always changing, the One who sits on the throne over it all is unchanging. God is constant. He is not swayed or moved or unsettled ever or in any way. Nothing surprises Him, moves Him, or causes Him to shift.  This is the very important doctrine of the immutability of God. Immutable is a Latin word that means “not changeable”. God, in His being, perfections, will, purposes, ordinations, and promises does not change in any way. He has always been and will always be exactly the same.

God Himself declared this most specifically in Malachi 3:6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

Think about that. If there were ever a people who are unfaithful, who are unable to deliver and finish and stay the course, it is us. If God was moved and swayed by our actions and lack of action, we would all be consumed in His righteous judgment. But God set out to deliver a people of His choosing, to save them from their deserved death and to secure them in His ever steady and eternal grip! 

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Why is this good news? Because in a world where nothing is certain, God is certain.  In a world where people and circumstances shift on a dime, where promises are made and then broken without any delay, God is faithful. God is constant. God is certain and stable. He is unmoved. He is dependable in every way.  

The immutability of God is one of the very core foundations of what makes God to be God. He is eternal, necessary, free from all composition and devoid of all potential for He is complete. He is pure and complete. He is unmoved and never altered. Consider it this way: Any improvement or shift in conviction would mean He was ever-so-slightly wrong and needing of improvement.  True change means a shift from what was. This cannot be God’s way for God was, is and always will be perfect, complete, satisfied, and holy.

Historic Orthodox Christian theologians have held that God is immutable. That He is unchanging in essence, knowledge, and will. Modern thought and theology have made many attempts to soften the immutability of God and wrongly interpret His creation, His incarnation, and the handling of a changing world as being linked to His nature to shift or change. But He cannot and does not shift. 

As James says so poignantly here, with “God” there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Herman Bavinck was a Dutch Reformed theologian and professor in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. He is considered one of the greatest reformed scholars.

Bavinck says it so well in his famous work, “Reformed Dogmatics” (2:156), “The difference between the Creator and the creature’s hinges on the contrast between being and becoming.” This means God eternally is what He is, never changing. He cannot change. But the created (you and I and all other things created) come into being at a point and is subject to and experiences change.

Bavinck goes on to say: “Those who predicate any change whatsoever of God, whether with respect to his essence, knowledge, or will, diminish all his attributes: independence, simplicity, eternity, omniscience, and omnipotence. This robs God of his divine nature, and religion of its firm foundation and assured comfort” (Bavinck, 2:158).

Bavinck says it well again in describing this reality: “There is change around, about, and outside of him, and there is change in people’s relations to him, but there is no change in God himself” (Bavinck, 2:158).

Finally, he says, “Though eternal in himself, with no before or after, God engages the temporal world, condescending as transcendent God to dwell immanently in all created beings” (Bavinck, 2:158).

So, there might be perceived changes in God and in how God interacts with His creation in several scriptures He gives us in His word.In scripture, we see some examples whereby it looks as if God is changing or shifting or adjusting His position. In places like Genesis 6:6, “And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.”  And in places like Exodus 32:10-14. Verse 14 says that after Moses pleaded with God to not put His wrath on the people, the Lord relented from the disaster that He had spoken of bringing on His people.

But how do these perceived testimonies among others stand in the midst of other passages that are clear to say that God doesn’t change His mind and has no regrets?

For example:

Numbers 23:19 “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” 

1 Samuel 15:29 “And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.”

What we must take away here is that we cannot make God like man in how these things happen. 

Now, God has chosen to use a type of speech called anthropomorphic language in Scripture that helps us understand better the ways in which He works, but we must rightly understand that it is not literal. Our Word of Truth Catechism describes anthropomorphic this way: Ascribing a human body, appearance, functions, or parts to something that is not human. We must understand that the description of God regretting in Genesis 6:5 is not the same thing as we experience as created man. 

Where we, created man, do feel regret and often experience change of our mind and in our actions, the anthropomorphic language used in Scripture about God is portraying His righteous anger and wrath on the sin of man. It is metaphorical and is not intended to portray the same way we FEEL/EXPERIENCE regret. 

Remember, Scripture didactically/definitively says “God is not man … that he should change his mind …” (Numbers 23:19) and “…[God] is not a man, that he should have regret.” (1 Samuel 15:29) And our passage from today, James 1:17 says with God “… there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

These statements are firm in defining God so we must read other scriptures that are metaphorical as God choosing to use human terms to communicate another reality beyond the human concept for the terms. To say that God has regrets is to say that God made mistakes and, therefore, is not God. For He is holy, all-knowing and perfect in all His ways.

These places in Scripture that seem to portray change in God is not an actual change, but from our angle, from our human view, a perceived change based upon all that has changed (in creation) in relation to that which is unchanged (in the Creator).

Oh, we are guilty of thinking about God as if He were like a human and framing Him up to fit into our box, our way of thinking, our way of perceiving the world and how things work for creation. We must repent of this for it makes us, the created, big and it makes God, the Creator, small. It pulls God down to our level.

Instead of undoing what God’s word makes clear here in James 1:17 about that fact that with God “… there is no variation or shadow due to change.” We should celebrate it. 

We are in His mighty and eternal grip. In a world that is coming at us from all sides, in bodies that are breaking down every day, in a first creation that will not maintain as it is forever a culture that doesn’t know truth and who’s normal operation is lies and deceit, we are saved and secured by a God that is unchanging.

God, in His being, perfections, will, purposes, ordinations, and promises, does not change in any way. He has always been and will always be exactly the same. This means He will not change His mind about who He has or will save.  This means He will fulfill all of His promises. This means He will finish what He started and not stop or change course.  This means nothing can overcome Him or pursue Him to be or to do other than He perfectly is and set out to do. If your soul is longing for faithfulness, for dependability, for certainty, for victory, God is your only hope! 

Psalm 46 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. SelahThere is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. SelahCome, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth.He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.‘Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!’The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

I pray you are greatly moved in your soul today by our study of this verse and that you would depend on God and trust Him with your entire life. 

He is the Father of lights! Every good gift and every perfect gift is from Him.

He is worthy of our praise, our trust, our lives. AMEN. 

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church