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So You Missed the Rapture… Again

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So You Missed the Rapture… Again

A Survivor’s Guide for the Still-Here

So here we are again. Another rapture date has come and gone, and—plot twist—you’re still here reading this article. Don’t worry, you’re in good company! Millions of Christians throughout history have found themselves in this exact predicament. In fact, missing rapture predictions has become something of a tradition.

Whether you sold your house, quit your job, euthanized your pet, or simply posted embarrassing countdown videos on social media, here’s your recovery checklist:

FINANCIAL RECOVERY

Make Your Next Mortgage Payment

Remember when you stopped paying bills because the world was ending? Yeah, about that. Your bank called—they’re still very much in business and would like their money.

Historical Precedent: In 1988, Edgar Whisenant was so confident in his “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988” that he famously said, “If there were a king in this country and I could gamble with my life, I would stake my life on Rosh Hashana 88.” After his September prediction failed, he simply revised to October. Then 1989. Then 1993. Then 1994. We’re guessing he kept making those mortgage payments.

Pro Tip: Next time someone claims certainty about the world ending, ask if they’ve paid their mortgage for that month.

Retrieve Your Belongings from “The Heathens”

Remember when you gave away all your possessions to non-believers because you wouldn’t need them in heaven? Awkward. Time to have some uncomfortable conversations.

Historical Precedent: Dorothy Martin’s 1954 UFO cult convinced followers that a flood would destroy the northwestern hemisphere. Members quit jobs, abandoned studies, ended relationships, gave away money and possessions for a flying saucer rescue that never came. The resulting study became the famous book “When Prophecy Fails.”

Pro Tip: Maybe keep your earthly possessions for now. Even Jesus said we don’t know the day or hour.

Return to Your Job (If They’ll Have You)

“So, about that ‘world ending’ notice I gave last month…”

Historical Precedent: Trinity Broadcast Network interrupted regular programming with “rapture preparation instructions” for Whisenant’s 1988 prediction, then quietly returned to normal broadcasting. When the Jehovah’s Witnesses promoted 1975 as the likely end, many followers made drastic life decisions, only to face the awkward aftermath.

Pro Tip: Employers generally prefer employees who plan to show up for work next month.

Cancel Your Apocalypse Subscriptions

All those prophecy YouTube channels, Telegram groups, and ministries you sent money to? Time to unsubscribe and reclaim that mental space—and your wallet.

Historical Precedent: Harold Camping’s followers spent upwards of $140,000 promoting his May 21, 2011 message. His Family Radio network spent millions on billboards worldwide. After the date passed, the money was gone but the bills remained.

Pro Tip: If a ministry’s entire focus is date-setting and fear-mongering, it’s not a ministry—it’s a business model.

RELATIONAL REPAIR

Apologize to Everyone You Told

This includes:

  • Family members you condescendingly warned
  • Your church small group
  • Your boss (especially if you quit)
  • Your neighbors (double-especially if you gave them all your stuff)
  • Anyone you blocked on social media for “not being ready”

Historical Precedent: When Harold Camping’s prediction failed, he retreated to a motel with his wife, later admitting, “If people want me to apologize, I can apologize.” He died in 2013, but the apologies couldn’t undo the financial and relational devastation.

Pro Tip: A sincere “I was wrong” goes a long way. Try it! It’s surprisingly freeing.

Check on Your Pets

Did you… did you really euthanize Fluffy because you thought she’d suffer during the tribulation?

We can’t help you with this one. We’re so sorry.

Historical Precedent: Some of William Miller’s Millerite followers in 1844 made similar tragic decisions, certain the end would come on October 22. The resulting “Great Disappointment” was named appropriately.

Pro Tip: Your pets are part of God’s creation too. They’ll be fine.

Reconnect with Your Church Community

Remember when you stopped attending your home church because they “weren’t taking the end times seriously enough”? Time to humbly return to the fellowship that tried to warn you.

But what if your ENTIRE church fell for it?

If your whole congregation got swept up in the rapture mania, that’s a much bigger problem—and you’re probably not alone in feeling betrayed, confused, or spiritually homeless right now.

Historical Precedent: After the Great Disappointment of 1844, Millerite churches experienced public backlash—some were burned or vandalized, and one congregation in Canada was tar and feathered. Many disillusioned believers fell away from faith completely, while others sheepishly returned to their previous churches.

More recently, a Ugandan church went viral in September 2025 for their ecstatic frenzy as they waited for the rapture in a nearby forest. When nothing happened, an entire congregation had to collectively process the failure of their leaders’ teaching.

If your church leadership led you astray, consider:

1. Evaluate the Response

  • Did your pastor/leadership immediately acknowledge the error and apologize?
  • Or are they making excuses, revising dates, or doubling down?
  • A humble “we were wrong” is a sign of healthy leadership. Defensiveness is a red flag.

2. Ask the Hard Questions

  • How did this happen? What safeguards failed?
  • Who challenged this teaching, and were they silenced?
  • Is the leadership willing to study Scripture more carefully going forward?
  • Will they commit to avoiding date-setting in the future?

3. Decide Whether to Stay or Go

  • If leadership repents and commits to better biblical teaching: Consider staying and rebuilding together.
  • If leadership refuses accountability or continues sensationalist teaching: It may be time to find a healthier church home.
  • If the entire church culture is built on end-times speculation and fear: You probably need a fresh start.

4. Find a Church That Teaches the Whole Bible Look for a church that:

  • Preaches through entire books of the Bible, not just favorite prophecy passages
  • Has accountability structures and doesn’t revolve around one charismatic leader
  • Values historical Christian teaching, not just novel interpretations
  • Encourages questions rather than demanding blind loyalty
  • Focuses on discipleship, not just eschatology

Pro Tip: A healthy church will welcome your questions and doubts after this experience. An unhealthy one will make you feel guilty for having them. Choose wisely.

SPIRITUAL RESET

Update Your Social Media

Time to delete those “See you in heaven!” posts and the countdown timers. Maybe change your bio from “Ready for the Rapture!” back to something less… specific.

Historical Precedent: RaptureTok 2025 created millions of TikTok videos about the September 23-24 rapture based on South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela’s vision. When the date passed, the internet receipts remained. Forever.

Pro Tip: Screenshots are eternal. Think before you post prophetic certainty.

Actually Read Your Bible This Time

Not through the lens of YouTube prophecy teachers, blood moon theories, or mystical mathematical calculations. Just… read it. Especially the parts about humility, testing everything, and no one knowing the day or hour.

Start with Acts 17:11: “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

Historical Precedent: Literally every failed prediction in history stemmed from misreading Scripture, taking verses out of context, elaborate mathematical calculations, or “newspaper exegesis” that ties modern events to ancient prophecies.

Pro Tip: If your prophetic interpretation requires a calculator, a lunar calendar, and a conspiracy theory about global elites, you might be doing it wrong.

Join a Support Group

You’re not alone. There are literally millions of people throughout 2,000 years of church history who have experienced rapture prediction disappointment. Some helpful groups include:

  • “Exvangelicals” who experienced rapture anxiety as children
  • People recovering from religious trauma syndrome
  • Anyone who survived Y2K hysteria, blood moon predictions, or Mayan calendar panic

Historical Precedent: The Great Disappointment of 1844 was so traumatic that researchers have documented its psychological effects across generations. Modern psychologists now recognize “rapture anxiety” as a legitimate form of religious trauma, with symptoms including PTSD, panic attacks, and hypervigilance.

After Harold Camping’s failed 2011 prediction, clinical social workers reported clients who were “very dysregulated, very distressed, hypervigilant, fearing that this is the end times.”

Pro Tip: Therapy is good. Trauma is real. Get help if you need it.

Find a Theologically Sound Teacher

If you’re genuinely interested in understanding biblical prophecy, find teachers who:

  • Prioritize historical and literary context over sensationalism
  • Acknowledge mystery and say “I don’t know” when appropriate
  • Don’t claim special revelation or insider knowledge
  • Study Scripture seriously rather than cherry-picking verses
  • Focus on living faithfully rather than date-setting

Historical Precedent: From early church fathers to modern televangelists, bad teachers have led millions astray with confident predictions. Meanwhile, sound biblical scholars have consistently warned against date-setting for 2,000 years.

Pro Tip: Check out resources like Prophecy Course that teach prophecy with humility, context, and caution rather than charts, calculations, and certainty.

PRACTICAL WISDOM

Raid Your “Left Behind” Survival Stash

All those canned goods, water bottles, Bibles, and laminated instruction cards you stockpiled for your unsaved loved ones? Guess what—they’re yours again! Silver lining: you’re well-prepared for the next hurricane.

Historical Precedent: Before Harold Camping’s 2011 prediction, followers prepared laminated notecards detailing their beliefs, wrote letters to remaining loved ones, and purchased dozens of Bibles from the dollar store. Some prepared canned foods and survival gear for family members who would be “left behind.”

Pro Tip: Donate the extra Bibles to a prison ministry. They’ll actually be used.

Learn from History (Please)

Here’s a condensed timeline of epic rapture failures to remind you this isn’t new:

  • 500 AD: Early church fathers (wrong)
  • 1000 AD: Pope Sylvester II (wrong)
  • 1284 AD: Pope Innocent III (wrong)
  • 1524 AD: London astrologers cause 20,000 to flee to higher ground (wrong)
  • 1844 AD: William Miller and the Great Disappointment (wrong)
  • 1910 AD: Halley’s Comet apocalypse (wrong)
  • 1918, 1941, 1975: Jehovah’s Witnesses (wrong, wrong, wrong)
  • 1982: Pat Robertson (wrong)
  • 1988: Edgar Whisenant’s “88 Reasons” (wrong)
  • 1994, 2011: Harold Camping (wrong, then wrong again)
  • 2011, 2014-15: Blood moon prophecies (wrong)
  • 2012: Mayan calendar (wrong)
  • 2020: Pandemic rapture predictions (wrong)
  • September 2025: RaptureTok (wrong)

Notice a pattern? 100% failure rate.

Historical Precedent: All of them. Every single one. Two thousand years of confident predictions. Two thousand years of being completely wrong.

Pro Tip: When someone says “This time it’s different,” remember: that’s what they ALL said.

How to Spot the Next Rapture Scam

Before you get caught up in the next viral rapture prediction, watch for these red flags:

? Claims secret knowledge or special revelation ? Uses elaborate mathematical calculations ? Ties ancient prophecy to today’s news headlines ? Requires financial commitment or donations ? Creates urgency and fear rather than hope ? Discourages questioning or testing their claims ? Has backup dates ready when the first fails ? Insists “this time is different” from all previous failures ? Attacks anyone who expresses doubt or caution ? Isolates followers from their church communities

Historical Precedent: Every single failed prediction in history exhibited multiple items from this list.

Pro Tip: If it sounds too certain, it’s probably too wrong.

What Should You Actually Do?

Instead of date-setting, try this radical approach:

  1. Live faithfully as if Jesus could return today—or in 1,000 years
  2. Love your neighbor (even the ones you gave your furniture to)
  3. Study Scripture in context, with humility
  4. Serve the Church instead of scaring it
  5. Trust God’s timing instead of your calculations

Remember what Jesus actually said: “It is not for you to know times or dates which the Father has fixed by His own authority” (Acts 1:7).

Final Thought

Missing the rapture isn’t the end of the world.

But repeatedly predicting it—and being wrong every time—does damage to the witness of the Church, traumatizes believers (especially children), and makes Christianity look foolish to a watching world.

So next time someone posts a confident rapture date on social media, maybe just scroll past. Better yet, send them this article.

After all, as the Mayans taught us: If you don’t finish something, it’s not really the end of the world.

This article is written with humor, but the pain behind failed rapture predictions is real. If you or someone you love has experienced trauma from apocalyptic date-setting—whether financial loss, broken relationships, or lasting anxiety—please know that recovery is possible. The damage done by these false predictions can be profound, affecting faith, mental health, and trust in Christian community. Seek help from a trauma-informed counselor, reconnect with a grace-filled church family, and remember: God’s love for you isn’t dependent on getting prophecy right. Healing takes time, and you don’t have to walk that path alone.

For a deeper dive into prophetic failures throughout history, see Prophecy Course Session 3: You’re Probably Wrong

The Day of the Lord (Abridged)

Matthew Schoenherr
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The Day of the Lord (Abridged)

“The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven…”

Sounds like the end of the world, right?

What if I told you this “cosmic collapse” language appears throughout the Bible—and it’s not actually about the literal end times?

The Pattern

When God judges nations in the Old Testament, He uses dramatic deconstruction language. Consider Babylon’s judgment, foretold in Isaiah 13:9-10:

“The stars of heaven will not give their light… the sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not shed its light.”

Later, Edom’s day of the Lord judgment is declared in Isaiah 34:4:

“All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll… all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.”

And then there’s Egypt’s judgment in Ezekiel 32:7-8:

“I will cover the heavens and darken their stars… all the bright lights in the heavens I will darken over you.”

These are just a few of the examples in the Old Testament. This is poetic judgment language! NOT cosmic collapse!

Understanding the Style

Think of it like poetry or political cartoons:

  • Mountains represent kingdoms and governments.
  • The sun, moon and stars represent the ruling class and authorities.
  • Earthquakes denote political upheaval.
  • And darkness declares judgment and chaos has come.

When Babylon fell in 539 BC, the stars didn’t literally fall.

When Rome destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, the sun kept shining.

But God’s judgment was real in both cases.

Jesus Uses the Same Language

In Matthew 24, 29, Jesus said, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven…”

Here, Jesus is speaking about Jerusalem’s judgment in 70 AD using the same prophetic language the Old Testament prophets used for other national judgments.

In Matthew 24, 34, Jesus said, “This generation will not pass away…” and He was right. Jesus prophesied this judgment between 30 and 33 AD, and sure enough, one biblical generation later (as in, within 40 years), Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD by Roman legions under Titus Vespasian.

Key Take-Aways

Prophetic judgment language in Scripture is:

  • Symbolic: It uses cosmic or heavenly imagery in forecasting earthly events.
  • Consistent: These same patterns are seen again and again throughout the Bible.
  • Fulfilled: When understood properly, we find many prophecies we might imagine are looming right around the corner, in our near future, have already been completed historically.
  • And powerful: Understanding this language gives us a larger view of God’s sovereignty over the nations.

WARNING! Missing this “day of the Lord” pattern leads to endless speculation about future cosmic catastrophes that have already been fulfilled!

Understanding judgment language transforms how you read prophecy.

The Bible’s judgment language isn’t meant to confuse us… it’s meant to show us God’s faithfulness to His promises throughout history.

Want to learn more about prophetic patterns and judgments? Turn to the Prophecy Course, for biblical prophecy made clear.

Remember: It’s the TRUTH, that sets you free.

Prophecy Course. Bible prophecy made clear. (https://prophecycourse.org/)

// SEE THE FULL LESSON
https://prophecycourse.org/session/more/day-of-the-lord/

Prophecy Course Bible study

Introducing Christianity to the Jews

Bill Alderson
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Introducing Christianity to the Jews

I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build My church [ekklesia – called out ones], and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:18-19) 

Jesus’s public ministry began at His baptism, followed immediately by His temptation in the wilderness. While still ministering in Galilee, He introduced the principle of kingdom life, proper behavior in the kingdom of heaven. It meant a radical change in the laws given at Sinai, those commandments that focused on the public activities of the believer. The Sermon on the Mount was intended to focus attention on the private, inward life. In the beginning, Jesus centered on the inward convictions that would result in blessings of the kingdom.

In the above passage, Jesus told Peter that he would be the one given the keys to the kingdom of heaven to introduce the church age at Pentecost. The church would define the spiritual kingdom Jesus came to proclaim, empowered by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, who would guide the believer into all the truth (John 16:13). The church would represent whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. When Jesus gave this power to the apostles, he meant that whatever they forbade in the church should have divine authority; whatever they permitted or commanded should also have divine authority, that is, should be bound or loosed in heaven. Believers would be guided in the church by the Holy Spirit and the truth of the teaching of Christ.

Raised from the Dead

“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men [Romans] and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. (Acts 2:22-24)

Just as Peter had stood up among the 120 in the upper room in Acts 1:15, waiting for Pentecost after Jesus’s ascension, Peter is now proclaiming to the large gathering in Jerusalem the fulfillment of prophecies of the Messiah’s death and resurrection. Jesus had proven His identity through many signs and wonders performed in the midst of many. His life was the fulfillment of the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. He had demonstrated this plan by overcoming death. In Hebrews 2:9, But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. His victory over death was not just for Him but for everyone. He was providing deliverance to believers who, through fear of death, were subject to slavery all their lives (Hebrews 2:15).

Return to Your Rest

The cords of death [mawet – death occurring by both natural and violent means] encompassed me, and the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I beseech You, save my life!” Gracious is the Lord and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For You have rescued my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living. I believed when I said, “I am greatly afflicted.” I said in my alarm, “All men are liars.” (Psalm 116:3-11)

We are not sure who wrote the above psalm, but it expresses praise and service to God because the author had been delivered from impending death and his days had been lengthened out upon the earth. King David wrote many Psalms (i.e., Psalms 18, 22, and 38) about his fears of death, asking God for deliverance and reminding himself that the Lord has dealt bountifully with my soul. Many are prophetic of the coming Messiah and the rest He will bring from all enemies, including death itself. When the writer says, I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living, he was speaking of a total belief that he would live before the Lord, as in his presence, in his service, and enjoying communion with Him. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

The Jewish mindset at the time of Jesus was a weariness of being controlled by other countries, some more severe than others. There had been 400 years of silence, no prophet speaking to the people since their return from Babylonian captivity. They were tired of having to submit themselves to rulers who sometimes did not allow them to freely worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Old Testament gave many prophesies of the coming Messiah who would establish His kingdom and His rule. However, they had no concept that Messiah would come twice or that He would die for the sins of the world.

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

On that day, some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him, asking, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘IF A MAN DIES HAVING NO CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER AS NEXT OF KIN SHALL MARRY HIS WIFE, AND RAISE UP CHILDREN FOR HIS BROTHER.’ Now there were seven brothers with us, and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother; so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. Last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.” But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven. But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’? [Exodus 3:6]. He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching. (Matthew 22:23-33)

Jesus made it a point to quote a Scripture from the five books of Moses since the Sadducees only recognized Moses’ writings as authority. There were other verses He could have quoted. It was because all classes regarded the Pentateuch as the fundamental source of the Hebrew religion and all the succeeding books of the Old Testament as developments of it. Our Lord would show that even there, the doctrine of the Resurrection was taught. He selected this passage as being not a bare annunciation of the doctrine in question but as expressive of that glorious truth out of which the Resurrection springs. The Resurrection means that, although physically dead, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are alive and well, living in the presence of the Almighty.

Introducing the Holy Spirit

“Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY [Psalm 16:10]. This Jesus, God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.” (Acts 2:29-33)

In John 7:37-39, Jesus referenced the Holy Spirit on the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles, or Shemini Atzeret, in Jerusalem when He said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’’ John tells us in Verse 39 that Jesus spoke about the Holy Spirit, whom those who believed in Him would receive. The Spirit would come after Jesus was glorified. “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you, but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).

The Right Hand of the Lord

The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly. I will not die but live and tell of the works of the Lord. The Lord has disciplined me severely, but He has not given me over to death. Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous will enter through it. I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation. (Psalm 118:15-21)

When Peter confirms that Jesus had been exalted to the right hand of God, he is speaking of the full approval and authority of God, that Jesus has been given full authority to bring victory over sin and death. “Your right hand, O Lord, is majestic in power, Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy” (Exodus 15:6). David recognized that his consistency was directly related to his willingness to set the Lord continually before his face because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken (Psalm 16:8). The right hand of God represents the manifestation of God’s power to fulfill all of His promises. The Holy Spirit symbolizes the right hand of God within each believer.

Repent and Be Baptized

Therefore, let all the house of Israel [both northern and southern kingdoms] know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now, when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart [katanusso – deeply moved] and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent [metanoeo – change the mind, implies pious sorrow for unbelief and a turning to God], and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:36-38)

Peter’s declaration of the Lordship of Christ was a call to action on behalf of those who heard Peter speak since they were deeply moved. Peter defined that response as repent and be baptized. According to Robertson’s Word Pictures, metanoeesate, first aorist active imperative means. “Change your mind and your life.” “Turn right around, and do it now.”  “You crucified this Jesus. Now crown him in your hearts as Lord and Christ.” “And let each one of you be baptized.”  Note the change of grammatical number from plural to singular and the change of person from second person to third person. This change marks a break in the thought here that the English translation is not preserved. The first thing to do is make a radical and complete change of heart and life. Then let EACH ONE be baptized after this change has taken place, and the act of baptism be performed “in the name of Jesus Christ.”

Knowing Him

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing [gno sis – knowledge by experience rather than intuition] Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law [self-righteousness], but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8-11)

The Apostle Paul, a former devout Pharisee, recognizes in the above passage that the real treasure of this relationship “in Christ” is the experience of knowing Him beyond the Law of Moses he had previously treasured. The Law was the avenue that allowed him to succeed as a Pharisee and Jewish leader since he could perform to earn recognition. He understood that all his abilities and accomplishments through the Law were rubbish and an impediment to knowing Jesus Christ as Lord. This word gnosis emphasizes understanding rather than sensory perception and embraces every organ and mode of knowledge (i.e., seeing, hearing, experience, etc.). This type of knowledge implies verification by the eye or other objective observation. Ultimately, it speaks of the deepest kind of relationship, a connection to the righteousness that comes from God based on faith.

Out of Faith into Faith

Paul further explains in Romans 4:4-5 that the righteousness of God cannot be earned but must be received as a gift based on faith. Now, to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor but as what is due. But to the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. God justifies or declares the believer righteous; man’s role is to accept God’s standards of living. God’s righteousness produces a life defined by integrity and blameless conduct. According to Romans 1:17, For in it [the gospel], the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” The original Greek could be better translated as “by or out of faith into faith.”  When the believer exercises his faith in a given situation, it leads to another opportunity to trust God.

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)

Lord of the Heart

Bill Alderson
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Lord of the Heart

As Scripture testifies in Matthew 2:2, the magi came from the east looking for the Messiah by saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” This occurred at a time when the prophecy of Daniel 9:25-27 was creating an expectation of Messiah’s imminent coming within Judaism and beyond (i.e., Herod). Both John the Baptist and Jesus Himself declared: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The idea that Messiah was to be a king and take charge of the existing government on behalf of the Jewish nation was a common understanding among the Jewish masses, and this paradigm became a theme of his entire public ministry.

The Kingdom Inside

The Pharisees ask Jesus about the kingdom of God in Luke 17:20-21, and His response is enlightening. He tells them that the kingdom cannot be recognized by physical signs that are observable but that the kingdom is “in your midst.” The Greek word entos literally means inside; Jesus was introducing the concept that the kingdom of God is a reality that exists inside each one who recognizes the king and is, therefore, of the truth. The Pharisees were never able to grasp this principle. In John 18:36, Jesus told Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

This “spiritual” kingdom would require a brand new approach to God’s laws. Instead of the old covenant, the Law of Moses, written on tablets of stone, the new covenant specifies that God’s laws are written on the believer’s heart (Hebrews 8:10). Instead of Jewish leaders enforcing these laws, externally, the Holy Spirit would be the administrator, from the inside. John 16:8-11 tells the story:

And He, when He [the Holy Spirit] comes, will convict [elegcho – convince, persuade, shown to be wrong] the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

Without Partiality

One of the weaknesses of the old covenant form of justice is the way the laws are enforced. At least fifteen verses throughout the Scriptures establish that God is no respecter of persons, that he shows no partiality, no favoritism to anyone in relation to His justice. Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality” (Acts 10:34). Yet the woman caught in the act of adultery was brought before Jesus alone (John 8:3) while the Law of Moses (Leviticus 20:10) requires that both participants are subject to death. The Holy Spirit convicts the whole world without partiality; the law of God restores the soul when applied perfectly (Psalm 19:7).

Jesus’s public ministry began at His baptism, followed immediately by His temptation in the wilderness. While still ministering in Galilee, He introduced the principle of kingdom life, proper behavior in the kingdom of heaven. It meant a radical change in the laws given at Sinai, those commandments that focused on the public activities of the believer. The Sermon on the Mount was intended to focus attention on the private, inward life. In the beginning, Jesus centered on the inward convictions that would result in blessings of the kingdom. Each of these blessings is associated with a godly, internal condition that occupies itself with the Father’s attitudes.

The Beatitudes

“Blessed are the poor [ptoechos – cower like a beggar, utter helplessness] in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” “Blessed are those who mourn [lament, grieve], for they shall be comforted.” “Blessed are the gentle [kind], for they shall inherit the earth.” “Blessed are those who hunger [starved] and thirst [desire ardently] for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” “Blessed are the merciful [compassionate], for they shall receive mercy.” “Blessed are the pure [sincere, transparent] in heart, for they shall see God.” “Blessed are the peacemakers [bringing peace to others], for they shall be called sons of God.” “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.” (Matthew 5:3-11)

In each one of these blessings, the inward condition produces the blessing and defines any resulting activity. Kindness of heart (toward others) results in the believer inheriting the earth.  Kingdom life is an inward experience that produces a quality of life that may not be possible under a religious system such as the old covenant. When the heart is not fully engaged in the relationship with God, ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN ‘” (Matthew 15:8-9).  The purity of the Word of God alone is not enough to keep the people in line, as is evidenced by the Old Testament history of the Jews.

“But I Say to You”

“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. (Matthew 5:21-22)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you, for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you, for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. (Matthew 5:27-30)

The Ten Commandments specifically addressed outward actions and the believer’s accountability. At the same time, Jesus says that kingdom behavior takes the law to another level by addressing the heart motive behind the action. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God (Romans 2:29). This higher standard is only attainable through the power of the Holy Spirit and not by living under the rule of the Commandments. Paul restates this principle in Titus 2:11-12 when he said For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age. It is the grace of God that teaches us to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age.

Practicing Righteousness

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise, you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So, when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4)

The entire chapter addresses the principle of the outward, public life versus the inward, secret life. Jesus mentions not only giving but also prayer, forgiveness, fasting, and wealth and the importance of the godliness of the heart motives behind each activity. “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words (Verse 7). Practicing righteous activities publicly makes it self-righteousness; there is no reward since God gets no glory. “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Verse 14). The right heart attitude always produces a godly result. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal (Verse 20).

Jesus summarizes the chapter in verses 22-23 when He says, “The eye is the lamp of the body; so, then, if your eye is clear [haploos – seeing things as they are, no distortions], your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad [poneros – evil, lack of character], your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! The eye speaks of the attitude of the heart. When the heart is properly engaged with God, then understanding will be without distortion.

A Spiritual Mind

For as he [a man] thinks within himself, so he is. (Proverbs 23:7)

Man’s experience as a member of the human race includes both a public persona and a private, personal life measured by his thoughts and motives. To most of the world, we are known by our public persona, activities that define our outward life, but only a few know the person of the heart, the inward life defined by his thoughts. According to Paul in Romans 8:5-6, For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. This life and peace principle is referenced in Malachi 2:5 regarding Levi: “My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name. The heart of this mindset is a reverence for God.

By Their Fruits

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:15-20)

The Lord of the Heart is responsible for making the believer’s heart as He desires so that each new covenant believer who takes his relationship with God seriously is progressively being conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). Fruitfulness in the life of the kingdom believer is the result of the quality of the inner life, a byproduct of the renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). A good tree cannot produce bad fruit. The Lord of the Heart is always at work to create a godly character in each believer. I am the vine; you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5).

On a Rock

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

Jesus concludes this Sermon with the above passage, stating that the kingdom believer is not subject to the same swings of life as non-believers since he acts on the Word of God. The purity of God’s Word and sound doctrine will always produce good fruit. It is the firm foundation, Christ being the chief cornerstone, that becomes the framework for consistency in a believer’s walk. In 1 Corinthians 10:4, Christ is the rock!

A Man After God’s Heart

King David may be a perfect example of a kingdom believer. According to Acts 13:22, he was a man after God’s heart. Psalm 78:70-72 says, He also chose David, His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; from the care of the ewes with suckling lambs, He brought him to shepherd Jacob, His people, and Israel, His inheritance. So, he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them with his skillful hands. David demonstrated God’s heart in the way he shepherded God’s people according to the integrity of his heart. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.

Innocent Until Proven Guilty

The Jewish leadership was always making judgments of others simply on the basis of outward appearance without regard to their motives. They consistently characterized these individuals using the idiom “publicans and sinners.”

In Matthew 9:10-11 Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” The entire American justice system, inspired by the Old Testament Scriptures, is predicated on the principle of innocence until proven guilty. According to Wikipedia:

The presumption of innocence is a legal principle that every person accused of any crime is considered innocent until proven guilty. Under the presumption of innocence, the legal burden of proof is thus on the prosecution, which must present compelling evidence to the trier of fact (a judge or a jury). If the prosecution does not prove the charges true, then the person is acquitted of the charges. The prosecution must, in most cases, prove that the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If reasonable doubt remains, the accused must be acquitted. The opposite system is a presumption of guilt. Emperor Antoninus Pius introduced it in Roman criminal law (138-163 AD).

This is often expressed in the phrase “presumed innocent until proven guilty,” coined by the British barrister Sir William Garrow (1760–1840) during a 1791 trial at the Old Bailey. Garrow insisted that accusers be robustly tested in court. An objective observer in the position of the juror must reasonably conclude that the defendant almost certainly committed the crime.

The Lord of the Heart, the Holy Spirit, is responsible for regulating and administering the laws of God to each kingdom believer since he knows the motives of the heart. The church is charged with the task of dealing with outward sin so that the body of Christ is not infected with the sins of others, as Paul addressed Corinth in 1 Corinthians 5:6: Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? The church should never be lulled into thinking that its understanding of Scripture allows church leaders to make judgments against others without a complete investigation of circumstances. Jesus stated in the Sermon on the Mount:

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged, and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, 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. (Matthew 7:1-5)

Church leaders have a special responsibility before God (Hebrews 13:17) to not judge on appearance. The enemy uses this error to destroy people’s lives without good cause.

Christ Formed in You

Bill Alderson
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Christ Formed in You

My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed [morpho-to fashion] in you. (Galatians 4:19)

We believe the Apostle Paul wrote this his first letter, around 48 AD, to address the churches located in Galatia, established in his first missionary journey. These churches became representative of the transition required to bring old-covenant Jews into a new covenant relationship with God since questions were raised about the role of the Law of Moses within this new relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. A council would be held in Jerusalem, led by the Apostle James, to determine this matter for all of Christianity, particularly for Gentiles (see Acts 15). In Verses 19-21, James concludes:

“Therefore, it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

Having been a dedicated Pharisee before his salvation, Paul understood that many things had to change in his thinking, including his understanding of the Old Testament Scriptures, to bring believers in Jesus, whether Jews or Gentiles, into an experience with the risen Lord. He describes this process in Galatians 4:19 above as likened to a mother in the throes of birth pangs. A little child needs to mature until the very image of Christ is impressed upon his heart. The Greek word is used of artists who shape their material into an image. Paul longed for these believers to be transformed into the image of Christ. It describes the Christian life as a kind of reincarnation of Christ in a believer’s life. This is God’s ideal and purpose: for Christ to live His life in and through each believer.

Conformed to His Image

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed [summorphos – formed together with] to the image of His Son so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:28-29)

When Paul mentions being called according to His purpose, he defines foreknowledge as not just that God foreknows what believers will do but that God foreknows them. According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary:

This eternal choice and foreknowledge involves more than establishing a relationship between God and believers. It also involves the goal or end of that relationship: Those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. The entire group is brought into a relationship with God in His eternal plan by divine foreknowledge, and choice is predestined. God determined the believers’ destiny beforehand, namely, conformity to the image of Jesus Christ. By all saints being made like Christ (ultimate and complete sanctification), Christ will be exalted as the Firstborn among many brothers. The resurrected and glorified Lord Jesus Christ will become the Head of a new race of humanity, purified from all contact with sin and prepared to live eternally in His presence. As the “Firstborn,” He is in the highest position among others.

What the Law Could Not Do

The emphasis of the formation process is on what has been done before the foundation of the world and through the work of God, particularly the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). The Law of Moses is not part of the equation. As Romans 8:1-5 states:

Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in [union with] Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus [life-giving law of the Spirit through Christ Jesus – Goodspeed] has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh [hampered by human limitations], God did, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh [through the humanity of Christ] so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit [on a spiritual plane]. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on [phroneo – mindful of or devoted to, involving the will, affections, and conscience] the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-5)

Paul perceives life in Christ as being on a spiritual plane rather than a religious one, so this quality of life is not limited to man’s humanity but depends on and is submitted to the ability of the Holy Spirit. It is a life that can first be defined as without any condemnatory judgment, contrasting dikaíoma (righteousness), the right given to the believer as a result of his acknowledgment of the lordship of God in his life (Zodhiates). That right is represented by the life-giving law of the Spirit of life in Christ, superior to the law of sin and death. The Law of Moses could never accomplish this reality since fulfilling it was dependent on humanity’s limited ability.

Born of the Spirit

Verse 5 above emphasizes spiritual life as a mindset that occupies the will, affections, and conscience, as well as a devotion to that which is spiritual and originates with the Holy Spirit. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:6). Paul further explains that the true Jew is not that which is on the outside but from the heart, by the Holy Spirit and not by the letter of the Law (Romans 2:29). Circumcision of the heart fulfills “the spirit” of God’s Law instead of mere outward conformity to the Law. Some Jews followed the Law’s regulation outwardly, but their hearts were far from God (Isaiah 29:13). A circumcised heart is one that is “separated” from the world and dedicated to God.

But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:6)

who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:6)

for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. (Philippians 3:3)

The effect of the letter of the Law was merely to produce condemnation, a sense of guilt and danger, and not pardon, relief, or joy. The Law denounced death and condemned sin in all forms. On the other hand, the newness of the Spirit produces eternal life, not dependent on the physical, but a quality of life that is truly supernatural. Instead of boasting about human accomplishments, as the Judaizers and Jews did, a child of God glories in Christ Jesus alone. The Law of Moses is replaced in the believer’s life by the person of Jesus Christ and manifested through the Holy Spirit. The development of the spiritual life is directly related to a willingness to be led by God. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons [not children] of God (Romans 8:14).

Confidence in Christ

I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake. For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. 8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, yet for love’s sake, I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment. (Philemon 4-10)

One picture of this spiritual life is in Paul’s letter to Philemon. His name means “affectionate,” he was from Colosse and owed his conversion to the Christian faith to the apostle Paul. They became devoted friends; Paul referred to Philemon as a “beloved and fellow laborer in the faith.” Paul wrote to his friend in 61 AD from Rome while imprisoned. Philemon had a slave named Onesimus, who had most likely robbed Philemon and escaped to Rome. Somewhere along the way, Onesimus became a believer and was befriended by Paul. Paul sent both the Epistle and Onesimus back to Colosse. He requested that Philemon forgive and receive Onesimus not as a slave but as a brother (Verse 16). Paul also stated that he was willing to pay any damages caused by Onesimus.

In his letter, Paul expresses not only the intimate connection he had with Philemon but also Philemon’s impressive love for God and God’s people. Paul was so enamored with Philemon’s faith that he did not use his stature to order Philemon to forgive Onesimus and accept him as a brother in the faith. We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brethren (1 John 3:14). Paul was confident that Philemon would accept his appeal as a devoted friend. Philemon had found life in the Holy Spirit, which would allow him to forgive.

Weightier Provisions

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected [deserted] the weightier provisions [barus – having great importance, severe] of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness [sincerity, integrity]; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting [overlooking] the others. (Matthew 23:23)

This was the fifth of the eight woes Jesus issued to the scribes and Pharisees, covered in chapter 23. He identified a hierarchy of religious issues and refers to them as the weightier provisions of the law, identified as justice and mercy and faithfulness (sincerity, integrity). The Jewish leadership were majoring on minors, straining out a gnat, while minoring on majors, swallowing a camel. Jesus most likely had Micah 6:8 on His mind when making this statement: He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require [darash – seek, inquire, require] of you but to do justice [bring justice to those who have experienced injustice], to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? These issues represent the heart of a pure relationship with God by His Spirit, in Christ.

to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)

Peace with God

Bill Alderson
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1
Peace with God

Therefore, having been justified [aorist passive participle – declared righteous] by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)

The above verse tells us that the true believer, the one who has been declared righteous by faith is intended by God to live in peace. The Greek word translated as peace is eirene and it has multiple meanings and applications. The primary meaning is that which is the opposite of war. It can mean harmony between individuals. Another meaning might be tranquility, a state of peace. It also has the sense of health, welfare or prosperity, every kind of good. We can also understand eirene in light of the Hebrew word shalom which stands for wholeness, soundness, hence health, well-being, or prosperity. It is through our Lord [Kurios – master, supreme, sovereign one] Jesus [Iesous – God saves] Christ [Christos – anointed one, Messiah] that this peace comes to him. Peace and all of its implications is experienced by the one who recognizes Him as Lord, Savior and Messiah.

Imputed Righteousness

The doctrine of justification [dikaiosis] is addressed most completely by Paul in his letters. In Romans 4, he ties the doctrine directly to Abraham and his willingness to trust God in spite of impossible situations. In Genesis 15:6, Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. Romans 4:4-5 reveals that any payment for work is considered a wage, but to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited [logizomai – counted, imputed] as righteousness. This righteousness means that the believer is perfect in his position (state), but faith exercised in the details of life determines his experience. In Romans 1:17, For in it [the gospel – Jesus paid the full price], the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” The believer is accepted into a perfect relationship with God by faith. He then realizes the Lord’s righteousness each time he exercises faith in the Lord. It is not dependent on keeping the Law of Moses.

I will hear what God the Lord will say, for He will speak peace [shalom –peace, tranquility, wholeness] to His people, to His godly ones; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. (Psalm 85:8-10)

Peace Fulfilled

The above passage is an Old Testament reference to the coming new covenant in Christ, where the attributes of the new birth come together in a spiritual connection to God’s perfect justice. It anticipates the Messiah’s arrival and His mighty accomplishments at Calvary. According to John Gill’s Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, when righteousness and peace kiss each other:

Righteousness may intend the essential justice of God, which will not admit of the pardon and justification of a sinner, without a satisfaction; wherefore Christ was set forth to be the propitiation for sin, to declare and manifest the righteousness of God, his strict justice; that he might be just, and appear to be so, when he is the justifier of him that believes in Jesus [Romans 3:25-26].

Righteousness and peace or prosperity, these two inseparable brothers, kiss each other there, and fall lovingly into each other’s arms (Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament). Justification provides the environment where peace with God is fulfilled. According to the Jewish tradition, there are three symbols for peace: the river, the bird, and the kettle:

Three Symbols

A river was traditionally used as a means of connection between one town and another. It was a way for people to do business with each other and meet one another. A river is also, of course, a source of life for people, their livestock, and their crops.

A bird makes its home on land but can fly high up in the sky. It lives in both heaven and earth as it travels between the two.

The kettle takes two opposing forces and brings them together to create something good. Fire wants to boil away water; water seeks to extinguish a fire. However, when a kettle comes between them, both thrive and together they create a substance that contributes to mankind.

What we learn from all three symbols is that peace does not mean sameness. The two towns do not merge. They share a river. Heaven and earth, the spiritual and material worlds, are harmonized within the bird who lives in both, yet they remain two separate realms. Finally, water and fire reach their higher purpose so long as they remain separated by the kettle.

Jesus is our Peace

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR. (Ephesians 2:14-17)

Since peace is manifested in the person of Jesus Christ, its implications go far beyond peace with God. It means that Jesus, a Jew, as the Jewish Messiah, connects the Jew and Gentile into one family by one new man, thus establishing peace, through the cross. Peace is the basis of brotherhood within the Body of Christ since any enmity is abolished in Christ. The tranquility of unity through the Holy Spirit keeps the believer moving forward, pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

Peace, Peace

For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. “For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before Me, and the breath of those whom I have made. “Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid My face and was angry, and he went on turning away, in the way of his heart. “I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and to his mourners, creating the praise of the lips. Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near,” says the Lord, “and I will heal him.” But the wicked are like the tossing sea, for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up refuse and mud. “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” (Isaiah 57:15-21)

The Lord desires his people to experience His peace. As the God of peace (Hebrews 13:20), He draws His people into the pathway of peace, where a forgiving God is always looking to offer His peace to him who is far and to him who is near. Ultimately, the contrite and lowly heart finds the God of peace.

A Zionist Dream

In 1903, Joseph Chamberlain, the British Colonial Secretary, made an offer to Theodore Herzl and his Zionist group. The British were prepared to give the Jews 5,000-square miles in Uganda, Africa to serve as a Jewish homeland. The proposal evoked a fierce debate. On one hand, the land would provide the Jews with a homeland where they would be free to live in peace and protect themselves from danger.

On the other hand, it fell far short of the Zionist dream to return to the ancient homeland of the Jews — Israel. Thankfully, the offer was declined because the land was deemed unsuitable. However, the question remained: Even though the historical homeland of the Jews is Israel, does it really matter where the Jewish homeland is today?

There is a peace offered by the world, but it will never measure up to the quality of peace the believer experiences in his relationship with God. “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace [shalom, shalom], because he trusts in You” [Isaiah 26:3]. A perfect peace, in Hebrew shalom, shalom, is the Lord’s heart toward all His people, Jew or Gentile. Peace, I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful (John 14:27).

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