According to Worldometer [1], the world’s religious population consists of 31% Christians, 23% Muslims, 16% unaffiliated, 15% Hindus, 7% Buddhists, 6% Folk religions, 1% other religions, and 0.2% Judaism. Apart from the unaffiliated, who comprise atheists and other non-believers in God, the question that arises is, who do all these religions worship? The general sentiment of the world is that we all worship the same God. But is this true?

In John 4, Jesus has an interesting conversation with a woman described as a Samaritan woman, which I believe addresses the question of worship. Several issues were raised in the conversation, but of utmost interest in this article is the object of worship: Who do we worship?

In John 4:20-26, the focal point unmistakably revolves around worship, emphasised by the deliberate repetition of the term. Notably, verse 23 contains three instances of it, while verses 20, 22, and 24 each feature two occurrences, with one more mention in verse 21. Thus, clarifying the concept is essential. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Worship is defined as:

1. To honor or show reverence for a divine being or supernatural power,
2. To regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion
3. To perform or take part in worship or an act of worship.

From the definition, we observe that worship has an object—it is directed towards something or someone. The question is, to whom? Again, the general idea is that all ways lead to God. But Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan shatters this assumption. Worship, Jesus is clear, must be offered to the Father, the only true God. He is the object of our worship (John 4:21-24). The Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) communicates this explicitly:

There is but one only living and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute, working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him; and withal, most just, and terrible in His judgments; hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty. Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and to Him alone: not to angels, saints or any other creature; and since the fall, not without a mediator; nor in the meditation of any other but of Christ alone (WCF 21.1-2)

The myriad religions across the globe serve as a testament to humanity’s innate religious instinct. It seems we cannot exist in a religious void; there is a natural inclination within us to seek out and revere something greater than ourselves.

God’s Self-Revelation

Everyone thinks of God, even though we might not be prepared to admit it. If you haven’t asked these questions already at one point in your life, soon they will be gnawing at you: “is this all there is to life?” “Can there be more to life?” “What is life all about? Why am I on Earth? “What next after this life?

Everyone asks these questions and experiences a void. Only God himself can fill this void. “Our heart is restless until it finds its rest in God”, said Augustine of Hippo. But rather than turning to God, we turn to the wrong places. The joy, however, is that God has not hidden himself from his creation: He has revealed himself to all humankind. He can be known. He can be worshipped. He can be loved.

Christian theology speaks of two ways by which God has revealed himself to humankind, namely, via General Revelation and Special Revelation. General revelation, as the name suggests, is general. It is common knowledge everyone has access to. God has revealed himself in the natural world to everyone; therefore, the apostle Paul writes,

“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:19-20)

Idols Of the Heart

But despite God’s self-revelation, man’s rejection of him continues, leaving us with a wanting soul. We are meant to find our satisfaction only in God. That was the fundamental need of the Samaritan woman in John 4. She was seeking satisfaction in life but in the wrong places: in men and temples. In broken relationships and manmade buildings (John 4:18, 20). She had made idols in her heart. That may ring a bell for us. The list of idols we create in our lives is endless. We are idolaters at heart. We may not bow to graven images explicitly, but are idolaters in our hearts, replacing worshipping God with the pursuit of things. In his Institutes of Christian Religion, John Calvin rightly noted, “the human heart is a perpetual factory of idols.” What this means is that we are constantly producing idols to worship instead of worshipping the true God.

As noted earlier, we innately seek out someone or something to worship. Rather than worshipping the true God, we run to idols. There is an intriguing event in Acts 17, where Paul gets to Athens and, by observation, finds so many idols lined up. As if the plethora of idols were not enough, they had another one with the inscription “To The Unknown God.” The Greeks, as Paul argues in verse 22, were religious. They had a deity for everything: fertility, love, harvest, etc.; it was a Pantheon of gods. Because of their religious nature, they didn’t want to upset any other god they didn’t know. Hence the inscription: “To the unknown god”. And Paul, with evangelistic zeal, seized this opportunity to shift their attention from an unknown god to the one true God:

“What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:23c-27)

God Seeks the Lost

Perhaps, like the Athenians, you may be involved in one form of false religion or another. You may have believed in things which are not true. But the good news is that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10) and now calls all those who have been saved to worship: “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him” (John 4:23). We can only worship a God we know. God has made Himself known. While I mentioned God’s revelation in nature (General Revelation) earlier, it doesn’t fully reveal God to sinners personally. Thus, Christian theology emphasizes God’s Special Revelation in Scripture and, ultimately, in Jesus Christ:

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:4-7)

Inherent in our fallen nature is a reluctance to truly seek God. Scripture articulates this plainly: “There is no one who seeks for God” (Romans 3:10-17). Yet, in stark contrast to our waywardness, God initiates the search for sinners. The core of the Gospel message is that God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to save sinners (John 3:16). The narrative of the Bible is one of a Holy God on a rescue mission – A rescue mission to rescue sinners. God gave his Son—Jesus—to pay for the sins of his people. This brings about reconciliation between God and Man. While nobody bothers seeking God to worship him, God seeks out worshippers. God is seeking to reconcile humanity unto himself.

Worship is fundamentally about reconciliation and communion with God, a reality exclusively found in the person of Jesus Christ. He has made the Father known. There’s no need to ascend mountains; instead, come to Him in faith and discover true rest in Him. Worship Him in spirit and in truth!

Note

1. https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

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One of the cherished hymns in Christian worship is “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty.” This hymn is a melodious tribute to God’s majesty and encapsulates one of Christianity’s core doctrines.

Holy, holy, holy!

Lord God Almighty

Early in the morning

Our song shall rise to Thee

Holy, holy, holy!

Merciful and mighty

God in three persons

Blessed Trinity!

Whenever we sing this hymn, we affirm several truths about God: His holiness, His omnipotence, His mercy, and, crucially, the doctrine of the Trinity:

God in three persons

Blessed Trinity! 

This article aims to unpack the doctrine of the Trinity, a foundational yet often misunderstood aspect of Christian theology. Here’s the approach we’ll take. I will begin by defining the doctrine of the Trinity. Next, we will explore three key aspects: the Oneness of God, the Distinction in Oneness, and the Equality of Distinction in Oneness.

Through God’s self-revelation, He has clearly presented Himself as a Triune God—“Three in One” or “Tri-Unity.” This divine self-revelation compels us to embrace and believe in the doctrine. Let’s start with the definition of the Trinity, as articulated in the Westminster Shorter Catechism:

There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.

Oneness of God

In the definition above, we read, “…and these three are one God.” This line underscores the foundational Christian belief that there is only one God, not three. This concept is pivotal when considering the events of John 5:18-30, where the healing of an invalid by Jesus stirs controversy among the Jews. They challenge the authority of Jesus, especially aggravated by His claim of equality with God by calling God His Father. This assertion—where Jesus says, “The Father and I are working, and that is why I am working,” particularly when He declares Himself Lord over the Sabbath (Mark 2:28)—left no doubt in the minds of the Jews about His divine claims.

Given this strict monotheism that we get from passages like Deuteronomy 6:4-6, the concept of the Trinity may initially appear confounding, leading some to assert that Christians worship three gods or adhere to a purely human-invented doctrine. However, at the very core of Christian faith is the belief in one Divine Essence shared by three co-equal and co-eternal Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is the Godhead (Colossians 2:9), encompassing attributes such as omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience, attributes that only belong to God. This understanding is not a departure into tritheism but establishes the Biblical insight into the true nature of God’s infinite unity. Thus, we affirm that Christians are indeed absolute monotheists, even as we embrace and love the mystery of our Triune God.

Distinction In Oneness

This One God has revealed himself as three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In John Chapter 5, a clear distinction is drawn between “The Father and The Son,” illustrating that while they are one God, they are distinct persons. This distinction is central to understanding the Trinity as each divine Person plays a unique role in accomplishing Redemption.

The relationship between the Father and the Son is profound, as shown when the Father loves the Son and reveals His works to Him (John 5:20). This dynamic underscores that all promises made by God in the Old Testament, pointing to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, were fulfilled in Him. Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life, fulfilling God’s commandments—something none of us could achieve. He came to make substitutionary atonement for our sins, thus redeeming a people for God and reconciling sinners to Him. This is a vital implication of the Trinity: God fulfilled His promise to send a Saviour and Messiah to save His people from their sins (Genesis 3:15).

The Trinity in Creation

The narrative of creation clearly yet subtly hints at the reality of the Trinity. The term “Elohim” used in Genesis 1 is plural, suggesting a multiplicity of persons within the Godhead. During creation, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters,” and God said, “Let there be light,” introducing the Word and the Spirit alongside God (Genesis 1:1-3). John echoes this in his gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Thus, we see God, the Word, and the Spirit actively involved in creation.

Genesis 1:26 states, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” The use of “us” and “our” raises the question: Who was God speaking to? Wayne Grudem argues that this cannot be a plural of majesty or a conversation with angels, as humans were not made in the image of angels, nor do angels share in God’s creative acts. The most convincing explanation is the presence of a plurality of persons in the Godhead.

The Trinity in the New Testament

In the New Testament, the Trinity is fully revealed. God is clearly presented as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The salvation of sinners is a Trinitarian work—by the Father, through the Son, and with the sanctification of the Spirit.

The Father purposed our redemption, the Son died to save us, and the Holy Spirit applies Christ’s work to our hearts for our salvation. When we embrace faith in Christ and are baptised, it is in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, affirming our belief in the Triune God. Whenever we share in the benediction, we affirm this same truth: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14). Furthermore, Peter explains what happens in salvation in Trinitarian language. He says we are saved “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood” (1 Peter 1:2).

Equality In the Godhead

All three persons of the Godhead are equally God. The Father is no more God than the Son or the Holy Spirit. The Westminster Shorter Catechism affirms that the members of the Trinity are same in “substance, equal in power and glory”. We see this in John 5:18: “the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”

Jesus wasn’t speaking of his inability to act. At issue here is his cooperation and unity with the Father in the work of redemption. In the Baptism text quoted earlier, note that we are to” [baptise] them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. Notice that the verse avers that it is ‘in the name of’ (singular) that we are to baptise; it doesn’t say ‘in the names of’ (plural). This tells us that, though distinct, the three persons of the Godhead are equal and united. The Father is God, The Son is God, and The Holy Spirit is God. And the three are One.

Ephesians 4:4-6 affirms:

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Thus, the Trinity is not an abstract doctrine.

Practical Implications

The doctrine of the Trinity has implications for our lives as believers. It is a model for unity among believers. Jesus prayed:

“That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21).

The unity reflected in the Trinity must be seen amongst us. Believers don’t meet to have just fellowship. We meet to reflect God’s tri-unity and to show the world the testimony of our God. Paul echoes this in his teachings, reminding us that though we are many, we are one body in Christ. Our gatherings are an opportunity to reflect the love of God by loving one another. The same love expressed in the Trinity is the same love the Father extends to us, and through us, to one another: “I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

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The book of Revelation has long been a source of division among Christians, especially when discussing matters of eschatology—the study of the Second Coming of Christ. Postmillennialists, premillennialists, and a millennialists find themselves in passionate debates over the timing of Christ’s return. However, amidst these differences, there are fundamental teachings within Revelation that unite Christians. One such teaching is the ultimate authority of Scripture, often referred to as Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone). In this article, we will explore the foundational principles that support the concept of Sola Scriptura as derived from the book of Revelation.

God Speaks

Throughout the Bible, we encounter a God who communicates with humanity. The divine voice is not silent but actively engages with His creation. In the opening chapters of Genesis, we read the recurring phrase, “And God said,” signifying God’s spoken word in the act of creation (Genesis 1:3). This pattern continues in Revelation, emphasising God’s nature as a speaking God (Genesis 1:6;9;11;14;20;24). Revelation 1:1-2 tells us, “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.“

John’s account in Revelation is filled with instances of divine communication. In Revelation 1:10, he describes hearing “a loud voice like a trumpet.” This pattern repeats in verse 11 and continues throughout the book, demonstrating a God who actively speaks. These words are not mere visions; they are accompanied by audible voices. Therefore, it is evident that God is not silent but communicates His divine will.

God Can Be Heard

If God speaks, then He can be heard. The text in Revelation corroborates this notion. In Revelation 1:3, we read, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” This verse explicitly states that those who hear the words of the prophecy are blessed. It affirms that God’s spoken word can indeed be heard and understood by His people.

Revelation further exemplifies this by repeatedly encouraging believers with the phrase, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). This recurring exhortation reinforces the idea that God’s voice is accessible and comprehensible to His followers. The Apostle John, elsewhere gives us the words of Jesus, stating in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.“

How Can We Hear God’s Voice? Through Scripture Alone

To address the essential question of how we can hear God’s voice, we arrive at the concept of Sola Scriptura, which translates from Latin to “Scripture Alone.” While the roots of the doctrine emphasizing the authority of Scripture, as taught by early figures such as Augustine of Hippo (354–430), can be discerned in the Early Church, its formalization and widespread recognition gained prominence during the 16th-century Reformation led by key figures like Martin Luther. Luther’s stand against the Roman Catholic Church’s elevation of tradition and papal authority to be on par with Scripture was pivotal. When charged to withdraw his writings and teachings, he declared, “Unless I am convinced by sacred Scripture or by evident reason, I cannot recant, for my conscience is held captive by the Word of God, and to act against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I can do no other.”

The foundational principle of Sola Scriptura asserts that the Bible, as God’s written word, holds ultimate authority over the lives of believers. As Revelation reminds us, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Observe that this hearing of the Spirit occurs through the reading and understanding of what is written. Hence, Revelation 1:3 declares: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the word of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and keep what is written in it...” What the Spirit says to the churches is what John was instructed to write (2:7, 8, 12, 18, 3:1 etc.). Consequently, the recipients of John’s letter, and by extension, believers of all time, are not called to hear the Spirit speak to them the same way as he spoke to John; they are to hear the Spirit through what He instructed to be written. Thus, Scripture is the means by which God’s voice is conveyed to His people.

Implications of Sola Scriptura

The Sufficiency of Scripture

The Bible is sufficient for guiding and directing our lives. While many Christians’ desire to hear God speak to them, the sufficiency of Scripture should not be underestimated. All that is necessary for faith, salvation, and living a righteous life can be found in God’s written word. God has spoken definitively through the coming of Jesus and the writing of the New Testament. As Hebrews 1:1-2 reminds us, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” The completion of the New Testament, alongside the life and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, marks the culmination of God’s revelation to humanity. If you desire to hear God speak to you, there is no need to search for additional signs or prophecies. “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy” (Rev. 1:3). Your encounter with God’s voice begins by reading and studying His Word, the Bible.

Scripture stands as the conclusive authority governing the lives of believers and shaping the trajectory of the Church. In moments of temptation to stray from this ultimate revelation, it unequivocally surpasses traditions and human authority, reasserting its pre-eminence when deviations from scriptural truth arise. Scripture, and Scripture alone, wields the ultimate influence in determining matters of faith and practice.

The Inerrancy of Scripture

In today’s world, many people raise questions about the reliability of the Bible and, in some cases, claim to have found errors within it. However, dear friends, it is essential to affirm that the Bible is not only reliable but also trustworthy, and it can be fully relied upon to guide your life according to God’s will. The Bible is unequivocally precise in every aspect it proclaims, whether in matters of history, science, psychology, or any other category of information that could be established as a benchmark for truth. Its accuracy consistently aligns with reality, affirming its reliability across diverse realms of knowledge without exception. The Scriptures were not authored by mere human will; instead, they are divinely inspired and can be trusted implicitly. The Bible is unwaveringly truthful in all that it teaches.

As 2 Peter 1:19-21 reminds us, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

The Word is to be Obeyed

When we read God’s Word or hear it being preached, we are here to receive instruction that leads to obedience: “who keeps what is written” (Rev. 1:3). God’s word is given to us with the explicit purpose that we may obey it (Deuteronomy 29:29). It is through God’s word that we come to faith in Jesus Christ as sinners. When God has spoken and revealed Himself in Scripture, our response should be one of obedience. The word of God has the power to sanctify us, as Jesus prayed for His disciples and all Christians, saying, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).

Amen

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And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.”
Genesis 19:17

“Escape for Your Life”. This is a sobering admonition that needs thoughtful consideration. It is a warning to a man living in the midst of corruption and sin. His name is Lot. But this warning is not only to Lot. It is a warning to every single human being to ‘Escape for Their Life’. The urgency behind this warning stems from (a) the presence of Sin, (b) the impending Judgment of God and (c) the provision of a Way of Escape.

Abram and Lot in Canaan

The Book of Genesis narrates the story of Abram and Lot, his nephew. Abram adopted Lot after both their fathers died (Genesis 11:27– 12:1-4). As both men prospered in Canaan, their substantial possessions became too burdensome for the land to sustain them (Genesis 13:2-7).

Abram took the initiative to address the situation, recognising the need for a resolution. A consensus was reached, and Lot was given the first right to choose a new land for himself. Scripture reveals that Lot, driven by his desires, selected the most favourable and fertile land, abundant with lush vegetation, for his livestock. This decision offers us insight into Lot’s mindset and priorities (Genesis 13:8-13).

“Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.”
Genesis 13:11b-13

Sodom and Gomorrah: The Land Of Sin.

The saying is true that all that glitters is not gold. Lot saw the good vegetation and made a choice. But his choice was horrendous. This choice plunged him into the grips of sin. This points to how vital our choices in life are. We must weigh our every decision by the word of God and its warnings. A bad decision can land us in trouble and into sin. In every decision, we may pause to ask, “Will this be pleasing to God?”; “Will this lead me into sin?” Lot’s choice of a good land landed him into a land of sin: and Gomorrah:

“Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.”
Genesis 13:13

Sodom and Gomorrah, notorious for their great sin, prompted a divine examination due to the severity of their depravity (Genesis 18:20-21). It is important to note that this examination uses anthropomorphic language, attributing human characteristics to God rather than implying that God needs to examine something to know it.

The text emphasises the righteousness of God, highlighting His role as a just and true judge. In human courts, a judge carefully evaluates a case, attentively listening to both sides before judgment. Similarly, the language used to describe God reflects this principle. God does not make erroneous judgments; He is a just and fair God. His decisions are not capricious or arbitrary; they are grounded in justice.

“Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”
Genesis 18:25

The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, evident in the narrative, is homosexuality. A heavenly detachment of two angels was sent to investigate, and Lot welcomed them into his home. However, news of their arrival quickly spread, and the city inhabitants demanded their surrender for sexual purposes (Genesis 19:1, 5). The phrase “know them” is a recurring biblical euphemism in the Old Testament for sexual relationships, as seen in other instances such as Genesis 4:1 and 17.

Lot’s desperate response is critical to understanding the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, the sin of homosexuality, “men committing shameless acts with men.”

“Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.”
Genesis 19:6-8

Lot, in a distressing situation, offered his daughters to the men in exchange for his visitors, revealing the sexual nature of their request. It is perplexing why Lot would make such an offer, as it is equally wicked as the men’s request. This highlights the pervasive wickedness in the land of Sodom, affecting even those like Lot who may appear good. The narrative makes it clear that it wasn’t just a few men but the entire city, both young and old, who approached Lot’s house, depicting the extent of their perversion and widespread homosexuality.

Now before you and I get fixated on homosexuality, and make this all about homosexuality, let’s be mindful that homosexuality is not the only sin in the world. The Bible condemns all forms of sin, and we must acknowledge and repent of our own sins. Many people equally have pride in their sins. Many of us explain our sins away, especially character flaws, by saying, “This is how I am.” If you hear someone with anger or temper problems justifying themselves by saying this is how I am, that right there is a man with pride in his heart. If you hear a man with a mean and uncharitable character excuse themselves, that is how I am; count that as pride.

As Christians, it’s essential to avoid mean and uncharitable criticism, as that, too, stems from pride. It’s worth noting that the Bible addresses various sins, not just homosexuality (See Galatians 5:19-21). It is crucial to be clear and direct about the need to warn those living homosexual lifestyles, as stated in 1 Corinthians 6:18, that the sexually immoral person sins against their own body.

This passage teaches us something interesting about Sinnersgenerally. Sinners get angry when confronted with their sins. Rather than repenting, sinners see those who call them out as unloving and judgemental. And that’s what is going on in this narrative. They told Lot off,

“But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down.”
Genesis 19:9

Is that a familiar language? “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge” All they are saying is that Lot is being judgemental. This is the constant language of sinners. “You are being judgemental”; “You are judging us”; “No one is perfect.”Also, notice they have now become violent towards Lot for calling them out: “Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Calling out sin is not being judgemental. Rather, calling out sin is loving. It’s rather unloving not to warn people of sin because sin attracts God’s judgement. As a Just God, he punishes sin. Sin will not be spared or swept under the rug. A just God will act rightly, and every sin will be dealt with.

The Judgement of God.

Like Sodom and Gomorrah, a picture of future judgement, the human race is in danger. There is a looming disaster coming. The wrath of God will rain down upon all unrighteousness. That is to say; God will punish all sins.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”
Romans 1:18

A Day of Judgement is coming. The sins of humanity will reach their tipping, and God’s judgement will descend. Throughout Scripture, we see God punishing sin. Before we get to Genesis 19, we already see God judging sin. In Genesis 3, the death penalty was pronounced, resulting in Adam and Eve’s expulsion from Eden. The generation of Noah received a judgment by flood in Chapters 6-8. So, by Genesis 19, we have a clear understanding of God’s dealings with sin. Sin will not be glossed over. Lot is instructed to,

“Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.”
Genesis 19:15

Therefore, ‘Escape for Your Life’ before you are caught in the punishment of God. The angels warned Lot to escape from this punishment, the wrath of God, and judgement. Therefore, ‘Escape for Your Life’ is to Escape from the sin of this world and its consequence. To ‘Escape for Your Life’ is to put your faith in Jesus Christ and repent from your sin.

Sadly, sinners never heed the call of God to repent. Instead, sinners mock the warnings of God. The angels asked Lot to escape with any relatives he had. He told his sons-in-law-to-be, and what was their response? Verse 14 says, “But he seemed to his son-in-law to be jesting.” This is a constant response of sinners to a call to repent. The Apostle Peter provides us with a depiction of scoffers,

“…knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”
2 Peter 3:3-4

A Way of Escape

Now amid the display of God’s justice, in bringing judgement upon Sodom and Gomorrah, we see God providing a way of escape by his mercies. These two –-Justice and Mercy go together. God, in his justice, also shows compassion to his people. He provides a way of escape.

Note that Lot did nothing to merit being saved by God. It is all a work of mercy. In fact, Lot was even hesitant at first to escape. Verse 16 shows that Lot was reluctant to leave Sodom. This perhaps could be that his heart and love were still in Sodom.

What are the sins that you still cling to? Now that you know the Day of Reckoning is this passage charges you to repent! This charge is for you reading this article to ‘Escape for Your Life!’The King James Version calls this ‘besetting sin’,

“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us”
Hebrews 12:1

Now, God’s patience will find a limit. If Lot were left alone, perhaps he would not have left Sodom. But for the Mercy of God, no one will be saved. It was God who sent a warning to Lot. It was God who brought Lot and his family out of Sodom, the Land of Sin. God, throughout the Scriptures and Redemptive history, has been issuing a warning and calling people to repent. Jesus’ first message was,

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel”
Mark 1:14

But sinners are unable. Like Lot, sinners linger on and will not take the warning to ‘Escape for Your Life.’ But God still displays his mercy. We are told in verse 16, “the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.” This is self-explanatory! That is a display of God’s mercy in action. Lot lingered on; Lot resisted, but God’s will had the final say.

In Reformed theology, this is called Irresistible Grace.

“God’s grace is so powerful that it has the capacity to overcome our natural resistance to it.”
R.C. Sproul (1939 – 2017)

We see God’s mercy all over the narrative. Now for us believers, we see this mercy clearly displayed in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the hill we run to. He died on Calvary to save us.

“On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,

The emblem of suff’ring and shame;

And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best

For a world of lost sinners was slain.”

The Old Rugged Cross, by George Bennard

Jesus is our City of Refuge. Just as the angels came warning Lot to ‘Escape for His Life’ because of sin and judgement, God has provided a way of Escape in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the salvation of sinners. Jesus is God’s way of Escape from his judgement to come.

We must Escape for our lives by believing in Him and repenting from our sins. Or an eternal judgement awaits us.

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For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Galatians 5:17 KJV

Tug of War! That’s the first thing that came to mind when I read this text. I trust you know what a Tug of War is? It is a sport where two opposing sides are at each end of a rope, with a line drawn and they are struggling for dominance to pull the other team across the line to win the game. If you consider the text again, a picture of a tug of war is plainly painted. In every Christian, there is an intense ongoing battle between the desires of the indwelling Spirit of God in the believer and their sinful nature for dominance. It is a tug of war.

The phrase “lusteth against” simply means the flesh, our sinful nature, desires things that are against the Spirit’s desire. You will notice the text also speaks of the Spirit having desires that are against the desires of the flesh: “and the Spirit against the flesh.” Notice what the next phrase also says: “these are contrary one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Do you see that? These—the flesh and the Spirit are contrary to one another. In other words, the flesh opposes the desires of the Spirit, and the Spirit opposes the desires of the flesh.

The Desires of The Flesh

Though Christians are “washed…justified… sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV), we still live in a sinful world and a sinful body with residues of the sinful nature hanging around waiting to strike at the least opportunity. We live with an ongoing battle with the desire to sin. Often, unfortunately we actually do sin. If not regularly. So, there is a battle for dominance over the believer: “So that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

The desire of the flesh is to sin; indulge the old nature and please ourselves.. Regardless of how long you have been a Christian, you can testify to this sad reality.. You have the indwelling Spirit with new desires according to the new nature, but sin still lingers on with its desires according to the old nature. And both are opposing each other, so that you will go along with their desires.The desires of the Spirit of God in you won’t permit you to succumb to the desires of the flesh, and the desires of the flesh are opposing the desires of the Spirit. As long as we live in this fallen body, in a fallen world, we would have sinful desires –indwelling sin–to deal with. Consider the words of Charles Spurgeon:

“When we believe in Jesus Christ all our sins are pardoned; yet the power of sin, albeit that it is weakened and kept under by the dominion of the new-born nature which God doth infuse into our souls, doth not cease, but still tarrieth in us, and will do so to our dying day. It is a doctrine held by all the orthodox, that there dwelleth still in the regenerate, the lusts of the flesh, and that there doth still remain in the hearts of those who are converted by God’s mercy, the evil of carnal nature…”

Do you deny this? Can you honestly say this is not true of me? Look back your life just in the past hour? Consider the thoughts that may have run through your mind. And even, if possible, consider what you are thinking about while reading this article? Now the desires of the flesh are what lead to actual sins. The desires come, we don’t do anything about them, we follow them through, then boom, we sin.

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death

James 1:14-15

Now, nobody can read what goes on in another  person’s mind. But those desires manifest by the way we live our lives. Paul calls this “works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21). You may argue “I do not do these things”. What we must understand is that the list in Galatians 5:19-21 is not the list of all sins in the world but a fair representation of almost everything. The phrase “and such” is like our modern use of etcetera.

Winning The Tug of War

Dealing with the desires of the flesh means checking and bringing your sinful desires under the control of the Holy Spirit. It means not fulfilling or giving in to your sinful desires.

This I say then, walkin the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Galatians 5: 16

And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Galatians 5: 24

In verse 16, Paul is saying “do not fulfil the desires of the flesh.” In verse 24, he says “crucify the flesh”. Kill it. Deal with it. Don’t let your sinful desires master you. This is theologically called mortification of sin, that is killing sin. The prominent English theologian, John Owen, stated it this way:

“Mortify: put to death; a metaphorical expression, taken from the putting of any living thing to death. To kill a man, or any other living thing, is to take away the principle of all his strength, vigour, and power, so that he cannot act or exert, or put forth any proper actings of his own; so it is in this case. Indwelling sin is compared to a person, a living person, called “the old man,” with his faculties, and properties, his wisdom, craft, subtlety, strength; this, says the apostle, must be killed, put to death, mortified,—that is, have its power, life, vigour, and strength, to produce its effects, taken away by the Spirit“

Hear what Scripture says on the matter.

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do MORTIFY the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Romans 8:13

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 3:9

A superficial reading of 1 John 3:9 may suggest a Christian cannot sin. But that will go against the teachings of Scripture. Already John has addressed the sin of believers in 1 John 1:8,10. So, “cannot sin” here simply means doesn’t make a practise or habit of sin.

How Do We Deal With The Desires of The Flesh?

It’s A Work of The Holy Spirit!

Dealing with the desires of the flesh is not mere character modification. It is not simply stopping to do the things you used to do. It is more than that. It is an inner work of the Holy Spirit.  When we become Christians, a monumental change occurs. Our heart is transformed, and new desires are implanted in us. Desires to obey God; to live holy lives ;to be conformed to the image of Christ; to forsake sin and embrace holiness.

Salvation does something to our soul. It reaches down into our hearts and changes our dispositions. We who once didn’t love God, begin to love him. Our sins become repugnant and revolting to us. We yearn to live our lives to please God. These new yearnings are all a work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The Holy Spirit works in us to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). Notice, there is a constant comparison in this text between desires of the flesh and desires of the Spirit. Paul speaks of the works of the flesh in vv.19-21, then contrasts it with the fruit of the Spirit in vv.22-23.

The Holy Spirit is constantly at work in us to produce these holy desires. This work of the Holy Spirit in us is theologically called sanctification. The Westminster divines articulated sanctification in this way:

“Sanctification is a work of God’s grace, whereby they whom God has, before the foundation of the world, chosen to be holy, are in time, through the powerful operation of his Spirit applying the death and resurrection of Christ unto them, renewed in their whole man after the image of God; having the seeds of repentance unto life, and all other saving graces, put into their hearts, and those graces so stirred up, increased, and strengthened, as that they more and more die unto sin, and rise unto newness of life.”

Note, “That they more and more die unto sin, and rise unto newness of life.” This simply means we are growing in holiness. We are having a distaste for sin. Sin is not having dominion and victory over us any longer. Look at the definition of sanctification again: “through the powerful operation of his Spirit applying the death and resurrection of Christ unto them, renewed in their whole man after the image of God”

The first thing to note in this journey of dealing with the desires of the flesh is that, it is a work of sanctification God applies to our hearts through the operation of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s desire is to sanctify us and conform us to the image of Christ so that we become holy (2 Corinthians 3:18).

A look at the texts (Galatians 5:16;18;25) shows that this is all the work of the Holy Spirit in us. As Christians, our desire is to be holy, please God, and be honest in our dealings.  The desire to avoidsin is not something we produce by ourselves. These are desires according to the workings of the Spirit of God. “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13). God the Holy Spirit is at work in you dear believer: “not by might nor by power but by my Spirt.” (Zachariah 4:6)

The Cooperation of The Believer

If dealing with the desires of the flesh is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, does it then mean the believer is passive? There is nothing left for the believer to do? No! The believer actively engages with the Holy Spirit. The believer yields to the Holy Spirit.

The believer responds outwardly to God’s inward work of grace.

You will notice right from the beginning of Galatians 5, the believer’s active involvement is stated. Paul outlines certain responses the believer must have toward the work of Christ: “Stand fast, be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage… don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” in verse 1; and, “use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another,’ in verse 13.

J.I Packer, in his book concise theology, says “God calls his children to sanctity and graciously gives what he commands.” In the same verses where we see the work of the Holy Spirit at work in the believer’s life, we see the necessary cooperation of the believer with the Holy Spirit: “Walk in the Spirit” (v.16); “Led of the Spirit” (v.18); “Led” of shows that “we follow”; “Live in”, “walk in” (v.25).

All these are verbs calling us to do something. We are not passive in the work of sanctification. “Walk in…live in…” These verbs are a picture of an ongoing process. It means that you and I must not become stagnant in our Christian walk. We must grow. We must mature. And how are we going to do this? Brethren, there is nothing new here that I will propose. Avail yourself to the ordinary means of graces God has given us to grow. Pray often, repent daily, fellowship with the saints, study and read your Bible regularly.

If you are walking in the Spirit, then you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh (v16). That is, you will not give in to the desires of the flesh. This is an active process of choosing obedience over disobedience. Again, Look at verse 24. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passion and desires. This basically means we have tamed the flesh. We have put it under control. We have killed it. Victory comes through death.

The Consequences of Not Dealing with The Desires of The Flesh

If there is no evidence of you dealing with the desires of the flesh and nothing about your Christian life shows the fruit of the Spirit, there are two possible options.

Firstly, you might not be saved. If you are giving in to the desires of the flesh joyfully, it may be a sign that you are not saved. I am drawing this inference from verse 24. If you are not dealing with the desires of the flesh, then you may not belong to Christ since “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passion and desires.”

Secondly, you are not growing. You truly may be a believer, but not putting in the necessarily spiritual disciplines to deal with the desires of the flesh. The common means of grace are at your disposal.

Do you find yourself dear believer in a tug of war over your sanctification? Be encouraged. The Holy Spirit is on our side. Victory is ours in Christ alone. The flesh shall not have the final say. The flesh shall not win

Notes:

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I believe John 3:16 is the heart of the Christian message. It is the most beautiful summary of what Christians believe. Martin Luther, the Magisterial Reformer, calls this verse “the gospel in miniature.” The core idea expressed in John 3:16 is God’s boundless love:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

The Greatest Love

Love is arguably the most discussed topic in the entire world. It’s the theme of many songs and poems and engages a lot of discussions. Two complete strangers meet and unexpectedly fall in love; parents love their children; siblings express love toward one another and neighbours love each other. Human beings, indeed, have the capacity to love one another. Scripture commands it: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22:25-30).

However, every form of human love pales in comparison to God’s love. God’s love surpasses all human love, making it the greatest love of all. Human love is fleeting and conditional; God’s love is everlasting: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you” (Jeremiah 31:3). One of the strangest occurrences in a marriage takes place when two people who previously loved one another so much become the worst of enemies. Unfortunately, we hear of such stories quite often.

Isaiah 49:15 reminds us that even mothers can forget their babies. This is evident in stories we hear of abandoned infants found in places like forests or dump sites.

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15).

Such is the fleeting nature of human love, yet God’s love for us is so great that he will never forget us.

The opening words of John 3:16 introduces us to what can be considered “The Definition of Love”: “For God so loved…” The love of God is a deep subject we cannot exhaust. It is vast. It has breadth, it has height, and it has depth. And it surpasses all knowledge (Ephesians 3:18-19). The apostle John describes love as the very essence of God. Love is God’s nature. “God is love” (1 John 4:16).

There is a common practice of discussing the subject of love under four Greek words: Agape, Philia, Eros and Storge. But the New Testament, in reality, only uses two of these words (Agape and Philia) to describe love. In its strictest sense, Agape describes God’s love, and Philia describes brotherly love—love shared among one another. Agape is God’s unconditional love. It is not earned, neither can it be bought. It is unconditional.

The Greatest Enemies

Now love must be expressed. We don’t only talk about it, but we show it. And love has an object. Often, we love people who love us back. It’s human nature to be nice to only those who are nice to us. But God’s love is unlike ours. The Bible teaches that God first loved us (1 John 4:19). In fact, the ones God loved are rebels who have trampled His law. His enemies (Romans 5:10).

If you have come to faith in Christ Jesus, I pray you appreciate the depth of the love of God that has been lavished on you. “In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:4-5). Our salvation was bought and purchased long before we were born. It has nothing to do with your deeds —good or bad (Romans 9:11). Notice how God’s love is captured in the past tense, “For God so loved the world”. This means God’s love was displayed long before we were born. There is nothing in us that merits God’s love. Yet he loved us all the same.

Notice that ‘the world’ is not here referring to the trees, vegetation or the natural environment. Though there is a sense in which God loves the natural world and will redeem it one day (Psalm 19:1), the world in view here is the inhabitants. It is sinful humanity. And this world is a world of darkness, evil and wickedness. Jesus put it this way:

“And this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:19-20).

This is a clear picture of the world. Sinners hate the light and love darkness, and they do wicked things.

In John 3:16, an analogy is drawn from verses 14-15 of this chapter. It recalls an incident in Numbers 21:4-9, where the Israelites rejected God. They murmured and complained. In judgement, God sent serpents among them. The snakes bit them, and some died.

The reality is that all human beings have rejected God and been bitten by sin. Who is without sin? Apart from Jesus, who lived a sinless life, the word of God knows no such person. In fact, real human experience tells us there is nobody in existence who has never sinned. All humans have rebelled against God. We were conceived in sin. We were born into sin. Sin is our very nature. We live our lives in sin. And this sin has affected our whole lives. In theology, this is called Total Depravity. It means our whole nature has been affected by sin due to the fall of Adam in Eden. (Romans 3:23).

The Greatest Sacrifice

Herein is the love of God displayed; it is shown to the “vilest offender”. What is your sin? Perhaps, you are among those who think their sin is so great it cannot be forgiven. No, God’s love is greater than any sin, no matter how grave. God’s love is the greatest because he loved the unlovable: Sinners, liars, fornicators, idolaters, complainers, the ungrateful and wicked, murderers, drug peddlers, thieves, the sexually immoral, hypocrites – think about all these and more. God showed his love to such.

How did he do it? He provided The Greatest Sacrifice in human history: “that he gave his only Son.” When the Bible says God gave his only Son, it conveys the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus for the sins of his people. The narrative of the Bible is one of a Holy God on a mission to rescue sinners. God gave his son to pay for our sins in order to bring reconciliation between God and humanity.

Love gives: therefore, God gave us a great sacrifice to pay for the sins of his greatest enemies, sinners. It is only by understanding God’s attitude towards our sins that we can truly comprehend the nature of our rebellion.: “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” (Psalm 7:11 KJV).

Love is not cheap talk. Love is expressed. God didn’t just talk about his love. His love moved him to act. Love is shown by what we do for one another and how we care for one another. Imagine someone saying they love you. But they don’t show it, and they don’t care about your well-being; they only keep talking about it. They show nothing to prove they love you. Would you believe they do?

The Greatest Promise

God, the Greatest Lover, showed his love by giving us his Greatest Sacrifice, Jesus Christ. In the love of God, there is forgiveness of sin and pardon from sin. There is reconciliation with God. In Jesus Christ, God has made to sinners The Greatest Promise. The promise of eternal life: “that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” In Jesus Christ, God is merciful towards sinners. They are pardoned for their sins.

In his first advent, that is his first coming, he came to offer salvation to sinners. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). Mark Johnston notes,

The primary purpose of Christ’s coming in the incarnation was to bring redemption to a fallen race. Though it is true that Jesus, at the end of the age, will be the Judge of all the world…yet the main purpose of his coming was to be the supreme expression of God’s saving grace…Here is the gospel in all its simplicity —the good news that there is forgiveness from God for all who put their faith in his Son. There is nothing a person can hear more precious than this.

Dear friends, God has given us his Son, Jesus, that whoever believes in him will not perish. “Whoever believes.” This is the free and universal offer of the gospel. This is the gospel offered far and wide. The door is open for people of all races, backgrounds, gender, ethnicity, colour etc. There is no Greek, no Jew, no Gentile, no male or female. No American, European, or African. The offer is open to all: Sinners are everywhere called to repentance.  

The Greatest Danger

When the Scripture says, “that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”, it also means that whoever doesn’t believe will perish. If one doesn’t believe this Greatest promise, The Greatest Danger awaits them. They will perish. They will die in their sins and be condemned to eternal damnation.

In John 3:18 we are told that “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” If you don’t believe in God’s sacrifice for your sins, you are condemned already. I doubt anyone will reject a precious gift from someone who loves them. But that is what those who do not believe are doing – they are rejecting God’s love.

If you haven’t yet contemplated the depth of God’s love for his greatest enemies—a  love that was demonstrated through the greatest sacrifice in human history and is accompanied by the greatest promise ever made—then I implore you to do so. Failing to recognize the magnitude of God’s love could lead to the greatest danger of all: the risk of eternal damnation. Take a moment to reflect on the sacrifice that God made on our behalf and allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the immense love that he has for all of us, even when we were his enemies.

Notes

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At various places in the Bible, the necessity of Christian growth is commanded and Hebrews 5:11-14 is one of the clearest places we see this command.

About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

One of the hardest things an adult can ever hear is “Grow up”. That phrase hurts. In the text, it sounds like the author is telling his audience, “Grow up”: “You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” That must hurt, and I can’t tell how the original audience may have responded. But clearly, he rebukes their immaturity.

For the rest of this article, I will consider three traits that are expected in every mature Christian. These obviously are not exhaustive.

Understanding Basic Christian Doctrine

If the charge is: “…you have become dull of hearing”, then the  antidote is, “you must become sharp in hearing”. The charge is undoubtedly a call for understanding and maturity. At the beginning of Chapter 5, the author lays out some truths and doctrines about the person of Jesus Christ. Then he draws a comparison between the High Priesthood of Christ and Melchizedek. However, he tells his original readers there are many things to say about this topic, but they were not ready since they had not grasped even the basics of the Christian faith (v.12c). Ponder over this. The immaturity of these people has denied us what more things the Holy Spirit may have communicated through the writer of Hebrew.

“This is a reminder that failure to appropriate the truth of the gospel produces stagnation in spiritual advancement and the inability to understand or assimilate additional teaching (cf. Jn 16: 12 )” .¹

A believer must not be dull in hearing. They must grasp the doctrines of the Christian faith. They must mature. If this is not happening, then they may not be applying themselves to growth. Every believer must grasp the basic doctrines and teachings of the Christian faith and must desire this to happen. Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is instructive: “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” (Eph. 1:16-17). James also said, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”(James 1:5). These texts point to the fact of desire. We must desire growth in our walk and in fact ask for it.

Ability to Teach Others

Linked to their dullness in hearing is the expectation of the author for them to teach others: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God.” Every believer has a responsibility to pass on Christian truth to others. Therefore, one sure sign of Christian maturity is our ability to teach and instruct others in the Christian faith. We cannot tell how long they have been believers. But we can be sure if this is required of them, then they may have been believers for long. To be able to pass on the Christian faith, we must know and understand it. Unfortunately, there are many believers who have a disdain for Christian doctrine. They are all of experience and lacking in any knowledge of what they believe. R. C. Sproul calls them “sensous Christians”:

Sensuous Christians don’t need to study the Word of God because they already know the will of God by their feelings. They don’t want to know God; they want to experience him. Sensuous Christians equate “childlike faith” with ignorance. They think that when the Bible calls us to childlike faith, it means a faith without content, a faith without understanding. They don’t know that the Bible says, “In evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature” (1 Cor 14:20). They don’t realize that Paul tells us again and again, “My beloved brethren, I would not have you ignorant” (see, for example, Rom 11:25).²

Such people, like the ones mentioned above, stand the danger of being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14). We deny ourselves the joy of the Christian faith if we don’t apply ourselves to learning and maturity. In an age of great deception; believers would have to pursue growth in the Christian walk.

Now it is not all believers who are called to vocational or Christian pulpit ministry, nonetheless, every believer has a responsibility of communicating Christian truth wherever they find themselves. But if we don’t know what we believe, we would not be able to pass it on. When Jude wrote to his audience, he called upon them to contend earnestly for the faith (Jude 1:3). But how can one contend or defend the faith, if they do not know what they believe? Here, Peter’s charge is relevant: “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…” (1 Pet. 3:15). It is important you and I know what we believe to be able to pass it on and defend it. And this is Christian maturity.

Right Living

It is not enough to understand Christian doctrine. It’s not enough to be able to pass on Christian truth. Christian Maturity involves a practical application of Christian doctrine: “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” This is doctrine and practical living fused together. Our knowledge, our understanding and ability to teach must reflect in how we live. We must, as the author puts it, be able “to distinguish good from evil.” That is discernment. Can you identify an error when you see one? When you are living in disobedience, are you able to tell and repent? We are not tasked only to know and teach the truth. But we are to live the truth. We are to be able to apply the word of God to every area of our lives. What is required here is a proper application of the word to our lives, exactly what Paul charged Timothy to do “rightly handling the word of truth.” Proper handling of Scripture, its application and obedience in the Christian faith is a sure sign of maturity. We are to be doers of the word and not hearers only. (James 1:22-25).

“If our theology does not quicken the conscience and soften the heart, it actually hardens both; if it does not encourage the commitment of faith, it reinforces the detachment of unbelief; if it fails to promote humility, it inevitably feeds pride.”³

*This article with updates was originally posted as Christian Maturity by the author on Sovereigngracegh.org

Notes

1. John MacArthur, The John MacArthur Study Bible ( Nashville, Thomas Nelson, 2006), Kindle

2. R.C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture (Downers Grove, Intervarsity Press, 2009), Kindle.

3. J.I. Packer, A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 1990), 15.

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