With this context in mind, the obvious question is, what is faith? The amazing news is that God does not leave us to grope our way to the answer. Instead, right at the beginning of the chapter, he provides the definition, which reads, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Not only does God define faith, but he also provides real-life examples to drive home the point. The world often characterises faith as irrational or a leap into the dark, while some Christians make it so subjective that it often appears as a mystery. But that is not how the writer of Hebrews approaches the topic. Faith can be examined independently and objectively to determine if it is biblical.

Against this backdrop, I now focus on examining what is characterised as faith in many Christian circles in Ghana today. As a people, Ghanaians are very religious. According to government statistics, nearly 70% of the population identify as Christians. It is not an exaggeration to say that there is a church within 500 meters in all the major cities of Ghana, and most are packed on any given Sunday. As I survey the Ghanaian Christian landscape, a question that continues to linger in my mind is, how does the faith of the average Ghanaian Christian compare with the biblical faith described by the author of Hebrew?

The Nature of Biblical Faith

In Hebrews 11:1, we read, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Two things stand out in this definition. First, there is an assurance of things hoped for, and second, a conviction of things not seen. Christians have certainty and assurance of what they hope for, but the verse also emphasises that the conviction of these things is not seen. There is a ‘futureness’ about what Christians look forward to.

This is even made more apparent when we consider the writer’s commentary on these heroes of faith. In verse 13, he writes,

“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”

Again, in 39-40, he notes, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”

How come all these great men and women of faith did not receive what was promised? Is it that God lied about his promises, or did they not have enough faith to obtain them? At least, that is what we are made to believe by some so-called “Men of God.” If you have faith, you should receive everything you want from God, thus turning ‘faith’ into a magical currency that might sway God’s hand. Neither position is tenable because it is not for nothing that Hebrews 11 has been described throughout the ages as the Hall of Faith – the men and women spoken about were real heroes of faith. And we also know that God can never lie. Therefore, the only position we are left to amend is our own understanding of what it means to have faith.

In verse 6, the writer states, “whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists.” This statement is quite profound because it teaches us that the starting point of biblical faith is not man but God. It is a belief in a sovereign God who accomplishes everything in accordance with his own purposes and timelines. Unfortunately, for many within the Ghanaian Christian community, the starting point of faith is not God, but their individual felt needs. God only happens to be the divine genie who exists to grant their wishes.

This is a far cry from the examples we see in Hebrews 11. Whether it was Noah, Abraham, Moses or Rahab, their faith was undergirded by a belief in the sovereignty of God. Each example paints a picture of submission to God’s agenda, not their own. They had a deep sense of assurance that God would do what was right for them. There was no doubt, but there was equally no presumption on their part that God must do what they want at all costs. Unfortunately, in many Christian circles in Ghana today, faith is seen as an end in itself. The way it is exercised is more akin to magic than biblical faith.

The Nature of Magic

The etymology dictionary defines magic as the “art of influencing or predicting events and producing marvels using hidden natural forces,” also “supernatural art,” especially the art of controlling the actions of spiritual or superhuman beings.” Unlike biblical faith, which has God as the starting point, in the case of magic, the starting point is the individual who wields power or control over the actions of the supernatural being.

As I observe and listen to many Christians in Ghana, it’s sad to say this is the understanding many people have about faith. Some go to the extent of claiming that God has no control over things that happen on the earth, because he has given that control to man. In some Christian circles, the Bible functions as a book of spells. Once a person can locate the right verse and repeat it multiple times, God is bound to grant whatever wish the individual has because he [God] has promised. The power lies with the individual, not with God.

But that is very different from the examples we see in Hebrews 11. In the case of Abraham, the writer tells us,

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:8-10)

We see in these verses that the power did not lie with Abraham, instead, he submitted himself to the will of God to the extent that he left his country and kindred – a very comfortable life, to go and live in tents in the wilderness. Again, this is very different from the popular teaching that if we have faith in God, we will receive whatever we wish for.

The truth is that sometimes, the exercise of biblical faith is rather an embrace of hardship, as we see in the case of Moses. The author tells us, “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward” (Hebrews 11:24-26).

In both the case of Abraham and Moses, faith was not like magic. They did not call the shots, and they did not presume to control the outcomes. Instead, they entrusted themselves to the providence of the sovereign God, who does whatever he pleases (Psalm 115:3). This is why the “name and claim” mantra cannot be described as exercise of biblical faith but an attempted magic, because within that framework the sovereignty lies with the individual rather than God.

This also accounts for the reason why there are so many unconverted people within our Ghanaian churches. These folks come to church not because they believed the gospel – God sending his Son to save mankind from their sin – instead, they come because they have a wish that needs granting. They have tried various options, but none have worked. And someone has told them to try Jesus. They would not necessarily describe themselves as Christians, but if they must, to have their wishes granted, so be it. Christianity is just another option they are trying out. This kind of approach is magic, not Christian faith. Therefore, you may want to examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). 

Right Approach to God’s Promises

At this point, I am sure many well-meaning Christians will be going gung-ho, ready to fire a barrage of verses which clearly promise that if we have faith, we will receive whatever we ask for in prayer (Matthew 7:7; 21:22, Mark 11:24; 1 John 5:14). But before you fire, I beg of you to hold for a second, and grant me a last request. Would you please attempt to reconcile the above verses with Hebrews 11:13 and Hebrews 11:39-40? Perhaps, you may also wish to consider the cases of Jesus in Mark 14:35-36 or Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9.

The point is this: there is a right way to approach the promises of God. There are three considerations I believe we should keep in mind when we approach the promises of God. I have already touched on one of these earlier: the fact that the starting point of our faith should be God, not our felt needs. Like Jesus, when we entrust ourselves entirely to the sovereign will of God, our uttermost desire and prayer will be for his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). If the desire for your wish to be granted is greater than your concern for God’s will, there is a great chance your approach to God’s promises is wrong.

The second consideration is closely related to the first one. Everything God does, he does for the glory of his name, including the fulfilment of his promises to us. Therefore, you must always ask yourself, if God were to grant my heart’s desire, would it lead to the furtherance of his glory or the advance of my own pride and reputation? It doesn’t matter what verse you are quoting; if the motive of your prayer is to advance your own glory, God is not bound to grant that request. In James 4:1-4, the author tells his readers that God does not grant wishes with wrong motives regardless of what Scripture verse you back them with.

This is why biblical faith is utterly distinct from magic. With magic, it doesn’t matter who wields the wand; as long as they recite the correct incantation and have the right ingredients in the potion, an individual will get their wish, but not so with Christianity. I know there are those who would point to examples of people who supposedly have “named and claimed” God’s promises. I do not presume to offer an explanation to every such instance but suffice to say, God, in his common grace, causes his sun to shine even on those who do not believe (Matthew 5:45); therefore, receiving a good gift from God doesn’t necessarily mean an individual was exercising biblical faith.

The third and final consideration we should keep in mind is that true and ultimate fulfilment of God’s promises will not be in this broken world. This is the truth the author of Hebrews wanted his readers to keep in mind when he wrote, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40).

That is the conclusion of the matter. The men and women who exercised the greatest level of faith in the history of Christianity did not receive what was promised because all of them, like Abraham, were “looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” So, I encourage you to “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

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John 1:14a (HCSB)

The Christian life is an imprecise imitation of the unique Incarnation of Christ Jesus. The primacy of the Incarnation has been professed for two thousand years. Our definition of love must be shaped by the Incarnation: “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

Within the lifetime of the Apostles, even as they were laying the foundation of the church (Ephesians 2:20), there were false prophets (1 John 4:1), wolves not sparing the sheep (Acts 20:29), waterless clouds (Jude 12) and those seeking to stir up division (Titus 3:10). The early church spoke of the ‘deposit of faith’, i.e., the orthodox statement of the gospel. How have Christians contended for this deposit? The answer is found in the first four councils of late antiquity.

The First Four Ecumenical Councils

The Age of Constantine introduced a trajectory for subsequent emperors to order synods and councils to defend or articulate challenging theological disputes. The primary focus was the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Council of Nicea responded to the teachings of Arius. He taught that Jesus was merely an exalted human being, the first of all creation (Colossians 1:15), explaining “before He was begotten he was not.” As Jesus alone can save us (Acts 4:11-12) it is of necessity that Jesus is divine (John 8:58). As it was a matter of salvation, the council affirmed the full deity of our Lord.

“…that is from the substance of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not, Consubstantial [homoousion] with the Father…”
Council of Nicea, 325

By the time of the Council of Constantinople another Christological error had emerged. Apollinarius supposed that in Jesus we see “God in a man”. It was as if the body of Jesus was an empty vessel and He was filled with the divine nature of the Son of God, devoid of a human mind and spirit. This Jesus was unable to sympathize with us (Hebrews 4:15).The key assumption being “for that which He has not assumed He has not healed.”

“…for us humans and for our salvation he came down from the heavens and became incarnate from the holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, became human and was crucified on our behalf…”
Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, 381

The Council of Ephesus dealt with the mysterious union of the humanity and deity in the One Person of Jesus. The patriarch of Constantinople, Nestorius, taught that there were two separate persons within Christ, one human and one divine. This sharp separation of persons was deemed heretical as Scripture does not distinguish between the operations of the divine and human natures, rather it affirms the One Person of Christ (Luke 9:35).

“…for us and for our salvation, born of Mary the virgin, according to his humanity, one and the same consubstantial with the Father in godhead and consubstantial with us in humanity, for a union of two natures took place. Therefore we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord…”
Council of Ephesus, 431

The Council of Chalcedon is the triumph of Christian orthodoxy, the zenith high Christology. In a case of overcorrecting against Nestorianism, a novel teaching was sprouting in Constantinople. A leading monk, Eutyches, claimed that the two natures of Jesus Christ were mixed together into one new nature. He taught that as these two natures converged at the Incarnation the divine nature overwhelmed the human nature and “like a drop of wine into the ocean, so the humanity of Christ was swallowed up and lost, and that the divinity of Christ took over entirely.” Consider this noble response:

“We, then, following the holy Fathers, (Hebrews 13:7) all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 1:14, Ephesians 4:4-6), the same perfect in Godhead (Titus 2:13, John 1:18, Hebrews 1:8, John 18:6, 10:30, Matthew 16:16, Acts 8:37) and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man (John 1:14, 3:13), of a reasonable [rational] soul and body (Colossians 2:9); consubstantial [coessential] with the Father according to the Godhead (Hebrews 1:3), and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin (Hebrews 4:15); begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead (John 17:5), and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God (Luke 1:34-35, Matthew 1:18, Galatians 4:4), according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1, Hebrews 13:8), as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning him, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us (Hebrews 1:1), and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us.” (2 Timothy 1:13, 2 Timothy 3:14-15)
Chalcedonian Creed, 451

“What sort of man is this, that even winds and seas obey him?”

In Matthew 8:23-27, we find Jesus asleep in a boat while a storm is raging. He then rose and rebuked the winds and the sea resulting in a great calm. “Here we see Jesus’ weak human nature completely hid His omnipotence until that omnipotence broke forth in a sovereign word from the Lord of heaven and earth.”

Four truths had been affirmed: 1. Jesus is fully divine, against Arianism; 2. Jesus is fully Human, against Apollinarianism; 3. Jesus is One Person, against Nestorianism; and 4. Jesus has Two Natures, against Eutychianism. This is known as the Chalcedonian box. The contents of the box are filled with the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This was not an attempt to explain away the mystery of the Incarnation, rather it held on to the truths of Scripture and rested in the complexity. Mid-way through the Creed we find the heart of the confession with four negative statements:

Imperatives from the Incarnation

The Incarnation of Jesus is distinct from our experience. This means that we are unable to fully comprehend His Person. He alone tastes eternity and embraces flesh; uncontained yet contained; invisible yet now forever visible; omnipotence yet suffering; knowing all things yet in His humiliation limited in knowledge; being everywhere yet localized. That said, the Incarnation is the framework of our sanctification.

Jesus did not covet His eternal wealth; He laid it aside in order to redeem His bride (Hosea). He parted with unfathomable riches for our sake. O sinner, run to Him today as long as it is still today. Make no provision for the flesh. Enter by that narrowest of Gates. Give yourself entirely to the King of kings. Spend yourself for His name’s sake.

This unique rendering ’likeness of sinful flesh’ emphasizes the context in which the incarnation occurred, i.e., among sinners for sin. Our need of Jesus is exclaimed in this phrase. So, consider your record of sin, could you even begin to list it? In Jesus you have one who took on all that it meant to be human yet resisted sin at every turn, even unto death. Pray that your ‘likeness’ be incrementally changed to match His with the grace that comes from above. Put away every weight of sin that might keep you from beholding His face, beloved.

We have received an eternal adoption through our divine Sibling. This One has brought the saints into fellowship so that we may become one in Him. He was sent on a mission, a mission that He accomplished resulting in an eternal inheritance. His account for ours: One perfect Substitute. Treasure the beloved saints.

Our High Priest Jesus the Christ, is able to fully sympathise with us. On our behalf before the Father and on the Father’s behalf for us. At this very moment He is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. He rules and reign forevermore. In that case, more than the Christian life being an imprecise imitation of the incarnation, He is able to intercede perfectly for us. There will be a Day when the fully divine and fully human Jesus will judge all of humanity. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and Jesus will never blot his name out of the book of life. Jesus will confess his name before His Father and before His angels. But, to the one who fails to repent: a grave and fearful expectation.

Our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ truly is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Contend for the Deposit.
2

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In the recent past, in the Gambia, there was a big stir among many in Christian circles when a former clergy man announced his conversion to Islam on a national platform. This event doubtless re-ignited the age-old discussion, “does once saved mean forever saved?” – otherwise known in theology as the perseverance of the saints.

Before one can go on to address this question, however, I believe that it is important to settle the controversy of who a genuinely converted Christian is, and who is not? In this two-part article, we will attempt to show from biblical examples how one can tell the difference between the two. This is important because we see in the Scriptures that not all who are in the realm of the Church are genuinely regenerate.

What is Conversion?

Conversion can be defined as the first exercise of the new nature, in ceasing from old forms of life and starting a new one.¹ Notably in conversion, there is a turning from one thing (or one way of life) to another. Although in the Bible we see that the term is sometimes used for a backsliding believer’s return to the Lord (please see Luke 22:31-32), the term is generally confined to a sinner’s (initial) conversion to faith.

A classic text that teaches this doctrine is Matthew 18:3. There, our Lord says,

and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Conversion follows the effectual call of the Gospel. To put it another way, if the call of the Gospel is effectual in us, we will respond. What one does, in response to the effectual call of the Gospel is what we call conversion.

Temporary conversion

In John 6, after feeding the five thousand, myriads of “disciples” started following Jesus on account of the miracle they saw Him perform. In response, Jesus began to tell them how that as the bread of life which came down from heaven, they have to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Pretty hard teaching, isn’t it? “How can he possibly expect us to eat his flesh and drink his blood?” they grumbled. Why would Jesus seem to dissuade these people from following Him? I believe the answer is in what John tells us few chapters earlier:

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man. (John 2:23-25).

Jesus knew those who truly believed in Him and those who were merely following Him because of the miracles. Throughout the epistle of John in particular, we see that there are “believers” who are not true believers at all. I call these, miracle believers. Although these followed Him alright, and had heard Him preach, they did not have genuine heart-faith in Him. These followers had what you might call, a temporary conversion.

In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23), we see a perfect example of a temporary convert. Notice Jesus’ explanation of his parable of the seed which fell on stony ground. This kind of person, says Jesus, receives the word with joy, yet he has no root in himself. Such a seed immediately springs up as a result of lack of depth. This type of “believer” endures only for a little while; however, in the face of tribulation and persecution, he falls away. There was no root all the while (no true life) hence such a seedling could not bear fruit. Of the seeds mentioned in this parable, only the one which fell on the fertile soil represents true converts. Genuine converts last, and they prove that they have true life in Christ by bearing fruits, fruits which last. This is the lesson of the vine and branches.

The Vine and the Branches

In John 15, Jesus uses a metaphor to describe the relationship true believers have with Him as their vital source of life. He says,

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Many people have stumbled at the fact that there are branches in the vine that the husbandman (the Father) cuts off and throws away (verse 2), eventually burning such with fire (verse 6). However, the key to understanding what Jesus says here lies in verse 8: By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

It is our abiding, and bearing fruit that proves we are true branches in the first place. There are some temporary converts who seem to be branches in the vine, but are in reality not, and the evidence is in that they don’t bear fruit. They are like the seed that fell on rocky ground, which fails to bear fruit because they have no root in themselves. Once these hear a searching sermon, or face the slightest tribulations on account of the gospel, they fall back.

Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8)

Simon the sorcerer presents another classic case of temporary conversion (Acts 8:9-13). Following the preaching of Philip, Luke records that Simon believed and even offered himself for baptism. But had he really? Peter’s words few verses later proved what he had experienced was not genuine, for his heart was not perfect before God. Peter rightly discerned that Simon was “in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity” – in other words, all his show of conversion was fake. His offering himself for baptism, and attending church with the other converts was all not genuine. He needed to ask God to have mercy on him –for he was not yet saved.

The example of Simon weakens the argument of those who hold that baptism in and of itself has power to save. This is not biblically true, for if it did, then Simon’s heart would have been regenerated as a result of his baptism. But as it were, he was still in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity even after baptism. Obviously, when Peter laid hands for the new converts to receive the Holy Spirit, Simon did not – because he was not a true believer — hence he offered money to Peter to be given the gift of the Holy Spirit. Alas, the gift of God cannot be purchased with money, and God only grants the Spirit to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32). Simon was not one of those, hence, “he had neither part nor lot in this matter, for his heart was not right before God.”

The Lord Knows Them That Are His

In 1Tim 1:19-20, Paul admonishes Timothy, with regards to “holding faith and a good conscience.” The contrast to this was the example of Hymenaeus and Alexander who had shipwrecked their faith. “By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme“. In his second epistle to Timothy, chapter 2, Paul will again pick up this theme. This time, alluding to how those who have shipwrecked their faith have caused an upset in the Church – and some people are feeling as if all is lost. However, Paul says, the falling away of these false prophets did not take God unawares – He knew them that were His!

Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

The Lord knows them that are His – in other words, Hymanaeus and Philetus were none of His. Some may fall away, but the true people of God – whom He knows, can never be lost. As John says in agreement, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” (1John 2:9). This should be a great comfort to us, and also an admonition to carefully examine ourselves to be sure we are really in the faith. We may be able to fool everybody else, but the Lord knows them that are His. You’re either His, or you’re not. There is no middle ground.

To be continued…

1. Dr Martyn Lloyd-John, on Conversion, www.mljtrust.org

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In a recent sermon by a pastor, he quoted Rev. 3:20 in line with a response to the gospel.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

On many gospel tracts today, it is one of the many verses used. Many quote Rev. 3:20 and point to the fact that, if one opens “his heart” and responds to the gospel call, Christ will come in. But does Rev. 3:20 really say that? Can the unregenerate sinner, dead in his sins, open their heart to believe the gospel?

Context: The Seven Churches

The book of Revelation is primarily eschatological, that is, it focuses on the second coming of Christ; end time teachings. In the Revelation of Christ to John, he gives him a series of messages to be passed unto seven churches in Asia minor. The churches were in Ephesus (Rev.2:1-7), Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11), Pergamum(Rev.2:12-17), Thyatira(Rev.2:18-29), Sardis(Rev. 3:1-6), Philadelphia(Rev 3:7-13) and Laodicea(Rev 3:7-13). To these churches, he commends, condemns, counsels and challenges.

Christ commends the church of Ephesus for their good works, labor, patience, and their hatred of the Nicolaitians. However, he condemned them for leaving their first love and counseled them to remember from where they have fallen and repent. The challenge was to give to each of the tree of life all who overcome. The church in Smyrna, was also recommended for their works, enduring tribulation and poverty. There was not a single word of condemnation for them. However, he counseled them to fear not and continue to be faithful. They were promised not to be hurt by the second death if they overcome.

Those in Pergamum were also commended for their works, for holding fast to his name and not denying the faith. However, they were condemned for having false teachers of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. They were simply told to repent, and to all who overcome, they would be given hidden manner and a white stone

The church in Thyatira also received commendation for their good works, service, faith and patience. However, their condemnation was for allowing Jezebel to teach idolatry and compromising. They were counseled to hold on fast unto what they have until Christ comes, and all who will overcome, were promised millennial leadership and a morning star. After them, the church in Sardis also received commendation for their works. However, they received a more severe condemnation because they were dead and their works were not complete. They were told to watch and strengthen the things that remain, they were also told to remember, hold fast and repent. To all those who overcome, they were promised to be clothed in white raiment. Their name would not be blotted out of the book of life.

The church in Philadelphia received commendation for their works, their missions, their little strength for keeping his word and for not denying his name. Like the church of Smyrna, there was not a single condemnation. They were told to hold fast to what they have, and were promised to be made a pillar and all who overcome, will have written upon them the name of God and a new name.

The Church of Laodicia

I have separated Laodicia from all the others because it is in their letter we see Rev 3:20. This church, had become lukewarm, wretched, miserable, poor blind and naked. This was a reference to their spiritual state. Though they were rich physically, their spiritual state was nothing to write home about.

For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see (vv.17-18).

Their rebuke, was strong but in verse 19, Christ notes that, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” It is out of love, Christ speaks such strong words like, “spew you out” so that they may repent. This like all the other churches, was their counsel. They were told to be zealous and repent. Like the challenge he threw to all the other churches, he says in verse 20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”  Christ here calls a backsliding church to repentance. Revelation 3:20 is an urgent call to repentance of a lukewarm church. It is important to note that this is a letter to a church not an unbeliever. The church in Laodicea was neither cold nor hot; they had become lukewarm. Christ here then says to a church, that had backslidden, to come back before he returns.

In the broader context of Revelation, which primarily speaks on the return of Christ, Christ the master of the house stands outside the door. This is a reference to the nearness of his coming. It is like what is said in Matthew 24:33: “Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.” James even notes something similar in James 5:9 when he says, “Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!”. There is a sense of urgency about the text. He starts by saying, “Behold”, that is look, a way of capturing the attention of his audience. We must therefore treat Revelation 3:20 as a wake-up call to the church–Christians and not necessarily a call for repentance of the sinner who cannot by themselves open their hearts. Christs’ coming will be sudden and it is so near that it is referenced as “standing at the door”.

Christ is coming, and when he comes he will dine with his bride. Unrepentant sinners will have no place at the table with him. Like those painted in the parable of the ten virgins as sleeping, the church of Laodicea had fallen asleep. They needed to wake up. The church of Laodicea then, was told to repent before he comes, a coming which is near. Those who hear his voice, are his sheep, and they truly repent.

The Problem With Opening Our Hearts

The Bible tells us that fallen humankind are by nature dead in their sins and they cannot open their hearts. To come to saving faith therefore, God will have to regenerate their hearts; replace their heart of stone with a heart of flesh to be able to believe the Gospel. It’s all the work of God. What sinners need is not opening of an old heart but the creation of a new heart to believe the Gospel. And only God can do this through his Holy Spirit. Christ doesn’t need permission to come into the heart of the unregenerate sinner; He is the master of the house. Like Lydia in Acts 16:14, we need God to open our hearts so that we believe in the gospel.

Revelation 3:20 has nothing to do with the gospel being proclaimed to unbelievers. This is a letter written to a church. To apply this text to an unregenerate unbeliever is to simply twist the word of God. Many, in zeal for people to respond quote Revelation 3:20 but it simply does not fit in our evangelistic settings. It is a call to a Church. Shall we put it back in its place?

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 1:3)

The text above is the first of twelve verses – one long, elegant sentence in the Greek – within which Paul the apostle praises God for blessing the Ephesian church with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ. In the verses that follow, from the 15th verse onward, Paul prays for the Ephesians that their spiritual eyes will be opened to fully come to terms with the import of these blessings.

Before I proceed further, let me answer a question on my mind which I believe will be of immense benefit to the discourse. When we know what praise is, in our relationship with God, then we can best appreciate Paul’s words in the text. An online Christian ministry, gotquestions, says this of praise:

[It] is the joyful recounting of all God has done for us … It is … the truthful [sincere and heartfelt] acknowledgment of the righteous acts of another. Since God has done many wonderful deeds, He is worthy of praise (Psalm 18:3).

With this brief description of what praise is, we can now look at Paul’s praises and glean at least four lessons with regards to Christian praise, prayer and doctrine.

The Place of Praise in the Christian’s Life

How important is praise in your Christian life? What position does it occupy on your prayer list? Is it something that comes at the tail end, when you have finished pouring out your petitions to God?
It is very instructive that before Paul made any petitions for the Ephesians, he started with praise. To Paul, prayer must begin with praise. A careful study of his epistles will reveal that this is his method everywhere. True Christian prayer must begin with praise. Similarly, the Psalmist said to enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise (Psalm 100:4). Indeed, it has been said that praise is the highest form of prayer.

The Nature of Christian Praise

A striking observation from Paul’s doxology here is his deliberate mention of the Trinity. He praises God the Father, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus. “Spiritual blessings” means, not only are the blessings in view of a non-material nature, they are derived or applied to us through the Holy Spirit.

We see from Paul’s doxology, that true Christian praise, like the entire Christian position, is essentially Trinitarian. We direct our praises to God, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. This brings me to my next point,

The Object of Christian Praise

First, notice that God is the object of our praise and worship. We are not the object.

Now, one may wonder that is it possible for anyone to make us the object of Christian praise? My answer is, sadly, very much so, as is apparent from my experience below.

In an assembly where my family and I used to worship – I used to be in the choir – each time before praises, the pastor will tell the congregation, “focus on your problems.” “Focus on what you want God to do for you during this time of praises.” Then we are told, “the harder you praise, the more you will be blessed.” Sounds familiar?

It is not enough that we tend to barge into God’s presence as it were, roll down a long list of requests – some of us even give Him ultimatum when He must answer us or else…, and perhaps when we are about to finish we thank Him, sometimes we even forget to thank Him — but even His praise we have hijacked! “Focus on our problems during times of singing praises to God”?

When my wife and I stood back to reflect on our worship services in that church, we realised that it was all about us, not about God. The sermons were always about us – how if we did A and B, God will bless us materially. We could not see the Gospel at the centre of the weekly sermons. Even the themes of the services were all materialistic. If it wasn’t about breaking financial curses, it was about anointing for promotion or about one material thing or the other.

Now in a sense, I believe the church today prays and praises the way we do because we don’t stop to consider who is the object of our praise.

Paul’s approach is so unlike ours these days. Observe his method: he doesn’t start with us, he starts with God and His blessedness!

Later on, Paul will praise God for the fact that He has blessed us. But that is not what he puts in the first place. His first focus is on the blessedness of the One who alone is the object of our praise. True Christian praise is God-centred, not man-centred.

When we gather in praise and corporate worship to God, we ought to approach with reverence, bearing in mind his attributes. We come before him with reverence and awe, not to entertain ourselves.

A.W. Tozer put it so aptly when he said, “Gathering together for worship has nothing to do with pleasing ourselves, but it has everything to do with pleasing God.”

The Motivation for Christian Praise

Paul goes on to praise God because He has blessed us – not with some, but all spiritual blessings! The Puritan theologian, Paul Bayne (1537-1617), paraphrased our opening verse thus:

“Praised be the God of our Saviour, praised be the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us; that is, by his blessing made us partakers of all spiritual blessings, such as take their beginning from heaven, are kept in heaven, shall all have their accomplishments in heaven; and all this in Christ, who is the root and the second Adam, whence every benefit supernatural springeth, and is derived unto us.”

Strangely, there are some who interpret every mention of “blessings” in the Bible in terms of material things only. But does Paul have material blessings in view here? The qualification “spiritual” will immediately debunk that. Further, the context shows that Paul has in mind the great plan of salvation — beginning in eternity past with the election of the saints in Christ, till eternity to come when God will once more head up all things under Christ. We see from the context that Paul had in mind the eternal counsel that took place between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; where each person of the blessed Trinity covenanted to do certain things in the grand plan of salvation. The Father thought up the plan of Salvation (Eph. 1:3-6). The Son took it upon Himself to carry out this plan, to take on human flesh and be born as a babe, suffer and die a shameful death on a tree (Eph. 1:7-12). The Father on His part promised to grant forgiveness to all those who would believe inthe Son and the work He did on the cross; and adopt them into His family (Eph. 1: 3-6). The Spirit on His part partook to apply the work of salvation to the believer (Eph. 1:13-14).

In a sense, our praise and worship today is superficial because we have stopped contemplating the great work of God in the salvation of man. The contemporary Christian only praises when he has material blessings in view. This is a far cry from apostolic praise.

To the Christian, houses, cars, money and property are not the choicest of blessings. These are temporary. The Christian’s joy and praise is not predicated on material blessings only. His blessings are first of all spiritual – they are other-worldly!

The Christian rejoices that his name is written in heaven. We rejoice because we are forgiven, absolved from sin, accepted in the Beloved, and heirs of heaven!

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This is the second  in series on the resurrection. You can read the first in the series here.

Now, when Paul uses the word mystery, he is not referring to some unexplainable fact or a Harry Potter kind of mystery. For him mystery is something that was hidden before but is now made clear. For instance when he wrote about salvation being a mystery in Ephesians 3, he is not saying Salvation is something that can never be understood. What he is saying is that it was hidden in time past but, has now been revealed through the revelation of Jesus Christ. When we read back to the first part of v.35, “how are the dead raised?’, it appears the resurrection was shrouded in darkness for the Corinthians, and so Paul gives further insight in vv. 50-53 “I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality”

The Corinthian Christians were of the view that once they become Christians and have been filled with the Holy Spirit, they have assumed their spiritual state here on earth. No wonder they laid so much emphasis on speaking in tongues and other spiritual gifts. In their mind, the heavenly reign Jesus spoke about is to be achieved here on earth.Does that sound familiar? There is a brand of Christianity today which teaches that once you become a Christian, you have entered your heavenly inheritance. You should enjoy all the benefits of heaven here on earth. For such people the kingdom is already consummated. As long as you have enough faith, you can live the kingdom life here on earth.
But Paul says here, wait a minute brothers! Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Neither can the perishable inherit that which is imperishable. All the benefits of heaven are suited only for an imperishable body. As long as we are in our earthly bodies, we cannot claim the full rights of the kingdom. The point here is that there is no enjoyment of heavenly blessings without the proper dress.

In 2 Corinthians 5:1-6, Paul who was himself looking forward to the resurrection writes; “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling …For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened…, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee”

Paul is reminding the Corinthians it is impossible to enjoy the benefits of heaven with flesh and blood which is subject to decay. If you look at his earlier analogy in vv. 41 & 42, he emphasises there are different bodies for different existence. Flesh and blood is fitted for this fallen word, while our transformed bodies will be fit for our heavenly dealing.

There is one thing I am sure we can all agree on, no matter how strong a person’s faith they will die at some point, unless the Lord comes first. Imagine someone who claims to be living his heavenly life here on earth growing old and dying. What does that say about the victory which has been achieved? If death comes after we have enjoyed our best lives, it means death has the last word. That’s why we must not place the cart before the horse as the Corinthians were doing: “Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven”(v.45).

Paul is saying here that our best life is in heaven. It is only when we put on our heavenly bodies, when the perishable puts on the imperishable and the mortal puts on immortality we can finally see the face of God and live: “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”(v.54). It is only when death, the last enemy is defeated, that we can truly say that we have arrived. Until then “we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling”

You must not misunderstand me, Jesus Christ defeated death and all who have repented of their sins and put their trust in him share in this victory. However this victory has been inaugurated, it is awaiting its final consummation, death will finally be swallowed up in victory and the perishable will put on the imperishable. How do we know this is true? Paul says that God has “given us the Spirit as a guarantee” The presence of the Spirit in the life of a believer is a down payment of the full inheritance to come.
This is where the Christian hope comes from. Though for a period we experience sickness, grow old and die, death does not have the final say. There is a seed of God in us which will come forth in a glorious way when Jesus comes back. And in case we are still alive when the Lord Jesus returns, we will all be changed into our heavenly and imperishable bodies. And that is what Paul calls the mystery of the resurrection.
The emphasis here is not so much about death as it is about our transformation: “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”

One day out of this life, death will finally be swallowed up and its sting taken away, because the believer will be in his perfect state, never to struggle with sin and its effects again. As natural as death may seem, it wasn’t the original plan. Death is a great reminder of our sin and disobedience to God: “the sting of death in sin”(v.56). The fearful part is that physical death is not the end of it, anyone who continues in rebellion against God into their death has a fearful expectation of a second death. This is where God, the righteous judge will condemn all rebels to eternal damnation. But you don’t need to subject yourself to this horror my non-Christian friend. Great was our sin, and great was our punishment, death hanged over all of us. We were in slavery to death. But God in compassion sent his Son into our world. He who knew no sin took on the form of a man, came to our world and perfectly obeyed the law and died the death we deserved.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”

Have you trusted in this Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and reconciliation to God?

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