Divine Communication - philosophy and mysticism

Well, it's certainly nothing new! Human philosophies and mysticism have been influencing the Church since the very beginning. In fact, we can see from the topics Paul talks about in the book of Colossians that these false teaching were already being taught in the church at Colossae even then. Basically, they had allowed Jewish legalism, Greek philosophic speculation, and Oriental mysticism to seep into their assembly. For example, in the second chapter we read:

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ (Col 2:8).

Apparently some believers in Colossae had been taken in by a philosophy that involved regulating their religious life by observing the movements of the stars, which they associated with the powers of the angels.

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow (Col 2:18-19).

And some were teaching a false humility and the worship of angels, claiming special mystic insights by way of visions ("taking his stand on visions he has seen" v 18 -NASB). The underlying problem was their egoistic or fleshly minds.

In Paul's condemnation of all these heresies (including legalism and asceticism in vs 11-17, 20-23), he emphasizes the significance of Christ as Lord of creation and Head of the Church, essentially saying that since we are complete in the Head (v 10) and perfectly nourished by the Head (v 19), and since the Head has "disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities" and has set us high above all angels in Christ (v 15; Eph 1:3, 2:4-6), then human philosophy, legalism, mysticism, and asceticism are useless. Indeed, any teaching, practice, or intermediary that detracts from the centrality of Christ is against the faith.

True spirituality comes from staying focused on Christ, and the only way to do that is to be in the Word.

IF

I'd like to talk about one little word — the word IF. Basically, there are two Greek words used for this word in the New Testament — ἐάν and εἴ.  The first word shows a statement is conditional, the other assumes a condition is factual for the sake of argument. Strong's defines them this way:

(Strongs 1437) ἐάν ean - (a conjunction, derived from 1487 /ei, "if" and 302 /án, a particle showing a statement is conditional) – if, referring to a condition extending to its "spin-off" possibilities – i.e. that happens if the condition is actualized or is valid. [used 350 times in the NT]

(Strongs 1487) εἴ ei - (a conditional conjunction) – if. 1487 /ei (followed by any verb) expresses "a condition, thought of as real, or to denote assumptions" (i.e. viewed as factual for the sake of argument) (BAGD). Accordingly, 1487 (ei) should not be translated "since," but rather always "if" – since the assumption may only be portrayed as valid (true, factual). [used 502 times in the NT]

I bring this up because so often I hear or read that believers can lose their salvation.* Pointing to Colossians 1:23 for support, it is explained that those who have trusted Christ as their Savior are saved but that they might become lost again "if" they do not continue in the faith, stable and steadfast...

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, IF indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister (Col 1:19-23).

The thing is, the word "if" in Colossian 1:23 is not the conditional "if" (ἐάν), but rather the factual-for-sake-of-argument "if" (εἴ).  I think Stam explains the meaning of this "if" rather well when he says,

"I might illustrate it in this way. Here's a mother, and her son has turned to be 21, and he's bragging: 'I'm 21 now, you know, and I can do what I want' and so on. And the mother says, 'Well, if you're 21, act it.'  Now she didn't have any doubt that he was 21, and yet she used the word if. She was challenging him, and Paul used it in this very same way here in Colossians One.  Christ died to reconcile you...'Assuming' is the way he uses, 'IF INDEED,' 'assuming that you are still as you were when I saw you.'"

This same "if"(εἴ) is found in Colossians 3:1.:

IF then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:1-3).

We don't usually question whether or not the "if"(εἴ) in this verse is conditional because of where it is in the sentence.  But remember, no matter where this "if"(εἴ) is placed, it assumes the statement is a fact.**


*Be on your guard, CS Lewis fans!  I like him too BUT in his book Mere Christianity he says this very thing:“The world does not consist of 100 per cent Christians and 100 percent non-Christians. There are people (a great many of them) who are slowly ceasing to be Christians but who still call themselves by that name; some of them are clergymen. There are other people who are slowly becoming Christians though they do not yet call themselves so.”

**The same "if" (εἴ) is used in 1 Cor 15:1-2:  Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, IF you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

Fit for heaven

What is this? I had never heard the phrase "fit for heaven" before, but over the last couple of months I've heard it twice. Both times it was used in reference to our sanctification — not our positional sanctification, but our walk — and how it is daily making us more fit for heaven. The first time I heard this, I was a bit surprised. The second time I thought, "What's going on here? Why am I hearing this all of a sudden?" But my immediate reaction both times was, "What?! That's legalism!"

And that's the problem with quite a few words and phrases we throw around in our "Christian language" (Christianese) today. Some terminology just naturally leads us to think "legalism", while others lead us to think "license" or some other wrong theology. I think of them as "baggage words" — words or phrases that need to be defined or, in some cases, not used at all. Others that come to mind are "repent", "confess", "kingdom", "God-inspired", "Spirit-led", "the providence of God", "let go and let God", and the "yes, no, and wait" explanation regarding answers to prayer. That's why it's so important to go back to Scripture to see what is actually said about these things.

So, what about this phrase "fit for heaven"? It sure led me to think that what was being said was Christ's death and resurrection were insufficient so we need to work hard to make ourselves fit for heaven. And some, but not all, seem to believe that's true. Therefore, it seems to me that the phrase "fit for heaven" is confusing at best, and misleading at worst.

For those who hold to the belief that we're declared perfect at our conversion but after that we need to work our way to heaven, I'd like to discuss the following question: "Are believers unfit for heaven now?"

First off, I'd like to figure out where the phrase "fit for heaven" came from. When we look in Colossians, we see that it speaks about our being made fit for heaven, so perhaps it came from there:

Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit (notice the past tense?) to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints in the light. [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins (Col 1:12-14).

From these verses we can see it's nothing we do that makes us fit; it's all Christ's doing. And because Christ has already done it all, we're just as fit for heaven as newborn believers as we are when we're mature (2 Cor 5:21). (Remember the dying thief on the cross next to Jesus in Lk 23:42-43?)

Actually though, it is true that our old nature is unfit for heaven, but it is also true that it will always be 100% unfit for heaven. It can never be improved. Notice how we are exhorted to put off — not clean up — the "old man" (Eph 4:22; Col 3:9). The fact is, Christ didn't come to reform our flesh; He came to execute it and to give us new life (Gal 2:20-21; Col 3:3-5). Trying to clean ourselves up is merely returning to the law — the ultimate exercise in futility.

That's why we were instantly given a new creation/nature at our conversion (2 Cor 5:17-21), which is 100% fit for heaven now — and always will be! It is this new creation/nature or "new man" that we are instructed to "put on" (Eph 4:24; Col 3:10). Reading further in Eph 4:25-32 and Col 3:12-17 tell us what it "looks like" when we put on our "new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."

Thankfully, when we physically die we'll be free of our old, dead sinful nature (Rom 7:14-8:10). It will never be in heaven; only our new nature will be there. So what exactly are we trying to make fit for heaven? Our new nature, which is already perfect in every way, or our old nature, which can never be improved and is considered dead already?

Maybe you think I'm encouraging license by saying Christ's blood is all that's needed to make us fit for heaven. But that is exactly what Scripture tells us — Christ's blood is fully sufficient (1 Cor 1:30-31; 2 Cor 5:21; Eph 2:8-9)! And actually, having full confidence in the finished work of Christ on the cross for us does not produce carnal Christians; rather, His love and grace compel us to live godly lives (Rom 6:14; 2 Cor 5:14-15; Titus 2:11-12).

In light of all this, I would like to make a motion that we stop using the Christianese phrase "fit for heaven" in reference to our daily walk — as if it's something we're working toward — because in Christ we are complete (Col 2:9-10) and fully fit for heaven now!

No More Night

The timeless theme, Earth and Heaven will pass away

It's not a dream, God will make all things new that day

Gone is the curse from which I stumbled and fell

Evil is banished to eternal hell

No more night, no more pain

No more tears, never crying again

Praises to the great, "I AM"

We will walk in the light of the risen Lamb

See all around, now the nations bow down to sing

The only sounds are the praises to Christ, our King

Slowly the names from the book are read

I know the King, there is no need to dread

No more night, no more pain

No more tears, never crying again

Praises to the great, "I AM"

We will walk in the light of the risen Lamb

Look over there, it's a mansion prepared for me

Where I can live with my Savior eternally

No more night, no more pain

No more tears, never crying again

Praises to the great, "I AM"

We will walk in the light of the risen Lamb

We will walk in the light of the risen Lamb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH2nAWTuZO8&feature=youtu.be

The Word - His communication to us.

Sermon Notes on a Sunday Morning - Ephesians 1:3

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

The principle we learned last time was how to bless God — bless those who don't bless you to be more like God (Matt 5).

We have all spiritual blessings in high places.  Charles Spurgeon, referred to as the "prince of preachers" once said:  "When you're in the Bible, you're in your Father's house."  Every promise/blessing in the Bible is not ours.  Spurgeon did not take into consideration progressive revelation.  We are in our Father's house but we are also in another person's house — be careful!

"Be spiritual" are the buzz words of today.  For example, Oprah says look on your spiritual side, whatever that means to you.  She is not referring to the Holy Spirit.

Our spiritual blessings versus Israel's earthly blessings:

Israel's blessings were in earthly places and were conditional — "If you're good, I will bless you." (Deut 28:1-14):

• If you're good, I'll will bless your commerce, etc...  (This promise is for Israel, not us.  Prosperity preachers say if you send me money, God will bless you.  They are preying on the poor.)
• If you're good, I'll bless your crops, give you children, keep you safe.

In Exodus 15:26 God promised to keep Israel from diseases if they were good.

There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, "If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer. I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer" (Ex 15:26).

All these promises were for Israel.  God blessed them with physical blessings in earthly places.

God also promised to curse them if they didn't obey (exactly the opposite of blessings) (Deut 28:15-45.  All the blessings and cursings were show them they couldn't be good! (Gal 4:1-7)

Our blessings are in heavenly places and are unconditional. We are in no condition to dictate the terms, we can only believe.  A few of these blessings are:  We are new creations (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15), complete in Him (Col 2:9-10), heirs of heaven (1 Pet 1:4), adopted as full grown sons (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:1-7), saved by grace, through faith, entirely apart from works (Rom 4:4-5; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5), made acceptable in the Beloved One (Eph 1:6-7), justified — clothed in His righteousness and standing before God as if we'd never sinned — by the finished work of Christ (Acts 13:38-39; 2 Cor 5:21; Rom 3:24; 5:8-9; 8:33-34; 1 Pet 2:24), given the Holy Spirit as a guarantee unto the day of redemption (2 Cor 1:20-22; Eph 1:6, 13; 4:30), and we can never be separated from the love of Christ (Rom 8:31-39), etc...)  God gives these to us up front and then beseeches us to walk worthy of them (Eph 4:1).

Not all Israel's blessings have been realized. All of them will be realized in the earthly Kingdom to come.  If His disciples (Jewish) have enough faith, they will be given anything they ask for (Matt 21:20-22).  God will cause them to obey in the earthly Kingdom (Eze 36:26-27).  This promise is not for us.  In Romans 8:26 we told that we do not know how to pray as we ought.  If we were given everything we asked for, it would be a curse, not a blessing.

Our physical blessings are such things as rain, sun, food, etc...  Everybody, whether saved or not, receives these blessings.

We have already been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.  Be thankful for our physical blessings — sun and rain, etc. — (the unsaved do this, too) but be especially thankful for our spiritual blessings and walk worthy of them! 

This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God (1 Jn 4:9-10).

For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. There is no eternal doom awaiting those who trust him to save them. But those who don’t trust him have already been tried and condemned for not believing in the only Son of God (Jn 3:16-18).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQQaga2o6Ds