Timeless Truths from Obadiah

1. The conflict in the Middle East has biblical and spiritual roots and will be used to accomplish God’s ultimate purposes.

2. People hate Israel because they hate God.

3. The pride of man is his downfall.

4. No matter how lofty and prideful we are, we will not escape God’s judgment.

5. God will preserve his people Israel till the end of time. There have been several attempts to annihilate the Jews but this will not happen.

6. Such a small nation will be “A cup of trembling” to the more numerous and powerful nations.

7. The promises to Israel will stand because God keeps His promises.

8. The way of Cain and human wisdom is the way of destruction.

9. The Lord God reigns.

Three in One

Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

 

Acts 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

 

Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

 

[Refuting a Jehovah Witness as to denying the Deity of Jesus and the Trinity or Eternal Godhead]. Keyword- Godhead, Trinity, Jesus

 

1. Jesus Christ is God (OT and NT)

 

Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. ² And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

 

Genesis 19:24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;

 

Psalms 2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

 

Psalms 16:10-11 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. ¹¹ Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

 

Peter uses this passage to speak of the resurrection of Jesus in the Pentecost message in Acts 2:25-35 and Paul uses it in Acts 13:25 (Ps. 22:11-22)

 

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 

Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

 

John 1:1-2 ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² The same was in the beginning with God.

 

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 

John 5:17-24 Christ makes five claims of deity and being equal with God.

 

John 8:56-59 ⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. ⁵⁷ Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? ⁵⁸ Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. ⁵⁹ Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.  

 

John 10:30-33 ³⁰ I and my Father are one.³¹ Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.³² Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?³³ The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

 

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 

John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.  

 

Col. 1:15-19¹⁵ Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: ¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

 

Hebrews 1:1-3 ¹ God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, ² Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; ³ Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

 

1 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

 

Titus 2:10-13 ¹⁰ Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. ¹¹ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, ¹² Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; ¹³ Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;

 

1 John 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

 

1 John 4:2-3 ² Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh: ³ And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

 

1 John 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

 

2 Peter 1:1-2 ¹ Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: ² Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

 

2. The Trinity or Eternal Godhead (OT and NT)

 

Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. ² And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

 

Genesis 1:26-27 ²⁶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

²⁷ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

 

Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

 

Genesis 11:7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

 

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

 

Psalms 110:1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

 

Matthew 3:16-17 ¹⁶ And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: ¹⁷ And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

 

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

 

Eph. 1:1-14 The work of the Godhead in salvation

 

Ephesians 4:4-6 ⁴ There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ One Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

 

1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

 

Jude 1:20-21 ²⁰ But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, ²¹ Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

 

The Myth of the Carnal Christian

1 Cor. 3:1-9

Many teach that Paul in this passage is talking about 3 classes of people: The natural man or lost man [2:14], Spiritual Christian [3:1a], and the Carnal Christian [1b]. They present a diagram with 3 circles representing the 3 classes of people. At the center of each is a throne. The natural man has self on the throne with Christ outside the circle. The carnal Christian has invited Christ into the circle but keeps self on the throne. The spiritual Christian puts Christ into the circle and Christ on the throne.

A man named Lewis Sperry Chafer popularized the carnal Christian idea in his book, He that is spiritual. C. I. Scofield states the same in his notes in The Scofield Reference Bible.

In recent years this idea of a permanent state of a carnal Christian has been included in tracts by Campus Crusade for Christ, Dallas Seminary, and later revised by Bill Bright before his death.

According to Ernest Reisinger, "This "Carnal Christian" teaching was invented to accommodate all the supposed converts of modern evangelism. The non-lordship teachers had to have some explanation for the thousands and thousands of those who are products of an evangelism that leaves out Bible repentance from their evangelistic message. I am referring to those who make "decisions," walk aisles and make professions of being Christians, but their lives have never been changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they do not love what Christians love and hate what Christians hate. They act, think and live like non-Christians, but their teachers must have some explanation for their unchanged lives. Thus the unbiblical category "Carnal Christian" was invented by the non-lordship teachers."

Stage one is conversion and then stage two is to make Jesus Lord. In between the two stages the believer may live like an unbeliever.

This tract is based on our text today. Trouble is, Paul is not teaching 3 classes of people, but only 2 classes of people- The natural man [lost] and the Spiritual man [saved]. Here we see the saints and the aint's.

Note 2:14-15 He is not teaching that a Christian can’t remain in a permanent state of carnality for his whole life and be in a special class.

TT: Why? Let me defend this view with seven reasons!

1. Paul was rebuking the Corinthians for their fleshly behavior, for their state not their standing.

The church had divided into factions over the popularity of different teacher [vs. 3-9]. Paul states that they were fleshly and behaving like mere men or the natural man. Paul was accusing them of acting like non-Christians.

Paul was not defining 2 classes of Christians or 3 classes of people. He simply talks about the natural man and the spiritual man who was acting carnal in behavior.

Can true Christians be carnal? The word carnal means fleshly. Paul addresses them both as “brethren” [v. 1] and “carnal” [v. 2]. Every time we sin we act carnal.

There is no such thing as a believer who is carnal all the time.  And, there is no such thing as a believer who is not carnal some of the time.

A true Christian will not remain carnal for a lifetime. Many believe a person can come to faith in Christ and then turn to live their life in a carnal state with no signs of spiritual life, and be a Christian.

Once we set up a category for a “carnal Christian” everybody who confesses Christ is saved, but James 2:14; Matt. 7:21; 1 John 3:9; and 1 John 5:14 tell us different.

2. Spiritual Refers to all Christians.

They were spiritual because they had received the Holy Spirit,  they were spiritual by position but not practice. Their standing was as spiritual but their state was as fleshly.

Their behavior was so inconsistent with the truth that Paul had to address them as babes in Christ, carnal, acting like the natural man [2:14-15].

Romans 8:5-9, The lost have a mind set on the flesh while Christians have a mind set on the Spirit.

According to Paul then, all Christians are spiritual but do act in the flesh from time to time, and that is what he is rebuking them for in our text.

3. Paul does not urge these carnal Christians to “make Jesus Lord.”

Many think that a believer can live in a carnal state having not made Jesus Lord. They are converted, Jesus is in the circle, but Jesus is not on the throne of their life.

Phil. 2:11; Rom. 10:9-10; John 20:28; 1 Cor. 12:3

A.W. Tozer said it best, "You can't receive a divided Christ."

4. The carnal Christian teaching perverts Justification and Sanctification.

5. The carnal Christian teaching makes no room for false converts.

6. The carnal Christian teaching negates the importance of repentance.

7. The carnal Christian teaching eliminates the doctrine of assurance of salvation.

Summary:

1. A true Christian can be carnal [3:1].

2. A true Christian will not remain carnal for a lifetime without the conviction and correction of God and ultimately physical death [Heb. 11:5-9; James 5:20; 1 John 5:16-17].

Believers can’t sin without punishment. One can’t be a carnal Christian and not experience discipline from the Lord.

3. A Christian who is acting carnal loses reward not relationship [3:15].

4. We are wrong in labeling carnal Christians as permanent carnal Christians, when in reality they that have their mind set on the flesh, and are probably lost [Romans 8:5-9; Gal. 5:17-24].

5. What about Lot? Lot is used as a example of a lifelong carnal Christian. Turn to 2 Peter 2:7-9

* He lived in Sodom but never became a sodomite.

* He was grieved, tormented and oppressed over the sin around him.

* The Lord rescued Lot with severe chastisement.

   He lost his testimony

   He lost his home

   His wife was killed by divine judgment

   His daughters disgraced and shamed him.

Young Creation

Where Did a Young-earth Worldview Come From?

 

by Bodie Hodge on May 30, 2007

 

Simply put, it came from the Bible. Of course, the Bible doesn’t say explicitly anywhere, “The earth is 6,000 years old.” Good thing it doesn’t; otherwise it would be out of date the following year. But we wouldn’t expect an all-knowing God to make that kind of a mistake.

God gave us something better. In essence, He gave us a “birth certificate.” For example, using a personal birth certificate, a person can calculate how old he is at any point. It is similar with the earth. Genesis 1 says that the earth was created on the first day of creation (Genesis 1:1–5). From there, we can begin to calculate the age of the earth.

 

Let’s do a rough calculation to show how this works. The age of the earth can be estimated by taking the first five days of creation (from earth’s creation to Adam), then following the genealogies from Adam to Abraham in Genesis 5 and 11, then adding in the time from Abraham to today.

 

Adam was created on day 6, so there were five days before him. If we add up the dates from Adam to Abraham, we get about 2,000 years, using the Masoretic Hebrew text of Genesis 5 and 11.3 Whether Christian or secular, most scholars would agree that Abraham lived about 2,000 B.C. (4,000 years ago).

So a simple calculation is:

5 days
+ ~2,000 years
+ ~4,000 years

~6,000 years