Christ's 1st Public Command: Repent

 

Jesus Christ's (Yeshua the Messiah's) first public command is to REPENT.

As it is written:

“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17 ESV)

In order to obey this command and to repent successfully, there are some absolutely crucial principles we must keep in mind. I've mentioned them in other blogs, but here is a synopsis of the critical factors to repenting successfully:


1. Remember to Always Call things what God calls them: The first principle of authentic Christian discipleship is that we must choose to look at any key words, concepts, principles, and ideas the way that God Himself looks at them and defines them in His Word. Something is sin when God says it is sin. Something is righteous only when God calls it righteous. It's only a true confession when God defines it as a confession. God will not change His definitions and standards to accommodate our preferences, so we must adapt our definitions to agree and cooperate with His, (Matthew 6:22-23; Isaiah 5:20-24; 45:19; Psalm 18:30; 19:8; Proverbs 17:15; 30:5-6).

2. What it means to REPENT Biblically: To repent; (in Hebrew: TESHUVAH= to return to the LORD); in Greek: METANOEÔ. From the Biblical literal sense of the word, to repent literally means to change one's mind, to change one's purpose and to change one's actions AWAY from what God defines as being sin, and then TURNING and progressively walking TOWARD what God says is righteous, good and pleasing to Him. So from God's point of view we have only successfully repented when we change our mind, when we change our purpose and when we change our way of life AWAY from what He calls sin, and then we walk TOWARD what God says is pleasing to Him.

3. What is sin? Based on the definition of what it means to repent, then God's definition of sin is critically important, because we will not know if we are successfully turning our minds, turning our purpose and turning our actions away from what God calls sin, if we do not truly understand and agree with God's definition of that term. There are many detailed definitions in Hebrew and Greek for the word SIN. You can find those here:

http://www.theopedia.com/Greek_and_Hebrew_words_for_Sin

The principle words used are; in Hebrew: [râ‛âh] This term is used more than 600 times and is most often translated as "evil" or "bad” [Strong's\ #7451]. It carries the implication of something that is contrary to God's nature. Also: [chaṭṭâ'âh] This term is used almost 300 times and is most often translated as "sin" or "offense" [Strong's\ #2403]^). It carries the implication of that which is deserving of punishment.
In Greek: HAMARTIA it's literally an archery term, meaning to "miss the bull's-eye.” To sin then is to miss the bull's-eye or to miss God's mark or the bull's-eye of His highest standard. This term for sin is the one most frequently used, appearing in the New Testament 174 times (Greek Strong's #266; 264).

4. What is the target?: If sin is missing the mark, then righteousness by definition must be hitting the mark of God's highest standard. So, if sin is missing the target or the bull's-eye of God's Highest Standard, then what is the Standard? What is the target that we are supposed to be aiming for and eventually hitting?
a. Righteousness always agrees with God's Character and Nature. Since sin is anything that is contrary to God's character and nature, [coming short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23b], then obviously the target of righteousness we are aiming to hit is NEVER contrary to what God describes as His character and His nature.
b. Righteousness will ALWAYS obey God's Law. Since even in the New Testament, sin is defined as the transgression or violation of God's Law (1 John 3:4; Hosea 8:1; Daniel 9:11; Psalm 119:142; Psalm 19:7-14). That's missing the target. So then, hitting the target would mean that we are agreeing with, honoring and obeying God's Laws Commandments and Instructions. So, the idea that sin is coming short of the glory of God and that sin is missing the target of what is required by God's Laws, Commandments and Instructions, is NOT ONLY an idea of the Old Testament, but it's REPEATED in the New Testament (1 John 3:4; Romans 3:23)
5. Remember God's standards righteousness: Love, Faith, Obedience to God in Christ, and Purposely Glorifying God. ANYTHING THAT MISSES THIS STANDARD IS “hamartia.” It is sin; (Love: Matthew 22:34-40; Matthew 7:12; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8; Faith: Hebrews 11:1,6; Romans 14:23b; Habakkuk 2:4; Obeying God: Matthew 7:21; John 3:36; John 14:21; John 15:14; Matthew 12:46-49; cf. Ezekiel 36:26-27;; Glorifying God on Purpose 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17-23). Anytime that we miss those standards, we are sinning. If we consume our time practicing and learning to hit those standards, then we will not be sinning. So then to repent is to change our minds, our purposes and our actions, and to turn AWAY from whatever misses these standards, and then to keep aiming for and practicing hitting these standards until we consistently hit the mark.
6. Take God seriously: Remember the second principle of authentic Christian discipleship is to Take God Seriously: God's standards are real. Missing the mark of God's highest standards is sin, and the consequences of sin are equally real. So when God says something in His Word, believe it, and take Him seriously, because He means it, and He is not kidding; (Psalm 9:16; Hebrews 4:12-13; Malachi 3:5; Isaiah 55:11).
7. Remember the consequences of sin are real too: Just as God will not change His definitions of key concepts to suit our preferences, neither will He remove the consequences of His judgments to suit our comforts. To pretend like our sin has no consequences is the same as mocking God Himself (Galatians 6:7-10). Self-deception happens when we deny our sins, or we pretend that our sin has no consequences. According to God's Word the consequences of sin are: Broken Relationship with God and other people; Bondage and Slavery; Death; and Eternal Condemnation and Torment in Hell. That is why our sin must radically be dealt with, or it will destroy us; (Isaiah 59:2; Proverbs 15:8-9; John 8:31-34; Romans 6:16; 7:11; 7:14; 7:25; Ephesians 4:22; Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 5:12; James 1:13-15; Romans 6:23; Matthew 25:41; Matthew 13:42; Matthew 24:41; Matthew 25:30; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 14:9-11; Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 21:8).
8. God DOES provide His Grace: As it relates to the topic of sin and our restoration from sin, the True Biblical Grace of God has three key functions:
a. God's Grace brings us to the point of repentance (Romans 2:4).
b. God's Grace forgives us our sins WHEN we confess them (1 John 1:8-10).
c. God's Grace gives us the God-given ability to desire, to seek, to choose, and then to do what God says is pleasing to Him (Philippians 2:13; Ezekiel 36:25-27). GRACE: God's True Biblical Grace is the God given ability to seek, to discover, to desire, to choose, to do, and to persevere in doing what is good, righteous and pleasing to Almighty God, with the power of the Holy Spirit. God's Grace also gives us the ability to recognize and to REPENT when we are falling short of what God desires. There is not a single indication in either part of rightly divided Scripture that even hints at the idea that we can continue to live a lifestyle of disobedience to the King and still receive the full rights, blessings and privileges of a citizen in God's eternal kingdom. That idea is LAWLESSNESS, NOT GRACE! Hey, it just has to be said, and often, because God's grace is getting slandered something awful in our world's churches today.
d. Remember when you turn the grace of God into a license to sin, then according to the New Testament, it is the same thing as denying Jesus Christ (see Jude 1:4).
d.
9. Remember that God will forgive us, but we MUST confess: God guarantees to save us when we believe and confess Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10). He also promises to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness whenever we confess our sins (1 John 1:9). With our forgiveness from sin, and our salvation all resting on our confession, it's obviously critical that we learn to confess in a manner which God will accept.
10. Remember What Confess Means: In the original Greek Biblical language the word confess is "homologeô" which most precisely means to be of one mind, and to speak the same thing. So this means that in order to properly confess something I have to come into mental agreement (to be of one mind or in mental accord) with God about a particular subject, and then I have to speak the same thing that God says about that subject. If you don't agree with God mentally, and then speak the same thing that God says verbally, then according to God you did not really confess. We must come into unity with God in our thinking and in our speaking, so that we could confess properly. Therefore, we could then receive the great promises of salvation and forgiveness which are guaranteed to those who properly confess. Our very eternal life depends on getting and keeping this right; (Romans 10:9-10; 1 John 1:9).
11. Abolishing God's Laws, Commandments and Instructions actually forces people into Sin, and prevents them from receiving the grace that God provides: Please think about this carefully. Since sin is the transgression or the violation of God's Character, Nature, Laws and Commandments (Romans 3:23; 1 John 3:4), and since we only receive God's grace and forgiveness when we confess that we have in fact missed the bull's-eye of His standards (1 John 1:8-9), if you remove or abolish the Standard, then people cannot help but to sin. How can people help but miss the target, if we teach them that the target was done away with at the cross?! If they do not realize that they have truly missed the target of God standards, then how will they confess? If they do not confess, how can they receive God's Grace and be forgiven? Moreover when you say the law has been abolished and you remove God's target, and you cause people to believe that they have not sinned when God says they have, then you force them into a situation where they are calling God Himself a liar (1 John 1:10). I can pretty well guarantee you that calling God a liar to his face, is NOT the sure fire way to access His Good Graces! You cannot attack and demolish the Laws and Commandments of God, without demolishing your own access to God's Grace at the same time! It's the equivalent of trying to stay warm in the mid-winter blizzard, and the solution you choose is to burn down the house in which you live. That's a monumentally stupid thing to do, even for sheep.
12. Remember How to Confess: Whenever we confess our sins we need to make sure that we:

a. Acknowledge what God's true standards are regarding situation.
b. Specifically admit what we did.

c. Acknowledge in which ways what we did missed the mark of God standards.
d. Pray about what you could or should have done differently, instead of doing what you did.
When we do this properly, we not only confess biblically, but we also lay the groundwork for a genuine biblical repentance as well.

Go “MAKE” Disciples

By Brother Michel Lankford
 
Over the past year I have been concentrating on understanding and sharing Whole Testament Theology, and while I still fervently believe that this is true and the best way to live life in obedient discipleship, I also earnestly believe that what Messiah said in John 14:21 is also equally true. Almighty God will reveal and manifest Himself to us, WHEN we have and keep Christ's Commandments and do them. So if we want to understand God and His Word better, then one very good place to start is by first learning and obeying what Christ commanded.
 

The Huge Need for Biblical Discipleship

 
According to a mid-2007 Christianity Today article "five kinds of Christians," a full 90% of Americans claim to be Christians. At first glance, this seems very encouraging until you learn that very few people understand what being a Christian means. The article goes on to explain in detail the shocking reality. The fact is that only about 39% of respondents based their beliefs and practice according to true Biblical Christianity. A full 61% of respondents did not understand that their salvation came through what Jesus Christ accomplished through his life death and resurrection. I said all that for this reason. We live in a culture that is constantly drilling into our heads the false ideology that you can believe anything you want and practically do anything you want and still be "good." We live in a culture that absolutely insists on removing all moral absolutes from the public debate. As a result, we are being indoctrinated from cradle to grave to believe that every ideology and practice is equally good and equally valuable. This is the great deception of our age. True Godliness must be defined in a manner that God Himself defines it. True Christianity must be defined as Christ Himself defines it. What the survey clearly demonstrates was that almost two thirds of people who call themselves Christians had no clue what being Christian really means. Only 39% of total respondents believe and behaved in any of these ways to any degree whatsoever.
• Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ
• Committed to Bible fellowships
• Bible readers
• Accept leadership positions
• Invest in personal faith development through the church
• Feel obligated to share their faith.
(Various classifications of biblical Christians did these things to greater or lesser degrees depending on the group classification). For example in one group 79% of a particular classification actively share their faith while other biblical Christians did so less, but they still believe and practice this. However, only 39% of the total respondents believed and behaved in the ways listed. This is closest to biblical Christianity. The survey goes on to show that a full 45% had no Christ centered or biblical bases for their faith or practice whatsoever, while 16% would be considered marginal by any biblical standard. Yet these respondents still identify themselves as Christians.
Does this kind of stuff really matter, and if so why? The answer is yes it matters. Why? It matters because words mean things. Words create ideas and ideas inspire behaviors, and behaviors create habits and habits create character and character creates legacies for future generations. Words and ideas are the seeds of legacies, and legacies will either create prosperity or devastation for societies. What we believe matters, even in ways not yet imagined by humankind.
I felt that God has laid it on my heart to write a manual of discipleship. The ideas had been prayerfully stewing in my being for many years. It's articles and statistics like the ones mentioned above which confirm in my mind that I was meant to write. As I was writing, God was reminding me of a lot of good things which I had learned and studied through his word, but I was being alerted that something very fundamental was missing. He brought me back to one of the foundation pillars for discipleship which is found in Matthew 28:19-20:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."  Matthew 28:19-20 (NRSV)

Let's take a look at the key commands in this passage.

Go - This means that we are to transport ourselves from one location to the other
Make disciples - This means that in whatever location we find ourselves, our mission is to "MAKE disciples." Discipleship doesn't happen automatically either by being born into a religion, nor does discipleship happen automatically by virtue of becoming a born-again Christian. It's not automatic. Disciples are made not born.
Baptizing them in the name [more in, or under the authority] of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- This portion of the passage tells us that we are to baptize those who believe the message of the Gospel and it tells how we are to baptize them.
Teaching them to obey all things that I have commanded you - Did you catch this? We are to MAKE disciples and to TEACH them to OBSERVE and OBEY EVERYTHING that Jesus commanded. Did you notice that Messiah did not say teach them some of the things I commanded? Did you notice that Messiah did NOT say to teach them how to pick and choose which of my Commandments they will honor and obey according to what they prefer and what seems most suitable to their lives? On the contrary, Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, Whom we claim to believe as our Savior, Whom we claim to love and pledge to follow as our Lord, to the glory of Almighty God the Father, the Messiah specifically required that we teach people to obey EVERYTHING which He has commanded.
Beloved, if we are not making a special point to teach EVERYTHING that Christ Commanded, and how to obey Him then we are NOT truly making disciples, as Christ defines the term. What's more, when we do not teach people how to obey everything that Christ Commanded, then we are actively DISOBEYING Jesus Christ, Whom we claim to love as our Lord and Savior. Teaching people to UNDERSTAND and TO OBEY EVERYTHING that Jesus Christ COMMANDED is NOT an option, it's the MINIMUM REQUIREMENT for disciple making, inasmuch as Jesus Christ Himself has defined the lesson plan!
That means that any person I'm teaching to become a disciple of Jesus Christ must know what Jesus said, what Jesus taught, what Jesus did; and they must have some rudimentary understanding of how to apply Christ's Commands into practical everyday life. If That's not happening then we're not truly making disciples. It's as simple as that. With these fundamental principles in mind, I want is to look at the commands Jesus Christ Himself gave. I also want us to look at some of the fundamental ways that we can implement what Jesus commanded into practical everyday life. As you grow in your walk of faith, God will give you more and deeper understanding, but I want us to observe some of the basic rudimentary applications of Christ's commands so that we at least have a good starting point in obeying what Christ commanded.
God willing, and by His Grace, each of the future lessons in this blog will regularly answer three questions
1.  What did Yeshua the Messiah Command? As long as Almighty God provides us time, we will look at what were Messiah's imperative Commands throughout the Scriptures?
2. What are the vital principles (or functional dynamics) behind each Command? In other words, what vital things do I need to understand that will help me to develop the mindsets, attitudes and understanding that will help me not only to obey the letter of the Command, but the true spirit behind it as well.
3. What practical steps can I take to begin obeying this Command of God and Jesus Christ? Since we are to teach people how to obey everything that Jesus Christ Commanded, then no attempts to obey this command would be complete without some form of practical advice on how to put His Commands and Guiding Principles into practical physical everyday use. These roadmaps and suggestions will not lay out every detail of every unique decision that you will face of course, but if we do a good job of clearly identifying the commands and the functioning dynamics behind them, then these pieces of practical advice should give you a great springboard so that you can preferably making carry out your own action plans according to how God leads you by His Word in the Holy Spirit.

Anyway, God willing, that is the future vision for the next phase of this blog. I hope you will join me.
 
Brother Michel Lankford

How Can I Truly Know What's in My Heart

By Brother R. Michel Lankford

"God knows what's in my heart." We've all been there before, have we not? Either when we have tried to encourage someone with Biblical counsel, or when someone else has been trying to help us, and or when we're not entirely receptive to what we're hearing, it's easy to rally around that old familiar saying, "God knows what's in my heart." I have been chewing and meditating on that phrase all week long, and it got me asking the question. What is the proof of what's really in my heart? How can I know what really truly lives in there? How can I prove that Biblically?
Before we retreat to the all too popular response, “Yes, I know that Scripture says God requires..., but God knows your heart, and it's what's in your heart that counts,” we need to confront a critical question that we often neglect to ask:

 

How can I know what's Truly in my heart?

You see, the retort, "God knows my heart" implies that my intent, my motives in my desires are right before God and since God knows that I am completely well-intentioned, then this must mean that if my behavior or performance is not exactly obedient to what God says that He desires and requires, then that doesn't matter, and God still accepts me and what I do, because after all, God knows my heart. If we are brutally honest, this is how that retort is most often meant and applied or used.
In one sense, we are gambling an awful lot on the presumption that our hearts, desires, motives and intentions are right. How do I know that my heart is right? How do I weigh it? How do I measure it? We are gambling a lot on the supposition that our heart must be right with God. Moreover, how presumptuous is it to believe that we are so completely well-intentioned, that our intentions are so good, that this will cause God to overlook and ignore His own desires, standards, and requirements in our favor, even while we are looking for and using that statement as justification not to obey what He says in some particular area of our lives? So before we assume that our hearts are right, I ask again, how can we know?
God tells us to guard our heart with all diligence, because out of it flows the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). This of course also means that since God expects us to stand guard over our hearts, then we should know what belongs there and what does not. God expects us to have a clear understanding of what should be allowed to pass through the gates of our heart, and what should be forcibly kept out from the gates of our hearts. Once again, we face the question, how do I know what's really in my heart?

 

Our Reactions Reveal Our Heart

The answer is simple. According to God's Holy Written Word, one of the most crucial ways that God reveals and exposes our hearts is how we respond to God's Standards, Laws, Commandments, and Instructions. Just as it is written:
"You must carefully follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase, and may enter and take possession of the land the LORD swore to your fathers. Remember that the LORD your God led you on the entire journey these 40 years in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then He gave you manna to eat, which you and your fathers had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. “(Deuteronomy 8:1-3 HCSB - emphasis added)
And it is also written:
"If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods'--which you have not known--'and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst. Deuteronomy 13:1-5 (NKJV - emphasis added)
The exact same principle is exemplified again in Matthew 13:18-23; cf. Matthew 7:24-25. The Scriptures teach and exemplify a spiritual dynamic which modern-day Christendom has often neglected.

The tool that God uses to reveal what is truly in my heart is how I respond to God's written word. How I respond to God's Standards, Laws, Commandments, and Instructions is the primary tool that God uses to test and reveal the true condition of my heart.

When I hear God's Word, do I believe it? Am I receptive to it? Do I measure my desires, motives, attitudes, choices and behaviors according to what God says is good, and what He says that He desires and requires? When I hear and read God's Word and I realize that I'm falling short of what God says He requires and desires in any of those areas, then do I pursue God in prayer and trying to actively practice what He says, without giving up, until I come into alignment with what God says He desires and requires? If this authentically describes the way that I truly walk and live before Almighty God, then yes, I have a pretty solid reason to say that my heart is right, and being made right before God.
On the other hand, if when I hear and read God's Word, I do not respond in the above manner, then this reveals that I have a serious heart problem. If I refuse to measure my desires, motives, attitudes, choices and behaviors according to what God says is good, and what He says that He desires and requires, then this reveals and proves that I have serious spiritual heart disease.
When I hear and read God’s Standards, Laws, Commandments, and Instructions, and I find myself looking for reasons why I don't really have to do what God said that He desires and requires, then this reveals, testifies to, and also proves that in those areas of my life, my heart is most definitely not right before God, and in reality I am heartsick with sin sickness. When I hear and read God’s Standards, Laws, Commandments, and Instructions, and I realize that I'm coming short of what God says He desires and requires, and I choose to rationalize and seek to justify myself instead of repenting, then this too reveals that in those areas of my life, I am in desperate need of a heart change. I need Jesus the Son of Yahweh to truly set me free in those areas, because in such instances, my responses to God’s Word have revealed that in those areas of my life I'm still truly a slave to my old sinful and disobedient nature (John 8:34-36; Romans 6:16).

Please do not be deceived. Please do not permit others to deceive you with flattering words (Ephesians 5:6). The way we respond to God's Standards, Laws, Commandments, and Instructions is the proof that reveals what is truly in our heart. That's one of the functions of God's Word and Instructions (Hebrews 4:12-13).

 

How Does God Describe the True Condition of the Human Heart?

Yes, truly God does know our hearts, and if we made good use of the brains that God gave us, the realization of that fact alone should be enough to bring us to Godly and Biblical repentance. Here is what Almighty God has to say about the real condition of the human heart:
a. The human heart is wicked and can easily be deceived (Genesis 6:5-6; Jeremiah 17:5,9; Proverbs 14:12; 16:25; James 1:26; 1 John 1:5-10).
b. Except for Messiah, no human being ever sought after God, or persistently did what was right with God (Romans 3:10-18; Hebrews 4:15).
c. There are even some occasions when we can be right with God, and our hearts will tell us that we're wrong (1 John 3:20). Our hearts can deceive us.
d. We are expressly told to guard our heart (Proverbs 4:23). It is precisely because it can be attacked. It can be deceived. It can be led astray from the things of God.
e. Yes, indeed the time will come in the future, when our transformation will be complete, and the renewed covenant is completely manifest. At some point in the future God will write His commands on our heart, and no man will have to teach his neighbor about God (Jeremiah 31:31-34), but we are obviously not in the full manifestation of that promise yet. If we are, then why are any Bible study groups still necessary? In this world, there are plenty of people who do not know God or His ways, even among those who consider themselves born-again believers. One need look no further than George Barna and his research Institute to understand that this portion of Scripture still has yet to be fulfilled and manifested, because obviously it hasn't fully happened yet.
You may say to yourself, well, our hearts remain perfectly clean after we come to Christ. Oh really? Then why did James write a letter to Jewish believers who had faith in Christ and were dispersed throughout the world (James 1:1-3), that they should cleanse their hearts, (James 4:8)? Why then did Paul later restate the same idea to believers in Corinth (2 Corinthians 7:1)?

The Overflow of Our Lips Also Proves Our Hearts

The primary proof that reveals what is truly in our heart is how we react and respond to God's Standards, Laws, Commandments, and Instructions in His Written Word. If and whenever our inclinations, our desires, responses, our choices and behaviors are consistent and in agreement with God's Standards, Laws, Commandments, and His Instructions, then in those instances, our hearts can correctly be said to be right with God. Whenever this is not the case, then my heart by definition cannot be right before the Perfectly Holy God and Majesty of Heaven. The second tool that God uses to reveal what is in our heart, is the fruit of our lips. Just as it is written:
"You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. "The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the Day of Judgment. "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:34-37 (NASB - Words of Messiah in red) (cf. Isaiah 32:6; Proverbs 10:20-21; Proverbs 18:21; Matthew 15:18-20; Luke 6:45; James 3:2-12; Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 4:6).
That's part of our biggest problem. God knows our heart, but we don't. We are the ones who are confused and deceived. That's why God has to constantly reveal our hearts to us, and bring us back to Himself.

 

Conclusion

When I look at how God's Holy Word described the heart, and when I look at Scripture and see the tools that God uses to reveal our hearts to us so that we will be aware of the true condition of our hearts, I become much more circumspect and careful how I walk before the LORD. I cannot speak for anyone else, but speaking for myself, I can no longer remain comfortable using the glib response, "Well, God knows my heart," whenever I'm confronted with a biblical requirement from God's word which I know I'm not truly obeying. Far from presuming to believe that I am so completely well-intentioned, that my intentions are so good, that this will cause God to overlook and ignore His own desires, standards, and requirements in my favor, even I’m we are looking for excuses and using that statement as justification not to obey what He says in some particular area of my life; understanding the fact that God knows my heart, compels me to do exactly the opposite.
Far from excusing my actions, the reality that God knows my true heart is what motivates me to repentance, and well it should. Since I love Almighty God, and He is my Heavenly Father, I love and respect His Standards. I want to grow to love what He loves, and to hate what He says He hates. I want to grow into His mature son, to bring joy and delight to His heart. Whenever I come short of that, I want to be able to see it and eagerly repent and turn away from it, and turn and walk in what pleases God. I don't want to retreat to the phrase, "Well, God knows my heart,” as though it's a free pass and a blank check to justify doing exactly as I please, while claiming to be right with God.
On the contrary! If I truly understand and respect the reality that God knows my heart, it should lead me to evaluate my desires, thoughts, choices and behaviors according to the Scriptures, and when I realize that I'm coming short of what God says is good, the fact that God knows my heart should lead me to cry out in repentance just as the psalmist did:

 

Psalm 51:1-19

Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.
Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.
For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
By Your favor do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem.
Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar. Psalm 51:1-19 (NASB)

"Yes, God knows my heart, that's the point. That's why I desperately need Him to change it, so that I will be truly pleasing to Him, and so that I will desire and will do what is good and right and pleasing in His sight, instead of seeking my own pleasure."

Brother Robert Michel Lankford

Hermeneutics 101

By Brother R. Michel Lankford

What Is Hermeneutics?

In simple words hermeneutics is a term meant to describe the various theories and methods of interpreting a written text. So, Biblical hermeneutics would describe the various theories and methods (the various rules of thumb as it were), for interpreting Scripture or Biblical texts.

There are different schools of thought (in other words different groups disagree) on which particular rules of interpretation should carry more weight when interpreting text, and which rules of interpretation should carry less weight when interpreting biblical text. Which ever rules you use, and how you use them in practical everyday use will make a vast difference on how you see, interpret and practice the Scriptures. That is one reason why different people can look at the same Scriptural text and come up with dramatically different ideas about what Scripture says and means. That's because when you emphasize one rule of interpretation, and God demonstrates by the context of the passage that we should have clearly emphasized a different rule in our interpretation then what we used, then we can cause ourselves to believe that Scripture says something other than what it actually says because of the interpretational filter that we used.
Which ever rules of interpretation one decides to use, the goal and objective should NOT be to influence the outcome but to prevent error.

 

We Must Elevate Scripture to Its Proper Place

Scripture Must Lead our Understanding, our Own Understanding should NEVER be Allowed to Lead or Twist Our Understanding of Scripture

I'll explain what I mean, using historical science as my example. During the early middle part of the 20th century, the Nazis in Germany believed and practiced eugenics. This was selective breeding, manipulation of the gene pool and extermination of people, based on the theory of Arianism. This is about the theory that the German bloodline was supposedly of Aryan descent, and as a result, people with German blood were supposedly automatically, genetically, mentally, intellectually and physically superior to everyone else, and on that basis, according to them, the human race would be vastly improved if the Germans ruled the world.

That's a simplistic summary, but it's an accurate one. Under that theory, Nazi Germany started aggressive wars, committed countless atrocities and exterminated millions.

In the process, there is a plethora of historical documentation proving that Nazi “scientists” would manipulate and even rig scientific experiments and falsify results in an effort to create supposedly scientific proof of the German Arian theory, even though true science demonstrated the theory to be false.
Basically they started out with the conclusion they wanted and tried to force and manipulate the science and test results to prove them right, even when the true Science clearly did not support it. That's because they had an agenda, and they wanted to create justification to do what they already wanted and planned to do in advance.

I said all that to say this. Although the Nazis were extreme in their abuse of this practice, it is human nature to approach life and its questions with our own preconceived desires ideas and beliefs and then to try to prove ourselves correct and justified in those beliefs. If we are not careful to fight against it, we can actually rig or manipulate our study so that it appears to prove out the conclusions that we already hold dear and believe. Unless we are vigilant to guard against it, biblical students can do the exact same thing.

All Scripture is true when God breathed, but unless we are extremely diligent to rightly divide the Word of Truth, we could find ourselves manipulating the Scriptures, and then try to bend it around the framework that seems to prove our own pet theories and doctrines, even when the rightly divided Scripture does not agree with those conclusions. Scripture should guide us to our conclusions. Our own desires and conclusions should not allow us to manipulate the Scriptures in order to prove what we wish that Scripture said. That's why a good, thorough and balanced system of hermeneutics is so critical, because it creates a system of checks and balances that helps us prevent gross error in Scripture interpretation. There are a lot of systems of interpretation out there, but what follows is the one that I find to be most thorough, balanced and effective.

Basic Rules of Interpretation

We Must Have a Humble and Teachable Attitude in Order to Learn

Be humble enough to remember that you can be deceived. Think about it. Adam and Eve, lived in virtually perfect circumstances (other than the serpent in the garden; Genesis 3:1-6). They enjoyed close Fellowship with God in the cool of the day. They had perfect minds that were not entangled by sin, or suffering or trauma or disease. Yet even with a perfect body and mind, the devil was still able to deceive and manipulate them into sinning against God. If Adam and Eve could be deceived and manipulated with the most perfect circumstances ever experienced by human kind, then how much more susceptible are we to being deceived in the midst of our brokenness? Remember that God blesses the humble with salvation (Psalm 149:4).

What we believe going into Scripture study, will impact in effect what we draw out from Scripture study. Your Eisegesis will always impact your Exegesis.

Your Eisegesis [what you already believe to be true will naturally cause you to read ideas into a particular text.] This will always impact Your Exegesis; [what you "draw out" or conclude from the text.] What we already believe before going into our Scriptural studies will ALWAYS affect (for better or for worse), what we draw out from Scripture, and how we interpret Scriptural information.

All of the Scriptures including the New Testament was first written by Hebrews who were educated and trained in the Hebrew mindset. It was first written in the Hebrew language, not Greek as many suppose. The Hebrew mindset is vastly different from the Greco-Roman Western mindset. The mindset we use when we read the Scriptures will make a difference in how we interpret what we read and what we draw out or conclude from the Scripture. That's why we must have our mind renewed, because we cannot successfully follow God unless we first come into agreement with God (Romans 12:1-2; Romans 8:5-8).

• The Greco-Roman mindset generally filters reality through a polytheistic mindset (The idea that there are supposedly many gods, each fighting for dominance). The goal of this type of believer than becomes to make sure that one does not offend any deity or philosophy, and that all beliefs and ideas have equal place in the pantheon of belief systems. In our world, this polytheistic idea is where we get the notion that Biblical Christianity should compromise to get along with all these other philosophies and religions, even if they are diametrically opposed to each other. That's why you see bumper stickers like, COEXIST. It's the idea that we should all compromise and get along, because supposedly all roads lead to heaven anyway. The big problem with that philosophy is that it's a lie, (Matthew 7:13-14; Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 16:25; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5). 

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil."
Proverbs 3:5-7 (NASB)

For example, the supposed deity that the Muslims worship IS NOT the same Almighty God as the One that is described in Holy Scripture. The heart of the two, the interactions of the two and the Commandments and requirements of the two are diametrically opposed to each other. Therefore, Christians and Muslims DO NOT worship the same God. The two cannot Righteously coexist together, because one is the real one and the other is false, period. One tells you to murder your enemies, the other one tells you to love, pray for and forgive them. They are not the same God, but are polytheistic roots are showing when we try to suggest that we should make room for all these false gods and all just get along, which is logistically impossible.

• We can only serve one master faithfully. We cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). As Bible pursuant believers, we are called to believe and obey the one True God who made heaven and earth, the God of Isaac Abraham and Jacob who revealed Himself to Moses; Who sent Jesus Christ, and tells us to behave lovingly toward our enemies, and not to destroy them.

• The Greco-Roman mindset is based predominantly on thoughts and feelings and desires, but the Hebrew mindset functions predominantly on verbs. From the Greco-Roman point of view truth is based on what I can intellectualize and how I feel about it. From the Hebrew mindset, truth is based on who God is, what God says and what He does. From the Hebrew mindset, what you DO, demonstrates where your thoughts really are, and what you do defines who you truly are. From the Greco-Roman mindset, feelings and intellectual thoughts are what define truth.

• The Greco-Roman mindset says, COEXIST with other beliefs and philosophies so that you can engage in philosophical debate, and hopefully intellectually convince people to agree with your point of view. The Hebrew mindset says, on the contrary, let us be so completely separate from mindsets and practices of the ungodly world, that people cannot help but notice the unique difference between us and the sinful world. Throughout the entire testimony of Scripture and history, we see that it is actually the compromising with the sinful ungodly world which repeatedly causes God's people to forsake God and His ways. That is a key factor of what will bring God's wrath upon the world (Romans 1:18-32; ; Ephesians 5:6). That is why we are repeatedly told not to compromise and not to adopt the sinful world's ways of thinking and doing things (Colossians 3:1-6; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; Deuteronomy 12:29-32; Jeremiah 10:1-2; Jude 1:23).

• The thing that is most critical to remember is that the Holy Bible From Genesis to Revelation which the vast majority of mainstream Christianity from almost every denomination claims to believe, support, and uphold was written by Holy Prophets, taught by the Messiah, and defended by the apostles, all of whom were educated, all of whom interpreted, understood and practiced the Scriptures from a strictly Hebrew mindset, and NOT a Greco-Roman polytheistic one. Therefore, if it is truly are sincere goal to understand, to believe and interpret the Scriptures correctly, then we must do our best to understand and filter the Scriptures through the Hebrew mindset of the prophets, the Messiah and the apostles who received and wrote Scriptures in the first place, instead of trying to force a misshapen interpretation of Scripture which more closely fits our own modern multicultural desires. When you twist Scripture in order to interpret it according to modern culture and then give it meaning that it does not truly have, you basically exchanged the truth of God for a lie, which is extremely dangerous (Romans 1:25). This is one of the things that actually brings forth the judgment and wrath of God upon the world (according to Romans chapter 1).

 

Making every effort to make sure that I am not deceived is MY OWN RESPONSIBILITY.

Over and over again, Scripture warns us to make certain that we as individuals are not deceived, led astray or misled in some fashion. I'm still working through it, but so far I have found at least 43 passages of Scripture which either by example, by implication, or by explicit statement tells the believer not to deceive themselves, and not to allow others to deceive them. (e.g. Matthew 7:15-20; Acts 17:11; Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 2:4; Colossians 2:8; Colossians 2:16; 1 John 3:7;1 John 4:1;1 Thessalonians 5:19-22; just to name a few). So cooperating with God to make certain that I am not deceived is my responsibility. Being deceived is not a free pass. The individual who does the deceiving will be punished by God for leading people astray, but I will still have to pay the consequences of disobeying God if I allow myself to be deceived into disobeying what God has said.

All Scripture is inerrant and infallible, but human understanding, interpretation and applications are not guaranteed to be error free, nor are they guaranteed to be sanctioned and approved by God.

The Bible only remains Scripture when it is read, divided, interpreted and applied correctly. The Holy Bible in the Books of Genesis to Revelation is the inerrant written word of God, but if and when it is NOT correctly read, interpreted, or when it is misapplied or abused, then at that point it then becomes human opinion or a poor commentary on the Scripture, and it is no longer Scripture. Whenever it is misread, misinterpreted or misapplied, it is then no longer Scripture, because in that case it is no longer true to what God actually said. So it then ceases to be Scripture at that point, and it becomes human opinion or commentary on the Scripture. There is a vast difference. So in order to remain Scripture, our conclusions and teachings must originate from the books of Genesis to Revelation, and it must also be correctly read, rightly interpreted, correctly divided, and rightly applied in such a way that it would remain true throughout the entire book of Scripture.

When Scripture is rightly divided and obediently applied in the context of being in right relationship with God and Jesus Christ the Messiah, Scripture is completely sufficient to give us true wisdom in every situation, guidance and comfort through every hardship, and ultimate victory in every battle.

Ultimately, it is the refusal to rightly divide and obey God's word that is at the root cause of every human ill and character defect we will ever encounter. Restoration only begins and continues when we hear and believe the truth, when we repent from disobeying God's truth, and when we turn to God, and we begin and continue to walk in agreement with God.

 

All Scripture from Genesis to Revelation is God's written Word. Since Almighty God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them by speaking His Word (Genesis 1:1-3, 31). He also re-creates our lives when we hear, receive and obey His words. Therefore, we believe that God said what He meant and means what He says. We believe that all Scripture (Old Testament and New Testament) is God breathed, anointed and appointed by God.

Scripture can be known and understood by normal human beings, and the Scriptures are completely sufficient to bring a person into salvation before God (2 Timothy 3:15; James 1:21; cf. Psalm 19:7-14). Since all Scripture is true, and the word of God is everlasting, then it all remains true, everlasting relevant, and directly applicable to the God follower or Christian today.

By God's grace and with practice we can walk as Jesus walked: Since Yeshua the Messiah defeated the temptations of the devil by speaking God's written Word with His mouth, which He was already obeying in His life, (See Matthew 4; Luke 4; cf. Hebrews 4:15). Messiah could have used any means available to Him to defeat the adversary, but He obeyed and spoke the written Scriptures, yes even the Old Testament Scriptures. He did so as our example, so we can do likewise (1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6).

Rightly divided Scripture all fits together and never contradicts itself. If the Scripture appears to contradict itself, then it is our understanding, our interpretation or our own applications which are faulty, and we must keep studying and asking the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth (John 16:13). Since God does not change, and He does not contradict Himself (2 Timothy 2:13), and since the so-called Old Testament was obviously written first, then no correctly interpreted New Testament doctrine will ever contradict Old Testament teachings, doctrines and Commandments. Again, if it appears to do so, then our interpretations and understanding is faulty, because God does not change.

The Whole Testament is all Scripture and completely sufficient for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the people of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Therefore, by the apostle Paul's own statement, if a person throws away, abolishes or disregards the so-called Old Testament (which is the only thing he was referring to when he wrote to Timothy), then that disciple who disregards or abolishes the Commandments Instructions and teachings of the Old Testament, cannot possibly be thoroughly equipped for every good work that God would have them to do. Think about it. Those are Paul's words in the New Testament.

Let the Holy Spirit teach you, even while you are using solid hermeneutics; John 14:26; John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:10). So, the Holy Spirit's job is to be our teacher, our job is to pay close attention and to be an excellent student under the Holy Spirit's tutoring. If we ask for the truth we will receive it (Matthew 7:7-11). If we practice obeying the Commandments of God which we already know and understand, then God will give us more revelation and understanding of Himself (John 14:21). So if we sense that we need better revelation and understanding of God and His Word then what we are currently experiencing, then the key is to better and more closely obey what we already know in God's Word first, then God will give us more. If we have been faithful with what knowledge we have, we will be granted more, if not, we won't; (Matthew 13:10-12; Matthew 25:29 Mark 4:21-25; Luke 8:16-18). In fact, not putting the word of God which we know into practice is part of what leads us into self-deception (James 1:19-25).

Words Have Real Meanings Biblical words mean what they meant when God first said it. God gave His Word to real living flesh and blood people. He gave His Word in such a way that was routinely understood by the people to whom God was speaking in that specific time place and circumstance. In human languages words and their meanings change, but God does not change. Therefore, the Bible student who wishes to rightly divide the Word must do his best to understand what the key words and phrases meant when God originally gave His Word. In other words we must not superimposed modern meanings and interpretations to Scripture which the whole context of Scripture does not support. I give this example. When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s, the vernacular phrase, "That's really bad, man," could often mean that something was exceptionally good. Today, the vernacular phrase, "that's totally sick, can mean that something is incredibly shocking and impressive. Those are dramatic examples, but the point is that we cannot superimpose modern vernacular understanding to the scriptural text and remain accurate. When God through Scripture tells us that something is bad, He is truly saying that it is sinful, evil, and the opposite of good. Whenever possible, Scripture should be interpreted as literally as possible, as long as doing so does not violate any other command of Scripture, or the context in which the Scripture was given. Scripture is to be taken literally unless the context clearly shows it to be figurative. Use Scripture to interpret Scripture, not modern culture to interpret Scripture.

Context Is Everything. In order to rightly divide God's Holy Word, we must in all things remain true to the context of the grammatical, historical and cultural use of the phrase when the text was originally given. That's why for example comparing other places in Scripture where the same phrase in wording is used is often essential. You cannot interpret Scripture correctly if you isolate it completely from the language, history, grammar and culture of the time when the Scripture was given.

Remember to use the Weight of Biblical Evidence  The Weight of Biblical Evidence Test (Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15; Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19; Hebrews 10:26-28) Scripture tells us that out of two or three witnesses every truth or fact is established. This test simply means that the more number of biblical writers God used to say the same thing, the stronger and more secure and solid your doctrinal position. Let's take just the principle we're addressing right now for example. God used Moses, Matthew, Jesus, Paul, and the writer of Hebrews to tell us that every fact needs to be established through multiple witnesses. With this many proofs, the weight of biblical evidence clearly supports that facts must be confirmed by two or three witnesses. All Scripture is good and profitable (2 Timothy 3:16-17), you are just less likely to get the wrong idea, or draw the wrong conclusions if you can confirm a particular position from multiple sources and different writers within Scripture.

For just one example, this is why I have come to believe that effective disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, must also do our best to obey the Commandments and Instructions of Almighty God described in the Old Testament together with the so-called New Testament. It's not necessarily because I prefer it to be that way. It's certainly not because that is the commonly held most popular point of view. It's not because I want to go out of my way to be unpopular and obstinate and different from the commonly held point of view. The reason that I believe that the effective disciple and follower of Jesus Christ will also do his or her best to obey God’s Commandments and directions of the Old Testament as well as the so-called New Testament, is because the weight of biblical evidence overwhelmingly, clearly demonstrates that position to be the truth:

Almighty God through the Holy Spirit used 40 different writers to write the Scriptures. Of the 40 writers that God used to scribe the Scriptures, a minimum of 38 of them either by example, by implication, or by explicit imperative tell us that the only way we can truly follow God is to hear, receive, follow and obey His Commandments. Of the two remaining writers, the book of Esther does not mention God or His Commandments at all. Only prayer, fasting and deliverance are mentioned. So God's unseen hand is implied, but His Word, and His Commandments are not overtly named.

The only writer that many people use to defend the idea that we can abandon God's Commandments, Laws and Instructions and still be under God's grace is the writings of the apostle Paul. So ultimately we have possibly one (1) writer out of the 40 that APPEARS to say that a disciple can disregard God's Laws, Commandments, and Instructions, and still remain under God's Grace, one biblical writer does not mention God at all, but at least the other 38 writers which Almighty God anointed and used to write the Scriptures clearly tell us that in order to walk correctly before God, we must hear, receive, believe and obey God's Commandments, Laws and Instructions. What's more, the big problem with how Paul is most interpreted and applied today has other problems as well:

• When Paul was accused of teaching contrary to the Laws and Commandments of God given to Moses, Paul himself denies that he taught such conclusions (Acts 24:14-16; Acts 25:7-8; Acts 28:14-17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 15:4).
• We DO NOT have a second scriptural witness. There is not a second biblical writer that even remotely appears to teach that in order to receive and live in God's grace, you must now actively disobey God's Laws Commandments and instructions, and you must now do the opposite of what God's Laws Commandments and Instructions require, in order to enter into and continue in God's grace. Now, that's what many people interpret Paul the apostle's teaching to mean. The big problem is that Paul himself wrote that this is not what he meant, AND there is not a second biblical witness that appears to teach grace in the same manner that most people claim Paul taught it.
• So which is more likely? Is it more likely that none of the other 39 of God's anointed biblical writers and prophets understood God's grace and that God used Paul to overwrite and reverse His other 39 anointed writers, or is it more likely that we have misunderstood and misapplied Paul's teachings? Moreover, if the other 39 writers that God used to write the Scriptures were so far mistaken on the issue of grace, then why would Paul praise their writings and claim that all of their Scriptural work was God breathed, anointed by God and profitable for all doctrine, for teaching for correction, and for instruction in righteousness in order to equip God's people for every good work? So which is more likely? Is it more likely that God's 39 anointed writers and prophets were wrong when they said that the way to follow God was to hear, receive, believe and carefully obey God's Commandments and Instructions, or is it more likely that we have misunderstood, misinterpreted and thoroughly misapplied Paul when we take Paul's writings and use them as justifications to do the opposite of what Scripture teaches? Which is more likely to be in error?

Scripture contains some deep insight, but it also speaks plainly. As long as you have made sure to remain contextually accurate, the plain reading and interpretation of Scripture is usually best. Sometimes God can allow you to have deeper understanding and insight into particular things within His Word, but it is critical to understand that any deeper knowledge or understanding you have received from God, will never contradict the plain reading of rightly divided Scripture.

Anyway, I could teach on different aspects and dynamics of Scripture interpretation for years, but these are the basics. If we faithfully observe these basic principles, we are much more likely to eliminate error before it establishes the deep roots of deception within our heart. May Yahweh Almighty God bless you as you seek to hear, to receive, to rightly divide and faithfully obey the Truth, through Yeshua the Messiah.

Brother R. Michael Lankford