CHRISTIANITY – A TRIUMPHANT WAY OF LIFE
Four Beliefs of the Gentiles
Mat 6:31-33: Therefore
take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or,
Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles
seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you.
The Gentiles
have four basic beliefs which causes their anxiety in their seeking.
I.
Belief in chance
They believe in
chance - not the providence of God
They see no
purpose in the things that happen.
It just happened
They believe it
was a coincidence or chance.
Are we able to
surrender our hearts to the fact that all things come to us by the hand of God?
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose," ROM 8:28.
Do you believe
in chance or are you truly able to surrender your heart to the providing hand
of God? He provides, and He sends every difficulty.
One time I was
in the greatest difficulty that I had ever been through. The Lord came to me
with a passage of Scripture, "Think not that I am come to send peace on
earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword," MAT 10:34. All of a sudden
I had to see that that very trial, as crucifying to my flesh as it was, was
sent by the hand of the Lord. It did not come by chance. That belief in chance
is the first belief of the Gentile.
II. Belief in Fate
They believe in
fate.
In a fatalistic
belief there is a cold, careless attitude.
They believe
they have to do this and see what happens because it could go either way.
Many people who
teach the doctrines of the sovereignty of God get caught in Satan's trap of
fatalism.
Their reasoning
is, "If I'm going to be saved, I'll be saved, so there is nothing I can
do, we must just wait and see."
This is
absolutely Satanic.
It is the same
unbelief that is a characteristic of the Gentiles.
It is contrary
to Scripture.
We are to seek
after God while He may be found. We are to repent and seek after Christ.
III.
Belief in
superstition
They believe in
superstition.
This witchcraft
is a fear of evil spirits, a fear of the unknown, a mystical fear of great
evil.
IV.
Belief in self or
humanism
A belief in self
or humanism.
It is a belief
in one's own works and achievements, and one's own storehouses.
This is part of
the unbelief of the Gentiles.
Such people
believe in their own works; it is their skill, education, or experience which
will see them through their problems.
They are going
to be successful, lucky, have a good year, store up wealth, make an empire,
build an inheritance for their children.
They build
confidence in humanism.
That is a belief
of the Gentiles.
Worry is the result of gentile beliefs
If you or I have
anxiety, we must examine our hearts to see which of these Gentile beliefs are
captivating us.
The fruit of
these views is anxiety about the unknown future.
We need to see
through something here.
If God is not
the root, if the knowledge of God for our every need is not the foundation of
our hope, there is not peace.
What the gentile have done?
Romans 1 : 25 Who
changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature
more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. {more: or, rather}
(KJV)
This was the solution the worry of
gentiles about their future.
Our premise:
God is called the true God in opposition
to idols, which are called false gods. There is but one real or true God, and
all others are false.
Into a lie - into idols, or false gods. –
Idols are not un frequently called
falsehood and lies, because they are not true representations of God
The sun, moon and stars and all other
heavenly bodies are created by God.
Man is above all creations of God in
this world.
Leviticus 20 : 23 And
you shall not walk in the customs of the nation which I am casting out before
you; for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. (RSV)
Triumph of
Christians
2 Corinthians 2 : 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ
always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the
knowledge of him everywhere. (RSV)
1.
Christ
lead us in triumph
2.
Christ
lead us in triumph always (every day, every moment)
3.
Our
life spreads the fragrance of the triumphal celebration.
What is the meaning of ‘triumph’?
What does the word triumph represent
here?
It is the Roman Celebration given in the
honour of the victorious military general returning from defeating the enemy
and conquering the land.
It is the greatest honour a Roman
citizen can dream of.
·
A
triumph, among the Romans, to which the apostle here alludes, was a public and
solemn honour conferred by them on a victorious general, by allowing him a
magnificent procession through the city.
· It is the
greatest honour a Roman citizen can dream of.
·
This
was not granted by the senate unless the general had gained:
i. a very signal
and decisive victory, and
ii. conquered a
province
·
Triumph
is countable victory
·
It
is not just the victory declared by faith
·
It
is beyond that – a countable victory
Leviticus 20:24 But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their
land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk
and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.
Inherit – (yarash, yaw-rash' ; or yaresh, yaw-raysh') - a
primitive root;
i.
to
occupy (by driving out previous tenants, and possessing in their place)
ii.
magistrate
Triumph
is final victory and conquering possessions
Jesus celebrated his triumph over the
principalities and powers by defeating and disarming them.
Colossians 2 : 13 - 23
13 And
you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made
alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
14 having
canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set
aside, nailing it to the cross.
15 He
disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them,
triumphing over them in him.
16 Therefore
let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard
to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath.
17 These
are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
18 Let
no one disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels,
taking his stand on visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
19 and
not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit
together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from
God.
20 If
with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live
as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations,
21
"Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch"
22 (referring
to things which all perish as they are used), according to human precepts and
doctrines?
23 These
have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting rigor of devotion and
self-abasement and severity to the body, but they are of no value in checking
the indulgence of the flesh. (RSV)
Colossians 2 : 15 And having spoiled principalities and
powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. {in it: or,
in himself} (KJV)
Verse 15. And having spoiled – Plundered - as
a victorious army does a conquered country.
The terms used in this verse are all military
Christ has completely subdued our
enemies by his death.
A complete victory was achieved by his
death, so that everything is now in subjection to him, and we have nothing to
fear.
Christ has achieved for us such a
victory, and has subdued all the foes of man
We should not be led captive, but should
regard ourselves as freemen.
We should not be made again the slaves
of custom, or habit, or ritual observances, or superstitious rites, or anything
whatever that has its origin in the kingdom of darkness.
We are bound to assert and to use our
freedom, and should not allow any hostile power, in the form of philosophy or
false teaching of any kind, to plunder or "spoil" us,
Colossians 2: 8 Beware lest any
man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men,
after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
{rudiments: or, elements} {make a prey:
or, seduce you, or, lead you astray}
(KJV)
The Christian is a freeman.
His great Captain has subdued all his
enemies, and we should not allow them again to set up their dark empire over
our souls.
The argument of the apostle in these
verses Colossians 2:13-15 is derived from what Christ has done for us.
He mentions four things.
(1) He
has given us spiritual life;
(2) He
has forgiven all our trespasses;
(3) He
has blotted out or abolished the "ordinances" that were against us;
and
(4) He
has triumphed over all our foes. From all this he infers Col 2:16, seq. that we
should not be made captive or subdued by any of the rights of superstition, or
any of the influences of the kingdom of darkness.
The purpose of Christ’s coming to this
world
Luke 4 : 18 - 21
18 "The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news
to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering
of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to
proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
20 And
he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the
eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
21 And
he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your
hearing."
(RSV)
This is found in Isaiah 61:1; but our Lord immediately adds to
it Isaiah 42:7.
Deliverance to the captives -
This is a figure originally applicable
to those who were in captivity in Babylon.
They were miserable.
To grant deliverance to them and restore
them to their country -- to grant deliverance to those who are in prison and
restore them to their families--to give liberty to the slave and restore him to
freedom, was to confer the highest benefit and impart the richest favour.
In this manner the gospel imparts
favour.
It does not, indeed, literally open the
doors of prisons, but it releases the mind captive under sin; it gives comfort
to the prisoner,
It will finally open all prison doors
and break off all the chains of slavery, and, by preventing crime, prevent also
the sufferings that are the consequence of crime.
To the captives (aichmalôtois) –
Prisoners of war will be released
(aichmê, a spear point, and halôtos,
from haliskomai, to be captured). Captured by the spear point.
How did Jesus triumph over the enemy – His method of fight and
defeating
Luke 11 : 21, 22
21 When a strong man, fully armed,
guards his own palace, his goods are in peace;
22 but when one stronger than he assails
him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides
his spoil.
(RSV)
Colossians 2 : 8 – 10
8
See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit,
according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the
universe, and not according to Christ.
9
For in him the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily,
10 and you have come to fulness of life in
him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
(RSV)
Leviticus 20:24 But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their
land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk
and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.
Inherit – (yarash, yaw-rash' ; or yaresh, yaw-raysh') - a
primitive root;
i.
to
occupy (by driving out previous tenants, and possessing in their place)
ii.
magistrate
1 Peter 2 : 9 But ye are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that
ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness
into his marvellous light: {peculiar: or, purchased} {praises: or, virtues}
Psalms
82: 6 I say, "You are gods, sons of the Most
High, all of you; (RSV)
Ye are my representatives, and are
clothed with my power and authority to dispense judgment and justice, therefore
all of them are said to be children of the Most High.
1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome
them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Psalms 121 : 6 - 8
6
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor
the moon by night.
7
The LORD shall preserve thee from all
evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and
thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
(KJV)
Amos 5 : 8, 9
8 Seek
him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into
the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of
the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:
9 That
strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come
against the fortress. {spoiled: Heb. spoil}
(KJV)
Job 9 : 7 - 9
7 Which
commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.
8 Which
alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
{waves: Heb. heights}
9 Which
maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.
{Arcturus...: Heb. Ash, Cesil, and Cimah}
10 Which doeth great things past finding
out; yea, and wonders without number.
(KJV)
Psalms 115 : 4 - 8
4 Their
idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
5 They
have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6 They
have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
7 They
have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither
speak they through their throat.
8 They
that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
(KJV)
Professor Jacob Abraham
www.professorjacobabraham.com
