Grace Bible Church
pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Sunday July 14, 2019
Truth always prevails and truth is a direct enemy of the king of darkness.
The word translated fear is normally a reference to respect, to esteem, to honor, to revere but, most of all, when God is the subject to fear it is translated “to worship.”
- “True Vine” = ‘True’ refers to His character and nature while the word ‘vine’ refers to His divine essence and that is why we have passages where the Lord He is called the God of Truth; Deu 32:4.
When a believer is totally sold out for the Lord, he is so because he has believed that God is true, and that God has a plan for his life through the truth, the way, and the life; Joh 14:6; 3JO 1:4.
3JO 1:4, the apostle John reveals something fantastic about this man Gaius in verse 4 where the apostle John says; “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”
Gaius was a member of a church that the apostle John had oversight of, according to 3Jo 1:1 where the apostle John complimented him for his perseverance in doctrine and not for his lying and crying.
presbuteros — the mature believers; the elder, “the old man,” all in the sense of being in the highest authority, commander, commanding officer, elder; it refers to the authority of the pastor.
Prin: Authority is one of the most important principles of doctrine that can unlock the prison doors of guilt within, as well as the prison doors of condemnation, hatred, anger, bitterness, jealousy.
The presbuteros (elder) is truly taught that authority is our friend, and without it, the believer Christian has absolutely no spiritual strength to handle the problems that exist.
Our Lord still has SOME problems with the disciples concerning how to get them prepared and which one of them will emerge as the leader of them all.
The pastor is called to lay down his life for the brethren because the word elders denotes the beginning of one with authority; 1TI 5:17 Let the elders [the presbuteros’] who rule well.
There can be NO real peace until those who are in positions of authority, function with godly character, integrity, and virtue over those who are moral but not spiritual.
Double honor must be interpreted in the time it was written and therefore, if the communicator didn’t know what honor meant back then, then how is the listener going to understand it now.
This is the same principle that the apostle Paul had to teach His disciples the importance of unity and separation, especially if they are ever going to fulfill the spiritual life.
TIT 1:4 to Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
TIT 1:5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,
Look at Phi 3 where the apostle Paul reveals his spiritual status by describing for us what he was like before his salvation including his victories as well as his defeats.
Let me show you a passage again which reveals how blessed we all are, both naturally and spiritually, as we study the Word from God.
Next, we have the truth revealed rather than the truth concealed; PHI 3:3.
He is not bragging; he is humbled by the acceptance of our Lord toward him
He is not boasting, He is toasting our Lord Jesus Christ, for all His victories especially on the Cross.
Vs 5 — the apostle Paul goes on to brag about all his accomplishments and then what he thinks about all those accomplishments and achievements.
Phi 3, where the apostle Paul says that he was circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;
An example = “fear” God, when in reality, the word fear, as it is used throughout all three of the original languages in the Bible means to respect or revere, admire, but most of all, it means to worship.
If you replace the word fear with the word worship, you will see how great the passages are that refer to God, the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit as well as the Word of God.
Three different languages — Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic, translate the word “fear” = to respect, to esteem, to honor, to revere but, most of all, when God is the subject to fear, it is translated “to worship.”
Hebrew – jireh or yare = fear in the sense of respect, or to be in awe.
Aramaic – kippah – esteem, revere, to admire.
Greek – phobeo – fear, honor, and respect.
Bear with me as I take you through Phi 3 again but this times it is from my own interpretation and reveal to you how you need to go forward in the plan of God and not let carnality rule.
PHI 3:1 Finally, my brethren, keep on having inner happiness in the Lord. On the one hand, to be writing the same doctrines to you is not troublesome to me,
PHI 3:2 Beware of those dogs, beware of those evil workers, beware of the mutilation.
PHI 3:3 for we [supergrace-believers] and only we keep on being the true circumcision [the true circumcision in the Church-age], who keep on worshipping in the Spirit of God and glory or boast in Christ Jesus and we put no confidence in the flesh.
PHI 3:4 even though I myself might be having confidence even in the flesh. If anyone of the same category [Judaizers] assumes to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:
PHI 3:5 circumcised the eighth day, [born] out from the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews [an outstanding Hebrew]; with reference to the Law, a Pharisee;
PHI 3:6 with reference to zeal, constantly persecuting the church; with reference to the self-righteousness which is in the Law, having become blameless.
PHI 3:7 But whatever quality of things were gains to me, those things [gains] I have concluded as an expert as loss for the sake of Christ.
Phi 3:8 Not only this but more than this, I conclude as an expert all things [Paul’s pre-salvation human celebrityship and achievement] to be loss [singular] because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have forfeited all things, also, I keep on concluding as an expert them to be piles of dung in order that I may win for Christ,
Phi 3:9 and that I may be found in Him, not having my own righteousness derived from the source of the Law, but that [righteousness] which is acquired by means of faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from the source of the God at the point of faith,
Phi 3:10 that I may come to know Him, and the power of [behind] His resurrection and the participation of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
PHI 3:11 if, in some way, I may attain to the resurrection away from the dead ones.
PHI 3:12 Not that I have already obtained it [the resurrection life or the ultra supergrace status], or have already reached the objective, but I continue pressing on that I may attain that [or overtake that, or gain that, arrive at the objective] on account of which I was overtaken by Christ Jesus.
PHI 3:13 Brethren [members of the Royal Family of God], I evaluate myself as not yet having attained the objective [ultra-supergrace or the ultimate objective in time, living in resurrection life]; but one thing I concentrate upon: constantly forgetting the things that lie behind and pursuing vigorously to what lies ahead,
PHI 3:14 I keep on pressing on toward the objective for the purpose of the reward belonging to the upward call of God [Father], by means of Christ Jesus.
Phi 3:15 Therefore, as many as are spiritually mature, let us have this attitude, in fact, if in anything you have a different attitude, the God will also reveal that to you.
Phi 3:16 However, the status to which we have attained [that is the spiritual growth from our discipline toward perception, metabolization and application of doctrine] let us keep marching or advancing in.
Phi 3:17 Brethren [members of the royal family], be co-imitators of me, and be having respect for the same ones, who constantly walk according to the pattern you have in us.
Now, the point is that Truth always prevails and truth is a direct enemy of the king of darkness.
This is another reason why Satan is described in JOH 8:44 as a creature who refused to live in the truth and is said to be a liar and the father of lies; JOH 8:44.
Let’s read it with a little warning from our Lord concerning what we deal with in JOH 8:44 “You are of {your} father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and He s not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own {nature;} for he is a liar, and the father of lies.
Lying is one of the most powerful weapons that believers have especially uses for their self-preservation.
People who live in sin or who are passive, lazy, and slothful despise truth.
As God the Holy Spirit inspired the apostle Paul to write in 2Co 13:8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but {only} for the truth.
Rev 21:4 “He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be {any} death; there shall no longer be {any} mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” their part {will be} in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
These passages are a more precise accurate picture of unbelievers who will experience one of the Divine Attributes of our Lord and the Divine Essence.
REV 21:8 “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Even up till their death, like the thieves on the cross, our Lord was always ready to reach out and try to get them saved before they died.
JOH 13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
JOH 13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
One of the reasons why Rev 21:8 says that the first classification of sinners who go to the Eternal Fire are called the cowardly because they were slaves to fear.
They would have freaked out and fainted. Who?
The cowardly,
The unbelieving;
The abominable;
The murderers
Immoral persons
Sorcerers
Idolaters;
and all liars.
Their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Religion is not truth; it is a lie. Religion produces guilt and condemnation. But religion is not truth.
Anyone can pretend outwardly and give a false impression but the Lord desires truth within, Why?
Because we will all be judged and evaluated by Truth; Joh 12:47-48.
JOH 12:47 “And if anyone hears My sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
JOH 12:48 “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
Notice that Truth is called our Lord’s sayings as well as our Lord’s Word.
Truth is what will judge the believer at the Judgment Seat of Christ, PSA 96:13; 1Co 4:5; 1Co 3:11-15; Rom 14:4,10.;
PSA 96:13 Before the Lord, for He is coming; For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, And the peoples in His faithfulness.
Notice the details involved that the Apostle Paul writes as a part of the Royal Family Honor Code in ROM 14:4-12.
Without truth it is impossible to worship God properly, Joh 4:23-24.
This is why if a pastor-teacher really loves and worships the Lord, then he will obey what the apostle Paul said he will 2Ti 2:15.
He will feed the flock of God.
JOH 21:15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, {son} of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.”
JOH 21:16 He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, {son} of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.”
JOH 21:17 He *said to him the third time, “Simon, {son} of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep.
What is truth?
Truth is that which the Lord brought with Him when he came down from heaven.