No shadow of turning - James 1:17-18

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures." (James 1:17-18)

James brings forth several important characteristics of God which, to a Jew scattered abroad were meant to call to remembrance the true nature of God, but for the Roman and Greek reader, they are truly radical and revolutionary ideas that challenged their understanding of God and gods.

First, James reminds us that God is still active and involved. God did not spin up the world and is now sitting back and watching it slowly unwind. God is not some impersonal force, such as gravity, that is ever present yet impersonal and disinterested in our daily lives. God is ever active, ever working, and ever caring in our lives. David says of God, "I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." (Psalm 121:1-4) God not only made the heavens and the Earth but He also made us and is still active in care and providence over our lives. When we need help, we have one in heaven who is engaged in our lives and ever ready to help.

Secondly, James reminds us that God is good. Every good thing in our life, every perfect gift we have received, comes from God. God is good and everything he does is good. Where there is pain, evil, and death, this does not come from God but from below. Jesus said of His Father, "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:11-13) Our Father has our best in mind. If we ask for bread He will not give us a stone, but if we ask for a stone He might give us bread if bread is what we really need. God is not a vending machine but a Father who only gives good gifts to His children.

Thirdly, we see that God never changes. The Greek word used here is the same word we get our word "parallax" from. Parallax refers to the case where the view of an object varies with the position and distance of the observer. For example stars appears differently when viewed from different positions on the earth. Even Venus is sometimes viewed as the Morning Start and sometimes as the Evening Star due to parallax. When we view things from different places they may appear to be different, but God is always the same. This was not true of the Greek and Roman gods. Sometimes they were kind and other times mean, impetuous, and irascible. When you approached a Greek and Roman god you were never sure which god you were going to get. They worshiped their gods not out of love but in an attempt to ward off their unpredictable malevolent behavior. However, God is always loving, always good, and always just. He never changes. The writer of Hebrews says this about Jesus, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)

Forth, we are reminded that God is constant. His light is always shining in our lives and is not subject to the occlusion, diffusion, or refraction by things of this creation. A shadow is only possible when something stands in the path of light, such as a cloud, building, tree, or even a person. However, Paul declared, "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39) Nothing of this creation can separate us from the light and love of God. If His light seems dim and His love distant, its not His love and light that are at fault but rather it is our perception of reality that is askew. His light is just as bright and His love just as strong whether or not we can perceive of feel it. Even in our darkest and most perilous moments, by faith we can still apprehend His light and love.

Finally, James teaches us that God is still creating and making things new. However, this time He is creating a righteous generation from sinful man, a kingdom of priests from enemies of His cross, and lovers of God from lovers of self. There is a new creation that God is bringing forth and we are but its first fruits. Jesus said, "Behold, I am making all things new" (Revelation 21:5) and one day that will include both the heavens and the Earth. However, now, prior to that new heaven and Earth, He is creating and preparing a people fit for that new creation. This transformation is not the work of our own hands but is rather the work of God, being birthed from the word of God according to the will of God. How much we have to give thanks for. For what we could not do, God has done for us. Thanks be to God!

David Robison

New resource - Grace

I've added a new resource to the Resource tab on my blog: Grace. Grace is not a blue-eyed blond, but what is it and, more importantly, how do we grow in it? In this teaching we will look at the benefits of grace, how if differs from the law, and how we might grow in it. We will also look at the connection between grace and giftedness.

David Robison

From temptation to death - James 1:12-16

"Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren." (James 1:12-16)

There are trials that come upon us to test the genuineness and quality of our faith. These trials are represented by seemingly insurmountable obstacles to the promises of God in our life. Joseph, through a dream, had received a promise from God. "Please listen to this dream which I have had; for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.." (Genesis 37:6-7) However, after relating this dream to his brothers, his life took a nasty turn. He was sold into slavery and, for the next several years, no one bowed down to him, especially not his brothers. For years he served as a slave and even as a prisoner; his circumstances mocking him and his promise from God. The psalmist relates that, "He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They afflicted his feet with fetters, he himself was laid in irons; until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him." (Psalm 105:17-19) The Word of the Lord tested him in the midst of his trials to see if his faith was genuine or only opportunistic. In the end, his faith won out and he was elevated to governor of Egypt and saved his entire family, and the known world, from famine. Such trials and tribulations we are call to endure and bear up under for they are for our good and for the purification of our faith. Those who endure such trials are promised the crown of life in the age to come.

However, there is another form of trial, one that proceeds from within. Rather than being a trail of our faith it is a trial that is brought about by the raging of our flesh in its lusts and desires. This trial is the struggle between or flesh and spirit and is a struggle that we must overcome. This trial is not to be endured but to be conquered. Is is as God said to Cain, "And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:7)

Jesus said of Himself in relation to the Devil, "the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me." (John 14:30) However, when the "ruler of the world" comes for us, he often finds plenty in our lives to tempt us with. Our lusts, desires, and the impurity of our flesh provide him many opportunities to snare us and to lure us away from our continuance and love for God. James is very clear that such temptation does not originate with God nor even with the Devil, but originates with us. If we had nothing in us by which the Devil could tempt us then there would be no temptation. However, it is the residual lust and desires that provide opportunity for temptation; opportunities that we must over come.

The key to overcoming such temptation is to understand that sin is a process in our lives. No act of sin happens accidentally but is the result of a process that started, festered, and bore fruit in our lives. The process begins with our lust which is enticed by temptation, Temptation is yielded to and sin is born. As we continue to yield to sin, sin works its work on our lives sowing death and destruction to us and those around us. When sin has run its course, it leaves behind only death; spiritual, emotional, intellectual, relational, and physical death.

The secret to overcoming sin in our lives is learning to "unwind" the process. We start by repenting of present and habitual sin in our lives, Next we learn to repent earlier and earlier of our sin so that it has less time to work its destructing work. We then learn how to spot temptation before it overcomes us. having spotted it early we are in a better place to overcome it and to resist its pull on our lives. Finally, we learn how to sanctify our souls to rid ourselves of our impure lusts and impulses. For where there is no lust there can be no temptation. With each step in the process we spend less time in sin and temptation until our mastery over it is complete. Such a process is not easy, but its rewards are eternal.

David Robison

The lowly and the exalted - James 1:9-11

"But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away." (James 1:9-11)

In speaking of the humble, James is not referring to those who are humble in the attitudes or spirit but rather those who are of low estate in life; those who have been oppressed and humiliated by their station and circumstances of life. However, even in their low degree, they can still find reason to glory.

In the early church, the Christian gospel did more to unify men and women of all stations of life than any other religion past or present. During their gatherings, and in their Love Feasts, slaves and masters, rich and paupers, fellowshiped together around a common table rejoicing in their common salvation and their common hope of eternal life. They were no longer divided along class distinctions, nor along economic lines, rather they were all one in unison in the Body of Christ.

For the lowly, they were elevated to a place of importance; importance with God and with their brothers and sisters. They were given precious gifts that the world could not receive and they partook of a table of blessing reserved only for the children of God. Their lives were lifted from the ordinary to being kings and priests before God. Though they were poor in this life, and in what the world had to offer, God gave them consolation, benefits far beyond what the world could offer. Later, James will remind us, "did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?" (James 2:5) The poor may be poor in this life, yet he is the inheriter of eternal riches both now and in the age to come.

For the exalted, James reminds them not to exalt in their present circumstances. This world is fading away along with their riches and pursuits. Those who glory in this life are glorying in that which is already condemned and is passing away. Paul reminds us that, "those who use the world, [should be] as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away." (1 Corinthians 7:31) There is a deception that overtakes those who are exalted in this life. "Their inner thought is that their houses are forever and their dwelling places to all generations; they have called their lands after their own names. But man in his pomp will not endure; he is like the beasts that perish." (Psalm 49:11-12) The exalted man should glory that he has been delivered from this deception; that he has inherited a new life that does not consist of the things of this world. His glory is not that he has been made low but rather that he has been freed from being high. He is lo longer the slave of his position and possessions. He is now free to pursue a life of holiness, temperance, and generosity. He is no longer the prisoner of his wealth but its master. Finally, in his "humiliation" he is brought into relationship with other believers great and small; he has become part of a family that loves one another and is loved by their Father in heaven. What wealth could not provide him, he has found in the gospel.

The gospel should be that which unites us regardless of our standing in life. The gospel unifies us as one body, one family, and one nation before God. Paul tells us, "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." (Galatians 3:27-29) Let us learn to live united before God.

David Robison

The double minded man - James 1:5-8

"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1:5-8)

To reproach, at least here in the Greek, means to upbraid or to "dress down." It is to rebuke or to chide one for their wrong doings or their lack in some area of their life. There were those whom Jesus did upbraid. "Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not." (Matt 11:20 KJV) And He even upbraided his disciples for their unbelief and lack of faith. "Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen." (Mark 16:14) However, here, James makes us a promise that, if we engage in this one specific act, God will in no way upbraid or rebuke us for our actions. That action is asking!

When King David had sinned with Bathsheba, God rebuked David through His prophet saying, "It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. I also gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!" (2 Samuel 12:7-8) We all have lack in our lives and, sometimes, we are ashamed of our lack and afraid to approach God thinking He will judge us for our lack, but God already knows what we need and He is ever standing ready to fill up what we lack. David's sin came because he tried to secure what he wanted in his own strength rather than coming to God and asking of Him what he wanted and needed. If David had too little, God was ready to give him more, if he would have but just asked.

Why is it that, when we are in need, the last place we turn for help is the one person who can actually help us in our need? If we would but turn to God we would realize that He is not waiting there to criticize us but rather to congratulate us for our faith and trust in Him? Throughout the life of Jesus we read stories where Jesus congratulates those who came to Him in need and in faith. "Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well." (Matthew 9:22) Let us put aside our fear and come to Jesus for what we lack. "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

When James speaks of doubting and the double minded man it always bothered me, because sometimes my faith is not as strong as it should be. However, here James is speaking of the doubt of a double minded man. This doubt comes not from weakness of faith but from weakness of heart. Later, James will command the double minded, "purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:8) The problem is not weak faith but impure hearts. James is speaking of those who have duplicity in their hearts, who vacillate between faith and unbelief, between dependence on God and dependence on self. They are like the Israelites whom Elijah rebuked saying, "'How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.' But the people did not answer him a word." (1 Kings 18:21) They are like the Samaritans who, "feared the Lord and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile." (2 Kings 17:33)

The double minded man, the one who has two spirits within him, lives an unstable life; now trusting in the Lord, now trusting in himself. Such a person is at the mercy of circumstances and the forces that rage around him and that make war within him. His double mindedness undermines all he attempts and brings forth only failure in his life. Such a man is not the kind of man God is looking for. God is looking for those who are either "in or out," those who are either "with Him or without Him." The double minded man finds no pleasure with God. "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth." (Revelations 3:15-16) It is time to stop vacillating between opinions; either God is God or He is not; either we are with Him or we are not! Now is the time for decision, now is the time for choosing. Let us abandon everything else and give our lives whole heartedly to the Lord and to His mercy and grace.

David Robison

New commentary - Jude

Having just finished a series on Jude, I've collected all the posts, edited them, and formatted them for easy downloading. You can find it on the Commentary tab on my blog.

David Robison

The path to perfection - James 1:2-4

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)

Finding joy in our trials is usually not our first thought when we first encounter them. Trials, by their very nature, are not fun and often fraught with difficulty and danger. One who fails at a trial can suffer harm and loss through the process. Even one who successes in them is not immune to the pain and suffering they experience along the journey. However, the very thing we find difficult to summons is the very thing that will strengthen and sustain us through the journey. It was said of Jesus that, "for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2) That joy was our redemption and it was His joy in seeing our redemption which enabled Him to endured the cross and the shame. It was for the joy of seeing us brought into the Kingdom that Jesus endured His trials and sufferings.

The reason joy in trials can be so elusive is because we often fail to see the ultimate purpose and good of the trials. Jesus saw clearly the purpose of His suffering and that purpose gave Him joy in the midst of great pain. For us, our trials are meant to produce something with in us; first patience, then endurance, and finally perfection. Often the path to achieve the very things we desire in our lives passes through times of trials and tribulations, but if we understand that they are there not to derail us but to produce in us the things we truly desire, then we can find joy even in their midst. We can have joy in the midst of difficult times because we know what they are working in our lives and that our suffering is not in vain. Our suffering produces within us the very nature and character of God.

When James refers to trials he is not speaking of random painful events that enter our lives. Rather he is speaking of opportunities to test the genuineness of our faith. It is an opportunity to either choose according to our faith or according to our fears, impulses, and unbelief. These trials allow us to see the true quality of our faith and the degree to which our faith in God is merely mental or truly integrated into our lives. For Abraham and Sarah, such a testing came upon them after God had promised them a son. Years of waiting had provided an opportunity for their faith to be tested. Did they really trust God and His promise or did they trust their own wisdom and strength? In the end, their faith faltered. "So Sarai said to Abram, 'Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her.' And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai." (Genesis 16:2) However, failing at a test is not disqualification with God, rather it is merely meant to show to us the strength, or weakness, of our faith and the areas of our lives that we must strengthen so that next time, when faced with a similar test or trial, we will be successful rather than fail. Failing a test is a call back to God that we might continue to grow and to shore up the areas of our lives that are weak.

Like Abraham and Sarah, when faced with prolonged trials, we look for shortcuts or ways to exit prematurely, rather than submitting to the trial and trusting God for our eventual deliverance from its grips. God has already promised us, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13) We may feel that we have hit our breaking point, but our faith in God ought to reassure us that, if we are still suffering, then we are still able to endure it and that God still has a way out for us. Exiting trials prematurely will only serve to rob us of the good God is working in our lives and will necessitate future trials to work into us what God intended for us in our present trials. However, such endurance requires patience, yet not a passive patience, but a joyful, hopeful, confident expectation of good. Often in our Christian lives faith alone is insufficient, we also need patience. "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." (Hebrews 6:11-12)

In the end, the goal is perfection; to be perfect and whole in every area of our lives. Some areas of our lives may only require mild affliction to perfect while others may require more strident trials. However, the end is desirable and for our own good. If there were any other way, God would avail us to such milder means. However, things of great value often come only at a great price. Jesus once prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." (Matthew 26:39) Trials, difficulties, and suffering are inevitable, but if we can see their purpose, see the joy set before us, then we will be able to embrace them and endure them as Jesus did and we too will reap their benefits in our lives.

David Robison

James the just - James 1:1

"James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings." (James 1:1)

Today we begin a new study of the book of James.

James was not an apostle, at least not one of the original twelve apostles, nor is he to be confused with James the brother of Zebedee or James the son of Alphaeus who were both apostles. Rather, he was the brother of Jesus our Christ. It was said of Jesus by an indignant crowd, "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us?" (Matthew 13:55-56) We also know that before Jesus' resurrection, James, along with the rest of Jesus' brothers, was an unbeliever. "Therefore His brothers said to Him, 'Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.' For not even His brothers were believing in Him." (John 7:3-5) However, after His resurrection, Jesus personally meat with James and he became a believer. "He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also." (1 Corinthians 15:5-8) Finally, as a believer, he became one of the most promenade men in the church at Jerusalem. "and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship." (Galatians 2:9)

In his life, James was know to be a just and holy man; a man of unimpeachable piety. Still he had his enemies among the Romans and unbelieving Jews. In the end he would be martyred for his faith. However, many Jews would later believe the destruction of Jerusalem was the direct judgment of God upon their nation for the murder of such a righteous and just man. Eusebius wrote of James and the destruction of Jerusalem, "James was so admirable a man and so celebrated among all for his justice, that the more sensible even of the Jews were of the opinion that this was the cause of the siege of Jerusalem, which happened to them immediately after his martyrdom for no other reason than their daring act against him. Josephus, at least, has not hesitated to testify this in his writings, where he says, 'These things happened to the Jews to avenge James the Just, who was a brother of Jesus, that is called the Christ. For the Jews slew him, although he was a most just man.'" (The Church History of Eusebius, Book 2 Chapter 23 verses 19-20) If the destruction of Jerusalem was due to divine punishment, I would have assumed it was for the death of Jesus, but the fact that many Jews felt it was do to the murder of James shows how many of them held him in high regard for his holiness and exceptional piety.

The letter of James is believed to be one of the earliest written productions of the early church, possibly even earlier than Paul's letter to the Thessalonians. What is interesting is that James expressly addresses it to the Jews who were living scattered throughout the world. James represents the Jewish Christian church of his day that had yet to really reach out to the gentiles. When the argument over circumcision broke out, James stood up to resolve the conflict and a separation of work was determined as Paul later related, "But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised." (Galatians 2:7-9) It would eventually take the destruction of Jerusalem for the Jerusalem church to journey "even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8) That being said, there is nothing particular of James letter that applies only to Jewish believers but rather provides wisdom, comfort, and instruction for all believers, both Jews and Gentiles.

I hope this study will be a blessing to you.

David Robison

Have mercy on some - Jude 22-25

"And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jude 22-25)

One of the greatest mistakes we can make is to treat all people and situations the same. There is a great difference between people who believe wrong and those who teach wrong. Just because someone may have an in correct view of Jesus, the Trinity, and the church does not make them a false teacher. Just because someone has a different eschatology does not make them a false prophet. There will always be those in our midst, and even in our churches, that hold what we might conciser to be "new age" beliefs, but this does not make them heretics or believers in daemons. There are those whose teaching and agenda we should oppose, especially when pushed forward within the church, but there are others whom we ought to have mercy and compassion on, even while they hold incorrect views and ideas in their heads.

This verse has proven difficult to translate. Here is how Darby translates this verse. "And of some have compassion, making a difference, but others save with fear, snatching [them] out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." (Jude 22-23 Darby) Jude tells us to "make a difference," or to make a distinction between individuals, as each situation and person warrants. False prophets and false teachers we ought to oppose, but others, who may simply be wrong, deserve a more merciful response.

Jude distinguishes between two types of error: what a person believes and what a person does. On those who "are doubting," as some translate this verse, we are to have mercy. A doubting person, or a person who entertains incorrect ideas and thoughts, does not need our judgment, but rather our prayers and our instruction; our prayers that God would enlighten their hearts and our instruction that they might come to a more correct knowledge and understanding of God. As Paul was teaching the Philippians, he understood that there might be those who disagreed with him, yet he was not alarmed nor critical of them, rather he stated, "Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you." (Philippians 3:15) Paul was not threatened by believers that disagreed with him, trusting that God would reveal even that to them. Also, there will always be people who need our instruction. For example, there was a mighty preacher, Apollos, who taught the Gospel but only from an incomplete knowledge of it. When Aquila and Priscilla met him, they did not condemn him, rather they took him aside and taught him. "But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately." (Acts 18:26)

For those who believe right yet behave wrong, Jude also counsels us to have mercy on them. However, Jude makes a distinction between the sin, and the stain of sin, and the actual person. We are to hate the sin and everything associated with it, yet we are to have mercy on the one sinning and to reach out to them in mercy to snatch them from their sin and from its inevitable judgment. We are to see them as people being consumed by fire, the fire that is the penalty of sin, and to endeavor to spare them, least they burn and be lost forever. Paul commands us, "Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted." (Galatians 6:1) Paul writes of those who are "caught" in sin. There are those who willfully choose sin, but there are others who are caught in sin, desiring to be free. On those we ought to have mercy; looking beyond their sin to the person and endeavoring to save them and to snatch them from the fire.

In all this, we must remember that we too might someday be the ones caught in error and sin. We too are fallible and capable of wrong. In that day we too would wish and desire the mercy of others to set us free; that same mercy that we ought to be willing to show to those today who are caught in such lies. However, whether trying to rescue others or wanting someone to rescue us, we must always remember to place our hope and trust is in God. He alone is able to save and protect us and He alone will lead us safely home.

David Robison

New commentary - Philemon

I have compiled my posts on Paul's letter to Philemon and included them on my Commentary tab as a digital download. I hope you enjoy this commentary,

David Robison

Do not participate - Jude 17-21

"But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, 'In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.' These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life." (Jude 17-21)

It is inevitable that false prophets and false teachers will arise, especially the more we approach the end of the age. No church is immune from false brethren who "creep in unnoticed;" (Jude 4) enemies of the flock and enemies of our Lord. These are the ones who destroy churches, tearing them apart with their sedition, and dividing Christ by their schisms. Their destructive work is advanced by drawing people after themselves and dividing the brethren one against another.

The solution for a factious man is to not participate with him in his evil schemes. Paul says to "Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned." (Titus 3:10-11) Notice that nether Jude or Paul say that we should fight them, argue with them, or contend against them in any way. Rather we should simply reject them and yield nothing to them in our consideration, action, or speech. To be drawn into their drama is to be become participators with them in their destruction. We must avoid them and their disputes all together leaving them no room for entrance among the true believers of Christ.

Instead, Jude counsels us to continue in those things we ought already be doing; to not be distracted from the course of our holy life by the raging of ungodly men. Specifically, Jude mentions four specific things. First that we build upon or faith. This is not in the sense of building bigger and bigger mussels, but rather like building upon a foundation with layer upon layer of faith. Peter put it this way, "Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love." (2 Peter 1:5-7)

Secondly, we are to pray in and/or with the Holy Spirit. Sometimes our finite minds lack the words and the wisdom of how best to pray for what we need, but the Spirit give us help. Paul reminds us, "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." (Romans 8:26) While it is important to pray with our minds, there are times we must also pray with the Spirit, as Paul said, "What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also." (1 Corinthians 14:15)

Thirdly, we must keep ourselves in the love of God. Its not as if God's love every diminishes for us, but we can, at times, wander away from His love, wandering away from His umbrella of protection and care for our lives. Paul asks, "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" (Romans 8:35) However, there is one person missing from this list, us! These are all external things and, as such, are incapable of separating us from the love of God. However, we do have the power to keep God's love at bay in our lives. If we lack God's love in our lives, it's not God who is at fault, we must look to ourselves. John says, "but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." (1 John 2:5-6) If we would desire to keep ourselves in the love of God then we ought to obey the word of God in our lives.

Finally, our eyes ought to be set upon Jesus. The idea of waiting anxiously is to be looking forward to. It is not so much about anxiety as a hopeful and confidence looking for and waiting for Him. The writer of Hebrews put it this way, "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith." (Hebrews 12:2) Our lives only make since when we view them through the eyes of heaven. All we need, all we desire and hope for, comes from above, not from the Earth. If our hope and logging is of the Earth then we will for ever be disappointed, but is our hope and expectation is from heaven, then we will truly receive the things we need and hope for and we shall never be disappointed again. Our hope is from heaven and those who wait upon the Lord "will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." (Isaiah 40:31)

David Robison

New commentary - 2nd Thessalonians

I have compiled and edited my blog posts on 2nd Thessalonians and made them available for download from my Commentary tab on my blog. I hope you enjoy this new commentary.

David Robison

in an ungodly way - Jude 14-16

"It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, 'Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.' These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage." (Jude 14-16)

Jude quotes the Book of Enoch chapter 1 verse 9. It is important to understand that, like the New Testament during the formative centuries of Christianity, the Hebrew canon was not a fix, set in stone, collection of books and manuscripts. There was quite a bit of variation between religious Jews as to what exactly constituted their sacred writings. Here, Jude, a Jewish believer, held to the inspired nature of the Book of Enoch. Greater variation are also held concerning the intertestamental books, such as the Book of Wisdom and the Books of the Maccabees, as to whether or not they were part of the Jewish "cannon". When the Hebrew scriptures were translated into Greek during the third century BC, these books were included as part of the translation. However, when the Hebrew scriptures were translated into Latin in the late fourth and early fifth centuries, these books were excluded. At times we must take a more liberal, rather than contracted, view of what constitutes "scripture" lest we miss all of what God intended to communicate to us. For example, regardless if you consider the intertestamental books as "scripture," there is still a great deal of wisdom and encouragement that can be gained from reading and studying them.

As Jude continues to describe the false prophets and false teachers, there is one thing that appears common to every aspect of their lives: ungodly. They are ungodly and they do ungodly things in an ungodly way. Everything about then is ungodly. There is no acknowledgement of God in their mind, in their actions, and even in their emotions and passions. Being devoid of God, they are left unto themselves and to their animal appetites that rage on within them. Without God they become consumed with themselves; grumbling when they don't get their way, finding fault in others, boasting in their own pride, and using people instead of loving and caring for them. They are self-centered, self-serving, self-promoting people who care nothing for others and for God.

This should be a warning for all of us and a lesson as to the natural bent of all of sinful mankind. Apart from God we are destined to spiral downward. There is no great forward march towards evolutionary and philosophical perfection apart from the the grace and mercy of God. When we disconnect from God we turn inward and become slaves of our inward vices and desires. We partner with our flesh and wage war against our spirit until nothing of us remains except bruit beasts. It is only when we choose being "godly" over "ungodly" that we are transformed and learn to live lives of holiness, righteousness, and love. It is only Jesus that can break the bonds of our self-centered slavery to become people who love and care for others. It is only Jesus who can teach us and empower us to live life as He always intended it to be lived.

David Robison

New commentary - 1st Thesalonians

I have compiled and edited my posts on 1st Thessalonians and placed it in a downloadable format on my commentary page. I hope you enjoy this new commentary.

David Robison

Clouds without water - Jude 12-13

"These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever." (Jude 12-13)

Jude was well aware that some of the most formidable false prophets and false teachers would arise, not only from without, but also from within the church. Paul, as he was on his way to Jerusalem, and then onto Rome, warned the elders in every city he passed through, "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears." (Acts 20:29-31) A false prophet and false teacher is more than someone who is wrong, they are someone who teaches "perverse" things and seek to lead people away from the true faith of the Gospel. To this, Jude adds other markers of false teachers and prophets.

First, they are self-centered. The picture is of one participating with you in your love feasts but only concerned with themselves; with feeding themselves and satisfying their hunger and glutinous desires. We know that this was a problem in the church of Corinth. Paul rebuked them saying, "Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper, for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you." (1 Corinthians 11:20-22) Like them, these men are lead by their stomachs and their highest aim is to satisfy their animal desires.

Secondly, they were men of empty promises; their lives and message looked promising, but in the end yield only vanity. They are like "clouds without water," promising relief and refreshing to a dry and weary land, yet they have nothing within themselves to give. For all their promises, they leave behind only disappointment and discouragement. They are like the ones Peter spoke of who, "These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved." (2 Peter 2:17-19)

Thirdly, they are wild, reckless, and careless. Their lives are like a slow motion train crash, taking with them everything and everyone within their midst. They ruin not only their own lives but the many other lives of those around them. Not only are they themselves defiled by their own works of shame, but they cast up that same filth and shame upon all who venture into their waters and who are troubled by their waves. No one can stand by them without becoming defiled in turn.

Finally, they follow a path of error leading to eternal destruction. They are wanderers. The Greek word used here is the same word from which we get our word for "Planets." All the stars follow fixed arcs across the skies. However, there were seven object that early astronomers noticed that "wandered" from the "true" path. These luminaries they called "planets." These men wander from the truth and have chosen a path that leads to death and destruction. All who follow them follow this same path, a path that ends in the eternal "black darkness" of hell.

We must live circumspect lives let we too fall into error and sin. Not everything spiritual is godly. Not every knowledge is truth. Not every freedom leads to holiness. Not every cloud has rain. We must live careful lives, remaining stead fast to our Lord and to His way of truth.

David Robison

Like unreasoning beasts - Jude 8-11

"Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you!' But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed." (Jude 8-11)

Darby, in translating this passage, simply calls such men "dreamers." So what is so wrong with being dreamers? After all, the only other place this Greek word is used in the whole New Testament is where Peter quotes the prophet Joel saying, "and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams." (Acts 2:17) So what is so bad about dreaming? Even in the world around us, each new invention and each new creation first existed in the mind of some dreamer who dreamt about something that had yet to exist and who had the foresight to being something new to life. So what is wrong with dreaming?

The problem is not dreaming, but dreaming apart from reason and apart from the knowledge of God. Just because something comes into our minds does not mean that it is so, and every dream that is dreamt is not always either devilish or divine but may simply be a dream. When we engage in dreaming and allow our minds to be influences by various forces from within and without, we must always examine our impressions, thoughts, and conclusions based on reason and truth, not on the sweetness of the dream. We must be like the Bereans who "received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." (Acts 17:11) No matter how eager we are to receive a revelation, we must always run it through the filter of reason and truth before we accept it as such. To do otherwise is to be "tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming." (Ephesians 4:14)

Jude warns us about such unstable men who are always tossed to and fro by every new idea that passes through their mind. They are also men of unnatural pride. The see themselves as the rule of life and take delight in bravado more than humility and true strength. Their life is about themselves and what they project goes only as deep as their own inflated conceit. Their is no real life within them only boisterous, self-centered, demagoguery. Finally, they are men without knowledge, without understanding, and without reason. They live by what is natural to them but never extend their minds to understand the world around them. They live by what they can see and are completely ignorant of the spiritual realities that are hidden from natural eyes. They prove themselves no better than animals, living by instinct, ignorant of God, and uncaring about others. Such men are worthless to society and to the church and are fit only for destruction. Of such men we ought to be wary and cautious.

David Robison

Many are called, few chosen - Jude 5-7

"Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day, just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire." (Jude 5-7)

Its hard to fully understand exactly what Jude ment by his desire to remind them what they themselves either once knew or knew once for all times. Even the translators are mixes as to exactly what Jude was driving at. He could have been simply reminding them of the truth they already new; of the truth they had received and that had been illuminated to them by the Holy Spirit. For as John said, "As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him." (1 John 2:27) Even though the Holy Spirit teaches us and instructs our heart, we all need times to be reminded of what we have learned and of the things we already know. Peter also understood our constant need to be reminded. "Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,.. And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind." (2 Peter 1:12-15) It is through this constant reminding that a truth becomes so fixed in our mind that it is ever ready to spring forth in full power and persuasion to benefit us in our moment of need.

It is also possible that Jude was reminding them, not just to return the knowledge to the forefront of their mind, but to remind them that they might make a new connection to the truth. Sometimes we can know the truth yet fail to make the connection of it to our lives. Sometimes we need to be reminded of the truth that we may reconsider it afresh in our minds that we might discover some new way to apply it to our everyday lives and to the circumstances we face. For example, I'm sure many believers reading Jude's letter already knew the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt and how a whole generation died in the wilderness on their way to the promise land, but had they ever stopped to consider what such truth meant for their lives then? Could they too become like those who left Egypt but failed to make it to the promised land?

Jude is reminding them that not all who start out well, finish well. All the Israelites left Egypt, but very few of that generation actually stepped foot into the promise land. The angles have great position with God, standing before His presence, but even some of them were rejected when defects were found in their nature. Its not how you start out that is important, but how you finish.

The truth is, "many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:14) So how does one progress from being called to being chosen? Jesus spoke these words at the end of a parable of a king who had prepared a great wedding feast for his son. The call had gone out to all that they might come and feast with the king and his son. "But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'" (Matthew 22:11-13) John, in his Apocalypse, reveals a bride who had made herself ready for the King's Son, "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." (Revelation 19:7-8) How does one prepare himself for the wedding feast to come? How does one move from being called to being chosen? By putting on righteousness. By daily showing forth the acts of righteousness that flow from our converted soul and our spirit that has been born again. How does one make himself ready? By living the life he was meant to live; a life born anew in Jesus Christ.

David Robison

New commentary - Titus

I've collected my posts on the book of Titus into one downloadable format that can be printed, read, and shared. This commentary is not available on the Commentary tab on my blog.

David Robison

New commentary - 2nd Timothy

I've have gathered all my posts on 2nd Timothy and added them as a new Commentary on the Commentary Tab on my blog. I hope you enjoy this.

David Robison

New commentary - 1st Timothy

I've created a new tab on my blog named "Commentary" to organize the commentaries I've done on various books of the Bible. They have been formatted for easy downloading and sharing with others. My first commentary on this new tab is the book of 1st Timothy. I hope you enjoy this commentary and find it useful.

David Robison

Once and for all delivered - Jude 3-4

"Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. 4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." (Jude 3-4)

The early church, much like today, existed in the midst of many troubles. There were troubles from without, such as persecutions and lies regarding them, and trouble from within, such as heresies and schismatics. The Kingdom of God is always advancing, though not without difficulty requiring faith, discipline, and effort. Jude had hoped to write a letter to the brethren enjoining them to fully embrace the common salvation that was the birth right of all true believers. A salvation that was more than a deliverance from hell but also a deliverance to heaven, heath, wholeness, preservation, and protection. However, circumstances had arrived forcing him to change his plans.

Long ago God had warned about those who would rise up to pervert the faith and fidelity of many and to cause the children of God to fall away from their love and worship of God.

"If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams... But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk" (Deuteronomy 13:1-5)

Jesus too warned us about such deceivers. "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance." (Matthew 24:24-25) Paul, later, would also warn the churches he established, saying, "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert." (Acts 20:29-31)

It is to be expected that, from time-to-time, false teachers and false prophets will arise, even from within the church, to teach perverse things and to lead God's people astray, but we ought not to submit to them or suffer them to continue in their error. Knowing these things shall happen, we must be diligent in our faith, not giving heed to new and novel doctrines that tend towards disputes and the ruin of the hearer. We must contend for the faith we have received rather than looking for another or for some new revelation and innovation to faith. The faith we have has been once and for all delivered to us by our Lord and His apostles; our apostles in the faith. It was delivered complete and we have no need for any new instruction. Tertullian wrote,

"For in as far as what was delivered in times past and from the beginning will be held as truth, in so far will that be accounted heresy which is brought in later. But another brief treatise will maintain this position against heretics, who ought to be refuted even without a consideration of their doctrines, on the ground that they are heretical by reason of the novelty of their opinions" (Tertullian, Book 1, Chapter 1, Against Marcion)

Our efforts, our hopes, and our trust ought to remain with the faith once and for all delivered and we should shun all new attempts to modify, modernize, or replace it. We must contend for what we have already received knowing that it was delivered to us by Jesus and His Apostles. This message we can trust, this message we can build our lives upon. All new "apostles," who preach a message not consistent with the one we have received, we should ignore and give no attention to. We already have God's message, now its up to us to simply live it.

David Robison

Greetings from a fellow brother - Jude 1-2

"Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you." (Jude 1-2)

Jude was the brother of James who was the brother of Jesus. He was not an apostle but, like his brother James, was well know to the early church in Jerusalem. It is interesting here that he simply refers to himself as, "the brother of James" and not as "the brother of Jesus" whom he also was. This was most likely due to his humility and a realization that, while the apostles believed and followed Jesus while he was alive, Jude was a doubter. We do not know a lot about Jude, but John records the following incident during  Jesus' life.

"Therefore His brothers said to Him, "Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. 'For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.' For not even His brothers were believing in Him." (John 7:3-5)

It must have been tempting for Jude to "pull rank" on his fellow believers, to trade on his relationship with Jesus according to the flesh, but he speaks as simply another believer and another bond-servant of Jesus. His association with James, who bore the surname of "The Just," was for identity purposes, not notoriety.

It, too, can be tempting for us to try and elevate our status by our association with great or famous people. We like to "drop names" of all the important people we've met or conversed with, as if our association with them makes us more important in return, but in doing so, we serve only to elevate their importance and to obscure the true value we ourselves posses as unique and special creations of God. Our value and importance does not come from the people we know but from the one who created us and loves us. It is not our relationship with others that defines us, but our relationship with God. When Jesus was told His mothers and brothers were waiting to see Him, He said, "'Who is My mother and who are My brothers?' And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, 'Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.'" (Matthew 12:48-50) It is far better to know Jesus than anyone else in the world.

Jude also reminds us of three qualities of our election and salvation in Jesus Christ. First, that we are called. God wants us, He wants to know us, He wants to save us, and He wants us to live with Him forever. He is the Father of the prodigal son who is watching and waiting for our return and, for all who do return, He receives them not begrudgingly, but with open arms. He is calling us because He wants us to return.

Secondly, that God loves us. He created us and everything He creates is good and He loves everything He creates. This love was demonstrated in His willingness to send His own Son to die for our sins. All He does in our life, He does out of His love for us and for all of mankind. We may not always understand the ways of God but we know that they are always born out of love.

Finally, he reminds us that we are "preserved in Jesus Christ" as Darby translates this verse. Our hope and trust are not in ourselves but in Jesus. He is our "hope of righteousness," (Galatians 5:5) our "hope of glory," (Colossians 1:27) our "hope of salvation," (1 Thessalonians 5:8) and our "hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:7) It is Jesus who keeps us, not we ourselves. This particular Greek word also has the connotation that He is ever watching over us, that His eye is always upon us. How comforting to know that Jesus always sees us and is always watching over us; protecting us from things we cannot see, and delivering us safely to our Father in heaven. Thank you Jesus!

David Robison

New Audio: The Scriptures

You can here the sermon I preached on "The Scriptures" at Harvest Assembly in Chesapeake VA. I hope you enjoy it.

New Resource: The Scriptures

I've taken the past eighteen posts on the scripture and gathered them all together, edited them a bit, and released them as a downloadable PDF. This teaching can be found on my resource tab. Please feel free to download, read it, and share it with your friends.