Podcast: Play in new window | Download (14.0MB)

It’s important to understand the nature of man. If we don’t understand who we are; if we don’t diagnose the human condition properly, we won’t look to the right solution for our problems. We won’t go to the right source to get the help that we so desperately need. We won’t live the way we should live; and we won’t reach the amazing goal that can be reached.

Here’s the truth: human beings were made by a personal, righteous, holy and perfect Creator God. They were made in His image with the essential elements of personhood: with mind, emotion and will; with the amazing abilities to think, to feel, to reason, to choose. But the image of God was marred by the Fall. In the beginning of human history, Adam and Eve joined the rebellion of the fallen angels. As a result, they were alienated from the Creator. After the Fall, when they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, instead of getting closer to God, they ran away from Him and hid from Him.

Not only was the image of God marred, and their relationship with the Creator ruined, but Adam and Eve’s destiny was destroyed. They were not allowed to eat from the Tree of Life and were exiled from the delightful Garden of Eden. They were no longer headed toward life, but death – the First Death – physical death, followed by the Second Death – Gehenna, Hell, the Lake of Fire.

The Catastrophe of Eden affected every aspect of the humanity of Adam and Eve – their bodies, their souls, their wills, their minds, their emotions, their spirits, their relationship with God, with nature, later their relationship with other humans, their destiny. Every aspect of who they were became damaged, broken, corrupted. As a result of the Fall, sin, the sin nature, domination by the demons and death took control of humanity. What happened in Eden didn’t stay in Eden. That corruption of body, soul, will, mind, spirit, sexuality, relationship to others, relationship to God and nature, loss of eternal life – all of it was passed on like a horrible disease, infecting all of their descendants – you and me.

But, when we hear the Good News, and understand that Yeshua is the Messiah, and transfer our loyalties to Him and His Father, They give us their Spirit, and the Holy Spirit joins us to the Father and to the Son, and to the other members of the Community of the Messiah.

And there’s more. We receive a new nature. We receive new power – power to live for God; power to resist sin; power to do what is right; power to declare the Good News. We have a new orientation – new values, new priorities; living for God, not the world; living for God, not self. Righteousness – doing what is right becomes important to us. Holiness, purity, separation from what is wrong, becomes important to us.

The born-again, new-natured sons and daughters of the holy and glorious and eternal God can no longer live like the rest of a morally and spiritually depraved world. Fallen human beings are not the examples we follow as to how to live. We have a much better example. Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Messiah loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

It’s very beneficial for children to have a good father. A good father loves his children. He cares for them and provides for them; he protects them and teaches them and disciplines them. He treats their mother well – which also benefits the children. He works hard. He is an active part in Messiah’s Community. He helps those outside the Community of Salvation in practical ways, and brings the Good News to them. Children who have a good father are blessed.

While everyone may not be blessed with a good earthly father, all those who have been redeemed out of the satanic slave market of sin and death have a Good Father, a Very Good Father, in fact the Very Best Father! God, God the Father is our Father.

And, as a good father, He is our role model. He is our example of proper values and right priorities and how to live. We are to imitate Him. What we see Him doing, we do. What we hear Him saying, we say.

Our Heavenly Father is our role model. We follow His example. So, how do we see our Heavenly Father, who is invisible, valuing things and prioritizing things and doing things so that we can follow His example? We look to the One who reveals the Invisible God. By means of the Word of God, we are able to observe the walk of Messiah, see the life and death of Yeshua. We are able to understand His teachings and values and actions and follow His example.

When we do that, we will find that His example is characterized by love. Follow God’s example and walk in the way of love, just as Messiah loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Fallen human beings have a kind of love, but it is generally a limited kind of love, a love that is reserved for close family and friends. And, it is often an inadequate kind of love, since love must be based on truth. Love and truth are inseparable. You can’t fully love someone if you don’t do what is best for him, and doing what is best is based on truth. If you tell someone to do something wrong; if you give someone advice that will harm him or others, you are not really loving him.

Fallen human beings have a limited and inadequate kind of love. And they are not big on sacrifice. “What? Sacrifice my resources, time, energy, even my life for those who aren’t close family or friends? No way!”

We are not to imitate a selfish world. Instead, we are to follow Messiah’s example, and walk in the way of love, a love based on truth; a love connected to God.

Walk in the way of love means live in the way of love – a life characterized by love, a love that cares for others in practical ways, a love that brings the truth to others, a love that is committed to save others from Satan and the demons, sin, the sin nature, death and Hell; a love that sacrifices for others, especially for brothers and sisters in Messiah’s Community. That way of love is the way Yeshua lived. His life was characterized by this kind of selfless living and sacrificial love based on the truth.

Messiah loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. This is the imagery of sacrifice, of atonement, of Temple worship. Rabbi Paul compares Messiah’s love to the korbanot, the sacrifices which were offered at the Temple, offerings which brought human beings closer to God and made atonement possible.

Messiah’s life of sacrificial love was like a fragment offering, like the delicious aroma given off by a cow or lamb burning on the bronze alter – which pleased God and atoned for the offerer – only much  better than the animals that were sacrificed because they did not willingly give themselves up for us. They resisted death. But the Son of God gave Himself up for us. His was a voluntary, willing sacrifice.

Messiah’s way of life that is characterized by sacrificial love that brings people closer to God is like one of the cows, goats or sheep that was sacrificed, and its body burned, making a delicious smell, pleasing God and bringing atonement to human beings. That’s what our lives we will be like if we walk in the way of love. Our lives will be attractive a – blessing to human beings and something that pleases God. Our lives will be meaningful, valuable, praiseworthy and worthy of a great reward. Follow God’s example and walk in the way of love.

God created us as sexual beings – male and female. He also designed us so that our sexuality is to be enjoyed in a one-man one-woman marriage relationship and nowhere else. But, the Fall of Man has affected our sexuality, and fallen people find it easy to pervert their sexuality. They have sex before marriage and commit adultery outside of marriage; they have sex with the same sex; they watch pornography; they talk about their sexual conquests with friends. God’s sons and daughters, holy, set apart for God’s purposes must not be like that. They must be sexually pure, expressing their sexuality within marriage. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

We are to restrain our sexual desires. And, we don’t want to give into greed – the desire for more and more physical possessions, thinking that more and more material things will make us happy.

Fallen human beings are almost always discontent. They constantly desire more – more money, more fame, more sexual partners; a bigger house, a nice car. What does the typical multi-millionaire want? More millions. We are to be different. If our needs are being met, we are to be content with what we have, not discontent and greedy for what we don’t have.

Fallen human beings often say stupid, inappropriate, crude and rude things. They make dirty jokes. They use all kinds of insulting, offensive language. They take God’s name in vain, as part of their humor or to emphasize a point. We can’t be like that. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. Language is a great gift. Words have the amazing ability to communicate truth. We are to use words wisely and well. We are to use the gift of language to give thanks to the Creator for the Amazing Being He is. We are to express gratitude to Him for the great things He has done, is doing and will do for us. We have so much to be thankful for! Our conversation should have a huge component of praise and thanksgiving – not obscene or foolish talk or crude jokes.

Now, back to immorality and greed. Most people in the world don’t think that sexual immorality or greed are sins that would keep anyone out of Heaven – if there is a Heaven. Murder, maybe; torture maybe … but sexual activity outside of marriage, or greed? No big deal. But, sexual immorality and greed are a big deal. A very big deal. And they absolutely will keep people out of Heaven, and we need to know that.

For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person – such a person is an idolater – has any inheritance in the kingdom of Messiah and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.

Sexual immorality and greed are a huge deal, because, not only are they are displeasing to a holy God, but also because they are symptoms of a much bigger problem – idolatry. Idolatry is not just bowing down before an idol. Idolatry takes place when a human being puts anyone or anything before the true God. Anyone, anything that comes before God in your affections, devotion and priorities is a substitute god, a false god, an idol. Putting impure sexual desires before God is an idol. Giving into greed, the desire for more and more things, is idolatrous. And, the Word of God makes it crystal clear that those who serve false gods remain in a state of rebellion against the true God and will not enter His eternal and blessed kingdom.

Don’t let anyone deceive you with empty assurances that you can be sexually immoral and go to Heaven; that you can devote your life to wealth and life forever. God is angry with people who have these rebellious priorities. He will punish them. Don’t be like them! Don’t share their attitudes. All your greedy material and sexual pleasures will not be worth it if you offend your Creator and forfeit your inheritance in the Kingdom of God!

Fallen human beings are characterized by darkness, not light. Light is a wonderful thing that is used to represent truth, knowledge, wisdom, revelation, purity, happiness, victory, life. Darkness is the opposite – ignorance, confusion, defeat, unhappiness, death. Humanity is not enlightened. Human beings are born into a dark world. We are endarkened. We don’t want to remain in that condition. We want to come to the light and live according to the light.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible – and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Messiah will shine on you.” Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

You were once darkness – far from God, ignorant, confused about the most important things, defeated, unhappy and headed toward death and Hell, but now connected to the Lord you are light. You know the truth! You know God! You will be amazingly victorious! You will live forever in unending happiness! Therefore live as children of light, human beings whose lives are characterized by knowing God and truth.

The fruit of the light, the result of knowing God is goodness, righteousness and truth. So be good! Do what is wholesome and beneficial. Do what is right according to God’s standards of right! Live according to truth – what God reveals as true.

Since we enter a dark world and are endarkened, we need to  find out what pleases the Lord and what grieves Him; what He considers right and what He considers wrong; what He declares is true and what is false. We find out these things by familiarizing ourselves with the Bible and by talking to mature and godly brothers and sisters.

The only relationship we are to have to the fruitless, useless, non-beneficial deeds of darkness is to expose them – not practice them or approve of those who are practicing them.

It is shameful even to mention what disobedient men and women do in secret. I heard someone say that people have three lives: their public life which they reveal to the world; their private life which they reveal to trusted friends and family; and their secret life with their deeds of darkness which they reveal to no one. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

The enlightened sons and daughters of God must take a stand for God, for truth, for morality, for what is right. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible – and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Messiah will shine on you.” Someone observed: Light, by its nature, goes on the offensive. It shines it the darkness. When light shines in the darkness, it exposes the things that are in the darkness. If you have a dark room, even a small light may reveal that the bed is unmade, dirty clothes are everywhere, trashed is piling up, the cat’s litter box is overflowing; and there are empty beer, wine and whiskey bottles, drug paraphernalia and pornography lying around.

We are the light of the world. We are not to keep the truth hidden. Our light must shine! We need to tell a dark world the truth about the holy God, and the way of salvation, and God’s standards of morality. We must tell the world that a successful life does not consist in the abundance of things. We must declare that premarital sex, adultery, homosexuality, living together without being married, divorce without Biblical grounds are displeasing to the Lord and will result in divine punishment. People may not like it, but we must speak out anyway. Our light must shine. We must expose the darkness.

Some may listen and come out of the darkness and come into the light. But even if they don’t, we must still live according to the truth and proclaim the truth.

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible – and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Messiah will shine on you.”

This seems to be a song that Messianic Jews and Christians were familiar with in the first century. It expresses the truth that fallen human beings are in spiritual darkness, spiritually asleep, unaware of what is really going on, what is really important, what is really worth pursuing. Humanity is in so much darkness, so sleepy, so unaware, so unresponsive that it’s like we’re dead!

But, when the sons and daughters of God declare the truth that Yeshua is the risen Savior, and call men and women to become loyal to Him and His Father and to the truth, and that God wants them to live holy and pure lives, those who are in this death-like sleep are able to wake up and become enlightened and saved!

We live in a world that is satanically control and is in rebellion against God and is under a curse. But God is at work in that world, making salvation and eternal life possible. Since life is short, we don’t waste precious time. Since opportunities are limited, we don’t waste opportunities to live for God and call people to turn to God and away from materialistic, immoral living. Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. We understand what God wants. We know we have eternity to have fun, so right now we prioritize our time and energies and resources to live for God; to live properly; to bring the Good News to others.

Now’s not the time to live to party! We will have eternity to have fun! Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Get close to God and stay close to God! Cultivate spiritual happiness, not drunken pleasures and sexual excesses.

Don’t party and get drunk and be sexually promiscuous. Instead, gather with God’s people, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Sing spiritual songs with your brothers and sisters, praising our Father and thanking Him. As we do this, we honor our Creator encourage one another and build ourselves up in our Most Holy Faith.

We are to live differently from a spiritually and morally corrupt world. Amen?

We are to follow God’s example and walk in the way of love. Amen?

There must be no hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed among us. Amen?

There should not be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, but rather giving thanks to God. Amen?

We are to live as sons and daughters who are enlightened, doing what is good and right and true. Amen?

We must have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but expose them by living according to the truth and declaring the truth to those who are confused and wrong. Amen?

We are to be very careful how we live, living wisely, making the most of every opportunity to avoid sin, live properly and bring people closer to God. Amen?

We are not to live for partying, and getting drunk and being promiscuous, but be filled with the Spirit, sing spiritual songs with the members of Messiah’s Community, and give thanks to our God. Amen?

May the Lord enable us to do this more and more this year, and throughout the rest of our lives, until we reach the New Jerusalem. Amen?