MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
The Seven Baptisms
Written by: Max Klein
Baptism means identification or association:
Introduction:
1. This meaning began in Homer's time. Homer wrote of the one-eyed giant, Cyclops who had trapped Ulysses and his men in a cave and was eating them one at a time. The ingenious Ulysses devised a plan. He had his men sharpen a large log and together they rammed this log into the eye of the one-eyed Cyclops rendering him blind. They identified (baptized) the sharpened log with Cyclops’ eye which changed Cyclops from a seeing giant to a blind giant. Having blinded the Cyclops, they were able to maneuver their way out of the cave. Another example by Homer: Homer's Odyssey, book 9, used baptism for hot metal identified (baptized) with water when a smith dipped a piece of hot iron into water. This is how a blacksmith would temper swords in the ancient world. After this identification, the sword was made stronger and so less likely to bend.
2. Xenophon said that the Spartan military recruits after finishing infantry training would identify (baptize) their spears with pig’s blood. They would run by a barrel of pig’s blood and thrust their spears into this blood. This ritual, identified their spears with killing and the soldier’s readiness for combat with the enemy.
3. Euripides used the word for a ship identified with the bottom of the sea when it sank. Before sinking, the ship was valuable; after sinking it had no value at all.
4. So "baptize" in the classical Greek meant to identify one thing with another so that the characteristics of the original thing were altered. Therefore, the interpretation of the word "baptism" is identification with something that brings about a change.
5. There are a number of cognates related to this Greek word such as bapto, baptizo, baptisma, baptismos, baptistes, and embapto. A few examples follow:
6. John 13:26, “Jesus then answered, ‘That is the one for whom, I shall dip [the future of the Greek word bapto] the morsel and give it to him. So, when he had dipped [the aorist participle of bapto; the sop now takes on a new meaning that of honor] the sop [the morsel], He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.”
To give someone a sop [a special bit of food usually a piece of bread or meat with a tasty sauce] was the highest honor of a banquet. At a banquet a special piece of bread or meat was prepared along with a special sauce for the guest of honor who would then honor someone by giving it to that person. Jesus as the guest of honor took this sop and dipped it into a special sauce and gave it to Judas. In this way, the Lord Jesus Christ honored Judas as a member of the family of God, and for his ministry as an apostle to the Lost Sheep of Israel. This honor should have given Judas second thoughts regarding his plan to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin.
7. Matthew 3:7, “but when he [John the Baptizer] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism [identification: the Greek word baptisma], he said to them, “You brood of vipers [poisonous snakes], who warned you to flee from the wrath to come [Baptism of Fire: identification with the fire of Torments and then the Lake of Fire]?”
8. Hebrews 6:1-2, “Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teaching about Christ, let us advance to maturity, not laying again the foundation [of the basics such as]: a change of thinking about dead works [just as an unbeliever must have a change of mind about Christ to obtain salvation, so the believer must have a change of mind about legalism (dead works) in order to obtain the spiritual life], and of faith toward God [Faith-Rest Drill], (2) doctrine of baptisms [the Greek word baptismos; a reference to the seven types of baptism as found in Scripture] as well as the laying on of hands [ritual rebound in the age of Israel], and of resurrection from the dead, and of eternal judgment [the Great White Throne Judgment].
9. Matthew 3:1, “In those days John the Baptizer [the Greek word baptistes; when John baptized someone into the Jordan River, the converts were identified with the plan of God and his kingdom.] came proclaiming [as a herald] in the desert of Judea.”
There are two categories of identification in Scripture namely an actual identification or a real baptism and a representative identification or a ritual baptism which uses water.
The four real or actual identifications with something that has significance.
1. The Baptism of Moses: 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 presents the baptism of Moses, "For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; (2) and all were baptized [the Greek word baptizo] into Moses in the cloud [the Lord] and in the sea." This was a real identification in which Moses was identified with the Lord and the open path through the Red Sea and the Jews were identified with Moses. By the way, none of the Jews got wet, only Egyptian unbelievers who were immersed in the water as a means of death.
2. The Baptism of the Cross is found in Matthew 20:22, “But Jesus answered [Salome by addressing her sons] and said, “You [plural: a reference to James and John] do not know what you [James and John] ask. Are you [James and John] able to drink of the cup [bear the punishment of all the sins of the world] that I am about to drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism [the sins of the world identified with Christ followed by the Father judging them] that I am baptized with [identified with]?” They [James and John] said to Him, “We are able. [the dumbest statement that James and John ever made]” [I selected the longer text as did Jerome.]
3. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Retroactive Positional Truth and Current Positional Truth) occurs at salvation for Church Age believers only.
Colossians 2:12. Having been buried [aorist participle] with Him [Jesus Christ] by means of the baptism [God the Holy Spirit identified us with the burial of Jesus Christ as part of our salvation] by means of which [Baptism] you have been raised up [main verb] with Him [in union with Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of the Father] through faith [at the point of salvation] in the operational power from the source of God who has raised Him [the humanity of Christ was given a resurrection body] out from the dead [physical death].
Romans 6:3-9:
Romans 6:3: Or do you not know that all of us who [a correlative] have been baptized into [identified with] Christ Jesus [Current Positional Sanctification: we are in union with Christ in his life in heaven], have been baptized into His death [Retroactive Positional Truth and so identified with his substitutionary spiritual death on the cross]?
Positionally, (in union with Christ) we share His righteousness, heirship, priesthood, destiny, election, eternal life, royalty, sonship etc. All these making us a new spiritual species in Christ Jesus. The plural correlative hosoi (ὅσοι) means that if we were identified with Christ in heaven and we were, then also we have been identified with Christ in his substitutionary spiritual death in which he removed the power of sin nature. Thus, the sin nature should not have power over our lives.
A few more points will be noted:
1. Note that the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation enters the believer into union with Christ at the right hand of God the Father which union is called current positional truth.
2. This verse also mentions identification with Christ in His spiritual death on the cross which identification theologians call retroactive positional truth. Retroactive positional truth also includes identification with Christ in His physical death and burial as well.
3. Identification with Christ in His death, then, has a two-fold connotation namely all personal sins were judged at the cross and since that is the case, God the Father is free to provide in grace, the Recovery Procedure. The second connotation is that good and evil were rejected by Jesus on the cross since good and evil are a part of Satan’s policy and plan. On the cross, Jesus relied on the proto-type spiritual life which operated under the two power options namely God’s power system.
4. So, the old sin nature’s ruling power over the Christian has been broken since all sins were judged on the cross and the Recovery Procedure has been provided. So, Retroactive Positional Truth has destroyed the sovereignty of the old sin nature over the life of the Christian.
5. Also, since Jesus rejected the good and evil policy of Satan so should the believer reject Satan’s policy of good and evil as the believer applies Retroactive Positional Truth.
Romans 6:4: Therefore, we have been buried together with Him through the identification [Baptism of the Spirit] into His death [physical], in order that just as Christ has been raised up from the dead [on Resurrection Sunday], through the glory of the Father [through the Father’s power], [So also we, the dead in Christ, will be raised from the dead by the power of the Father, and those alive at the Rapture, by the power of the Holy Spirit.] in this manner we also might walk in newness of life [Experiential sanctification should reflect our future ultimate sanctification.].
Christ had to die physically “and Jesus having shouted clearly with a loud voice said, Father, into your hands I deposit my [human] spirit, and having said this, he exhaled” (Luke 23:46). This last exhale caused His soul and spirit to depart from his mortal body resulting in physical death. Just as Christ had to die physically in order to obtain his resurrection body, so we must depart from our body of corruption, or mortality in order to receive our eternal body called our resurrection body.
The Newness of Life:
1. The newness of life provided through the baptism of the Spirit includes positional freedom from producing good and evil. Not only are we free from the tyranny of good and evil but we are also free from having to produce good and evil.
2. The believer has no obligation to improve the devil’s world through social action, socialism, welfare state, communism, environmentalism, or any social gospel, social action, getting involved, etc.
3. The human race is protected from Satan’s policy of good and evil through the laws of divine establishment which promote freedom instead of improvement at the cost of freedom.
4. In addition to the Laws of Divine Establishment the believer is insulated from good and evil positionally through the baptism of the Spirit.
5. Divorced from the Old Sin Nature positionally and its useless activity of human good and the function of evil, the life of the believer can be devoted to glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ through maximum knowledge and application of Bible doctrine.
Romans 6:5: For if we have become united with Him [Christ, the new husband] in the likeness of His death [the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross], and we have, and not only this, but also, we shall be [united in the likeness] of His resurrection [Current Positional Truth: in union with the resurrected Christ].
Romans 6:6: Be knowing this [through Retroactive Positional Truth], that our old man [our former husband, the sin nature dates back to the Garden] has been crucified together [with Him], in order that the [human] body, with reference to its sin nature, [the sin nature located in the body] might be rendered powerless [when we use Recovery Procedure and the two power options], that we should no longer be slaves to the sin nature.
“Our old man has been crucified with Him” meaning that the power of the sin nature has been broken on the cross. Since the power of the sin nature was broken by the work of the cross, we as believers have no excuse for not executing the spiritual life. We will not be able to say to Christ at our evaluation that our sin nature was too powerful for us to execute the spiritual life.
A few points for further clarification:
1. Retroactive positional truth is that phase of the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation which identifies the believer with Christ in His spiritual death, physical death and his burial.
2. In the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross all the personal sins in human history were imputed to Christ, but at the same time the other two trends of the old sin nature were not imputed for judgment.
3. Good and evil is the policy of Satan as the ruler of this world and the function of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life. In fact, the sin nature functions as the agent of Satan.
4. Good and evil were not imputed for judgment on the cross. Hence, in the spiritual death of Christ on the cross they were rejected to remain an issue in the angelic conflict, rejected to be perpetuated in human history as an issue every believer must face, and either overcome through the intake of doctrine or be entrapped by ignorance of doctrine and therefore lose out in glorifying God in time.
5. We are identified with Christ in His spiritual death, which means that we must understand that our sins have been judged and that good and evil has been rejected.
6. It all adds up to the fact that the sovereignty of the old sin nature over human life has been made powerless through retroactive positional truth.
7. The imputation of all personal sins of the human race to Christ on the cross means that the believer through the rebound technique is instantly forgiven sins, cleansed from all wrong doing which includes Satanic good and evil, restored to fellowship and filled with the Spirit.
Romans 6:7: For we who have died [the Christian is identified with the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ: theologically called Retroactive Positional Truth] have been acquitted [positional deliverance] from [the power of] the sin nature.
A few points for further clarification:
1. A dead person is discharged from the obligations of his former sphere of life. This is why the word “death” is used in this context. It is not a literal, physical death we are discussing but identification with Christ in His death.
2. As unbelievers we were under the authority of Satan as the ruler of this world, and under the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
3. Both the power of Satan and the old sin nature have been abrogated through the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation.
4. This passage, then, emphasizes the annulling of the power and the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
5. Positionally, the power of the sin nature has been broken. Experientially, the old sin nature controls to the extent that we fail to understand and utilize the provision and support of logistical grace.
Romans 6:8: Now if we have died with Christ, and we have [retroactive positional truth], we also believe that we shall live in association with Him [the instrumental of association; a reference to Current Positional Truth].
In this verse, the 1st Class conditional sentence shows the relationship between Retroactive Positional Truth with Current Positional Truth. The protasis, the ‘if’ clause states the reality of Retroactive Positional Truth and the apodosis, the concluding clause states the doctrinal inference and the reality of Current Positional Truth. While Retroactive Positional Truth presents positional rejection and separation from good and evil as the policy of Satan and the function of the old sin nature, Current Positional Truth relates the believer to the function of the royal family of God. In other words, they have separate functions.
Romans 6:9: Knowing that because Christ has been raised from the dead [He received a resurrection body], no longer can He die; [physical] death is no longer a master over Him.
Analysis:
1. Retroactive positional truth destroys the sovereign authority of the old sin nature over human life. Current positional truth, on the other hand, destroys the limited authority of physical death in human life.
2. Instead of being ruled by the old sin nature located in the cells of the human body and influencing our souls toward sin, good and evil, we now have a new sovereign, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are identified with Him in His deaths, in His burial, resurrection, ascension and session.
3. Before salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit our lives were under the absolute rule of Satan who is the ruler of this world and under the rule of the old sin nature which is the ruler of life, and under the limited rule of physical death. All of that, of course, has been changed since salvation.
4. Now both retroactive and current positional truth have abrogated the authority and power of these former rulers. The power of Satan over our lives has been broken through identification with the rejection of good and evil namely Satan’s policy and plan and through our position in union with Christ. The power of the old sin nature is broken through retroactive positional truth and the power of physical death is broken through current positional truth.
5. Therefore, having studied these things by principle and by implication we are now ready for application, verses 12 & 13 specifically.
6. Having been positionally liberated from the sovereignty of the old sin nature as an absolute ruler, and the authority of physical death, we must recognise and apply doctrine for the experiential victory commanded in verses 11-13.
Galatians 3:25-28, “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the authority of [have need of] a school bus. (26) For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ [identified with Christ through union with Him] have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek [no racial distinction], there is neither slave nor free man [no social or economic distinction], there is neither male nor female [no gender distinction]; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [All Christians have the same privileges and opportunities to execute the spiritual life.]”
Current Positional Truth, Elaborated:
In the Church Age, Current Positional Truth establishes our relationship with Christ as opposed to religion. It refers to the Church Age believer in union with Christ and is the key to understanding the Church Age and how the royal family came into being. Therefore, it is the basis for distinguishing between Christianity and religion. Christianity is a relationship with God without merit whereas religion is a system of works to gain the approbation of God. Never shall the twain meet!
The mechanics of Current Positional Truth is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, whereby the Spirit enters us into union with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For also by agency of the one Spirit we are all baptized [identification resulting in becoming a new spiritual species] into one body [in union with Christ], whether Jews or Greeks [racial distinctions are removed], whether slave or free [class and economic distinctions are removed], even all were made to drink [the aorist passive, the voice of grace] the one Spirit [The Holy Spirit did not ask us whether we wanted to be put into union with Christ or not.].” Ephesians 4:5, “One Lord [becomes our Lord positionally at Salvation]), one faith [faith alone in Christ alone; Acts 16:31], one baptism [Baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place at salvation].”
Current Positional truth guarantees that there will be no judgment for believers in eternity, Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Thus, the condemnation which occurred at the first birth was removed at the 2nd birth. As a result of being born with the sin nature and the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin, we were condemned to the Lake of Fire for all eternity, but now that has been removed. Romans 5:12, “For this reason just as through one man [Adam] the sin [nature] entered into the world [procreation], and so spiritual death through the sin [the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin to the sin nature], and so spiritual death spread to all mankind, because all sinned when Adam sinned [since we were all genetically in Adam when he sinned, we will receive Adam’s Original Sin].” However, at our spiritual birth, the 2nd birth, our pre-salvation sins were all forgiven including Adam’s Original Sin. After which, the Spirit entered us into union with Christ where there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1).
Current Positional truth qualifies the believer to live with God forever. To live with God forever, the believer must have eternal life and God’s perfect righteousness, 1 John 5:11-12, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life, and this life is in his son [Since we are in union with Christ, we share this life.]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].” 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And He [the Father] made Him who knew no sin [perfection] to be a sin offering [imputation of sins on the cross] as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [current positional truth].” To live with God forever means you must have His life, and you must be as righteous as He is.
Positional truth guarantees the believer’s eternal security, Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death [nothing in death] nor life [nothing in life] nor angels nor principalities [ruling angels] nor powers [human organizations] nor things present nor things to come (39) nor height [nothing in heaven] nor depth [nothing in Hades] nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eternal life in Christ is for all eternity!
Positional truth belongs to all categories of believers whether they be apostate, mature, immature, spiritually adult, or carnal. Since Current Positional Truth occurs at the point of salvation before experience in the Christian life begins, it doesn’t depend on that experience. 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus [at salvation], called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.” So, even though you may be carnal or in reversionism, you still have positional truth. Being in union with Christ has nothing to do with what you do [experiential righteousness], or don’t do [failure to execute God’s plan]. Current Positional sanctification is completely the work of God the Holy Spirit and so is not based upon our volition, but on the sovereign decision of God. We make the decision to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but we don’t make the decision to enter into union with Christ “all were made to drink the one Spirit” as per 1 Corinthians 12:13. God the Holy Spirit graciously did that for us and so it cannot be undone.
Current Positional truth creates a new spiritual species in Christ as per 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power; behold, new things have come to pass.” You become a new spiritual species at salvation by being put into union with Christ. It is what God does for you, and therefore it is grace. It is not what you do after salvation, such as the self-righteous works of legalism. The “old things” have to do with spiritual death and those things related to that death; the “new things” refer to things you receive at salvation such as the 40 assets and the unique spiritual life.
Positional truth should motivate the production of divine good and a pattern of life compatible with royalty as per Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his creation, having been created in Christ Jesus [a new spiritual species with many assets] for the purpose of divine good production [via experiential sanctification] which the God [the Father] has prepared in advance [in eternity past, God the Father provided election and predestination as part of our Portfolio of Invisible Assets], that we in the sphere of them [election and predestination] may pattern our lives.”
Even though a Christian may die the Sin on to Death, he will not lose his position in union with Christ (1 John 5:18-20), and so cannot lose his salvation. In order for a believer to lose his position in Christ, he would have to sin in that status, but since the believer cannot sin in union with Christ, he cannot lose his position in Christ and so cannot lose his salvation. Thus, it is comforting and reassuring to a believer to know that even though a loved one may have died the ‘sin on to death’, he has not lost his salvation.
Because we are in union with Christ, we share His:
1. Eternal life, 1 John 5:11, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life [At salvation, God the Father imputes this life to the human spirit], and this life is in his son [The Christian also shares the life of Christ through union with Him]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].”
John 14:6, “Jesus said to him [Thomas], ‘I am the way, the truth and the life [eternal life]; no person [in human history] comes face to face with the Father [having an eternal relationship with the Father] except through Me.’”
2. Perfect righteousness, 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And he (God the Father) made him [Jesus] who knew no sin (perfection) to be a sin offering as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him [positional truth]. Sharing the righteousness of Christ, we become the objects of God the Father’s love as per Romans 8:39.
3. Election, Ephesians 1:4, “just as He [the Father] has elected us for Himself in Him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world [in eternity past], that we may be set apart [experiential sanctification] and blameless [ultimate sanctification] in the presence of Him [Father].”
4. Destiny, Ephesians 1:5, “By means of love, He has predestined us for the purpose of adoption as adult sons to Himself through Christ Jesus our Lord according to the grace purpose of His will.”
5. Sonship, Galatians 3:26, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
6. Heirship, Romans 8:16-17, “The Spirit Himself testifies together [bears witness] with our [human] spirit, that we are the children of God. (17) Now, if we are children and we are, also heirs, on the one hand heirs of God [the Father], and joint heirs with Christ. If indeed [if it is true that], we suffer with Him [pass all three stages of undeserved suffering], that also we might be glorified with Christ.”
7. Sanctification, 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.”
8. Priesthood, Hebrews 7:12-19, “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change in the Law also. (13) For the One [the Lord Jesus Christ] concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe [the tribe of Judah] from which no one has officiated at the altar. (14) For it is evident that our Lord has descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests, (15) and this is clearer still, if another priest arises similar to Melchizedek, and there has, (16) who has become a priest not on the basis of physical requirement [a reference to the Levitical Priesthood] but on the basis of indestructible life [the Lord’s priesthood is forever]. (17) For this reason, it is witnessed, ‘You are a priest forever similar to the order of Melchizedek.’” [We are in union with Christ. Therefore, we are royalty and priests forever. We represent ourselves before God as royal priests.] (18) For, on the one hand, there is a rescinding of the former commandment [the Mosaic Law that authorized the Levitical priesthood] because of its weakness and uselessness (19) (for the Law brought nothing to completion), but on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope [the second door of hope for the Church Age believer—a personal sense of destiny—by which we enter the adult spiritual life] through which we draw near to God.”
Hebrews 7:26-28, “For it is fitting that we should have such a high priest, impeccable integrity, the One who cannot do evil, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (27) Who does not need daily, like those Levitical priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He [Jesus] offered up Himself. (28) For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of His [God the Father’s] oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, who has become perfect forever [Jesus Christ is a perfect high priest].”
9. Royalty, 1 Peter 2:9, “ But you and only you are an elect [elect by God the Father] race [as a new spiritual species], a royal priesthood [since Jesus is a king-priest], a holy nation [God’s entity: a nation of priests: every Christian is a priest], a people for God’s own possession [a protected people], so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him [Christ] who has called [in eternity past] you out of darkness [spiritual death and the Cosmic Systems] into His amazing light [his plan];”
10. New Spiritual Species, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power [Old Covenant]; behold, new things have come to pass [This would include the New Covenant to the Church.].”
Current Positional Truth changes our relationship with Angels.
1. Through current positional truth the believer is higher than angels positionally.
2. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, and so superior to all angels. By virtue of being in union with Christ, every believer is now positionally superior to angels.
3. Positional truth has fulfilled the believer’s triumph with Christ in the angelic conflict. We are victorious with Him already.
4. Furthermore, positional truth demands compatibility with experiential righteousness. Therefore, the believer’s walk on this earth must be compatible with positional truth since we have perfect security in Christ, we have the freedom to choose for Jesus Christ, to love Jesus Christ, to respond to His love, and to fulfill our purpose on this earth.
What positional truth is not?
1. It is not an experience, emotions or ecstasies.
2. It is not progressive; it cannot be improved in time or eternity.
3. It is not related to human merit or ability.
4. It cannot be changed by God, man or angels. It is eternal in nature.
5. It is not obtained gradually as you grow in grace, but in toto at salvation.
6. It is not known apart from the metabolization of doctrine.
7. From understanding the doctrine of positional truth, we progress in our spiritual life, but we cannot improve it since it is perfect at salvation.
8. We are not in Christ because of what we do (execution of the spiritual life) or fail to do (fail to execute the spiritual life), but because of what God has done.
A few points of explanation:
1. The conclusion from positional truth, whether retroactive or current, is that the Christian must apply these doctrines to his spiritual life.
2. In Romans 7:1-4 where we have an illustration of a woman whose first husband has died freeing her to marry another. This is what actually happens to us as believers at salvation. The old sin nature is the husband up to the point of salvation, but at the moment we believe in Jesus Christ positionally the sin nature is dead, as it were, the first husband has died and we have a new husband through union with Christ. Retroactive Positional Truth removes our first husband, the sin nature whereas Current Positional Truth enters us into union with Christ, our new husband.
3. The old sin nature-husband is still around, still seeking to regain his control over his former wife, the believer. But union with the second husband, the Lord Jesus Christ, has broken the first husband’s authority over the former wife.
4. The Baptism of Fire:
Matthew 3:11, “On the one hand I [John the Baptizer] baptize you [believers] by means of water because of a change of thinking [about Christ], but the one coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals I am not worthy to lace [loosen, remove]. He himself will baptize by means of the Holy Spirit [a reference to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age] and by means of fire [a reference to the Baptism of Fire at the 2nd Advent].”
Baptism of Fire: The baptism of fire (identification with fire) is defined as the judgment of unbelievers both Jew and gentile at the Second Advent. They will be removed from the earth and placed in fire for 1000 years until the Last Judgment, Luke 3:16-17; Mathew 25:31, 33. The analogy to the Baptism of Fire is found in Matthew 24:36-41. The one left in the field is the mature believer; the one taken is the unbeliever.
Parables of the Baptism of Fire:
1. The wheat and the tares (the unbelievers), Matthew 13:24-30, 36-40.
2. The good and bad fish (unbelievers), Matthew 13:47-50.
3. The ten virgins: five wise, five foolish (the unbelievers), Matthew 25:1-13.
4. The sheep and the goats (the unbelievers), Mathew 25:31-46.
5. The talent test, Matthew 25:14-30. The one talent man represents the unbeliever.
If Jesus Christ had not been rejected by the Jewish people, then the age of Israel would have continued until its completion (the Tribulation completes the age of Israel). (However, they did reject Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah and so the client nation was destroyed, and the Church age was intercalated that is inserted before the age of Israel was complete.) After the completion of the age of Israel at the end of the Tribulation, comes the wrath of God namely the Baptism of Fire when the Lord removes both Jewish and gentile unbelievers from the earth and identifies them with fire forever. After which, the Millennial reign begins.
The Three Ritual Baptisms. None are extant at the present time. They are representative identifications in which water is used as a training aid to represent some principle of doctrine.
1. The Baptism of John is found in Matthew 3:2-6, “Saying, ‘Change your thinking [regarding Christ] for the kingdom of heaven is near.’ [The future king was already on the earth] (3) For this is what was communicated through Isaiah, the prophet saying, ‘The voice of one [John the Baptizer] proclaiming loudly in the desert [of Judea]. Prepare [the aorist tense is a one time-decision] the way of the Lord [an idiomatic expression for salvation]. Keep on making upright [the use of the Recovery Procedure followed by the development of experiential righteousness] His paths!’ (Isaiah 40:3) (4) Now, John himself kept on having a garment of camel’s hair [very uncomfortable] and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then [after John went where God wanted him to be] Jerusalem kept on going out to him [face to face] and all Judea and all the districts around the Jordan. (6) and they were being baptized [identified with the kingdom] by him [under John’s authority] in the Jordan River [where Israel crossed when they entered the land], and they kept on confessing their sins [post-salvation confession of sins].”
MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
The Gospel of Matthew: Chapter Seven
A verse-by-verse commentary by Max Klein
2 Chronicles 7:14, “And if my people [a client nation] who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven; will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” We need to pray for our president, our military and civilian leaders every day.
Outline
7:1-5: The carnal believer judges.
7:6-12: The spiritual believer understands doctrine.
7:13-27: The unbeliever rejects salvation.
7:28, 29: The unbelievers were amazed, but did not believe in Him.
Matthew 7:1
Μὴ κρίνετε, ἵνα µὴ κριθῆτε·
Stop judging so that you might not be judged [not receive triple discipline from the Lord].
The Greek word “krino” when used of people means to judge, criticize, gossip, malign and slander. In this verse, we have the negative “me” (µὴ) with the present active imperative of “krino” (κρίνετε). This is the imperative of prohibition which means to stop doing something you are doing. The durative present is an action which began in the past and continues into the present. These believers began judging, criticizing, and maligning other believers in the past and are continuing to do so in the present. So, God the Holy Spirit via Matthew is commanding them to stop.
No Christian has a right to critically evaluate another Christian unless he is in some position of authority which requires his doing so. For example, as an employer one would have the right to gather information on a person applying for a job at his company for he has a right to know if this prospective employee is an alcoholic, full of bitterness, a thief, anti-authority etc. However, if one is not in a position of authority which requires the evaluation of another person, then only the Lord has the right to evaluate that Christian.
Being a pastor or a deacon does not give that person the authority to interfere into the private lives of the members of the congregation. The Lord is able to handle the successes as well as the failures of any member of any congregation. The only time sin should be brought before the deacons is when that sin is directly impacting a member or members of the church such as gossip, sexual harassment or when some con artist is trying to swindle the members of the congregation etc.
Just to anticipate verse two, the Christian who judges another person, will be disciplined for three sins. First, he will be punished for judging. Second, any Christian who judges another Christian is motivated by arrogance which has many manifestations such as self-righteousness, jealousy, bitterness etc. So, the Christian will be punished for the mental sin which motivates judging. Third, the believer will be punished for the sins mentioned in judging such as drunkenness, fornication, adultery which sins the self-righteous Christian enjoys discussing with others. So, in summary the Christian involved in judging others will receive triple compound discipline.
Not only does the Christian receive triple discipline when he judges, but also at the same time he makes himself miserable under the natural law of self-induced misery. This explains why so many morally degenerate Christians are miserable.
Please, note the following statement: whenever we say that a person is being disciplined by God for a certain sin, we mean that the person is being disciplined for issues related to that sin. Actually, no believer is ever punished by God for the actual penalty for sin itself for that penalty has already been judged on the cross, “and he himself bore our sins on his body” (1 Peter 2:24a). The Justice of God does not punish two persons for the same sin. In eternity past, the righteousness of God demanded that every sin in human history be punished. At the cross, God the Father punished the human nature of Jesus Christ for every sin. This completely satisfied the Father’s perfect righteousness. Thus, though a Christian may be punished for certain consequences of sin, no Christian pays the penalty of that sin, a penalty which has already been paid on the Cross.
So why do we receive punishment for sin? First, if the Lord did not punish us when we sinned, we would probably never stop committing those sins. Secondly, punishment motivates the believer to get back into fellowship and to continue the spiritual life, and lastly it tends to prevent the Christian from entering into guilt.
Matthew 7:2
ἐν ᾧ γὰρ κρίµατι κρίνετε κριθήσεσθε, καὶ ἐν ᾧ µέτρῳ µετρεῖτε µετρηθήσεται ὑµῖν.
For by what judgment, [condemnation: slander, gossip, maligning] you judge [others], you will be judged [punished for slander, gossip, maligning], and by what measure you measure it out [the sin you mention regarding another], it will be measured back to you [you will be punished for the other person’s sin which you mentioned].
Furthermore, every verbal sin (sin coming from the tongue) is motivated by some mental sin of arrogance. For example, anger, hatred, jealousy, and self-righteousness all motivate verbal sins. A person full of hatred may want to slander; a jealous person may want to malign his rival; a self-righteous person assuming he is perfect may want to gossip or criticize another believer especially if that believer has committed some overt sin such as drunkenness, or some sexual sin. The point is that all verbal sins have a source.
All verbal sins produce quadruple punishment. Let’s illustrate using Christian A and B. Christian A hates Christian B, so he slanders B. He slanders B by spreading the rumor that B is unfaithful to his wife. Thus, Christian A will suffer in the following ways:
1. He is punished by God for hatred.
2. He is punished by God for slander.
3. He is punished by God for adultery the sin he mentioned regarding B “by what measure you measure it out, it will be measured back to you.”
4. He is punished by the law of self-induced misery. (All sinning makes the person miserable.)
Nota bene: Remember that a Christian never pays the actual penalty of any sin. That penalty has already been judged on the cross. So, when we say that a Christian is punished for hatred, slander, adultery etc., we mean that the individual involved is being punished for consequences related to those sins such as failure to execute the spiritual life; consequences related to grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit etc.
This explains why moral Christians who like to gossip in a Church have a difficult time (Morality has a dark side when corrupted with self-righteous arrogance). Almost every Church has some woman or man who is a skilled gossiper. These Christians think they are sinless as a result of rationalizing away their mental sins and so fashion themselves into statues of perfection, and having convinced themselves that they are perfect, they judge and gossip about others. Under triple compound discipline and self-induced misery, these religious Christians suffer much.
Usually, these self-righteous Christians portray themselves as martyrs for the Lord. In their delusion they assume that their quadruple suffering is undeserved. (Triple discipline from the Lord combined with their own self-induced misery.) In their lust to be recognized as martyrs, they will explain in detail all their sufferings to others and request prayer on their behalf. These self-righteous believers have martyrized themselves!
One should understand that God is fair and so his punishment is fair. Let’s say that some person fornicates. Now, the discipline related to fornication is severe (Any attack upon marriage will bring severe punishment from the supreme court of heaven). Now, even though God doesn’t need any help in disciplining a believer, you decide to help God in punishing this individual through gossip. You in effect are adding to God’s perfect punishment. Adding to perfect punishment makes it imperfect as well as unfair. God will not allow you to tamper with perfect justice. So, he will place upon you the punishment that he was giving to the fornicator. Sometimes the gossiper maligns a person who is innocent. In that case, God will not only punish the gossiper, but will provide extra blessing for the victim of gossip. This is how perfect justice works.
Matthew 7:3
τί δὲ βλέπεις τὸ κάρφος τὸ ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλµῷ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου, τὴν δὲ ἐν τῷ σῷ ὀφθαλµῷ δοκὸν οὐ κατανοεῖς;
Why do you [the believer of the above two verses] scrutinize [inspect critically] the splinter [the toothpick] in your brother’s eye, but you do not consider [because of blindness from arrogance] the log [self-righteous arrogance] in your own eye?
Most Christians do not take responsibility for their own sins and thus see themselves as perfect and qualified therefore to judge others. How can this be so? Well, some rationalize away their sins by saying to themselves, ‘I have a right to be bitter’ or ‘how can I not worry.’ Others do not know about mental and verbal sins and so worry and gossip etc. with abandonment; still others push their sins into their subconscious psychologically by repression followed by projection.
Regarding repression and projection, the best case in history involving a large group of believers would be the Exodus Generation. They accused Moses of hating and wanting to murder them when in reality, it was they who hated and wanted to murder Moses.
Matthew 7:4
ἢ πῶς ἐρεῖς τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου, Ἄφες ἐκβάλω τὸ κάρφος ἐκ τοῦ ὀφθαλµοῦ σου, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἡ δοκὸς ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλµῷ σοῦ;
Or how will [how dare] you say to your brother, let me pull the splinter out of your eye [some sin or failure] and behold there is a log in your eye [a complete failure in the spiritual life]?
This believer with the log in his eye (great arrogance) is offering to help the believer with a splinter in his eye (a little arrogance). The principle is that the more one concentrates on other people’s sins, the less he sees of his own.
This principle can apply when a believer concentrates too much time, thought, discussion on the sins, human good and evil regarding people in his city, state or nation. He understands and sees well their failures, but loses control over his own spiritual life.
Matthew 7:5
ὑποκριτά, ἔκβαλε πρῶτον τὴν δοκὸν ἐκ τοῦ ὀφθαλµοῦ σοῦ, καὶ τότε διαβλέψεις ἐκβαλεῖν τὸ κάρφος ἐκ τοῦ ὀφθαλµοῦ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου.
“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly [how] to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
How to remove the log out of the eye of a self-righteous believer? That believer must learn to confess his sins to the Father by using 1 John 1:9 as often as necessary (applying this verse to the Church Age believer). Secondly, he must put himself under the authority of a qualified communicator of God’s Word who studies diligently and teaches accurately. Thirdly, as this believer grows spiritually the log will become smaller and smaller. (He will understand better the spiritual life and so spend less time in arrogance.)
How a believer can help another believer remove the speck from his eye is explained as follows:
1. He may pray that the Lord will make the believer aware of the splinter in his eye.
2. If the believer with a splinter in his eyes seeks help from an advanced believer, that advanced believer may explain the mechanics of 1 John 1:9 and the necessity of learning God’s Word on a consistent basis.
3. Just leave the matter in the Lord’s hands for the Lord knows perfectly how to handle believers.
The Spiritual Believer: verses 6-12
Matthew 7:6
Μὴ δῶτε τὸ ἅγιον τοῖς κυσίν, µηδὲ βάλητε τοὺς µαργαρίτας ὑµῶν ἔµπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων, µήποτε καταπατήσουσιν αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτῶν καὶ στραφέντες ῥήξωσιν ὑµᾶς.
“Stop giving what is holy to dogs [gentile unbelievers: Psalm 22:6; Mark 7:28; Revelation 22:15], and stop throwing your pearls before swine [religious Jewish unbelievers: Matthew 13:45, 46; 2 Peter 2:22], with the result that [or] they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Since the unbeliever does not possess a human spirit, he is not able to comprehend spiritual information designed for the believer only. So, the believer should not explain to an unbeliever anything in the Bible other than information regarding the gospel or establishment. (The aorist tense of the Greek word “didomi” (to give) is the point of time when the believer is talking to an unbeliever. “That which is holy” and “pearls” refer to Biblical information designed for the believer only.) For example, don’t talk to unbelievers about angels, the Indwelling and Filling of the Spirit, the Rapture, The Great Tribulation, The New Jerusalem etc. for he is unable to understand such Biblical subjects.
Many times when the unbeliever listens to Biblical truths which he cannot understand, he will obscure and distort these truths (“they will trample them under their feet”) and even use them to ridicule and defame the believer (“turn and tear you to pieces”).
Matthew 7:7
Αἰτεῖτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑµῖν· ζητεῖτε, καὶ εὑρήσετε· κρούετε, καὶ ἀνοιγήσεται ὑµῖν.
“Ask, and it will be given to you [addressed to the disciples only! Ask for the ministry of the Spirit; possibly a reference to the Filling of the Spirit as John the Baptist, the Lord’s herald had received at his salvation: Luke 1:15, “… he will be filled with the Holy Spirit at some point out from his mother’s womb”], seek [continuous Bible study], and you will find [discover truth]; knock [application of one of the Problem Solving Devices] and it will be opened to you [it will be solved].
This is not a prayer promise, but a command to the twelve disciples to ask for the ministry of the Spirit, then to seek and knock. He wanted his disciples to come down from that mountain under the power of the Filling of the Spirit in order that they might operate under a higher concept than “to do unto others as you expect them to do unto you”. Under the power of the Spirit, the grace concept is to do onto others as the Lord has done unto you. (Luke 11:9-13 is a parallel passage. “. . . how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those [disciples] who ask Him” (Luke 11:13b)). After having asked, they were to seek and knock. In effect, they were commanded to execute the spiritual life under the Filling of the Spirit.
Matthew 7:8-10
πᾶς γὰρ ὁ αἰτῶν λαµβάνει καὶ ὁ ζητῶν εὑρίσκει καὶ τῷ κρούοντι ἀνοιγήσεται. (9) ἢ τίς ἐστιν ἐξ ὑµῶν ἄνθρωπος, ὃν αἰτήσει ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἄρτον ñ µὴ λίθον ἐπιδώσει αὐτῷ; (10) ἢ καὶ ἰχθὺν αἰτήσει ñ µὴ ὄφιν ἐπιδώσει αὐτῷ;
For everyone [of the disciples] who asks receives [the powerful ministry of the Spirit]; he who seeks [the Word of God], discovers [truth]; and to him who knocks [application of one of the Problem Solving Devices], it will be opened. (9) “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? (10) Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
All normal fathers love their children, and desire to provide the best for them. So, if a child is hungry and asks for some food, the loving and responsible father will certainly provide that food.
Matthew 7:11-12
εἰ οὖν ὑµεῖς πονηροὶ ὄντες οἴδατε δόµατα ἀγαθὰ διδόναι τοῖς τέκνοις ὑµῶν, πόσῳ µᾶλλον ὁ πατὴρ ὑµῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς δώσει ἀγαθὰ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν. (12) Πάντα οὖν ὅσα ἐὰν θέλητε ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑµῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, οὕτως καὶ ὑµεῖς ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς· οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ νόµος καὶ οἱ προφῆται.
If you, then, though you are evil [in the sense of possessing sin natures], know [instinctively] how to give good gifts to your children [provide for their needs], how much more will your Father in heaven give good things [the Filling of the Spirit, doctrine and other blessing related to the spiritual life] to those who ask him [seek and knock]! Then God [the Father] who is perfect will certainly provide these things for you. (12) So, in everything do to others what you would have them do to you for this sums up the Law and the Prophets [the Old Testament].
The above verse defines the so-called Golden Rule which both believers and unbelievers can execute since it requires only human determination. Thus, the golden rule (Matthew 7:12) does not require any special or supernatural power. The Lord wanted the disciples to have something greater than the golden rule namely to function under the full power of grace. So, if these disciples had the Filling of the Spirit (Matthew 7:11), they would have been able to function under the higher law of grace through the Filling of the Spirit. “Just as the Lord forgave you so also you should” (Colossians 3:13b) (By the way, even though the Lord told them that they could ask for this power (Matthew 7:7), they never did.)
Matthew 7:13
Εἰσέλθατε διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης· ὅτι πλατεῖα ἡ πύλη καὶ εὐρύχωρος ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν, καὶ πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ εἰσερχόµενοι διí αὐτῆς·
“Enter [believe in the Lord Jesus Christ] through the narrow gate [the cross] for the gate is wide and the way is broad [many religions and other alternatives to the cross] that leads to destruction [eternal judgment of the unbeliever], and there are many who enter through it.
The narrow gate is God’s way of salvation; the wide gate is Satan’s way leading to eternal judgment. The aorist tense of “Εἰσέλθατε” meaning ‘enter’ is the point of time the unbeliever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. The narrow gate doesn’t mean that it is very difficult or too narrow to enter, but that there is only one way of entering heaven, only through faith in Jesus Christ. John 14:6, “Jesus said to him [Thomas], I am the way [to heaven] and the truth and the life [eternal life]; no one comes face to face with the Father except through Me.” Acts 4:12, “And salvation is not by any other person [than Jesus Christ] under heaven who has been given among men by whom we must be saved.” On the other hand, the wide gate includes all religions, all atheists, all those depending on human good and relative righteousness as opposed to God’s grace plan of salvation. All the religions of the world can line-up, side by side and still get through. In conclusion, there is only one way of salvation, but many ways of rejecting Christ and his work on the Cross.
Matthew 7:14
τί στενὴ ἡ πύλη καὶ τεθλιµµένη ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωήν, καὶ ὀλίγοι εἰσὶν οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτήν.
“Because small is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life [eternal life], and there are few who find it [the mechanics of God-consciousness and gospel hearing followed by faith in Christ].
Religion is the greatest hindrance to the gospel and so explains why so few enter the gate of salvation. Religion hinders by giving a pseudo confidence in life after death. It hinders by providing a system of works and good deeds which appeals to the Area of Strength of the Sin Nature. (The Area of Strength encourages the tendency of self-righteousness.) Having acquired a mountain of self-righteousness and good deeds, they see no need for God’s gracious gift of imputed righteousness. Some religions hinder the gospel message by giving vent to the Area of Weakness of the Sin Nature. (The Area of Weakness motivates to sin.) These religions incorporate lying, stealing, rape, murder and terrorism etc. into the modus operandi of their religion. The license to lie, steal, rape, murder appeals to a lot of people. In short, religion blinds more unbelievers to the gospel than any other factor.
Man’s responsibility toward God begins at awareness of God which awareness is called God-consciousness. When a person is cognitively able to understand Romans 1:20, he is responsible before God to make a decision. Does he want to learn more about God or not? If he desires to learn more, then God is responsible to provide gospel information to that person.
Romans 1:19, “because what may be known [evident, plain] about God in them [the basis for knowing about God] is revealed [at the point of God consciousness]; because God has made it plain to them. (20) For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly perceived, being perspicuous through things He has created, namely, both His eternal power and His divine nature, so that they [the entire human race] are without excuse.”
So, this answers that blasphemous question about those who have never heard the gospel due to geographic, linguistic and other barriers. There are no barriers to God. If a person after reaching God-consciousness wants to know more, God will provide that person with the gospel.
In verses 15-23, we have the hindrance to the gospel.
Matthew 7:15
Προσέχετε ἀπὸ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν, οἵτινες ἔρχονται πρὸς ὑµᾶς ἐν ἐνδύµασιν προβάτων, ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσιν λύκοι ἅρπαγες.
“Beware [constantly be on your guard] of the false prophets [teaching a false gospel and spiritual life] who come to you in sheep’s clothing [pretending to be harmless], but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
One has to be constantly alert with regard to false teachers who always approach the unsuspecting, the naïve person. These false teachers approach with helpfulness, sweetness and pseudo kindness, but their false teaching motivated by evil will lead the person away from the truth and destroy him (Keep the unbeliever from the gospel and the believer from executing the spiritual life).
Sheep’s Clothing (the counterfeiting of Christianity by religion):
1. Counterfeit doctrines: 1 Timothy 4:1, “But the Spirit explicitly teaches that in latter periods of time [the Church Age and the Tribulation] some [believers] will withdraw from doctrine, concentrating on deceitful personalities and doctrines from demons [demon influence via cosmic 1 & 2].”
2. Counterfeit worship and communion table: 1 Corinthians 10:21, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord [the Communion table requires fellowship and knowledge of the pertinent doctrines] and the cup of demons [living in the cosmic system]; therefore you cannot partake of the table of the Lord [worship requires the spiritual life] and the table of demons [demon influence and degeneracy; idolatry and the phallic cult].” The Christian cannot serve and worship the Lord and at the same time serve and worship Satan.
3. Counterfeit ministers: 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such ones are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. (14) Did not even Satan marvelously transform himself into an angel of light? (15) Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.”
4. Counterfeit gospel: 2 Corinthians 11:3, 4, “But I am concerned that just as the serpent completely deceived Eve by his craftiness that your thinking may be corrupted [spiritually seduced by the Judaizers] from the integrity and purity of devotion toward Christ. (4) For if one [a Judaizer] comes and proclaims another [allos: another of the same kind] Jesus [the same historical Jesus with a different message] whom we have not proclaimed, or if you receive another [heteros] type of life [legalism], which you did not receive [from us; Paul and his team taught grace], or another [heteros] gospel, which you did not welcome [before], you patiently endure with honor [have a pseudo love for these legalistic teachers].”
5. Counterfeit spirituality: Galatians 3:3, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit [the Filling of the Spirit] are you now being brought to completion by means of the flesh [operating out of fellowship and so using human strength and functioning under the sin nature]?”
6. Counterfeit righteousness: Matthew 19:16-22, “Now behold a man came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good shall I do to obtain eternal life? (17) And He replied to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good [What good shall I do]? There is only one [Jesus, the only person born without a sin nature and so without the imputation of Adam’s sin] who is [intrinsic, absolute] good [a reference to both his deity and humanity and so qualified to provide salvation]. If you desire to enter into [eternal] life [through your righteousness], and you do [an implication of the first-class conditional sentence], then keep the commandments [impossible for any member of fallen mankind to keep the Mosaic Law perfectly] (18) The man inquired, “Which ones [in response to the command in verse 17]? Jesus replied, “You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness [in court]; (19) you shall honor your father and mother, and you shall love your neighbor [those in your periphery; the ones a person has contact with on a daily basis] as yourself. (20) And the young man answered, “All these, I have guarded. What do I still lack? (21) And Jesus said to him, “If you desire to be perfect and you do [though it is impossible since you are not God], go and sell your possessions and give them to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven then [return after you realize that you cannot be perfect] here and follow Me [in regeneration: Matthew 19:28]. (22) After the young man heard the instruction, he departed grieving for he possessed a lot of property.” (He grieved because he wanted to be saved by his own good deeds.)
7. Counterfeit power: 2 Thessalonians 2:9, “whose presence [the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire] shall be according to the modus operandi of Satan by means of all power and by means of miraculous signs, even by pseudo wonders.”
8. Counterfeit gods: 2 Thessalonians 2:4, “who opposes [the Lord Jesus Christ] and exalts himself [the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire] above every so called God, or object of worship, so that he is installed in the temple of God [the Jewish temple of the Tribulation], proclaiming himself to be God.”
Matthew 7:16-20
ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς· µήτι συλλέγουσιν ἀπὸ ἀκανθῶν σταφυλὰς ἢ ἀπὸ τριβόλων σῦκα; (17) οὕτως πᾶν δένδρον ἀγαθὸν καρποὺς καλοὺς ποιεῖ, τὸ δὲ σαπρὸν δένδρον καρποὺς πονηροὺς ποιεῖ· (18) οὐ δύναται δένδρον ἀγαθὸν καρποὺς πονηροὺς ποιεῖν, οὐδὲ δένδρον σαπρὸν καρποὺς καλοὺς ποιεῖν. (19) πᾶν δένδρον µὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται. (20) ἄρα γε ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς.
“You [the disciples, persons with Bible doctrine] will know them [false teachers representing thorns and thistles] by their production. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes or figs from cactus [thistles], are they? Of course not. [This question expects a negative answer.] (17) Even so every healthy tree bears good fruit [divine production], but every diseased tree [religious leaders of Israel] produces worthless [degenerate, evil, spoiled] fruit. [This is a principle.] (18) A good tree [a person positive at God-consciousness and gospel hearing] cannot produce diseased fruit [rather he produces the fruit of salvation] nor can a diseased [corrupt] tree [analogous to rejection of the truth] bear good fruit [salvation]. (19) Every tree [the unbeliever] that does not produce good fruit [salvation] is cut down and thrown into the fire [the Lake of Fire]. (Revelation 20:11-15) (20) So, then, you will recognize them by their production [a principle].
The unbeliever’s production is human good and relative righteousness. The believer receives the produce of absolute imputed righteousness at salvation (Romans 3:22). This is how an unbeliever is distinguished from a believer.
Verses 21-23: The judgment of unbelieving false teachers at the 2nd Advent:
Matthew 7:21
Οὐ πᾶς ὁ λέγων µοι, Κύριε κύριε, εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλí ὁ ποιῶν τὸ θέληµα τοῦ πατρός µου τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.
“Not everyone [a reference to the unbelievers who are analogous to goats as per Matthew 25:31-33] who says to Me [Matthew 25:44] on that day [the 2nd Advent], ‘Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven [as per Matthew 25:46], but he who does the will of My Father [enter the narrow gate through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ: Matthew 7:13; 1 John 3:23a] who is in heaven will enter [into the kingdom of heaven].
The only person who can use the vocative ‘Lord’ with meaning is the advanced believer in fellowship. 1 Corinthians 12:3b tells us that “No one [an unbeliever or Christian out of fellowship] can say, “Jesus is Lord [with meaning]," except by the Holy Spirit [except a very advanced believer filled with the Spirit].”
Matthew 7:22
πολλοὶ ἐροῦσίν µοι ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡµέρᾳ, Κύριε κύριε, οὐ τῷ σῷ ὀνόµατι ἐπροφητεύσαµεν, καὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόµατι δαιµόνια ἐξεβάλοµεν, καὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόµατι δυνάµεις πολλὰς ἐποιήσαµεν;
Many will say to Me on that day [2nd Advent], ‘Lord, Lord did we [religious unbelievers] not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many supernatural powers?’
During the Tribulation, these religious unbelievers will use the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in their pseudo prophesies, in their casting out of demons and in the performance of supernatural powers. In reality, it will be Satan who will support these religious unbelievers in their deceitful acts to gain power. At the 2nd Advent, the Lord will separate these unbelievers from the believers (Matthew 25:31, 32), and so these unbelievers will be removed from the earth and consigned to Torments until the end of the Millennial reign of Christ at which time they will be resurrected to stand before the Great White Throne Judgment.
Matthew 7:23-24
καὶ τότε ὁµολογήσω αὐτοῖς ὅτι Οὐδέποτε ἔγνων ὑµᾶς· ἀποχωρεῖτε ἀπí ἐµοῦ οἱ ἐργαζόµενοι τὴν ἀνοµίαν. (24) Πᾶς οὖν ὅστις ἀκούει µου τοὺς λόγους τούτους καὶ ποιεῖ αὐτοὺς ὁµοιωθήσεται ἀνδρὶ φρονίµῳ, ὅστις ᾠκοδόµησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν.
“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you [The unbeliever has no personal relationship with the Lord.]; depart from Me [this command removed them from the earth and identified them with fire in Torments], you who practice lawlessness [the unbeliever is lawless in that he refuses to obey the command to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior as per Mark 1:15]’ (24) “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine [the gospel] and does them [believes in the Lord Jesus Christ] may be compared to a wise man [analogous to the unbeliever who believes in Christ] who built his house on the rock [the foundational boulder (petra) which is the Lord Jesus Christ].
The foundation of a building is extremely important. If a person builds on a strong foundation, the structure will be secure. If on the other hand, he builds on a weak foundation, the structure will not endure. When a person believes in the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, he establishes himself on a permanent foundation.
Matthew 7:25
καὶ κατέβη ἡ βροχὴ καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ποταµοὶ καὶ ἔπνευσαν οἱ ἄνεµοι καὶ προσέπεσαν τῇ οἰκίᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ οὐκ ἔπεσεν, τεθεµελίωτο γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν.
“And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall for it had been founded on the rock [salvation based on the person and work of Christ].
Nothing is able to remove the believer from the secure foundation which is our relationship with Him. Romans 8:38, 39 presents eternal security, but from our position in Him i.e. the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. “For I have confidence that neither death nor life [nothing in death or life], neither angels [elect and fallen] nor principalities [angelic organizations], neither present things nor future things, neither power [systems of tyrannical human powers], neither height, nor depth [one cannot go too high in the atmosphere or too low into the heart of the earth], nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us [the Christian] from the love of God [the Father] which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.”
Matthew 7:26
καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀκούων µου τοὺς λόγους τούτους καὶ µὴ ποιῶν αὐτοὺς ὁµοιωθήσεται ἀνδρὶ µωρῷ, ὅστις ᾠκοδόµησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπὶ τὴν ἄµµον.
“Everyone who hears these words of Mine [the gospel] and does not act upon them [does not believe in Christ] will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand [something other than the salvation work of Christ].
Sand by analogy, is any thinking related to arrogance, any religion, any philosophy or anything else that deceives the person into believing that these things will provide him with security. If the unbeliever thinks that sand is a sufficient foundation, he will reject the Rock.
Matthew 7:27
καὶ κατέβη ἡ βροχὴ καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ποταµοὶ καὶ ἔπνευσαν οἱ ἄνεµοι καὶ προσέκοψαν τῇ οἰκίᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ ἔπεσεν, καὶ ἦν ἡ πτῶσις αὐτῆς µεγάλη.
“The rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house, and it fell and great was its fall [analogous to the judgment of the unbeliever].
Matthew 7:28:
Καὶ ἐγένετο ὅτε ἐτέλεσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἐξεπλήσσοντο οἱ ὄχλοι ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ
When Jesus had finished these words [the end of the Sermon on the Mount: chapters 5-7] the crowds were astonished at His teaching [amazed, but no converts];
People have free will, and free will chooses to accept or reject truth. If a person does not want the truth, he will reject even the most accurate and eloquent communicators of God’s Word even he will reject the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
Matthew 7:29
ἦν γὰρ διδάσκων αὐτοὺς ὡς ἐξουσίαν ἔχων καὶ οὐχ ὡς οἱ γραµµατεῖς αὐτῶν.
for He was teaching them as one having authority [dogmatically], and not as their scribes [the Jewish theologians].
Jesus Christ knew this doctrinal subject of the Sermon on the Mount perfectly. Therefore, he was able to teach dogmatically with authority in contrast to His contemporary Jewish unbelieving theologians who taught in a wishy-washy way: maybe this or maybe that.
The Bible is God’s Word and absolute authority. When a communicator learns God’s Word, he will teach with authority. When a communicator or theologian rejects God’s Word, he rejects the absolutes of God, and in so doing, he cannot teach dogmatically.
Ultimately, the unbeliever is relying on some system of human good and or righteousness to qualify him for eternity. For this reason, he sees no need to obtain the imputed righteousness of God which is received at the point of faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all who believe.” Unfortunately, for the unbeliever at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), it will be demonstrated that his good deeds and righteousness is a house built on sand.
