ALL OF GOD’S-YEHOVAH’S DEALINGS WITH THE FOLLOWERS OF THE LORD MESSIAH JESUS ARE ON THE BASIS OF HOLINESS

When God- Yehovah deals with us, it has to be based on holiness. You don’t have to be an Old Testament theologian to notice this point emerging clearly throughout the Old Testament.

NOTICE THE FOLLOWING EIGHT POINTS 

1) God separates His people from all uncleanness

First, you will notice that whenever a person turns to God, God invariably sets him apart from the world. He called Israel out of Egypt, that is, to come out from that type of the world, as Egypt represents the world in the Old Testament. He separates His people from the world because only then can they serve Him. Paul applies the Old Testament verse in Isaiah 52:11: Depart, depart, go out from there! You must not touch any unclean thing. Go out from the midst of it, keep clean, you who carry the vessels of Yehovah - of Israel’s separation from the uncleanness of the world to the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus in 2 Corinthians 6:17: Therefore “come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord- Yehovah, “and do not touch what is unclean, and I will welcome you [A paraphrased quotation from Ezekiel 20:41]

Therefore, separation from all uncleanness is what holiness is 

2) God redeems His people from their old way of life

Second, the Israelites are spoken of as God’s-Yehovah’s redeemed people. He redeems His people from their old way of life. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Paul says: “You are not your own; you were bought with a price.” To be holy means to belong to God- Yehovah in the sense of being His possession, His slave. He bought you with an invaluable price of the blood of His anointed one, the Messiah, and once He has bought you, you belong to Him. You are no longer your own. You must serve Him as His slave. You must live for Him. You no longer live for yourselves. “So, use your whole being for the glory of God” (v. 20). 

3) God calls His people to holiness

Thirdly, the call to holiness is given in the Ten Commandments, the Decalogue, and the command, “Be holy as I am holy,” in Leviticus 11:44 is repeated in 19:2, 20:7, and 26. As well, in Leviticus 19:8 and Exodus 31:13, God said, “I, the Lord- Yehovah, sanctify you.” “Sanctify” means to make holy. 

4) God lives in His redeemed who obey His command to holiness

The fourth point: God dwells with His redeemed people, who now live under His covenant and command to holiness. They are holy because of the indwelling of His Spirit, His temple, individually and collectively. This is the point that Paul is making, and he applies it to the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus in 2 Corinthians 6:16: “For we are the temple of the living God.” He repeats this in 1 Corinthians 6:19: “Do you not realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you that you received from God?” So, we are holy because God lives in us by His Spirit, and we belong to Him as a purchased possession. 

5) God teaches His holy people through His holy prophets

Fifth, we see that the holy people of God are constantly led and instructed by God’s servants, the holy prophets. The terms used of the prophets in the Old Testament are “a prophet of the Lord- Yehovah,” “the Lord’s- Yehovah’s prophets,” “God’s prophets” and “My servants, the prophets” (1 Samuel 3:20; 1 Kings 18:4; 2 Kings 9:7; Ezra 5:2; Jeremiah 29:19, 44:4; Hosah 12:13; Zechariah 1:6). Therefore, as God is holy, so are His servants, the prophets. The term “holy prophets” is used in the New Testament (Acts 3:21, Ephesians 3:5, 2 Peter 3:2, Revelation 22:6).

And it is very interesting that the same concern is found in Paul. Paul is very concerned that the called-out Assembly should be led by prophets. We read in Acts 13:1 that there were prophets in the called-out Assembly, and it was through them that Paul and Barnabas were separated and sent forth to the ministry on their first missionary journey. Paul is very concerned that there should not only be prophets but also that all God’s people should desire the gift of prophecy. The whole of First Corinthians chapter 14 is about prophecy, because a prophet has to be a person who meets with God at a very deep level.

We have very few prophets in the called-out Assembly today. I share Paul’s deep concern that the called-out Assembly should have prophets. And I would pray to God that every one of those who are leaders in the called-out Assembly become a prophet and a prophetess in this generation, that they enter into an ever-deeper experience of God spiritually, and so be anointed to become God’s prophets. 

6) God judges His holy people if they do not remain holy

Sixth point, God’s holiness will be expressed also in judgment upon His holy people if they do not remain holy. It is very important to grasp this. Being a saint does not exempt you from judgment. On the contrary, you will come under judgment even more severely if you fail to live the kind of life to which God has called you. He called us to holiness to glorify His name in this age. Similarly, in the Old Testament, the people of Israel, God’s chosen people, came under God’s severe judgment when they failed to live holy lives. In Ezekiel 18:30, the Lord- Yehovah spoke very specifically through the prophet Ezekiel: “I will judge you, O house of Israel, everyone according to his ways,” says the Lord - Yehovah. “Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.”

There is a strange teaching that goes around today, which is purely heretical as far as the Bible is concerned, that Christians can avoid any form of judgment no matter how they sin. This is utterly ridiculous. There is no basis either in the Old Testament or in the New. And anyone who has ever read the Old Testament can never speak such nonsense because everyone sees that the Israelites were constantly under God’s judgment. In Ezekiel 18:31-32, the Lord- Jehovah God said:

“Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed against me and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies. Therefore, turn and live!”

But Israel would not repent, and they were “broken off,” as Paul says in Romans 11:17. In verse 22, he says to the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus in Rome: “Note then the kindness and the severity of God; severity towards those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in His kindness; otherwise, you too will be cut off.” 

7) God makes His people new to fulfill His requirements

In the seventh point, we see that throughout the Old and New Testaments, God’s- Yehovah’s holiness is expressed in the concern to impart His holiness to His people by the power of His Holy Spirit, making them new people so that they can fulfill His requirements. We focus on references from the book of Ezekiel, specifically chapters 11:19, 36:26-27, and 37:13-14. This theme resonates throughout the Old Testament.

Additionally, let us consider one example from the New Testament, Ephesians 4:24, where Paul instructs the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus to: “put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

By now, I trust it’s quite clear why Paul employs the term “saint” and why he consistently emphasizes in his letters how these “saints” ought to live. His concern stems from the importance of the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus recognizing themselves as God’s “holy ones,” meaning they are set apart from the world, redeemed, and entrusted with his commandments.

Note: The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology Volume 2, just to illustrate that the same point is made there. Under the article “Holy” on page 230, it says:

“Holiness is a condition of acceptance at the Parousia (the theological term for the Second Coming of the Messiah), and of enter­ing upon the inheritance of his people – Colossians 1:12; Acts 20:32, 26:18. In all these cases, holiness implies a relationship with God- Yehovah, which is expressed not primarily through the cultus (the outward form of worship), but through the fact that believers are led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14). As in the Old Testament, it demands a behavior which rightly responds to the Holy Spirit.”

I think by now the whole point is very clear to us. When Paul says we are the “holy ones,” we are “saints”; he does not mean we just have a special position called “holiness.” He means also that our conduct must befit those who are called “saints”, as he repeatedly says, for example, in Ephesians 4:1: “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” 

8) Discipleship is connected with holiness

Finally, being the Old Testament scholar that Paul was, he was also well aware that where the term “saints” of God, ‘holy ones,’ is applied in the Old Testament, it is often used in connection with following God- Yehovah. Jeremiah 2:2-3 is a beautiful instance where we see the connection between discipleship and holiness. Yehovah tells Jeremiah to speak to the people in Jerusalem: “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, ‘Thus says Yehovah, I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holy to Yehovah, the first fruits of his harvest.’”

“How you followed me” – their following is discipleship. Israel was once God’s- Yehovah’s disciple. They followed him in the wilderness. Notice the past tense – “Israel was holy to Yehovah, the first fruits of his harvest.”

In Deuteronomy 33:3, again, following God- Yehhovah and holiness is connected: “Yes, He loved His people; all his holy ones are in His hand; so they followed in your steps, receiving direction from you.

“His holy ones” refer to “saints.” Therefore, we understand why Paul emphasizes not just the external manner of following, but the spiritual manner of following in holiness. 

A follower of the lord Messiah Jesus is “a saint” who has experienced God’s- Yehovah’s transforming power

Let us conclude by realizing this one essential point: We followers of the lord Messiah Jesus are “saints.” You can only grasp the concept of holiness if you have a spiritual experience of God's indwelling Spirit. If not, then all that we have been talking about today will just be water running off your backs, and wind flowing past your ears. You will not understand what we have been talking about if you have not experienced God’s indwelling Spirit. It also means you will not know what it means to be a saint, a disciple, and a follower of the lord Messiah Jesus in the New Testament sense of the word.

Your baptism and adherence to correct doctrines are commendable, but they won’t be truly effective until you experience the transformative power of God’s indwelling Spirit in your life, until you have a genuine encounter with Him. And when that encounter happens, it changes you profoundly, and you will understand, “Ah, God is holy!” You will be filled with a profound sense of reverent awe when you feel His presence. You will find joy and empowerment to fulfill His will to bring salvation to others through the cleansing power of the lord Messiah Jesus’ blood. At that point, you transition into being a disciple, a saint, a follower of the lord Messiah Jesus in the Biblical sense of the term.

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

Matthew 13:2-23: And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying:

“A Sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.

Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose, they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.

Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.

Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

He who has ears, let him hear.”

The Purpose of the Parables

Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven [God], but to them it has not been given.

For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

"You will indeed hear but never understand,

and you will indeed see but never perceive.
For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them."

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Parable of the Sower Explained

“Hear then the parable of the Sower:

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom [the good news about the Kingdom of God] and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.

As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

Luke 8:4-15: When many people were gathered together, and were come unto him out of all cities, he spake by a parable.

A Sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden under feet, and the fowls of heaven devoured it up.

And some fell on the stones, and when it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

And some fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit, a hundredfold. And as he said these things, he cried, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

Then his disciples asked him, what parable that was.

And he said, unto you it is given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to others in parables, that when they see, they should not see [spiritually], and when they hear, they should not understand.

The Parable of the Sower explained

The parable is this: The seed is the word of God [the good news about the coming kingdom of God].

And they that are beside the way, are they that hear: afterward comes the devil, and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe, and be saved.

Note: If a person does not believe in the coming Kingdom of God, he cannot be saved.

But they that are on the stones, are they which when they have heard, receive the word [about the coming Kingdom of God] with joy: but they have no roots: that for a while believe, but in the time of temptation go away.

And that which fell among thorns, are they which have heard [the word about the Kingdom of God], and after their departure [After hearing the word, they go about their business], are choked with cares and with riches, and voluptuous living, and bring forth no fruit.

But that [seeds] which fell in good ground are they which with an honest and good heart hear the word, and keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Note: Acts 8:12: When they believed Philip’s preaching of the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus the Messiah, they were baptized, both men and women.

Note: When you preach about the name of Jesus the Messiah, that includes everything he did during his ministry on this earth, and when he offered himself up to his God and his Father Yehovah, as a sin-offering sacrifice so that God - Yehovah, could reconcile humanity to Himself. It also includes the position the lord Messiah Jesus now has at the right hand of God, as lord and Messiah with power over all creation, with only God excluded!

WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIALS OF THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL?

Acts 8:12: But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus the anointed one, they were baptized, both men and women.

Notice: Luke 8:12: Those by the wayside are they that hear; then comes the devil and takes away the word [about the kingdom of God] out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

Notice that Matthew 13:19: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understands it, then comes the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart....

So, we understand from these verses that Satan is the enemy of the preaching of ‘the word’ about the coming kingdom of God. Why? Because one needs to understand what the message about the kingdom of God is, which is the message of salvation! (Luke 8:12)

So, first and foremost, the essentials of the good news message Jesus brought are the preaching of the good news about the coming kingdom of God and about his name, which is Jesus, who is the anointed one, the Messiah, the coming King of Israel. And since we have been grafted into the Israel of God (Romans 11), he is our King.

We need to realize that Jesus and his disciples preached the gospel about the kingdom of God long before there was any mention of Jesus' death and resurrection, and after his resurrection that same message continued to be preached to the world even as he commanded.

Notice Acts 28:30-31: And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus the Messiah, the things concerning Jesus about his death, resurrection, and looking forward to the time when he will return to sit on the throne of David at Jerusalem ruling over all the nations and Israel as a glorified immortal man and doing so with all those who have been resurrected to co-rule and co-inherit all things with him.

Unfortunately, that good news message is not now being preached completely. We only hear about the death and resurrection of Jesus and nothing about the soon-coming Kingdom of God. The message one has to understand in order to be saved... Luke 8:12. Why are no preachers today constantly preaching about the kingdom of God as Jesus did throughout his whole ministry? Why are we not being taught more about how the Sermon on the Mount was given to help us know how to prepare to be a co-ruler in that soon-coming Kingdom of God? When the Kingdom of God arrives, it will be the establishment of the Theocratic Government of God set up at Zion, where Jesus will reign as King of Israel and King of Kings and Lord of lords over all the nations of the world who will come up to pay homage to him at the Feast of Tabernacles every year.

Zechariah14:16: And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, [Jesus, acting as the agent of] Yehovah of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, Yehovah of armies of heaven, even upon them shall be no rain.

Again, where is the gospel of the Kingdom of God being preached to-day?

Why is it not the emphasis of preachers today? It was at the forefront of the message Jesus brought to Israel and that he wanted preached to the world!

The whole of Scripture is about God's redemption plan starting at Genesis 3:15, where God prophesies that a man born of a woman will have a son who will defeat the Adversary - Serpent - Satan and thus bring about a restoration of all things as they were at the beginning. So we know that the one predicted in Genesis3:15 is the Son of God, the lord Messiah Jesus, who defeated Satan on the tree and, by his shed blood - the sin-offending sacrifice he offered up to his God and his Father Yehovah reconciled all of humanity to his God and his Father Yehovah.

Now, all anyone in the world needs to do to be delivered from God's Wrath is to believe in the one He has sent and, believing in him, to obey his command to repent and be baptized, immersed completely in water. When we enter into the water, we are saying before our God that we are reckoning ourselves as dead to self, and coming out of the water, we realize a newness of life, become a new creation, filled with the Spirit - Breath - Love of Yehovah. At that moment, we have gone through a regeneration process. But that is just the beginning; now we need to be renewed in our hearts and minds to become as our elder brother, the lord Messiah Jesus. Our God enables us to do that by the power of His Spirit - Breath - Love indwelling us.

At that time we have been grafted into the Israel of Yehovah - God, become members of His household, members of His congregation, members of the body of His anointed one, and members of His called-out Assembly. We are also recognized by our God as His temples individually and collectively because of His indwelling Spirit - Breath - Love in us. We also become heirs of the promises made to Abraham and his "seed," Jesus, God's anointed one. And we look forward to co-ruling with the lord Messiah Jesus in the coming kingdom of God, when he will rule over all the nations as King of kings and Lord of lords at that time, all the nations' representatives will come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles at Jerusalem - Zion... see Zechariah 14.

Jesus also ratified the New Covenant by his shed blood as a sin-offering sacrifice, which he said he would do as that prophet, the one Moses spoke about – Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:2; Acts 7:37

So, as those who are under the New Covenant, what are we to do? We are to live according to the CREED OF JESUS: Mark 12:26-34.... His creed says we are to love God totally committed to him in obedience, and to love our neighbors as ourselves! That is impossible for us to do unless we are enabled by the Spirit - Breath - Love of Yehovah indwelling us. As we submit to His indwelling Spirit - Breath - Love, we will become servants towards all our neighbors, even as Jesus was the greatest servant of all and still is at this very moment, interceding for us as our High Priest and coming alongside us to help and assist us as we walk on the narrow road towards the coming kingdom of God, which is all that Jesus talked and preached about.

WE are all destined at the resurrection to enter into the coming new age, ruling in the Theocratic Government that Jesus will establish and co-rule over all the surviving nations during the 1,000-year rule.

What an amazing opportunity our God and Father has envisioned for us, and to get where He wants us to be, all we need to do is submit to the guidance of His Spirit - Breath - Love, which enables us to obey the words that He gave Jesus to give to us.

Notice what Jesus says: Matthew 7:21: "Not every one that says unto me, ‘lord, lord,’ shall enter into the Kingdom of God, but he that does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. Again: If we don't obey the words that Yehovah gave to His anointed one, the lord Messiah Jesus, then you won't be in the kingdom of God. Luke 6:46: "And why do you call me, ‘lord, lord,’ and do not the things which I say? So believing in Jesus isn't all there is; after believing that he is the one whom God has sent and being baptized, we all now need to go forward, keeping the creed of the lord Messiah Jesus, enabled by his indwelling Spirit and the Spirit - Breath - Love of Yehovah, and preach about the soon-coming kingdom of God. This is what the disciples of the lord Messiah Jesus are called upon to do continually!

OUR RELATIONSHIP TO ONE ANOTHER IN THE CALLED-OUT ASSEMBLY IS AS A HUSBAND AND WIFE COMMITTMENT

It is in this context that we must return to Matthew Chapter 19, because the lord Messiah Jesus - Yeshua wants to tell us: when we are giving our best, what does he really expect us to give? Many times, we want to give our best, but we don’t know what the best is; we don’t know what we are supposed to give. Hence, we live in ignorance.

The lord Jesus - Yeshua doesn’t want us to be ignorant. He wants us to know exactly what your relationship ought to be with the person sitting next to you, what that relationship is meant to be to one another.

He tells us that in God’s - Yehovah’s plan, this relationship is meant to be spiritually as close as a husband is to his wife.

We are to become a group of people in whom God’s grace is so effective in our lives that we are truly committed to one another, open to one another, genuine and transparent in relation to one another.

If this experience is not happening in your congregation, then your congregation becomes simply a social gathering, a formal “congregation” of people who come in and out, having a vague relationship with one another as fellow Christians, and that is it!

That is not the way the lord Jesus - Yeshua meant us to be.

Will anyone coming into the church looking at the way we conduct ourselves in relation to one another really say, “Ah! These are disci­ples of Jesus! Now I have seen the love of God before my eyes!” If they don’t see this? Why? It is because we have not come to the commitment to one another that the lord Messiah Jesus - Yeshua is speaking about. 

Divorce is forbidden because it is the annulment of commitment

Why is divorce forbidden? It’s because it is the annulment of a commitment, and commitment is something deeply spiritual – you give your whole person to the other. And it is precisely here that we dare not give ourselves to the other person for fear that in giving myself, I expose myself to the other person. I might be abused, mishandled, taken advantage of. I dare not give myself, and so we dare not trust each other. We don’t have faith in each other; hence we cannot have love for one another.

We must strive towards this goal that the lord Jesus - Yeshua sets before us: the vision of the called-out Assembly as it was meant to be. Most called-out Assemblies have a long way to go, but that is no reason why we cannot strive to become more like the Messiah Jesus – Yeshua.

Let us turn for a moment to Ephesians 5:21-27:

…submitting to one another out of reverence for the Messiah. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as the Messiah is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the called-out Assemblies submit to the Messiah, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as the Messiah loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her [set her apart], having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word [the message about the Kingdom of God], so that he might present the called-out Assembly to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Notice that as Paul is talking about the spiritual nature of this commitment in marriage, “as to the lord”, he is coming in and out of the subject all the time, one moment talking about marriage, the next moment talking about the relationships within the called-out Assembly, moving from one to the other and back to the one. For him, he has seen that marriage is meant to portray the spiritual reality of what the relationship of the Messiah to the called-out Assembly should be, and what the members of the called-out Assembly should have in relationship to one another. This is easy to follow because we have just seen that we are to deal with one another in the way that God deals with us, His called-out Assembly in the Messiah. We understand that the one follows the other automatically when you understand these principles.

Let us go on to verses 28-33:

In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Messiah does the called-out Assembly, because we are members of his body. “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to the Messiah and the called-out Assembly. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Paul is talking about wives and husbands, which is a very deep mystery. Let me draw three points immediately from here which show you just how our relationship to one another in the called-out Assembly is meant to be modeled on the relationship of husband and wife.

 

1. Love your neighbor: fellow Christians in your called-out Assembly

First, you are very familiar with the saying, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18 quoted in Matthew 19:19, 22:39, etc.). I am sure if you have ever thought deeply on Scripture at all, you would have often scratched your head and thought to yourself, “How can I love my neighbor as myself?” How is that possible? We are willing to give our best, but how can we love a neighbor as ourselves? He is a neighbor; he is not me. I can love him to some extent, but I cannot love him “as myself” because he is not me. It’s as simple as that.

 

For the Jew, a neighbor is a fellow Jew, or a believer of the same God - Yehovah

The first thing to understand is that the word “neighbor” in Scripture does not just mean any X, Y, or Z.

The word that is translated as “neighbor” in English translates the Hebrew word “rea”, which means a friend, a companion.

It doesn’t just mean a next-door person necessarily, because the word “neighbor” in the Old Testament referred specifically to someone who was your friend; that is, he stood in some kind of relationship to you even if that relationship was quite distant, in the sense that you were members of the same community of people.

For a Jew, “neighbor” did not mean any foreigner, or anyone who happened to sit beside you on a bus or a subway, etc. A neighbor had to be at least a fellow Israelite, or someone who may not be an Israelite but a proselyte, that is, he had the same religion as a Jew, even though he was not a Jew.

Now this is important to understand. Even in the lord Jesus’ teaching, we find that the word “neighbor” does not mean just anyone.

For example, in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the Jew asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Quite rightly, the Samaritan was his neighbor. The Samaritans are very rightly the neighbors of the Jews, not only literally, by being next door to the Jews but also because they believed in the same God and they read the same Bible. In fact, they shared basically the same faith. The Samaritans were very adamant in their devotion, particularly to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament. For them, the words of Moses were absolutely authoritative, far more so than Isaiah, or Jeremiah, or anyone else. Moses was the lawgiver for the Samaritans, so the Jews and Samaritans shared the same lawgiver, and they had faith in the same God. They were indeed neighbors even though the Jews hated them.

After all, there is no hate as deep as a religious hatred, as you have long discovered. The hatred between Protestants and Catholics, between even Protestants of one denomination and another, is absolutely revolting! And such was the hatred between the Jews and the Samaritans, and vice versa.

“Neighbor”: a fellow-Christian in the same called-out Assembly

When you look in the New Testament, you will find that the word “neighbor” means, particularly and specifically, a fellow-Christian, a member of the same local called-out Assembly, for example, not just a question of different denominations. We can see this especially in Ephesians 4:25, which says:

“Speak the truth with his neighbor, seeing that we are members of one another.”

“Neighbor” is paralleled with “members of one another,” who are members of the called-out Assembly, members of the same body.

This is very important because of these words: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

In Ephesians 5:28 and 33, do you see that it says twice to the husband that he should love his wife as himself? I hope you will notice that very carefully. It is most important to take, for example, the last verse, Ephesians 5:33 – let each one of you love his wife as himself. Why can you love your wife as yourself? He just explained in the previous verse that it’s because you two have become one body, one flesh (v. 31). That is why you can love your neighbor as yourself. If you don’t see your neighbor as being one body with yourself, of course, you wouldn’t love him as yourself. That is the whole point. You cannot give a command like “Love your neighbor as yourself” and leave it hanging in the air without a context. I cannot love my neighbor as myself if I don’t see his/her relationship to me. I can love my wife as myself because she is united in commitment to me, and I am united in commitment to her. We have been united in such a way that we have become one flesh, one body. So, in loving her, of course I am loving myself because we are one body together. But how can I love my neighbor as myself if I don’t see that he/she is one body with me?

You notice twice in this passage that the relationship we are meant to have with our neighbor parallels the relationship meant to exist between husband and wife. Can you see the parallel? It’s so deeply rooted in Scripture that it hit me with astonishing force that I had never considered my neighbor or fellow Christian as spiritually united to me in the same profound manner as my wife is physically united to me!

Look around at the people in the called-out Assembly. Is the person sitting next to me united to me as my wife is united to me? The thought is almost mind-boggling! So I have to love him/her as myself in the same way as I love my wife as myself. I love him/her spiritually, because “as myself” is the spiritual model. Note that it is not a physical connection. Can you look at each one around in the called-out Assembly and say, “I love that person because I am united to that person”? If you don’t feel united to that person, it is because you have not committed yourself to that person, and that person has not committed himself or herself to you. So, because of a lack of commitment to one another, we don’t have the sense of unity; we don’t have the love that enables us to be committed to one another. This takes place when we realize that we are one body. So, the first point is “as yourself.” We see this as true in the marriage relationship, and as true in the called-out Assembly. 

2. Love fellow Christians as husband and wife love each other

The second point is that this is possible only when we observe and accept one another as members of the same body – one body. Again, as you looked at Ephesians 5:31, “as one body” is exactly the whole basis of the marriage relationship. The two are no longer two persons but become one physical unit, one body, one flesh. And yet, in this same passage, in verses 30-31, Paul equates the unity of the called-out Assembly as one body (the Messiah’s body), to the unity found in marriage as “one flesh”.”

In the Old Testament, the word basar which is translated as “flesh” literally means body. The first definition of basar in Brown, Driver & Briggs is body. It can be translated either way you like, as flesh or body. So, husband and wife become one body. The Catholic translation of the New Jerusalem Bible, rightly translates Ephesians 5:31: husband and wife become one body. So just as husband and wife are one body, we, the called-out Assembly, are also one body. The whole terminology of Paul, time and again, concerning the called-out Assembly is that we are one body (cf. Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:13).

However, do you feel that we are one body? Probably not. Our Christianity is far too shallow for that. Our commitment to one another is simply a courtesy commitment. There is no depth in it. We don’t realize that, being bought by the blood of the Messiah, we have been baptized by God’s Holy Spirit into one body, so that we are so united and related to one another as indeed a husband and wife would be members of one body. That is striking, isn’t it 

3. Be subject to one another, and lay down your life for one another

Let us move on to the third and final aspect of this comparison of the internal relationships of the called-out Assembly to a marriage relationship. The wife is to be subject to the husband, and the husband is to love the wife. Remarkably, this is exactly the kind of relationship which defines the relationship between the members of the called-out Assembly. Notice Ephesians 5:21, “be subject to one another out of reverence for the Messiah,” belongs to the previous passage, which is on the internal relationship of Christians, to be subject to one another. This statement is repeated throughout Paul’s epistles, so I hardly need to give you a lot of references on that.

Paul repeatedly tells Christians to regard the other more important than yourself (cf. Philippians 2:3 [NAS]), which means “be subject to” the other one. And “be subject to” in Ephesians 5:21 is the same word in Greek as is used in verse 24 concerning the relation of wife to husband.

In what way should the husband love his wife? He should love her to the extent of being willing to lay down his life for her, “as the Messiah loved the called-ut Assembly and gave himself for her” (Ephesians 5:25). That is the same command given to Christians in relation to one another in 1 John 3:16, where it says we are to love one another even to the extent of laying down our lives for one another. In other words, what a husband would do for his wife is precisely what a Christian should do for a fellow-Christian. It is the same command. Isn’t that remarkable?

Now we can see from the whole Scriptural evidence that in whatever way you look at it, the marriage relationship portrays the spiritual relationship between the members of the called-out Assembly. This is how we are meant to relate to one another.

 

Giving your best to God means giving ourselves to one another!

What are we supposed to do to give our best to God? Well, “giving the best” turns out to be giving ourselves to one another, and that turns out to be not so easy to do because you might look at that fellow in the called-out Assembly and say, “Give myself to that guy? Oh no! I might accept one or two people, and I can give myself to them, but not to the others.” Now if the Messiah loved us in that way, where would our salvation be? If the Messiah looked at us and said, “I see some good fellows here; I will die for them, but the others are not worth dying for. Put them on the side.” If we treat each other this way, God will deal with us at the Judgment in the way we deal with others. What will happen to us at the Judgment? God will reject us on the same grounds we rejected others, wouldn’t he? We would be wiped out at the Judgment!

So, I hope that you and I can catch the picture of what the called-out Assembly is meant to be. It’s a very exciting picture! I think you know that we are a long way from where we need to be, but we now have a goal before us we can commit to doing. We know what we must aim for. And when we say that we are going to give our best by God’s grace, what we have to strive for by His grace in this generation, the called-out Assembly will become again what it was meant to be. We must start with the called-out Assembly.

 

God designed marriage to teach us the first step to a community

God meant the marriage relationship to be a kind of beginning in which two people begin to learn to give oneself to the other. For example, if you cannot give yourself to one person, how can you give yourself to the whole called-out Assembly? You start with one person. So, marriage was designed to teach us the first step to a community. That is the beauty of God’s plan. When you look at Genesis, that was exactly God’s plan.” What is the reason for marriage? Genesis 2:18 says, “It is not good for man to be alone.” It is not good for you to be alone spiritually. So, you have to start by entering into a relationship with someone else. You cannot do this with everyone at the same time, so you start with one person. And this is the model for us to begin in the called-out Assembly. Build a relationship with one brother or sister and then build one with another brother or sister. And then another, and another, and so the community grows.

“It is not good for man to be alone,” but if two people are in a marriage, they can still be alone in a sense. God goes on to show this in Genesis 1:28, “Be fruitful and multiply.” Marriage was meant to be the beginning of a new community. “Be fruitful and multiply.” Don’t just stay as the two of you, but increase until there is a whole community of you. This is the very intention of marriage. In the same way, we are to begin by building within the called-out Assembly these kinds of commitments, beginning with one and then two.

TEMPTATION AFTER BAPTISM

What happened after the Lord Messiah Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan? He was led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, while he observed a fast for 40 days.

Notice: Luke 4:1-12:

The Temptation of the lord Messiah Jesus

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days, and when they were completed, he was hungry. 3 So the devil said to him, “Since you are the Son of God, order this stone that it become bread!” 4 And Jesus replied to him, “It is written: ‘Man will not live on bread alone.’”

5 And he led him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment. 6 And the devil said to him: “I will give you all this domain and their glory, because it has been handed over to me, and I can give it to whomever I want. 7 So if you will pay homage before me, all this will be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered and said to him: “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord- Yehovah your God, and serve only him.’”

9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and had him stand on the highest point of the temple and said to him: “Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ 11 and ‘on their hands they will lift you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”[Psalm 91:12] 12 And Jesus answered and said to him: “It is said, ‘You are not to put to the test the Lord- Yehovah your God.’” 13 And when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him for a while.

Matthew 4:1-4: Then Jesus was led up into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil, 2 and after he had fasted forty days and forty nights, then he was hungry. 3 And the tempter approached and said to him: “Since you are the Son of God, order that these stones become bread.” 4 But he answered and said: “IT IS WRITTEN, MAN WILL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.

The lord Messiah Jesus suffered by being tempted by Satan during his 40-day fast. There are spiritual lessons we who have been baptised can learn and apply to our daily life.

Note what 1 Peter 2:21 says: “The Messiah suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” He suffered for hours when he was beaten, whipped with a cat of nine tails, and nailed to a stake, crucified. Before he died, he offered himself up to his God and his Father Yehovah as a sin-offering sacrifice, so that God could reconcile [bring back] humanity to Himself.

1. The importance of baptism and its connection with God’s Holy Spirit.

You become a true follower of the lord Messiah Jesus only when God’s Holy Spirit lives in you.

Note: Romans 8:9: But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of the Messiah, this person is not of him.

The question we have to ask: When do you receive the Spirit of God as a pledge, as a seal, and as an anointing? The Scriptural answer is, we receive the Spirit of God at baptism when that baptism is accompanied by faith. It is when faith is present that the baptism becomes not only meaningful but vital.

Now let’s look at some details regarding baptism: The lord Messiah Jesus tells Nicodemus: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” [John 3:5] Notice the importance of water. “Unless a person is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5). Baptism by water alone is not enough, but “water and the Spirit,” or he will not enter the kingdom of God.

Baptism and God’s Holy Spirit are connected

John the Baptist taught in Mark 1:8: “I have baptized you with water, but he [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” The Lord Jesus is saying you need to be baptized with both water and the Holy Spirit. n fact, the Lord Jesus says again that you need both baptisms in Acts 1:5: “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” It is vitally important to know that unless you are born not only of the Spirit but also of water, you will not enter the Kingdom of God.

Baptism is: 1) cleansed by water; 2) anointed by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel. Note: Ephesians 5:25-26 reads: Husbands, love your wives, as the Messiah loved the called-out Assembly and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word. Do you see this word " water " again? The lord Messiah Jesus cleanses the called-out Assembly by water and by faith in the word of God. It is not the water alone that matters, but it is the water and faith in the word of God. Paul explains this perfectly clearly. Jesus died with the very purpose that he could cleanse us, that is, make us holy. And how should we be cleansed? We are to be cleansed with the water of repentance and by faith in the word of God.

Now then, how does the lord Messiah Jesus cleanse us with the water of repentance? How does the water cleanse us with the word of God? In baptism, of course!

The apostle Paul explains this very point in Acts 22:16 because that was what he was taught at the time when he came to the lord Messiah Jesus. What was he told? In Acts 22, he was giving his own testimony - he gave his testimony three times in Acts - saying that this was what Ananias instructed when he first came to the Lord in verse 16: And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his [Jesus] name.” How do you wash away your sins? By being baptized and calling on the name of the lord Messiah Jesus.

By comparing Acts 22:16 with Ephesians 5:26, we can see that the lord Messiah Jesus offered himself up to his God and his Father Yehovah as a sin-offering sacrifice and then died that he might make us holy, “having cleansed the called-out Assembly by the washing of water with the word.” How are we cleansed? “Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the lord [Jesus].” We are washed from our sins by baptism as we call on the name of the Lord [Jesus]. That is where faith comes in.

At baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Paul experienced this very blessing in Acts 9:17 when he was baptized, and his name was still Saul.

So, Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Why did the lord Messiah Jesus send Ananias? Two things: Firstly, that the Apostle Paul may regain his sight, because he was blinded when the lord Messiah Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Secondly, that he might be filled with the Holy Spirit. How was Ananias going to help Paul to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Ananias laid hands on him at his baptism, and that was how he was filled with the Spirit. Read verse 18: And immediately something like scales fell off his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized.

Using the lord Messiah Jesus as the reference point, when was he anointed? He was anointed in the River Jordan when he was baptized by John the Baptist, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him bodily.

What happened after the lord Messiah Jesus’ baptism? He went forth to preach the gospel. He says a few verses later, in Luke 4:18a, where he quotes Isaiah 61:1-2:

“The Spirit of the Lord- Yehovah is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news (the gospel) to the poor.”

Why was he preaching the gospel? He had been anointed to preach the gospel at his baptism. Why did he not preach the gospel before that? He had not been baptised and anointed. Now that he was baptised and anointed by God’s Spirit, he could go forth to preach the gospel.

2. After baptism comes temptation

God allows temptation of the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus, after baptism, so they can learn obedience.

What happens after you have been baptized, after your sins have been washed away, as you have called on the name of the Lord- Yehovah God committing yourself totally to him as Lord and Master of your life? Acts 22:16. Luke 4:1 and Matthew 4:1 tell us that after being baptised comes temptation. Know that soon after your baptism, you are going to find that the enemy [Satan] starts putting pressure on you to cause you to fail or fall away. All the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus are targeted by Satan to try to get them to fail in their total commitment to the Lord God- Yehovah- and to give up and fall away.

Why does God allow you to be tempted after baptism? For many reasons, but above all, that you may be strengthened by learning obedience through suffering. You must learn. Your profession of commitment is going to be tested. After you are baptized, you are in spiritual warfare, but you need not be afraid.

It is only in battle that you will know how strong you are in the lord Messiah Jesus. It is only when your strength is put to the test that you realize what strength you really have, because of the indwelling of the Spirit of God. It is through winning spiritual battles that you grow spiritually. it is through winning spiritual battles that you grow spiritually. Notice what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13: God will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able to bear.

Satan attacks after every spiritual blessing

Every time a blessing comes, say: “Ah, the attack is going to come! Get ready for it!” Remember what the apostle James says in James 4:7: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Realize God watches over you as the apple of his eye. Bear the reality of spiritual warfare carefully in mind, knowing that your God and Father Yehovah is with you every step of the way.

Anticipate and understand how Satan attacks to ward him off

It is not enough to know that you are going to be tempted, but to know how Satan will tempt you; then you will know how to ward him off.

Temptation 1: Satan will try to influence you to let legitimate physical and material desires control your spiritual life

The meaning of being anointed by God’s Spirit is that God gives you a certain authority. When you were anointed (receiving the gift of the Spirit of God at baptism), what did you get? Among other things, you got the authority to become a child of God. That is what John says: “As many as believed in Him, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). The word “right,” in fact, is the Greek word “authority.” You have been given the authority, the right to become children of God; you may exercise that right. There is a right way to exercise your anointing, and there is a wrong way to do it. The whole point of Satan’s temptation is to get you to do it in the wrong way. Understand that very carefully.

The temptation is that you should use your new spiritual power of anointing to get material benefit. Now that is a very serious temptation. It is to make the flesh dominate over the spirit, to make the flesh the motivation for whatever you do, and if you fall for that temptation, you are back under sin, back in the world, and you have gone back under the control of the flesh. That is the subtle temptation of Satan: Let the flesh determine your action!

Notice that it is the temptation to meet a legitimate physical need. The temptation to sin is not obvious at all, and you are going to find that the most dangerous temptation. The dangerous temptation is not an obvious appeal to do something evil. It is to use what is not bad in itself to slowly draw your spiritual life under the control of your physical desires and needs. Seek God’s direction over your physical desires and needs; follow His lead in knowing what to do.

Countermeasure 1: Always do God’s will

Pray to God and let Him know, “Lord, I desire nothing but to do your will.” If you want to serve God, the only thing that matters as a disciple is to have God in your life. Look for the power of the Spirit.

Countermeasure 2: Fast to bring your flesh under control

Fasting gives you the power to exercise discipline over your flesh. The whole meaning of Jesus fasting in the wilderness was, in fact, to make Satan’s temptation less effective against him. Satan attacks you through your flesh. Then how do you deal with temptation? You fast to bring the flesh under control. Once you learn to control the flesh through fasting, Satan’s means of attacking you are greatly reduced because you have disciplined the flesh. The undisciplined flesh is the surest weapon in Satan’s hands. That is why Satan always uses your flesh to target you. The spiritual man disciplines the flesh. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:27 that he gives himself black eyes, or he brings his flesh under control. You must learn to fast! Learn to bring your flesh under control by fasting. That is what the lord Messiah Jesus did.

The Lord Jesus fasted for forty days because he was a man trained to fast. The Son of God knew what it was to discipline the flesh. That is why he could fight the spiritual warfare against Satan so effectively. Through the whole period of forty days of temptation, he fasted, shutting off his flesh to the attacks of the enemy, thus greatly reducing Satan’s capabilities against him. The man of God is hard to attack because he has got his flesh so well under control.

Countermeasure 3: Feed on God’s word

We come to our final point in Luke 4:1-4. The lord Messiah Jesus answers Satan from Deuteronomy 8:3, saying:

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4 KJV).

1. Spiritual life depends on God’s Word to live

Just as you have to live physically by eating food, you have to live spiritually by eating the word of God.

2. Grow spiritually by feeding on God’s word or die

Secondly, it is not enough just to be born again in the spiritual life. If you are going to continue to grow spiritually, you must eat the word of God. It is wonderful to be born spiritually, but you must feed on God’s Word if you are going to survive.

Peter says: “Like newborn babes, long for the pure spiritual milk” (cf. 1 Peter 2:2). What is that milk? The word of God! That is the way you can live and grow.

3. Always do God’s word in your life

What does it mean to feed on God’s Word? Feeding upon God’s Word means doing it, not just reading it. You don’t actually live spiritually until you live according to God’s Word. That is very important. Feeding on God’s Word is not just to understand or know it, it is to live it! Conform your life to God’s word.

Summary

Baptism is essential. It is being cleansed by water and anointed with the Spirit of God – that is, given God’s authority to preach the gospel.

After baptism comes temptation. Satan’s first principle of attack is to tempt you to put your personal, material, worldly, fleshly desires above the spiritual.

How then shall we meet temptation? First, by always doing God’s will, and so be filled with his Holy Spirit. Remember the first words in Luke 4:1-2: “And Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit for forty days into the wilderness, tempted by the devil.”

We are not going to fight the spiritual warfare in our own strength. We are given the Spirit of God to overcome temptation.

The second thing is: bring your body under control, and fasting is a very useful means. It is not the only means, but it is a useful means. Exercise is a way of disciplining your body. Do you let yourself get sloppy? Jog, cycle, run, or do some light weight-lifting if you like. Whatever the exercise, get your body under control. The athlete controls his body. But use fasting also wisely, moderately, to bring the body under control.

Finally, feed constantly on God’s Word by living out the spiritual principles in your life. Then you will experience God’s power in your life.