Practical Christianity – Countering the Problem of Division – Application – The division between Christian leaders and ‘outsider’ leaders (I Corinthians 2 v 6 – 8)

Paul then applies the theology to Christian leaders. ‘We are speaking wisdom among the complete and mature, but not the wisdom of this age, nor of the pre-eminent rulers of this age who are being rendered inert and idle. 7 Rather, we are speaking the wisdom of God within a mystery that God predetermined before the ages, having been concealed away, penetrating into our honour and esteem, (I Corinthians 2 v 6, 7). Paul is outlining a stark division or polarisation. But it is not between Christian leaders or between Christians. It is between Christians and ‘outsiders’ or unbelievers, and especially between Christian leaders and leaders within the worldly arrangement. The Apostle John says exactly the same thing in his first letter. The teaching – the theology or doctrine – is that God’s way of summoning Christians and His power in bringing them forth works within a completely different way from how the worldly arrangement operates. Christians are brought forth to exist within a completely different way of being when compared with their previous natural state. They are being summoned to maturity and completion and becoming well-rounded in their perception, thinking and behaviour. It is among the complete and mature, not ‘outsiders’ or unbelievers, that the Apostles, Evangelists, Prophets, faithful Elders and Teachers are speaking the wisdom of God.

But this radical difference between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world means that Christian leaders such as the Apostles, Evangelists, Teachers and so on are not charismatic ‘celebrities’ speaking enticing, persuasive words. They are not using worldly principles and methods of education and philosophy. They are not riding the current wave of fashionable trends, or promoting the latest theories and perspectives. Nor are they following the latest line of thinking coming down from emperors, kings or other ruling officials. They are not following and promoting the current ‘State Religion’. Why? Because the present worldly arrangement with its ‘wisdom’, methods, principles and values, together with the arrangement of world leaders, rulers and politicians, is being rendered idle and passing away. In effect, the Millennium Reign is coming in which the Messiah will judge the nations with an iron rod as King of kings.

Instead of worldly ‘wisdom’, Christian leaders like the Apostles and Evangelists are ‘speaking the wisdom of God within a mystery that God predetermined before the ages, having been concealed away, penetrating into our honour and esteem’. The theological knowledge presented by the Apostles and Christian leaders has a number of aspects that place it in contrast to the worldly arrangement and way of doing things. The announcement of the cross of the Messiah is something that –

Has been hidden from all preceding generations,

Now its mystery has been revealed in this present age penetrating towards the honour and esteem of those whom God selects

But the world sees this proclamation as dull, absurd and a cause for stumbling

‘Outsiders’ can understand the words and concepts and they can discuss the cross of the Messiah in a logical fashion. But they do so without persuasion and dismiss or even oppose it in one way or another. It still remains hidden to those who are ‘outsiders’ and remain in ‘darkness’.

Some may think that in talking about ‘mysteries’ and the ‘Breath of God’, Paul is talking about ‘inner spirituality’. But he is presenting the opposite of esoteric teaching, the opposite of accessing ‘inner wisdom’ and experiencing the ‘Isness of Being’. God, in His wisdom, predetermined this arrangement of deliverance away from divine condemnation. He did this before the beginning of the ages of this world. By means of being summoned by God within the Messiah, Christians attain honour and esteem. The Apostles are speaking this wisdom, but it is separate and distinct from the ‘wisdom’ of this present age, (verse 6). It is this wisdom of God and His predetermined plan of deliverance, ‘that none of the primary rulers of this age are coming to know, recognise or perceive. Because if they had perceived and recognised it they would not have crucified the Lord of honour and esteem’, (I Corinthians 2 v 8). It still remains hidden to those who are ‘outsiders’ and who remain in ‘darkness’. The fact that the then-current primary leaders of the world had not and still did not perceive the word of the cross of the Messiah to the point of persuasion and obedience such that they remained in darkness was evidenced by their crucifixion of the Messiah, who God esteemed as the Lord of honour and praiseworthiness. Paul is outlining where the stark division exists. It is not between Christians within the Messiah. It is not between Christian leaders. It is between Christians and ‘outsiders’ or unbelievers.

Practical Christianity – Countering the Problem of Division – Christian leaders and the power of the cross of the Messiah [4] – A rhetorical question and logical answer (I Corinthians 1 v 20, 21)

Paul is going back to basic principles relevant to the practical everyday problems of division, sectarianism and partisanship between Christians. He is focussing on Christian leaders and he has called for them to be of one understanding and expressed the unity of the Messiah whom they are serving. Christian leaders have a diversity of roles and gifts, but the Messiah is not divided. Instead of division between Christian leaders and Christians in general, there is a polarising separation or division between Christians and ‘outsiders’. For ‘outsiders’ – even educated scholars – the word of the cross of the Messiah is dull or absurd. So Paul asks a rhetorical question: ‘Where skill and wisdom? Where Scribe? Where the ostentatious debater of this age?’ (I Corinthians 1 v 20). If the power of God is in the word of the cross, then where does this leave philosophers, educators, debaters, opinion-makers, educated critics and scholars who think that this is dull, absurd foolishness? Where does this leave the intricacies of worldly philosophy, or Christian Apologetics, or Psychology, or the thought-through principles, values and approaches presented by other religious teachings? Where are the approaches of objective science?

Paul gives a theological answer to his rhetorical question. ‘Because seeing that within the wisdom of God the world absolutely does not come to know, recognise and perceive God through the art of using wisdom and cultivated skill, God is well-pleased to be continuing to deliver those who are being persuaded through the absurdity and dullness of proclamation’, (I Corinthians 1 v 21). Within His wisdom God has arranged matters in such a way that the world – ‘naturally spiritually blind outsiders’ – absolutely do not come to perceive and know God by means of the skill and learning of their human wisdom. They cannot discover, perceive or know God by engaging in the rigours of logic and reasoning within philosophy, or by material scientific endeavours such as astronomy, chemistry, physics or biology. To tie this in with Paul intimated earlier, ‘outsiders’ do not come to discover and perceive God by means of eloquent, rousing, persuasive speeches, or through cleverly thought-out and sophisticated logical reasoning in academic disputes and debates. Rather, God is pleased to continue delivering those who are being persuaded by means of what worldly ‘wisdom’ considers to be the absurd foolishness and dullness of proclamation. The good news is simply announced, it is merely stated, often in an unsophisticated and faltering way, and by what the worldly arrangement considers to be this unspectacular, ineffective and basic means, namely the plain and simple declaration of the good news of the cross of the Messiah, the power and wisdom of God is revealed. The power of God is in the word of the cross.

I John 5 v 20 – 21 Concluding remarks – Christians living in the worldly arrangement

‘In addition we know that the Son of God has come and is giving us movement from one side to the other to reach balanced conclusions, full breadth critical thinking that reaches across to the other side in order that we continue to know Him who is true, and are within Him who is true, within His Son, Jesus the Messiah. 21 Little children, guard and protect yourselves away from images used for worship. So let it be’ (I John 5 v 20 – 21).

In addition to Christians knowing that they are brought forth by God, and that they exist in contrast to the world, they also know that the Son of God has come and is giving them enlightened reasoning. This means that they think things through, they evaluate and weigh up various considerations that reach across to and take into account the other side – the unseen heavenly realm, the Kingdom of God and Jesus the Messiah. The purpose and completion of reasoning within this illuminated knowledge, insight and understanding and taking it through to its logical conclusion is that Christians ‘continue to know Him who is true; and we are within Him who is true – within His son, Jesus the Messiah’.

Finally, John gives one last practical caution to his Hebrew Christian readers to guard and protect themselves away from images used for worship. As he has explained, no one at any time has seen God and such images ‘bring God down’ by delimiting Him to created forms. In this way people worship and praise created things instead of the Creator. As Christians they know Whom they worship, honour and praise. Not a lifeless metal, wood and stone idol but the living God Who is delivering them from judicial condemnation and ultimately away from their present fleshly body with its impulses and energies that lead to death. They honour and praise God Who has sent His only begotten Son to secure their deliverance, and who in due course will establish and restore the Kingdom of God on earth. And with that caution John concludes his letter.

I John 5 v 16 – 18 – Praying for Christians who are falling into error

John continues his theme of Christians praying for fellow Christians who are falling into error. Having made an exception with regards to praying for someone who professes to be a Christian but who is clearly and persistently opposing God and bringing God, His purposes, and Christians into disrepute. Such a person is disowned, not identified with and excommunicated – handed over to Satan.

Then he says, ‘All injustice is missing the mark, and there is missing the mark absolutely not leading towards death. 18 We appreciate that everyone who has been born from out of God is absolutely not missing the mark, but the one procreated from out of God is watching over and guarding him, and the malicious absolutely does not touch him’ (I John 5 v 17, 18). John does not want his Hebrew Christian readers to fall into the mistake of Christian Perfectionism, nor does he want them to conclude that every kind of error leads to death. So whilst the sort of error that we have been looking at in recent posts can indeed lead to lifeless insensitivity and unresponsiveness to God, he says that this is not the case with every instance of unjust behaviour or error. In other words there are degrees of missing the mark.

John says that Christians appreciate that all of those who are brought forth from out of God are absolutely not missing the mark. I explored this theme in the discussion on I John 3 v 9. With regards to Christians, to those brought forth by God, ‘the one procreated from out of God is watching over and guarding him and the malicious absolutely does not touch him’. There once again, is a difference in the way that the original Greek is translated into English. Some translations present this verse as I have above, but others present it like this: ‘the one procreated from out of God is watching over and guarding himself’. So which is correct? A brief overview of different Bible Commentators reveals the following opinions. Matthew Poole says, ‘The great advantage is here signified of the regenerate, who, by the seed remaining in them, (as I John 3 v 9) are furnished with a self-preserving principle’. John Gill says, ‘the Vulgate Latin version reads, ‘the generation of God keeps or preserves him’. That is, that which is born in him, the new man, the principle of grace, or seed of God in him, keeps him from notorious crimes, particularly from sinning the sin unto death, and from the governing power of all other sins. But all other versions, as well as copies, read as we do, as follows: ‘keepeth himself’…..the sense is, that a believer defends himself by taking to him the whole armour of God, and especially the shield of faith, against the corruptions of his own heart, the snares of the world, and particularly the temptations of Satan’. However, the Pulpit Commentary proposes that, ‘The whole should run, ‘We know that whosoever is begotten of God sinneth not, but the Begotten of God keepeth him’.

It is not possible to make a firm decision between these two alternative translations and interpretations, but along with some other Commentators I prefer the version expressed in the Pulpit Commentary. I propose that John’s intention is to say that it is God Who watches over and preserves Christians. God has brought Christians forth through His only begotten Son and the Son watches over and preserves them. That is why it is within God’s purpose and desire that Christians pray to God with regards to a fellow Christian who is falling into error. The end result is that ‘the malicious absolutely does not touch him’. The person brought forth from out of God remains secure within the Messiah who watches over and guards them, with Christians expressing their practical beneficial love towards their fellow Christians in prayerful concern if they see them falling into error. In making such prayers Christians are in agreement with God’s desires and purposes. It is absolutely not possible that a person brought forth by God and made to stand within the Messiah can be condemned by God, or as it were be reclaimed by or brought back into self-forfeiture and loss of a share by the malicious. The malicious – the world, the flesh and the devil – absolutely do not touch such an individual such as to cause them to lose their deliverance and divine inheritance.

‘We appreciate that we are from out of God, and the entire world is placed and reclines within the malicious’ John returns to the polarizing dichotomy that he has introduced and referred to throughout his letter:

Christians appreciate that they are from out of God

Outsiders and the entire orderly arrangement of the world is situated and rests within the malicious

Throughout his letter John has been drawing strong demarcation lines between ‘outsiders’ and Christians and in doing so he has been identifying unique qualities that Christians possess but which ‘outsiders’ absolutely do not. These differences serve as marks of assurance. His conclusion is that Christians are aware and know in experience that that have been brought forth from out of God. They also know that the entire orderly system of the world is placed within that which is malicious, bad, and divinely disapproved of. In fact the worldly arrangement rests at ease and comfort within this sphere of maliciousness.

I John 5 v 5 – 13 – Divine testimony concerning Jesus (5) – Christian Assurance

We are now moving to a point at which the three aspects that testify and bear witness to the Son – his physical birth, sacrificial lifeblood and the witness of the breath of God – are portrayed as self-evidencing. Light is self-evidencing – it needs no further external support to prove and demonstrate its existence. If a person is blind and cannot see the light, it does not mean that there is fault in the light itself. The problem lies in the person’s inability (or unwillingness) to look and see. In our natural state, as ‘outsiders’, our fleshly impulses lead us to faulty thinking that in turn lead us to engage in erroneous, divinely disapproved of behaviour. This behaviour leads us to seek to satisfy our fleshly impulses, to release the ‘pressure’ and energy that they create, and this leads us to yet more faulty thinking. It is a vicious circle that we are enslaved to by our nature or constitution. Within this entrapment in the darkness of ignorance and futile, empty reasoning, in our natural state we make God out to be a liar when we are faced with the threefold divine evidential testimony regarding His Son. In this way, ‘outsiders’ separate themselves away from God. ‘Because God does not send away the Son into the orderly arrangement of the world in order to pick out and separate the orderly system of the world, but that the orderly arrangement of the world might be successfully delivered out of danger and across into safety on account of Him. 18 Those persuaded and entrusting in Him are not picked out and separated, but those not persuaded and entrusting in Him are even now picked out and separated because they are not persuaded, entrusting and penetrating into the character and authority of the one and only of a kind – the unique Son of God. 19 Indeed, now this is the separation and picking out, because the Source of Light is here, penetrating into the ordered system of the world, and men prefer to love the darkness more than the Source of light, because their work and behaviour is hurtful and ridden with pain’ (John 3 v 17 – 19).

What do these three aspects point to with one purpose? ‘This is the testimony: that God has given perpetual life to us, and this is the life within his Son’ (Verse 11). There is the polarization between the children of God and the children of the devil. ‘Outsiders’ are not persuaded of the Son of God as Messiah in their personal experience. But Christians know within themselves, in their personal experience, that God has given them perpetual life within the Son of God. Christians are made alive within Jesus such that they co-share in his perpetual life.

The ultimate conclusion of this polarization is this, ‘The one holding and possessing the Son has life; the one not having and possessing the Son absolutely does not have life’ (Verse 12). Throughout his letter John has been going through distinctive and unique qualities that only Christians can hold and possess. They do not hold and possess these qualities because of their own efforts, skills, abilities or intellect, but because they have been brought forth by God. John says that it is impossible for ‘outsiders’ to possess these qualities and characteristics. Therefore, if an individual does possess these qualities they serve as ‘markers’ or evidence that they are indeed a ‘child of God’, delivered from God’s judicial condemnation and that they have a share in a divinely allotted inheritance. In other words,

The one in possession of these qualities gains assurance and confident anticipation and expectation of perpetual life

In this way we are led nicely into John’s conclusion. ‘I am writing these things in order that you may know and appreciate that you hold and possess perpetual life, to you [who are] entrusting penetrating towards the name of the son of God’ (Verse 13). This is the conclusion of his teaching about individual Christians knowing in personal experience that they have perpetual life. But as with all such theological teaching, Christians are meant to think this teaching about personal assurance through to its logical conclusions and to carry it across into their speech and behaviour.

I John 5 v 2 – 5 – Love and the culmination of God’s instructions (2)

‘We know and recognise that we are loving the children of God within this: when we are loving God and are constructing the end result of His instructions’ (I John 5 v 2). What does John mean by saying ‘when we are loving God’? He tells us right away – the definition of loving God consists of Christians constructing, guarding and preserving the attainment or end result of His instructions – the primary instruction being to ‘love the brethren’. All of the elements and aspects that John has been looking at go around in a virtuous circle. The end result at this present time is that Christians show practical beneficial love to their fellow Christians in the same way that God and His Messiah freely show practical beneficial love to them. The end result of God’s plan of deliverance is the establishment of a divinely ordered arrangement within the world that will honour to God by being clean, righteous, judicious and fair, reflecting God’s relationship with His creation. If we love God then we construct, guard and preserve the goals and attainments that form the culmination of His instructions.

Christians do not love God by ‘making a decision’ to trust Jesus and then sitting back in smug security because they consider that having made this decision they are then ‘on the road to glory’. Christians do not love God by ‘letting go and letting God’ do the work such that they are ‘carried along’ by this and that uplifting experience. Being brought forth by God so as to be persuaded and entrust Jesus His Son as coming in the likeness of flesh as the deliverer, leads to the Apostolic exhortation to carry such persuasion across the threshold from within into constructing and manufacturing practical speech and behaviour. Otherwise such persuasion and entrustment is dead and lifeless. This ‘carrying across into constructing speech and behaviour’ is revealed when Christians express their love of God. ‘Outsiders’ cannot love God and His anointed Messiah. It is revealed when Christians construct, guard and preserve the goals and attainments that form the culmination of the instructions of God and His Messiah. They construct and manufacture the end result of practical, beneficial love in their relationships with fellow Christians

These behaviours set Christians apart from ‘outsiders’ who embrace and follow the opposing values and principles of the worldly arrangement, because unlike ‘outsiders’, Christians walk around within the sphere of the different, set apart breath of God and His Messiah. Without the breath of God it is impossible to perceive, entrust and love God and His anointed Messiah, and impossible to show practical beneficial love to those whom God has brought forth.

The end result of Christians loving their fellow Christians and constructing a life that is set apart from the arrangement of the world is not oppressive, heavy or burdensome. ‘Because everyone who has been brought forth from out of God is carrying off the victory and overcoming the orderly arrangement of the world’. The accomplishment and completion of the end result is not in doubt. Christians are not engaging in the construction and manufacture of behaviour towards an end result where success is uncertain or doubtful. Christians may sometimes feel as if they are weak and that the odds are against them, that the arrangement of the world set in opposition to God is firmly established and immovable. Given the pervasive and strong establishment of the present orderly arrangement of the world, victory may seem unattainable – but this is not so. Why? Because of the free gift of their new standing within the Messiah, Christians are on what is already declared to be the victorious side that will ultimately overcome the present world arrangement. They are already part of the ‘New Jerusalem’ – the new delegated authority of God’s Kingdom. This victory is not founded in their own strength and ability, nor on the degree of their godly behaviour, nor their own natural wisdom and knowledge, but rather it is founded and rests in their God-given persuasion to the point of obedience with regards to Jesus, God’s chosen and anointed deliverer which in turn begins to bring forth the fruit of practical beneficial love towards fellows Christians.

John asks a rhetorical question. If the individual who is entrusting in Jesus as the Son of God is not carrying off the victory and overcoming the orderly arrangement of the world, then who is? Who can attain this victory? Paul expresses a similar question in his letter to the Romans. ‘Who will deliver me and rescue me from out of this, the physical body of death? 25 But thanks be to God through Jesus the Messiah, our Master!’ (Romans 7 v 25b, 25).

I John 4 v 7 – 21 – The world (2)

The Scripture references that some Christians use to support the idea of the obliteration of planet earth refer to ‘mountains being levelled’, ‘islands being removed’, ‘earthquakes’, ‘fire being poured down’, ‘stars falling to earth’ and so on. But all of these are metaphors that point to aspects of the collapse of present orderly systems in the world as well as those in the unseen realm of the heavens. These metaphors point to the collapse of government administrations, the failing of economic infrastructures and world markets, the removal or failure of monarchs and leaders in the world, as well as the removal of rebellious messengers in the heavenly realm. They do not describe the literal destruction of planet earth.

The rule of Jesus the Messiah as King of kings who will rule with an iron rod to judge the nations will be inaugurated with pouring out of God’s wrath on the Promised Land, Israel and it leaders. The Hebrew Prophets refer to this as the ‘Day of YHVH’ or the ‘Day of the Lord’. Taking into consideration what I have been saying in the last few posts, look at what Peter has to say. ‘But the ‘Day of the Lord’ will come like a thief in which the heavens will pass by with a great rushing noise, then fundamental elements will be unleashed, burning with great heat and the earth/land and the activities done in it will be discovered. 11 Of what kind ought you to be – all these things being untied and loosened in this way? Within pure and godly behaviour, 12 waiting for and urging on the nearness of God through which the heavens will burn and be released, and the orderly arrangement, burning with heat, will melt away. 13 However, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth/land in keeping with His promise, in which righteousness dwells’ (II Peter 3 v 10 – 13).

In the Book of Revelation we read of the ‘New Jerusalem’ coming down from out of the heavenly realm. The ‘New Jerusalem’ will be the new orderly system of divinely delegated rule and authority on earth – the locus of this delegated authority on earth being the literal Jerusalem in the Promised Land. The delegated rulers will be those selected by God and redeemed through the Messiah – thoroughly washed, transformed and incorruptible – a royal priesthood prepared and made ready to serve God both in the heavenly realms and on earth – since heaven and earth will draw nearer to one another. (This is one reason why flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom). In due course all opposing authorities and powers – all rebellion and the ‘restless sea’ of discontented ungodly people opposing God will be picked out and separated away, such that there will be no more ‘sea’.

I John 4 v 7 – 21 – The world (1)

We have seen that God is angry with the present ordered system of the world such that we can see the wrath of God being revealed from the heavenly realm. We see this wrath when God hands people over to their darkened ways of thinking and reasoning, and to the desires, passions and working energies of their fleshly constitutions. This means that we do not look to the present ordered system of the world in order to try to perceive God’s Love. God’s Love is revealed in a very specific way – namely in sending His only begotten Son, Jesus, as deliverer and rescuer away from the present orderly system of the world that is in opposition to God.

Translating the Greek word ‘kósmos’ into English as ‘world’ or ‘planet earth’ leads us into error, because it is an inadequate translation that misdirects us and leads us to the mistaken perspective that I described in the previous post. The word ‘kósmos’ does not merely mean ‘world’ or ‘planet earth’, but the organized system, infrastructure, arrangement, values and institutions of the world. It is this that Jesus has been chosen and anointed to rescue and deliver. This is what Scripture teaches Jesus will accomplish. ‘“Look! The Lamb of God who is taking away the ‘no share’ of the orderly arrangement of the world!”’ (John 1 v 29b). And again: ‘“we have heard for ourselves, we know that this man really is the saviour of the orderly arrangement of the world”’ (John 4 v 42b). The fullest reference to this theme is found in John’s gospel. ‘…it is necessary for the Son of Man to be raised and lifted up, 15 in order that every kind of person being persuaded and entrusting in Him holds and possesses perpetual life. 16 Because God loves the ordered system of the world in this way, insomuch as He has offered the one and only of a kind – the unique Son – in order that everyone of every kind being persuaded and entrusting in Him will not be fully destroyed, but holds and possesses perpetual life. 17 Because God does not send away the Son into the orderly arrangement of the world in order to pick out and separate the orderly system of the world, but that the orderly arrangement of the world might be successfully delivered out of danger and across into safety, on account of Him. 18 Those persuaded and entrusting in Him are not picked out and separated, but those not persuaded and entrusting in Him are even now picked out and separated because they are not persuaded, entrusting and penetrating into the character and authority of the one and only of a kind – the unique Son of God. 19 Indeed, now this is the separation and picking out, because the Source of Light is here, penetrating into the ordered system of the world, and men prefer to love the darkness more than the Source of light, because their labour and behaviour is hurtful and ridden with pain’ (John 3 v 14b – 19).

Although God is angry with the present orderly arrangement of the world, He is not angry with the concept of an orderly arrangement per se – God is not a God of disorder and chaos. God’s plan of deliverance and rescue is one of reconciliation leading to the restoration and establishment of a divinely approved orderly arrangement in the world. That is what the Kingdom of God is – a system of divine rule and an orderly arrangement whereby all contrary powers and opposing authorities have been brought under the authority of Jesus as King of kings. In this process the last enemy to be destroyed will be death itself – with all of humanity being resurrected. When all authority is brought under the authority of the Messiah, Jesus will then hand the Kingdom to the Father.

I John 4 v 7 – 21 – Back to the core theme of assurance

‘We know that we are remaining within Him and He within us within this: because from out of His breath that He is placing within us 14 we also perceive and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son, saviour of the orderly arrangement of the world’ (I John 4 v 13, 14). It is from out of the breath that God continues to place within the Christians heart that they are enabled to perceive and carry faithful testimony to two things:

First, the Father has sent His Son. John has already explained that in terms of our own fleshly constitution and natural strength and ability, we cannot bear this testimony or be persuaded of this. Neither can any arrangement or organization in the world engender this heartfelt testimony and persuasion. Heartfelt acknowledgement and persuasion leading a person to bear witness and testify that the Father has sent His Son is a distinctive quality that is unique to Christians who have the breath of God.

Second, His Son is the saviour or deliverer of the orderly arrangement of the world. There is a popular perspective among some Christians that Jesus came into the world to be the saviour of Christians. This view states that Jesus came to be the deliverer of those whom God selected before the foundation of the world, such that the rest of humanity is left to face a justly deserved eternity in Hell where they will endure the everlasting punishment that their sins have earned. Some variations within this perspective propose that the world – by which they mean planet earth – will be fully destroyed and eradicated, such that what is left is a ‘Final State’ where Christians are delivered and placed in the incorporeal realm of heaven whilst ‘outsiders’ are condemned and placed in the incorporeal realm of hell for all eternity.

I consider that Jesus and his Apostles did not say this at all, and John does not present that kind of proposal here. Rather, John says that God’s plan is for the reconciliation and deliverance of the orderly arrangement of the world (Verse 14). Let’s spend a moment to analyse what the end of verse 14 is saying. First it says that Christians perceive and bear testimony to Jesus as being the saviour or deliverer. The Greek word is ‘sótér’ meaning ‘deliverer’ and this is from the word ‘sozō’ which itself is from ‘sōs’ which means ‘safe, rescued’. The word ‘sozō’ therefore properly means to ‘deliver and rescue out of danger and into safety’. Sometimes this is expanded so that it means to ‘make well, heal, restore to health’; to ‘make whole’. The word ‘Saviour’ occurs only here in John’s letter, and in John’s gospel it occurs only in John 4 v 42. Elsewhere in Scripture the word ‘saviour’ is applied both to God, (I Timothy 1 v 1; I Timothy 2 v 3; Titus 1 v 3; Titus 2 v 10; Titus 3 v 4; Jude 1 v 25), as well as to Jesus, His anointed deliverer, (Luke 2 v 11; Acts 5 v 31; Acts 13 v 23; II Timothy 1 v 10; Titus 1 v 4, Ephesians 5 v 23; Philippians 3 v 20). The word is not found in Corinthians, Romans, Galatians, or Thessalonians.

Jesus is sent by the Father as His chosen and anointed deliverer – as saviour – to deliver and rescue out of danger and to place into safety, to make safe and well, to heal and restore…but to rescue and restore what and/or who? Jesus has been chosen and anointed by God to deliver, rescue, and restore to health the orderly arrangement of the world, the organized system of the world. This deliverance and restoration is part of God’s plan of reconciliation. The Greek word usually translated into English as ‘world’ is ‘kósmos’, which literally means ‘something ordered’ – an ‘ordered system’. In Greek writings since Homer it means an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, or ordered arrangement or system. Thus the word ‘kosmos’ tends to include the aggregate of social, political, religious and economic organizations, structures and institutions in the world. ‘Kósmos’ is possibly from the base word ‘komizo’ meaning ‘orderly arrangement’. We get the English word ‘cosmetics’ from this and thus there is the sense of the organized, ordered decoration and adorning of values, organizations and systems of the world.

I John 4 v 7 – 21 – The Love of God brought to completion (2)

How do we reconcile the unpleasant events and behaviours that are happening in the world with the love of God? In what way can God be described as ‘Love’? How exactly is the love of God revealed? How does God’s love sit alongside His Justice? How does God love the world? John goes on to tell us.

‘The love of God continues to be revealed among us within this – that God has sent His one and only Son to penetrate into the orderly system of the world in order that we live through him. 10 Love is within this – not that we loved God but that He loved us and set apart His Son as a sacrifice appeasing His anger with full regard to our self-forfeiture and missing the mark’ (I John 4 v 9, 10). The love of God is not revealed at present by means of the existence of an idyllic world. It is certainly not revealed in the behaviours of those enslaved to the impulses and raw energies of their fleshly constitution. Those actions lead to death, divine disapproval and condemnation. It is clear that God does not love the orderly system of the world in the sense of making present day circumstances and situations pleasant, refreshing, harmonious and fair for ‘outsiders’ or Christians. Rather, God is angry with the ordered system of the world although at this present time He is holding back and restraining the full extent of His judicial anger so that people come to turn around from their divinely disapproved-of behaviours and turn to Him.

In parallel to God’s judicial anger and condemnation, the love of God continues to be revealed to the worlds and especially to Christians. Christians are enabled to perceive and be persuaded that God has sent His only son into the orderly arrangement of the world, in the likeness of physical flesh. Those whom God selects by way of His free gift are made alive to these realities and they continue to live through him. But Christians are not people who came to love God through their own ability, such that then, as result, God decided to deliver them from judicial condemnation. All Christians were once ‘outsiders’ who were blind and deaf to God, their hearts hardened in insensitive opposition to Him such that they had no ability or strength within themselves to turn and come to Him. Like everyone else they were enslaved to the impulses and raw passions of their fleshly constitution – their body of death. It was a body of death because whilst they were in this state of insensitivity and opposition to God – blind, deaf and in error because of their faulty reasoning and impulses that were leading them in a vicious circle of self-forfeiture. Because their divinely disapproved-of behaviour was aggravating their ignorance, insensitivity and opposition. It was whilst they were in this condition that God showed practical, beneficial love towards them, brought them forth and reconciled them to Himself through His chosen and anointed deliverer, His only son, Jesus. This work of reconciliation was brought about from out of God’s love and working energy at a time when those whom God had selected were in a powerless condition. Furthermore, the deliverance that He secured by no means simply dismissed, overlooked or ignored His righteous judicial condemnation. Rather, His righteous judicial anger was appeased or satisfied by means of His set apart anointed Son submitting himself as a sacrifice in order to pay the redemption price, the price to buy them back, as required by God’s Justice, purity and cleanliness. The precious life-blood of the sacrificial Lamb of God – Jesus – constitutes the life-giving substitute price that is required to be paid to remove their self-forfeiture and deliver them from out of divine judicial condemnation. This is how the love of God and His Messiah is revealed to the world.

But ‘outsiders’ continue to fail to perceive this or fail to be persuaded to the point of obedience – to the point of repentance and entrustment in the Messiah. Instead of looking to the Messiah they look instead at the suffering and injustice in the world and then they blame or dismiss God. Instead of looking to the Messiah they look instead at the failings and errors of Christians and their leaders and as a result they dismiss them as deluded hypocrites, rejecting the Messiah along with them. This happens even with the wisest and cleverest ‘outsiders’ – with teachers, academics, scholars and the philosophers of the world. The inner ‘wisdom’ of human nature and the education, philosophies and values of the orderly arrangement of the world do not lead people to the light of truth of Jesus.