Heavenly Manna Ministries

03/06/2020

ABORTION: THE BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ABORTION (PART 3)

What Does the Bible Teach About Abortion? (con’t)

We are presenting nine lines of biblical argument showing that abortion is morally wrong. Last time we noted: (A) Scriptures which reveal that God views the fetus in the womb as a full human life, a person; (B) Scriptures which teach that God relates to the unborn in a personal manner; (C) Scriptures which indicate some men are called to God’s service or purpose from the womb; (D) Scriptures which indicate that all human life, even the un­wanted, belongs to God. We now continue.

E. Scriptures that teach we must defend and protect the weak, the defenseless, the innocent, the needy, and the unwanted prohibit abortion.
Consider the following Scriptures that indicate God’s concern for the weak, the needy, the defenseless and those who cannot speak on their own behalf.

Proverbs 31:8-9—Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Psalm 82:2-4—How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
The Bible is full of Scriptures like this. There can be no doubt that they also apply to the innocent unborn who are the most defenseless, innocent and needy. Indeed, God will hold us accountable for their welfare.

Proverbs 24:11-12—Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?
In fact, numerous Scriptures condemn the killing of innocent life. Many of the following Scriptures apply to those who perform abortions.

Proverbs 6:16-19—There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
Proverbs 17:5—He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 12:6—The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them.

Deuteronomy 27:25—“Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to strike down an innocent person.” And all the people shall say, “Amen.”

Deuteronomy 19:10—Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.

Isaiah 1:15—When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood.

Isaiah 59:2-3, 4b, 7b—But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things…. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil…. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways.

Jeremiah 22:17—But your eyes and your heart are intent only upon your own dishonest gain, and on shedding innocent blood and on practicing oppression and exhortation.
Luke 17:2—It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.

Hebrews 4:13—Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
F. Scriptures that indicate God has a plan even for the handicapped and deformed prohibit abortion.

Scriptures teach that God values those who are deformed or handicapped: “Who has made man’s mouth? Or, who makes him dumb or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” (Ex. 4:11) Isaiah warns: “Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd [piece of clay] among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making’? Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’? Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to his mother, ‘What have you brought to birth?’ This is what the Lord says—the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands?” (Is. 45:9-11)

The Lord Jesus Christ taught that the man born blind from birth was born that way in order to glorify God (John 9:1-4). If a person’s deformity can bring glory to God, who are we to kill such persons and thereby prevent them from fulfilling God’s plan for their lives?

Can one imagine Jesus accepting the idea of denying life to the handicapped or de­formed? Did He not teach: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father who is in heaven…. Thus it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish” (Mt. 18:10,14). All of these verses and more demonstrate that the Bible is not silent on denying life to the unwanted or unloved who are handicapped (cf. Job 33:4; 32:8; Is. 42:5; 44:24).

The act of abortion was considered an act of murder and completely unacceptable to both Jews and Christians.

The opposition to abortion in the early Church was so pro­nounced there was simply no need for an explicit command. Princeton University professor Bruce Metzger refers to “the opposition of the early church to contemporary practices of abortion. It is really remarkable how uniform and how pronounced was the early Christian opposition to abortion.”

Indeed, the very reason the early Church was so opposed to abortion was the clearly discernible biblical facts and principles we have already discussed.

G. Scriptures that indicate that the personhood of Christ was present from conception prohibit abortion.
Another way to decide whether abortion is a justifiable practice is to think through the implications of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. The question is, at what point was the personhood of Jesus present?

In brief, it had to be present at the point of conception. Both the New Testament and the doctrinal creeds of the Church affirm that God became man at the point of conception. The Eternal Son of God became Incarnate in Mary’s womb. Christ’s personal history on earth began not when He was “born of the virgin” but when He was “conceived by the Holy Spirit” (Lk. 1:31, 35).

It is significant that God chose to begin the process of Incarnation at the point of concep­tion rather than at some other point. But Christ “had to be made like his brethren in all things” (Heb. 2:17); His human history, like ours, had to begin at conception.

Lawyers, Herbert T. Krimmel and Martin J. Foley argue that because Jesus was fully present at conception so must every other person be as well:

Now, given the facts established by Holy Scripture that (a) Christ was fully God and fully man and (b) Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost, our argument can be stated succinctly:

“Conception” literally means the process which terminates the initial presence in the womb of that which is conceived (i.e., the single cell entity referred to in biological terms as a zygote). Consequently, when one says that Mary conceived by the activity of the Holy Ghost, one must mean that which the Holy Ghost produced in and through conception was the initial presence of the zygote.

The zygote the Holy Ghost brought about in Mary’s womb was Jesus Christ; true God and true man, in His human nature like man in all things except for sin.

If Jesus (true God and true man) was present in His mother’s womb from the first moment of His conception, then it follows that other men must also be alive and existing as human beings from the first moments of their conceptions; for unless they are the same as Jesus in this respect of their human nature, He would not be like them in every essential human respect except for sin. This is to say, then, that a human being must be fully present as such from the moment of conception.

Finally, Hebrews 10:5 refers to the body that God prepared for Jesus which can only refer to his body in the womb. “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: ‘Sacri­fice and offering you did not desire but a body you prepared for me’” (see Isaiah 49:1-7).

PART 4 COMING SOON!

03/02/2020

ABORTION: THE BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS (PART 2)

What Does the Bible Teach About Abortion?

We shall present nine lines of biblical argument showing that abortion is morally wrong: Scriptures which reveal that God views the fetus in the womb as a full human life, a person; Scriptures which teach that God relates to the unborn in a personal manner; Scriptures which indicate some men are called to God’s service or purpose from the womb; Scriptures which indicate that all human life, even the unwanted, belongs to God; Scriptures that teach we must defend and protect the weak, the defenseless, the innocent, the needy and the unwanted and Scriptures which indicate that God has a plan and purpose even for the handicapped and deformed; Scriptures which indicate that the personhood of Christ was present from conception; Scriptures that speak of God giving man “a soul”; and finally, an analysis of the controversial passage Exodus 21:22,23.

A. Scriptures that reveal that God views the fetus as a person prohibit abortion.
In the Old Testament, the Bible uses the same Hebrew words to describe the pre-born, infants and children. In the New Testament, the same Greek words also describe the pre-born, infants and children, which indicates continuity from conception to childhood and on into adulthood.

Examples in the New Testament:
The Greek word brephos is often used of the newly born, infants and older children (Lk. 2:12, 16; 18:15; 1 Pet. 2:2). For example, in Acts 7:19 brephos refers to the children killed at Pharaoh’s command. But in Luke 1:41, 44 this same word is used of John the Baptist while he was yet a fetus in the womb, a pre-born infant.

In God’s eyes he was indistinguishable from “a child.” The biblical writer also informs us that John was filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb, indicating personhood (Lk. 1:15). Even three months before birth, John could miraculously recognize Jesus in Mary’s womb (Lk. 1:44).

In addition, the Greek huios means “son” but is used in Luke 1:36 of John the Baptist’s existence in the womb before birth at six months.

Examples in the Old Testament:
The Hebrew word yeled is usually used of children—i.e., a child, boy, etc. But in Exodus 21:22 it is used of a child in the womb. In Genesis 25:22 the word yeladim (children) is used of Rebekah’s children struggling while in her womb. In Job 3:3 Job uses the word geber to describe his conception: “A man child is conceived”. But geber is a Hebrew noun that is usually translated as man, male or husband. In Job 3:11-16, Job equates the pre-born child with kings, counselors and princes.

All these Scriptures and many others indicate that God does not make a distinction between potential life and real life, or in delineating stages of personhood; namely, between a pre-born infant in the womb at any stage and a born infant or child. The Scripture repeat­edly assumes the continuity of a person from conception to adulthood. In fact, no separate word is used exclusively of a fetus that will permit it to be distinguished from an infant as far as its personhood and value are concerned.

B. Scriptures teaching that God relates to the unborn in a personal manner prohibit abortion.
In Psalm 139:16 the Psalmist says concerning God, “Your eyes saw my unformed body.” The writer used the word golem, translated as “body” or “substance,” to describe himself while he was in the womb. He uses this term to refer to God’s personal care for him even during the first part of the embryonic state—from implantation up to the first few weeks— the state before the fetus is physically “formed” into a miniature human being. We know that the embryo is “unformed” for only four or five weeks. In other words, even in the “un­formed body” stage of gestation (0-4 weeks), God says that He is caring for and molding a child (Ps. 139:13-16).

Other Scriptures indicate that God relates to the fetus as a person. Job 31:15 says, “Did not He who made me in the womb make him? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?”

In Job 10:8-12 we read, “Your hands formed me and made me altogether…. You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and have knit me together with bones and sinews.”

Psalm 78:5-6 reveals God’s concern over “the children yet to be born.”

Psalm 139:13-16 states, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.” These Scriptures reveal that personal pronouns are used to describe the relationship between God and those in the womb.

In Genesis 25:22-24, the Bible says, “But the children struggled together within her…. And the Lord said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb; And two people shall be sepa­rated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.’ When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.” This shows that the two fetuses in Rebekah’s womb were referred to as children before they were born.

C. Scriptures that indicate some men are called to God’s service or purpose from the womb prohibit abortion:
There are many verses that indicate that God views the pre-born in the womb as per­sons:

Jeremiah 1:5—“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Galatians 1:15-16—“But when He who set me apart, even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles….”

Judges 13:3, 5—“The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, ‘You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son…. No razor may be used on his

head, because the boy is a Nazarite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.’”

Isaiah 49:1,5—“Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name…. And now the Lord says—he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength.”

Romans 9:11-12—“Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad— in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’”

Again, these verses show that God views the pre-born in the womb as persons. No other conclusion is possible. We must agree with theologian John Frame that, “There is nothing in Scripture that even remotely suggests that the unborn child is anything less than a hu­man person from the moment of conception.”

D. Scriptures that indicate human life belongs to God, not to us, prohibit abortion:
The Bible teaches that people ultimately belong to God because all men are created by Him.

The Scriptures teach that men are, “the offspring of God” (Acts 17:29) and that, “in Him we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:28). Malachi could ask, “Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? (Mal. 2:10)

The Scriptures teach that God “Himself gives to all, life and breath and all things” (Acts 17:25) because, “He made the world and all things in it” (Acts 17:24). Understanding this, Isaiah could say, “O Lord, Thou art our Father, we are the clay, and Thou our potter, and all of us are the work of Thy hand” (Is. 64:8).

Psalm 24:1—The Psalmist could say, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”

1 Chronicles 29:11—David said, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”

Further, the Scriptures teach, “Your hands made me and formed me…” (Ps. 119:73) and “The Lord…forms the spirit of man within him….” (Zech. 12:1)

God Himself makes the statement, “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the Father as well as the soul of the son is Mine” (Ezek. 18:4).

Since all life was created by God and belongs to Him, no one has the right to kill another human being.

PART 3 COMING SOON!

03/02/2020

Upcoming Revivals

03/02/2020

ABORTION: A BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS (PART 1)

I pray that what I share in this article would shed some light on a delicate and controversial issue that is not only taking the world, but as well as in the church. I pray that you will not be offend but that it will bring many to see the diabolical act of abortion. If one has already had an abortion, this is in no way to criticize or lambast you here. If you have accepted Christ, and asked for His forgiveness, you are forgiven, and if we will make it to the end, you will see your child in Glory! We need to take a stand for those who cannot stand up for themselves. We will let the Bible do it's talking. I in no way want to stir one away for the Truth. But as a youth pastor, it is my obligation to shed light on issues like this. I pray you are blessed.

INTRODUCTION:

Introduction
This article is written specifically for Christians concerning what the Bible teaches on the subject of abortion and life in the womb. Why do we feel it is important to have an article just for Christians? If you are a Christian, you believe that the Bible is the Word of God. But what God says in the Bible isn’t just human speculation or good advice—it is God’s Word. When God says something is true, it is true and therefore we should believe it and act on it. That is why we are putting these biblical verses in this article. We assume that if we docu­ment what the Bible teaches in this area, that it will not go in one ear and out the other but that it will help Christians to be better informed on this issue.

For those who are not Christians, you may wonder, why do we accept that what the Bible teaches is accurate and relevant to the question of abortion? Put simply, because the historical evidence compels us to. Let us briefly cite a few reasons for our beliefs.

First, the science of textual criticism has proven beyond doubt that we have an accurate text of the original Bible and that it has not been corrupted over the centuries. For example, studies of the New Testament prove that it has been copied with over 99 percent accuracy and that the remaining 1 percent or less does not affect any significant teaching. The Old Testament has also been accurately transmitted.

Anyone who reads the New Testament accounts can see they involve eyewitness testi­mony (e.g., Lk. 1:1-3; 1 Jn. 1:1; 1 Cor. 15:6-8). Yet in 2,000 years, no valid reason has ever been put forth which would cause us to doubt the accuracy or the integrity of the biblical writers.

Second, because these writers accurately record the words of Jesus Christ, it is a his­torical fact that Jesus Christ lived and taught what the New Testament says He lived and taught. Jesus claimed to be God (Jn. 5:18; 10:17-18, 27-33) and gave proof of this in His resurrection from the dead. His physical resurrection from the dead is an established his­torical fact. Indeed, if any fact of history is to be trusted, it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3-18). If Jesus rose from the dead, then His claims about Himself must be true. He must be God (Rom. 1:4). In 2,000 years, the critic of the resurrec­tion has yet to prove his case.

The early Gospel writers were either eyewitnesses of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:3-8; Jn. 20:19-29) or, to be sure, carefully investigated the facts to make certain the resurrection was really true (Lk. 1:1-3). Several were skeptics and all of them had to be convinced by direct appearances of the risen Jesus (Jn. 20:25; Lk. 24:21). Some even called the idea “nonsense” (Lk. 24:11). But after seeing Christ repeatedly in many different circumstances over a period of forty days (Acts 1:3; Lk. 24:1-53), after testing their own sense, they were convinced. For example, Luke was both a trained physician and a careful historical re­searcher (Acts 1:3). Even the classical scholar and outstanding archaeologist Sir William Ramsay said, “Luke’s history is unsurpassed in respect of its trustworthiness.” An initial skeptic of the New Testament, his own detailed firsthand archeological investigations proved to him that Luke was a historian of the first rank. Yet it is this same Luke who speaks of “many convincing proofs” for the physical resurrection of Christ from the dead.

Third, Jesus Himself believed the entire Old Testament was the literal Word of God (Mt. 4:4; Jn. 17:17). This can be established from reading what He said. Because Jesus was God, He is an infallible authority. In this role, He taught that Scripture originates from God and was inerrant. Therefore, His complete trust in the Old Testament authenticates it as God’s Word.

Fourth, the Bible repeatedly claims to be the inspired Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16; 1 Thess. 2:13, etc.) and supplies many evidences for this. For example, the Bible contains dozens of instances of clear supernatural predictions of future events (e.g., Isa. 9:6; 7:14; 39:5-7; 44:28-45:4; 53:4-11; Mic. 5:2; 1 Kgs. 13:1-2). These cannot be explained away on the basis of rationalistic presuppositions or other skeptical grounds.

Fifth, both Jesus Christ and true biblical Christianity are unique among the world’s reli­gions, prophets and teachings. [9] No other religious leader claimed to be God and proved it by rising from the dead. No other religion teaches salvation is solely by God’s grace. No other religion is so inextricably bound to historical facts. No other religious scripture is like the Bible. For example, Professor Ernest Wurthwein observes in his The Text of the Old Testament, “No book in the literature of the world has been so often copied, printed, trans­lated, read, and studied as the Bible. It stands uniquely as the object of so much effort devoted to preserving it faithfully, to understanding it, and to making it understandable to others.”

Sixth, Jesus Christ changed our lives. Once committed secularists, both our lives were radically changed by encountering the living Jesus Christ.

Seventh, a large number of scholars and even skeptics have been converted to faith on the basis of the historical evidence alone.

Eighth, some of the best defenses of the Christian faith ever produced have been penned by noted lawyers and legal scholars who are expertly trained in dealing with evi­dence.

For these reasons and more, we believe the Bible is trustworthy and what it teaches is worthy of being considered on the abortion issue.

But we need to realize that God did not speak in technical, scientific language. He spoke in everyday language that would be understandable to all people. This is the kind of lan­guage that God inspired through the prophets.

What God clearly said was that life in the womb at any stage is of equal value to adult human life. He did not tell us precisely how the soul is given to men (e.g., directly by Him or by physical procreation), nor did He tell us the specific point at which the soul is given.

But this does not mean that we may conclude the soul is not given at conception. Based on the data we will discuss, our conclusion must be that because from conception the value of life is equal at every point and because at every point God teaches this life is of equal value with adult life, our only possible conclusion is that the soul exists from the point of conception. Given the biblical evidence, we cannot reasonably come to any other conclu­sion.

PART 2 COMING SOON!

01/14/2020

WHOS SIDE ARE YOU ON?

(JAMES 4:4)

When a Christian who has walked with God and knows the things of the Spirit decides to step back into the world — intentionally or unintentionally — this is a very serious matter to God. When I say serious, I’m talking about a situation so grave that it eventually causes God to take an aggressive and antagonistic stance toward that believer! This is why James 4:4 says, “…A friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Notice that James refers to believers who have become a “friend” of the world. The word “friend” is from the Greek word phileo, a word that has many different facets, including the ideas of fondness, friendship, or love. This is the Greek word someone would use if he wanted to express affection or even romance. And when used to depict friends, this word is the picture of very close friends who are fond of and familiar with each other.

From the word phileo we get the word philema, which means to kiss. In the ancient world, a kiss was a form of greeting that was reserved for family members, friends, fellow church members, or any other esteemed and cherished people in one’s life. A kiss like this would never be given to a stranger, but to someone for whom a person felt deep affection or with whom he had some kind of relationship.

This leads us to the next usage of the word phileo. In some places, it portrayed a person who was under some type of commitment or obligation due to a relationship. This relationship could be family-related, business-related, socially-related, or friendship-related. Regardless of the basis for the relationship, it is one that includes obligations, such as the obligations that exist in a marriage, between business partners, or even between friends. These relationships carry responsibilities. The word phileo could be used to describe these types of relationships and the obligations that result from entering into them.

So when James talks about believers who have become “a friend of the world” (the Greek word phileo), he is talking about Christians who have drifted so far back into the world that they now feel close to the world; they have affection and fondness for it. The connection and sense of familiarity they have with the world is so intense that they feel an obligation to the world or to their worldly friends.

These believers have exchanged their once-deep affection for the Lord for a renewed allegiance to the world from which they were rescued. Because they now have a strong affection for the world, it lets us know that these believers have been drifting for a long time. Backsliding like this doesn’t happen overnight. It is clear that a slow, methodical, seducing process has lured them away from Christ and back into a relationship with the world. Now their sense of obligation to the world is greater than their sense of obligation to the Lord.

James solemnly declares that any believer who has slipped back into this type of serious relationship with the world becomes the “enemy” of God. The word “enemy” is from the Greek word echthros, a word that appears more than 450 times in the Old Testament Septuagint to describe hate, hatred, hostility, an enemy, or an opponent. One example of its usage in the New Testament is Luke 23:12, where it portrays the animosity, antagonism, enmity, rivalry, and competition that existed between Herod Antipas and Pilate. These two men were definitely not on the same side!

What does this mean to you and me? It tells us that God is jealous when a believer transfers his devotion back to the world. In fact, this creates strong jealousy in the heart of God for that believer. God sees that believer’s relationship with the world as a violation of His own relationship with him. Just as a spouse would feel violated if he discovered that his mate had secretly carried on an intimate relationship with someone else, God feels betrayed when a believer transfers his affection away from Him and back to the world. In these cases, God takes an antagonistic view toward the improper relationship and begins to set things in motion to see that relationship end!

Because God wants that believer to refocus his affection where it ought to be, His grace moves in to intervene. It may not feel like help at the time, but God, who is intensely jealous for His people, sees Himself as a Contender for that believer’s affection and devotion! He will therefore do what He must to get the attention of His wayward child so He can turn him around and bring him back to where he ought to be!

Backsliding is serious business! When you try to split your heart between the Lord and the world, it simply won’t work! There’s too much animosity between a holy God and the world from which you were rescued. So don’t let yourself head back in the direction of the world, because God won’t just sit back and watch it happen. He will come after you like the most serious Competitor in the whole universe!

01/03/2020

01/02/2020

Abstain From Fleshly Lusts

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11)

Does it seem like you have one temptation that you have to constantly fight more than others? What is that temptation? Is it a sexual temptation? Is it a temptation to eat something you shouldn’t eat or to get upset with the same person again and again? Are you tempted to spend money you really don’t have to spend?

There are things you can do to make sure you don’t give in to that temptation and let it conquer you. Along that line, I want to talk to you today about a scripture that will help you conquer temptation.

When Peter wrote to the Christians who lived in the first century, these believers had only recently come to the Lord. When they got saved, they were literally delivered from a lost Roman world that was filled with sin of all types, including a great host of sexual vices and different forms of carnality, all of which were considered to be acceptable in that society.

Now these believers were living for Jesus. Because they wanted to please Him, they were striving to live holy lives. The pagan environment in which they lived, however, caused them to feel the lure of sin very strongly.

The society these believers lived in celebrated carnality and flaunted their debauchery. This means the believers of the Early Church were constantly confronted by the very low standards of that world. Surrounded by sin, they had to constantly resist the lure of sin and not permit themselves to be pulled back into their old lifestyles.

To help them resist the temptation to fall back into sin, Peter told them, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11).

The word “beseech” is the Greek word parakaleo, a compound of the words para and kaleo. The word para means alongside, as in one who comes up close alongside another person. The word kaleo means to call, to beckon, or to beseech.

But when these two words are joined to form the word parakaleo, it presents the picture of one who has something so important to say that he pulls right up alongside his listener, getting as close to him as possible; then he begins to literally plead with him to take some course of action. This person urgently calls out, pleading with his listener to hear what he has to say and to do what he is suggesting.

So like a father in the faith, Peter pulls up alongside his readers and begins to call out to them, earnestly pleading with them to listen to the advice he is about to give them.

When Peter’s readers saw the word parakaleo (“beseech”), they understood that it was a flashing light to get their attention. They also undoubtedly understood that Peter felt very passionate about the urgent words he was about to speak to them and wanted them to carefully listen to what he had to say.

But the word parakaleo was also used as a military word. In the ancient Greek world, before military leaders sent their troops into battle, they would call them together to “beseech” them. Rather than hide the painful reality of war from the soldiers, the leaders would summon their troops together and speak straightforwardly with them about the potential dangers of the battlefield.

These officers would also tell their troops about the glories of winning a major victory. They didn’t ignore the dangers of battle; they came right alongside their troops and urged, exhorted, beseeched, begged, and pleaded with them to stand tall; throw back their shoulders; look the enemy straight on, eyeball to eyeball; and face their battles bravely.

Because the word parakaleo was widely used in this manner as well, Peter’s readers also understood that he was now speaking to them as a general in the faith. The word “beseech” emphatically let them know that discipline and a rigid, committed warfare mentality would be required if they were going to accomplish what he was about to order them to do.

Peter goes on to tell his readers, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.”

Notice that Peter calls them “strangers” and “pilgrims.” The word “stranger” is the Greek word paroikos, a word that describes an individual who lives among the citizens of a nation but is not a citizen himself. He is a foreigner or an alien in that nation. Even though he may have received the legal right to live there, he doesn’t have the same right to participate in society as does a legal citizen.

By using this word, Peter reminds his readers (and us) that they are no longer citizens of the world. Even though they live in the midst of the world, they are now heavenly citizens and therefore cannot participate in the activities of a lost world as they once did. They must learn to live among those in the world without being like them.

To drive this point even deeper into the hearts of his readers, Peter also urges them to live as “pilgrims.”

The word “pilgrims” is the Greek word parepidemos. This word depicts the attitude that believers must have about their present lives in this world. It describes a temporary traveler who is merely passing through a certain territory on the way to his final destination.
Because this person is simply passing through, he doesn’t allow himself to become attached but rather stays disconnected. Because he will soon break camp and move onward, he knows that it would be foolish for him to become entrenched in an environment where he cannot remain.

Now Peter uses this word to urge believers to live as if they are travelers who are only on this earth for a short stay. To help them stay free of the sinful environment that is in the world all around them, he implores them to “…abstain from fleshly lusts….”

The word “abstain” is the Greek word apechomai, which means to deliberately withdraw from; to stay away from; to put distance between oneself and something else; or to intentionally abstain.

The word apechomai was a well known word, so every person who read this word understood that Peter was telling them to put distance between themselves and the “fleshly lusts” that were raging all about them.

When Peter speaks of “fleshly lusts,” he uses the word sarkikos for “fleshly.” This word describes the impulses, cravings, and desires of the carnal flesh, those things that appeal to our lower side.

The word “lusts” is the word epithumia, a compound of the words epi and thumos. The word epi means over, and the word thumos depicts passion. When compounded into the word epithumia, it pictures a person so overcome by some passionate desire that he completely gives himself over to it.

Let me stress something here that is imperative for you to understand: Your flesh is never content until it has completely taken you over and consumed you. Once you have given your flesh permission to have its way and to exercise even a small amount of power in your life, it will try to latch hold of you, and eventually it will wage war for total control of your life.

Please don’t think you can participate in only a little taste of sin and then walk free of it. Once the flesh has been allowed to indulge in sin, the cry of the carnal nature to indulge in sin once more will become stronger and stronger, ferociously working against you in its attempt to pull you deeper and deeper into sin until you are completely conquered by it.

That is why Peter so firmly tells us to “…abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.”

The word “war” is the Greek word strateuomai. This word is derived from the word stratos, from which we get the word strategy. But when it becomes the word strateuomai as used in this context, it pictures a fiercely committed soldier who possesses a warring mentality. Because he is so committed to waging war and destroying his resistance, he fights tactically, strategically, and aggressively. Furthermore, the Greek tense accentuates the fact that once the flesh has been allowed to express itself, it will wage continual warfare and its assault will be unending.

Peter’s chief concern is that the flesh will wage continual warfare against the “soul.”

The word “soul” is the Greek word psyche, which describes a person’s mind, will, and emotions. The New Testament writers clearly understood that the mind, will, and emotions are where Satan wages his greatest warfare against the saints.

Therefore, Peter urges his readers not to open the door and invite this warfare to begin by deliberately participating in sinful activities. Instead, he tells them to abstain from fleshly lusts, thus keeping their mind, will, and emotions free of unnecessary battles.

Peter’s words in First Peter 2:11 could be interpreted to mean:
“Dearly beloved, I sincerely beg and warn you to live as if you are travelers here in this world. Never forget that this is not your real residence and that you must not become too attached to the environment around you. I urge you to refrain from any carnal, low-level desires that try to engulf you and thus drag you into a very long, protracted, strategic, and aggressive war in your mind, will, and emotions.”

If you have one temptation that you have to constantly fight more than others, how did that fight begin? Did you look at something or allow your flesh permission to do something that you knew was wrong? Did you open the door to this attack yourself by not saying no to the flesh at a critical moment in your life? What are you going to do now to shut the door to the devil and drive this battle out of your head and flesh?

It is a whole lot easier to avoid fleshly temptations than it is to uproot them once they get deeply rooted inside your mind, will, and emotions. So if the world around you is crying out for you to participate in its sinful activities (just as it was probably doing to Peter’s first century readers), remind yourself that you are just a temporary traveler in this world with no rights to participate in such activities. Make the choice to refrain from the works of the flesh.

By making this decision, you can avoid horrific battles that others fight every day in their minds because they didn’t say no to the temptations that were offered to them.

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I ask You to help me say no to the temptations that are constantly assailing my mind and emotions. There are moments when my flesh screams to participate in sinful behavior. But I know that with the power of Your Spirit working inside me, I can resist and refuse to give in to these sinful impulses. Holy Spirit, I am leaning heavily on You to strengthen me so I can continue to abstain from fleshly lusts that wish to war against my soul and take me captive. I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I live like a stranger who is simply passing through this world. God has blessed me and made my journey comfortable, but I never forget that this is only a brief journey in my eternal destiny. When sin cries out for me to participate in its activities, I remind sin and the flesh that I am not a resident of this world and that I therefore do not have the right to enter into its activities. Because the Spirit of God lives in me, I am fully empowered to say no to sin and to remain free from its detrimental effects. I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!