THE COMMON AND THE HOLY

Introduction

As a Christian, we must be able to distinguish between things. Hebrews 5:14 expresses it best, "But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." The Amplified gives us a deeper insight into this verse, "But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law." We should be able to differentiate between the profane and the holy. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1:9, "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers." To be profane is to be unholy. To be holy is not to be profane.

Application

To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.

Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines "profane" as, "1. Irreverent to any thing sacred; applied to persons. A man is profane when he takes the name of God in vain, or treats sacred things with abuse and irreverence. 2. Irreverent; proceeding from a contempt of sacred things, or implying it; as profane words or language; profane swearing...Profane is used chiefly in Scripture in opposition to holy, or qualified ceremonially for sacred services." Leviticus 19:12 reads, "And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD." The Lord’s name is like the Lord Himself, holy. It is therefore not to be used in a profane manner. Also, the Lord’s word is truth, therefore, one cannot swear by His name falsely without receiving His wrath.

Paul wrote in Romans 2:17-24, "Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 19And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 20An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 21Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 23Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 24For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written." Here is a perfect example of people claiming to be God’s people and all the while, they are hypocrites. They say that they have a special relationship with God and use this for their own gain. This is taking the Lord’s name in vain, a clear violation of the third commandment.

Paul wrote in Titus 1:15-16, "Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." Watch what people do, not what they say. What they do is in accordance with what they truly believe. The mind is changeable, but the spirit is inflexible. No one can hide their true heart condition. If we claim to be Christians, then 1 Peter 1:14-15 would be in evidence, "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation." Remember that holiness and profaneness are diametrically opposed to one another. We are going to be one or the other. There is no neutrality. Our conduct will be holy or profane.

The Lord said the following about true priests in Ezekiel 44:23-24, "And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 24And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths." A true minister will have his hearers able to distinguish the proper application of the word of God in every instance. At times, things may be questionable as to their lawfulness. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." If it is debatable, avoid and shun it as unlawful. It is better to be overcautious than to risk being accused of evil.

We need to be careful in our relationships. Paul wrote to Timothy the following advice in 1 Timothy 5:1-2, "Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; 2The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity." A Christian is to be careful in all their dealings, especially, when it comes to those of the opposite sex. Many a Christian has destroyed relationships and their spirituality by crossing a line here. They did not distinguish between the holy and the profane.

Conclusion

Paul elaborated on what is holy and profane in 1 Corinthians 7:1-2, "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." To avoid sexual impurity, it is better to enter into holy matrimony rather than cohabit.

RETURNING COLLATERAL

Introduction

When men loan money to others, they usually require some form of collateral, in case of default by the borrower. In this way, the lender can at least attempt to recoup either all or some of his money by selling the security. This is a safeguard to the one granting the loan. By having to put up some form of guarantee for the loan, the borrower is encouraged to fulfill his word by repaying what he has borrowed or forfeit a potentially valuable asset. Money’s Complete Guide to Personal Finance and Investment Terms defines "collateral" as, "Asset pledged to a lender until a loan is repaid. If the borrower defaults, the lender has the legal right to seize the collateral and sell it to pay off the loan." Men always have the best intentions but do not always follow through on their word. The lender must determine the trustworthiness of the borrower. A pledge may be required due to the lack of character of the borrower.

Application

To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.

Exodus 22:26-27 reads, "If thou at all take thy neighbour’s raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: 27For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious." The law of God does not forbid the use of a pledge for a loan, even a charitable one. However, since this man is in extreme poverty that the only asset he has remaining is that which keeps him warm, the lender is not to take advantage of the situation by humiliating this individual any further than he has already been. He has to humble himself and come to the lender to get his pledge back each and every night. This is an embarrassing situation. Obviously, it is designed also to encourage the borrower to avoid this situation in the future.

The key to this passage of scripture is that the lender is to be like God in being gracious. He is not to exploit his neighbor but to do good to him. This is another law prohibiting oppression. The word gracious has at its root, grace. To be gracious is to be benevolent and merciful. This is an attribute of God as Exodus 34:5-6 declares, "And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." The source of the law is God and His attributes are contained within His law. Paul wrote in Romans 7:12, "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." The law and the commandment is holy because God is holy. They are just because God is just and they are good because God is good.

The lender by requiring the borrower to put up collateral and taking possession of it everyday until paid ensures that the borrower is not using the same collateral for other loans. In other words, it prevents multiple indebtedness. Paul said in Romans 13:8, "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." We are not to be in debt to any man and someone who takes on multiple debts is foolish to say the least. This having to return to get his pledge each night keeps the poor man honest and is a safeguard from him taking on additional debt.

The law prevented the lender from receiving certain types of property as a pledge. Deuteronomy 24:6 makes this clear, "No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge: for he taketh a man’s life to pledge." If one takes this tool as collateral for a loan, it is clear that the borrower would have a hard time paying back the loan because this is how he makes his living. In other words, life can only be taken on God’s terms and never on our own. Just because we loan money to someone that does not give us unlimited power over them. All human authority is limited authority. Only God has unlimited authority.

Deuteronomy 24:10-13 reads, "When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge. 11Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee. 12And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge: 13In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the LORD thy God." Here returning the pledge of the poor brother is declared to be righteousness. God wants us to be both gracious and righteous. Here the lender is not permitted to go into another man’s house to get the pledge. He must wait for the borrower to bring it to him. Once again, the lender is not granted total authority over the borrower. He has to show restraint. He must treat the borrower with dignity, the same way he would want to be treated if he were in the same situation.

Conclusion

God has established rules in borrowing and lending in regard to those in an inferior bargaining position. The superior is not to take advantage and oppress the weaker. No man has the right to take someone else’s life except of God’s terms. God commenting on a just man said in Ezekiel 18:7, "And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment." Go and do likewise.

CLARITY NOT CONFUSION

Introduction

God is not the author of confusion and disorder. This is the message of 1 Corinthians 14:33, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." God’s presence is the essence of peace and order. When God created us, He instilled the law of distinction. Certain things are not to be mixed together but are to remain separate and distinct. Otherwise, confusion will reign supreme. Genesis 1:27 reads, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." God created male and female, which implies that they are to be kept distinct in all respects. Men are not to try and become women and women are not to become men. This is restated in Deuteronomy 22:5, "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God." A woman is not only not to wear the clothing of a man but instruments of a trade and war. Also, this law prohibits a man wearing a woman’s garment. There is to be a distinction made between the sexes. To blur this differentiation will bring confusion.

Application

To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.

Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines "confusion" as, "1. In a general sense, a mixture of several things promiscuously; hence, disorder; irregularity...2. Tumult; want of order in society...3. A blending or confounding; indistinct combination; opposed to distinctness or perspicuity..." Each Scripture contains key words whereby the Holy Ghost is giving us the special sense of what is trying to be conveyed. An example is found in Leviticus 20:12, "And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them." The distinctness of marriage here is being confused. There is an example of blurring marriage. A father is not to take advantage of his own son by lying carnally with his wife. This is want of decency and order. It is wicked and a perversion. She is to resist the advance. For her to accede is tantamount to blood guiltiness.

Her crying out against this wickedness is expressed in Deuteronomy 22:23-27, "If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; 24Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour’s wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you. 25But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shalldie: 26But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter: 27For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her." There must be an attempt of resistance even if no one will hear it. Otherwise, it is to be presumed that she was a willing partner to the crime.

Tamar resisted her brother’s advances but he prevailed in 2 Samuel 13:11-16, "And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister. 12And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly. 13And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. 14Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her. 15Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone. 16And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her." Amnon took advantage of her. She did her best to resist but was unable to do so. When in a similar situation, the woman should try her best to not give in.

The sin of bestiality is the height of confusion as Leviticus 18:23 makes clear, "Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion." There is no law of distinction in operation in this great sin. Sin is confusion as stated in Jeremiah 3:25, "We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God." Sin is lawlessness, which is another word for disorder. Idolatry produces confusion between the true and living God and dead false gods in Isaiah 41:29, "Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion." It is a total waste to serve these gods of confusion.

Conclusion

As Christians, we are to honor lines of distinction. We are to follow the pattern established in the Bible for us. James 3:14-16 says this about confusion, "But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." This confusion is characterized by unrest, disharmony and rebellion. This is what sin always produces.

THE CONCEPT OF CASUISTRY

Introduction

Gary North wrote in his book Political Polytheism, "The problem facing the West today is that for three centuries, 1673 to 1973, Protestant Christians abandoned the intellectual discipline of casuistry–applied biblical morality–and thereby abandoned the crucial task of developing an explicitly and exclusively biblical social theory." This is the great lack of the church of our day, a cohesive biblical social theory. This is one of the major reasons that the church has been unable to stop the humanist juggernaut. We had no answers to social issues. We have been assured that we would be able to escape by the false prophets of the imminent Rapture fame. Yet, while the church awaits His return, they keep getting older and soon die without Jesus returning. No one dares ask the question, "Maybe the imminent Rapture is a total farce?" If we are going to be around for awhile, the church needs to come up with answers to the humanist mess caused by the church’s retreat from the battlefield.

Application

To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.

We have completed going through the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are a summation of the law of God. There are sub-groupings under this main head. Now we are going to learn to apply the law to specific cases and then we will move into the law application of the prophets. God said to Moses in Exodus 21:1, "Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them." God’s people are to be aware of God’s commandments. We are not to be ignorant of His word.

In Exodus 21:2, we read, "If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing." The first thing to notice the little word that this sentence begins with. It is the two letter word "if." This signifies that if this is the situation, then this is what we are to do. It is a cause and effect situation. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary says of this word, "It is used as the sign of a condition, or it introduces a conditional sentence." When thinking of the word "if" think conditional. Salvation is conditional. Covenant is conditional. The whole of the Bible contains conditions. Meet the conditions and the promises are yours.

In the above verse, we have the condition of the buying of a servant. This servant, however, is no ordinary servant. He is a Hebrew servant. This means that he has to be dealt with in a different manner than a non-Hebrew servant. We notice here a familiar pattern given in the law. It is the Sabbath pattern. Six and one. In this instance, six years of service and then rest. This has beenestablished in the Fourth Commandment and from God’s weekly pattern of creation. The rest of this case law deals with the specifics of what happened under certain conditions with these Hebrew servants.

Exodus 21:12-14 reads, "He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death. 13And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee. 14But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die." This case law comes under the Sixth Commandment. It is straightforward. If a man kills another with forethought (premeditation and deceitfully), then the penalty prescribed is the death penalty i.e. crushing the head of serpent.

Another example is found in Numbers 35:16-21, "And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 17And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 18Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 19The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. 20But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die; 21Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him." When a weapon is generally in use, the offender intends to kill his opponent. He is using something that can easily produce death such as iron, stone, wood, or fists. In our days, it would be knives, guns, baseball bat etc. With all murder, there is an element of hatred involved. The murder may use the element of surprise to make the murder easier.

Conclusion

Whether we like it or not, all things in life are basically judicially determined. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:2-3, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" We as Christians should be trained in casuistry. We should have the ability to judge all matters that pertain to this life. This requires being trained to think biblically and judicially. If we do not do it, the humanists have and will continue to do it for us.