An Apology to Joyce Meyer

 

Joyce Meyer is a great teacher.

I learned a lot from her when I was a younger Christian. I watched her a great deal in my late 20's, for example. I even read her book The Battlefield of the Mind.

Her teachings on righteousness really helped me to see who I was in Christ. "I am the righteousness of God" was not some phrase I learned to claim over myself only when I started listening to Pastor Joseph Prince.

In 2008, I was learning so much about the Gift of Righteousness, and that God gives us all these blessings because of our righteous standing before God, in Christ! And I learned about this from Joyce.

I knew and believed, and spoke out the verses in 2 Corinthians 5:21, and the other verses that touch on our righteous standing in Christ.

Yet in 2008 and 2009, my life was still full of struggles. I found myself warring in my mind a great deal. Instead of feeling a sense of peace and carefree joy, I felt that I was all alone in the world. I wondered how I could live this life, and I didn't know whether God was really on my side or not.

One thing lead to another, and all the temporal blessings that I enjoyed in my life, I ended up throwing away. I was under so much stress, convinced that there was so much work that I had to do. There was no assurance of faith, and I was constantly plagued with worry about what would happen to me if I sinned, or took a wrong step, or did something amiss.

The world still centered around me, and I felt that everything depended on me.

When I was down and out in my life, during the 2009-2010 period, I became really bitter towards preachers like Joyce Meyer. My life had fallen apart, and I was writhing with guilt and shame because I could not overcome the bad habits, the harsh thoughts, the wrong believing in my life. I felt like I was in an abyss, a cycle of shame that I could not escape. What was all this talk about blessings and our righteous standing, if I was still struggling with all these problems?

Then I discovered the Gospel of Grace through Pastor Prince, I learned about the Old and New Covenants, and I realized that all our sins are forgiven--pass, present, future--because of Jesus and His Finished Work on the Cross.

At that point, I started making cutting, bitting, critical remarks against preachers and teachers of God's Word like Joyce Meyer. "She didn't teach me about this or that! She didn't explain to me about some things and others things! She's just another church lady!" And so on.

Entering into this new, grand year, fifteen years later! I have been seeing more of Jesus than I have ever seen before. Because I have been praying the Ephesians 1 and Ephesians 3 prayers at great length, Jesus has really revealed Himself to me.

And that's the whole point! I see Him more clearly, more fully, more completely as a Living Savior! All that time from 2008 to 2010, I was rooted in His love, but did not know it. All that time, I had already become the righteousness of God in Christ, but I was deceived, in bondage to the mixture of wrong believing and bad teaching of my parents and their traditions. I was still under law, struggling with the classical Galatian error.

The problem was not with what Joyce Meyer had been teaching. When she talked about the gift of righteousness, when she talked about all the blessings accorded to us because of our righteous standing in Christ, she was SPOT ON!

The problem was that I had all this junky, clunky, garbled wrong believing haunting me. That was never Joyce Meyer's fault! I was still holding onto this idea that I had to earn what God so freely gives. Huh? Yes, that was what I believed still. Sure, God had saved me, but I was on my own on this earth. Sure, I was heading for heaven, but I felt that I was still living hell on earth. How awful it is to be under mixture, under law and grace put together.

I do submit that more pastors, preachers, and teachers need to confront this fact: many Christians are hearing the Word of Christ, but they are not recognizing that they are trying to balance or mix the truth with wrong believing, the bad teachings of their past lives, or their former customs.

No wonder Paul writes:

"That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;" (Ephesians 4:22)

We need to put off all the deceitful lusts, and those lusts are not just the desire to eat more food, or engaging in illicit sexual practices. There is also the lust for self-righteous preeminence, to make ourselves big and right in our own eyes because of our own works, i.e. "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, the pride of life." (1 John 2:16)

The problem was that in the background, I still saw God all wrong. I was trying to merge what my parents, what all the religious traditions I had grown up with had told me about God with all the great truths in God's Word that people like Joyce Meyer--and later, Pastor Prince--were revealing to me.

It wasn't that Joyce Meyere was so much church-lady Pharisee. It was that I was the Pharisee!

I can write this post as an apology to Joyce Meyer, and I encourage her to keep preaching the Gospel of Grace and let everyone know the Gospel truth that in Christ, we have become the Righteousness of God, and that in Christ we are accorded all the blessings with Him! (Ephesians 1:3)

Sermon on the Mount: How We Gain Righteousness

In one of the previous churches I attended, the preacher would often refer to Matthew 6:33:

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)

Then the pastor would follow up the verse with the following:

"Seek His righteousness, that is, His right way of doing things."

That statement would make me cringe.

No, righteousness is not something we get by what we do!

The New Covenant, the Epistles in the New Testament could not make it clearer!

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17)

Two words that I want to focus on in the above verse: gift, and receive.

A gift is not something that you earn, fight for, or work for. A gift is something that is ... given to you as a grace. When we receive something, it is not something that we achieved, conceived, or deceived to obtain. That verb indicates that we just open up our hands and take what is offered to it.

Righteousness under the New Covenant is no longer about what we do, but what Jesus did and what He gives to us because of His Finished Work!

Consider this, too!

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Not only do we receive (and keep receiving!) the gift of righteousness, but because of Jesus, we become The Righteousness of God in Him. It's our new identity, our new self, our new being!

So, all this talk about righteousness as something that we get by doing is all wrong.

But here's the kicker: even the Sermon on the Mount foresees righteousness as something that we receive, not something that we achieve!

Let's revisit the key verse in the Beatitudes:

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6)

Notice that Jesus promises that those who "hunger and thirst" after righteousnesss will BE filled. They will not fill themselves. The righteousness that they crave will be given to them!

Isn't it interesting that Jesus talks about righteousness as something that is eaten and drunk, something that we taken in, that we feed on? Eating and drinking is not a laborious effort, but something which people by and large enjoy doing. It's not a strenous effort, but receiving something good!

Right away, Jesus is laying the groundwork for the New Covenant! This righteousness that will fill us is not our own righteousness, but His! Not something that we can earn, because no one can be righteousness in His own effort (cf Psalm 53:1)

Remember also what Jesus says later on in the Sermon on the Mount:

"For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20)

Followed by:

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

The Pharisees trusted in the works, their lawkeeping, their observance of teachings and traditions. Jesus brushed that all away, and He told the disciples that the Pharisees and their righteousness was not good enough. You want to earn your standing before God? You have to be PERFECT!

And no one can do that. Not one.

No wonder the Sermon on the Mount ends with:

"28And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Matthew 7:28-29)

From that astonishment should come: "I cannot do that!"

Then Jesus can step in and say: "But I can. Let me be your Savior. Let me be your Righteousness!"

He is our Living Water, and He is our Bread of Life, so that we no longer hunger or thirst for righteousness, but are filled.

Joseph Prince (September-24-2023) Daily Devotional: What’s Your Response to the Voice of Accusation?

 

In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. Isaiah 54:14

It is important for you to be established in the righteousness of Christ, because it will determine how you respond to the voice of accusation when you are believing God for big things, and trusting Him for answered prayers.

“Who do you think you are?”

“Don’t you remember how you yelled at your spouse this morning? Why should God give you favor for your important presentation at the office today?"

“Look at how easily you lose your cool on the road. How can you have the cheek to expect good things to happen to you?”

'You call yourself a Christian? When was the last time you read your Bible? What have you done for God? Why should God heal your child?”

Do these accusations sound awfully familiar? Now, how you respond to this voice of accusation will expose what you really believe. This is the litmus test of what you believe. This is where the rubber meets the road!

A person could think, “Yeah, you are right. I don’t deserve this. How can I expect God’s favor to be on me for my presentation at the office when I was so harsh with my wife this morning?" Now, that's the response of someone who believes that he needs to earn his own righteousness and place of acceptance before God. This person believes that he can expect good from God only when his conduct is good and his own checklist of self-imposed requirements are met to the hilt.

He would probably storm into his office, still seething with anger at his wife. Worst of all, he feels cut off from the presence of Jesus because of his anger and thinks that he does not qualify to ask for God’s favor for his presentation. He steps into the boardroom disheveled and disorganized. He forgets his points and fumbles, causing his company to lose that major account. His bosses are disappointed with him and give him a huge tongue-lashing.

Frustrated and shamed, he drives home like a maniac, sounding his horn at every car that does not move the instant the traffic lights turn green. When he gets home, he is even more upset with his wife because he blames her for putting him in a foul mood in the morning, for his terrible presentation and for the loss of the major account! It’s all HER fault!

Now, see the difference if this person thinks, “Yeah, you are right. I don’t deserve to have God’s favor at all because I lost my temper with my wife this morning. But you know what? I am not looking at what I deserve. I am looking at what Jesus deserves. Even right now, Jesus, I thank You that You see me perfectly righteous. Because of the cross and Your perfect sacrifice, I can expect God's unmerited favor at my presentation. Every one of my shortcomings, even the tone I used this morning, is covered by Your righteousness. I can expect good not because I am good, but because You are good! Amen!”

See the amazing difference? This person is established upon Jesus’ righteousness and not his own right doing or good behavior. He goes to work depending on the unmerited favor of Jesus, and he aces the presentation and clinches a major account for his company. His bosses are impressed by his performance and mark him for the next round of promotion. He drives home with peace and joy, feeling the Father’s love and favor. Consequently, he is more patient with other drivers.

Now, does this mean that he sweeps all his failings under the carpet and pretends that they never happened? No way! This man, full of the consciousness that the Lord is with him, will find the strength in Christ to apologize to his wife for the tone he had used on her. You see, a heart that has been touched by unmerited favor cannot hold on to unforgiveness, anger, and bitterness.

Which of the above accounts demonstrate true holiness? Of course, it is the second account. Depending on God’s favor results in a life of practical holiness. Right believing always leads to right living!

Righteousness is a Gift, Not God's Right Way of Doing Things

 

I just left a church that I had been attending for two years. It was really tough for me, but I had to do it. I am not a big fan of breaking up with a church that I have been attending for a considerable length of time. I was even privileged enough to share a testimony in the church and preach a sermon.

However, I finally had to leave. The pastor was really set in his ways on the matter of righteousness, i.e. that righteousness has to do with doing things God's Way, living God's Way.

That kind of thinking just brings us back under law.

Under the Old Covenant, yes indeed righteousness was something that we had to do, something that we had to attain in our efforts:

"That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." (Deuteronomy 16:20)

Literally, "Righteousness, Righteousness you will pursue" or "Absolute righteousness you pursue."

Under the Old Covenant, you have to pursue it. You need to capture it. You need to attain it.

And yet, how was Abraham made righteous?

"And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." (Genesis 15:6)

God's original plan has always been that we would just believe on Him, and receive from Him!

In fact, consider some of the key prophesies about the New Covenant in Isaiah:

"In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee." (Isaiah 54:14)

and then

"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54:17)

Notice in the first verse "In righteousness you shall be established." The verse is in the passive construction, implying that righteousness is done to us. We do not "do righteousness."

Four verse later, Isaiah prophesies: "There righteousness is of me, says the Lord." Our righteousness comes from Him, not from us! It's not our righteousness through our efforts, but we receive it as something from Him!

Consider also the promises declared in the Psalms:

"To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness." (Psalm 31:1)

We are saved, set free through His righteousness, not our own!

Now, many people will counter: "But Jesus said 'Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness'!"

Yes, indeed Jesus declared that we should seek God's righteousness, not our own. However, that was not the first time that Jesus mentioned righteousness in the Sermon on the Mount:

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6)

Again, we see "be filled," a passive construction which shows that we receive the action instead of achieving the action.

Righteousness is given to us, not achieved by us.

And there's more throughout the New Testament to affirm this New Covenant revelation. Paul preached in Antioch:

"38Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:38-39)

We are granted forgiveness of sins, we are justified from all things through Jesus! Not through Moses, not through keeping Moses' law, not through our self-effort, but through what Jesus did at the Cross.

Paul affirms this revelation to the Corinthians, as well:

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

We don't do righteousness: we BECOME righteousness, and we become the righteousness of God in Christ!

The New Covenant is all about how we are justified by what Jesus did, not by what we do.

If pastors are still preaching righteousness as "His right way of doing things," they are bringing people back under law, under self-effort, under the Old Covenant. And I do not want to frustrate the grace of God!

"4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:4)

Just in case there lingers any further confusion on the matter, Paul writes to the Romans:

"17For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17)

By one person, Jesus Christ, we:

1. receive

2. gift of righteousness

We do not achieve the works or the salary of righteousness. It is a gift, one which we receive and keep receiving, in fact! Paul could not make it more clear.

And yet ... and yet ...

I hear one outspoken preacher after another continue to say, as a matter of forced habit: "Righteousness, or His right way of doing things."

That is wrong! That is error! We need to stand up to this error big time!

And why does this matter? Why does this hit home for me, specifically?

When I meditated on His righteousness as my righteousness, a gift that I receive and keep receiving from Him, I rest in the knowledge that no matter what is happening around me, I will never be condemned. I can rest assured that no matter how many times I fail, or if I fall, my righteousness, my right standing before God does not change!

"For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief." (Proverbs 24:16)

A just man is not defined or changed or loses his rightousness because he falls. It's as simple as that.

We need that revelation so that we can keep receiving His grace, His favor in our lives. I cannot tell you how many trials I have faced in my life, and how easily I would have been overcome and overwhelmed by those challenges, if I had been reduced to believing the lie that I am righteous based on what I do.

Because of the GIFT of righteousness, I know that I will never be condemned, I will never be rejected, I will never be separated from my Loving Father. That kind of assurance turns wastrels and failures into winners and warriors, men and women who have nothing to fear, but everything to gain when they come boldly before the throne of grace in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Righteousness: A Gift, Not a Work (So Stop Telling Me It's "His Way of Doing Things"!)

  This is one of the most frustrating stumbling blocks that I am hearing in the churches today.

They keep talking about righteousness as if it means "God's Way of Doing Things."

That is patently untrue. I am so tried of hearing that. I am so tired of people not paying attention to what God's Word says.

Consider this passage:

"In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee." (Isaiah 54:14)

Could it not be any clearer? Righteousness is something that we are established in. It is not something that we do, but rather somenthing that is done to us.

Let's go back to the Father of Faith, our beloved Abraham:

"And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." (Genesis 15:6)

What more do modern-day preachers need? How more clearly can God make it?

Going back to Isaiah 54, we find this verse:

"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54:17)

Our righteousness comes from Him! We do not create it, we do not manufacture it.

And why stop there?

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:" (1 Corinthians 1:30)

Christ IS our righteousness. What else do you need to understand that righteousness is not "His way of doing things"?

How about this?!

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

That's all you need to know. 

When Jesus said to the Israelites of His day during His earthly ministry "See ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness," He was talking about the perfect standing before God, in which we are no longer condemned for our sins, but justified from all things (Acts 13:38)

Consider this passage, too:

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17)

It's a gift! IT'S A GIFT! How much more plainly can Paul make it?!

I am done. I will not settle for any pastor or preacher who continues to push this canard that righteousness is something that we do. No! It is something that Jesus has done, that He has bestowed as a gift to all who will receive it, who will receive Him!

The Church of Laodicea: Revelation of the Grace and God and the Gift of Righteousness

A while back, I received a profound revelation about the Church of Laodicea.

Granted, it may not seem at first glance that there is any good news to glean from this account. Of the seven church whom Jesus communicated to in the early chapters of Revelation, five of the churches receive correction from Jesus--and the Laodicean church receives the harshest.

Today, there are many pastors and preachers which are warning about churches becoming like the Laodicean church.

However, I did some research on the church in Laodicea, and I found some very good news!

From Biblical Archaeology:

Yet the Laodicean church’s “lukewarm” legacy was not its final legacy.

The church at Laodicea survived Domitian’s reign. The city became a bishopric (seat of a Christian bishop), and a Christian council was even held there in the fourth century C.E. Archaeologists have discovered about 20 ancient Christian chapels and churches at the site. The largest church at Laodicea, called the Church of Laodicea took up an entire city block and dates to the beginning of the fourth century.

The Church of Laodicea. Dated to the beginning of the fourth century C.E., the Church of Laodicea spanned an entire city block. The church faced east and was decorated with marble floors. Photo: © Mark R. Fairchild, Huntington University.

Laodicea remained an important city until the seventh century C.E. when it was struck by a devastating earthquake and subsequently abandoned. 

Imagine that? Jesus had some harsh words for this church, but in this revelation that I received from Daddy God, you will find that there is great grace even in our worst failings, and even for a church which was so summarily chastised as the church in Laodicea.

First, let's look at the passage as a whole.

14And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

First, it is important to establish that when Jesus communicates with the Seven Churches, He speaks specifically, directly to the "angel" of the church, i.e. the minister or the pastor of the church. Second, in other letters, Jesus does say that if the angels, the ministers do not repent, He will take their candle out (Revelation 2:5). This does not mean that the pastor or the members of the church will lose their salvation, It does mean that the pastor will lose his place and the church will close.

Around the world and over many decades, we have witnesses many churches close. They no longer preach the Gospel, the focus on man-made causes and concerns. They do not focus on Jesus, but rather on man and his efforts, or the perfection of man through his efforts. All of this is a clear abandon of the Gospel of Grace (Galatians 1:6) which we receive through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).

Now, let's look at what Jesus says to the church of Laodicea.

First, about the word "Laodicea" itself, the word means "The people rule." This name speaks to the types of churches in which the pastor panders to the people, giving into their demands, and also to the types of churches where man's interests, where the interests of the population, what is popular, take precendence instead of the Word of God. 

What is the first thing that Jesus says to Laodicean church?

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

Many of construed this passage to indicate that the church members were not on fire for God or cool and refreshing in what they had to offer.

Let's look further:

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

The word "lukewarm" in the Original Greek is:

chliaros: tepid, warm

Original Word: χλιαρός, ά, όν
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: chliaros
Phonetic Spelling: (khlee-ar-os')
Definition: tepid, warm
Usage: warm, tepid; of persons: lukewarm.

Thayer's dictionary provides more information:

χιλιαρος, χιλιαρα, χιλιαρον (χλίω, to become warm, liquefy, melt), tepid, lukewarm: metaphorically, of the condition of a soul wretchedly fluctuating between a torpor and a fervor of love, Revelation 3:16. (Herodotus, Pindar, Diodorus, Plutarch, Athen., Geoponica.)

What we have here is a church that is wavering, that is going back and forth between two extremes. A clear example of this occurs in the Galatian church, in which the Galatians went from grace back to law (Galatians 1:6, 3:3)

James warns about men who are double-minded, as well (James 1:8).

This wavering is all about going from grace to law, from faith to works, from trusting in the Lord's Finished Work to man's self-effort. That is what is happening here!

Then comes this very harsh pronunciation from our Lord Jesus:

[B]ecause thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

The King James Version gives off a harsh, inexorable stance from Jesus. The Greek more accurately reads "I am about to spit you out of my mouth,"

Jesus is about to, but He does not! Right away, that should inspire relief and respite for all who read this. Think aboout it, besides: if Jesus was going to spit out the pastor at the Church of Laodicea, why would He have bothered to send them a letter in the first place?

Consider how the New International Version renders this verse:

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Even when Jesus has to issue a stern warning to a pastor, He is all about grace. He wants to help them--He wants to help all of us even when we are lost in our self-serving delusions.

Next, Jesus says:

17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Ouch! Quite an indictment!

It does sound like some of the churches we see in our world today. Church leaders are talking a great deal about "Name it and Claim it," they share a great deal on tithe, tithing, and tithers. They even make the case that God does not bless you unless you give first. Of course, even the first mention of tithing in the Bible clearly illustrates that God blesses us, and then we tithe in response to His goodness! (Genesis 14)

Sadly, there are so many pastors and church leaders who assume that they are great and are all taken care of simply because they are wealthy, have lots of stuff, and they really think that they don't need anything. And yet they are:

1. Wretched: 5005 talaípōros (an adjective, derived from talaō, "to bear, undergo" and pōros, "a callous," J. Thayer) – properly, wretched (beaten-down) from continued strain, leaving a person literally full of callouses (deep misery) – describing a person with severe side-effects from great, ongoing strain (significant hardships).

Many people who boast in their wealth have relied on their own strength and have harmed themselves, their health, their families in the process. God's kind of prosperity never causes such harm:

"The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it." (Proverbs 10:22)

Amen! How silly for people to boast in their wealth, when it cost them so much more attain it through their own means. Besides, God's heart is for all of us to prosper and be in health--even as our soul prospers (3 John2).

2. Miserable: Cognate: 1652 eleeinós (from 1656, eleos, "mercy") – pitiable, wretched; in great need of mercy (because desperate).

This church leader thinks that they do not need more mercy, more grace, and yet Paul urges us to receive--and keep receiving--the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17). Peter's last words urge his readers to "Grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord." (2 Peter 3:18).

3. Poor: 4434 ptōxós (from ptōssō, "to crouch or cower like a beggar") – properly, bent over; (figuratively) deeply destitute, completely lacking resources (earthly wealth) – i.e. helpless as a beggar. 4434 (ptōxós) relates to "the pauper rather than the mere peasant, the extreme opposite of the rich" (WP, 1, 371).

Wow! What we find, then, is that this Laodicean church was truly "all talk." They said that they were rich, but in fact they actually were not! They had lots of pride, but in reality they were in great need!

4. blind: Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 5185: τυφλός
τυφλός, τυφλοῦ, ὁ (τύφω, to raise a smoke; hence, properly, 'darkened by smoke'), from Homer down, the Sept. for עִוֵּר, blind;

Throughout the Bible, blindness is a sign not just of someone who cannot physically see, but more importantly represents someone who has forgotten that all of his sins have been forgiven:

"But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." (2 Peter 1:9)

5. Nake: gumnos: naked, poorly clothed

Original Word: γυμνός, ή, όν
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: gumnos
Phonetic Spelling: (goom-nos')
Definition: naked, poorly clothed
Usage: rarely: stark-naked; generally: wearing only the under-garment; bare, open, manifest; mere.

When we think of nakedness, what comes to mind is not merely a lack of clothing in itself, but it reminds me of Adam and Eve, who became naked because their eyes were no longer looking at God's goodness and provision, but rather at themselves and their inadequacies in themselves. They wanted to depend on their own knowledge and wisdom, and what they found was inevitably inadequate.

Nakedness speaks to our sinful state in ourselves, our weakness on our own without Christ. In trusting ourselves with everything, we find ourselves lost, losing, and lacking in so many ways.

But Jesus does not stop there and just shame them for their current status.

18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 

Now, this passage is confusing!

First, Jesus tells the messenger of the church that he is poor and blind and wretched (might as well as throw in 'sloppy, dumpy, and stupid.') And now Jesus is telling him to buy something from Him? And not just anything, but "gold tried in the fire" and "white raiment" and "eyesalve."

We are not talking about cheap goods here.

Let's take a look at the first part of the verse "I counsel thee to buy ..."

Counsel:

sumbouleuó: to take counsel together, advise

Original Word: συμβουλεύω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: sumbouleuó
Phonetic Spelling: (soom-bool-yoo'-o)
Definition: to take counsel together, advise
Usage: I give advice, exhort; mid: I take counsel together, consult.

HELPS Word-studies

4823 symbouleúō (from 4862 /sýn, "identify with" and 1011 /bouleúō, "to plan," which is derived from 1012 /boulḗ, "a resolute plan") – properly, to consult (counsel) together, like when people plan something out together with high resolve (keeping to their pre-set goals).

Jesus was not just on the outside giving advice. Here, Jesus is working with the pastor: "Let's do this together."

And what about that word "buy"?

agorazó: to buy in the marketplace, purchase

Original Word: ἀγοράζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: agorazó
Phonetic Spelling: (ag-or-ad'-zo)
Definition: to buy in the marketplace, purchase
Usage: I buy.

HELPS Word-studies

59 agorázō (from 58 /agorá, "the ancient marketplace, town-center") – properly, to make purchases in the marketplace ("agora"), i.e. as ownership transfers from seller to buyer.

59 /agorázō ("acquire by purchasing") stresses transfer – i.e. where something becomes another's belonging (possession). In salvation-contexts, 59 (agorázō) is not redeeming ("buying back"), but rather focuses on how the believer now belongs to the Lord as His unique possession (J. Thayer). Indeed, Christ purchases all the privileges and responsibilities that go with belonging to Him (being in Christ).

We are not talking about a mere exchange of goods here. We are talking about a deeper revelation of Christ's redeeming work. In effect, one could more precisely translate the phrase:

"Agree with me to receive from me something that I have bought for you."

This verse, this revelation reminds me of Isaiah 55:

"1Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." (Isaiah 55:1-3)

How exactly do we buy something 'without price'? We receive it by grace, through faith! YES!

Now, let's delve more deeply into what Jesus is provided to the Church in Laodicea:

Gold: that speaks of the Gift of righteousness, our sure foundation based on Jesus' Finished Work

The white raiment speaks of the Robe of righteousness, which clothes us, YES!

And what about the eyesalve?

Well, this is a very interesting word in the original Greek:

eyesalve:

kollourion: eye salve.

Original Word: κολλούριον, ου, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: kollourion
Phonetic Spelling: (kol-loo'-ree-on)
Definition: eye salve
Usage: eye-salve.

kollurion: a small bread roll, an eye salve (shaped like a roll).

Transliteration: kollurion
Definition: a small bread roll, an eye salve (shaped like a roll)

What is the eyesalve for? Obviously, to heal a person's sight, soo that they can see clearly.

Notice also that this eyesale is the same word for bread, a small bread roll specifically. Where have we read about this connection between eating bread and seeing?

In The Gospel of Luke!

"30And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight." (Luke 24:30-31)

Here, we have the breaking of the bread, commmunion! When Cleopas and his wife broke the bread with Jesus in their midst, they saw HIM! They did not see their sins, they did not see their failures, they did not see their losses. They saw HIM!

And that is what Jesus is so determined to restore to the Laodicean church. They need to see Him. They need to see all their needs can only be met in Him. Their needs are far greater than food and cleathing. Consider what Jesus said to the Israelites of His day during His earthly ministry:

"25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?  .... 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:25, 33)

The issue is righteousness! This righteousness is something that Jesus has purchased for us! In fact, not just any status of righteousness, but because of Jesus, we have been made the righteousness of God in Him! (2 Corinthians 5:21)

What was plaguing the Laodicean church? They thought that they were righteousness becaused of their great wealth and status. They were depending on their own efforts, and boasting in their own works. They did not have a revelation of the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17). They had works, and they thought they were alive, but they were actually dead.

They were mixing up law and grace, trusting in their own efforts. This Galatian errror receives the harshest rebuke, and yet let us not forget that this church not only learned the lesson, received correction, but thrived for centuries afterwards. AMEN!

The Meaning of the Tithe: Melchizedek

I was reading this great passage in the Book of Hebrews about the tithe:

"1For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

 "4Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. 5And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: 6But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. 7And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. 8And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. 9And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. 10For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him." (Hebrews 7:1-10)

 When we tithe, we are tithing for future generations, and to bless future generations.

 Our tithe is a testimony that JESUS LIVES!

 And where is Jesus now? Jesus is our Great High Priest, a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek! He is seated at the Right Hand of the Father (Psalm 110:1)

The Melchizedek priesthood has only blessings, no cursing.

“18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” (Genesis 14: 18-20)

Our Great High Priest lives after the power of an endless life (Hebrews 7:16). While under the Old Covenant, the nation of Israel would be accepted or rejected depending on sometimes a very undependable high priest, we have a Great High Priest who offered one sacrifice for sins FOREVER (Hebrews 10:12)!

And what is He doing up there? He ministers on our behalf! Is he standing or sitting?

He is seated! Because He Finished the work. Under the Old Covenant, priests had to stand daily ministering, making sacrifices. Jesus completed the work once for all forever. He is not just the propitiation for our sins, but for the sins of the entire world (1 John 2:1-2)

When you tithe, you testify to your living Great High Priest, who ministers on your behalf, after the power of an endless life! Your Wisdom your Righteousness, Your Sanctification, and Your Redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30)

Righteousness as a Never-Ending New Status

  "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

In 2008, I received a massive revelation of great joy. I thank Joyce Meyer big time for this revelation, since she first pointed to me the verse quoted above.

In Christ Jesus, we are not just righteous, but we are made THE righteousness of God. We have His standard of righteous standing. We can never be condemned, for now we stand in the same blessed joy and favor of God's own Son!

Where I began to have problems, however, was that I felt that I had to hold onto this status of righteousness. I was believing that I had to do certain things in order to "maintain" this status of righteousness.

I also did not understand how I could be righteous, even when I was struggling with sins, bad habits, dark secrets, etc.

Righteousness is an identity, a new identity. In fact, Paul made that abundantly clear four verse prior:

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

When you are a new creation, you are no longer an old creation. You cannot go back to being that old creation, either.

Other voices, other contentions that I struggled with included:

1. How am I supposed to live?

2. What if I am doing the wrong thing?

3. What will happen to me tomorrow? 

4. What is the point of being alive, since everything is taken care of?

The real problem was that I was halting between two opinions. I did not understand the Gospel of Grace one bit. I did not understand that all of my sins are forever forgiven AND that I receive His life, Jesus, in myself:

"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:4)

Jesus provides everything for me. I am not alone in this life. I do not have to figure things out on my own. Even if I fail, fall, or frustrate, I know that He is taking care of me.

Today, those questions no longer bother me. There is no worries about tomorrow, because who I am is not going to change. I am in Christ, and as He is, so am I in this world. (1 John 4:17). He will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5), and therefore there is nothing that I can or cannot do that will change my status in Him.

Yet another question would often pose itself to me: "What is to stop you from doing the wrong thing?"

The answer has been abundantly provided to me through the blessed ministry of Pastor Joseph Prince. Here are the verses:

"11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:11-14)

Grace is a teacher. In fact, Grace is The Teacher, for Jesus is Grace Personified:

"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17)

And Christ is my righteousness, too (1 Corinthians 1:30)

This is not a life of striving and toil. Indeed, this is a life of resting and receiving. AMEN!

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17)

I am not trying to live this life on my own. This life is His life in me, and I reign in life with Christ Jesus!

All of this was not clear to me for so many years, because I had received so much terrible baggage and bad ideas from my parents. They were both under law, they both did not know the Gospel of Grace, they were so seeped in "I do my part, and then God will do His part." How wrong they were.

This mixed message "Gospel" is not the Gospel truth, and no one should fall for it. No one.

Either we are saved by grace, or we are saved by works. Either Jesus did it all, or He did nothing at all. He does not play second fiddle to our efforts, and we do not get to claim any pre-eminence in our part to keep ourselves.

The status of righteousness is something that He gives me, that He is in me and for me, that no one can take away. Thank you, Lord Jesus! Amen!

The problem was that I had all kinds of mixed messages and messaging. It's only recently that I have understood that there is not one thing that I must do or maintain or anything else.

My Daddy God is a God to me, because His Son has paid for all my unrighteousness. and therefore God does not remember my sins or inquities any longer.

AMEN!