Like a chestnut tree

Now the angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you, and as for you, you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed Me; what is this thing that you have done? Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from you; but they will become like thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’” Now when the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people raised their voices and wept. (vv. 1-4)

This chapter describes the decline of the Israelites after they entered the Promised Land. God wanted to punish the Canaanites for their evil deeds and commanded the Israelites to drive them out. However, the Israelites failed to drive them out and instead served other gods. As a result, God used the Canaanites to oppress the Israelites because they did not follow Him wholeheartedly. After Joshua died, God appointed judges one after another to lead the Israelites.

Then the Lord raised up judges who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they committed infidelity with other gods and bowed down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do the same as their fathers. And when the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who tormented and oppressed them. (vv. 16-18)

God did not choose the Israelites because they were righteous. Instead, He chose one man, Abraham, and made his descendants into a nation to teach us about the Kingdom. Even before entering the Promised Land, some of them—if not most—were already following foreign gods.

“Now then, do away with the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” (Joshua 24:23)

It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you are going in to take possession of their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God is driving them out from before you, and in order to confirm the oath which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Deuteronomy 9:5)

Strictly speaking, it was not the Canaanites who caused the Israelites to worship idols. Their hearts remained blind and corrupt even after forty years in the wilderness. They witnessed countless miracles and saw everything God had done for them, yet they still turned to idols.

“Now then, do away with the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” (Joshua 24:23)

Through all this, God teaches us about the curse of the conditional covenant. Under the conditional covenant, there is no grace. Grace cannot exist within the framework of a covenant that depends on human obedience. From beginning to end, the Bible presents one consistent message: grace is truly grace only under the unconditional covenant. Jesus Christ had to accomplish what was necessary to make this possible. However, we should not interpret His work as meeting the conditions of the conditional covenant, because He is fundamentally different from Adam.

Many false theologians and ministers have tried to mix grace with works. Yet we can do nothing apart from God’s grace. The salvation we receive through Jesus Christ is not taken away because of our failures or our works. Even as believers, we continue to face temptation and are enticed by sin every day.

Many people become Christians when they hear the good news. However, church leaders often burden them with countless rules, as though their salvation could be lost because of their works. The good news is truly good because it is received freely. Eternal life is God’s gift, not a reward earned or maintained by human effort. No additional works are required to secure the salvation that God has given.

The Son of God became human not to fulfill the conditions of the conditional covenant, but to free us from it. To accomplish this, He became the one and only perfect sacrifice, reconciling God with His people. His mission was not a condition imposed on Him in the same way that Adam was placed under a conditional covenant. Although His obedience brought about our salvation, we should not describe His work as fulfilling the conditions of the conditional covenant. Rather, His sacrifice established the unconditional covenant through which God’s grace is freely given to His people.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel!” (John 1:47-49)

Now it came about after the death of Joshua that the sons of Israel inquired of the Lord, saying, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have handed the land over to him.” (vv. 1-2)

The Book of Judges begins with the capture of Jerusalem after the death of Joshua. Beginning with Moses, the leaders of Israel served as shadows of the true Leader, Jesus Christ. Moses could not lead the Israelites into the land of Canaan, but Joshua did. The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua. Yet Joshua did not capture Jerusalem; instead, the tribe of Judah did, according to God’s command.

Out of the thirteen tribes of Israel, God chose Judah to capture Jerusalem. It was not because Judah had done anything better than the other sons of Jacob to earn God’s favour. We know that Judah’s lineage continued through his sexual union with his daughter-in-law, Tamar. Without any good deeds to his credit, God appointed Judah to receive this honour. Our Lord Jesus Christ was born from the tribe of Judah in fulfilment of God’s prophecy.

He also rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion, which He loved.
And He built His sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has established forever.
He also chose His servant David
And took him from the sheepfolds;
From the care of the ewes with nursing lambs He brought him
To shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel His inheritance.
So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,
And guided them with his skillful hands. (Psalm 78:67-72)

Many people think that Jerusalem is merely the geographical city we can see with our physical eyes. However, the true Jerusalem is Mount Zion, the holy place from which God will rule in the coming Kingdom. That city is not presently on earth. Therefore, it is futile to visit Jerusalem in Israel expecting to receive spiritual benefits simply by being there.

The latter part of the chapter describes how the Israelites failed to drive out all the Canaanites, as God had commanded. Under the conditional covenant, it may appear that Israel’s downfall in the Old Testament resulted from their disobedience, and in that covenantal context, this is true. However, through the death of Christ, God removed the dividing wall between the Israelites and the Gentiles. The distinction between Jew and Gentile was abolished in Christ, as God established the New Covenant.

When the Lord your God brings you into the land where you are entering to take possession of it, and He drives away many nations from before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, and when the Lord your God turns them over to you and you defeat them, you shall utterly destroy them. You shall not make a covenant with them nor be gracious to them. Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them: you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. For they will turn your sons away from following Me, and they will serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you. But this is what you shall do to them: you shall tear down their altars, smash their memorial stones, cut their Asherim to pieces, and burn their carved images in the fire. For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His personal possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 7:1-6)

The Israelites’ failure to drive out the Canaanites in this chapter foreshadows Israel’s future under the conditional covenant. These events took place because God intended to teach us about life under that covenant. However, we are no longer under the conditional covenant but under the unconditional covenant. God does not require us to keep the covenant in order to gain or maintain our salvation.

With this in mind, we should reexamine the practices and political positions that many churches adopt regarding the situation in Israel. Many Christian leaders do not seem to distinguish clearly between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament exists for the New Testament. Only the unconditional covenant remains.

Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people. And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold. But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24: 9-14)

The passage tells us what will happen in the end times: tribulation and hatred toward true Christians. False prophets and false teachings about God will become rampant, leading to lawlessness. People will care only about themselves and become unwilling to help others.

Many so-called Christians believe that they can make the world Christian. They follow Christian leaders who have fame and wealth. These leaders receive the spotlight and the praise of many. They influence people in politics. The United States, among all nations with a strong Christian heritage, has often been praised for guarding the faith and evangelising unbelievers. However, much of its Christianity is based on doctrines that originated in England and are false. Christianity has shifted its focus from truth to people. Many join a church for a sense of community rather than for the truth. A nation once regarded as a great Christian country is now declining rapidly while holding firmly to the false doctrines it has long preached. Christianity has shifted from Sola Gratia to a merit-based understanding of salvation. I see the root of this corruption in the doctrine of the Active Obedience of Christ.

People do not care about the truth. They want to gain something beneficial from joining a church community. Many attend Bible studies with little or no understanding, although it is not their fault that they cannot understand the Word of God. If God does not open their eyes, they cannot see. God has appointed only certain people to receive the Holy Spirit; therefore, others remain spiritually blind. The problem arises when false Christians become leaders within their church communities, spreading and even teaching false doctrines. As a result, true Christians endure tribulation and mockery. These false Christians do not necessarily live immoral lives. Some may even appear more generous and kind-hearted than others.

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these. For among them are those who slip into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, worthless in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress; for their foolishness will be obvious to all, just as was that also of Jannes and Jambres. (2 Timothy 3: 1-9)

God calls us to be lovers of the truth rather than followers of other people. The end may not come for another thousand years. Therefore, maintain a positive attitude in every circumstance. Do not curse anyone. Remain neutral toward the events unfolding around you. Keep your mind focused on the hope we have, knowing that God will fulfill all His promises.

For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished! (Matthew 5:18)

Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give water to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life, without cost. (Revelation 21:6)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (vv. 10-17)

It is easy to read the Bible and think of it as a series of commandments that we must keep. In fact, many Christians force themselves to do certain things because they believe God will be pleased with them.

In the past, I tried to keep the words written in the Bible, only to realise that I did not have the will or the ability to keep them. We taste the goodness of God, yet our flesh is weak. We eagerly seek God’s wisdom and strive to live a moral life before Him. Yet we also devise evil schemes that may hurt others. We act selfishly and deal treacherously with those around us.

And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (vv. 40-41)

Paul’s admonitions help us refocus on how we should live as Christians. At the same time, as we strive to obey them, we realise that we do not truly love God or others. The essence of the Law is love. We love the Law as it is good. However, we also hate the Law. Paul also realised this paradox.

For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold into bondage to sin. For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, that the Law is good. But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. (Romans 7:14-20)

Can we ever be separated from our evil nature? The answer is yes. We have been bought by God and no longer belong to those who will perish eternally. We were nothing, and we are still nothing, because there is not a single law that we are able to keep.

It is the Spirit who educates and trains us. We will be perfected in every way. For that reason, we eagerly await the Kingdom.

I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person, but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:21-25)

So husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are parts of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, as for you individually, each husband is to love his own wife the same as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband. (vv. 28-33)

The meaning and importance of marriage are quickly fading away. After the fall of humankind, every man and woman needed a lifelong partner to survive in a harsh environment. Marriage became important for survival. More children often meant greater wealth, as each child could help the family endure and prosper.

Since the Industrial Revolution, people no longer need a partner in order to survive. A person can live independently without relying on a spouse. As a result, marriage has shifted from “how we survive together” to “how I feel about this marriage.”

People still marry for various reasons. However, many no longer seem to have the desire to keep marriage holy and healthy. They quickly turn to other ways of satisfying themselves, such as adultery, divorce, or other forms of unfaithfulness.

There are certainly bad marriages in which verbal and physical abuse are rampant. Some marriages resemble invisible prisons, where one spouse seeks to control the other. Some believe their partner exists merely to make sacrifices for them. Others view their spouse as someone who enhances their image. Power struggles often arise. Conflicts, betrayal, lies, and hatred can take root. This is the reality of marriage between two fallen human beings.

Ephesians 5 tells us the true purpose and meaning of marriage. God is the husband, and the church is His bride. God shares everything with the church and loves her as His own. The church receives God’s love and, in return, loves, understands, and reveres Him. Naturally, the church desires and strives to do what pleases God.

God and the church share the same Spirit. This marriage is not centered on self or on personal feelings toward one’s partner. Rather, it is a union founded on love, faithfulness, and a shared life in God.

So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father; and subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ. (vv. 15-21)

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. (vv. 4-6)

In true Christianity, there is no confusion. Yet many ideas that arise from human imagination have caused, and continue to cause, confusion. There are many different doctrines. Some have been tested and rejected, while others have been refined and strengthened over time.

It is not difficult to become a believer. In fact, faith is a gift from God, and we cannot resist His grace. We did not know that we were God’s children until the Holy Spirit opened our eyes and enabled us to understand God’s Word.

Preaching the gospel to everyone is indeed the duty of every Christian. However, that does not mean the gospel should be compromised in order to persuade unbelievers. Christianity is destined to be hated by unbelievers. Yet many Christian leaders, who later proved to be false Christians, have taken the path of destruction. As a result, many Christians have returned to slavery. The only thing that sets us free again and again is God’s Word.

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is, Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (vv. 14-16)

Even though one may claim to be a Christian, one is not truly a Christian without knowing and speaking the truth. It is essential to belong to a church where the truth is proclaimed and where there are people who can teach and guide you.

We are often misled by outward appearances—people in fine clothes, impressive church buildings, and large congregations. Pagans follow what shines before their eyes. That is why Jesus told the Jewish leaders that they were blind. They could see external things, yet they could not recognize the truth that stood before them.

So I say this, and affirm in the Lord, that you are to no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their minds, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves up to indecent behavior for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. (vv. 17-19)

It is natural to be angry at those who spread lies about God, yet people often misinterpret this verse:

All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. (v.31)

However, Paul is referring to the sinful attitudes and evil deeds that characterise unbelievers. We no longer belong to that group, nor should we live as they do.

Some also say that we should forgive everyone indiscriminately. Yet we do not have the authority to excuse or overlook the evil committed by those who deceive others and lead them astray. Judgment belongs to God. While we are called to put away malice and personal vengeance, we must not call evil good or pretend that falsehood and corruption do not matter.

Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (v.32)

Forgiveness is not ultimately in our hands. We can forgive only when God gives us the heart to do so. God grants forgiveness according to His will and mercy. Indeed, God forgave those who crucified Jesus and persecuted Christians because they were His children, even though they acted in ignorance.

We, too, sin in ignorance. Sometimes we do not realise that we have sinned. If we claim that we do not sin and become proud, we show that the truth is not in us. True Christians respond differently from unbelievers when they become aware of their sins. Rather than justifying themselves or hardening their hearts, they repent, confess their sins, and turn again to God.

But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. (Luke 23:34)

And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation. (Luke 11:4)

… to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all people as to what the plan of the mystery is which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; so that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. Therefore I ask you not to become discouraged about my tribulations in your behalf, since they are your glory. (vv. 6-13)

Until Jesus Christ came and revealed the Father’s plan for the Kingdom, the Israelites believed that they alone were God’s chosen people. Christ was hated by the Jewish leaders because He revealed the true meaning of being “chosen.” Bloodline and genealogy, in themselves, have nothing to do with being chosen by God for salvation. Even King David’s lineage included Ruth, a Moabite woman.

Therefore, no one should be misled by claims that a person is chosen by God simply because of physical descent from Abraham. Abraham became the father of all believers because he was declared righteous through faith. That saving faith was not his own achievement but a gift from God.

Then he believed in the LORD; and He credited it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; (Ephesians 2:8)

Paul spent his entire Christian life explaining this truth. Yet many who claim to be Christians strongly oppose what he taught. They assert that God saves every human being and attempt to support their view by quoting Paul’s writings. However, this is a simple misinterpretation of his teaching.

Paul devoted much of his ministry to explaining that the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, are saved by faith. His message was not that every individual without exception would be saved, but that salvation is granted by God’s grace through faith and is not limited to a particular nation, ethnicity, or bloodline. The inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s plan of salvation was one of the central themes of his ministry.

This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

“All people” does not necessarily mean every individual who has ever been born on earth, but rather people from all groups—both Jews and Gentiles. Faith may appear to be a condition for salvation, yet faith itself is a gift from God. Therefore, we conclude that salvation ultimately depends on God’s choice and grace, not on human effort or lineage. Some are chosen for salvation, while others are not.

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. But the one who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds will be revealed as having been performed in God.” (John 3: 17-21)

As I have written before, we do not know who is truly chosen by God and who merely claims to be chosen in order to deceive others. However, I know that I have been chosen, and that knowledge humbles me because I know that I have done nothing to deserve it.

The Reformed tradition teaches the doctrine of election. However, many people dislike what they do because they place too much emphasis on heritage, lineage, or belonging to their community. In doing so, they can create an exclusive culture of the “chosen” while missing the very point of God’s grace. Some in the Reformed denominations become hostile or prejudiced toward those of different ethnic, cultural, or social backgrounds. They may act as though others are beyond God’s salvation. In this way, a denomination becomes hypocritical, like the Jewish leaders. Nevertheless, we should not make final judgments about individuals. We do not know whether there are true believers—or those whom God will bring to faith—in any community. God knows His own people and will save them according to His purpose.

Yet Christianity is not ultimately about my salvation or your salvation; it is about the Kingdom of God. We should not speculate about things we have not seen with our own eyes. Instead, we believe what God has revealed in Scripture. We have heard of the Kingdom through the testimony of God’s Word. The Kingdom is not a product of human imagination or philosophical speculation. It is real. It has substance, reality, and fulfillment in Jesus Christ and in the promises of God.

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— (1 John 1:1)

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. (vv. 20-21)

And you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest. (vv. 1-3)

Those who are not saints wake up in the morning and spend the whole day living for themselves. What they plan and what they do are centered on themselves. Their daily activities may not appear immoral. In fact, many people have high ethical standards and live according to the moral expectations of society. They pay taxes, help their communities, and care for others. Yet they are still considered sinful by God.

Why is this so?

We often think that sin is simply a matter of breaking the law. In one sense, this is correct. As Paul explains in Romans 7, sin is not recognized as sin apart from the law. However, the law ultimately reveals much more than moral standards. It reveals the knowledge of God. The law points to God’s love displayed through the cross of Christ, and its ultimate purpose is to lead us to the knowledge of God’s grand plan for His Kingdom. This knowledge is inseparable from faith, for we cannot truly believe in God without knowing Him.

Someone may claim that they have never broken the law and have lived a morally upright life. They have never harmed anyone. They work hard, serve their community, and help their neighbors. Yet if they do not possess the knowledge of God, they are still living in sin.

With this in mind, we can confidently say that there is no distinction between Jews and Gentiles. Neither truly knew God. Through Jesus Christ, the knowledge of God has been revealed. For this reason, Jesus is called the Word and the Truth. Therefore, whoever possesses the knowledge of God and believes in Him is saved, because ignorance of God is itself part of humanity’s sinful condition. Those who remain spiritually blind will not be saved.

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace; and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. (vv. 14-18)

The ultimate goal is the Kingdom of God. And the church is the Kingdom as the sole bride of God. Christ is the cornerstone.

So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. (vv. 19-22)

For this reason, we reject any teaching that says we are still sinners despite our faith and knowledge of God. Receiving the Holy Spirit by grace, apart from any prior merit of our own, and believing in God testify that we are no longer sinners condemned to eternal damnation. We have been set free.

We uphold the law as children of God, not because we fear that we might fall from grace, but because we know God and love Him. Our obedience is not the obedience of slaves seeking acceptance, but of sons and daughters who have already been accepted through Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight. He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He set forth in Him, regarding His plan of the fullness of the times, to bring all things together in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. (vv. 3-14)

There have been many objections to the doctrine of predestination, but at its core, the disagreement stems from differing understandings of who God is. Many people grow up in church and form an image of God that does not fully align with what Scripture teaches. Instead, their understanding is often shaped in a way that seeks to comfort and please everyone.

A common view portrays God as one who forgives everyone, saves everyone, never becomes angry, and always desires earthly prosperity for us. In this view, He gives whatever we ask and protects us from all harm. While such an image may attract more people to Christianity, it is not a true representation of God.

Before one can properly understand predestination, one must first consider deeper questions: Why did God create the world, and why will He bring it to an end? Does God have complete control over all things? Does He ordain and accomplish His plans, or does He merely foresee events and respond to them?

Those who reject predestination often, whether intentionally or not, lean toward the idea of salvation by works. It is difficult to deny salvation by works while also rejecting predestination. Likewise, the concept of the active obedience of Christ can be misunderstood in a way that unintentionally supports a works-based view of salvation.

God created the world and humanity for His Kingdom, and all things unfold according to His purposes. When we witness the evil in the world—war, famine, rape, exploitation, violence, and suffering—it is natural to feel sorrow and even anger. Yet we must also acknowledge the limits of our understanding. We do not see the full picture. What we do know from the Bible is that God has promised a coming Kingdom where He will wipe away every tear, and where there will be no more death, suffering, or pain.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

In considering predestination, we must also recognise that it is not our role to determine who is predestined and who is not. Within the church, we are often surrounded by people who profess to be Christians, and this can lead to the assumption that we should associate only with fellow believers. This mindset can be particularly strong in some Reformed circles, where, in my view, predestination is sometimes misunderstood or misapplied.

The truth is, we do not know who is truly saved. Our unity is not grounded in a social or institutional identity, but in the Word of God and the work of the Spirit. It is through the Word that we come to know God, and it is the Spirit who unites us in truth.

There is only one true church, that is the invisible church.

In the end, it is not the church community itself that should be our primary focus, but the truth of God. Our faith must not be built on the visible community on earth, but on God Himself.

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (vv. 15-23)

I have previously said when I was present the second time, and though now absent I say in advance to those who have sinned in the past and to all the rest as well, that if I come again I will not spare anyone, since you are seeking proof of the Christ who speaks in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we too are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you. (vv. 2-4)

There are people who speak the truth—the truth of God. This truth is logical and upholds the law. It sets us free from sin and from the death caused by sin. There is no doubt that godly people speak the truth. When saints speak the truth, its power is mighty because it is God speaking through them. That power does not come from a position, a title, a university degree, or a profession. Saints rebuke, admonish, and encourage as the Holy Spirit leads. Most importantly, saints love God and His people.

Saints understand that they are often treated as unimportant in society. We remain humble and are not interested in making ourselves appear important. Yet we speak up when the truth is threatened, because it is our life.

Many churches face various issues, one of which may be sexual immorality. Saints rebuke such things, but their words are often ignored. They are accused of being hypocritical and lawbreakers.

No one is innocent before the law. Our past, present, and future sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ. However, this does not mean that we should live according to the flesh.

Do not ignore what the Bible says.

All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16)