Like a chestnut tree

Have I sinned? What have I done to You,
Watcher of mankind?
Why have You made me Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
Why then do You not forgive my wrongdoing
And take away my guilt?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will search for me, but I will no longer exist. (vv. 20-21)

They will not teach again, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their wrongdoing, and their sin I will no longer remember. (Jeremiah 31:34)

The Book of Job is extremely important but it is often neglected because people think the book does not talk about the Messiah. The book is about knowing and understanding God. We must remember that we know God only through Jesus Christ, the Word. Therefore, He is the foundation of the kingdom.

This Book does not talk about our sins that make us require a mediator. God made Adam fall so that his offspring would know God through Jesus Christ. Adam was not a child of God. He was only a slave. But now we are the children of God through Jesus Christ, the only begotten son. The fall was necessary because we now hate anything that is against God.

No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him. (John 1:18)

Please turn away, let there be no injustice;
Turn away, my righteousness is still in it.
Is there injustice on my tongue?
Does my palate not discern disasters? (vv. 29-30)

We often link our personal sufferings to our sins. Theologians and ministers blame Adam and Eve for our misery. It is true that Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were cast out of the Garden of Eden. However, we must remember that God planned the first humans’ fall before the creation. Does this fact make God unjust? This is an important theological question because churches got separated because of this.

The Book of Job asks crucial questions concerning the law, sin, and punishment. Did Job receive all those disasters because he did something wrong or broke the law? Before the law, no one is perfect. If we sin, God disciplines and guides us through suffering. But disasters come even when we are so careful to keep the law. In Job’s case, disobedience was not the cause of the disasters he received. His friends tried to convince Job that he must have done something wrong to deserve much suffering. But we ask God through Job this question: “Why did God make Adam in the way that he could disobey?” or “Why did not God prevent Adam from sinning?” or “Why did God plan Adam’s fall before creation?”

We want to avoid suffering and we do everything we can. We try to earn money and pay for insurance because money can sometimes lessen our suffering. But we know that money can’t prevent us from suffering because we all die. People follow after idols or people who they think can secure their wealth and health. If you obey the law of God thinking it would prevent you from suffering, you are mistaken. For true Christians, life is a training ground. Our lives are full of bad surprises and suffering.

God gives us suffering because it is the most effective and only way for us to seek and understand God. In a way, suffering in our lives is our baptism.

When someone is going through hard times, pray for the person quietly instead of quickly judging and condemning him/her.

But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! (Luke 12:50)

Because of the extraordinary greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

It came about after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is trustworthy, as My servant Job has. (Job 42:7)

In this chapter, Eliphaz illustrates his understanding of God. On the outside, everything he says sounds true. Paul quotes Eliphaz’s words in verse 13 in his letter to the Corinthians:

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE BY THEIR CRAFTINESS” (1 Corinthians 3:19)

Indeed, God catches the wise by their craftiness. However, Eliphaz did not understand God. The Book of Job is about righteousness. Can a person become righteous by works or more righteous than God? The answer is no. However, Eliphaz and his friends fail to explain this to Job because they do not know God.

Similarly, theologians and ministers speak a lot about God. Their words may sound true or are true but that does not mean all of them know God. We trust them just because they completed a tertiary education in Theology, etc. Because of their many words, we think they understand God. However, true wisdom is often found in simple and uneducated Christians. The most dangerous group of people may be those who claim that they know God.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him among them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. So whoever will humble himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name, receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depths of the sea. (Matthew 18:1-6)

Christ’s words here teach us about the end of all ministers and theologians who quote Greek philosophers and those who they call “great thinkers” and praise them. None of those Greek philosophers will be saved because they did not know God. They talked about a god just like Job’s three friends. And God was angry with them. I do not believe that Anselm of Canterbury was a true Christian. I don’t believe that Richard Muller knows God.

In this world where so many meaningless words are spoken about God, we must stay alert and think about the true gospel. We became adopted children of God and are given eternal life through the Son’s death and resurrection. We are one with God and are called righteous because of faith implanted in us through the Holy Spirit. The law can save no one. From the beginning, God did not plan to give Adam eternal life for his obedience.

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH.” (Rom 1:17)

It came about after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is trustworthy, as My servant Job has. (Job 42:7)

Book of Job is like a play. There are seven main characters – God, the devil, Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, and Elihu. Many theologians and ministers quote words from Job’s three friends without understanding the context. The words written in this Book need to be interpreted with caution.

For example, Eliphaz says,

Can mankind be righteous before God?
Can a man be pure before his Maker? (v. 17)

People quote Eliphaz to back up their arguments without knowing his intentions. Eliphaz’s understanding of God is non-existent. What he talks about is a god who is federal and forensic. His arguments sound similar to those Christians who think Adam could have earned eternal life and become the head of the church by perfectly keeping God’s command.

He puts no trust even in His servants;
And He accuses His angels of error.
How much more those who live in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth! (vv. 18-19)

God makes Job’s friends speak without knowledge out of their stupidity as quoted above to reveal what is truly in Job’s heart. In all this, God’s first priority is teaching Job and also us who read the Book of Job.

It appears that all God wants from His creatures is perfect obedience. This message was the common theme in the Old Testament. However, the main theme of the whole Bible is mercy and love.

For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)

There are plenty of false Christian friends around us who accuse us when we have difficult times in our lives. We also act in the same way Job’s friends do when our friends go through difficult times. When theologians and ministers focus on the law and perfect obedience, their followers speak as Job’s friends do. They talk about the law and punishment.

We must remember that all Christians uphold the law whose essence is self-sacrificing love. However, not all who appear to uphold the law or live a moral life are true Christians. Morality cannot be what makes Christians.

When we read what Job’s three friends say, we need to read with a critical eye. God was angry at their words even though they appeared to talk only good things about God.

But false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. (2 Peter 2:1)

Why did I not die at birth,
Come out of the womb and pass away? (v. 11)

There are times in our lives when we feel we are better dead than living. Some experience hardships or trauma that make their life miserable. Some may be in a situation where they cannot escape. We can relate to Job’s dialogue in Chapter 3 in many ways. Regardless of how much we want to die, we try to save our lives instinctively if we detect any threats to our bodies. God has designed us that way because He wants us to live. We also learn about ourselves and other human beings while living. For Christians, death is a rest from intense training. We rest until the day when Christ comes.

Job’s lament is not about him wanting to die. It is his cry for help because he cannot understand the reasons behind all the calamities he has experienced. God was not tricked by the devil and caused Job to suffer. God wanted to teach Job something important concerning the whole creation. In this process, God uses the devil. With this understanding, we understand why and how Adam and Eve fell. So the Book of Job helps us to understand why God created all things.

Theologians and ministers often focus on sin, punishment, and the law. But the Book of Job tells us different things. They would argue that Job was born after Adam’s fall so he could not earn righteousness by works. TULIP is right but it does not explain everything, especially the Book of Job.

We are taught that we suffer because of our sins or the sins of our ancestors. Sufferings indeed come because of our sins.

Afterwards, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you. (John 5:14)

Job’s three friends use this rhetoric when talking to Job. However, not all suffering is from sin.

And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. (John 9:2-3)

Whether we suffer because of our sins or some other reasons, we learn about ourselves and most importantly about God.

In this Chapter, Job is close to cursing God by cursing the day he was born. God already knew what Job would think. The integrity of a human is nothing but an illusion. It does not exist.

Only through suffering, we have faith in God. How can we have faith in God without knowing Him or ourselves? Thus, faith is emphasized throughout the Bible.

We must remember that there is no work without faith. And there is no faith without the grace of God. Therefore, the grace of God is total, absolute, complete, and eternal.

If you are going through much suffering, remember that there is an end. And do not be enslaved by another human or ideas made by humans or by sinning. Pray to God for wisdom and help. For Christians, suffering is how God trains and disciplines His people. We certainly do not enjoy suffering. But suffering in our lives is inevitable and necessary. Without slavery, there is no understanding of freedom.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. (John 8:31-36)

The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds firm to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has, he will give for his life. However, reach out with Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face!” (vv. 2-5)

And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22: 37-40)

Unbelievers often think that Christians are hypocrites because we preach a moral life but our deeds speak the opposite. Indeed, Christians are hypocrites. I am also a hypocrite if I am judged according to my deeds. Many believe that Christianity is about doing good to others. But the start of the Christian life is understanding how self-centered I am.

We can pretend that we care about others, but we do not. Even in the Garden of Eden, the first humans were not as perfect as theologians and ministers preach. It is not the fruit that made them sinful. They betrayed God before eating the fruit. They believed that they were right and God was wrong.

The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3: 4-6)

Did God give the first humans a command they could not keep? Theologians and ministers insist that God gave them a command they could keep. But I disagree. Then they start arguing that God did not promote sin. It is a stupid argument. God gave the first humans a command they could not keep so that they would understand about themselves and God. Life is a training ground for us to learn. Adam’s fall was necessary for our learning.

Theologians and ministers say that Adam and Eve kept the law perfectly in the Garden of Eden and had to wait until the probation ended. But where is the mention of the probation period that they talk about in the Bible? It is absurd and stupid to mention this probation period. God never thought of making Adam the head of the church.

In chapters 1 and 2 of the Book of Job, it appears that God is tricked by the devil. But what God did to Job was planned beforehand. God knew what was in Job’s mind and it was revealed as he argued with his three friends.

Then these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. (Job 32:1)

Job was blameless and upright but the words blameless and upright were not the same as righteous. Righteousness requires a person to be one with God. One is considered righteous only when he or she believes in God. Believing in God requires one to be one with God through the Holy Spirit. Did Adam or Eve believe in God? We see it clearly that they did not. So what do we learn from this?

Adam and Eve were blameless and upright but did not have the Holy Spirit to understand and believe in God. They could not rebuke the devil when he tempted them. God’s words did not live in them. Likewise, one has no connection with Jesus Christ, the Word, until the Holy Spirit comes. One may appear to live a blameless and upright life but is unrighteous without faith because the Word does not live in him/her.

I ask those who believe that Adam was righteous and holy and he could receive eternal life by keeping the command for the probation period. Are you saying that God could not fight against the devil? If God planned Adam to be the head of the church and Adam had the Holy Spirit, why could not Adam resist the temptation? See how Jesus resisted temptations. Do you not see the difference?

Christianity is not different from other pagan religions if we focus on a blameless and upright life. By faith, we are considered righteous by God. And faith is a gift from God because it is the work of the Holy Spirit. We are all hypocrites if we are judged by our works.

Sadly, the Protestant churches chose morality over faith starting in the 17th century. And they are no longer a true Christian religion but a pagan religion.

For one will hardly die for a righteous person; though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also celebrate in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. (Romans 5:7-11)

yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16)

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. (v. 1)

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

The Book of Job is one of the most important books that explains why God made the world and how He trains His people. Some stupidly say that we only need to read the Gospels or the New Testament. The Bible was written over a few thousand years. You don’t open a book only to read the end. To understand a book, you must read the whole book. And the Bible is not just a book. It is the Book written by the Creator.

The Book of Job is one of the Wisdom books placed in the center of the Bible. As I mentioned before, the word truth in Hebrew is emet or emeth. It contains three letters – the first, the middle and the end of the Hebrew alphabet. Revelation was planned first although the first book is Genesis. And in the center, where the books of wisdom are, we find the wisdom of God. I hope this book receives proper attention in the future.

The Book of Job is often misquoted and misunderstood. People mention Job for his prosperity after much suffering. Had Job not received more wealth and children than before suffering, would it have made Job pitiful and God cruel? Job died as a happy and righteous man with or without his wealth and children because of what was revealed to Him.

We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. (James 5:11)

It is God’s compassion and mercy that made Job endure. The Book is not about Job’s integrity or patience that earned God’s blessings.

It is believed that Job lived around the same time Abraham lived. From a moral point of view, Job was better than Abraham. But Job was merely blameless and upright while Abraham was righteous. Different words were used to describe these two men. This does not mean we should promote immorality. God brings repentant sinners close to Him while He humbles the self-righteous. I mentioned that Adam before the fall was blameless, but not righteous. Understanding this book will help us understand why Covenant Theology is wrong. Adam was never given a promise of eternal life upon his perfect obedience.

This chapter describes how God uses the devil to fulfill His purpose. God gave the devil the power to take away Job’s children and belongings. Wealth can deceive people because we think we need money to help others. Wealth was sometimes used to show God’s blessings in the Old Testament. But wealth makes people slip and fall. We look righteous before others if we have wealth. Christ was born into a poor family and lived without wealth. It is strange that many churches go after money and praise wealthy people. Theologians and ministers quote the Bible wrong and preach that wealth is proof of God’s blessings. Material wealth is not God’s blessing but a curse. And we read the reason through this book.

You indeed put them on slippery ground; You dropped them into ruin. (Psalm 73:18)

True wealth is the kingdom of God. You can’t buy this with money. Money is considered the most important by people living on the earth. Therefore, Christ described the kingdom this way:

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells everything that he has, and buys that field. (Matthew 13:44)

However, money can’t buy the citizenship of the kingdom of God.

You there! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. (Isaiah 55:1)

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)

I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you. (v. 18)

In the Bible, we read about people being imprisoned. Joseph was sold as a slave. Even his father, Joseph, lived like a slave for many years. The Israelites in the Book of Judges lived like slaves. Throughout history, God’s people experienced what it is like to live as slaves. Being a slave is like living in a prison. My actions and thoughts are dictated by those who imprisoned me.

In the current civilized society, we think we are free. But from birth, we are slaves.

Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; With hard labor you shall eat from it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; Yet you shall eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread, Until you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17-19)

We must work to maintain our daily lives. When physical need becomes our idol, people do anything to satisfy it. Once they are satisfied, they create an idol with an image.

The craftsman of iron shapes a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. The craftsman of wood extends a measuring line; he outlines it with a marker. He works it with carving knives and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of mankind, so that it may sit in a house. He will cut cedars for himself, and he takes a holm-oak or another oak and lets it grow strong for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel tree, and the rain makes it grow. Then it becomes something for a person to burn, so he takes one of them and gets warm; he also makes a fire and bakes bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image and bows down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat, he roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” Yet the rest of it he makes into a god, his carved image. He bows down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.” (Isaiah 44:12-17)

It appears that people worship idols they created but the truth is they are their idols. To become an idol, they need people who serve them. Therefore, they work hard to have more money and fame than others.

For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who have their minds on earthly things. (Philippians 3:18-19)

People do not realize that they are slaves.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you are seeking to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak of the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.” (John 8:31-38)

Imprisonment exists to teach us about freedom. If we sin, we are slaves to sin. If we rely on the law for our salvation, the law is our master. And if our physical need is our idol, money is our master. Anyone who is not under the absolute grace of God is a slave.

Why the Law then? It was added on account of the violations, having been ordered through angels at the hand of a mediator, until the Seed would come to whom the promise had been made. Now a mediator is not for one party only; but God is only one. Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? Far from it! For if a law had been given that was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. But the Scripture has confined everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:19-22)

Physical imprisonment means little as we see Paul in his letters. Paul was not ashamed of the gospel. With the love God gave him, he preached the gospel with love.

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6:19-20)

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also. In addition to all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. (vv. 12-14)

Theologians and ministers dress up nicely and go to seminars, forums, etc. to discuss their ideas of God. They like quoting other theologians and talking about what comes first: faith or work. Listening to them is a waste of time and money. They want to think that they are more educated and knowledgeable than others. But the answer is in the Bible. And anyone with the Holy Spirit understands what comes first.

As I have mentioned before, God is the ultimate judge. No one is more logical than God. Paul with the Holy Spirit lays out his argument step by step. He talks about Christ’s person in chapter 1 and then Christ’s work in chapter 2. Now he talks about our new life as children of God.

We face temptations every day. However, we must remember that we are now children of God. We live according to our new status. We are new because of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we listen to God’s words.

False teachers argue that we can lose salvation if we do not obey. But that is not what Paul tells us in the Letter to the Colossians. We are already saved. We are now being educated and trained to live as children of God.

For the one who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality. (v. 25)

God does not just forgive our sins. God teaches us why our actions and thoughts are wrong. God sometimes lets us go astray briefly so that we learn from our mistakes. King David committed a grievous sin and suffered for the rest of his life. Many false Christians use David’s case as their excuse to commit adultery. They do not see the consequences of David’s sin. His sin is written in the Bible so that we would not make the same error.

Now then, the sword shall never leave your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ This is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. Indeed, you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and in open daylight.’” Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has allowed your sin to pass; you shall not die. However, since by this deed you have shown utter disrespect for the Lord, the child himself who is born to you shall certainly die.” (2 Samuel 12:10-14)

It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (Hebrews 12:7-8)

Many Christians think they are saved because they do good deeds and/or are rich and/or have many children. We know we are saved because of our understanding of God’s words. God’s words have life and make us live a new life.

For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have in your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and that they would attain to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (vv. 1-3)

I have mentioned a few times that our understanding of righteousness depends on our knowledge of Christ’s person. Theologians and ministers often emphasize Christ’s person and work. But most of them follow the Active Obedience of Christ. This means they do not understand who Christ is. If we do not know who Christ is, there is no salvation. It is because the Holy Spirit gives us the knowledge. Without the Holy Spirit, we are not the children of God. For this reason, I consider the doctrine of the Trinity the most important doctrine in Christianity. It may appear that all Christian denominations are the same but they are different because of their understanding of the Trinity. For example, the Eastern Orthodox or the Jewish religion do not accept our God as their God.

Paul builds up his arguments starting from the basic, the person of Christ, in chapter 1. And he talks about Christ’s work directly related to our salvation and adoption.

And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (vv. 13-14)

We became righteous not because Christ kept the law perfectly but because He died for us and resurrected us with Him. Those ministers and theologians who strongly support the Active Obedience of Christ (AOC) typically talk about books and articles written by other theologians and even Greek philosophers. But we simply do not need to because Paul is against the doctrine. By supporting the AOC, many theologians and ministers try to oppress us. They typically throw away predestination and justification by faith at the end of their life. It is because the AOC is based on lies about God. Paul warns us here that these people will try to take us back to Egypt. They say that we are free. But they use their freedom as an excuse for their evil deeds. So their own actions speak against them.

If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of man? These are matters which do have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and humility and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. (vv. 20-23)

True Christianity is not about dos or don’ts. It is about knowledge of God. True Christianity does not lead us to sins as some false Christians claim. We must not add anything to the cross of Christ.

Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day— things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. Take care that no one keeps defrauding you of your prize by delighting in humility and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding firmly to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. (vv. 16-19)