Category: Bible Study

Matthew 4: We Will be Tested in our Walk

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Matthew 4 is a famous chapter, and most everyone – believers and unbelievers alike – know the theme of this true story. After being baptized, Jesus was immediately lead into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. There, Jesus was temped by the Devil.

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”  But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4: 1-4.

I find it astounding that the Holy Spirit is the One who lead Jesus into the wilderness to go through hardship and temptation. This is so eye-opening, because as we follow Christ, we will go through things similar to what Christ went through. In Romans, Paul calls this the fellowship of suffering.

“…and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.“ Romans 8:17

We must suffer with Him to be glorified with Him. There is absolutely no easy way out. Believers will go through hardships, through temptations, through trials and tribulations. Each believer is unique in what they go through, what God has allowed and ordained in order to sanctify us, strengthen our faith, and prepare us for the coming glory.

“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:6-7

So just as Jesus was tempted by the devil in the suffering season of the wilderness, so will we be tempted as believers. We will go through dry, dead-like seasons of drought, of lack of growth, a place where water is hard to be found. But the comforting thing is is that it is all in the Lord’s hands. Just like the Holy Spirit of God lead Jesus, He also leads us.

But in that season of temptation, we must be on guard. The Bible says to be alert because the devil is prowling like a lion. He is looking for every opportunity to have us fail tests that God allows in our life. Staying strong in seasons of flourish will help us hold onto the Lord in seasons of difficulty.

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

When Jesus was tested, He used the Word of God to combat the devil. So ought we should do! As children of God, we need to bathe ourselves in the things of God by reading scripture, meditating on the beauties of God, being fed by teachings of the Word, and partake in the spiritual emblems of the Lord – a high calling!

Even if in our testing we start to crumble and fall, we will never really fall because God holds us in the palm of His hand. He holds us up. We’re already victorious in Christ!

“He will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” Romans 14.4b

So believer, walk into any season or moment of testing and trials with the strength of the Lord. He’s the mighty One, He’s the strong One, He is the One who loves us so much that He rescued us from eternal destruction by His death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. If He accomplished all that, what more can and will He accomplish for us when we are in the desert!

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Whowill bring charges against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedesfor us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, orfamine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Just as it is written: “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE KILLED ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE REGARDED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, norlife, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-38

Matthew 3: Christ Calls us to Repent

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One of Jesus’ first word at the start of His ministry was “repent“.

“This is the time of fulfillment.The kingdom of God is at hand. So repent (mετανοείτε), and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15).

I find it so fitting and perfect that these were His first words when He began His ministry. He calls us to repent. He came to earth, God in the flesh, to give man the opportunity to repent. Without Christ, people don’t even have the option to turn to God. We were born in this world stained with sin, and like we learned in my study on Matthew 1, because Adam sinned and we were all in his body when he fell and became separated from God, we all fell and became stained with sin and separated from God.

But Christ changed things. From my study on Matthew 2, we learned that the name Jesus means salvation, and that’s because He is the bridge leading us back to God. He is the hand of God, reaching out to us poor, wretched sinners, and asking us to come. He is our Maker, who suffered tremendous torture in order to give us this choice, this opportunity to repent.

So, what does repent mean?

It means to turn.

Repent means that you turn to God. Your life was on a trajectory in one direction – a direction away from God and towards damnation. But when you repent, you humbly realize that you’re a sinner in need of a saviour. The direction of your life is now towards God and away from sin.

Repent is not necessarily an outward behaviour of just “doing good things and not sinning”. Repent is such a deeper thing. It’s in the deepest corner of your heart. It’s your heart changing, turning towards God which leads to forgiveness and redemption. In this, you become born-again and actions begin to follow because of your changed heart and regeneration. Not the other way around. Heart first then behaviour changes.

Repent is such a term used so often and even in ways that the word was mistreated or misplaced. It’s been used in ways promoting a works-based salvation and been used in abusive ways. But really, the word simply means changing your heart towards God.

This happens right before you are saved and it leads to the moment of salvation.

Then, for believers, their lives and hearts are now set on the things of God and not desirous of sins that are displeasing to God. Yet, because we’re human and will always fall short and slip up, we’re called to continually turn to God and repent. But this repentance isn’t the kind to get us saved or keep our salvation, it just means that we are aware of our sin, and continually walking that narrow path of a Christian, turning to God when we mess up and trusting that He has grace for us.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)

Christ’s call for all to repent is so life-giving. It’s an invitation to turn our hearts to God. It’s a door that we can open into eternal life by putting our faith in Him and turning towards Him in repentance.

Repent is a beautiful word and can ignite both a spark of hope in one person and fear in another person. Spark of hope because repentance leads to salvation, and fear because if one doesn’t repent, they will suffer damnation.

Let the word repent ignite a spark of hope in your heart.

Matthew 2: God’s Plans Will Always Prevail

On By The DiscernerIn Bible Study38 Comments

Reading Matthew chapter 2, a theme really stood out to me. Read these verses below!

“And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.” (Matthew 2: 12-14)
“But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.” (Matthew 2: 19-21)

The theme that stood out to me is the truth of God’s plans always prevailing. As we can see, His will can not be thwarted. Herod wanted to murder Jesus because he felt threatened by this newborn King. He thought that because he was such a powerful man, that he could take it into his own hands and murder this King. Little did he know, that this King wasn’t just any King, this King is the King of Kings, including King over Herod. This newborn baby was God in the flesh, and Herod’s plans to murder Jesus could never have come to fruition.

As a believer, this gives me great comfort. Life is so wish-washy. Life is so fickle. We think we will live to 90, when in reality we can’t even control our next breath. We think we can’t know the truth of our existence, when in reality the truth is right in front of us, in all of creation.

This theme of God’s plan prevailing gives me great comfort because in a world full of fickle randomness, to know that I am a child of God, literally His child, I know that my life is no longer random. Being in Christ means that I have benefits that start here and lead to eternity. Benefits, such as having God’s direct care and provision, knowing that my prayers are heard, knowing that I am cared for, knowing that He has a plan for my life and He will fulfill that plan through me, knowing that my pain has a purpose and I am not here to suffer and die, but suffer and be glorified, knowing that I am loved, forgiven, set free, redeemed, and covered in God’s protection…there is nothing comparable to that.

Before I trusted in Christ, I had no one to turn to. Yes, there’s always a person, a family member, a friend…but they are imperfect and can’t be everything you need at every moment. But when I was redeemed, that all changed. I now have God, who is unchanging, always the same, and always there for me. He’s the King of Kings, and in control of my life and is benevolent and graceful towards me.

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

If people only know this immense treasure and gift was right at their heart’s fingertips, they would turn to Jesus in a blink. They would no longer walk in this world lost and wandering, they would have purpose, hope, and a calling. They would experience a love so deep that they could never experience within this fallen world.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
“You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.” (Song of Solomon 4:7)

To have the God of Heaven feel this way about us? What a beautiful God. A God so great He created all of the beauty we see in the world. A God so intelligent that He created Math. A God so loving that He gave His son for us. A God so sweet that He comforts us with fuzzy kittens.

The amount of beauty from this God is indescribable. And the greatest miracle of all? That He came as a vulnerable newborn baby, to redeem humanity from the fall that occurred in the Garden of Eden. What kind of loving God do we have, that would do such a thing?! He was born to sacrifice His precious, Holy, unstained life – for our miserable, wretched, vile and foul sins.

This God could have let us just die and go to hell without even a thought of dying on the cross for our sins. But, because God is love, He would never do such a thing. He is love. Love comes from Him and there is no such thing as love outside of Him.

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

This loving God belongs to me, and I belong to Him. That’s because I came to Christ and now I am His Bride.

“I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.” (Song of Solomon 6:3)

Because I have this close relationship with Christ, I know that my life on earth is no longer random. His plans and desires will prevail in my life and no mere human can stop his plans from taking place. And this is true for every believer in Christ. But to have this, a person must come to Christ and put their faith in Him.

Reading Matthew 2 really comforted me when I saw this theme and honed in on it. And I hope it comforts you. If you are a believer, know how powerful God is over your life and nothing can thwart His plans. If you are an unbeliever, know that you too can have this.

All you have to do is receive it.

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)

Bible Study: Matthew 1

On By The DiscernerIn Bible Study7 Comments

Matthew is the first book of the New Testament. This is where Jesus is first introduced, as He is the pinnacle height of all human history. The long-awaited Messiah is finally here. Why is this important? Because prior to Christ, there was no hope of human redemption. Since Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, all of the seed inside of his body (the entire human race that would come forth into existence) fell with Adam and the rest of the world.

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12)

Unfortunately, that one sin of Adam effected the entire human race and the world around us. This is because sin brings death and separates us from God’s holy perfection. Many people blame God for the problems around us in this world and shake their fists at Him – this is complete foolishness, because in reality they should be shaking their fists at themselves. We as humans are the ones who sin, not God. Look at this world and tell me, is God the one murdering, raping, being hostile, cursing, and sinning? No, it’s humans. It is prideful to place the blame of our sins on a holy, perfect, righteous God. And of course, pride is the original sin. So it’s no wonder why so much of the human race as enough pride to be shaking their fists, angry at the Creator of Heaven and Earth (all the while enjoying His creation!)

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:12-15)

As we can see, the first sin ever committed was by Satan himself, in heaven. And what was his sin? Pride. Pride for thinking he can be more glorious, more high than God himself. Can you guess what Adam’s first sin really was? If you guessed pride, you are correct. It wasn’t about eating a piece of fruit that caused humanity to fall and be separated from God, it was disobeying God. And any disobedience in God stems in pride. Pride, because we think we know better than God not to obey Him and His commands. Pride, because we want our own way, not God’s way. So, the devil was the first sinner in Heaven, and his sin was pride. Now, let’s zoom in on the Garden of Eden where Satan tempts the first human beings to sin now – human beings in which he has a deep hatred for. Why? Because human beings are made in God’s image.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Genesis 1:27).

“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” (Genesis 3:1-6)

Zooming on on Genesis 3, we see that Satan lured Eve into disobeying God and eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and Adam followed suit. Because Satan fell due to his pride, he tempted Adam and Eve to likewise be prideful in disobeying God, just as he did in Heaven. Eating the piece of fruit was so much more than just eating a piece of fruit. It echoed the pride of Satan in Heaven, and the root of it is pride against God, wanting to be like God.

They weren’t satisfied with just being human and being under the Lordship of Christ. They wanted more. This is what caused the fall of humanity, and this is in the heart of every human: pride.

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-18)

Can you see how pride would be the root of all sin? It’s the first sin that took place in Heaven and then in the Garden of Eden, and it’s the root of all sin in humanity today and through all generations. Think about it: all sin is disobedience to God, and disobedience to God means you are being rebellious to your Creator. And the truth is, is that we all are. We are all sinners, we all have pride. We have all fallen, and we all deserve judgement for our sins which includes hell. We have all been separated from God, because He is holy and we are not.

This is why we need Jesus.

Let’s get back to Matthew now. Here comes the introduction of Jesus Christ. He had long been prophesied over the span of thousands of years. Matthew starts by listing Christ’s genealogy. This is important because it displays that Christ indeed came through Adam, like all human beings, yet did not sin (because He is God). Another important aspect is that this genealogy also displays that Jesus came from the line of David, which is important because the Messiah was repeatedly prophesied to come from the seed of David.

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” (Matthew 1:18)

The text goes into declaring that Mary became pregnant not through sexual intercourse, as all humanity does, but from the Holy Spirit – this is to show that Christ, though He is man, He is not merely man but God in the flesh. He was conceived in a virgin through the Holy Spirit. This means, though He was born as a descendant of Adam, He is not under Adam’s fallen nature that was given to all humanity. He is outside the sin that took place in the Garden of Eden. Humanly speaking, Jesus was born through the line of Adam, but spiritually speaking, Jesus was not under the fallen nature of Adam because He came from God and he is God.

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1: 21)

Jesus is a powerful name, and has abundantly powerful meaning behind His name. His name means salvation, and He is what all of humanity desperately needs. Because all of humanity has fallen because we come from Adam, who sinned in the Garden of Eden, we were separated from God. Jesus is the One who can restore us to God, the way it was originally intended for humanity prior to Adam’s sin. Through Jesus and only Jesus, we can be reconciled to God.

It is imperative to let go of our pride and humble ourselves under God. He literally made us, shouldn’t we submit to Him? Coming to Christ in trust and faith, repenting and turning to our Creator in humbleness will lead to all abundant blessing. He will forgive us of all our transgression against Him. He is so ready to forgive, but it takes receiving His forgiveness and grace. That’s all it takes – letting go of our pride, and trusting in Jesus.

Why is Jesus the One to save us from our sins?

Because humanity could never be sinless, which is the only way to be restored to God and enter eternity in His presence. Jesus, being both fully man (born from a woman) and fully God (conceived by the Holy Spirit), He is the one who lived that sinless, perfect life for us, and died for our sins. He became the sacrifice for our sins, because sin = death. All of God’s judgement and ager went on Jesus on the cross of calvary. And now, if you repent and trust in Christ, you will be given God’s endless grace and mercy, and be forgiven of your sins. When this happens, all of Christ’s perfection now rests upon you, and God only sees Christ’s perfection when He looks at you. He no longer sees your sin, and you will no longer be judged and sent to eternal damnation for your sins.

“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.” (1 Corinthians 5:21)

It’s both incredibly simple, yet hard. Simple, because all it takes is putting your faith and trust in Christ, yet it’s hard. Why? Because it means that you have to let go of your pride. Satan is a real entity and he wants to ensure people stay away from God and rebel against Him, just like he did in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. He’s still doing that today. He hates human beings because they are made in the image and likeness of God, and so he wants as many people to go to hell as possible. There is spiritual warfare at work to keep people in their sin and pride and not trust in Jesus Christ.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” (James 4:7-8)

Jesus lovingly came to this broken, sinful world, and lived a perfect life. He sacrificed His perfect life for our sins, so that we may have His perfection resting upon us like a blanket, and that we can salvation and be reconciled to God. Jesus is the height of human history, no other will ever do what He did. And all who come to Him will be given forgiveness, redemption, and God’s endless grace.