Holiness – Page 6 – Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1, 2

Exodus 20:1-3

And God spoke all these words, saying,

²“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

³“You shall have no other gods before me.

Matthew 4:9-10

And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”

Ezekiel 14:1-11

Then certain of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. ²And the word of the Lord came to me: ³“Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them? ⁴Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Any one of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols, ⁵that I may lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, who are all estranged from me through their idols.

⁶“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. ⁷For any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, who separates himself from me, taking his idols into his heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to a prophet to consult me through him, I the Lord will answer him myself. ⁸And I will set my face against that man; I will make him a sign and a byword and cut him off from the midst of my people, and you shall know that I am the Lord. ⁹And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. ¹⁰And they shall bear their punishment—the punishment of the prophet and the punishment of the inquirer shall be alike— ¹¹that the house of Israel may no more go astray from me, nor defile themselves anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people and I may be their God, declares the Lord God.”

Matthew 19:16-30

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”¹⁷And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, ¹⁹Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁰The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” ²¹Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” ²²When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

²³And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁵When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁶But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” ²⁷Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” ²⁸Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Questions to Consider:

1. Take a moment to briefly review the previous lessons (links above). What are some of the major themes we have seen in God’s dealings with Israel so far in the book of Exodus? How does Exodus 20:1-2 serve as an introduction and foundation to the 10 Commandments, showcasing God’s goodness and His right to rule Israel?

2. What does the first Commandment, Exodus 20:3, mean? Is God saying it’s OK for His people to worship other gods as long as He has first place? Compare Exodus 20:3 with Matthew 4:9-10. What did Jesus understand the first Commandment to mean? Where does the temptation to worship other gods come from? Who is ultimately being worshiped when someone worships a false god?

3. Why do you think God made this the first Commandment? How is the first Commandment foundational to every other command or teaching in Scripture? Can you keep the first Commandment while breaking another biblical command? Why or why not?

4. How was Israel breaking the first Commandment in the Ezekiel 14 passage? How did God respond to their attempt to approach Him as their God while still embracing their foreign gods? (8-10) How did this impact their relationship with God? (5,7,11) What did God say the people should do? (6) What would be the result of Israel’s repentance from idolatry? (5,11)

5. In the Matthew 19 passage, which Commandments did Jesus tell the rich young ruler he should keep? (18-19) Which Commandments did Jesus not mention? Were the Commandments Jesus mentioned from the first or second table of the Law? How did the rich young ruler demonstrate that he was unwilling to keep the first Commandment? (20-22) What was his god? How did Peter’s response (27) to Christ differ from the rich young ruler’s response? How did the disciples keep the first Commandment by giving up everything to follow Christ?

6. In what ways do we break the first Commandment today? What are some other “gods” we love and dedicate ourselves to before, or in addition to, Christ? Review the questions in #4. How do these principles apply to Christians today? Think over all that Christ has done for you. How is it an act of worship and thanks to Him to keep the first Commandment?

Homework:

Give this song a listen. Could you sing these lyrics truthfully? In what ways does it exemplify the first Commandment? Are you breaking the first Commandment in any areas of your heart and life? Repent and receive Christ’s forgiveness.

The Ten (10 Commandments Bible Study)

The Ten: Lesson 2

November 2, 2016January 28, 2024 Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1

Exodus 19:

On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. ²They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, ³while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ⁴‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. ⁵Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; ⁶and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

⁷So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. ⁸All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. ⁹And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.”

When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, ¹⁰the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments ¹¹and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹²And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. ¹³No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” ¹⁴So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. ¹⁵And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”

¹⁶On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. ¹⁷Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. ¹⁹And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. ²⁰The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

²¹And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish. ²²Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.” ²³And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’” ²⁴And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” ²⁵So Moses went down to the people and told them.

Questions to Consider:

1. Refresh your memory on the answers to the bullet point questions from Lesson 1 (link above). What are the major events that led Moses and Israel up to the point where they are now in chapter 19? Do you see the steps God has taken to call Israel out of slavery and begin establishing them as a nation? In what ways has God demonstrated that He has a right to rule over Israel? How does God’s right to rule Israel lay the foundation for God giving the 10 Commandments?

2. Briefly review Exodus 18:13-26. How would having a codified set of laws (i.e. the 10 Commandments) have helped the people as well as Moses and the elders as they judged cases? Do you see how this passage helps show the need for the 10 Commandments to be laid down?

3. In chapter 19, verses 3-6, which words and phrases show God’s goodness, kindness, tenderness, love, and care for His people? How do these verses indicate God’s authority over His people? Verses 5-6 outline what we now call the Mosaic Covenant. In this “if/then” pronouncement, what are the “ifs” required of the people and the “thens” God promises them in return? Is this a unilateral or bilateral covenant? What was the people’s response to the covenant? (7-8)

4. Did the Mosaic Covenant promise people right standing with God as long as they simply obeyed His laws with their outward behavior? How did faith and the attitude of the heart factor into Old Testament obedience and righteousness? How is this similar to God’s expectations of obedience for Christians today?

5. What actions were the people to take in preparation for God’s appearance on Mount Sinai? (10,14,15) How do verses 9-25 demonstrate God’s power and holiness? The seriousness and solemnity with which the people should treat His presence and His words? How did the people respond? Do you think the church today reveres God and His word as deeply as Israel did that day? Should we? Why or why not?

6. What does the word consecrate mean? How should physically consecrating themselves (10,14,15) have been an object lesson to Israel that they were to be spiritually consecrated to God as well? What does it mean for Christians to consecrate ourselves to the Lord?

7. How do verses 11, 16-17 give us a mini-foreshadowing of the resurrection of Christ?

Homework:

Ask God to reveal any areas of your life or worship in which…

…you do not treat Him or His word reverently and solemnly
or
…you need to consecrate yourself, or set yourself apart from worldliness, more for Him.

Repent where you have fallen short. Is there any tangible action you can take to help you revere God more or pursue holiness to a greater degree?

Gospel, Homosexuality, Politics, Salvation, Sin, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday ~ SoteriObamaGigliology and You

March 19, 2015March 25, 2015 Michelle Lesley

Originally published January 12, 2013

Disclaimer: This article should not be viewed as an endorsement of Louie Giglio or any unbiblical theology he currently holds to.

Is Louie Giglio a living martyr or a coward? What do you think of our shiny new state church here in the U.S.? If you haven’t heard about The Giglio Imbroglio, allow me to bring you up to speed.

Pastor Louie Giglio was invited to say a prayer at President Obama’s inauguration ceremony later this month. Being a Christian pastor, it should have been expected that he would have preached at some point on what the Bible says about the sin of homosexuality. Someone with a pro-homosexuality group dug up a sermon from decades ago in which he had done just that, and, yada yada yada, Pastor Giglio – pressured, or not, by the Inaugural Committee (that’s a little murky at the moment)— decided not to do the prayer. Ok, are ya with me? Good.

I’ve read a bit about this debacle over the past few days (though I have a few disagreements with some points, all of the articles hyperlinked above are excellent) and most of what I’ve read seems to be focused on Louie Giglio. But Louie Giglio isn’t alone on the stage of this little drama.

There’s another player. Our President.

Although all the details and communiqués were being handled by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, as President Truman used to say, “The buck stops here.” Right at the feet of President Obama. Ultimately, he is responsible for the “unvitation.” If he felt that the Committee was out of line in their statements or actions, he could have intervened. Instead, he has been silent, which implies consent.

Our President consented to the press release from the Inaugural Committee which said in part:

“As we now work to select someone to deliver the benediction, we will ensure their beliefs reflect this administration’s vision of inclusion and acceptance for all Americans.”

Translation: Louie Giglio’s Christian beliefs about homosexuality, which come straight from the Bible, do not “reflect this administration’s vision.”

Let me say that again. Christian beliefs about homosexuality, which line up with what the Bible clearly says, are opposed by our President.

Why is that important?

Because our President believes he is a Christian.

And so do a lot of other people who share his beliefs on things like homosexuality and abortion.

If that describes you, before you get mad and stop reading, in fairness, hear me say something:

Sanctification (progressively becoming more and more Christlike) is a process. People who get saved, especially as an adult, bring a lot of entrenched opinions and thought processes with them to the cross.

Am I saying you have to become pro-life and anti-homosexuality (notice, I did not say anti-homosexual) before, or in order to, get saved?

No.

Am I saying that five minutes or a week after you get saved, you’ll be pasting “Choose Life” and “One Man, One Woman” bumper stickers on your car?

No.

What I am saying is that a person who has genuinely been born again has a God-created desire to know, trust, and obey God’s word.

Even if it’s hard.

Even if you don’t like it, initially.

Even if you don’t completely understand it.

The desire, inextricably interwoven with your love and affection for Christ, born in your heart when you were born again, exists.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. II Corinthians 5:17

Do you have that desire?

Do you wrestle with the things in God’s word that are difficult for you –perhaps things like homosexuality- in order to understand, embrace, and obey them?

Or, do you war against the things you find in the Bible that you don’t like- rebelling against their inherent truth, rejecting them, twisting their meanings to suit your own opinions, and refusing to accept them?

If it’s the latter, you need to be afraid.

Be VERY afraid.

Because the Bible makes it clear that you aren’t saved.

By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. I John 2:3-6

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. I Corinthians 2:14-16

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4

Christians desire to keep God’s word, just like Jesus did. Christians lovingly call sinners to repentance from their sin and to faith in Christ, just like Jesus did. Christians think like Jesus did. Christians reject the world’s values rather than promoting them, just like Jesus did.

My dear friend, if you find yourself constantly battling against God’s word, I urge you, please examine your affections and the fruit of your life, thoughts, and behavior in the mirror of God’s word. It doesn’t matter if you’ve repeated a prayer, filled out a card, been baptized, taken communion, faithfully attended church, served as a teacher, deacon, elder, or pastor, had someone assure you of your salvation, or even if you just “feel saved”. If your life and heart don’t match up with what Scripture says is true of a Christian, you are not genuinely born again.

Please, turn away from your sin- all of your sin -and put your faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross, and in His bodily resurrection, as payment for that sin. If Cain taught us anything, it’s this: you can’t come to God on your own terms. You have to approach Him on His terms.

Or, to borrow from a mantra oft repeated by some in the homosexual community:

If you’re going to accept Him, you have to accept everything about Him.

Christian women

Mighty Amazon Women of God

October 3, 2014April 18, 2019 Michelle Lesley

“She loves…training church ladies to be mighty Amazon women of God.”

Wait…what?

Yep, that’s the last line of my bio here at my blog, at my other blog, on Facebook, on Instagram, and, ironically, at Amazon.

And it occurs to me that that’s sort of an odd phrase. One that people aren’t familiar with. And, maybe, I’d better explain.

apr14_c01_amazon.jpg__800x600_q85_crop — (© RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY)

The Amazons were supposedly a race of very tall warrior women. They first appeared in Greek literature in Homer’s The Illiad in the 8^th century B.C. Scholars can’t seem to agree as to whether the Amazons were strictly products of Greek mythology or whether they actually existed somewhere and the mythology was “based on a true story”. Interestingly, in the 1990’s archaeologists discovered the 2000 year old burial grounds of the Sarmatian tribe near the border of Kazakhstan, and think this tribe might be the origin of the Amazon legend. Unlike the mythological Amazons, a number of the women of this tribe appear to have been married with children, but many of them were buried with their weapons of war. The Sarmatian women’s average height was 5’6”, which was fairly tall for women at that point in history.

Maybe that description evokes images of some sort of “femi-nazi” overlaid with a pseudo-Christian veneer when you hear the phrase “mighty Amazon women of God.”

Not at all.

So what on earth does it mean?

I think we 21^st century church ladies have, in some ways, a skewed perspective of what it means to be a Christian woman. You see, a lot of people seem to think that being a godly woman means you have to be shy and quiet, never confrontational, a doormat, nothing of substance to say, nicey-nice, always ready with a casserole for the church potluck. A caricature of feminine fluff.

But the longer I live as a woman of God, the farther from the truth that caricature becomes. Being a godly woman requires a kind of strength that a man will never know. Courage of a sort the most valiant warrior does not possess. Endurance and self control that the best trained athletes will never attain. Because we have to be strong and soft. Bold and restrained. Leaders and followers.

Being a godly woman is not for the faint of heart. And, yet, it’s the faint of heart God loves to turn into His heroines of the faith.

A mighty Amazon woman of God…

…studies and rightly handles God’s word (2 Timothy 2:15)

…loves her enemies (Matthew 5:43-45)

…refuses to have her ears tickled (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

…is a faithful and active church member (Hebrews 10:24-25)

…holds to a biblical view of women’s roles in the church (1 Timothy 2:12ff)

…forgives completely (Ephesians 4:32)

…submits to her husband (Ephesians 5:22-24)

…serves her family (Proverbs 31:10-31)

…is more concerned with God’s opinion than man’s (Acts 5:29)

…loves Christ more than her family (Luke 14:26)

…trains her children in godliness (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

…shares the gospel with the lost (Matthew 28:18-20)

…helps her husband (Genesis 2:18)

…refutes false teaching instead of embracing it (2 Timothy 3:1-9)

…trains younger women in godliness (Titus 2:3-5)

…controls her tongue (James 1:26)

…works heartily as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24)

…isn’t led by her emotions (Jeremiah 17:9)

…is merciful (Luke 6:36)

…repents when she sins (Matthew 3:8)

…is strong (Ephesians 6:10)

…is joyful (Philippians 4:4)

None of us are there yet, ladies, but as one of my favorite Bible teachers likes to say, “It’s not perfection; it’s direction.” Is this the direction you’re walking? Is God conforming you more to His image day by day? Are we settling for being little girls in the faith or anxious to grow up and be the mighty Amazon women of God He created us to be?

What kinds of things come to mind when you hear the phrase
“mighty Amazon woman of God”?

Wednesday's Word

Wednesday’s Word ~ 1 Thessalonians 4

October 1, 2014July 9, 2021 Michelle Lesley

1 Thessalonians 4

Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Questions to Consider

1. What is the purpose of the book of 1 Thessalonians? Which genre(s) of biblical literature (prophecy, epistle, narrative, wisdom, etc.) is the book of 1 Thessalonians? What is the historical backdrop for this book?

2. In your own words, what is Paul saying to the Believers in 1-2? Imagine you’re a member of the church at Thessalonica. How might hearing this encourage you?

3. A question many Christians ask at some point in their walk with the Lord is, “What is God’s will for my life?”. Read the first half of verse 3 (3a). What does it say God’s will for you is? What is “sanctification”? (Hints: a- Use your cross-references and footnotes. b- Look at the last word of verse 7. c- If you still aren’t sure, click here.)

Notice the colon (:) after the word “sanctification” in verse 3. This indicates that Paul is going to expound on what he means by “sanctification” in the case of the Thessalonian Believers. Examine verses 3b-6. What was the primary or most urgent issue in which the Thessalonians needed to grow in Christ and obey His Word? Examine your heart and life. What is the primary or most urgent issue in which you need to grow in Christ and obey His Word?

How do verses 7-8 help explain and clarify verse 3a?

4. In verses 3-6, Paul exhorts the Thessalonians in an area in which they need to improve. In verses 9-12, he encourages them in an area in which they are doing well. What are they doing well? What does Paul urge them to do? Why? Is this an area in which you’re doing pretty well, or in which you need a lot of improvement? Which area of your walk with the Lord can you look back on and see the most growth or improvement?

5. Explain, in your own words, the sequence of events laid out in verses 13-18. What does “fallen asleep” (14, 15) mean? According to verse 18, what is the purpose of verses 13-18? How would this passage have brought hope (13) to the Thessalonian Believers who were concerned about the eternities of fellow Believers who had died before the Lord’s return? How can this passage bring hope to Believers today?