Against such, there is NO law. Galatians 5:22-23.

A Christian brother recently brought up the fruits of the Spirit; that day, the item that stuck in my mind, and has been there for weeks, was self-control.

Self-control speaks to me about the multitude of times that I have been restrained by the Holy Spirit, thereby preventing me from doing something stupid, illegal, or deadly. Almost a month after that conversation, my pastor, Jack Hibbs, integrated the fruits of the Spirit into his teaching this last Wednesday evening, 2/3/2021. I felt impressed to share some insights with you.

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

I used the NLT because it directly infers that the Holy Spirit produces this fruit in us, in contrast to the fruit as seen in the NASB, which could be thought of as something I could merely pick off a tree when needed.

Just seeing these words “as something I could merely pick when needed,” as though these fruits are not mine, accosts me.

Pastor Jack spoke about the Holy Spirit in two ways.

First, the Holy Spirit is the one who brought you to Jesus Christ, and therefore, comes into you when you receive Christ. Jack Hibbs says that this is the baptism into Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit. 

I suppose the logic to this comes from the fact that God is: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that the soul, having asked Jesus to come in, now belongs to God, and therefore, the Holy Spirit. A roundabout way of saying this is that by inviting Jesus into my life, I am and have invited the Holy Spirit into my life.

(Think about this. Jesus, just before He went to the Father, said, 

John 16:7-15 NASB "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. (8) "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; (9) concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; (10) and concerning righteousness because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; (11) and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. (12) "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. (13) "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. (14) "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. (15) "All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.

Look at John 16:7-15 NASB above, for it says, that when He, Jesus, leaves the earth, the Holy Spirit - the comforter will come. The implications of this are that the interactions with man are fully enveloped in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit acts and responds just as Jesus did, for He did nothing without hearing from the Father.)

An example of what I just said about the Holy Spirit coming into our lives could come from Paul’s address to the church in Rome, which you can see in Romans 2:14-15.

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, (Romans 2:14-15 NASB)

To say, “their conscience” can just as easily be stated, their spirit. The person indwelt by the Holy Spirit is then directed accordingly. The problem is that the majority of us think that whatever good thing we did was our great idea.

To be honest, I don’t thoroughly understand this teaching of how the Holy Spirit is instantly a part of every believer, although it makes sense that God would be looking for a way to regain those He has already paid for through the cross. Not being able to grasp this concept most likely comes from seeing so many, over the years, stumble back into the darkness; this is especially disturbing when you know that the verses before and after the reference in Galatians above tell you why you do what you do. The answer to the problem, every time is to admit that you just did what you wanted to do, change your ways, and get yourself into the Word. Scriptural references speak of receiving of and from the Holy Spirit.

Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38 NASB)

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8 NASB)

In both of these instances, Receive is the Greek word lambano and means to take hold of.

When Peter, in Acts 2:38, instructed the large crowd that upon repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit was he telling them that they would receive the power and speak in other tongues?

I do not try to put God into a box anymore, nor do I try to control how God uses the box I assigned to Him or what is inside; so, to be honest, I do not know what parameters God was operating in that day.

In Acts 1:8, we see Jesus speaking to the disciples, of which there were many. He said, they would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them; this is entirely different for the disciples, as they were already followers of Jesus, however, without the apparent infilling of the Holy Spirit; that came later as they waited, in that room, as told.

Galatians 5:22-23 speaks directly about the Holy Spirit being in us, so for the sake of argument let's say you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit in your life and you are very much aware of that through evidence. That evidence, for me, exhibited itself by Him talking to me in conversational tones with frequency.

Paul tells us “ the Holy Spirit, produces this kind of fruit in our lives.” Those fruits look like this.

• Love,
• Joy,
• Peace,
• Patience,
• Kindness,
• Goodness,
• Faithfulness,
• Gentleness,

and

• Self-control.

Nothing deserves to go un-discussed but the Holy Spirit spoke to me rather pointedly along the line of self-control.

Pastor Jack, in that Wednesday night message I spoke about, talked about meeting a young man at the grocery store, in which Pastor was recently shopping. The young man recognized him through the mask and asked if he could speak openly with the Pastor. He then told the pastor that he was living a life that was displeasing to God and what could he do about it? The bottom line answer was to get yourself into God's word. Do not pursue Christianity or religion, but pursue a relationship with the Father; in other words, get to know Him intimately.

Self-control seems to speak of one who rejects God and tries to fix things themselves; that is not the case here. We are dealing with the Greek word egkráteia which means Continence, temperance, self-control.

TEMPERATE means moderate; not excessive. 

CONTINENCE, is to withhold; but also means the restraint which a person imposes upon his desires and passions; this includes sexual passions and lewd pleasures.

Now, this one thing alone would save many of us from a world of grief, and should, if we are listening cause us to wonder why are we doing things we don't want or need to do.

Paul said this very thing, and if there was someone who would understand what this passage in Galatians 5 is saying, it would be him.

For I know that nothing good dwells 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 am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 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 7:18-25 NASB)

Simply put,

I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. (Romans 7:19 NLT)

There is an answer.

Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind, I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. (Romans 7:25 NLT)

It almost seems hopeless but there is Jesus. I work hard at living a life like Christ, but occasionally I choose to react inappropriately, and I am not talking about lewd acts, I am talking about anger and rage. The thing that caught my attention that Wednesday night as I watched Pastor Jack, was the tail end of Galatians 5:23. There it says,

There is no law against these things!

Those things are the fruits of the Spirit, not your spirit, but God's Spirit – the Holy Spirit, and it is He - the Holy Spirit, that is growing those fruits inside of you.

On your own, you are a hopeless cause. I know, you think you have got it all together, but you don't, and sadly, you know that. I suppose that knowledge and the fact that you keep running from God makes you rather pathetic. Let me know how it works out for you.

Instead of struggling, turn your life over to Jesus Christ and receive His free gift of the Holy Spirit.

An example for those who would believe. 1 Ti 1:12-20.

 1 Timothy 1:12 NASB I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,

Strengthen.

This is the Greek word endunamoō and means to empower, enable, to be (made) strong.

Paul felt the need to tell Timothy that God had empowered, enabled, and made him strong. Whatever, Timothy, or anyone else might have thought of Paul and his knowledge of the Mosaic law, he felt the need to point to God as the source of any truth Paul espoused. He took this conversation to the next level when, according to the NLT he said, “He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him.”

1 Timothy 1:13 NASB even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;

Paul is effectively giving his testimony, as he says, I was formerly a blasphemer. To give you a feel for who Saul the pharisee was, I give you the definitions of some of these words he uses to describe himself. Keep in mind that we previously talked about how Paul, in 1 Corinthians said that he was meek in person. Meek and humble are two different things, as humble comes as someone else puts you into a subservient position.

BLASPHE'MER, n. One who blasphemes; one who speaks of God in impious and irreverent terms. Webster's Dictionary

Many of us have heard people say, I cannot be a Christian as I have blasphemed against God. Many of us have. Fortunately, Christ paid the price for all of our sins, and we are, therefore, forgiven. Jesus, in speaking to the scribes and Pharisees, told them that they had, at that time, crossed the line, as they had blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, saying that Jesus had released a young man from his demonic oppression through the power of Satan. This then seems to be the critical departure from truth.

The Greek word for blasphemer is blasphēmos and means scurrilous, calumnious, impious, railing.

Scurrilous - Using the low and indecent language of the meaner sort of people, or such as only the license of buffoons can warrant.

Calumnious - Slanderous; injurious to reputation.

Impious - Irreverent towards the Supreme Being; wanting in veneration for God and his authority; irreligious; profane.

Railing - Clamoring with insulting language; uttering reproachful words.

This describes most of the rioters taking over our streets. The next also describes Saul, quite well.

PER'SECUTOR, n. One that persecutes; one that pursues another unjustly and vexatiously, particularly on account of religious principles.

Persecutor is the Greek word diōktēs and means a persecutor.

A violent aggressor – is the Greek word hubristēs and it is used twice to convey being a violent aggressor. The word means an insulter, a maltreater: despiteful, injurious.

Note this part of the paragraph. 1 Timothy 1:13b.

“Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;”

Did Paul say anything about a lack of knowledge?

He better not have, as he spoke highly of his skill and knowledge of the Mosaic law.

But, did he believe what those words said?

Apparently not. Were you aware of these passages?

'Also if one person sins unintentionally, then he shall offer a one-year-old female goat for a sin offering. (Numbers 15:27 NASB)

Unintentionally?

Look at the Hebrew word sh^egâgâh a mistake or inadvertent transgression: - error, ignorance, at unawares, unwittingly.

To be honest, Saul's actions seemed very deliberate, but then I am aware that I am acting in error by unwittingly judging the man when I make a statement like that.

“then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, that the man-slayer who has killed any person unintentionally may flee there. 'The cities shall be to you as a refuge from the avenger so that the manslayer will not die until he stands before the congregation for trial.” (Numbers 35:11-12 NASB)

Now, wait a minute. Doesn't this passage apply to the person who inadvertently had the head of the ax fly off, strike another person, and kill them? In other words, an unintentional act – manslaughter. If we apply this protocol to Saul, it is difficult to see his actions, in the death of Stephen, as unintentional. The only thing that I can apply to Saul's situation, is that by his actions, though not a direct participant in the action, he approved of Stephen's death.

Jesus, by his death, approved of Saul's forgiveness. And the worst part of it is that those Jews, under the constraints of the “Mosaic law,” were fully justified, in their minds, in stoning Stephen.

Because of God's grace and mercy!

1 Timothy 1:14 NASB and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

Picking himself up off the dusty trail, and there is no doubt that there were others there to assist this learned scholar of the Mosaic law to get up, Saul was now aware that it was only the grace of God that allowed him to be standing there, with another chance at life. Let's recap Acts 9.

“As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do." The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.” (Acts 9:3-8 NASB)

What do you suppose they said, considering that they heard the voice also?

Perhaps something along the line of, whatever you say, sir.

Pay attention to the statement, that Saul, as a new follower of Christ Jesus, made.

“and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.”

There is no doubt that Saul immediately perceived the grace, faith, and love that is found in Christ Jesus. Being of a religious mindset, my mind goes back to things that I heard over the years; things that imply that you can never realize the grace, faith, and love of Christ, without accepting Christ Jesus as your Lord and Abba.

Funny, Saul seemed to understand the Lordship of God, but it was not a personal relationship; that is until he got knocked on his butt on the road to Damascus. Surely, with an instantaneous acceptance of the faith and love, Saul could then understand that he had been given grace. The moment does not follow my religious standard; and yet, it does. Isn't God amazing how He does that! Saul found the grace, faith, and love of Christ Jesus, and it happened in the most unusual way.

Even for Paul, the moment evokes this statement.

1 Timothy 1:15 NASB It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.

“It is a trustworthy statement,

deserving (of) full acceptance,

that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,

And a line that fits us all.

among whom I am foremost of all”

Look at the word save for a moment.

Saved is the Greek word sōzō and means to save, that is, deliver or protect, heal, preserve, and make whole.

I find those words to be overwhelming at the moment. There is not an aspect of this sōzō that does not cover all that I was and am.

Sinners? We have covered this word many times. In its simplest form, it is merely missing the mark. That mark can be large or small, deadly important or so non-significant in our minds; and yet, to miss the mark, whether intentionally, habitually, or forgetfully is still SIN.

Be honest, is there a day that goes by in which you don't miss one of your marks?

Yeah, I didn't think so.

Finally having come to the understanding that he, Saul, was the chiefest of sinners, he is able to say:

1 Timothy 1:16 NASB Yet, for this reason, I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

• Yet for this reason, I found mercy,
• so that in me as the foremost,
• Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience
• as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

So the Apostle, now named Paul, tells us, that he is an example for all who would believe in Christ.

What an amazing conveyance and Paul ends it with a prayer and an admonition.

1 Timothy 1:17 NASB Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

He ends with this admonition to Timothy, and us.

1 Timothy 1:18 NASB This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight,

This is one of those passages where inserting your own name would be appropriate.

“This command I entrust to you ____________ (insert name here), my son or daughter, in accordance with prophecies previously made concerning you,

Stop here for a moment. Many of you would say, but no one has ever prophesied over me, and therefore I have no motivation, direction, or drive over my life. Ah, but you do, you have the prophecy of God's word to speak over your life. Let me explain.

Revelation 19:10 tells us that the testimony of Jesus – this is the Word of God, which conveys God's hopes, dreams, and wishes for your life. All these things might seem like a variable that might not be available to you. You are right to say they are variables, but not on God's part. He has dealt this way with humanity since the garden of Eden. We see it when He says, to people like Abram, as for Me. God is saying, is that He will carry out His plan regardless of whether you participate or not. The religious side of me would tell you that you have to be a believer to receive the prophecy of God, but the fact that Jesus shows up in the dreams of the Iranian people, and He leads them into a knowledge of Himself.

Revelation 19:10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

that by them (the words of God) you ______________ (insert your name here) fight the good fight,

You fight the good fight by doing what you see in 1 Timothy 1:19

1 Timothy 1:19 NASB keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.

keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.

The word keeping is the Greek word echō and means to hold.

The Greek word for Faith is pistis and means persuasion.

So 1 Timothy 1:19 he is asking/telling you, to hold to that which you have been persuaded, in a good conscience,

Rejected is the word apōtheomai and means to shove away, push off, reject or cast away.

To suffer shipwreck is the Greek word nauageō and it is used twice in order to obtain the phrase we see. The words involved are shipwrecked, stranded, made to suffer shipwreck.

Paul ends this passage with this,

“which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.”

Substituting the alternate words we get this: some have cast away, and been made to suffer shipwreck.

To make his point, a bit more personal, he names off some names they would know.

1 Timothy 1:20 NASB Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.

In the litigious world, we live in, people will sue you if you publicly out them.

To be handed over, according to the Greek concordance, is the word paradidōmi and means to surrender.

So Paul surrendered these two over to Satan so that they will be taught.

Taught is the Greek word paideuō and means to train up – as you would a rebellious child (this presumes that you still know what capital punishment is,) educate, discipline (by punishment).

So that they would be taught NOT to blaspheme. We covered this word blaspheme, earlier in the study. In short, the word blaspheme means to vilify; specifically to speak impiously.

For those who think that they have crossed God's unforgivable boundaries, I suppose that another way to understand this is that God has the option of turning you over to Satan so that you will be taught NOT to blaspheme. If you have been fortunate enough to not be turned over to Satan, then perhaps you have not, as you thought, crossed God's line of demarcation.

By the way, I do not see this as being turned over to a judgment of hell's flames, but merely a painful education meant to motivate you toward Christ.

My advice to you, run to Him quickly as time is growing short.

Do not complain, brethren, against one another. James 5:9-12.

When we ended our last study on James, we covered James 1-8. Let's look at verses 7 and 8 quickly before we move on. 

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord, is near. (James 5:7-8 NASB)

You may be surprised to know that many farmers have Bachelor's degrees in Science and Horticulture. This means that depending on the crop, they have done their homework and know when the rains should come. Patience, then, for a farmer is a relative term; sure, they understand, almost to the day, given the correct nutrient and water combinations when the crop should be ready to harvest. 

The point James is trying to make is that with the right ingredients, the Lord, too, will come. 

What are those ingredients for the believer? 

Fulfilled prophecies. One of the most prominent prophecies has to do with Israel becoming a nation in a day; this happened in 1948. As a young lady on social media recently said, as she spoke of her end times dream, that generation alive when this event took place will see the coming of the Lord. The young lady also stated that it would be 70 years. My head said, yes, that is true. She seemed to think she found this information in the Psalms. I have been looking and all I can find this evening is this. 

“Scholars dating the Exodus to about 1250 B.C. usually propose that 1Kings 6:1 refers to twelve generations that have passed. (12 generations × 40 years [the symbol of a generation] = 480 years,) however, the actual years elapsed from one generation to the next would be less than 40 years; for example, the actual calendar years between generations—that is from birth to marriage and children—is much less than 40 years, perhaps closer to 25 years or less.” [From the Holman Bible Atlas] 

I tend to have rather black and white thinking, and so when I hear the word generation, as in the example above, I compare it to my father, who, in his own right, is a generation. When he brought me forth –he initiated another generation. He was eighteen when he married my mother, and a year later, I was born. 

Does that make my father's generation 18 years? 

Of course not, for it is the span of his life, and I believe he is 87. If he died today, and he will not, that would make his generation 80+ years. 

Our scholarly example above is referring to the exodus from Egypt. Because these people were so rebellious, God made them wander in that miserable desert for forty years until that generation, that had emerged from Egypt, was dead. There were a few exclusion, such as Moses – although he did not get to go into the promised land because he smote the rock instead of speaking to it. By the way, do you understand the problem with that? He misrepresented God to the people like an angry God.

Joshua and Caleb both got to enter the promised land – but why? Because they had faith. Those two men said, we can do this, while all the others whined about the size of the Caananites, and how they saw us grasshoppers they could step on. That may have been the case, but since they were supposed to be spying, and not making contact I am not sure how they would have come up with that theory.the 

Based on this information, can I say that a generation is forty years? 

It seemed to work for this group, but then, it is evident that their deaths appeared to be mandated; and, they were in a miserable environment that surely took a heavy toll on them. 

So what do we know for sure? 

That a generation is the average age of life (for that period of time.) Does it make sense that in 1948, when Israel became a nation, that the average life span would have been affected by war, and the fact that they were still an agrarian society? Sure it would, but even in 1948, the world was becoming modernized. Science was influencing our lives, and the average age should have been increasing. 

But the key for us is, what does God have to say about it?

Amid a God-hating, pre-flood world; where a generation for humans and Nephilim was an average of 900 years, God stepped in and said that's it, and He reduced the age limit to 120 years  (Genesis 6:3.) Wikipedia tells us that during the days of Jesus, the average life span was 35. Considering the hard, physical labor that most did, this is not surprising.

“So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” (Matthew 24:33-34 KJV)

So when Jesus said this, those that heard could make an immediate assumption that the period of time would cover 35 years. But He was not talking about an event that would happen soon; this was an event that would not come for over 2000 years. 

The average life expectancy in 1948 was 64.6 years for men, and just one year later, it was 65.2 years. 

But what does the Bible say? 

“As for the days of our years, in them are seventy years; and if men should be in strength, eighty years: and the greater part of them would be labor and trouble; for weakness overtakes us, and we shall be chastened.” (Psalms 90:10 Brenton)

There it is, seventy years (70). So the generation, born that year, would be the boundary in terms of length of time.

Are you aware that Israel, the nation, is 72 years old? 

And yet, here we are, sitting on 72 years. 

Do you realize that we are on borrowed time? 

In that borrowed time, end times events have accelerated.

Have you seen any of the social media content that speaks to what "they" have done to force us into a state of compliance in as little as FOUR MONTHS?

For example: 

• In March, we were put on lock-down. You can call it quarantine, but the name alone implies that you have or had an easily spreadable disease, and when this started there was NO workable way of testing you to see if you had the COVID. 
• According to Allen West, in a commentary he wrote for "CNS news," entitled Tyranny, Not COVID-19, Is America's Most Dangerous Virus, We have seen parents being arrested for playing with their children in parks. We have seen people getting citations for driving alone in their cars -- just taking a drive. The real meaning of "lock-down" has become house arrest -- illegally implemented martial law.
• People were allowed to congregate in our streets for the purpose of destruction, with no repercussions, and yet, you can be arrested to going to church or to the beach. If you have ever seen me at the beach, you would know that I don't want you within six feet of our perimeter, especially if you are some runny nose brat, that does nothing but kick sand.

Working on borrowed time, we have seen an acceleration of events that will most certainly lead to a One World Government, like the mandatory chipping of all people. This is a control issue so that a citizen cannot shop or work without this mark. And the worst part of it all, driven by fear, we have given up our freedoms. 

If you know the Lord is near, and it is evident that He is, then, 

“Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.” (James 5:9 NASB)

Many years ago, I heard the Holy Spirit say this to me; I have called you to be a watchman upon the wall. The watchman is supposed to alert those within the walled city, that trouble is coming. The people, on the other hand, should respond appropriately. All I have spoken of is that blaring call, not just of danger, but of the Lord's soon return. 

Immediately, this takes an interesting turn because the Greek word translated as complain has several other meanings: to moan, groan within myself, a deep sigh, murmur, and grief. Many of these terms are the kind of posture that can be associated with complaining; but, they are also terms related to praying in the spirit. 

In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27 NASB)

Everything around me seems to cause me to groan within (I just learned that here in So. California, we just canceled the Rose Parade, and this is over and above a new, indefinite Church closure.) If I am being told by James, NOT to sigh deeply, then perhaps God should not have given me breath, as breathing facilitates my ability to groan. 

But James 5:9 gives us a clue, as it tells us that this is, brethren, against each other. 

In my own life, I have "brethren," who recently shunned my wife and me because we refused to wear our masks in church, and we sang. Before the Governor's closure mandate, we, as a church, opted to have our church service in the parking lot. Apparently, you can obtain enough social distance in a parking lot. My wife did what she is accustomed to doing, as she excitedly went around greeting people who have been her friends for over 20 years. That same lady that shunned us on Sunday had denounced my wife for not wearing her mask in the parking lot,  only weeks before. 

In our house, I have a stepdaughter and her family living with us. This same stepdaughter, who hates President Trump, sporadically tries to shame us over our clear statements about how we wear our masks; she is especially vocal toward my wife for not wearing a mask anytime she goes outside. 

Wait a minute, this verse opens with "Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged."

We have seen this before, only there it tells us,

"Do not judge so that you will not be judged." (Matthew 7:1 NASB)

What is different? 

Not that much as Complain is the Greek word stenázō and leans itself toward feeling contracted (as when one is squeezed or pressed by circumstances); to groan or sigh. It is used of persons in distress, who have affliction or grumble from impatience. The word judged, as used in Matthew 7:1, is the same Greek word that James uses, krinō, which means to separate, distinguish, discriminate between good and evil, select, choose out the good. In the NT, it means to judge, to form or give an opinion after separating and considering the particulars of a case. (WSD)

With such an emphasis on not complaining against brethren, you have got to ask why? 

The answer is two-part: 

1. Because we will be judged, now, here on earth, based upon how we judge. The reason I say that is because I have experienced this judgment personally. 
2. The Judge, Jesus, is standing right at the door. Doesn't this imply the Bema seat, and yet, having looked intently at the Bema seat, I found it to apply to rewards, not punishment/judgment.

You can whine all day long about how some of us, have been saying this “ Jesus, is standing right at the door” thing for over two thousand years. Well, contrary to your wishes, it's finally here. The ironic part of this is that most will not affirm that statement. 

Having done all that we can do, such as NOT whining about our brethren who choose to wear face masks 18 hours a day, we can, like the farmer, finally expect to see the harvest. 

Everything necessary has taken place; there is no prophecy left to fulfill, except possibly one, and that would be Luke 21:24b. 

"and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." NASB

As I recently noted, the annexation that Israel intends to do may be the very thing that, for the moment, fulfills this prophetic word, as Israel will technically be in control of the temple mount once again.

I suppose with the COVID 19 lock-downs, you may be at the end of your patience. James continues this theme in verse 10. 

James 5:10 NASB As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Alright then, let's look at these prophets for a moment. 

"The LORD, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them, for he had compassion on his people and his Temple. But the people mocked these messengers of God and despised their words. They scoffed at the prophets until the LORD's anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done." (2 Chronicles 36:15-16 NLT)

Isaiah, the prophet, in Isaiah 39:6-7, was ignored, and earlier in his prophetic career, the Lord asked him to go naked for three years to make a point with Israel (Isaiah 20.) 

Micaiah, the prophet, finally delivered the word that the Lord wanted these two kings to hear, and for his trouble, King Ahab of Israel had Micaiah put in prison until his death. 1 Kings 22.

There were, of course, success stories like Elijah and Samuel, but for the most part, the prophets, much like me, were not accepted. 

Maybe the writer of Hebrews summed it up best. 

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13 NASB)

They still looked for and longed for the day of the Lord's return.

"By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward." (Hebrews 11:24-26 NASB)

But above all, my brethren. 

James 5:11-12 NASB "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. (12) But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment."

Our job, if I can call it that, is to wait for the Lord.

He is coming, and this time, it is soon.

So, in the meantime, let your yes be yes, and your no be no.

Be straight with people.

Walk-in love whenever possible.

And practice this, "if the Lord is willing, then this or that will happen." 

The Lord is full of compassion, and He is mercy. Give people a chance, so that you may not fall under judgment, because it is so uncomfortable when it comes.

Since we have been made right. Romans 5:1-4.

The NASB opens chapter five with this headline.

Peace with God through faith.

Spend any amount of time, in church and someone will tell you that you are just a sinner, saved by grace. Often, they take it a step further and point out how you are only one step away from hell’s flames because of your sin.

Is that the case?

Let's find out what Paul says about it. Know this; chapter five is not meant to stand alone. It is part of a saga that began with Paul opening his definitive letter to the church in Rome - a church comprised of Jewish believers who were holding fast to traditional and legalistic values, with the words:

I, Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ.

How does Paul's admission that he is a slave of Jesus Christ, affect our reading of, in this case, chapter 5?

If you thoroughly understood what it meant to be a slave, you would cringe at reading that word. The implications of slavery are horrifying, and yet, Paul identifies with being a slave to this Christian community. It may help your understanding if you read Paul’s letter to Philemon, another Jewish believer, who was also a slave owner. Notice that neither here in Romans, or in his letter to Philemon, that Paul does not put down the ghastly treatment and ownership of another human, for it was commonplace. However, we need to know that to identify yourself with, or to speak out against, a way of life where 1 in 10 people in Rome was enslaved, was unheard of.

There are so many bits of information that explain to us who Paul is writing to.
I covered a touch of history in a previous post, on how that the Roman's, under Claudius, expelled the Jews for their insurrections. Apparently, the Jews attributed their revolts to one the Roman's called Chrestus - Christ Jesus.
So Paul then is writing to a primarily Jewish community of believers, who were treating the Gentile converts like slaves, in attitude and mannerisms.

I suppose I included this bit about Paul and slavery because, it seems, Paul was not afraid to speak out against tradition and social behaviors, especially when those practices seem to go against God’s will. Sadly, a good deal of what we have read in Romans, to this point, is engaged with addressing traditions, mental attitudes, and religious ideals of men.

Here in chapter five, we have this somewhat eye-opening statement.

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. (Romans 5:1-2 NLT)

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith,”

The mere fact that the sentence starts with the word, therefore, tells us that something essential and defining was previously explained. 

Briefly, we have an answer from Paul when he says,
“ We have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”
Doesn't the quotation above beg the question, what happened to create, not only the righteousness in us but what did Jesus do?

Fortunately, Romans 4:25 spells out rather succinctly what happened.
Jesus was handed over to die for our sins, and he was raised from death to make us right with God. (Romans 4:25 ERV)

This being made right by God didn't just happen; it took some participation on our part, and Paul, in Romans 5:1-2, makes that clear.

“ Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

As I stated in beginning, some, feeling threatened, will condemn you to hell simply because you live outside the grace they are comfortable with; but what did Paul say? Our faith in Jesus and the price he paid on our behalf, has gained our acceptance into this righteousness. The other half of this paragraph says, “Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand.”

Where is the threat in that? There is none.
Consider how God has consistently dealt with those He calls His own. He says to them, as for Me. This approach says I will hold up my end of the bargain, regardless of what you do.

Can there be negative results for not following God and His ways? Indeed, yes, at some point, He laid down the law, and along with that He points out following Him is good, and NOT following Him brings pain and destruction.

Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: A blessing if you obey the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you today, and a curse if you will not obey the commandments of Jehovah your God, but will turn aside out of the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. (Deuteronomy 11:26-28 MKJV)

I suggest that you read Deuteronomy 11 and 28. In chapter 28, God lays out the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. If your life seems like it is out of control, then take a look at those blessings and curses. While we who follow Christ are not under the law, the law, like gravity, certainly plays a role in our lives. If you have chosen to function within the realm of the curses, you subject yourself to a tremendous amount of destructive effects.

Romans 5:2 ends with,
“and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”

Paul, writing to the church in Colossae, said,
"For to them, God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory," (Colossians 1:27 MKJV)

Isn't our hope, an eternity filled with peace; free from the bullies of this life; and a life spent with the Father?
That last part takes on a different meaning if you have been abused or been given some horrendous example of fatherhood.

If this was you, let me say, I understand. However, I have found God to be a good Father and one that you can trust and count on. If we can set the dysfunction aside, we begin to see that hope is the backbone of our beliefs. I get it, for dysfunction took on a different meaning when I was accosted within the church community by a friend, and a pastor, about what they believe is a false hope. I don’t think they disagree that there is hope, but they certainly disagree that this hope we long for is anywhere in the near future.

Again, I give you Paul's voice as pertaining to hope.
1 Thessalonians 5:8 MKJV  But let us, who are of the day, be calm, having put on the breastplate of faith and love and the hope of salvation for a helmet.

Salvation can take on a variety of meanings depending upon the circumstances. I am not in dire need, nor under a threat of death, but many are. Perhaps you are as well. If that is the case, I pray that the Holy Spirit gives you a strength that you did not know could exist within you, so that you stand strong in the face of the enemy.

Why would that be important? Because WE HAVE HOPE.
Hope that the restoration of all things will come and that Jesus Christ will reign as the Messiah that the Jews have longed for.

This next verse began to be a problem for me when I figured out that I could think for myself.
Romans 5:3-4 MKJV  And not only this but we glory in afflictions also, knowing that afflictions work out patience,  (4)  and patience works out experience, and experience works out hope.

Why would this be a problem for me? 
Because I was raised to keep sticking your face out so that they could slap it off if they wanted to. I found no comfort or peace in that attitude. I was also told that if I defended myself, that I would be handed over to my Father and his belt. That kind of treatment makes the idea of afflictions even more painful.

If what Paul wrote has had an impact on me, then I should be well established in a hope based in the peaceful reign of Jesus. But then, there are these bizarre words:
“We glory in afflictions.”

Who, in their right mind, would do that?
Someone who has come to understand, thoroughly, what Christ has done to and for us. Sometimes we all need a reminder.

• We have been made righteous in God's sight.
• We have peace with God
• Why are we righteous, and have peace with God?
  • Because of what Jesus did on our behalf.
  • Because of our faith, that we put in Him.
  • And, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege (grace) where we now stand.

Another way to read this comes from the NLT.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. (Romans 5:3 NLT)

So there it is, this peculiar manner in which we handle life’s problems, thanks to hope, causes us to have perseverance and proven character.

Scripture speaks of judgment, particularly, the Bema seat of Christ.
Said in menacing tones, this can be very disheartening. Two things about this so-called time of judgment that I have come to understand: 1. The Bema Seat is a time for Christ to give back to us. It is not about some ominous, detrimental judgment, as most proclaim. 2. Jesus said, you will be judged, as you judge. A question, how do you judge others; harshly, critically, and without mercy? Well, that is what I did, and six months later, those very words came back to judge me. In that season, my world turned upside down and ended. The comfortable world I knew came to a crashing halt. Because of all this judgment, I have learned perseverance that I did not think I was capable of, and, I have had to establish and demonstrate my character repeatedly. 

“knowing that afflictions work out patience, and patience works out experience and experience works out hope.”

 Odd how that all works out.
Our relationship with Christ allows for us to have these character traits in our lives; so that, when troubles arise (which Jesus guaranteed would come as you follow Him,) we would have the patience to endure the problem, no matter how deadly. This patience turns into experience, and experience causes even more hope to arise in you.