#1520 John 14 Part 3 Advocate

 

16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, that He may be with you forever; 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him. You know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

 John 14: 16-17 LSB

John 14: 16-17

V.16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate - This follows Jesus telling His disciples that if they had seen Him then they had seen the Father. It also follows Him telling them that He is going to leave them to be with the Father. Now He is sending an advocate to be with them forever. This is the Holy Spirit. 

…33Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God— and He is interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?… Romans 8: 33-35

…24But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. 25Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them. 26Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.… Hebrews 7: 24-26

1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.… 1 John 2: 1-2

…4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. 6For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.… Romans 5: 4-6

…14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.… Romans 8: 14-16

Another (243) allos expresses a numerical difference and denotes "another of the same sort. Allos usually means “another of the same kind” while heteros denotes “another of a different kind or nature.” To say it another way allos is another numerically but of the same kind in contrast to heteros which means another but qualitatively, other, different one. Usually allos refers to “another” of the same kind, but on occasion it can refer to “another kind, different” (Liddell-Scott). Paul says "I see a different law," heteros, a law different from that of the spirit of life (not allos, "a law of the same sort"), Ro 7:23. After Joseph's death "another king arose," heteros, one of quite a different character, Acts 7:18. Paul speaks of "a different gospel (heteros), which is not another" (allos, another like the one he preached), Gal. 1:6-7.

It is interesting that the Greek word allos is the root of our word parallel, describing two lines extending in the same direction, equidistant at all points, and never converging or diverging. Is not this a picture of the Spirit as another Helper of the same kind as Jesus who was the Helper of the 11 disciples? It also follows that we ought to treat the Holy Spirit the way we would treat Jesus, never grieving or quenching Him.

Helper (Advocate, Comforter) (3875) parakletos from para = side of, alongside, beside + kaleo = to call) is the noun cognate of the verb parakaleo (see study) (cf also paraklesis) and literally means one called alongside. Parakletos describes one who stands by to help or render aid (especially in a court of law) or one who is summoned to the side of another to help, comfort, encourage, counsel, or intercede for, depending on the need. Interesting article from Wikipedia on Paraclete International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Paraclete - Precept Austin

(2.) The giver of this blessing: The Father shall give him, my Father and your Father; it includes both. The same that gave the Son to be our Saviour will give his Spirit to be our comforter, pursuant to the same design. The Son is said to send the Comforter (ch. 15 26), but the Father is the prime agent.

(3.) How this blessing is procured—by the intercession of the Lord Jesus: I will pray the Father. He said (v. 14) I will do it; here he saith, I will pray for it, to show not only that he is both God and man, but that he is both king and priest. As priest he is ordained for men to make intercession, as king he is authorized by the Father to execute judgment. When Christ saith, I will pray the Father, it does not suppose that the Father is unwilling, or must be importuned to it, but only that the gift of the Spirit is a fruit of Christ's mediation, purchased by his merit, and taken out by his intercession. - Matthew Henry

V. 17 The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive - The unbelieving world is in a state of being spiritually stillborn, yet physically, and mentally animated, it does not see itself as dead in it's trespasses and sins. We talked in our small group about places people look for truth, or the answers to universal problems, and some will look to politicians, some inside themselves, some to man made religion, some to hobbies or other interests, but Jesus makes the very exclusive claim that He is the way, the truth, and the life, the ultimate reality. So too, we se this of the Holy Spirit. The answer is outside of us, and we need Him to take up residence inside us. 

Truth (225) aletheia from a = indicates following word has the opposite meaning ~ without + lanthano = to be hidden or concealed, to escape notice, cp our English "latent" from Latin = to lie hidden) has the literal sense of that which contains nothing hidden. Aletheia is that which is not concealed. Aletheia is that which that is seen or expressed as it really is (this idea is discussed more below).

The basic understanding of aletheia is that it is the manifestation of a hidden reality (eg, click discussion of Jesus as "the Truth"). For example, when you are a witness in a trial, the court attendant says "Raise your right hand. Do you swear that you will tell the truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?" And you say, "I do" and you sit down. The question the court attendant is asking is "Are you willing to come into this courtroom and manifest something that is hidden to us that only you know so that you will bear evidence to that?" Therefore when you speak the truth, you are manifesting a "hidden reality". Does that make sense? An parallel example in Scripture is the case of the woman in the crowd who had touched Jesus (Read context = Mk 5:24-25, 26-27, 28-29, 30, 31-32), but when she became "aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth " (Mk 5:33) and nothing but the truth. She did not lie. She spoke no falsehoods.

Truth then is the correspondence between a reality and a declaration which professes to set forth or describe the reality. To say it another way, words spoken or written are true when they correspond with objective reality. Persons and things are true when they correspond with their profession (which we describe with words like integrity, sincerity, non-hypocritical, etc). In other words, "what you see is what you get". Hence a truth is a declaration which has corresponding reality, or a reality which is correctly set forth. Since God is Himself the great reality, that which correctly sets forth His nature is pre-eminently the Truth of Creation (Natural Revelation) and the Truth of Scripture (Special Revelation). Thus it is not surprising that rebellious, sinful men actively hold down or suppress the Truth of Creation (and the glorious Creator) (Ro 1:18+) and even exchange the truth, the clearly manifested (and objective) reality (Creation) for the lie (Ro 1:25+). - Precept Austin

…20“The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD. 21“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit will not depart from you, and My words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and grandchildren, from now on and forevermore,” says the LORD. Isaiah 59: 20-21

…26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances. 28Then you will live in the land that I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God.… Ezekiel 36: 26-28

More from John 3

V. 17b Because it does not see Him or know Him - He doesn't say, "it', but rather, 'Him", the Holy Spirit is a person. Jesus was also called The Truth, and so few recognized Him. We are made alive through the Spirit, Who points us to Christ, Who is our life, our atonement, and in Him we are adopted by the Father. It is a Trinitarian work, not of our flesh, and it is relational, as God is One Being but three persons, and we are brought into this, reconciled by the life and death of Christ applied by the Spirit to those called elect by the Father. The world does not recognize this, the need of Christ life or death, for it sees itself as either deserving in it's own works or indifferent. We have to be born of the Spirit.

…13And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.… 1 Corinthians 2: 13-15

iii. “Between Christ on earth and his disciples what a distance there was! In his condescension he came very near to them; but yet you always perceive a gulf between the wise Master and the foolish disciples. Now the Holy Ghost annihilates that distance by dwelling in us.” (Spurgeon)

(2.) "He is the Spirit of truth." He will be true to you, and to his undertaking for you, which he will perform to the utmost. He will teach you the truth, will enlighten your minds with the knowledge of it, will strengthen and confirm your belief of it, and will increase your love to it. The Gentiles by their idolatries, and the Jews by their traditions, were led into gross errors and mistakes; but the Spirit of truth shall not only lead you into all truth, but others by your ministry. Christ is the truth, and he is the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit that he was anointed with.

(3.) He is one whom the world cannot receive; but you know him. Therefore he abideth with you. [1.] The disciples of Christ are here distinguished from the world, for they are chosen and called out of the world that lies in wickedness; they are the children and heirs of another world, not of this. [2.] It is the misery of those that are invincibly devoted to the world that they cannot receive the Spirit of truth. The spirit of the world and of God are spoken of as directly contrary the one to the other (1 Cor 2 12); for where the spirit of the world has the ascendant, the Spirit of God is excluded. Even the princes of this world, though, as princes, they had advantages of knowledge, yet, as princes of this world, they laboured under invincible prejudices, so that they knew not the things of the Spirit of God, 1 Cor 2 8. [3.] Therefore men cannot receive the Spirit of truth because they see him not, neither know him. The comforts of the Spirit are foolishness to them, as much as ever the cross of Christ was, and the great things of the gospel, like those of the law, are counted as a strange thing. These are judgments far above out of their sight. Speak to the children of this world of the operations of the Spirit, and you are as a barbarian to them. [4.] The best knowledge of the Spirit of truth is that which is got by experience: You know him, for he dwelleth with you. Christ had dwelt with them, and by their acquaintance with him they could not but know the Spirit of truth. They had themselves been endued with the Spirit in some measure. What enabled them to leave all to follow Christ, and to continue with him in his temptations? What enabled them to preach the gospel, and work miracles, but the Spirit dwelling in them? The experiences of the saints are the explications of the promises; paradoxes to others are axioms to them. [5.] Those that have an experimental acquaintance with the Spirit have a comfortable assurance of his continuance: He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you, for the blessed Spirit doth not use to shift his lodging. Those that know him know how to value him, invite him and bid him welcome; and therefore he shall be in them, as the light in the air, as the sap in the tree, as the soul in the body. Their communion with him shall be intimate, and their union with him inseparable. [6.] The gift of the Holy Ghost is a peculiar gift, bestowed upon the disciples of Christ in a distinguishing way—them, and not the world; it is to them hidden manna, and the white stone. No comforts comparable to those which make no show, make no noise. This is the favour God bears to his chosen; it is the heritage of those that fear his name. - Matthew Henry

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#1519 John 14 Part 2 To Know

 

7 If you have come to know Me, you will know My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

8 Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus *said to him, “Have I been with you all so long and have you not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak from Myself, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, this will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. John 14: 7-15 LSB

John 14: 7-15 Seeing Jesus is Seeing Father

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John *bore witness about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has been ahead of me, for He existed before me.’” 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. John 1: 14-18

V. 7 If you have come to know Me, you will know My Father also - It is inescapable and yet a mystery as well. There is a great truth taught in Scripture, that doctrine which accumulatively we know and have given the name, Trinity. We see there is one God, one eternal being, Who created the universe, time and space, and in this being we find three persons above all that which they created. We see that our first parents had a relationship, a revelation of God, Who though a Spirit, revealed Himself inside time and space, walking with them in the garden. God is a holy being though, and we see that He, in His sovereignty had placed Adam and Eve in the garden upon condition and made them responsible creatures. Through the revelation of Himself in Scripture, by which way we come to perceive His attributes, we also know that our parents violated the condition upon which their relationship with God and all of creation hung. Sin has estranged us from God, from community, but we also come to know through God's Word, that He provided a seed, a means to be reconciled, His Son. 

If you (plural) had known (ginosko) Me, you would have known (eido) My Father also; from now on you know (ginosko) Him, and have seen Him - Jesus had been addressing Thomas in Jn 14:6 but now the you is plural so He is addressing all 11 disciples. They had received previous "clues" regarding Jesus' relationship with His Father. For example, Jesus had clearly stated that to see Him was to see the Father (see passages above)! Jesus is saying that if the 11 had understood (ginosko) Who He was, they would have known the Father beyond a shadow of a doubt (that's the idea of this verb eido). Once again Jesus is clearly claiming His Deity and equality with His Father. And this makes sense because the only way He could have been the way to the Father in Jn 14:6 is if He was God Himself (Jn 1:1-3, 14, 17, 18, Jn 5:18, Jn 8:58, Jn 10:30-33). - Precept Austin

V. 7b From now on you know Him and have seen Him - The words, actions, the miracles, the fulfillment of prophecies, testify to Who He is, but He is also making it abundantly clear that if you see Me then you have seen the Father. 

…3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.… 2 Corinthians 4: 3-5

…2But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 4So He became as far superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is excellent beyond theirs.… Hebrews 1: 2-4

More on Who Jesus Is from John 1

Even More Jn 1 Part 2

Still More Jn 1 Part 3

V. 8 Philip said, Lord show us the Father, and it is enough for us - Ouch! Show us the invisible God, give us a Theophany maybe, but here God is in front of them. The religious leaders asked for a sign in the heavens after countless healings, miraculous feedings, and the fulfillment of OT prophecy. I don't laugh at these men though because I have said "if" hundreds of times, and yet was not met with what it deserved, the clay trying to put conditions upon the Potter. Everyone wants a sign and then another sign after that. What they need is to believe, and to believe they need faith, and faith does not come by way of seeing fireworks in the sky, it comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Faith is also a gift, not psyching one's self up to believe something, anything, that is the way to pseudo faith. God if you give me that car, that job, then I will believe, no, He gives His Word, He gives His Son, and the Holy Spirit gives that new life inside, the conviction of sin, the regeneration to believe and walk. It is a miracle that anyone truly believe, it is on par with being raised from the dead. 

Bob Utley - These disciples wanted some type of confirmation just like the Pharisees. However, believers must walk by faith and not depend on sight (cf. 2 Cor. 4:18; 5:7) in spiritual matters. Trust is the issue! Miracles/signs can be counterfeit (cf. Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9; also note Exod. 7:11,22; 8:7; 2 Tim. 3:8).

…23At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. 25See, I have told you in advance.… Matthew 24: 23-25

…7in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not by works, so that no one can boast.… Ephesians 2: 7-9

V. 9 Have I been with you all so long and have you not come to know me, Philip - Knowing Christ is knowing God, it's knowing the Father, and the only way to be reconciled to God.

…12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.…

15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.… Colossians 1: 12-17

V. 9b How can you say, "show us the Father" - Back to vs. 7 "if you have come to know Me, you will know My Father also". After all this, how can you say that? It is a failure to believe His claim and what He is telling them to believe about Himself, yet I doubt Philip would call Him a liar, but it is essentially what our disbelief acts out, that we so often don't believe the Jesus we say we believe in, or we believe in a different God all together, and so He, the true God, is unrecognizable standing before us. 

…28Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book.… John 20: 28-30

In an attempt to express the in expressible, a Christian businessman kept this motto on his desk: “How great must be the God we need! How much greater is our God than our greatest need!”

John Wesley captured that same truth in a different way. “Give me a worm that can understand a man,” he wrote, “and I will give you a man who can understand God.” And in Psalm 145:3, David said of God, “His greatness is unsearchable.”

In trying to grasp the mind-baffling nature of our Creator, the best we can do is use comparisons. He is like a faithful shepherd, a wise and just king, a loving parent, a trustworthy friend. All these analogies give us a glimpse of God’s greatness, but they are wholly inadequate to comprehend Him fully.

That is why it is so difficult to understand how we may know the Creator at all. Yet that is the glorious message of the gospel. Our infinite God has revealed Himself to us in His incarnate Son Jesus Christ. In the Gospels we read with awe and gratitude that the Creator became our Savior. Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9). When we look to Jesus and listen to what He has said, we can know the unknowable. By: Vernon Grounds (Reprinted by permission from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Please do not repost the full devotional without their permission.)

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,

In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,

Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,

Almighty, victorious—Thy great name we praise.

—Smith - From Precept Austin

V. 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me - This is a critical aspect of the faith. 

…18All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.… 2 Corinthians 5: 18-20

NET NOTE adds that "It is probably best to see the two terms (words...works) as related but not identical; there is a progression in the idea here. Both Jesus’ words (recall the Samaritans’ response in John 4:42) and Jesus’ works are revelatory of Who He is, but as the next verse (Jn 14:11) indicates, works have greater confirmatory power than words. - PA

V. 11b Otherwise believe because of the works themselves - It is easy to say I am the Christ, but He has shown, demonstrated this far more in the miracles, and has actually only revealed this verbally to a handful of people. This is a reference beyond Messiahship though, beyond the claim of an earthly throne through the line of David. He has performed miracles in an era and in open situations where this would be impossible to fake. People that others knew to be ill, paralyzed, blind, and even dead, were healed. The disciples have seen His command over nature, the elements, things that only God can do. This Man speaks to the things He has created and they respond, just as the invisible God walked before Moses and the Sea parted for it's maker. All His miracles confirm Who He is, and that His words are true. 

…4Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.”… Matthew 11: 4-6

V. 12 Greater works than these he will do because I go to the Father - 

…32God has raised this Jesus to life, to which we are all witnesses. 33Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand… Acts 2: 32-34

Lowell Johnson on greater works - Spiritual miracles are greater in importance than physical miracles because physical miracles are temporary. Christians have a greater message to give today. We not only have the O.T., we have the Gospels, the epistles, the book of Acts, and Revelation. The Lord never preached outside of Israel. We have the whole world at our disposal. Christians have been enabled to do greater works because the Holy Spirit works through the believer. On the Day of Pentecost 3,000 were saved. We are also able to do greater works because our Lord is interceding for us. Heb. 7:25 Our work is His work when He initiates the work and when the work is done for His glory. Isn't it just like our sweet, wonderful Lord to encourage and comfort us by saying, “I want you to do greater works than I.”?

D L Moody has a most interesting thought on greater works - I used to stumble over that verse, but the longer I live the more I am convinced it is a greater thing to influence a man whose will is set against God, to have that will broken and brought into subjection to God’s will—or, in other words, it is a greater thing to have power over a living, sinning, God-hating man, than to quicken the dead. He who could create a world could speak a dead man into life; but I think the greatest miracle this world has ever seen was the miracle at Pentecost. The men who surrounded the apostles were full of prejudice, full of malice, full of bitterness, their hands, as it were, dripping with the blood of the Son of God; and yet an unlettered man, a man whom they detested and hated, stood up and preached the gospel, and three thousand of them were immediately convicted and converted, and became disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:41+). - PA

V. 13-14 Whatever you ask in My name - Now I have seen that perverted often, that you tag "in Jesus name" to the end of every request and people treat it like the phrase that pays or an incantation to get what you want. It has more to do with in His name, His will, as Jesus said that He only did what He saw the Father doing, and if you have any doubt than read the passage below.

…2You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures. 4You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.… James 3: 2-4

V. 15 If you love Me you will keep My commandments - Faith without works is dead, true faith always produces fruit, conviction that leads to repentance. I have seen people ask for things in Jesus name that fly in the face of His commandments that go against the laws of God, and they ask to be blessed while doing these things. I suggest a better prayer would be, give me a new heart, oh God, renew a right spirit within me. Lord, conform me to the image of your Son, change my desires so that they align with your will. Forgive me for being the rebel that I am and deliver me from evil, help me to hate my sin like you do. 

…3By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. 4If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:… 1 John 2: 3-5

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#1518 The I Word

 

…22And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.… Romans 3: 23-24

9What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin. 10As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. 11There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.… Romans 3: 9-11

Let's get a definition of inclusion that everyone has access to on the internet:

Inclusion is, by the Oxford Dictionary definition, 

1. The act of including or being included within a group or structure.
2. The practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities or resources for people who otherwise might be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or intellectual disabilities and members of other minority groups.

As I stated before in Diversity, I believe that we as human beings are made in the image of God, everyone, and I believe what the Bible says, and science now confirms, that we all come from the same common parentage. We have the greater in our common than we do in our differences. It is one race, the human race, and from that comes all manner of diversity, giftedness, different shades of melanin, even albinism, and ethnic, tribal or cultural diversity. The greater I would appeal to is our humanity, being made in the image of God, for we can find within the cultural, things that should not be defended, in that they go against the first order of being human. For example, and we gave this before, Hitler and Nazi Germany, a culture that I believe to be wrong and against the image of God in it's fellow creatures. Another example that I would not defend or protect would be cultures that do human sacrifice, groups that practice cannibalism, cultures that sexualize children or abuse them in other ways. It is not racist nor wicked to want to exclude such behaviors, quite the contrary. 

In the verses at the beginning of this we are all included, regardless of our opinions, regardless of geography or skin color, all have sinned, all fall short, no one is righteous of themselves. The outcome of that, what is owed to everyone in accordance to that commonality is this:

…22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6: 22-23

Now some will start pulling their hair out, and if they haven't already then here comes the Biblically exclusive statements about the answer to the inclusive statements above:

5“Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”… John 14: 5-7

Notice Jesus doesn't say "A way", like the coexist movement, no, He is "The Way", as in the only way, and "no one" comes to the Father, no one is made right with God by another way. We all belong to the group that needs Christ, needs something not found within us, but outside of us, provided for us. This angers many, but I believe the Creator has the right over His creation.

The Bible doesn't allow for there being your truth and my truth, Buddha, Mohammad, humanism, atheism (which is just like humanism), Jehovah's Witness, Mormonism, Roman Catholicism and Christianity etc. as all equal ways which come to the same end. I would argue that all but one reach the same end, and that is not an apostate form of Christianity, not a Christ that you made in your imagination, but the Christianity that trust not in self but Christ alone as your redemption from the wrath of a Holy and just God, Who being so, and being the eternal, infinite being, will be in the same capacity forever opposed to sin. It is this Christianity, marked by being born again, granted the grace of repentance, trusting in the sacrifice of Christ for the sin of which you are guilty, that is the way God provided. Now people get angry and say that isn't fair, like Cain they think God must accept my vegetables, and when they find he does not then they hate their brothers and sisters who believed and obeyed. They did not want God, did not want His way, His provision, and they even go so far as to say they don't need it because they do not accept His definition of sin. Some see themselves as righteous, some say there is no God, or if it is the God of the Bible then they are so smart and beyond the One Who created them, far more compassionate then Him, that they would choose to die in their sin with the hope that there is no God to answer to or that hell is not so bad as some preachers tend to think. Well, you are right, those preachers are finite beings with finite understanding, and so I would imagine that it is not as bad as they say, but rather far worse. 

1“Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2But the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.… John 10: 1-3

…7So He said to them again, “Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before Me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.… John 10: 7-9

…7to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house. 8I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols. 9Behold, the former things have happened, and now I declare new things. Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”… Isaiah 42: 7-9

The prophet Isaiah spoke these things about Jesus 700 years before He arrived.

…5But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. 6We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. 7He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.… Isaiah 53: 5-7

So what about DEI? How does this all play out in the work world, the unstable world? As a Christian I believe that regardless of what you believe I still have to look across the table and see myself. I have hired and worked with people of all ethnicities, with the hypomelanistic, the hypermelanistic, atheists, cult followers, homosexuals and transgender. In fact, I would challenge anyone else's claims to inclusion, as I only favor things that are in accordance with the job. I include people that fly and stand under a host of banners, many of which I disagree with politically, religiously and morally, but all I ask is that they respect the rights of others to look different than them, their right to work and provide for themselves and their families. I ask that they also respect the rights of others to disagree, and to promote values that actually help at work, like attendance, job knowledge, experience, and work ethic. I disagree with people who lean towards and have openly stated in front of me, that, "I will pull the race card, the girl card,' or, 'I check off more boxes than you because I am gay, or transgender, or a cat that uses these pronouns." Yes, that is in quotes. As a Christian I believe you can not only disagree with me but even hate me and still I must see your value as one being made in the image of God. 

…19Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” 20On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.… Romans 12: 19-21

I do not agree with the concept I have seen with much of the DEI related talks and material, the concept of intersectionality. Calling CRT a theory is beyond a stretch as well. It is in no way inclusive to say that because you check off these boxes that you should not have a voice. It is in no way inclusive, and it is also outright and downright racist to say that because you check the box of whiteness, and then intersect with the sin of being heterosexual, top that off with being male, middle aged, and God forbid, Christian too, then you should not be able to talk about race or inclusion. The truth does not belong to any group based upon their color or sex. It is something that must be found, and must be able to stand on it's own, it is for those who love it, and it is colorless, blind and indifferent to our feelings. Regardless of your ethnicity you can only speak what you know, and to speak the truth you must know it, and yet some have recognized it but spoke other than the truth in order to deceive. But here is another inclusive statement regarding men and the truth:

…18Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.… John 3: 18-20

I recently listened to a Ted Talk where someone was discussing the topic of DEI and the ideas of "covering and authenticity". He went through a host of different groups who identified as covering, basically not being their authentic selves, not coming out if they were gay, bisexual, or even suppressing their hurt over perceived wrongs committed by people who said something that hurt their feelings. Some people even covered because they were white and that was not one of the supposedly marginalized groups, but they felt like they were being overlooked for promotions etc., because they were not in one of the groups recognized by intersectionality. Others hid their feelings he said because of the stoic position that men shouldn't cry or be that emotional. Some people hid that they felt sick or were struggling because they did not want to project weakness. I will not say that there is never racism involved in some peoples' decision making process, in fact, I would say most of the answers and knee jerks coming out of this DEI stuff is quite racist, and I refer you back to the two previous posts. But I would ask you this, if authenticity is important and when you come out as gay, and I tell you that you were never actually hiding it that well to begin with, what is it that you want from me? I am still going to treat you the same, expect the same work from you, expect the same respect from you, and I am still going to defend your personhood, but are you going to be inclusive of me if I don't agree with you? Let me put it to you like this, you tell me, "Calvin, I don't think that I can be myself around you because I haven't been authentic with you, I have been covering', and I say, 'speak up man or woman, spit it out." And you say, "I am gay, or I believe myself to be a woman trapped in a man's body, Calvin, what do you think?" Like I have tried to make clear all along, and this is my answer. When someone ask me a direct question I give them a direct answer, I tell them the truth. "My friend, I love you, and above you, I love the God Who made you but Who has also spoken on these very things. I believe Him to be eternal, so unchanging, not bound by time or mistakes, but sovereign overall and perfect. I will not change what He says regardless of governments or current cultural demands, no man has that right, and if I did tell you other than what He says then that would not be authentic on my part, and it would be the most unloving thing I could do to another human being. To tell you what you want to hear right now, to tell you that this is not sin, that God will not judge according to His word, that would cruel on my part, to believe in the God of the Bible, to know that there are eternal repercussions for sin, and then to tell you, don't worry about it, that is truly hateful. Now I ask you, is there room in your "inclusion" for me?" I go by what God says, and He has been very clear on all these things. Listen carefully, we are all under a time of great grace, where we are not under a Theocracy, that it is not do this and you shall live, as though the law can save, but these things are still considered sin and Christ will come back one day to judge. I ask that you read this and think about it, not for my sake, but yours.

…12If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both must surely be put to death. They have acted perversely; their blood is upon them. 13If a man lies with a man as with a woman, they have both committed an abomination. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. 14If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is depraved. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that there will be no depravity among you.… Leviticus 20: 12-14

…4If you see your brother’s donkey or ox fallen on the road, you must not ignore it; you must help him lift it up. 5A woman must not wear men’s clothing, and a man must not wear women’s clothing, for whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD your God. 6If you come across a bird’s nest with chicks or eggs, either in a tree or on the ground along the road, and the mother is sitting on the chicks or eggs, you must not take the mother along with the young.… Deuteronomy 22: 4-6

…9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.… 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11

If you can see yourself in any of these verses, I know I can as someone who has been a fornicator, a liar, a gossip, a drug addict, a thief and rebellious towards my mom and God. If you can see yourself, see what God calls sin as sin and repent, He saves sinners. Herein is great hope for you.

…31Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Luke 5: 31-32

Below is a great link to Voddie Baucham teaching on Social Justice and the Gospel. I would encourage you to listen so that you are not stuck in a bubble about these things. Culture has a tendency towards sucking up which leads to everyone following the masses like in the Emperor's New Clothes. It is not healthy and it mistakenly attacks those who disagree and accuses them of being unloving because they prefer to tell the truth. Do I, as a Christian, believe we should make sure that people are included in our places of work, that they be respected as our equals, that they be able to work without harassment or bullying? Absolutely, and I have fought openly against those who have promoted hostile working conditions. I understand how people feel when treated like that because I have experienced it myself. I have epilepsy, and as new Christians me and my wife were at a job fair, she was waiting in the lounge area while I went back for an interview. I made it through the first part of the interview and was accepted, but I had listed my epilepsy on the sheet and when they noticed this, one of them went out into the lobby and told someone else, "we don't want this one, he has seizures." Well, my wife was out there with our new baby, and she is not shy about these things and told them, "you can't do that; it's discrimination." They back pedaled and gave me the job, but it was more than a little awkward showing up where people didn't want you, but I did, and I worked hard. I have had seizures at another place of work and HR ask me not to "come back till your doctor can say that you won't have another; you need to go on disability." I told them, "you can't do that, it's against the law, it's discrimination, and I will see you or a lawyer on Monday." They made some calls and then someone higher up said, see you Monday. I also learned as a Christian that I need to have some grace with them, and also as a father that I need to be more responsible about my condition, so I went back to a neurologist to see what had changed in the last 15 years, and they did some testing and I have now gone seizure free for over six years with my current treatments. I am a huge proponent of making work available to those who want to work, even if it means putting in a wheel chair ramp, elevator, or making special work benches to accommodate the handicapped. I love places like Publix where they give jobs to the mentally disabled, and it's exciting to see just how excited they are with being a part of something, contributing. My wife volunteers with a lady who has down syndrome and is about 70 some odd years old, and she gets great satisfaction being where the people are and seeing a job well done. So I think inclusion like that is important, but not without honesty, not without the truth, not excluding logic and reason. 

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