Welcome to Day 1406 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Mastering the Bible – Jesus’s Return and The Law – Worldview Wednesday

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek! Where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. Today is Day 1406 of our Trek, and it is Worldview Wednesday. Creating a Biblical Worldview is essential to have a proper perspective on today’s current events. To establish a Biblical Worldview, you must have a proper understanding of God and His Word. Our focus for the next several months on Worldview Wednesday is Mastering the Bible, through a series of brief insights. These insights are extracted from a book of the same title from one of today’s most prominent Hebrew Scholars, Dr. Micheal S. Heiser. This book is a collection of insights designed to help you understand the Bible better. When we let the Bible be what it is, we can understand it as the original readers did, and as its writers intended. Each week we will explore two insights.

Mastering The Bible – Jesus’s Return and The Law

Insight Seventy-One: New Testament Writers Expected Jesus to Return in Their Lifetime

Many Christians are riveted by the study of biblical prophecy. They energetically study the Bible and look at current events for possible connections. They want to discern “the signs of the times” in earnest expectation of the return of Jesus.

That thinking isn’t foreign to the New Testament itself. The apostles and early believers expected the Lord’s return to be very soon. It was an impending event that they fully expected to see in their lifetime. We know this was the case from a variety of New Testament passages. Some are easy to read over and never notice. Others are transparent.

In regard to the former, consider Hebrews 1:1-2: Long ago, God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son, he created the universe. The writer of Hebrews believed he was living in the last days over 2,000 years ago. The apostle Peter said that Jesus was manifest to him and others 1 Peter 1:20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days, he has been revealed for your sake.  Peter warned his readers about the threat of self-serving scoffers “in the last days” (2 Peter 3:3). And the events at Pentecost were part of “the last days” (Acts 2:17).

Some passages are even more direct. The apostle John, writing in the book of Revelation, said, “The time is near” (Revelations 1:3; 22:10). The day of the Lord-the day of Christ’s return for New Testament believers—was “drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25). Some believers even thought they had missed it (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2)!

Paul taught the Thessalonian believers what to expect leading up to the Lord’s return: they needed to be mindful of their walk and faithfulness so as not to be unprepared like unbelievers would (l Thessalonians 5). It was sage advice. If we live as though the Lord could return soon, our lives will be pleasing to God and a blessing to ourselves and others, whether it happens soon or not. Jesus himself taught that no one could know the precise day or hour (Matthew 24:36). Since the intent of biblical prophecies associated with the first coming wasn’t obvious, we ought not to expect to be able to figure things out this next time. In other words, our interest in, and expectancy of, the future shouldn’t be distracting us from living as we should in the present. 

Insight Seventy-Two: Paul Had a High View of the Law, but a Higher View of Jesus

Throughout Dr. Heiser’s teaching career, he has often heard Christians talk about being “free from the law.” Usually, that referred to the idea that we can’t work our way to heaven—that salvation was by grace, through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Dr. Heiser certainly agrees with that. That’s pretty transparent biblical theology. But sometimes the phrase was taken to mean less coherent ideas, like being free from the law essentially meant there were no rules for Christian living. What we did was up to “how the Spirit led” or (worse) whatever the situation called for. The reasoning of such people is, since all our sins were “under the blood,” we’d be forgiven for anything we did. Paul anticipated that last idea and forcefully rejected it as he tells us in Romans 6:1-2. Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?  Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?  Christian behavior matters. But is that legalism? Is that placing Christians “under the law”?

The question is understandable but, ultimately, incoherent and misguided. We’ve seen earlier that Paul had a high view of the law—he delighted in it “after the inward man” (Romans 7:22). He also took a Nazirite vow, as prescribed by the Mosaic Law (Acts 26:23-36). Was Paul inconsistent? Not at all.

“Law” talk among Christians can be brought into sharper focus and a more biblical understanding when we realize that Paul was rejecting the idea that salvation could be merited by obeying the law. Paul refers to “the works of the law” eight times. He clearly says that no one can be justified in God’s sight by the works of the Law (Galatians 2:16; Romans 3:20, 28). Those who trust in their obedience to the law are doomed (Galatians 3:10). Salvation cannot be earned through moral perfection that is achieved by obedience to God’s Law. Salvation is a gift, only available through the death of Christ (Galatians 2:21).If salvation is granted freely as a gift in response to what Jesus did (Galatians 2:21; 3:2, 5), it is not a thing that is earned or deserved. Yet Paul said in Romans 7:12, But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good. Even in the Old Testament, salvation was sealed by faith. Paul used Abraham, the father of Israel, to make this precise point (Genesis 15:6). The law was given to teach people about holiness—the requirement for entering God’s presence—and to enable people to live happy, harmonious lives.

The law was indeed holy, just, and good. But the human heart is not (Jeremiah 17:9). It is not possible for anyone to keep the entire law. Everyone sins, so grace is the only means of salvation (Romans 3:23-24). Even perfect outward obedience, if were it possible, would be inadequate. Jesus’s teaching about the law demonstrated that point. Even if someone hasn’t committed adultery, for example, the issue runs deeper than the command; it goes to the heart and one’s thoughts (Matthew 5:28). No human can meet that standard of moral perfection except Jesus, who fulfilled the law’s demands and became sin for the rest of us (2 Corinthians 5:21). This was Paul’s message.

That will conclude this week’s lesson on another two insights from Dr. Heiser’s book “Mastering The Bible.” Next Worldview Wednesday, we will continue with two additional insights. I believe you will find each Worldview Wednesday an interesting topic to consider as we build our Biblical Worldview.

Tomorrow we will continue with our 3-minute Humor nugget that will provide you with a bit of cheer, which will help you to lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’

If you would like to listen to any of our past 1405 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most of all, your friend as I serve you in through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this Trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain….reminding you to ’Keep Moving Forward,’ ‘Enjoy your Journey,’ and ‘Create a Great Day…Everyday’! See you Tomorrow!