“Warning Every Man”
Preaching the gospel and the whole counsel of God has us warning and admonishing one another of the Lord’s words and ways.
Eze 3:17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Col 1:29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
The NT word for warning, G3560 is the same word as admonishing.
G3560
íïõèåôǻù
noutheteō
noo-thet-eh’-o
From the same as G3559; to put in mind, that is, (by implication) to caution or reprove gently: – admonish, warn.
Our coming into the knowledge of the truth [His Word] and learning the lessons of sowing and reaping is the beginning of true wisdom of the Lord.
Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Learning the Lord’s methods [MO] of saving us by fiery grace is how we are in due time caused to obey the Lord [Eze 36:27, Isa 26:9] and enter into true righteousness becoming doers of the Word.
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
When our day has come to be saved and glorify the Lord within us, the Lord’s grace will not fail to deliver.
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries
We learn the fear of the Lord as we are taught the connection between our disobedience and the pouring out of grace.
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap
Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Maturing in Christ does not mean knowledge of doctrine, it means we are becoming doers of the Word. This means we are exhibiting the accompanying good works and fruits of the Spirit [Gal 5:22] in all our behavior. We are to be concerned first and foremost about ourselves.
Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Coming to see the workings of true grace and the law of sowing and reaping is a blessing that brings us the strength to suffer and wait on the Lord to deliver us unto righteousness.
We do have a role in the Body to be watchmen and overseers of the flock helping our brothers and sisters escape from bondage and corruption of either false doctrines and sin. The armies of Christ bring correction and warnings of the Lord’s methods to win back those erring from the way.
2Th 3:14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
2Th 3:15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish [warn] him as a brother.
Paul was warning the Thessalonians about some who had stopped working out their own salvation and had become busybodies in the lives of others.
2Th 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
2Th 3:11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
2Th 3:12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
2Th 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing
Ceasing to work is physically and spiritually being slothful. To the extent we are able, we are to work for our own spiritual food and thereby reap the spiritual growth that work will bring. Being diligent and not slothful is necessary if we are to move onwards to maturity in Christ.
Pro 12:24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule [over their house having dominion over sin]: but the slothful shall be under tribute.
Heb 6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith [with accompanying works] and patience inherit the promises.
Growing Weary
We are warned about growing weary in doing well because that is exactly what our flesh which is weak will seek to do and the knowledge will lull us to sleep thinking we have arrived when there is a long journey ahead to travail. It takes the coming of Christ with the fire as in the lake of fire to expose our sloth and awake us to His true and much higher standard of righteousness.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees [those that had a lot of knowledge], ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
The most insidious deceiver is the one within ourselves and within our midst who can easily speak what our flesh wants to hear by picking and choosing from the Scriptures.
Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Act 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears
If we are going to go to make it in this age, we are going to endure severe trials and suffer far more than we at first can imagine or bear. There is no other way except by the cross of Christ and our following Him to death. Paul like Christ was an example for us to follow and learn from what is written. There are many temptations to water down our walk and not stand for Christ in the face of an unbelieving world. When we bow to this pressure, it takes the heat off and makes us better received by those outside the faith. Yet that is not the mark of the high calling! To be godly in Christ, we are guaranteed we will suffer persecution and be hated of those outside the faith.
2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Paul warns about the evil and seducer [without ourselves and our own wicked fleshly heart and carnal mind] that will wax worse as we mature to bring temptation and deception to try our faith. A little knowledge will lead us to deceive ourselves in this way and thereby avoid persecution.
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
Lord willing, we are learning to stand and follow the way of Christ in spite of the ongoing temptations from our physical families, our neighbors, our workplace, the entire world [kosmos] in which we dwell in these marred vessels of clay. Showing all the standard of God and leading by example was an oft-repeated theme of Paul’s life and his writings and with it came much suffering and persecution.
1Co 4:12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
1Co 4:13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
1Co 4:14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
1Co 4:15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
1Co 4:16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
We can’t be an effective witness or preacher if we ourselves have not been successful in overcoming. A desire to serve the Lord and be His minister should help us strive for the higher calling of having the Lord glorified in our deeds and acts.
Rom 15:17 I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.
Rom 15:18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,
Rom 15:19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
The Goal in the Kingdom of God
Obviously, the end goal of the Lord’s work in every man is salvation. That is the saving of every man or said another way being delivered from their sins. This means far more than just being forgiven those sins, it means the power of God unto salvation has come unto us and we have [are in process] been risen above with Christ.
Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
The signified language of the Book of Revelation [Rev 1:1] reveals that the wrath of God against our old man and sinful ways, is how we are given the victory and how we stand on top of the sea that represents our flesh and its lusts.
Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
We touched on charity and love being the prime thing [1Co 13:8] a few studies back. That is what the Lord seeks and is getting done [Psa 135:6, 2Pe 3:9] when He comes for salvation in every man’s day of the Lord. We should never stop working out our salvation remembering our measure of faith is there to work a work in us that is not yet finished.
1Jn 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
We should be fervently be seeking the Lord in His kingdom within us and hastening His coming [2Pe 3:12] more and more [thereby destroying the works of the devil within us] through prayer and fasting. This is far more important than knowledge of the Scriptures and knowing all the types and shadows of the Old Testament.
Mat 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom [within] come. Thy will be done in [our life and actions] earth, as it is in heaven.
The God of love is a God of obedience and that is what He is transforming within us when He comes to us a second time for salvation.
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Without God’s love growing more and more in us, our witness and testimony profits becomes a clanging gong and our knowledge of doctrine amounts to nothing without it. These words of Paul take on great importance as we remember what the love of God truly is all about.
1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
The event of flesh Israel rebelling against the Lord and not being content and demanding meat to eat, is an example for all of us to learn from regarding true righteousness and our pursuit of it. The walk of faith can become boring to the fleshly minded. Who wants to be still and wait on someone else [even the Lord], when our flesh is accustomed to the fulfillment it finds in the world [Egypt]. Our flesh will naturally desire some spiritual meat [gold nuggets, types and shadows] to make it interesting and give us something to boast about.
Num 11:4 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?
Num 11:5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:
Num 11:6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
The Lord will wean us of this “self-pursuit” by giving us what our flesh demands; so much so that we will get sick and spiritually die from it.
Num 11:32 And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.
Num 11:33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.
Lusting after spiritual meat is lusting after riches [knowledge] and is what we all do in showing the pride of life and discontent of our carnal mind with waiting on the Lord. The higher calling is the righteousness of Christ.
1Ti 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Rom 14:18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
Rom 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
We have come along way and learned many things to get to where we are as a Body of Christ. Yet the Lord is now beginning a greater work in us. We all must come through the fire that is the lake of fire in order to be raised with Christ and be given the crown of life that is His Mind being dead to our carnal mind. Our measure of faith given to us open up the access into the fiery work of the Lord and our enduring the many tribulations needed to work true godliness on the inside.
Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God [our obedience] is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
The sifting of the true church is leading us back to the simplicity of the gospel and its good news [to the new man] message. A mindset of profiting and getting rich from being chosen of God now, had led us into a slothful and sleepy walk with the Lord. We as a Body must strive for obedience and step up and help one another in a godly and meek way. We have many warnings/admonishments in the Scriptures to teach us the fear of the Lord and remind us of all the errors and the consequences of Israel’s rebellion in failing to take heed the Lord.
1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition [warning], upon whom the ends of the world are come.
1Co 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
We are doomed to repeat the lessons of the Lord who is chastening us. So taking heed the warnings and putting the fear of the Lord into action is something we all should be striving to follow the way of righteousness and be alive with Christ. James wrote of the double-minded and the struggle to have both faith and works in our actions. We are saved by faith but true faith, not the vain kind, will result in works showing up as the Lord has willed. We should hasten to that coming.
Jas 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
We are to be faithful watchmen, warning the people of God of the wolves, the error and the sin that is approaching or has already come into the camp of the saints. This applies first and foremost within ourselves but does extend to our loving our brother and sisters by our works.
Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
The Lord will awaken His people to righteousness and is going to work His good pleasure in us all. May we encourage and warn one another both to hasten His appearing in the kingdom of God within us all.