Pr 23:10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not
into the fields of the fatherless:
The word
“landmark” is defined for us “a twisted cord” – the implication being that it
is “a border” or the marker of “a boundary” that encloses a specific territory.
A
landmark is something that provided “the limit of travel”
at which point one must turn back to
STAY within the “specified territory” and avoid trespassing into foreign
territory . . .
The idea
of a twisted cord is a term that
indicates “strength” . . . the point being that small individual strands of thread were easily broken
. . . but
when these small individual “strands of thread” were twisted together into a cord . . . it was
transformed into something that was no
longer so
easily broken. With the idea of a
twisted cord let’s look at a description of the NTC in
I Cor 12: 12 For as the body is one (twisted cord),
and hath many members (referring to the
individual strands), and all the members of that one body, being many, are one
body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized (twisted) into
one body (cord), whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether
we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the
body is not one member, but many.
The twisted cord is made up of smaller
individual strands of thread that by
themselves are weak so that they break under the stress of a
load . .
. but to gain strength these small separate threads are “joined together” in
the church through proper baptism . . . just like after you and I were saved –
God called us to
be KNIT
together in Christian love (The NTC) so that in bringing honor unto God our
lives might be strengthened as a twisted
cord so that we
might not
break under the stress of this world. Referring to the NTC we read in . . . Col 2:2
That their hearts might be comforted (HOW) being knit (twisted) together in love,
and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father,
and of Christ;
Col 2:19 And not holding the Head, from which all
the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit
(twisted) together, increaseth with the increase of God.
To be “knit
together” is defined for us as being united or driven together . . . The idea
is that being united with one another IN LOVE . . .
Or being “driven
together” or held within the common
territory defined by the landmarks of The Truth . . . is that this
“togetherness” causes
something to occur among those of us in the church . . . To be “knit together” in
Christian love through the church
means that the love
which
binds us together will get stronger and stronger as we grow “in Christ” . . .
the implication being – that if we fail to grow “in
Christ”
because of a tendency to step beyond
the boundaries of Truth – then this bond which “knits us together” will become
weaker instead of
stronger -- giving rise to divisions and heresies
1Co 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in
the church, I hear that there be divisions
among you (the strands in the cord are becoming frayed or separated); and I
partly believe it.
“To feed
upon” The Truth or to rely upon The Truth as
being enough for our worship -- is
to turn away from the doctrines of
men . . . as we resist the temptation
of becoming a “frayed cord” because
of how we move the landmarks in order to gain strength from the world . . .
John 6: 51 I am the
living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he
shall live for-ever: and the bread that I will
give is my flesh, which I will give
for the life of the world.
Of course
Jesus does not mean that he has given His flesh for us to eat as we would eat a
meal . . . the symbolism here – refers to what twists the cords of
Christian Love together in His
NTC. First of all Jesus mentions that He
is the bread of Life – and who-so-ever eats
His flesh will
live
for-ever . . . This refers to the salvation of our soul when we repent of our
sins and put our faith in a resurrected Jesus Christ . . . The symbolism
is that when we eat a piece of meat – that meat is taken into our body – and as
it is digested – it quite literally becomes
part OF our body
so that after this occurs - it is impossible to separate that meat from our
body because of
how it has “become”
our body . . . then (after salvation) – it is through BAPTISM (by the authority
of a NTC) that as a saved born again child of God who has quite literally
become
ONE with
Christ through salvation as we have (eaten His flesh) through faith and
repentance (this is to take Jesus into our lives – just like we
take food
into our flesh) – After this occurs - we are then TWISTED together (in baptism)
with our brothers and sisters in Christ to walk anew
Romans 6: 3
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into his death?
To be baptized into His death refers to the “symbolism”
of how baptism is a picture of a
burial after the death of the body.
4 Therefore we are buried WITH HIM by baptism into death: that like as Christ was
raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should WALK in newness of life.
To be
buried with Him by Baptism means that through “the picture” that our baptism
portrays - it is in this way that we
have been buried just
like
Jesus was buried . . . A man is only buried after he dies . . . Jesus was buried after He died on the cross to
pay the price for our sins . . .
likewise
we are baptized or symbolically buried only AFTER we put our old man to death –
so that we might WALK in the newness of our salvation
Baptism
is quite literally a picture of what
has already saved us - - - Baptism is a picture which represents the death of something in
OUR LIFE
. . . and it is also a picture which represents the appearance of something NEW
in our life . . . Before we were saved – it was
impossible
for us to please God . . . a lost man is not capable of anything spiritual at
all . . .
Jer 5:21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and
without understanding; which have eyes, and
see not; which have ears, and hear
not:
When we
are saved . . . our foolish eyes which have not been able to see – they are
opened and we are able to see things that we were not able
to see
when we were lost . . . this is where the phrase “born again” comes from . . .
the point is - that
after we are saved – we are dead to
what we were before . . . what we saw as a lost man “is as the vision of a dead
man”
and being dead – he is
no longer able to see it . . . what we loved as a lost man “is as the love of
that a dead man” once had – because he is dead – he loves it no more . .
. You see when we are saved – we put the man that we once were IN THE GRAVE . . . we bury the man that we used to be
because we have
been BORN AGAIN through faith and repentance in Jesus Christ . . .
The
purpose of BAPTISM is to actually PUT Jesus Christ into our lives publically . . . salvation puts His
spirit within our soul that only God
is able to see . . . and it is baptism that essentially puts Him into our lives
that the world is able to see . . .
The idea behind
“walking
in newness of life” simply means that after salvation and baptism – that our lives are following a different track/road/direction . . .
because
it is through baptism that we are literally “engaged” to Jesus Christ . . .
Baptism is how we promise Jesus
Christ that we will be true to
HIM and
to HIM ONLY as long as we live. I can
only be true to my wife . . . IF (in my heart) I AM willing to forsake ALL OTHERS . . .
Likewise
we can only be true to Jesus Christ as long as are not willing to move His landmarks of true worship because of how we
ARE
WILLING
(in our heart) to forsake ALL OTHER types of teachings . . . as we turn away
from EVERY attempt which the world of
religion makes “for
us join them” and to no longer be a SEPARATE people unto God in His Truth . . .
2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and
touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you (I will receive your worship).
We do not
come out from among them in salvation – we come out from among them through proper worship AFTER salvation.
When a
man dies – the dead man is buried . . . when we are saved and properly baptized
– the man that we used to be “is dead” such that the
interests
and the type of things that used to influence the direction of our lives – no
longer has the
effect over us that it did before
our salvation. Our “old man” is buried through
proper worship . . . and a NEW man (our new
nature in
Jesus Christ) is raised up to take the place of the old man that we buried.
Matt 13: 18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the
sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it
not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his
heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
Even
though he is saved - he does not understand The Truth so he falls to wayside of
proper worship.
20 But he that received
the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon
with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a
while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and
by he is offended.
After he
is saved – he understands The Truth and begins to walk in proper worship and
newness of life . . . but it just costs too much to continue
22 He also that received
seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this
world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he
becometh unfruitful.
He is
saved – he understands The Truth – He makes a public commitment to Jesus and to
proper worship . . . but over the course of his
life he
gradually loses interest and ends up breaking the commitment he once made to
Jesus . . . and he eventually winds up outside of The Truth in religion . . . a
love that waxes cold
23 But he that received
seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth
it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some
sixty, some thirty.
This is
the man who truly “comes out from among them” to be separate from the world –
both in his life (morality) AND also in his worship (as he avoids false
doctrine) . . .
This NEW
MAN who is separate . . . is quite literally the offspring of God through the
salvation of his soul . . . this new man (as a born
again child of God) is raised up in the place of the old man and through the
symbolism of baptism he promises to be faithful to Jesus at
John 6: 52 The Jews therefore strove among
themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye
have no life in you.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,
hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is
drink indeed.
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,
dwelleth in me, and I in him.
The
essence of what Jesus is referring to here – is the concept of what is revealed
to us in Pr
23:10 Remove not the old landmark;
and enter not into the fields of the
fatherless:
To REMOVE
NOT simply means that we are supposed to leave the teachings of Jesus Christ in
the same location/ place where we found them.
To ENTER
NOT simply means that we are supposed to STAY where we are in terms of the
teachings of Jesus Christ . . . and Jesus tells us HOW to
stay in The Truth . . . and He tells us HOW to remove not the old landmarks in
2 Cor 6: 14 Be ye not unequally yoked (jointed)
together with unbelievers (in our worship services - we have nothing in common
with those who are standing beyond the boundaries of God’s Truth)
for what
fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? (the righteousness referred
to here is not OUR righteousness – but rather the righteousness
of Jesus Himself . . . and the unrighteousness is not necessarily referring to
our misdeeds . . . but rather to false teachings
And what
communion hath light with darkness? In other words how is it possible to mix
truth with error as one of you worships in obedience – while another worships
in rebellion . . .
15 And what concord (peace, harmony, unity) hath
Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with
idols? for YE ARE the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell
in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore (because of the relationship that we
have with Jesus through the church) . . . (because we are this twisted cord) (because
we have become engaged and have promised to be true to Jesus and to NO
OTHER) come out from among them, and be
ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will
receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my
sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
The only
way that we can be separate – is to leave the old landmarks right were we found
them . . .
We should
never view worship as something that must be adjusted in order to accommodate
the worshiper . . . but rather we should see the worshiper
as something that must change to accommodate TRUE worship of Jesus Christ.
So where
is THE TRUTH in our lives . . . has it fallen by the wayside . . . has it been
abandoned because of how it has offended our lives?
Has it
been slowly choked out by a busy life . . . or is it the center piece of life .
. .
How can any man bring glory unto God if that man tries to "force" God to change – because of how he is
unwilling to change himself . . .
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