November 27, 2022

A man had always been proud of his black, thick head of hair. But it began thinning out until finally only one lone strand was left. One morning he awoke, looked at his pillow, and was horrified to see lying there that last single, precious hair. Leaping out of bed, he ran downstairs crying, “Martha, Martha, I’m bald!”

Of course it doesn’t happen that way, does it? No man fails to notice his own baldness until the final hair falls out. I speak from experience. In the early 1980’s, I looked in the mirror and noticed a few hairs that were quite a bit lower on my forehead than all the rest. My first thought was that I was growing new hair down there. But then the sickening reality hit me: Those hairs were not pioneers into fresh territory. They were the few struggling survivors. The rest had retreated to higher ground!

The same thing is true about turning gray. Nobody turns gray without noticing it. Do you remember when you discovered your first gray hairs? Maybe you plucked them out. But you soon realized that if you continued to do that, baldness would be your next problem. So perhaps you chose the Clairol solution, or else you told yourself that it made you look more mature. But nobody turns gray without knowing it.

Or do they? The prophet Hosea wrote about just such a thing happening to the nation Israel (Hosea 7:9b): “Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him, yet he does not know it.” The prophet was not speaking about physical grayness, but rather, spiritual grayness. The nation was in spiritual decline. The signs of weakness and old age were obvious, and yet the nation was oblivious to the situation.

It’s easy to deceive myself about how old I am. I’ll remember a hike that I did years before and think, “Yeah, I can do that again.” Then I try it and my aching body screams at me, “What do you think you’re doing? You’re not young anymore!” I often joke with Marla as we hike on a trail we’ve done a few years earlier that they made a trail a lot steeper than the last time we hiked it!

But whether with increasing gray hair (which should be obvious) or with my brain deceiving my aging body about how old I really am, Hosea’s point is that people who profess to know God can in reality be in spiritual decline, and yet they don’t know it. He is asking us, “Is it possible that you are turning gray spiritually and yet have not noticed?” The apostle Paul exhorted the Corinthians (2 Cor. 13:5), “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” And so it is helpful at times to take a careful look into the mirror of God’s Word and ask, “Have you noticed your gray hair?”

Hosea prophesied shortly before the northern kingdom fell to Assyria in 722 B.C. The last half of the eighth century B.C. “was the most turbulent and trying time in the history of Israel prior to the captivity” (ESV Study Bible [Crossway], 1619). Of the six kings who reigned in the northern kingdom (which Hosea calls “Ephraim”) during the 30 years before Assyria conquered it, four assassinated their predecessors. The nation professed to be God’s people. They went through all the outward motions of religion. But they were morally and spiritually bankrupt. They worshiped gods of their own making. They defiled themselves with adultery and violence. And yet they claimed to know God. So the prophet asks Israel, “Have you noticed your gray hair?” He makes the point that ...

Mixture with the world and half-baked commitment lead to unconscious spiritual decline.

“Mixture” and “half-baked” are baking terms. Ephraim had become mixed or kneaded together like dough with the nations. Or, they had become like a half-baked pancake. Because of that the nation did not recognize the signs of spiritual decline.

1. Mixture with the world leads to unconscious spiritual decline.

When God called Israel to be His covenant people He declared over and over to them, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:7; also, Exod. 34:12-16). To be holy means to be set apart unto God, to be conformed to His character, to be separate from known sin, to be distinct from the behavior and thinking of those who do not know God. But instead of being distinct, Israel had drifted into the pagan lifestyle of the nations around them. They worshiped their gods. They adopted their immoral ways. They disregarded the law of God (see Hos. 4:1-3, 11-14).

But before we cluck our tongues and say, “for shame, for shame,” we need to acknowledge that holiness is as much of a problem for us as it was for them. Perhaps even more so. The New Testament repeatedly warns about this danger:

2 Corinthians 6:14-15: “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?”

James 4:4: “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

1 John 2:15-17: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives [lit., abides] forever.”

These verses draw a pretty distinct line in the sand! Either you love God, or you love the world, but not both. Worldliness is, at its core, a matter of the heart. If your heart is captured by the world, you will love the things of the world. If your heart is captured by the love of God, you will be drawn to Him and to the things of God. The only way that our hearts can be transformed so that we love God is by the supernatural new birth. To be worldly is to operate on the same principles as those who do not know God. It is to think and act out of selfishness, lust, greed, pride, and personal ambition. It is to have selfish desires for the things that you do not have and sinful pride in the things that you do have. Rather than living to please God, who examines the heart, the worldly person tries to impress people, who look on things outwardly.

David Wells (God in the Wasteland [Eerdmans], 86) describes worldliness as “that set of practices in a society, its values and ways of looking at life, that make sin look normal and righteousness look strange.” Years before the internet and cell phones were invented, Dave Branon wrote (RBC Discovery Digest [May-June 1985], 20-21):

Suppose you wanted to change the thinking of an entire nation. Let’s say, for example, that you wanted to make the people think that red is green. How would you do it?

One idea would be to have about 60 percent of the citizens meet together once a week in some little-used buildings and take about an hour ... to convince them of your idea. But that probably wouldn’t work ....

A better plan would be to have them spend 8 to 10 hours a day sitting in front of a television set. Make the folks watch a lot of programs in which famous people demonstrate that red is green. In addition, make sure the citizens are plugged into a radio the rest of the time so you could have some ... people sing some loud songs about the lovely green shade of red. Also, set up thousands of theaters where people could relax and be entertained by laughing at the absurd idea that red is red. As a supplement, get your message into books, magazines, and newspapers.

That’s exactly what has happened with almost the entire world and homosexuality! Through TV, videos, the internet, and other media, the world has bombarded everyone with the message that this sin is normal and those who think that it is sin are the weirdos. The United States Congress is about to legislate that homosexual “marriage” is the law of the land. And many supposedly “Christian” churches are joining in by installing unrepentant homosexuals as clergy and as members! That is to be mixed with the world!

As Isaiah (5:20) proclaims, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Both Isaiah and Hosea want us to examine our lifestyle, values, goals, and relational patterns to determine whether they come from God’s Word or from the world. If we allow ourselves to be kneaded together with the world, we will gradually grow spiritually gray without even knowing it.

As you think about our text, ask yourself, “Am I growing in holiness before the Lord?” And if not, then examine your priorities and your schedule. Cut back on those things which are squeezing you into the world’s mold and replace them with things that will help you to grow in godliness.

There is a second factor involved in unconscious spiritual decline:

2. Half-baked commitment leads to unconscious spiritual decline.

Hosea 7:8b: “Ephraim has become a cake not turned.” The cake referred to was like a pancake. It was cooked on hot stones. If not turned over, it became burned on one side while remaining doughy on the other. Can you imagine ordering pancakes in a restaurant, and they are served burned on one side and not cooked on the other? They would be totally worthless!

Hosea says, “That’s what Israel is like.” They were half-baked in their commitment to the Lord. They had the garb of religion, but underneath they had a heart of perversion. They had profession without practice, belief without behavior, and creed without conduct. In other words, their religion didn’t affect their daily lives. As the Lord says (7:14), they wanted God to give them grain and new wine, but they didn’t want God Himself. They cried to Him, but not from their hearts. They were like a cake half-baked. They professed to know God, but by their deeds they denied Him (Titus 1:16).

There is no worse place to be. In the Book of Revelation, the church of Laodicea was like that. It wasn’t that they were against God; they just weren’t wholeheartedly for God. But God says (Rev. 3:15,16), “I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” A lukewarm Christian is like a half-baked pancake: totally useless to God. How can you be a testimony for Jesus Christ if you’ve got one foot in both worlds? The world sees the hypocrisy, even if the lukewarm believer does not.

Remember the story of Jonah? God said, “Go to Ninevah and cry out against it.” Jonah said, “No way,” and took off on ship for Tarshish. So the Lord sent a great storm. In desperation the sailors finally cast lots to figure out who was at fault for the storm. The lot fell on Jonah. So these pagan sailors ask Jonah, “Who are you? What do you do for a living? Where do you come from?” (See Jonah 1:8.)

So Jonah tells them, “I’m a Hebrew. I’m a prophet of the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land. I’m trying to flee from His presence.” Their response is classic (Jonah 1:10): “How could you do this?” Jonah didn’t see how silly his behavior was, but these pagan sailors saw it clearly! He didn’t realize the hypocrisy of his half-baked commitment, but the pagan sailors could see it clearly. Half-baked commitment leads to unconscious spiritual decline.

Hold up God’s mirror to yourself. How’s your commitment to Jesus Christ as you look back on the past year? Look at your schedule: how do you spend your time? Look at your spending: how do you spend your money? Don’t become a cake not turned!

3. Unconscious spiritual decline is marked by several telltale signs.

I’ll mention five:

A. Unconscious spiritual decline involves a gradual loss of strength.

Hosea 7:9a: “Strangers devour his strength, yet he does not know it.” Hosea is referring to the surrounding nations which exacted tribute from Israel. It was a sad state of affairs compared with the nation’s days of strength under David and Solomon. But it had happened gradually over the years, so that nobody noticed. It just seemed normal now. The nation was like me when I think that I’m just as strong as in my younger days, even though I’m not.

Are you strong in the Lord, and the strength of His might (Eph. 6:10)? Do you experience consistent spiritual victory over sin, beginning on the thought level? Do you consistently rely on the promises of God’s Word for strength? Is your communion with God fresh and vital? Or could you be like Samson, who had dabbled with the world for so long that when Delilah cut his hair and called out, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson,” he did not know that the Lord had departed from him (Judges 16:20).

B. Unconscious spiritual decline involves a watered-down view of sin and holiness.

These people were involved in horrible sins (4:11-14), and yet they claimed to be following the Lord. The evil spirit of the age even affected the priests. Hosea charged (4:8) that the priests delighted in the sins of the people because it brought them revenues in sin offerings!

Whenever people are in spiritual decline but don’t know it, they water down God’s holiness and rationalize their own sin. They compare themselves with others and they re-fashion God into a god after their own liking.

But when you draw near to God as He is revealed in His Word, you become more aware of the depths of your own sinfulness. Like Isaiah when he saw the Lord seated on His throne, with the angels crying, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts,” you cry out (Isa. 6:5), “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

If spiritual decline involves a watered-down view of sin and holiness, revival always involves a serious resolve to deal with personal sin. One important reason you need to be committed to frequent observance of the Lord’s Supper is that it forces you to examine your own heart before you partake.

C. Unconscious spiritual decline involves deafness to God’s rebuke.

Hosea 7:10: “Though the pride of Israel testifies against him, yet they have neither returned to the Lord their God, nor have they sought Him, for all this.” The NIV and many commentators interpret “the pride of Israel” to be Israel’s arrogance. This is a possible meaning. Although Israel’s pride should have been a witness against them, they didn’t return to the Lord or seek Him.

But the Hebrew word can have the meaning of exaltation or majesty. C.F. Keil (Commentary on the Old Testament in Ten Volumes [Eerdmans, 1975], X:88, 108), the learned German scholar, interprets this phrase to be a reference to the Lord, who is Israel’s glory (the same phrase occurs in Hos. 5:5). If he is right, then Hosea is using irony to make his point. He is saying, “Israel boasts in being God’s people, and yet they refuse to listen to the God in whom they boast.” But either way, Israel was deaf to God’s rebuke.

One way to determine whether you are headed up or down spiritually is to gauge how you respond to correction from God’s Word or from His people. If you shrug it off or apply it to someone else, but not to yourself, you’re in decline.

D. Unconscious spiritual decline involves ignorance of spiritual need.

“Yet he does not know it” (twice in verse 9). It is obvious to everyone else that the person is in spiritual decline. But if you ask him, everything is great. The lukewarm Laodicean church said (Rev. 3:17), “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.” But God’s evaluation of them was that they were “wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” They needed to see their sad spiritual condition.

G. Campbell Morgan wrote (in connection with Hosea 7:9, Hosea: The Heart and Holiness of God [Baker], p. 79): “Gray hair is not a tragedy; but failure to see it is.” Are you increasingly aware of your neediness before God? If not, maybe you are turning gray spiritually, but don’t even know it.

E. Unconscious spiritual decline is revealed when you turn to the world rather than to God for help in a time of trouble.

Israel was being overrun by the pagan Assyrians, but instead of turning to the Lord, they turned to their enemy for help! Hosea 5:13: “When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jareb [or, “the great king”]. But he is unable to heal you, or to cure you of your wound.” This may refer to when Israel and Judah paid tribute to Assyria (2 Kings 15:19-20; 16:5-9). Sometimes these methods work in the short run. But they are godless solutions. God brings trials into our lives so that we will seek Him more diligently and go deeper into the unfathomable riches of Christ (Ps. 50:15; Eph. 3:8).

Conclusion

What is the solution to spiritual decline? First, evaluate yourself honestly. (See “Spiritual Diagnostic Questions” on my church blog.) How mixed up with the world are you? Is your commitment half-baked or done on both sides? If you become aware of spiritual decline, then return to the Lord. Seek Him (Hos. 6:1-3; 7:10). Psalm 130:7 declares, “For with the Lord there is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption.”

Hosea is not your typical hard-nosed prophet of doom. He is a prophet who portrayed in his life God’s love for His wayward people. God gave Hosea a strange command (1:2): to marry a prostitute. Imagine how that would hit the news in our day: “Well-known Pastor Marries Prostitute!” When Hosea’s wife strayed from him and eventually ended up on the slave-block, God told Hosea, “Go, buy her back.” So Hosea went and paid the price to buy back his own adulterous wife. But then he did not treat her as his slave, but he loved her tenderly as his wife (Hos. 3:1-3).

That’s a beautiful picture of God’s love for His wayward people. G. Campbell Morgan wrote (Voices of Twelve Hebrew Prophets [Baker], p. 51), “Sin in the last analysis, in its most terrible form, is infidelity to love. It hurts God.” God has paid the ultimate price—the death of His Son—to redeem you from the slave market of sin. He did it in love to make you His bride. So remind yourself often of God’s great love in sending His Son to rescue you from your sin.

Have you noticed any gray hairs this morning? God will take care of them for you if you will return to His loving arms.

Application Questions

1. What is worldliness? Is it primarily external, internal, or both?
2. Worldliness is so subtle and pervasive. How can we gauge it in our own lives?
3. How would you describe a committed Christian? What would this person’s life be like? Can a “layman” be just as committed as a “full-time Christian worker”?
4. Can a true Christian backslide? Will he ever lose his salvation? What will happen to him? Can he ever go so far as not to be able to repent? Support your answers with Scripture.
5. How can we avoid spiritual decline? What practical steps would you give to a person who really wanted to make his or her life count for God?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2022. All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

Answer

Dear ******,

Thanks for your note and question.

To be honest, I’ve written quite a bit, and don’t recall the specific article that you are referring to. So, some of what I say will probably be a repetition.

The belief that all people who commit suicide go to hell is held by the Roman Catholic Church, among others, but it is completely without biblical support. There are those saints who wished they had never been born (like Job – Job 3:1, 11; 10:18-19), and there are those who asked God to let them die (like Elijah – 1 Kings 19:4). Jonah did his best to bring about his death (Jonah 1:12; 4:8-9). God never told a suicidal person that they would lose their salvation if they killed themselves. NOWHERE IN THE SCRIPTURES IS IT EVER SAID THAT THOSE WHO COMMIT SUICIDE GO TO HELL. Yes, Judas committed suicide, and he went to hell, but it was because he did not believe in Jesus, but instead betrayed Him, resulting in His death.

We need to start by considering several verses of Scripture:

Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began (Psalm 139:16).

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:28-39).

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 “I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30).

Some might reason that anyone who commits suicide does so because they have lost their faith. It would certainly be true that a Christian who commits suicide has failed to trust God’s hand in suffering, and in His good purposes for suffering:

For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake (Philippians 1:29).

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Romans 5:1-10).

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:3-9).

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you (1 Peter 4:12-14).

In my experience, I have performed at least one funeral for a person who was reading Revelation 21 and 22, and then he put the gun to his head and killed himself. For the believer, there is an added temptation, especially when their life is going badly (at least in their mind). Assured of heaven and that they will enter into the presence of their God, they may choose to “escape” the trials of this life. That would be sin, but it is never identified as the unpardonable sin (see Mark 3:22-30).

And so, suicide is actually a greater temptation for the Christian than it is for the unbeliever, who must deal with this truth:

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27).

There is no “second chance” for the unbeliever. Suicide seals their fate, and they will go to hell, not because they took their own life, but because they did not believe in Jesus for their salvation.

What I tell folks who are contemplating suicide is that if they do so, they will have to explain to Jesus why they did not trust Him to be with them in the midst of their troubles.

You might also reflect on Psalm 73, and note that the ultimate “good” is experiencing the nearness of God, which often occurs in times of trouble.

Blessings,

Bob Deffinbaugh

Answer

Dear Brother ******,

I think we have to begin by observing that no one, absolutely no one, had the first coming of our Lord figured out, so that they simply checked off the events in chronological order. A very few recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy, but only partially. Such were folks like Simeon, and Anna:

And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law (Luke 2:26-27, NAU).

And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. 38 At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem (Luke 2:36-38).

These godly people did not know the plan, just as the Old Testament prophets and the angels did not:

10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-- things into which angels long to look (1 Peter 1:10-12).

Now, as I read the gospel accounts of the birth of our Lord, it is clear to me that none of these folks grasped the full meaning and plan which God had for Messiah:

The miraculous birth of John the Baptist and the response of Zacharias, his father, caused many to wonder what all this meant:

64 And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. 65 Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him (Luke 1:64-66).

Joseph did not fully grasp what the virgin birth of Jesus meant. He obeyed the angel, and took Mary as his wife (without sex), but he did not know where this was going. Neither the magi, nor Herod, nor the religious elite of Jerusalem grasped God’s plan of salvation, which would be fulfilled by Jesus. There were prophetic hints (Luke 2:27-35), but these would only be understood after the saving work of Jesus at Calvary, and His resurrection.

Mary, also, did not fully grasp what God’s plan was for Jesus, and thus she stored things up in her heart, to reflect on them:

But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart (Luke 2:19, 51).

Nobody fully realized that God’s plan for saving men was being fulfilled in Jesus, or what form that salvation would take:

But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves (Luke 23:34).

“And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also” (Acts 3:17).

27 “For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28 “And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. 29 “When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb” (Acts 13:27-29).

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:6-8).

Surely we can agree that the disciples had not figured it out until after the death and resurrection of Jesus and the advent of Pentecost.

If this is so, then why would we possibly conclude that we can figure out the sequence of events surrounding the second coming of our Lord?

6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 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 1:6-8).

All of this calls to mind the words of Deuteronomy 29:29:

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.”

We do have some revelation from God about the last days and the Second Coming. We surely know from our Lord’s words, that much of the plan for His coming again has not been made known to us:

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:36-39).

There are signs indicating the Lord’s return is near, and we are to be watchful, so as not to be caught unawares. But many of the details have been kept from us. There are those who become more interested and invested in what we don’t know, than in what we are told. That would be to miss the point of prophecy.

I must also take into account that Jesus first answered the disciples’ questions about His Second Coming by warning them not to be deceived, as many would be:

3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs” (Matthew 24:3-8).

In this text, and also in the Book of Revelation, the Scriptures are clear that saints will suffer, greatly before the Lord comes to meet out judgment and to establish His kingdom on earth. That should give pause for thought to those who would like to believe that the saints will all be taken away before tribulation comes. (Here, I would distinguish between “tribulation” and “the Great Tribulation.” I see very severe tribulation taking place when men pour out their wrath toward God on the saints. I see the Great Tribulation as the time when God pours out His wrath on those who have rejected Him and who have brought great suffering upon the saints):

1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; 4 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. 5 This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. 6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed-- for our testimony to you was believed (2 Thessalonians 1:1-10).

All of this should underscore the fact that God did not intend for us to know all of the details and the sequence of events surrounding our Lord’s return. Hampton Keathley has done a good job of identifying some of the major differing views regarding the events and timing of our Lord’s return and the establishment of His kingdom on earth. This also reveals the degree of mystery related to these things. I would add that every view of prophecy has its weak points and its problem texts that it must seek to explain.

As a result, I do not strongly embrace any view as the one “correct” understanding of prophecy, while concluding that the other views are wrong. I have a friend, now with the Lord, who used to say, “I’m a pan-millennialist. I believe that in the end it will all pan out as God intended.” I’m not sure I would put it just that way, but I think he has the right attitude regarding prophecy and the future.

Your question pertains to a statement you read, written by Dr. Charles Ryrie. I have great respect for Dr. Ryrie. I had him as a teacher in seminary years ago, but his interpretation of Scripture is not perfect, nor is any of ours. I would surely disagree with some of his beliefs related to Dispensationalism. Also, I believe that Revelation 21 and 22 describe the final outcome, following the defeat of Satan and the establishment of the kingdom, mentioned earlier in chapter 20.

I would also say a couple things regarding ‘weeping” and “tears” in heaven. The first is Abraham’s response to the announcement that God’s judgment was coming upon Sodom:

20 And the LORD said, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. 21 “I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” 22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the LORD. 23 Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 “Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” (Genesis 18:20-25).

That is our assurance. God will deal justly with all mankind. We must trust His hand, because of who He is. I am reminded of this definition of faith in Hebrews:

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

In addition to this, we must keep in mind that God’s preference, desire, and pleasure comes from the salvation of men, not their eternal destruction:

“Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord GOD, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live? (Ezekiel 18:23)

“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord GOD. “Therefore, repent and live.” (Ezekiel 18:32)

“Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’” (Ezekiel 33:11)

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

The second comes from experience, but I believe it is true to the texts above. The mother of a woman in our church drowned in a flood in Colorado. She never professed faith in Jesus. But her daughter said this, “I know that when I get to heaven, I will see this through God’s eyes, and I will know that He did what was right.” I believe that is true. The fact is that all of us have friends and relatives who have died without professing faith in Christ. No doubt such folks will be in hell. But when we are in heaven, and see things as God sees them, we will shed no tears, because we will see that He has done what is right; indeed, He has done all things well.

Blessings,
Bob Deffinbaugh

This is a serious question, and I will answer it as best I understand the Scriptures. The first thing we must say is that the Bible does not directly address this question. The Bible is clear on sexual fidelity (e.g. Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 5:1-3; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

The Bible does speak to us about our sexual conduct in general terms, and these principles should guide us.

First, the Bible is clear that our bodies are not our own, and that we are to glorify God with our bodies (see 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; 10:31). Our sexual conduct in marriage should glorify God.

Second, the Bible instructs that we are not to deprive our mates of sex, and that our bodies (in a sense) belong to our mate (1 Corinthians 7:3-5).

Third, sexual practices that are “contrary to nature” are forbidden (Romans 1:26-27). Homosexuality is the most obvious – and clearly condemned — example.

Fourth, our sanctification involves a different sexual ethic and practice than that of the unbelieving world (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; note especially verse 5).

Fifth, the husband is to live with his wife in an understanding way, or as the NET Bible puts it, “treat your wives with consideration” (1 Peter 3:7). This consideration should surely include what satisfies and stimulates his wife, and what is offensive.

Sixth, all Christians are to live together in a spirit of humility, practicing servanthood – not seeking our own interests, but the interests of others (Philippians 2:1ff.). Surely this would imply (if not clearly indicate) that the husband should seek the sexual fulfillment/satisfaction of his wife, as the wife should do for her husband. But when a particular practice is offensive to one, I would think that the other should not pursue it. The husband is to seek the purification of his wife (Ephesians 5:25-27).

I believe we should avoid every sexual practice that is clearly forbidden in the Word of God, and that we should enjoy the freedom God gives to us in other matters, subject to the governing principles stated above and our conscience. It seems to me that in the particular issues you have raised, the husband has “liberty” (in his mind) to practice oral sex, and the wife does not. Even if her reticence is a matter of preference, I think the husband should honor it. (On the other hand, if it is only a matter of preference, the wife may choose to accommodate her husband, for his pleasure.) But if the wife has a guilty conscience about this matter, then the husband should not use either his authority or his need for sexual pleasure to compel his wife to practice oral sex, and thus to sin (Romans 14:23). Neither should he argue with her about this matter, seeking to change her mind (Romans 14:1-8, 19, 22).