70. Pressing Forcibly

[Pastor Ralph]

Please share your thoughts on one or more of the questions in this lesson. 

[Irmela]

1.  How did John the Baptist's message (3:3, 16) differ from the prophets who came before him? 

The prophets before John indeed warned of ONE who was coming, ONE WHO would deliver them, ONE WHO would indeed be on the throne of David. They warned them to turn from their unrighteousness (seen when compared to the Law). They were in the "age" of the "LAW AND THE PROPHETS" and called the people to repent and return to the Law. 

John went about the countryside and preached a baptism of repentance, an amending/changing of their ways with abhorrence for past wrongdoing, unto the forgiveness of sin. Also he told them there was ONE coming Who was mightier, than he, Who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with Fire. In other words he was telling them that the Kingdom of God is near and that it had indeed come. 

He was in the change over to the KINGDOM AGE.

After him they preached the message of Salvation. 

[Irmela]

2. Just what is the "good news of the Kingdom of God"? 

The good news is that the Law will be written on the hearts and be in the minds of the people, i.e., it will be part and parcel of them. They will all know the Lord, from the least to the greatest of them all. The sins and wickedness will be blotted out and no longer remembered. 

Truly Good News!!!! 

 

[Irmela]

3. Why do you think Jesus was accused of doing away with the Law? Did he?

Jesus did not follow the oral traditions ( e. g. He was accused of working on the Sabbath when He healed someone) or do what the Pharisees interpreted the Law to mean. He did not agree with the legalistic approach to the law. He definitely did not do away with the Law. The Law, interpreted correctly was there and there to stay. 

 

4. Is it possible to hold a high view of the sanctity of marriage at the same time as we love as Christian brothers and sisters those who have been divorced and remarried?

Jesus Himself spoke about the marriage and divorce portion in the Scriptures, so He obviously held marriage in high regard. At the same time Jesus also reaches out to those of us who have sinned and failed Him, He forgives us and calls us to follow Him. (regardless of how low I have fallen). 

Thank You, my Lord for Your unfailing love. For Your grace and Your mercy. 

[Irmela]

5. Why do we need to "force" our way into the Kingdom of God? Why should it be so difficult? Shouldn't salvation be easy?

When I became aware of how far I had walked away from or turned away from what I knew God's Word to say about how I should live, it was not an easy switch on to come back. So many excuses were made that it was for this or that reason etc. I feel quite sick about it all now. It was an inward battle (could that be taken as forcing) to finally accept Christ's gift of forgiveness with no works on my side. 

I think if it were not so there would not be any real repentance and it would be a superficial kind of lifestyle. Falling back and forth into serving God with all that you have and then again being in the world. (Basically like sitting on the fence). 

Christ has done it all for us. Our part is the repentance and turning away from the evil lifestyle and following Him wholeheartedly. 

 

The Amplified Translation sheds a different light on this verse. 

V16 (b)  since then the good news (the Gospel) of the Kingdom of God is being preached, and every one strives violently to go in - would force his [own way, rather than God's] way into it. 

From the above the forcing aspect is seen and understood quite differently. 

[Irmela]

6.  How can we both press fervently towards perfection and at the same time have peace and contentment in Christ? Aren't these mutually exclusive?

We aren't perfect. Only when we are looked at but Christ is seen (Christ liveth in me) can perfection be seen. By striving (pressing fervently) towards perfection we go against any stumbling block put in our way and keep our eyes focused on Christ. In this we have peace and contentment because we are doing His will. 

[hanks]

1. Extra Credit: How did John the Baptist's message (3:3, 16) differ from the prophets who came before him? 
The central message of the Law and the Prophets, the entire Old Testament, pointed to the good news of the coming kingdom of God, and it was John the Baptist that prepared the way for the Messiah, and His Kingdom. In both Isaiah 40:3-5 and Malachi 3:1, he was prophesied as the messenger who was to prepare the way for the Lord. The Law given through Moses commanded people to obey, but if they failed they were condemned to death. It was given to show them that they were sinners, but it could not save them from their sins. John the Baptist’s ministry can be seen as the link between the Old Testament and the New Testament. He was the last of the Old Testament prophets, and he called upon the nation of Israel to repent of its sins in order to receive forgiveness, and thus be prepared for the coming of the Messiah. Baptising people as an outward sign that they had truly repented. This is a new era in the history of redemption. John’s message was different from the prophets who came before him in that he preached that all are sinners and salvation cannot be earned by good works, but only by repentance and trust in the Messiah. That grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17). This is a new era - the good news of the Kingdom of God had come. The same God who worked through Moses was working through Jesus. 
 

[hanks]

2. Just what is the "good news of the Kingdom of God"? Put in your own words what this good news is. 
The Kingdom of God is good news because it offers us freedom, justice, and hope through Jesus Christ our Lord. Freedom from the power of sin. Justice in that God declares believers to be just in His sight. Hope in the future when Jesus will return to reign over a perfect Kingdom where sin and evil no longer exist. The good news is that the Kingdom of God is also here now with the Holy Spirit living in the hearts of believers. The good news is that God loves us (John 3:16). 
 

[hanks]

3. Why do you think Jesus was accused of doing away with the Law? Did He? 
Jesus who knew what was going on in the hearts of the Pharisees, exposed their hypocrisy and greed, which led to them sneering at Him (16:14) in contempt. They had also accused Him of not obeying their interpretation of the Law, which by this time was a confusing mass of homemade/manmade rules. What Jesus was trying to accomplish was for the people to return to the original purpose of the Law – which was pointing out their sin. He was not doing away with the Law, but was speaking against the abuses and excesses to which it had been subjected. 
 

[hanks]

4. Is it possible to hold a high view of the sanctity of marriage at the same time as we love as Christian brothers and sisters those who have been divorced and remarried? 
Jesus gave divorce as an example of the Pharisees not living according to the Law. Rather it was a perfect example of them justifying themselves in the eyes of men but not being justified before God (16:15). A Pharisaic school had Rabbi Hillel allowing divorce for many reasons including something as trivial as a wife burning the meal. Jesus pointed out the importance of the Law (Luk 16:17), which showed that the people should live by it. Marriage is a covenant of both husband and wife not only with each other but also with God, and to break that covenant for any reason at all constitutes adultery in the eyes of God. I believe in the sanctity of marriage and that divorce was never God's intention for man. His ideal is that one man and one woman remain married until their union is broken by death (Rom 7:2-3). In our times today marriage, divorce, remarriage are so complex that it not for me to judge any one of my brothers and sisters. I love them all the same as all true believers, and trust they have sorted things out with the Lord. 
 

[hanks]

5. Why do we need to "force" our way into the Kingdom of God? Why should it be so difficult? Shouldn't salvation be easy? 
We are saved by grace, but living the Christian life involves force/effort/energy, it is not a time to sleep or be idle. We are called to live the Christian life and have been given the Holy Spirit to help us achieve this. Entrance into the kingdom requires genuine self-denial, self-control, earnest endeavour, untiring energy, utmost exertion. It takes courage, unwavering faith, determination, and endurance because of the growing opposition levelled at us as believers. There is no other way. Jesus had previously told us to “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to (13:24). To Live the Christian life, there’s a battle in our hearts, as we thirst after righteousness. There is a new morality, a new goal, a new zeal, and a new priority to deal with. We try to maintain purity, to remain humble, to help and love our neighbour. There is all this labouring in good deeds, not to earn acceptance into His loving family, but because we are already His children, and these are chores our loving Heavenly Father has given us to do. To do these properly we have to be seriously active. 
 

[hanks]

6. How can we both press fervently towards perfection and at the same time have peace and contentment in Christ? Aren't these mutually exclusive? 
Romans 12:11 tells us, “Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord”. This means serving our Lord Jesus hastily, eagerly, promptly, with earnestness and zeal. The Holy Spirit puts this desire in the hearts of believers. We deny self, to work, to labour, to toil, so that we may please and serve God and honour Christ. “This zeal is good for a Christian’s soul; it will help mightily to promote inward feelings of joy, peace, comfort, and happiness” (J.C. Ryle). We read in 2 Peter 1:2: “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord”. The more effort we put into getting to know our Lord better, the more we will experience grace and peace – it will be given in abundance. With grace comes mercy, love, and forgiveness. Peace flows forth from grace and is man's internal happiness – contentment. The more we press fervently towards perfection - the more we become like our Lord Jesus Christ. Absolute peace and contentment. 
 

[Old Jerry]

Extra Credit: How did John the Baptist's message (3:3, 16) differ from the prophets who came before him?

 

A. John’s message was that the Messiah had arrived and they should repent and be baptized.

 

Just what is the "good news of the Kingdom of God"? Put in your own words what this good news is.

 

A. The “good news of the Kingdom of God” is that the perfect sacrifice has been sent to us by God and that our sins are forgiven. This includes all that believe in Him. At the end of this life, or until He returns we will be with him in the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

Why do you think Jesus was accused of doing away with the Law? Did he?

 

A. Jesus was fulfilling the law and the reason that Jesus was accused of doing away with the Law was because He was interpreting it correctly.

 

Is it possible to hold a high view of the sanctity of marriage at the same time as we love as Christian brothers and sisters those who have been divorced and remarried?

 

A. I know that the sanctity of marriage is sacred but I also know that God will forgive those who have been divorced and remarried. We have a loving God.

 

Why do we need to "force" our way into the Kingdom of God? Why should it be so difficult? Shouldn't salvation be easy?

 

A. We need to force our way into the Kingdom of God because this fallen world does not want us to be there. Therefore this world will do anything to keep us from getting there.

 

 

How can we both press fervently towards perfection and at the same time have peace and contentment in Christ? Aren't these mutually exclusive?

 

A. We can push fervently toward perfection and at the same time have peace and contentment in Christ because we know that Christ is with us and that brings us peace.

 

[Katy]

Q1. John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. He was the prophet sent to “ prepare the way for the Lord”. Earlier prophets spoke about a Saviour coming sometime in the future but John was preaching about Him imminent arrival. He was preparing the way by making people aware of the sin and how to repent of it.

Q2.The good news of the kingdom of God is that all sinners can have forgiveness for sins because Jesus the precious Son of God humbled Himself and became obedient to death on a cross. This gives us freedom and hope for the future. We must truely repent of our sins and walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

[Katy]

Q3. Jesus was accused of doing away with the law because Jesus was teaching the law as it was meant to be. The Pharisees had added to them and reinterpreted them to suit themselves. They criticised Jesus because He did not adhere to their interpretation. Jesus teaches that His way is the correct interpretation and that will remain indefinitely. Jesus sis not do away with the law but taught it the way it was meant to be.

Q4.None of us are in a position to judge anybody else because we are all sinners. I think this applies to marriage in particular. Nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors. The Scriptures tell us that God ordained marriage between one man and one woman for life. He did this because it is His ideal, unfortunately it doesn’t always work. A Christian within that marriage must do everything within their power to stay in the marriage but if it is not possible God is a God of compassion and patience and love. He will forgive us if we ask Him. If we have people within our churches who are divorced and remarried we must love them and pray for them. 
Q5.Every one of us must fight daily to get into the Kingdom of God. We will not get there because our family is made up of believers. We must discipline ourselves to follow Jesus closely. Everything we have we must hand over to Him. Use our time to study , pray, listen to sermons etc. Use our home for hospitality and our car for God’s purposes. We must also obey Him , when He asks us to do something. We must obey His commandments. We must learn to put Jesus and His purposes before our own. Salvation is easy in one way , in that Jesus did the hard graft for us by suffering and dying on a cross. If we love the Lord Jesus truly we will want to be sure of spending eternity with Him and will mean giving everything to Him.

Q6. I think working towards perfection means spending our days drawing closer and closer to God. We do this by prayer, study, fellowship and spending time quietly serving God in all our ways. This will automatically bring peace and contentment even if we are surrounded by trouble and problems.

[haar]

1.    Extra Credit: How did John the Baptist's message (3:3, 16) differ from the prophets who came before him?

The prophets proclaimed the Laws given by God and declared penalty for violation. Though John was a prophet too, he preached repentance from sin followed with baptism in water. He pointed to the coming of the Lord Jesus who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

2.    Just what is the "good news of the Kingdom of God"? Put in your own words what this good news is.

The good news is that although man has sinned, separated from God due the Adamic sin and destined for eternal death. However, God loves us so much and cannot imagine heaven without man. So he sent his own Son, Jesus Christ to die, pay our penalty and redeem us unto eternal life in heaven.

3.    Why do you think Jesus was accused of doing away with the Law? Did he?

The Pharisee were too blinded by their jealousy because the crowd Jesus was attracting that they could see clearly that he was not doing away with any law. Jesus told them that he did not come to abolish any iota of the law but to sustain and maintain it.

4.    Is it possible to hold a high view of the sanctity of marriage at the same time as we love as Christian brothers and sisters those who have been divorced and remarried?

5.    Why do we need to "force" our way into the Kingdom of God? Why should it be so difficult? Shouldn't salvation be easy?

Salvation is not supposed to be easy because Jesus said anyone who wanted to follow him must take up his cross, deny his relatives, sell off his property, weigh the cost and consequences first etc before following him.

6.    How can we both press fervently towards perfection and at the same time have peace and contentment in Christ? Aren't these mutually exclusive?

We can do so only by the leadership of the Holy Spirit who enables us go through any stress or difficulties or challenges yet remain calm and peaceful in our walk with and work for the Lord.

Edited March 21, 2022 by haar
Question 6 was answered out of context thus need to edit

[Nandita]

4. Is it possible to hold a high view of the sanctity of marriage at the same time as we love as Christian brothers and sisters those who have been divorced and remarried?
Yes of course. They may be guilty of adultry-through-divorce, but we're guilty of other sins ourselves. Perhaps it's telling harmless lies to get ourselves out of trouble (that's a violation of the Ten Commandments). Perhaps it's anger because you've been insulted or treated poorly (Jesus equated that with murder). Perhaps it's 'stealing' through wasting the time of your employers (also a violation of the Ten Commandments). Perhaps it's not helping the poor and homeless enough (a violation of Jesus' Golden Rule). Whatever it is, every single one of us is guilty of sin. And since Jesus never said "divorce is worse than other sins" we can't think that people who have divorced and/or remarried are more sinful than we are. Our society elevated divorce and sexual sins above others—not Jesus.

 

Nevertheless, Jesus left us very clear instructions on what his expectations for us are. We just need to remember that while he made it very clear what a marriage relationship should look like, he made it equally clear that we are not to judge and dismiss our fellow humans or treat them with anything less than respect and dignity. 

[Nandita]

 6. How can we both press fervently towards perfection and at the same time have peace and contentment in Christ? Aren't these mutually exclusive?

They aren't exclusive. On the contrary, they go hand in hand. Pressing forward towards perfection is something we can only do with the Holy Spirit in our heart. And the fruit of the Holy Spirit is peace and contentment. Without the guidance and strengthening of the Holy Spirit, we'll never be able to move towards perfection. And if we haven't given the Holy Spirit room in our heart, we won't have his gifts and blessings either.

[Godswriter]

1.    Extra Credit: How did John the Baptist's message (3:3, 16) differ from the prophets who came before him? The prophets before Him spoke of the Messiah and His ministry but did not talk about repentance. John the Baptist however spoke of the Messiah and the Kingdom of God being near and to repent and turn from your sins.

 

2.    Just what is the "good news of the Kingdom of God"? Put in your own words what this good news is.

That although we have sinned, fallen short of God's standard for us, there is a Savior who will reconcile us to God through His death and resurrection. 

3.    Why do you think Jesus was accused of doing away with the Law? Did he?

I believe that the religious leaders were stuck on the rules they had created they had no idea what law they were talking about. They wanted to be rid of Christ because He was creating a following and they felt threatened. Also the religious leaders were not really Jews truthfully at least some of them were not. Since according to my theology and Bible classes they came from Rome and were appointed to lead the people.

4.    Is it possible to hold a high view of the sanctity of marriage at the same time as we love as Christian brothers and sisters those who have been divorced and remarried?

Yes because although our fellow believers has committed adultery via divorce and remarriage that doesn't make it our right to judge them. Because sometimes in these cases they had a reason that truly was valid. 

5.    Why do we need to "force" our way into the Kingdom of God? Why should it be so difficult? Shouldn't salvation be easy?

Jesus clearly stated in Scripture that if you intended to follow Him, you must first deny self and take up your cross and follow Him. What does this mean however theologically speaking? It means dying to our desires as sinful as they are, dying to self in every aspect and becoming alive in Christ by choosing to spend time in His word so our minds are renewed and changed through the Scriptures we read and apply to our lives. 

6.    How can we both press fervently towards perfection and at the same time have peace and contentment in Christ? Aren't these mutually exclusive?

We can do so by learning to be like Christ and choosing to become more Christ centered instead self centered. This means reading the Word, listening to sermons and applying the truths of Scripture to our lives daily. We can have peace and contentment by learning to obey Christ and not allow our desires to lead us astray. No actually they are not; they are inclusive because it is all part of our life in Christ. 

[kreilly]

Extra Credit: How did John the Baptist's message (3:3, 16) differ from the prophets who came before him?

The prophets of old generally spoke messages of the need for Israel's need to repent and return to the Lord in order to escape God's wrath, which he would enact through the military action of other nations, and eventually the exile to Babylon.  They also predicted the eventual coming of a Messiah.  John's message was different because he preached repentance because the coming of the Messiah was at hand, meaning now, not in the future.  Repentance was based on the Messiah coming, not escaping God's wrath.  God's Kingdom was being ushered in currently, not in the distant future.  No other prophet had a message like his. 

Why do you think Jesus was accused of doing away with the Law? Did he?

Jesus didn't do away with the Law, he fulfilled it.  Much of the Law was ritual, made up of very specific rules about how to properly offer sacrifices to atone for sins.  Once Jesus atoned for our sins on the cross permanently, the ritual laws had been fulfilled.  We no longer offer ritual sacrifices.  However, the moral law still stands.  Although we are forgiven our transgressions through His sacrifice on the cross, we should still strive to uphold the moral law to bring honor and glory to our Lord and Savior. 

Why do we need to "force" our way into the Kingdom of God? Why should it be so difficult? Shouldn't salvation be easy?

I really appreciated Godswriter's answer here.  Dying to ourselves is hard.  Salvation is easy and hard.  Jesus did the hard work for us, so it is easy on the one hand.  His burden is easy and His yoke is light.  But on the other hand, it is always hard for us to surrender and give ourselves to Him.  It is our nature to want to be our own god. 

 

[George L]

1. Extra Credit: How did John the Baptist's message (3:3, 16) differ from the prophets who came before him? Baptism, washed clean rather than offering scarifice.
2. Just what is the "good news of the Kingdom of God"? Put in your own words what this good news is. Essentially that the sacrifice once for all is completed. You must accept it for your self.
3. Why do you think Jesus was accused of doing away with the Law? Did he? Because he returned the teaching to the original Mosaic law not the convoluted legalism of religion as had become their custom. No,   He removed the excuses of their perversion of God’s intent.
4. Is it possible to hold a high view of the sanctity of marriage at the same time as we love as Christian brothers and sisters those who have been divorced and remarried? 1Co 7:27  Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

1Co 7:28  But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.… If you have not sought, but divorce has come upon you Jesus says ‘if a virgin marry’ indicating clean as a virgin in His eyes.

5. Why do we need to "force" our way into the Kingdom of God? Why should it be so difficult? Shouldn't salvation be easy? No. The narrow gate has been opened and we have access. But/and.. to place self on our cross daily and walk through life as Jesus did, guided by God’s spirit, ‘I only do what I see my father doing. I only say what I hear my father say….’ Getting rid of our fleshly ‘me’ and giving full Acts 4:31 relationship with the indwelling Holy Spirit is very unpleasant for self, to walk with Jesus Love and kingdom work… Truly we must force ourselves into letting go of many things dear to our self to have the more accurate ‘come follow me’.
6. How can we both press fervently towards perfection and at the same time have peace and contentment in Christ? Aren't these mutually exclusive? We become more content as see begin to bear spiritual fruit occur in our ‘wake’ as we pass through our days with the holy spirit as our director.