Unlearning Tradition, Relearning Scripture

Tag: salvation

  • Death Is Not the End

    One undeniable truth about life is that our physical existence has an end. Nobody should be surprised by it. It’s a known fact since the beginning of humanity. Perhaps we may say medical science has progress so much that the years of life have been prolonged. But I rather believe that medical science has helped improve the quality of life at the onset of diseases. It could also be argued that medical science might sometimes have unknowingly been prolonging the suffering of a terminally ill person. So it could be a matter of perspective.

    Mankind has forever been trying to solve the problem of aging in the hope of addressing the reality of death. Death is a reality declared in the Bible. And Scripture did provide the solution to death.

    In Genesis, God declared the punishment of death once the first humans broke His commandment – that they should not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God gave mankind everything they needed for life, just one command, and yet they chose to break it so death occured.

    But wait, what exactly did God say to Adam? See Genesis 2:16 -17.

    And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, FOR IN THE DAY THAT YOU EAT OF IT YOU SHALL SURELY DIE.”

    Fast forward to Genesis 3:6-8.

    So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

    No physical death occured immediately after mankind violated God’s commandment. The excuse that death came later cannot be acceptable if we take God’s Word accordingly. Reading from the text of Genesis 3:6-8, two things immediatly occured – mankind saw themselves naked and they became alienated from God – so spiritual death occured immediately after they broke God’s covenant. See Genesis 3:10.


    And he [Adam] said, “I heard the sound of You [God] in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

    Yes, God made a Covenant with Adam the moment He put him in the garden of Eden. The condition of God’s covenant was clearly stipulated in Genesis 2:16-17. Adam did not simply violate God’s commandment, he broke God’s Covenant with him. See Hosea 6:7, God said: “But like Adam they transgressed the Covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with Me.”

    The Scripture in Job 1:21 said: And he [Job] said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

    Physical nakedness cannot be the problem. Adam and Eve were created naked (Genesis 2:25). No human was born dressed. It’s quite obvious from the narrative of Genesis that God didn’t saw nakedness as a problem, mankind did. See Genesis 3:10-11.

    And he [Adam] said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He [God] said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

    Also see Genesis 2:25 “And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” Both Adam and Eve were naked when they were created and there seemed to be no problem with it. But when Adam told God he was afraid because he was naked so he hid himself, the LORD replied, “Who told you that you were naked?” Then He asked Adam, “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” (Genesis 3:10-11).

    Do you understand God’s question to Adam? God actually was asking Adam, “Did you broke the covenant that I have made with you?

    Clearly nakedness as implied by Adam equates to his breaking of God’s covenant. And since God’s condition for mankind to remain inside the Garden of Eden was broken, Adam and Eve needed to be banished from the garden. See Genesis 3:22-24

    Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever-“ therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

    Before Adam and Eve broke God’s Covenant, mankind was in a state of innocence because they knew no evil, only goodness. Now that humanity had committed an evil deed breaking God’s covenant with them; hence, they now knew good and evil. Yet despite mankind’s sin, God clothed them to cover their shame – clearly an act of God’s kindness toward His creation. See Genesis 3:21.

    And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

    God simply provided a temporary remedy for mankind; it looks forward to the calling of Abraham and the covenant making at Mount Sinai to the coming and return of Jesus Christ. See 2 Corinthians 5:2-4.

    For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened-not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

    By “tent”, the apostle Paul here spoke of the Mosaic covenant, of which Paul said they groan longing to be further clothed by the New Covenant of Christ Jesus, then mortality may be swallowed up by life.

    Spiritual death then means to be out of God’s Covenant. And without God’s Covenant mankind could forever be outside the Garden of Eden, where the TREE OF LIFE is.

    It is quite obvious that mankind remains to be living even after Adam and Eve had broken God’s covenant and banished from the garden. In fact, they even multiplied by having children. But henceforth, every human would be born outside of the Garden of Eden and apart from God’s Creation Covenant.

    The immediate consequence of mankind’s banishment from the Garden of Eden then demands as stipulated in Genesis 3:19 saying,

    By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

    Consequently, apart from God’s Covenant, physical birth and death became the natural cycle of humanity, and there is no way out of it. Mankind being of dust also is susceptible to degeneration, hence aging and death. The dilemma of death was the making of Adam, the representation of all humanity before God, with whom the LORD first made a covenant.

    We can’t make any complaint or demands with God. The life that we have now still originated from God. See Genesis 2:7.

    Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

    See also Ecclesiastes 12:7; Scripture said: “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” By “spirit”, the Bible refers to the “breath of life” which made man a living being. See also Genesis 6:3.

    Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”

    Our present existence or life is truly a gift from God. Eternity is not part of the original equation in creation due to Adam’s fall to sin. Rather, eternity is God’s gift for everyone whom will embrace His New Covenant. See Matthew 26:27-29.

    And He [Jesus Christ] took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them [the disciples] saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

    See also Hebrews 8:6.

    But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

    Jesus Christ alone is the solution to the humanities problem of death. The apostle Paul on his letter to the church of Ephesus said:

    And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved– and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus …

    The journey of faith sometimes is long and tedious. But the transition from unbelief and faith in Christ Jesus is made once and should be real and true. God’s covenant with Adam demands obedience. Similarly the New Covenant of Jesus Christ also requires faith and obedience. See John 3:35-36.

    The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

    It is a delusion to claim faith in Jesus Christ yet be without obedience. Consequently, the apostle James said, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17).

    If you want to follow our journey of unlearning tradition and relearning Scripture, you can stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox.

  • Flock of Cult

    An online dictionary defined “cult” as a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing. Come to think of it, a lot of Christians haven’t even read a single book of the Bible, they simply rely on the teaching of a pastor, taking his every word as gospel truth. Worse, some even would chose to believe the pastor more than the Word of God.

    The authority of the pastor to teach comes from the inerrant truths of the Scripture, not from claims of divine inspiration but was devoid of truths from the Word of God. No pastor could justify as God’s Word by simply picking a verse or two here and there, unless first exploring the context then explaining the message of the Bible. Without a doubt, the Bible’s message is timeless but we need to respect its immediate audience, background, and time statement. The last one is often abused by preachers and teachers of the Bible today.

    For instance, Jesus declared before His disciples and said:

    “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Matthew 16:28).

    It was obvious Jesus was telling His immediate audience – His immediate disciples “Peter, James, John and the rest,” not us – that His Return would be within their lifetime. Go tell pastors or any other Christians about this statement from Jesus Christ. I have seen a lot just shrugging it off, not realizing that if we doubted Jesus’ promise here, how then do we believe John 3:16, also a promise of Christ Jesus our Lord?

    For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

    Ironic, isn’t it? That a lot of Christians choose to believe what is comforting to them but not necessarily every Word of God? Isn’t that the behavior of a cult?

    The apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians spoke of Christians deserting the grace of Christ and were turning to a different gospel (Galatians 1:6-7). To the Corinthians, Paul warned against people preaching another Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4). It is therefore important that we are believing the Jesus Christ of the Bible and understand the Gospel as presented by the Scripture.

    So Paul made it clear and said:

    Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the Gospel I preached is not of human origin. For I did not receive it or learn it from human source; instead I received it by a revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11-12)

    Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ; he authored almost half of the New Testament writings of the Bible. Every book or writing within the New Testament Scripture has authorship of an apostle of Jesus Christ.

    Paul wrote the epistles of Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. I believe Hebrews also. Luke, on the other hand was a travelling companion of Paul, he wrote the Gospel of Luke and Acts.

    Peter was behind the epistles of 1 & 2 Peter. Mark, on the other hand, derived his authority to write a Gospel (Mark) from Peter.

    John authored the Gospel of John, Revelation and lastly, the epistles of 1st, 2nd, and 3th John.

    James, the brother of Jesus, who became an apostle and leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13-20), wrote the epistle of James.

    Jude is the same person as Judas (Not Iscariot) mentioned in John 14:22. He was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, brother of James the son of Alphaeus, also known as Thaddaeus in Matthew 10:3. If you have doubts, do a comparison of Matthew 10:2-3 with that of Acts 1:13. But bear in mind that in the Greek, it’s “Judas of James, and James of Alphaeus.” The words “the son” was added by translators, meaning James and Judas were brothers. The same may be said of Luke 6:15-16. See Jude 1:1.

    Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.

    Finally, the apostle Matthew wrote one of the three synoptic Gospels (Matthew) of the Bible. So we have all 27 books of the New Testament Bible written under the authority of an apostle of Jesus Christ. And they all agreed and preached the same Gospel, so Paul made it clear that no one should preach a different gospel but the Gospel that was from the Lord Jesus Christ. See Galatians 1:6-12.

    I am astonished that you [the Galatians] are so quick deserting Him [God] who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we [the apostles] or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

    For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

    For I would have you know, brothers, that the Gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

    Every author of the New Testament Scripture lived within the first century of Christianity. No writings could have been done after the fall of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple in 70 AD for the simple reason that Jerusalem and the temple were at the center of the Jewish faith, yet none of the New Testament writers spoke anything on the aftermath of its destruction.

    The truths about Jesus Christ and the Gospel may only be determined from within the Scripture, both New and Old Testament writings of the Bible – Scripture alone. The 66 books of the Bible were the only inspired writings of men who spoke from God (2 Peter 1:20-21), inerrant and the sole source of truth.

    Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20-21)

    The apostles of Jesus Christ may no longer be with us, but by God’s divine providence, we have the authoritative writings of men who spoke from God written down, preserved, and available for us to know the truthful teaching of God’s Word.

    If you treasure the Bible and your salvation, let us not be part of the flock of cult. Challenge yourselves to read the Bible. Join Bible studies that teach people how to properly read and study the Scripture, not simply seeking to hear comforting words from the preacher or pastor. The apostle Paul, in his last letter to Timothy, commanded him saying:

    I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by HIs appearance and His kingdom: Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

    Those words were spoken to Timothy when the last few living apostles were still around, and yet the danger of straying away from the truth was already present. How much more today, we are living about two millennia away from the immediate disciples of Jesus Christ? Shouldn’t we be more careful of what to believe or not?

    Listen to the exhortation of Peter for pastors/elders:

    So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker of the glory that is going to be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you, not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (1 Peter 5:1-4)

    Lastly, the apostle Paul said:

    Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you. (1 Timothy 4:16)

    What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of My Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:12-14)

    Those were the words of Jesus Christ to His disciples, and it continues to resonate today through the Scripture, the Word of God. It was, and still is, the desire of Jesus Christ our Lord that we all be under His flock. Listen then to the words of the Bible, not the pastor if it isn’t according to the inerrant Word of God. Seek true undershepherds (1Pe 5:1-4; Acts 20:28) of Christ Jesus; those who holds only to the Words of Christ and rightly handles the truth (2Tim 2:15).

    If you want to follow our journey of unlearning tradition and relearning Scripture, you can stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox.

  • The Big Picture

    The Book of Ruth is the narrative of God’s redemption plan played out through the story of Boaz and Ruth. The story of the Bible should always be understood from the perspective of the Hebrew people. We need to understand the culture, traditions, and customs surrounding these biblical accounts.

    Ruth, being a widow of a Jew, lost her place in the landscape of Israel. In the Jewish context, widows were the poorest of the poor because whatever property the husband may have while alive could not be transferred or inherited by his widow. Widows needed to be redeemed by the next of kin of the deceased husband. In essence, the widow was good as dead having no ownership.

    Boaz, being the second closest kin of Ruth’s deceased husband, needed to earn the right to redeem Ruth. So Boaz went out his way to do whatever was required by Jewish traditions to be the rightful redeemer of Ruth.

    Boaz actually foreshadowed Jesus Christ, who went out to do the requirements of the Mosaic Law. Having lived a sinless life, He became the suitable sacrifice as a ransom for sin. Jesus is the kinsman redeemer.

    Ruth, by contrast, mirrors us—we were good as dead. Without access to God or the New and Heavenly Jerusalem—the eternal home for those who believe in Jesus Christ—we were separated from God’s presence.

    One key shift in the narrative occurs when Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, releases them to seek new partners rather than impose a burden. Naomi had no remaining son to offer Ruth as a husband. Yet Ruth chose to stay with Naomi. Although not an Israelite, she accepted the Jews as her people and YHWH as her God. Ruth’s choice opened the path that unfolded in the story, allowing her redemption and restoring her rights to God’s Promised Land.

    Jesus Christ came to fulfill the requirements of the Mosaic Law. He was crucified, died, resurrected back to life, ascended to the right-hand throne of God the Father, and returned with the destruction of the Jewish Temple, fulfilling then the three offices of the Messiah, the Anointed One— the Prophet, the Priest, and the King. 

    Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law; see Matthew 5:17-18, Jesus Christ states:

    Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

    Jesus Christ died and was resurrected back to life fulfilling the Law and the Prophets; see Luke 24:44-46.

    Then He [Jesus] said to them, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He [Jesus] opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead …”

    Jesus Christ ascended to the right hand throne of God the Father, as the High Priest and mediator of the New Covenant; see the following passages:

    But now Christ has come as the High Priest of the good things to come. He passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, and He enter once for all into the Most Holy Place not by the blood of goats and calves but by His own blood, and so He Himself secured eternal redemption. (Hebrew 9:11-12)

    And so He [Jesus] is the mediator of a New Covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance He has promised, since He died to set them free from the violations committed under the First Covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)

    For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands – the representation of the true sanctuary – but into heaven itself, and He appears now in God’s presence for us. (Hebrews 9:24)

    Jesus Christ returned as the King with the destruction of the Jewish Temple; see Hebrew 9:28 & Matthew 24:1-3.

    So also, after Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, to those who eagerly await Him He will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation. (Hebrew 9:28)

    Jesus left the temple and was going away, when His disciples came to point out to Him the buildings of the temple. But He answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:1-3)

    The disciples of Jesus recognized that the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple marked the fulfillment of Christ’s return, as Hebrews 9:28 clarified—salvation shifted from promise to reality.

    Now to our discussion—just as Ruth was fully redeemed by becoming Boaz’s wife, the Bible teaches that the Church’s redemption occurs at the Wedding of the Bride and Jesus Christ (Matthew 22:1–14; Revelation 19:6–9; Revelation 21:2–3, 5–7, 9–10, and so on). The doctrine of resurrection would become real only at the Wedding Banquet of Christ Jesus and the Church.

    Ruth then perfectly outlined the big picture of God’s salvation plan. Our understanding of salvation and resurrection should rightly fit that big picture. Ruth was not a simple love story. Rather, it was the love story of God for His people.

    God truly is amazing; by His sovereignty, He displayed His redemption plan through the lives of Ruth and Boaz. All the more then we should trust God’s sovereign will and divine providence in every aspect of our lives.

    Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessings!