“The Just Shall Live By Faith”

New King James Version                          Written by: David Hicks

 

Romans 1:17 “ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

Galatians 3:11 “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."

Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."

“Articles of Faith"

An Orderly Account Of The Greatest Story Ever Told

(A Study in Luke)

Chapter 17:20-37:

In this lesson, the Lord is once again going to be engaged by the Pharisees. This engagement comes from a question concerning the kingdom of God .

Text#1:

Luke 17:20-21 “Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!' or ‘See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Opening Thoughts:

• The question of the Pharisees is doubtless a covert criticism or test in order to find fault with the Lord. This has been their motivation in their engagements with Him for some time (Luke 11:53 -54).
• For almost three years now, the Lord has stated that, “the kingdom of God is at hand” – Mark 1:14-15). John the Baptist came saying the same thing at least six months before the Lord would begin (Matthew 3:2; Luke 3:3-9). The Lord sent out His own disciples on the limited commission (to the lost sheep of Israel only); with the same message (Matthew 10:6-7). In addition, the Lord has spoken in parables concerning the nature of the kingdom prior to this question (Luke 13:18-21). This was not a new message, as if the Pharisees might just now be presented with the news.
• However, if their question is genuine, based on their dealings with the Lord previously; they are asking for a sign of the physical nature they believed the kingdom to represent (Matthew 12:38; Luke 11:29).
• Jesus would respond to the nature of their hearts by stating that the kingdom was not physical at all. Nor would it come with pomp and circumstance as an earthly kingdom might. The Lord states that “the kingdom of God is within you”. This phrase can also be translated, “the kingdom of God is in your midst”. The Lord is simply revealing that at this time the kingdom is a word of hope. It will come and it will come from among them; but at this time is still within them. This is due to the fact that you cannot have a kingdom without a king. He is yet a little while off before God elevates Him to the throne after His resurrection (Acts 1:9-11; 2:36).
• The teaching of Jesus and the teaching of His Apostles would describe the true nature of the kingdom:

John 3:1-8 “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God . 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

John 18:36 “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

Romans 14:17 “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Colossians 1:13 “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,”

Philippians 3:20 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,”

Text #2:

Luke 17:22-25 “Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look here!' or ‘Look there!' Do not go after them or follow them. 24 For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”

He Said To The Disciples: If the Pharisees looked for an earthly kingdom, so also His own disciples might be tempted in the days to come to have similar yearnings. In fact, they would have these same thoughts right up till the time of His ascension.

Acts 1:6 “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel ?”

He teaches them here not to follow the physical claims and restless eagerness that allow so many to follow after false messiahs and many there would be (see: Acts 5:36-37). His coming would be as a flash of lightning; swift and done!

But First: The Lord always inserts points of reference for His disciples in order to give them comfort. Here the point of reference is something He has spoken of often prior to this. He must first suffer many things and know rejection.

Text #3:

Luke 17:26-29 “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.”

In The Days Of: Two historical incidents of false security in the face of warnings from God are now inserted for illustrative purposes. God said these events would happen, and people were prepared with His words for their coming; however, the when was left out. Only those who held to the word of God from the beginning to the end of the destructive events would be saved from them.

Read: Genesis 6:5-8:22; 19:12 -14; 2 Peter 2:5-6; Jude 7-8.

Note: Jesus quotes them as actual history!

Text #4:

Luke 17:30-37 “Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
31 “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. 32 Remember Lot 's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. 36 Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”
37 And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?”
So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

Final Thoughts:

• In verse 30, Jesus emphatically states that the same result as the historical examples would be the outcome when the Son of Man would be revealed.
• Applying all this teaching to the coming of the kingdom and the day the Son of Man would be glorified (Romans 1:4 by the power of the resurrection and then at His ascension to the throne – Acts 2:36), Jesus describes that the Jews would share a false sense of security with those mentioned in the historic examples.
• In that day , many will come to the kingdom; however, many more will be left to the eagles (eagles comes from the generic Greek word that describes carrion eaters, which eagles also take part in).
• Those who would become citizens in the kingdom of God will be mixed with the rest of men engaged in normal things; but out of this mix, the people of the Lord would carve out a magnificent kingdom. This kingdom would be made up of people from every nationality and walk of life. They would each become precious stones in the spiritual structure (1 Peter 2:5); but the rest would find themselves as a meal for carrion.
• Likewise, there is a third historic illustration concerning escaping destruction (Genesis 19:26), only to look back to your doom. See: Hebrews 10:39.
• The message to the disciples is simple; don't look for a sign, if you love Me keep My commandments (John 15:15). This way, no matter where you find yourself (housetop, or field), you will be ready for His coming.
• Of course, by their question in verse 37, they obviously are not certain concerning His teaching. But in that day when the Spirit would come to His disciples as He promised them, they would remember all things and be taught all things (John 14:26).
• Because of the difficulty of these sayings, the Lord will continue this lesson into the next chapter, and there He will attempt to comfort them.

Next: “Pray and Don't Lose Heart”