The Cross and Crowns Ministry Nairobi

The letter of Hebrews is written to believers whounderstood their heavenly calling i.e., the purpose for their redemption, matters to do with the coming kingdom, the 7th Day, the Word of the Kingdom−Heb. 3:1, 12: 10:19; 13:22.

This epistle is about a salvation to be inherited in the age to come for which Christ is bringing many sons to glory−Heb. 1:14; 2;5, 10. Sonship and glory portend RULERSHIP.

The letter provides five warnings which we MUST constantly remind ourselves IF our desire is to inherit salvation in the age to come, being part of the many sons that Christ is bringing to glory.

Carrying on the thought from the fourth warning, the writer of Hebrews admonishes the recipients of his letter to ‘recall the former days’ which refers to the time ‘after you were illuminated.’ This is a time immediately following their coming into a mature understanding of the gospel of the glory of Christ-Heb. 10:32-34.

Faithfulness is NOT automatic in the life of a believer! This is part of the outworking of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer who chooses to cooperate with the Lord thereby be transformed by the renewing of the mind−Rom. 12:1-2.

Automatically, a believer who expresses a desire to be faithful with the end in mind finds himself in warfare against the enemies of the faith who will work either independently or together to ensure that the believer does not realize this goal−Gal. 5:16-17.

Thankfully, if the believer chooses to engage in warfare according to the instructions that the Lord has provided in His Word, he/she will be victorious, bringing forth fruit−Gal. 5:22-25.

The emphasis in the four parables we have looked at is the CLARION CALL to FAITHFULNESS−Matt. 24:40-25:30; Lk. 19:12-26.

Prov. 20:6 Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man?

Ps. 12:1 Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.

Jesus Christ Himself said He will build His Church−Matt. 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church…

These words that Jesus spoke constitute the Word of God!

The Lord is actively watching over His Word to fulfill it i.e., to perform it, to do it−Jer. 1:12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am [actively] watching over My word to fulfill it.” (AMP)

As far as the building of His Church is concerned, Jesus Christ is actively watching over His Word to fulfill it!

i. Abraham sent his oldest servant to go to his family to take a wife for his son and this is a picture of God the Father sending the Holy Spirit to search for and procure a bride for Jesus from among believers. This is synonymous with the building of the Church seen in the foundational type in Gen. 2:21-23.

ii. The wife whom the servant would take for Isaac pictures believers who will form the Church that Christ is presently building, who will be His Bride!

With respect to the building of His Church, Christ declared that the gates of Hades shall NOT prevail against it−Matt. 16:18 ...and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Christ used the phrase to mean that although He had to die, death COULD NOT prevent Him from building His Church!

The wedding guest who showed up without a garment was bound hand and foot, taken away and cast into the darkness, the outer.

He represents believers who will be adjudged unfaithful and thereby excluded from Christ’s coming rule because they did NOT cooperate with the Lord and therefore, NOT part of the Church He was/is building.

Matt. 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

This verse highlights the truth that while MANY believers are CALLED, through the proclamation of the Word of the Kingdom, FEW will be CALLED OUT from them−Matt. 7:13-14.

Believers who avail themselves of the BLOOD and WATER constitute the Church that Christ is presently BUILDING and they will be presented back to Himself−Eph. 5:27-32.

The Scriptures affirm that God is faithful - Deut. 7:9 “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God...

A choice to be FAITHFUL, is a choice to imitate God! Eph. 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

i. In the type, Moses was faithful in God’s house (Israel) as a servant.

ii. In the antitype, Christ is faithful as a Son over His Father’s house.

The Scriptures are replete with descriptions of Jesus Christ as faithful.

Jesus ascended to heaven, a far country to receive for Himself a kingdom and to return−Matt. 25:14; Lk. 19:12. He is inviting us to imitate Him by being FAITHFUL−1 Cor. 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

Our FAITHFULNESS must be our LIFESTYLE! There is NO ROOM to take breaks−Rev. 2:10.

Should anyone of us choose to be unfaithful, the Lord will remain faithful for that is Who He is−2 Tim. 2:11 -13.

IF we are FAITHFUL in the present as servants (like Moses), then the day will come when we will experientially become sons (like Christ)−Heb. 2:10.

The chastisement of the two servants who didnothing with their talent/mina was twofold; firstly, they forfeited the positions of authority/rulership that could have been theirs and these were given to the faithful servants and secondly, they were cast into the darkness, the outer.

After the destruction of the cities, Abraham representing a faithful Christian, is seen on the mountain from where he looked toward the destroyed cities and all the land of the plain.

After the destruction of the cities, ii. Lot and his daughters, representing unfaithful Christians are seen dwelling in a cave in the mountains.

No sooner had Isaac finished blessing Jacob than Esau came in from his hunting and having made savory food, he presented it to his father with a view to being blessed by him.

However, Isaac told him that he had eaten hunted game and subsequently blessed Jacob.

In that very instant, Esau KNEW without a shadow of doubt, that which could have been his but was once and for all taken away from him! This realization left him with no recourse but to let out an exceedingly great and bitter cry−Gen. 27:34.

After realizing that he had lost the birthright and that it was irretrievable, he was completely beside himself and he became unglued, so to speak, longing to be blessed by his father.

There are ONLY two outcomes that await a Christian at the judgment seat of Christ; either receiving a reward or suffering loss! The former is associated with faithfulness arising from trading/doing business with one’s talents/minas while the latter is associated with unfaithfulness arising from doing nothing with one’s talents/minas!

Contextually, suffering loss is in relation to one’s soul i.e., unprofitable servants will suffer the loss of their souls−Matt. 16:24-26.

Being cast into the darkness, the outer is therefore synonymous with suffering the loss of one’s soul.

Since a parable is one truth cast alongside another to explain previous truth, let us examine the previous three parables to understand how suffering the loss of one’s soul is presented-Matt. 24:40-25:13.

In the first parable, the unfaithful servant was left i.e., not received as a close associate by the master. In the second parable, the evil servant was appointed his portion with the hypocrites where there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. In the third parable, the five foolish virgins were denied entry into the wedding festivities, the door being shut on them.

Perhaps Peter’s account presents a poignant picture of what being cast into the darkness, the outer entails.

Our being found FAITHFUL at the time of settling accounts starts with being instructed in the Word of the Kingdom−Matt. 13:10-13.

Having been instructed in the Word of the Kingdom, our being found FAITHFUL depends on our choice to do business with our talents/minas, the Word of the Kingdom. If we do, we will realize profit i.e., bearing fruit−Matt. 13:23; Mk. 4:24-25; Lk. 8:18.

The unfaithful servants were rebuked by their master who described them as wicked and lazy. They also forfeited their positions of authority/rulership. Last of all, they were to be cast into the outer darkness!

The grammatical construction of the phrase ‘outer darkness’ is one that places emphasis on the ‘darkness’ and not ‘outer.’ As such, this phrase is literally translated, ‘the darkness, the outer’ and this is how it should be understood whenever it is used in the Scriptures.

The darkness, the outer is a realm immediately outside of another realm! Those cast out are removed from a sphere associated with light and placed outside in a sphere associated with darkness. While faithful believers who receive positions of authority/rulership will be in the Lord’s Presence, associated with light, the unprofitable servants will be cast out from the light into the darkness−Rev. 22:14-15.

The darkness, the outer does not refer to a literal place. Rather, this phrase is a metaphor and/or figure of speech used to describe the dreadful outcome that awaits the unfaithful Christian AND to demonstrate the severity with which the Lord will regard those who have rejected that which He has offered to them, by doing NOTHING with the talents/minas delivered to them!

The darkness, the outer is associated with ‘the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth’ which is a phrase used to express the excruciating pain, the extreme anguish and utter despair of those believers who will be excluded from the millennial rule of Christ!

Part of the chastisement of the wicked and lazy servants is that their talent and mina were taken from them-Matt. 25:28; Lk. 19:24.

Since the faithful servants were rewarded by being made rulers over many things i.e., having authority over a given number of cities, then it goes without saying that the unfaithful servants were reprimanded by not being made rulers, thus denied positions of authority! In other words, the unfaithful servants forfeited positions of authority/rulership which could have been theirs!

It is these forfeited positions of authority/rulership that were taken from the unfaithful servants to be given to the faithful servants.

Satan forfeited his position as ruler over the earth and it would be given to Man.

King Saul forfeited his position as king over Israel and it was subsequently taken from him to be given to David.

Queen Vashti forfeited her position as queen and it was subsequently taken from her to be given to Esther.

Rev. 3:11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.

The faithful servants arrived at the goal, namely, the out-resurrection from the dead, were brought to a good goal and obtained a BETTER resurrection!

The master described the two servants who did nothing with their talent/mina as wicked and lazy−Matt. 25:26; Lk. 19:22.

The master also expressed his expectation which was unmet by the servants−Matt. 25:27; Lk. 19:23.

The two servants represent believers instructed in the Word of the Kingdom who make choices that aligned them with the wicked one and not the Lord!