In Matthew 10:34 Jesus says to His soon-to-be apostles (sent ones): “Do not think that I came to bring peace to the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but rather, a sword.” There is only one use for a sword, and it is not pleasant. The Holy Bible is the most deadly instrument in the universe. Its use follows a simple formula: obey it and live; disobey it and die. One either wields the sword or falls upon it.

The Word of God is “the sword of the (Holy) Spirit” (Eph. 6:17). In Revelation 1:16 Jesus is pictured with a sword coming out of His mouth which represents the Holy Scriptures which, He tells us, will judge everyone ever born (Jn. 12:48–read 44-50). What is not as well known is that His Word/sword is judging church people NOW (1 Pet. 4:17,18). Church people are the only ones holding the sword and we are being judged as to how we are using it. Relative to being judged now by the sword, Peter also noted that only the righteous will be saved, and they just barely. Who are the righteous? They who agree with the sword.

Another factor in the judging process is that we who call ourselves by His name must JUDGE OURSELVES STRICTLY AND CONTINUALLY. THE SCRIPTURES, AS WRITTEN, MUST BE OUR RULES FOR LIVING. He whose words, thoughts and deeds line up with the sword–is holy– and “… endures (in holiness) until the end will (later) be saved (Mat. 10:22). Man plays the most important part in the judging process.

We are told in First Corinthians 11:31 that if WE JUDGE OURSELVES ACCORDING TO GOD’S WORD AND RESPOND ACCORDINGLY WE WILL NOT BE JUDGED ON JUDGMENT DAY. If we know what to do and do it we will keep ourselves cleansed of sin “by the washing by the water by the Word” of God (Eph. 5:26). We continually study the Scriptures to know what is commanded of us. That word will direct us to salvation IF WE OBEY IT. If we find that we are not aligned with the Scriptures–even so much as a “jot or tittle–we must change and get back on God’s track. For the true Christian, this self-judging process will end only with death or Christ’s return (Mat. 10:22). 1 PAGE

In Hebrews 4:12 we are warned that the Lord’s Word is sharper than any two-edged (physical) sword, that It is “quick (alive) and powerful, that it (spiritually) pierces and divides the soul, the spirit, the joints and marrow, and that It knows the thoughts and intentions of man’s heart.” A total and drastic change must take place when one learns that he/she is operating in contrast to the Word/sword of God. The Apostle Paul spoke of this phenomenon taking place in his life. He noted that he was “alive”- flying high in all things spiritual until he was shown God’s Law. He said that at that point: “I died.” That, dear readers, is what the Truth does to those who, having obeyed God’s command found in Second Corinthians 6:14-7:1, have gone deeply into His Truth, embrace It and obey It. That Word then kills the “old man” who has obeyed Satan by being led by the spirit of antichrist from within and creates the “new man” who is led by God’s Holy Spirit from within. Being filled with Christ’s Spirit is expressed as “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). This describes a true convert, a true son of God (Rom. 8:14) WHO IS AS JESUS WAS WHILE HE WAS ON EARTH. HE WAS THE ORIGINAL SON OF GOD, WHO WAS AT THAT TIME THE FIRSTBORN OF OTHER BRETHREN WHO WOULD, LIKE HIM, BELIEVE AND OBEY GOD THE FATHER (Rom. 8:29). Now let us turn to the focal passage of Scripture and study some of God’s sword/Word. Those whose version of Christianity involves a good relationship with the world will not like what Jesus says in chapter ten of Matthew’s Gospel who either avoid it or believe that it refers to other people. Truth involves separation of people along a spiritual line. As Jesus said, He did not come to bring people together. As this and other passages show, the exact opposite is true.

In the focal passage we find Jesus preparing His disciples to become traveling apostles who would be taking His Truth to the Israelites scattered throughout the world who had become spiritual Gentiles like the people among whom they lived. He spoke of this when He told some angry Jews that He would be leaving, and that they could not come to where He would be going (heaven)–Jn. 7:33,34. The Jews, believing that He was going to the diaspora–Israelites scattered among the Gentiles–said among themselves: “Where will He go that we cannot find Him? Will He go to the dispersed (diaspora) living among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles (Gentilized Israelites). Jews looked upon their fellow (fallen and rejected) Israelites as Gentiles because they had taken on the Gentile culture (religion, language, customs, etc.). Now to Matthew 10. 2 PAGES

In verses five through 20 and 22 through 31 Jesus is warning the apostles about the resistance and persecution they could expect as they told the Israelite people located afar what they did not want to hear. Being told that one is wrong, especially in the spiritual realm, is a shock to the system. The more religious one is, the more it hurts. The Bible, church history and my personal experience has taught me that the vast majority of church people summarily dismiss God’s Word when it exposes church doctrine for what it is–Satan-dictated false “truths.” Telling people the Truth eventually cost Jesus and eleven of the apostles their lives. God allowed John to live so that he could compile what became known as the New Testament, which is in reality the extension of the Old Testament. There should be no break between the Old and New Testaments as Scripture plainly reveals to those with eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit says.

In the following posting we will see what Jesus says to and about the members of His true church, about the sword of the Spirit and the sacrifice that must be endured for living it. L.J.