Good Works Can Never Earn God’s Grace

1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh — 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. – Philippians 3:1-4a ESV

Here, Paul raises a topic found in virtually all of his letters: the source of true righteousness. His reason for bringing it up is that the Philippian believers were undergoing intense opposition regarding the issue of circumcision, either from within their own fellowship or from the outside. As a Roman colony, Philippi would have had a large Gentile population and, therefore, the church in Philippi would have consisted primarily of Gentiles who had converted to Christianity from paganism.

In A.D. 50, when Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy had arrived in Philippi on their missionary journey, there would have been few Jewish residents in the city. But by the time Paul wrote this letter some 10-12 years later, the Jewish population could have grown, and there may have been Jewish converts to Christianity within the congregation at Philippi. The presence of Jews in the city and Jewish converts within the church had evidently raised an issue that had become a consistent point of contention for Paul: The rite of circumcision.

Paul opens this section with a reminder to rejoice, even in the face of opposition. This is in keeping with his message to them earlier in the letter.

…it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake. – Philippians 1:29 ESV

Paul used his own life as an example of joy while enduring suffering. After all, he was writing to them from house arrest in Rome, facing a trial before Nero and uncertainty about his fate. But he had been able to tell them. “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me” (Philippians 2:17-18 ESV).

Even though they faced opposition, they had every reason to rejoice because they were privileged to suffer for the sake of the gospel.

But it doesn’t take long for Paul’s tone to turn much more serious and sarcastic. He warns them to “Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved” (Philippians 3:2 NLT). Now, while this statement is intended to paint the opposition in an unflattering light, there is more going on here than meets our modern, western eyes. Three separate times in one verse, Paul uses the Greek word βλέπω (blepō), which most commonly refers to the sense of sight. But in this case, he uses it metaphorically so that they might see with their mind’s eye and  “discern mentally.” He wants them to approach this topic with their eyes wide open to the potential danger.

Writing his letter in Greek, Paul uses a play on words to describe those who were promoting the rite of circumcision within the church. He refers to them as “those who mutilate the flesh.” But that is a translation of a single Greek word, katatomē, which means “to cut up or mutilate.” In Leviticus 21:5, the priests of God were forbidden to “make any cuts on their body.” In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament Scriptures, the word katatomē was used to describe this forbidden practice.

Here is where Paul’s clever word-play and open hostility become evident. The Greek word normally used when speaking of the Jewish practice of circumcision was κατατομή (peritomē), and Paul uses it in verse 3.  He purposefully contrasts two similar Greek words, katatomē and peritomē, to compare the Jewish ritual of circumcision with the forbidden act of self-mutilation. But it’s important to remember the context; Paul is addressing a predominantly Gentile congregation. These former pagans had placed their faith in Christ, but now are being told that their faith was incomplete and insufficient.

They were being told that to be truly saved, they must be circumcised and keep all the Jewish laws and religious rituals. This message was common in the 1st Century and was propagated by a group that came to be known as Judaizers. Since Paul refers to these people as dogs and evildoers, it isn’t difficult to discern his opinion of them. His intense anger was fueled by their constant attempt to add to the gospel message he preached. Paul viewed them as purveyors of a false gospel that was undermining the work he had accomplished and causing confusion among the Gentiles. His words to the believers in Galatia illustrate his frustration and anger.

You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.

Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed. – Galatians 1:6-9 NLT

Paul had strong words for the church in Corinth as well because they were being led away from the simple message of the gospel and buying into a false narrative that claimed true righteousness was based on a formula of Jesus + something = salvation.

I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. – 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 ESV

As far as Paul was concerned, the Judaizers were the enemy. Although they claimed to be followers of Jesus Christ, they were claiming that faith alone was not enough. These Jewish converts to Christianity were demanding that all the male members of the church in Philippi be circumcised and, essentially, convert to Judaism before their salvation could be considered complete. This left Paul in a state of rage, especially because he was unable to do anything about it while under house arrest in Rome. This explains the strong nature of his rhetoric.

He completely invalidates the message of the Judaizers by declaring the Gentile converts to Christianity as the true circumcision.

For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort… – Philippians 3:3 NLT

This verse summarizes Paul’s view on the matter. To him, circumcision was nothing more than a work, an outward act that left the one circumcised with a false sense of spiritual well-being. For the Jews, it had become a symbol of their unique status as God’s chosen people. But in his letter to the church in Rome, Paul exposed the flaw behind the Jewish view of circumcision.

The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God’s law. But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. – Romans 2:25 NLT

In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God’s law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God’s law but don’t obey it. – Romans 2:27 NLT

The problem lies in the dangerous misperception being perpetrated by the Judaizers. In their way of thinking, the rite of circumcision was the non-negotiable doorway one must enter to receive justification before God. But this teaching stood in direct opposition to the gospel message of salvation made possible by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The good news of salvation was that no other step was necessary; no additional works were required.  Paul clarified this point to the church in Ephesus.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. – Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

To add circumcision to the gospel message was to distort the good news and make it another gospel altogether. Rather than basing salvation on the gracious gift of God’s Son, the Judaizers were introducing a form of works-based salvation. They were making justification a matter of rule-keeping and self-effort, but Paul reminds the Philippian believers, “We put no confidence in human effort” (Philippians 3:3 NLT).

He goes on to expose the absurdity of the Judaizers’ argument. If they are going to make it all about human effort and rule-keeping, Paul was the poster boy for self-justification. He describes his relative merit as a good Jew who had all the criteria to make him a candidate for justification before God through works. But for Paul, this way of thinking was ridiculous and dangerous, and stood in direct opposition to the message of the gospel. I

In a direct attack against the pride-filled Judaizers, Paul sarcastically states: “I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!” (Philippians 3:4a NLT). He goes on to describe his so-called credentials for justification before God, but he knew that his curriculum vitae had nothing to do with his right standing before God. His salvation was not based on anything he had done or any perceived value he possessed; it was all the result of Christ’s finished work on the cross. Paul drove home that point in his letter to the Galatians.

…we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law. – Galatians 2:16 NLT

For Paul, the formula was quite simple and concise. Righteousness was made available by God through man’s faith in the finished work of Christ— no more, no less. So, in Paul’s estimation, circumcision was nothing more than self-mutilation when used as an attempt to earn favor with God. Law-keeping becomes disobedience to God when used as a means to justify oneself before God. For as Paul stated, no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law. Rule-keeping cannot produce righteousness. Merit is a false doorway to God’s mercy. Good works will never earn God’s grace. The gift of salvation is costly, yet free, and must be received in humility, faith, and total dependence. As the old hymn so eloquently put it, “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling” (Rock of Ages, Augustus Montague Toplady). 

Father, despite the passing of time, the problem Paul faced has not faded. In fact, it seems that man’s obsession with earning Your favor has actually increased rather than diminished. For some reason, we find it difficult to believe that salvation is a free gift. We have been raised on the mantras, “You don’t get something for nothing” and “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Maybe it’s our incessant need to feel important and to get credit for our accomplishments. But You have made it clear that “all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6 ESV) and “no one living is righteous before you” (Psalm 143:2 ESV). Yet, we keep trying to earn Your favor through self-effort. When we screw up, we feel the need to do something to get back into Your good graces. When we don’t measure up, we think working harder will bring a smile to Your face. But as Paul said, we should “rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us” (Philippians 3:3 NLT), and nothing else. The gospel does not require my good works. Salvation is not the result of self-effort. And my pursuit of holiness will never be accomplished by perseverance or personal piety. But the temptation to rely on works is strong and the urge to pay my own way is difficult to escape. But, with the Spirit’s help, I know I can rest in truth that my righteousness before You was a gift and not a reward for the good things I have done. I was saved by grace, not self-effort. And for that, I am truly grateful. Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Proper Path to Righteousness

1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. – Romans 10:1-4 ESV

Paul had a deep love for his Hebrew brothers and sisters and longed for them to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus as their Messiah, just as he had. He prayed for them regularly and shared the good news of Jesus Christ with them at every opportunity, sometimes subjecting himself to their wrath for doing so. Paul knew they were zealous for the things of God, just as he had been, but were operating out of ignorance. They were still operating under the well-intentioned but misguided idea that they could somehow be justified or made right with God by keeping the Mosaic Law. As Paul wrote, because they were ignorant of God’s “brand” of righteousness, made available through faith in Christ alone, they sought to achieve righteousness on their own. And

Paul recognized the folly of their ways because he had spent a good portion of his life pursuing the same unachievable goal. In his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul shared his personal testimony. At one time, he, too, had been a well-intentioned zealot for God.

I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. – Philippians 3:5-6 NLT

There had been a point in Paul’s life when he believed that his righteous standing before God was based on his own effort. Even his persecution of Christians was done out of his deep desire to please God. He had viewed the followers of Christ as a threat to Judaism and did everything in his power to eliminate them by chasing them down and throwing them in prison. He was a fervent law-keeper and God-pleaser. But he operated out of ignorance.

It was only after coming to know Christ that his eyes were opened, both literally and spiritually, to the kind of righteousness God was looking for, a righteousness provided by Christ’s death and not through man’s self-effort. This led Paul to describe to the Philippians believers how his encounter with Jesus had radically changed his life and perspective.

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! – Philippians 3:7-11 NLT

The key to his change in perspective is found in his statement: “I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ” (Philippians 3:9 NLT). That has been the thesis of Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” – Romans 1:16-17 ESV

Paul wanted his fellow Jews to learn what he had learned, that the death of Jesus brought an end to the law. There are two basic reasons that God gave the Mosaic law. The first was to make His righteous standards and holy character known. It was to provide the people of Israel with an objective, non-debatable code of conduct acceptable to a holy God. As a result of trying to keep this exacting list of behavioral mandates, the people would come to realize that their best efforts could never measure up to God’s perfect standard.

“Why, then, was the law given?” Paul asked the believers in Galatia. “It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins” (Galatians 3:19 NLT). God had never intended or expected anyone to be made righteous through keeping the law.

The second purpose of the law was to provide the people of Israel with a standard of living that would set them apart from the surrounding nations. The law contained moral, religious, and civil codes that reflected the wisdom of God and would bless their lives if and when they obeyed them. Moses explained to the people of Israel how their adherence to God’s laws would reflect the wisdom of God to their pagan neighbors.

“Look, I now teach you these decrees and regulations just as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy. Obey them completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations. When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, ‘How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!’ For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him? And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today?” – Deuteronomy 4:5-8 NLT

Yet, the people of Israel never achieved this goal because they failed to obey God’s law. They were incapable of living up to God’s righteous standards and ended up living like the surrounding nations that didn’t know God or His law.

But when Christ came, He did what no other man had ever done: He kept God’s law perfectly and completely. It was His perfect obedience that made Him the unblemished and acceptable sacrifice. But with His death, burial, and resurrection, the role of the law changed dramatically. Paul explained to the believers in Galatia how Christ’s death altered the role of the law.

Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. – Galatians 3:23-25 NLT

The kind of righteousness that justifies and makes one right with God is based on faith in Christ as Savior. It has nothing to do with self-effort. It is a gift, totally unearned and undeserved. It is based on God’s mercy, not our merit, and it was provided for us by Christ. Like Abraham, all we bring to the table is our belief.

Abraham believed God, and it was counted as righteousness. – Romans 4:3 ESV

When we believe in Christ as God’s sole source of man’s salvation, that belief results in our righteousness and a right relationship with God. This was the message Paul believed and promoted throughout the years of his ministry, so that all believers might understand and enjoy the full measure of God’s amazing grace.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. – Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

…he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. – Titus 3:5 NLT

For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. – 2 Timothy 1:9 NLT

When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. – Romans 4:4-5 NLT

Father, You saved me and I had nothing to do with it. Yes, I placed my faith in the saving work of Jesus, but even that act was a work of the Holy Spirit, not me. He opened my eyes to see the glory of the gift You had given and regerated my lifeless, sin-damaged heart to accept in love and gratitude the offer of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. I have nothing to boast about. My faith was not a work of the flesh. It was not something I conjured up or produced in my own strength. Paul makes this life-altering transformation clear when he write, “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” (Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV).

You did it all, and there is nothing for which we can take credit. But we can rejoice in the knowledge that Your grace is sufficient and Your transformation of our lives will be full and complete, resulting in our future glorification. And it will all be accomplished by Your love, not our adherence to a list of laws or religious regulations. Thank You! Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

A Contrary Gospel

1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 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.

10 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. – Galatians 1:1-10 ESV

After a brief yet heartfelt greeting, Paul cuts to the chase. He is writing to new believers living throughout the region called Galatia (now modern Turkey), and he wants to warn them about a problem he sees going on among them. He pulls no punches, but is extremely blunt with his assessment of the situation.

I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. – Galatians 1:6 NLT

Paul is completely baffled by the reports he has heard coming out of Galatia. Of the 13 letters Paul wrote that became part of the canon of Scripture, this is believed to be the first one. It was likely written sometime around 49 A.D. Since the time of Jesus' resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Gospel had spread throughout the known world and made its way to Galatia, where Gentiles were coming to faith in Christ. But as the gospel spread, so did a lot of false teaching.

There were no New Testament Scriptures at this time. The gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John had not yet been written. There were few, if any, elders or leaders for these new congregations of believers springing up all over the place. There was little in the way of an established doctrine for the growing Church. Much of what Paul and others wrote in these letters became what we now have as the New Testament. Their writings, penned under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, became the foundation of the doctrine to which we still adhere today. They were addressing issues and problems that were emerging as the gospel spread and the Church grew in numbers. Immediately after Pentecost, most of the early converts to Christianity were Jews, but that had begun to change as the good news of Jesus was carried around the world.

Increasingly, more and more Gentiles, or non-Jews, were coming to faith. Because Jesus and His disciples had been Jews, there was a strong tie to Judaism in those early days. Many of the Jewish converts were of the opinion that belief in Christ was simply an extension or add-on to their Jewish faith or heritage. This led them to propagate the idea that becoming a Christ-follower also required that you become a Jew and submit to all the Jewish laws and traditions. In time, a group that held an extreme form of this view rose up, which came to be known as the Judaizers. They were having a strong influence in places like Galatia, telling Gentile converts that their faith in Christ was incomplete or inadequate. They were teaching that faith in Christ alone was not enough; more was required of them. They must also become converts to Judaism, all males must go through the ritual of circumcision, and they must keep the Law and adhere to all Jewish traditions and customs. As you can imagine, this caused a great deal of confusion among these new believers.

It also caused a great deal of anger in Paul. This became one of the major themes in his letters, as he warned his readers, "You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News, but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ" (Galatians 1:6-7 NLT). Paul made it clear that what these believers were hearing was not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was some kind of an aberration. It was a "different way," but not the one true way. It was a false gospel, but not the true gospel concerning faith in Christ alone.

Paul gives his feelings about this pseudo gospel and those who were promoting it:

Let God's curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who practices a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. – Galatians 1:8 NLT

Paul was anything but tolerant and inclusive. He was not a proponent of the popular heresy that all religions lead to God. Nor was he politically correct or willing to accommodate all views. As far as he was concerned, there was one gospel, and it did not include conversion to Judaism or adherence to the Law. The gospel Paul preached required faith in Christ alone and nothing more. It was faith-based, not works-based, and it afforded no place for earning or merit. What made the good news good news was that it was a free gift, unhampered by human effort or achievement.

Gone were the days when sacrifice and law-keeping were the required means of pursuing a right relationship with God. No amount of either one had ever truly made anyone right with God. But with His death on the cross, Jesus had satisfied the just demands of God once and for all. He had paid the price for our sins with His own life. No more lambs needed to be sacrificed. No more hopeless attempts at perfect adherence to the Law were necessary. Salvation had been provided by Christ and was not dependent on the efforts of man anymore.

So Paul boldly and aggressively deals with this issue right up front, and he was anything but subtle.

I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. – Galatians 1:10 NLT

Paul was a servant of Jesus Christ. He answered to Him and Him alone. He cared more about what God thought about him than what men did. This was not a popularity contest for Paul. He had been commissioned by Jesus Himself to take the good news of salvation in Christ alone through faith alone to a lost and dying world. He would not tolerate the teaching or preaching of any other gospel. He would not put up with those who attempted to redefine the gospel as Jesus plus anything.

Father, it is so easy to try to add to the gospel. We so want to put our twist on it. and end up adding rules and requirements that are unnecessary and only muddy the water. We crave achievement and recognition for our efforts. We have been brainwashed to believe that we have to DO something to earn Your forgiveness and favor. But salvation is a gift. It was made possible by what Your Son did on the cross and has nothing to do with human effort or earning. As we read through the letter of Galatians, help us see where we may be trying to add to the gospel even today. Open our eyes and help us give up all attempts at self-righteousness and once again place our faith in the righteousness of Christ alone. Amen.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Coming Cleansing

7 Then the remnant of Jacob shall be
    in the midst of many peoples
like dew from the Lord,
    like showers on the grass,
which delay not for a man
    nor wait for the children of man.
8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations,
    in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
    like a young lion among the flocks of sheep,
which, when it goes through, treads down
    and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver.
9 Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries,
    and all your enemies shall be cut off.

10 And in that day, declares the Lord,
    I will cut off your horses from among you
    and will destroy your chariots;
11 and I will cut off the cities of your land
    and throw down all your strongholds;
12 and I will cut off sorceries from your hand,
    and you shall have no more tellers of fortunes;
13 and I will cut off your carved images
    and your pillars from among you,
and you shall bow down no more
    to the work of your hands;
14 and I will root out your Asherah images from among you
    and destroy your cities.
15 And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance
    on the nations that did not obey. – Micah 5:7-15 ESV

Micah describes a scene that is radically different than the one facing his 8th-Century B.C. audience. They were living in a time when constant threats from the likes of the Assyrians and Babylonians were a part of everyday life. So, the latter-day events that Micah is telling them about had to have sounded alien to their ears. Would there really be a day when they would have the upper hand on the enemies? Would the tables turn and the Israelites be the dominant force in the region once again?

The day is coming when the Israelites will be dispersed among the nations, but not as a result of God’s judgment. This time it will be so that they might refresh the nations of the earth by their very presence.

Then the remnant left in Israel
    will take their place among the nations.
They will be like dew sent by the Lord
    or like rain falling on the grass,
which no one can hold back
    and no one can restrain.
The remnant left in Israel
    will take their place among the nations. – Micah 5:7-8 NLT

Like dew and rain, the redeemed and restored people of God will have a positive and beneficial impact on the world of that day. But like God Almighty, they will also be a powerful presence in the world, displaying the strength of a lion among sheep.

They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
    like a strong young lion among flocks of sheep and goats,
pouncing and tearing as they go
    with no rescuer in sight.
The people of Israel will stand up to their foes,
    and all their enemies will be wiped out. – Micah 5:8-9 NLT

What a dramatic change of circumstances. Israel will find itself in the driver’s seat, operating from a position of strength, not weakness. And this will be in fulfillment of the promise Moses made to the people of Israel as they waited to cross into the promised land for the very first time.

If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom. – Deuteronomy 28:13 NLT

For the foreseeable future, Israel was going to find their fortunes to be quite the opposite of what Moses described. They would be the tail and not the head. And it would be their misfortune to be on the bottom rather than the top. Defeat, destruction, and exile were headed their way, but Micah wanted them to know that God had future plans for them that would reverse that trend – completely and permanently.

But there will also be a period of purging when God cleanses the land of all the vestiges of idolatry and rebellion that were the cause of His judgment against them. God will not be content to restore them to the land just to see them continue to live in the same way they did before. It will be a time of intense cleansing as God removes anything and everything that the people of Israel allowed to draw them away from their faithful worship of Him.

“In that day,” says the Lord,
“I will slaughter your horses
    and destroy your chariots.
I will tear down your walls
    and demolish your defenses.
I will put an end to all witchcraft,
    and there will be no more fortune-tellers.
I will destroy all your idols and sacred pillars,
    so you will never again worship the work of your own hands.
I will abolish your idol shrines with their Asherah poles
    and destroy your pagan cities.” – Micah 5:10-12 NLT

Horses and chariots represent man’s dependence upon military might. The psalmist wrote, “Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God. Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm” (Psalm 20:7-8 NLT). And yet, virtually every king of Israel and Judah had accumulated horses and chariots for himself, in a misguided attempt to provide a source of power and protection other than God Almighty.

The kings of Israel and Judah had constructed elaborate defensive fortifications, in a vain attempt to protect them from enemy attack. But what they failed to remember was that they had the Lord of Hosts as their champion. He was to have been their sole source of strength and the one on whom they relied for victory.

“When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you!” – Deuteronomy 20: 1 NLT

Witchcraft, fortune-tellers, idols, and sacred pillars were all symbols of their misplaced trust in man-made replacements for God. Rather than place all their confidence in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the people of Israel had developed a litany of alternative sources of help, hope, and deliverance. He would no longer tolerate their spiritual infidelity. In the new Kingdom established by His Son, God would ensure that there would be no substitutes and stand-ins available that could draw the people away from worshiping Him in spirit and in truth.

During the thousand-year reign of Christ, often referred to as the Millennial Kingdom, He will sit in righteous judgment over the entire world. And we are told that He will rule with a “rod of iron” (Revelation 19:15). The nations of the earth will all recognize that He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. That does not mean that they will worship Him as their Lord and Savior, but they will acknowledge His sovereign rule over all the earth.

In those days, God will no longer tolerate sin and rebellion. He will not put up with insurrection and insubordination, among His chosen people or the nations of the earth. His Son will sit on the throne of David, ruling in righteousness and judging the world with perfect justice.

But the millennial reign of Christ will come to an end. The thousand years will pass and then God will bring one last judgment upon the world.

When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. He will go out to deceive the nations—called Gog and Magog—in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle—a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.

Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. – Revelation 20:7-10 NLT

Amazingly, during the thousand years, Satan will be bound and incapable of influencing the nations of the earth. But he will be released and lead one more misguided insurrection against God and His Son. He will rally the nations of the world to his side and attempt one last overthrow of God’s power and dominion. But he will fail. And his evil influence over the world will be done away with once and for all.

And the apostle John provides us with insight into what happens next.

And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. – Revelation 20:11-15 NLT

The final judgment – the Great White Throne Judgment  – when Jesus Christ will deliver a just and righteous verdict on all those who have refused to accept Him as their Savior and Lord. All during the period of the Great Tribulation, God will offer mankind one more opportunity to accept His free gift of salvation through His Son. But the majority will choose death over eternal life. They will prefer judgment over redemption.

But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts. – Revelation 9:20-21 NLT

The day will come when no more opportunities for salvation are made available. As the author of Hebrews reminds us, “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:27-28 NLT).

Those who have placed their hope in Christ can face the future unafraid and fully confident in the eternal security of their relationship with God Almighty. But for all those who refused God’s gracious offer of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, death will be followed by judgment. And the judgment of God, without forgiveness made possible through faith in the Son of God, will end in eternal separation from God.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson