Luke 16:19
“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:”
Here we have a rich man who is living life the way we all suppose that we would live if we only had millions of dollars. There is an interesting statement made just a few verses prior to this one.
Luke 16:15
“And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”
Obviously the way that we look at things and the way that God looks at things are not the same. Those things which we think would make us happy seem to be things that are an abomination to God. Maybe the statement about the heart is important. “God knoweth your hearts.” What does God know about our heart?
Jeremiah 17:9
“The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
There isn’t anything more deceitful than our heart and it is desperately wicked. That would indicate that it is not wise to trust my heart.
Proverbs 28:26
“He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.”
Why would one be considered a fool for trusting in his own heart?
Mark 7:21
“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mark 7:22
Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Mark 7:23
All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
Our desperately wicked heart defiles us with all manner of evil and thus only a fool would put confidence in something like that.
Obviously this rich man needs God but his riches have him in bondage and he is fooled into thinking that he is doing just fine.
Luke 16:20
And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
Our contrast with the faring sumptuously rich man is a beggar who obviously cannot walk. He is laid at the gate of the rich man in hopes that the rich man will share his wealth with him. The beggar is not only unable to make a living because of his physical handicap he is said to be full of sores. The beggar has some kind of bodily affliction that would make him a putrid eyesore. An interesting note about the beggar in contrast to the rich man; the beggar has a name; Lazarus. The remainder of the story would indicate that the beggar was under the protection of God when he died and thus God knows his name.
Luke 16:21
And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Lazarus is hungry and desires that he could just snatch some of the crumbs that fall from the rich man’s table. Instead of food to give him strength he has dogs licking his sores. Imagine laying on the ground and not having the ability to move on your own covered with sores. Along comes the dogs; an animal that will eat his own puke and begins licking the sores of Lazarus.
One might ask the question, “Where is God?” If this beggar belongs to God then why is he afflicted with the inability to walk about in his own power and why does he have these sores on his body? And why would God allow him to lie at the gate of the rich man desiring something to eat and instead get licked by dogs? “Where is God?”
Those of you who do not like God will not like my answer but you will have something to think about. Man is much more than just a physical body.
1 Thessalonians 5:23
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Man consists of three parts; spirit, soul, and body. The body is only one third of the trinity and it is the only visible part. The spirit and the soul are invisible to the human eye. The spirit and the soul are the spiritual part of man and thus man is two thirds spiritual. The body is the temporal part of man that means it has an end.
Let’s take a trip back to the beginning of time and see what happened with God’s first man.
Genesis 1:26
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Notice that God said, “Let us” which would indicate that there is more than one. How many Gods are there?
In the Old Testament we read:
Deuteronomy 6:4
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD:”
God said “Let us” is one.
In the New Testament we read:
Mark 12:29
“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:”
And once again God said “Let us” is one.
Ephesians 4:6
“One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all.”
And once again God said “Let us” is one.
If there is only one God then why did God say “Let us?”
The answer is there is only one God but He has chosen to present Himself as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God who is one is a Trinity. You do remember that man is also a trinity (spirit, soul, and body).
Genesis 1:26
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Man being made in the image of God would at least in part be the trinity. Man is said to be made in God’s image and after His likeness.
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
O.K. we must resolve another issue before we go any father. Is God the creator? The answer is Yes He is or no He isn’t. You know that He is the creator so why would you suggest that He isn’t?
Romans 1:19
“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them.
In you, has been manifest that which may be known of God. It is God that shewed it unto you.
Romans 1:20
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”
God is invisible.
John 4:24
“God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.”
That one God that is a Trinity is a spirit and you have never seen Him with your eyes.
John 1:18
“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him].”
Romans 1:20
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”
The invisible things of God have been clearly seen from the time of creation. And the invisible things of God that have been clearly seen are understood by the things that are made: that would be you. The invisible God that is clearly seen and understood by the things that He has made also understand His eternal power and Godhead and you are without excuse so stop making excuses.
You understand His eternal power; you know that He is eternal. You understand the Godhead; God is a Trinity.
Obviously, if God is the creator He made you and if He made you then you are responsible to Him. You will answer to God for what you have done with the life that He gave you.
Now let us go back to the beginning of the creation of man and read.
Genesis 1:26
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
So here is man being made in the image of God and after His likeness.
Genesis 2:7
“And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Formed from the dust of the ground would be the physical body.
Breathed into his nostrils the breath of life would be the spirit.
And man became a living soul.
Here you have the trinity of man made in the likeness of the Trinity of God with an additional statement you need to pay attention too.
“…man became a living soul.”
When you were made you were made a living souland the soul never ceases to exist.
O.K. here is man made after God’s image and in God’s likeness and then given a woman to be his wife and placed in a garden with permission to eat anything he wants except for one tree that is forbidden to him.
Genesis 2:8
“And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Genesis 2:9
And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”
Genesis 2:16
“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Genesis 2:17
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”
What in this world is a tree of the knowledge of good and evil? What kind of fruit would that tree have on it? And why would God say that I must die if I eat from that tree?
To be continued…
