How is it that ye do not understand?

In an effort to establish their superiority by discrediting Jesus, the Pharisees had come out to question him.  If they could get him to promise some sign that didn’t happen, they could proclaim him a false prophet, according to the law.  

“And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.  And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.” (Mark 8:11-12) 

Jesus described the Pharisee’s focus in Matthew 23:5.  “But all their works they do for to be seen of men:…”  They had no interest in doing what pleased God, just impressing people.  If they could prove Jesus was wrong, they could discredit him, making themselves look better.  If he gave them useable information, they could use it to impress others with their deep knowledge.  Instead, he crushed their hopes, then left, as if they weren‘t that important.

“And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side.   Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. 

And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.” (Mark 8:13-16)

The disciples had not prepared for a prolonged trip, taking only minimal provisions.  When Jesus referred to the attitude of the Pharisees, using an example he had used several times before, of leaven representing an ungodly attitude, the disciples immediately jumped to the conclusion that he was rebuking them for not being prepared for the journey.

“And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?  Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?” (Mark 8:17-18) 

Like we so often do, the disciples were focused on their own ideas and completely missed what Jesus was talking about, even though it should have been obvious that their concern was invalid.  They had heard the Pharisee’s questions, and Jesus other teachings.  In addition, they should have known that not having enough food was not a concern for Jesus.  He pointed this out.

“When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.  And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.  And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?” (Mark 8:19-21)

Only a couple of hours before he had fed 4000 people with seven loaves and had seven baskets full left over.  Only a few weeks before that, he had fed 5000 people with a little boys lunch and had twelve baskets full left.  Why would he be concerned that one loaf wouldn’t be able to feed himself and twelve apostles?  How could they not understand what he meant when it should have been so obvious?

Many times we do the same thing today.  One area where this occurs relates to eternal security.  Ephesians 5:5, for example, is very specific.  “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”  People who are involved with certain sins will not be in heaven.  Murderers and liars are some of the other sinners listed in other verses.  

Luke 8:13 and Hebrews 6:6 speak of people falling away.  Hebrews 10:26 warns, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.”  Since people who claim to have been saved sometimes commit these sins, One group concludes that it is possible to lose ones salvation, based on these and similar verses.

A second group insists that it is impossible to lose ones salvation because I Peter 1:5 says we “…are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”  Speaking of those who believe in him, in John 10:27-29, Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.”  Since the individual is a man like everyone else, they conclude that there is no sin a person could commit that would separate him from the love of God, which is exactly what Romans 8:38 says.

focusing on their particular group of scriptures, both groups tend to ignore the scriptures the other group uses, somewhat like the disciples ignored or forgot other things they knew.  Believing that all Scripture is given by God, as II Timothy 3:16 states and that no scripture can be interpreted independently from other scripture, we must accept that all the scriptures are true.  This forces us to examine other scripture as well.   The truth will include all of them.

I John 3:9-10 declares, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”  A person lives that lifestyle because he is not saved.  Were he saved, the Holy Spirit would prevent him doing so.  Romans 7:17-20 explains, “Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.   Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”

II Thessalonians 3:3 states that we can depend on the Lord to keep his children from sin.  “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.”   Jude 1:24-25 emphasizes his ability to do so.  “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen.”

Judas Iscariot was the one apostle the others never suspected of betraying Jesus, even when Jesus specifically identified him as the one who would.  They were totally convinced of his having the same faith they had, yet John 6:70-71 states that he was never really one of them.  He turned away and betrayed Jesus, becoming the model for those who do so.  Hebrews 3 and 4 also cite the

people who accompanied Moses in the Exodus, yet never believed as an example of those who may fall away.

The principle in John 3:36 does not change.  “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”  People commit such sins for the same reason they go to hell.  John 3:18 declares that people are condemned because they don’t believe in Christ, not because they commit those sins.  “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”  The sin indicates they have not trusted Christ.

Deliberate overt sin by a person who purports to be a Christian does not indicate that he has lost his salvation, but that he has never received Christ in the first place, because he only went through the motions, without real faith or repentance.  He is yet in his sins.  Eternal security is based on the power of God, both to keep us saved and to keep us from sin.