Looking at Psalm 139 for the Current Age for Comfort and Conviction

 When we seek to rightly divide the Word of Truth we are very careful to remind ourselves that all scripture is profitable.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

-2 Tim 2:15

 

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness...

-2 Tim 3:16

Too often, those of us who see to rightly divide the scriptures are accused of “throwing out” verses or passages not directed us or that we use right division as an excuse for immoral behavior. The irony of these charges leveled against the teaching of Paul's special revelation (that is, against dispensationalists), is that those who embrace Israel's promises as their own (such as the New Covenant) find no value in much of Israel's history and they pick and choose which dictates of the First Covenant are for them. We have seen how the "forever" statutes of the Mosaic covenant are tossed aside as a remnant of a truth that no longer applies to them, for example.

We want to stress here that we are not saying that the dictates of the Law "no longer" apply to us in the current age, but rather that those dictates never applied to us. They never applied to Adam. They never applied to Noah. They didn't apply to Moses until he was over 80 years of age. The Law only applied to Gentiles if they lived among Israel and then only in a very limited way (that is, not the entire Law) such as we see in Acts 15.

When we turn to the pages of the Hebrew Canon (The First [Old] Covenant), we hold every word to be true. And while we embrace these books as holy and good, we know they are not given directly to us today. A general truth (such as a truth about the nature of God) is applicable in all ages. And even in truths about how God dealt with individuals like Noah, Moses, and David we can find profitable things. But we would never claim all the promises or commands to those same men for ourselves. We don't expect God to deal with all believers in the same way he dealt with those men.

That is not "tossing out" anything, it is simply embracing those truths in their contexts. 

So, when we come to the wonderful Book of Psalms, we can find comfort in God's character even if we cannot claim everything in them as promises or expectation for The Body of the current age. 

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

-Psalm 139:1-6

Such wonderful thoughts! Yes, these thoughts are too wonderful to fully comprehend. And while we do find a measure of comfort in God's omniscience, we must also acknowledge that such omniscience also means God knows our "wicked" and "hurtful" ways as well. But when we do get there, we are comforted in the idea that God's goal for our lives is internal peace and reassurance and a hope in the resurrection to come through Christ alone.

We don't hope as Abraham did ("for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" - Hebrews 11:10), nor do we hope as David hoped as we shall see. But we surely do have a wonderful hope in God! And that hope is experienced in part now and will be fully realized in our resurrection to come.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell [Sheol], behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

-Psalm 139:7-12

We note the comfort the Psalmist has in knowing that even in Sheol God is with him. Now, if Sheol ("hell") is God's unending and fiery torture chamber (as tradition teaches), having him there would be the opposite of a comforting experience. Tradition tells us Sheol is a terrible place of unimaginable suffering that is run by God himself. There is no comfort in their doctrine.

To try and explain this obvious contradiction, men try to teach us the "two chambers of hell" doctrine. This doctrine tries to extract from Luke 16 and the story of Lazarus and the Rich man. The story told by the Lord, however, is a mockery of Pharisaical teachings, not some new revelation of truth. It teaches salvation by poverty and suffering. The idea of Sheol was always understood to be a state of the dead. When good king Hezekiah was dying, he referenced not simply Sheol, but specifically "the gates of Sheol." These are "the gates of Hades (Hell)" the Lord speaks of in Matthew 16:18. 

This is the writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

 I said,
“In the prime of my life
I shall go to the gates of Sheol;
I am deprived of the remainder of my years.”

-Isaiah 38:9-10

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

-Matthew 16:18

Does he look forward to these "gates of hell?" The KJV translates Sheol as "hell" in Psalm 139 and as "grave" in Isaiah 38. The proper translation is too inconvenient for the ecclesiastical systems dependent on a God who threatens most of his creation with fiery torture. But Sheol, and Hades refer to the state of being dead. This is a state from which only resurrection can conquer. And as we can never merit such a complete victory, Christ accomplished that for us. 

When the real Lazarus was raised from the dead in John 11 (not resurrected), he makes no mention of such a chamber or of seeing anyone being tortured. I would imagine he wouldn't be able to shut up about either! But that is not the primary problem. What a cruelty bringing him back into a dying and sinful flesh! Imagine not only being in pure comfort and love, but being freed from the bondage of a sinful flesh only to be forced back into life and into a struggle with the old, wicked, carnal nature. It would be an act of cruelty on the Lord's part.

We may fear the night. We may fear darkness. We may fear the grave. The Psalmist comforts us (through inspiration of the Holy Spirit) by taking aim at all these in the context of God's omniscience, mercy, love, and care. One thing common to all ages and dispensations is death. It is the enemy. It has been defeated by the death, burial, lack of decay, and glorious resurrection of "the firstborn from the dead" (Col 1:18), our great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ! We will experience that victory in our own resurrection, fully paid for by him.

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has resurrected together with Him, having forgiven you all sins.

-Colossians 2:13

Today, we only experience resurrection life in part in the new nature. But someday our bodies will be like his glorious body!

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 

-1 Corinthians 13:12


There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies. The glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 

-1 Corinthians 15:40

In this age, the hope is experiencing that new life in full in the heavenly places, not on the earth. So just as the believers in Israel looked forward to a new body in resurrection and the coming down to earth of the city whose builder and maker is God (cp Rev 21:2), so do we look forward to our new celestial bodies. But we will experience that hope in the far above the heavens. We reiterate this point as it is essential in understanding the expectations of the current age compared to the expectations David and Israel had when he wrote his psalms. 

But our citizenship is in heaven, from where also we await for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our body of humiliation, so that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working of His power even to subdue all things to Himself.

-Philippians 3:20-21

We wait for that day with great anticipation and joy even if our current circumstances seem grim. That is how we can apply this Psalm to this age. We have no hope here. We have no expectation of God striking our enemies. We look for no city. 

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

-Psalm 139:13-18

This is another comforting passage that knows no limitation. From Adam until today, we are all knit together in the womb. How precious is the unborn child in the thoughts of the Lord! Sin has ravaged the hum race and has poisoned us with sickness, deformity, and ultimately with death. As we enter this section of the psalm we do not forget that God, just as he remembers us in the womb, will remember us in death as well. 

Because of the violence, sickness, and wickedness of the human experience, we need comfort from the moment of conception to the moment of death. David experienced the death of his son after his wicked acts of murder and adultery to gain Bathsheba. 

Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’” Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.”

-2 Samuel 12:9-14

The Psalmist never doubted the Lord's presence or his eternal fate even as he suffered the fate brought on by the sins of the flesh. Even during those times when the Lord is correcting us and moving is to walk in the nature and not in the flesh, he comforts us. He chastises his own out of love for his children.

And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:

“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;

 For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”

-Hebrews 12:5-6

It may seem like a disappointment when we rightly divide the promises and commands to some of the patriarchs. But remember, just as we cannot claim the promise to David regarding the throne or even of God's immediate protection, neither do we suffer the harshness of his chastisements because of his exalted position. 

David continues with prayer in Psalm 139:

Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.
Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.

-Psalm 139:19-22

This is where we can clearly see a departure from the current age. We do not pray like this. This was perfectly acceptable for David as David was the representative of Israel. These were earthly enemies of God as they were earthly enemies of God's earthly people, Israel.

Does this mean we have no enemies in the current age? Certainly not. Our enemies are primarily not of flesh and blood, however. Our enemies are spiritual wicked beings, base men, as well as even fellow believers. Paul lamented that those who sought to make his imprisonment even worse were preachers of Christ. The enemies of the cross of Christ noted in Philippians were believers. All God's children for sure, but enemies of the revelation given to Paul for the current age. Some jealous (from the old nature) and some resistant to abandon earthly ordinances and the earthly hope.

In all their scheming against him, Paul praised the Lord, in that even though other believers sought to make his chains (imprisonment) more difficult, Christ was being preached (Phil 1:12,18). In the case of Alexander the Coppersmith mentioned by Paul to Timothy, we see the closest Paul comes in this age to directly addressing judgment upon his enemies.

Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works.

-2 Timothy 4:14

 

There is no open hatred here. There is no prayer for him to be slaughtered.  Our enemies are personal and not national. While David was right to prayer for the destruction of those who sought to kill him or harm Israel, we have no such right. Israel and David are both central to God's earthly plan. And we should be careful with even Paul's practice as Paul alone was entrusted with the revelation of the Mystery of this age. Through his witness we are entrusted, but in a secondary way.

But rest assured, even though God may not act on our behalf in this life as he did in the life of David and Israel, he is well aware of our enemies. 

We finish this Psalm with a recognition of failure in the flesh.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

-Psalm 139:23-24

We started this psalm acknowledging that God has searched and that he knows us. We marveled at how wonderful this thought is. But before leaving this ode to God's omniscience and care we stop here in the last two verses to implore God to search our hearts more deeply. We ask him to reveal to us (beyond simply to just know us) any wicked way in us. David is very personal here. This goes beyond his position as King and the progenitor of the Messiah. This strikes directly at the heart of the man.

This is a prayer we can take to our hearts. And in the midst of David seeking to root out any evil way in himself, he reminds himself that God is familiar with his fears and anxieties. God knows our frame and he knows that we are weak. Allow God to search your heart, mind, and life for harmful and wicked ways knowing all the time that he cares deeply and is well aware our fragile frame. He knows our fears. 

There is comfort in all of these things.

As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

 For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

-Psalm 103:13-14

Thoughts on Losing the Inheritance (Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:25)

 As we must do because of the prevailing view in Christendom that the labors of our hands somehow can put God into our eternal debt or that we can somehow pay the debt (to one degree or another) for our sin, we note that there are two inheritances before us in scripture. One is founded on an absolute assurance, fully secured by the perfect and complete sacrifice (death, burial, lack of decay, and resurrection) of our great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ alone. The second is an inheritance of reward for the faithful servant. 

To try and melt these into one is another symptom of a failure to rightly divide the Word of Truth (2 Tim 2:15) and a result of the dangerous heaven/hell, saved/lost approach to every verse and passage in the Bible. Confusing the two deceives billions into thinking they can put God into debt by the works of their hands. When we rightly divided a free gift rescuing us from our sin from a gift for the freewill service of our lives, we do not diminish the Lord's work nor exalt our own.

As we note that there are two inheritances, we must all be rightly divided between ages, hopes, and plans connected the inheritances. We state again, in every age there is a free inheritance born out of God's mercy and secured by the complete sacrifice of the Son. But there is also another inheritance that can be won or lost based on the faithfulness or unfaithfulness, upright or carnal works of the believer.

There are several deeper topics there that we will not explore here, except to emphasize that the free gift of reconciliation with God and the free gift of Life through his name (John 20:31; etc.) is indeed free (by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone). That is, resurrection life (freedom from the curse of death) has been secured by Christ alone and is free to all who come to God by faith. This is one side of the inheritance. It cannot be forfeited. But the other side does involve danger of loss.

We will focus primarily on the current age as we cannot lose an inheritance that is not available to us. Just as a contrast, let us quickly look at the Lord's warnings in his earthly ministry to Israel and their hope of inheritance (the reward of an exalted place in an earthly kingdom) that is in view there.

And I say to you that many will come from the east and west and will dine with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

-Matthew 8:12

The Son of Man shall send out His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who do evil, and will throw them into a fiery furnace. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth

-Matthew 13:41-42

‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding garments?’ And he was speechless. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

-Matthew 22:12-13



the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not look for him and in an hour he is not aware of and will cut him in pieces and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

-Matthew 24:50-51 (Parable of the Wicked Servant)



“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them...‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

-Matthew 25:14, 29-30

All of these relate to the plan for the earthly kingdom that the Lord came to restore in Israel. We cannot come to these passages and inflict the lost man into the role of a "son of the kingdom" or as a "servant."  We must also be careful to note that we cannot insert a member of the Church which is His Body of the present age into these passages either. But even as the "beloved" have a guaranteed inheritance in Christ, there is still an inheritance that can be lost. Again note the two different inheritances (secure/earned).

Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children. Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God. And do not let sexual immorality, or any impurity, or greed be named among you, as these are not proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse joking, which are not fitting. Instead, give thanks. For this you know, that no sexually immoral or impure person, or one who is greedy, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth— proving what is pleasing to the Lord. And do not have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; instead, expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things are exposed when they are revealed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,
arise from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”

See then that you walk carefully, not as fools, but as wise men, making the most of the time because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not be drunk with wine, for that is reckless living. But be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Give thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, being submissive to one another in the fear of God.

-Ephesians 5:1-21

We focus on verse 5 in this passage, but the whole should be read solemnly and with the understanding that Paul was writing this to the "beloved" in Christ, to his "saints," and to those who "have [possess] redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace" (Eph 1:7)

The inheritance in Ephesians 5 differs from the inheritance spoken in Ephesians 1 (and elsewhere). The word "inheritance" used in Ephesians 1:11 is slightly different than the word translated the same three more times in Ephesians. But note that both are in the context of something that is "received" and "guaranteed" by God himself apart from our works. It is a "purchased possession," purchased by the Lord, experienced at our future experience of redemption in resurrection, all to "the praise of His glory" alone. No input or sullying by man is possible. 

In Him we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished on us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, which are in heaven and on earth. In Him also we have received an inheritance (Gr: klēróō), being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His own will, that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, should live for the praise of His glory. In Him you also, after hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and after believing in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance (Gr: klēronomía) until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

-Ephesians 1:7-14 

Even though the same word is used of the inheritance spoken of in Ephesians 5, it is merely a descriptor. Both are an inheritance. One is free, the other achieved. Just as Paul sought to "attain" the special resurrection in Philippians 3:11 ("if somehow I might attain the out-resurrection of the dead") to which he pressed towards ("I press toward the goal of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" -Phil 3:14), we press on with the same goal for this other inheritance.

Certainly Paul had no doubts about the free gift of life, a truth for which he suffered beatings, stoning, rejection, and threats. And certainly none of us stands a chance if Paul is the standard for obtaining a free gift! Paul was jailed for preaching Christ and the revelation of the Mystery. His bonds were made harsher by fellow believers. The "enemies of the cross of Christ" he notes in this epistle were also believers. Not "enemies of Christ," but "enemies of the cross of Christ." They were not willing to follow or imitate Paul's rejection. Paul weeps for their future loss. He is not weeping for unbelievers.

Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: the one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. 

-Philippians 1:15-17

Brothers, become fellow imitators with me and observe those who walk according to our example. For many [believers] are walking in such a way that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. I have told you of them often and tell you again, even weeping. Their destination is destruction, their god is their appetite, their glory is in their shame, their minds are set on earthly things.

-Philippians 3:17-19

These believers have "set their minds on earthly things."  As we will see in Colossians, this has a two-fold application. The one that leaps to mind is the cares of this world and the desires of the flesh. Our passage in Ephesians 5 speaks of immorality and greed and other carnal pursuits of the old nature (the flesh). But Colossians brings out the religious side of being earthly-minded.

If I want to be "scriptural," I could read Leviticus and try to take an animal to a priest for a sacrifice or I could seek to observe the Laws of the feasts, etc. Were these good things to do at the time of Moses? Absolutely. But even then, the Law was given only to Israel and Gentiles were excluded from participating in the Feasts to one degree or another (e.g. Exodus 12:48). The point here is that there are ordinances connected to the earthly plan and hope and however good, and pure, and biblical they may be, we have no business seeking to be obedient to those laws. Something being "scriptural" doesn't mean it is always "applicable." 

(We stress and repeat these differences as they are lost in the saved/lost, heaven/hell system of interpretation which has hidden so much truth.) 

Now, that example from the Feasts of Israel might seem obvious, but we must also apply this practice of right division of the Word to the commands and practices in the Gospel accounts and to the practices and epistles of the Acts age (which also concerned an earthly hope and an earthly kingdom). We have looked at these differences elsewhere, but we note it here so we can understand better the contexts of Colossians 2 and 3 where we find both the faith/religion side of obedience in this age as well as the moral uprightness side.

We will not explore these chapters in their entirety as that would require many hours of study. We do, however, encourage the reader to slowly walk through each verse of this entire book. With that in mind, before we look at parts of Colossians 2 and 3, let us start on the foundation for this current age found in Colossians 1.

Now, I rejoice in sufferings for you, and I fill up that which is behind of the tribulations of Christ in my flesh, for his body, which is the assembly [church]; of which I became minister, according to the dispensation of God which [is] given me towards you to complete [fill up] the word of God.

-Colossians 1:24-25 (Darby)

 

I now rejoice in sufferings for your sakes, and I contribute my share to what is lacking among the tribulations of Christ, in my flesh, for the sake of his body, which is the church, of which I have become a minister, according to the dispensation of God which was given to me for you, to fill the word of God – the mystery which was hidden away from the ages and from the generations, but now has been made manifest to his saints, to whom God wished to make known what the richness is of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we proclaim, admonishing every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, in order that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, for which I also labour, striving according to his invigoration which invigorates me with power.

-Colossians 1:24-29 (Far Above All)

We will not break down this passage here. We note it here in Colossians (the follow-up to the revelation of the current age to Paul alone in Ephesians) to point out three things:

• Paul was given the revelation of the Mystery and was assigned to suffer for it (not for sin)
• The current age of this Mystery was hidden in other ages (repeated from Ephesians 3)
• Paul's goal is to present the forgiven sinners among the Gentiles as fully mature at their judgment

We turn to one of our foundational verses for this study, Colossians 3:24 in its context:

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. For you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will receive for the wrong which he has done, and there is no partiality. 

-Colossians 3:23-25

Colossians 2 and 3 carry warnings about these "wrongs" concerning both practical and religious concerns. To walk in the new nature (and not in the old flesh) can only be accomplished in the current age by abandoning the earthly hope and the religious commands connected to it. To obey God in this age (dispensation of the heavenly calling) we must disobey the commands and statutes of other ages connected to the earthly calling.

We encourage the reading of the whole book, but as an example of the warnings regarding the flesh, our Apostle emphasizes the following. In seeking to live according to the dictates of the current hope before us in the current age, we state clearly that we must always be aware of the purely carnal yearnings of the flesh that have plagued all men in all ages since Adam.

Therefore put to death the parts of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience. You also once walked in these, when you lived in them. But now you must also put away all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie one to another, since you have put off the old nature with its deeds, and have embraced the new nature, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created it, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

-Colossians 3:5-11

Chapter 2 of Colossians deals with deceiving ourselves and being deceived and warns against putting ourselves and other believers into bondage to the earthly hope and the ordinances connected to it. We truly need to look at the entire second chapter of Colossians to soak in Paul's stark warning about seeking to please God through ordinances like the Passover, Sabbaths, and Feasts. 

We risk limiting the power of the full chapter by quoting only a section, but I want us to note here the loss of reward (while being secure in him regarding resurrection).

Therefore let no one judge you regarding food, or drink, or in respect of a holy day or new moon or sabbath days. These are shadows of things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Do not let anyone cheat you of your reward by delighting in false humility and the worship of angels, dwelling on those things which he has not seen, vainly arrogant due to his unspiritual mind...

-Colossians 2:16-18

 A subtle, but important, difference to the sins of the flesh in Colossians 3 here highlights the two-fold danger to the believer in this age. We can lose the reward of this age by letting others cheat us out of it. The Clergy class, denominations, schools of theology, catechisms, tradition, failing to rightly divide the commands and hopes in scripture are all present temptations around the believer in this life. 

If we remember where we started, we can lose the inheritance available to us in this age by trying to earn it by seeking the inheritance in another age. Just as the Hebrew male was forbidden to participate in the Feasts of Israel without circumcision, so today we risk being shut out of our inheritance by trying to walk according to Israel's laws and covenants. 

We must run the race set before us, not  one set before another. In the previous dispensation of the earthly hope of attaining the New Jerusalem (the "city whose builder and maker is God").

Therefore, since we are encompassed with such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

-Hebrews 12:1

This "therefore" opens Hebrews 12 after chapter 11 lists off the heroes of the faith in context of the earthly plan and hope. Abraham believed God and was justified by that faith alone (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6). But Abraham was also justified by works (James 2:22-24). James is clear to tell us that Abraham was "made mature" by his works. Because he sought redemption from his sign by his own merit? Surely not. He was seeking something beyond the free gift.

And we once again see an "inheritance" here, but it is connected to the earthly promises and hope.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out into a place which he would later receive as an inheritance. He went out not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the promised land, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs of the same promise, for he was looking for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

-Hebrews 11:8-10

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sought a greater promise than that which was an assured inheritance. The land was assured, the heavenly city which will come down to earth (yet unseen and unnamed) was an attained inheritance. 

I, John, saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, “Look! The tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them. They shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.

-Revelation 21:2-3

Some of "the sons of the kingdom" (not unbelievers of all ages as is taught almost universally today) will not attain all their inheritances despite being heirs and will be cast into outer darkness.

When Jesus heard it, He was amazed [at the faith of a Gentile] and said to those [Jews] who followed, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say to you that many will come from the east and west and will dine with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

-Matthew 8:10-12

 

The race they were to run was for earthly blessings, We must not confuse he earthly covenants and the "eternal" (better understood, "to the age") statutes  in the Law and all its ordinances with the calling and race of the current age that recognizes no circumcision of the flesh, no animal sacrifices, no priesthood, no Feast days, no Sabbath laws, etc. 

We must also note that Paul's race is not our own. We function under the same conditions as Paul in this age, and we seek to follow God in the new nature and not according to the flesh or the hope of the earth, but God has set a race in front of each of us. In our individual spheres, we must know the rules of the current calling and press on until we can press on no more: witnessing to the heavenly calling and serving him according to the new nature (and not in the flesh). We must finish our own course as Paul finished his.

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, and I have kept the faith.

-2 Timothy 4:7

Whereas carnal sins like murder and adultery have been wrong and disqualifying in any age, the instructions for spiritual obedience vary widely across the pages of the Bible. Adam knew of no tabernacle. Abraham knew of no temple. David knew of no uncircumcised access to rewards. Today we must "walk worthy of the calling to which we have been called" (Eph 4:1). We must do both (put away the sins and desires of the flesh, walk in the conditions of the current heavenly calling) if we want to fully experience the inheritance that lies before us.