LET THE LORD BE GLORIFIED ISAIAH 66:1-24

Transcription

1 1 LET THE LORD BE GLORIFIED ISAIAH 66:1-24

2 2 Text: Isaiah 66:1-24, LET THE LORD BE GLORIFIED 1. Thus says the Lord: Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? 2. For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist, Says the Lord. But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. 3. He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog s neck; He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine s blood; He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations, 4. So will I choose their delusions, And bring their fears on them; Because, when I called, no one answered, When I spoke they did not hear; But they did evil before My eyes, And chose that in which I do not delight. 5. Hear the word of the Lord, You who tremble at His word: Your brethren who hated you, Who cast you out for My name s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified, That we may see your joy. But they shall be ashamed. 6. The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord, Who fully repays His enemies! 7. Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child.

3 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children. 9. Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery? says the Lord. Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb? says your God. 10. Rejoice with Jerusalem, And be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; 11. That you may feed and be satisfied With the consolation of her bosom, That you may drink deeply and be delighted With the abundance of her glory. 12. For thus says the Lord: Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. Then you shall feed; On her sides shall you be carried, And be dandled on her knees. 13. As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. The Reign and Indignation of God 14. When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass; The hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants, And His indignation to His enemies. 15. For behold, the Lord will come with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. 16. For by fire and by His sword The Lord will judge all flesh; And the slain of the Lord shall be many. 17. Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves, To go to the gardens After an idol in the

4 4 midst, Eating swine s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, Shall be consumed together, says the Lord. 18. For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. 19. I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. 20. Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. 21. And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites, says the Lord. 22. For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me, says the Lord, So shall your descendants and your name remain. 23. And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the Lord. 24. And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh. (NKJV)

5 5 Introduction: The Judaeans valued themselves too highly because they thought that they had the Temple; their worship had become so haughty. They are reminded that the most High God does not dwell in temples made by man s hands. (Isaiah 66:1-2) The person who pleases God is not the person who chooses his own way; but instead is the person who, with a contrite spirit, trembles at God s word. God s awful and horrifying judgment will come upon those who fail to walk in His way. (Isaiah 66:1-4) Even though the people would not listen, God s way would not fail. Isaiah predicted that with the fullness of Gentiles the Messiah s standards would be set forth. (Isaiah 66:10-14) Isaiah predicted that God s way would prosper under a New Covenant. For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. (Isaiah 66:22) The New Covenant would include all flesh. The great blessing of the New Covenant would be that it is an unchangeable covenant under which sins can be forgiven. This covenant placed emphasis upon the righteous being blessed with a new heaven and new earth and the wicked being punished with the fire that cannot be quenched. Commentary: True Worship Offered to the True God Isaiah 66:1-4, Thus says the Lord: Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, And all those things

6 6 exist, Says the Lord. But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog s neck; He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine s blood; He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations, So will I choose their delusions, And bring their fears on them; Because, when I called, no one answered, When I spoke they did not hear; But they did evil before My eyes, And chose that in which I do not delight. (NJKV) Isaiah concluded his great book of prophecy by reminding us of the great power of God. God is not dependent upon anyone. The Lord does not need anyone to help Him, deliver Him or take care of Him. God fills the heavens so He does not need an earthly Tabernacle. Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? (Isaiah 66:1) How could men expect to obtain divine favor by taking something created by God and making a building for God with it? To obtain favor with God you need not build some great building for Him; instead you should be a person with a humble spirit and a contrite heart, willing to obey God s will. (Isaiah 66:2, For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist, Says the Lord. But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. (NKJV)) Instead of humbly serving God, the Judaeans of Isaiah s day would offer the sacrifices that God required and at the same time follow their own wishes in serving some idol. Such corrupt and evil practices

7 7 displeased the Creator. (Isaiah 66:3, He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog s neck; He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine s blood; He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations, (NKJV)) God promised that he would just give the Judaeans over to their idols and see what help came to them. God saw their sinful practices and He was disappointed with such actions. He said, I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. (Isaiah 66:4) The Lord Will Help Jerusalem Isaiah 66:5-13, Hear the word of the Lord, You who tremble at His word: Your brethren who hated you, Who cast you out for My name s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified, That we may see your joy. But they shall be ashamed. The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord, Who fully repays His enemies! Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children. Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery? says the Lord. Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb? says your God. Rejoice with Jerusalem, And be glad with her, all you who love her;

8 8 Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; That you may feed and be satisfied With the consolation of her bosom, That you may drink deeply and be delighted With the abundance of her glory. For thus says the Lord: Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. Then you shall feed; On her sides shall you be carried, And be dandled on her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. (NKJV) Even in spite of the rebellion of so many, there were some who continued to serve God. These were people who would tremble at His word. Those who were not faithful to God hated them (Isaiah 66:5, Hear the word of the Lord, You who tremble at His word: Your brethren who hated you, Who cast you out for My name s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified, That we may see your joy. But they shall be ashamed. (NKJV)). Isaiah predicted that God s wrath would come upon Jerusalem, the Temple and the evil and corrupt Judaeans. (Isaiah 66:6, The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord, Who fully repays His enemies! (NKJV)). Isaiah is able to look and see the establishment of the church. The church was well established before violence began to be exerted against it. No one had ever heard of anything like what happened with the church. The newborn church was well-established before there were labor pains. (Isaiah 66:7-8, Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in

9 9 labor, She gave birth to her children. (NKJV)). It had been the Lord s plan that the church be established. God was able to bring to fulfillment the things he had promised. It is in Christ and his Church that all mankind can find spiritual satisfaction (Isaiah 66:9-11, Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery? says the Lord. Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb? says your God. Rejoice with Jerusalem, And be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her; That you may feed and be satisfied With the consolation of her bosom, That you may drink deeply and be delighted With the abundance of her glory. (NKJV)) Jerusalem had previously been a place for the Judaeans. Now, with their status in the church, the glory of the Gentiles will also be seen. For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. (Isaiah 66:12) God promised to love and care for those who were faithful in His church. As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 66:13) A Contrast of the Lord s Servants and His Enemies Isaiah 66:14-16, When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass; The hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants, And His indignation to His enemies. For behold, the Lord will come with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword The Lord will judge all flesh; And the slain of the Lord shall be many. (NKJV)

10 10 God used Isaiah to give a very vivid contrast between the Lord s servants and His enemies. When people are able to look at and recognize our Lord s church, they can see God s hand in its organization, in its worship and in its mission. God provided salvation through Christ and organized the church just as he desired it to be. At the end of the seventy (70) years of captivity, God brought vengeance against the Babylonians. (Daniel 5:1-31, Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone. In the same hour the fingers of a man s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other. The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third

11 11 ruler in the kingdom. Now all the king s wise men came, but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation. Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished. The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father your father the king made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation. Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing. And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck, and

12 12 shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses. But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified. Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written. And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of each word. MENE:

13 13 God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. (NKJV)) The same sword of the Lord that devoured His enemies in Old Testament times likewise cut the hearts of many through His word, as the church had its beginning. (Acts 2:14-41, But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did

14 14 through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken[b] by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him: I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence. Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the

15 15 rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said to them, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call. And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, Be saved from this perverse generation. Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. (NJKV)) A Threat and a Promise Isaiah 66:17-24, Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves, To go to the gardens After an idol in the midst, Eating swine s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, Shall be consumed together, says the Lord. For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites, says the Lord. For

16 16 as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me, says the Lord, So shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the Lord. And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh. (NKJV) The book of Isaiah closed with a threat and a promise from the Lord. The idol worshipers followed one after another as if they had the same mind in serving idols. They turn to all kinds of unclean things. They defied the law of God in every way. These wicked people show their devotion to idols by eating things that were an abomination for the Israelites. God predicted that all of these would be consumed during the captivity in Babylon (Isaiah 66:17, Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves, To go to the gardens After an idol in the midst, Eating swine s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, Shall be consumed together, says the Lord. (NKJV)) The purpose of captivity was to turn the Judaeans back to God. They were to be preserved as a nation that was prepared for the coming of the Messiah. God promised that the gospel would be sent to Gentiles in many different places. Those who were converted in Jerusalem were to go forth with the gospel to all the earth. (Isaiah 66:18-19, For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and

17 17 Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. (NKJV)) Isaiah closed his book with a strong emphasis that the Gentiles would be admitted into the service of God through Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 66:20-24, Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites, says the Lord. For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me, says the Lord, So shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the Lord. And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh. (NKJV)) Under the old covenant only the priests from the tribe of Levi were able to perform certain religious acts. Under the New Covenant, the entire brotherhood makes up one body with Christ as head. The idea is that new creatures in Christ are pictured as new heavens and a new earth. Christianity will remain. It will not be replaced by another system. Under the Mosaic system there were special days and weeks. Under the new covenant Christians are expected to render service to God on a daily basis. No physical violence was to be used against those who resisted the call of the gospel. Those who refuse to bow to the will of God will face final and ultimate

18 18 judgment where their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched. (Mark 9:43-48, If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched where Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched where Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire where Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched. (NKJV)) God s people must be concerned about the salvation of all. But let it be remembered that we cannot force people to serve God. Conclusion: Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? (Isaiah 66:1) When we recognize God s greatness, it just makes sense to love and obey Him. To become a Christian you must hear the gospel (Romans 10:17, So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (NKJV)), believe in Jesus (John 8:24, Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins. (NKJV)), repent of sins (Acts 17:30, Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, (NKJV)), confess

19 19 Christ as Lord (Acts 8:37, Then Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (NKJV)), and be baptized to be saved. (1 Peter 3:21, There is also an antitype which now saves us baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (NKJV)) Let us turn to the Lord, the All-Powerful One and worship Him.

20 20 Questions on Isaiah 66: Why did the Judeans think of themselves more highly than they should have? 2. Who pleases God? 3. What will happen to those who fail to walk in God s way? 4. What is the meaning of the fullness of the Gentiles?

21 What distinguishes the New Covenant from the Old Covenant? 6. How does Isaiah conclude the book of Isaiah? 7. How did the Judaeans seek to obtain divine favor? How should they have sought divine favor? 8. God would send delusions and fears upon the sinful Judaeans. Why would he do that?

22 How did the unfaithful people of Jerusalem feel toward the faithful Judaeans? Do the wicked still hate the righteous? Give evidence to support your answer. 10. Where can people today find spiritual satisfaction? 11. Contrast the Lord s servants and his enemies. (Refer to the writings of Isaiah.) 12. Relate the events associated with the fall of Babylon. (Refer to Daniel 5.)

23 What does Acts 2 say about the beginning of the church? 14. With what threat and promise does the book of Isaiah close? 15. What was the purpose of the Babylonian captivity? 16. What methods are to be used and what methods are not to be used in our efforts to convert people to Christ?

24 What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a Christian? 18. What are the advantages and disadvantages of not being a Christian? 19. How does a person become a Christian? 20. If you are not now a Christian, why not become a Christian today?