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“Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22.) THE best things of life come out of wounding. Wheat is crushed before it becomes bread. Incense must be cast upon the fire before its odors are set free. The ground must be broken with the sharp plough before it is ready to receive the seed. It is the broken heart that pleases God. The sweetest joys in life are the fruits of sorrow. Human nature seems to need suffering to fit it for being a blessing to the world. “Beside my cottage door it grows, The loveliest, daintiest flower that blows, A sweetbriar rose. “At dewy morn or twilight’s close, The rarest perfume from it flows, This strange wild rose. “But when the rain-drops on it beat, Ah, then, its odors grow more sweet, About my feet. “Ofttimes with loving tenderness, Its soft green leaves I gently press, In sweet caress. “A still more wondrous fragrance flows The more my fingers close And crush the rose. “Dear Lord, oh, let my life be so Its perfume when tempests blow, The sweeter flow “And should it be Thy blessed will, With crushing grief my soul to fill, Press harder still. “And while its dying fragrance flows I’ll whisper low, ‘He loves and knows His crushed briar rose.’ ” If you aspire to be a son of consolation; if you would partake of the priestly gift of sympathy; if you would pour something beyond commonplace consolation into a tempted heart; if you would pass through the intercourse of daily life with the delicate tact that never inflicts pain; you must be content to pay the price of a costly education—like Him, you must suffer. —F. W. Robertson. Cowman, L. B. (1925). Streams in the Desert (pp. 239–240). The Oriental Missionary Society.Salvation Series: The Purpose of Jesus Christ’s Substitutionary Spiritual and Physical Deaths on the Cross
Doctrinal Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday August 19, 2026
Salvation Series: The Purpose of Jesus Christ’s Substitutionary Spiritual and Physical Deaths on the Cross
Lesson # 7
Thus far in our study of our so great salvation, we have learned that the Scriptures teach that every member of the human is born into this world, physically alive yet spiritually dead and in need of justification.
Thus, the status of spiritual death was passed down to Adam’s posterity since spiritual death entered the human race through the sin nature.
So, spiritual death is the status of possessing a sin nature due to the imputation of Adam’s original sin in the Garden of Eden.
Physical death is passed down to the entire human race through the sin nature.
Adam died spiritually first (Genesis 3:6-8) and then physically (Genesis 5:5).
This pattern holds true for his posterity, the human race.
Now, personal sin is the result of obeying the desires of the sin nature and is a manifestation that one has a sin nature.
The penalty for committing personal sin is spiritual death.
This is what Adam and Eve suffered the moment they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Spiritual death is the result of possessing a sin nature and committing personal sin perpetuates this status.
Physical death is the result of possessing a sin nature that resides in the genetic structure of the human body.
Spiritual death is the product of the sin nature and personal sin perpetuates this status of spiritual death.
The human race is under the status of spiritual death because of the sin nature, which was passed down from Adam.
Therefore, spiritual death is the consequence of not only possessing a sin nature but also obeying its desires and committing personal sin.
Spiritual reigned over the entire human race because of Adam’s transgression.
Romans 5:17a For if and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that by means of the transgression committed by the one, spiritual death reigned as king through this one. Of course, we know this is true. (Pastor’s translation)
The entire human race was condemned because of Adam’s transgression.
Romans 5:18a Therefore, as previously stated, just as through the one who committed the transgression resulted in condemnation affecting each and every member of the human race without exception. (Pastor’s translation)
Eternal condemnation, the second death (Revelation 20:11-15) is the ultimate consequence of possessing a sin nature, committing personal sin, being spiritually dead.
Therefore, the problems of the sin nature, spiritual, death, physical death, personal sins and eternal condemnation are all interconnected.
Jesus Christ’s spiritual and physical deaths dealt with all of these.
Instead, of the human race suffering the consequences of possessing a sin nature and obeying its desires and committing personal sin, Jesus Christ died spiritually in their place as their Substitute.
Thus, His spiritual death negates one of the effects of Adam’s sin, which is spiritual death that is the result of possessing a sin nature and committing sin.
Our Lord had to die physically to solve the problem of the sin nature since the sin nature resides in the body of every human being.
Our Lord’s resurrection body replaces the sinful body of Adam.
The believer will receive a resurrection body like Christ in order to replace his physical body that possesses the sin nature, the Adamic body.
Christ also died physically in order to deprive the indwelling sin nature its power over the justified sinner.
He was raised from the dead to permanently eradicate the indwelling sin nature in the human race and that eradication of the sin nature from the human race will take place with the creation of the new heavens and new earth.
The sinner who is declared justified through faith in Christ is identified with Christ in His spiritual death in order to solve the sinner’s problem of spiritual death.
Therefore, God the Father viewed His Son’s spiritual death as negating spiritual death in the human race (see Romans 6:3).
Christ’s spiritual death also addressed and solved the problem of personal sins, which perpetuates the status of spiritual death.
The Father viewed His physical death as negating the sin nature.
The sinner is identified with Christ in His physical death in order to solve the sinner’s problem with the old sin nature (cf. Romans 6:4-7).
Therefore, Christ’s spiritual and physical death resolved the human race’s problem with the sin nature, personal sins, spiritual and physical death and eternal condemnation.
The first Adam sinned and then, he died spiritually while simultaneously acquiring a sin nature and then he died physically (Genesis 5:5) and this sin nature is passed down to his posterity at physical birth.
The last Adam obeyed the Father, died spiritually as a Substitute for Adam and his posterity, and then died physically to break the power of the sin nature.
Then, the last Adam was raised from physical death and received a resurrection body, which would be passed down to His spiritual posterity, namely, those who trust in Him as Savior.
Our Lord’s death and resurrection provided the entire human race deliverance from the sin nature, spiritual death, personal sins, eternal condemnation, condemnation from failing to keep the Law perfectly, Satan and his cosmic system.
The sinner appropriates this deliverance by exercising faith in Jesus Christ which results in the Holy Spirit identifying them with Christ in His death and resurrection.
ephaniah Series: Zephaniah 1:18c-The Terrifying Destruction of Unrepentant Sinners
Doctrinal Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday August 16, 2026
Zephaniah Series: Zephaniah 1:18c-The Terrifying Destruction of Unrepentant Sinners
Lesson # 28
Zephaniah 1:18 “Neither their silver, nor their gold has any ability whatsoever to rescue them during the period characterized by the Lord’s righteous indignation. For the entire earth will be consumed by means of His jealous anger because He will cause all the earth’s inhabitants to experience destruction, indeed, a terrifying one.” (Pastor’s translation)
The purpose for these prophetic declarations in Zephaniah 1:18 and in fact for all the prophecies contained in Zephaniah 1:14-18 is to bring about repentance.
God wanted the people of Judah to repent and the people of all the nations to repent in Zephaniah’s day.
These prophecies will fulfill the same purpose during the seventieth week of Daniel.
Repentance for the unsaved would involve changing their minds about Jesus Christ and trusting in Him as their Savior.
For the believer, this would involve confession of sin to be restored to fellowship which is maintained by obedience to the Word of God.
Whether fulfilled in a near or far sense, all three of these prophetic declarations in Zephaniah 1:18 are hyperbole which is so called because the expression adds to the sense so much that it exaggerates it.
It enlarges or diminishes it more than is really meant in fact or when more is said than is meant to be literally understood in order to heighten the sense.
This figure emphasizes that the Lord will not kill each and every living being or creature on the earth but a good majority of them.
There are many indications within the contents of Zephaniah which indicate the language of Zephaniah is hyperbole.
For example, Zephaniah 2:3 indicates the possibility of the “humble of the land” surviving this catastrophic judgment.
In Zephaniah 3:6-9, the prophet asserts that although “no one will be left—no one at all” in the cities of the nations, the Lord also announces that He will “purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder.”
Also, Zephaniah 3:10 and 20 reveal that the Lord’s people will also worship Him after the earth is judged.
Zephaniah 3:11-12 also predicts that the Lord will remove the proud rebels in the midst of Judah and will leave a remnant of humble Jews.
This will also be true of the Gentile nations.
Furthermore, history records that every single person in Judah or among her Gentile pagan neighbors was not killed by the Babylonian invasions.
Some survived and were enslaved and exiled to Babylon.
Also, the Scriptures teach that some unrepentant sinners in Israel and among the Gentiles nations will survive the tribulation portion of the seventieth week, which is indicated by the fact that Ezekiel 20:33-38 and Matthew 25:1-30 teach that Jesus Christ will purge Israel of unrepentant sinners.
Matthew 25:31-46 teaches that Jesus Christ will have all unregenerate Gentiles removed from the earth.
We must remember of course that a believing remnant in Judah survived the Babylonian invasions and resettled Judah and Jerusalem seventy years later.
A believing remnant in Israel will survive the tribulation according to Matthew 25:1-30 and Romans 11:25-27.
Also Matthew 25:31-46 makes clear that regenerate Gentiles will survive it as well.
Therefore, the totality of destruction theme in Zephaniah 1:18 is merely hyperbole in order to emphasize that there will be no place on planet earth which will escape the Lord’s judgment and that the renovation of the earth will be complete.
We must remember also that God’s wrath is not directed against believers who are faithful to Him but only directed at those who are unrepentant apostates.
His wrath is of course directed at unrepentant, unregenerate sinners.
The ultimate fulfillment of the prophecies recorded in Zephaniah 1:18 will take place as we noted during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week of Daniel, which is called by expositors “the tribulation period.”
These prophecies will be fulfilled through the seven seal, trumpet and bowl judgments recorded in Revelation 6-18 and at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ as recorded in Revelation 19:11-20:3.
Zephaniah Series: Zephaniah 1:18b-The Lord’s Jealous Anger
Doctrinal Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday August 16, 2026
Zephaniah Series: Zephaniah 1:18b-The Lord’s Jealous Anger
Lesson # 27
Zephaniah 1:18 “Neither their silver, nor their gold has any ability whatsoever to rescue them during the period characterized by the Lord’s righteous indignation. For the entire earth will be consumed by means of His jealous anger because He will cause all the earth’s inhabitants to experience destruction, indeed, a terrifying one.” (Pastor’s translation)
The reference to God’s jealous anger is an anthropopathism which is a figure of speech which ascribes human emotions or feelings to God by way of accommodation.
Jealousy is a sin and God is without sin for it is contrary to His divine character and nature.
Jealousy is a sin that His creatures possess including both angelic and human beings.
The Scriptures use it as language of accommodation in order to communicate God’s displeasure in a particular area of His relationship with His people or an attack upon His reputation.
The Lord is depicted as Israel’s husband and is jealous when His people turn to idolatry (Ex. 20:5).
Idolatry is spiritual adultery and merits death.
The Lord will not tolerate idolatry because He is a jealous God (Josh. 24:19).
Through idolatry Israel incited God’s wrath in the days of Ahab and God disciplined them.
Ultimately, repeated warnings went unheeded by Israel and the Lord placed them under discipline for their spiritual adultery (Ezek. 5:13; 8:3, 5; 16:38).
Their spiritual idolatry which provoked God’s jealousy was the reason for this discipline (Psa. 79:5).
According to His promise, God exercised His jealous wrath against Israel (Ezek. 16:42; cf. Deut. 30).
God is said to be jealous in vindicating His person or reputation (Ezek. 36:5-6), and His people that all the earth felt His wrath (Zeph. 3:8).
God’s jealousy is often associated with words denoting wrath (Num. 25:11; Ezek. 16:38, 42; 36:6; 38:9) and anger (Deut. 29:19), and as a consuming force with fire (Zeph. 1:18; 3:8).
Elwell writes “The jealousy of God is that attribute which defines Yahweh as the source of all, the only one worthy of man’s loyalty, worship, and obedience. He is jealous of his rights as the King of the universe. The jealousy of God is therefore not an expression of suspicion, but rather of precaution, so as not to permit his creatures to disregard his honor or to assume glory for themselves with little regard for him. The divine reaction of anger is an expression of his jealousy. His divine majesty has been wounded and demands retribution.”
- “Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above.” (John 19:11.) NOTHING that is not God’s will can come into the life of one who trusts and obeys God. This fact is enough to make our life one of ceaseless thanksgiving and joy. For “God’s will is the one hopeful, glad, and glorious thing in the world”; and it is working in the omnipotence for us all the time, with nothing to prevent it if we are surrendered and believing. One who was passing through deep waters of affliction wrote to a friend: “Is it not a glorious thing to know that, no difference how unjust a thing may be, or how absolutely it may seem to be from Satan, by the time it reaches us it is God’s will for us, and will work for good to us? For all things work together for good to us who love God. And even of the betrayal, Christ said, “The cup which my Father gave me, shall I not drink it?” We live charmed lives if we are living in the center of God’s will. All the attacks that Satan, through others’ sin, can hurl against us are not only powerless to harm us, but are turned into blessings on the way.—H. W. S. In the center of the circle Of the Will of God I stand: There can come no second causes, All must come from His dear hand. All is well! for ’tis my Father Who my life hath planned. Shall I pass through waves of sorrow? Then I know it will be best; Though I cannot tell the reason, I can trust, and so am blest. God is Love, and God is faithful, So in perfect Peace I rest. With the shade and with the sunshine, With the joy and with the pain, Lord, I trust Thee! both are needed, Each Thy wayward child to train, Earthly loss, did we but know it, Often means our heavenly gain. —I. G. W Cowman, L. B. (1925). Streams in the Desert (pp. 238–239). The Oriental Missionary Society.
- Showing Grace And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 The Book of Ephesians describes the behavior that ought to characterize Christians as they relate to one another. Our actions ought to be permeated with kindness. Kindness is love expressed in practical ways; it is putting the needs of others before our own. It is intentionally considering ways to meet other people's needs. Being tenderhearted means that we are keenly sensitive to the feelings of others. When a fellow Christian experiences sorrow, we grieve also (1 Cor. 12:26). When another believer is joyful, we, too, rejoice. Being tenderhearted means showing compassion toward those around us. We show forgiveness because we, too, fall short of God's ideal. Knowing that God has graciously saved us from destruction motivates us to forgive others when they offend us. Often we are less patient with our fellow Christians than we are with nonbelievers. We expect more of Christians, and we feel betrayed when they fail us. When this happens, we need to look closely at the cross and remember the forgiveness we received there. We must set aside the self-centered attitude that leads to impatience and criticism of others. Jesus did not say that the world will know Him by our miracles, by our grand testimonies, or by our vast Bible knowledge. The world will know Him by the love that Christians show to one another (John 13:35). Are you constantly in conflict with others? Ask God to give you kindness, a tender heart, and a forgiving spirit. As you allow the Spirit to build these qualities into you, your life will be a blessing to others around you. Blackaby, H. T., & Blackaby, R. (1998). Experiencing God Day by Day. B&H Books.
