Pastor Robert's Blog

Evidence Of Saving Faith

2012-02-11T16:52:00.001-08:00

There is a certain man I know whom I have had the privilege to speak to concerning faith in Jesus Christ on numerous occasions. Every time our conversation turns to spiritual matters of the heart and soul, this man quickly affirms to me that he is saved. To make sure he and I are on the same page when we speak of being saved, I have been careful to articulate the necessity of confession and repentance of sin as well as faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He assures me he understands and that he is saved. You might be thinking at this point, why do I keep asking him if he is saved? Why do I continue in my effort to clarify for him what it means to be saved? The answer, there is no discernible evidence in his life that he has a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. I see this man’s life and there is no visible evidence of any conviction over sin, holiness, or testimony for the name of Jesus. Let’s take a look at what the Bible has to say about this man and the many like him that profess Jesus, but have no evidence in their lives that they are truly saved.

In his letter to the church at Corinth, the apostle Paul spoke of the motive for his ministry. He said, “For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that, if one died for all, then were all dead. And that He died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them, and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5.14-15). Let’s think about what Paul said here. The word for “Constraineth” is the Greek word sunecho. This word means to be channeled in a certain direction like a ship passing through a narrow place. The same idea is seen when cattle are herded into a narrow place so they can only go in one direction. The truth Paul declared here is that the love of God pressed him into a specific lifestyle. In Paul’s case it was the ministry of Jesus Christ as an apostle. When Paul believed on Jesus Christ by faith and was saved, the love of God that saved him constrained him to live for Jesus. The natural result of being saved was that Paul no longer lived for himself, but gave his life for the glory of Christ.

What was true for Paul is still true today. A person who has genuinely trusted Jesus by faith to be their Lord and Savior will know the love of God in a personal way. The apostle John said that as a result of knowing the love of God in a personal way, we will love Him back, “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4.19). If we genuinely love God because of His great love for us, that love will be manifested in obedience to His will in our lives. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14.15). Here is the point, the man I know who insists that he is saved demonstrates no evidence that he cares anything about God. This particular man attends no corporate worship of any kind. He never speaks of God’s Word, nor do I ever see him read it. In addition, the habits he allows in his life are all self-centered and designed to satisfy the desires of the flesh. There is no evidence that this man is constrained or even influenced by the love of God. Only God knows if this man is save or not, however, there is no outward evidence in his life that he is saved.

There is need for a word of caution when we begin to look at the “fruit” in another person’s life. It is possible for a true born again child of God to allow sin in their lives to a point where they look just like a lost man. We see one such example in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15.11-32). The youngest son who went into a far land and lived a riotous life was still a son to his father while he was out of the father’s will and in sin. His fellowship with the father was broken by his sin and rebellion, but he never ceased to be a son. So it is when a child of God fails in sin. Our fellowship with our heavenly Father can be broken, but never is our relationship with Him in Christ broken. The eventual evidence that the son was a real son was that he came to himself, repented, and went back to the father. Likewise today, a true child of God cannot live in the pig pen of sin perpetually, a true child of God will grow weary of sin at some point because it is contrary to our new nature in Christ. The warning is, we have to be careful and guard against becoming legalistic when we look at the lifestyles of others. It is an expression of love to talk with someone about salvation if we are not sure they are really saved. However, we are not the Holy Spirit in their lives. In the end, only God knows if a person is truly saved or not.

The real value of this discussion is for us to examine our own hearts. The apostle Paul said, “Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13.5a). Are you constrained by the love of God? Is there a conviction in your heart over sin? Is there a God given desire to worship with other believers in Christ? Are you drawn to the Word of God which feeds our very souls? Do you see in your life the loving work of the Holy Spirit as He molds and shapes you for His glory? If there is any doubt in your mind as to your relationship with God, I encourage you to confess your sin, repent of sin, and by faith ask Jesus Christ to save your soul and be the Lord of your life.

Church Membership, Is It Important?

2012-01-10T07:50:00.000-08:00

In our day of rampant consumerism, church membership has taken on some erroneous connotations. It seems in many cases people shop for a church much like they would shop for a coat or a new car. The criteria seems to be based on what makes them feel good or on what meets a perceived need in their lives. Neither of those are biblical reasons for church membership. What exactly is church membership all about? Let’s see what the Bible has to say about the subject.

The first and most important aspect of church membership has to do with the churches universal nature in Christ. Jesus established His church at Pentecost, in Jerusalem, after He ascended back to heaven. Acts 2.1-13 describes how the disciples were gathered in one place when the Holy Spirit descended upon them. In that moment, in that place, the dispensation of the church age was begun. From that time to today, any man or women who by faith confesses their sin and accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, becomes a part of the universal church, often referred to as the body of Christ. Today Jesus is saving out of the world, out of every tongue and every tribe across the world, a peculiar people unto Himself. All who are saved by faith in Jesus are part of His church. The point here is simply this, all who are truly save by faith in Jesus Christ are a member of His universal church. The apostle Paul said, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12.13). If you are saved, you are part of Jesus’ church by the power of the Holy Spirit.

That being true, how does the local church fit into the picture of what the Bible paints for us in Acts 2? The answer, the local church is simply an expression of the whole. It is not possible at this time for the universal church, all the redeemed in Jesus Christ, to congregate together in one place every week for the purpose of worshipping God together. So, we meet with Christians who live near where we live. When we read the New Testament we see the same pattern as groups of Christians met together in their towns and villages as part of a local church body. In every town where the apostle Paul introduced the Gospel, people were saved and a local church body was born. The local church was born out of the natural desire of Christians to congregate together to worship God. It is completely unnatural for a person to profess to be a Christian and not belong to a local body of believers. It is inconsistent with all we see in the New testament for a person to say they are saved and yet not be a member or part of a local body of believers.

It is here I want to share with you three reasons a true child of God should be an active member of a Bible teaching church. First, Christians need to be under the teaching of a God called teacher/preacher. Paul told the young preacher Timothy, “Preach the Word, be diligent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4.2). It is the clear hearing and understanding of the Word of God that conforms us to the image of Christ in our lives. We as Christians cannot live in accord with God’s Word if we do not know the Word. Paul said to the church at Rome, “And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12.2). The human mind can only be transformed to Godly thinking when it is filled with the Word of God. It is the Word of God that permeates our thoughts which the Holy Spirit will use to produce an active obedience in our lives. There is no conformity to the image of Jesus in our lives if there is no study and knowledge of God’s Word, and that is a fact. A lack of knowledge concerning God’s Word is the exact reason there are so many immature Christians in the world today.

A second reason a Christian should be an active member of a local church has to do with accountability. The writer to the Hebrews said, “Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10.25). The truth is, we need one another. We need the fellowship, the encouragement, the mutual accountability to holiness. We need to hold one another accountable before God, to live a life that testifies of Him. There is no such thing as a lone-ranger Christian in the Bible. It was Solomon who said, “As iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27.17).

Finally, a true child of God should be a member of a local church body because it is in the local church where our spiritual gifts are exercised for the glory of God. Paul said, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit” (1 Corinthians 12.7). Every born again child of God has at least one spiritual gift, received from God at the time of salvation. Spiritual gifts are given to the redeemed to be used to profit all in the body of Christ, the church. Specifically, our spiritual gifts are to be used in the local church for the profit or edification of all.

The inescapable truth is that if you are saved, you should be a member, an active member, of a local church body. If you do not have a local church home, pray and ask God to show you where you should be. A church home is not about entertainment or even the way you feel after you have been there. The real test is, how does a church handle the Word of God? Does The Word of God have the center place in the life of the church? Find out where God wants you to be, join the church, and serve for God’s glory.

It's A New Year

2011-12-21T07:32:00.000-08:00

We find ourselves in this pivotal time of the year when we look back at what we have experienced in 2011 while at the same time our thoughts run toward what will be in 2012. Many will make new year resolutions while some will forgo this annual effort that only seems to last a few weeks anyway. As children of God, how should we approach the new year? What should be our focus as we start 2012? There is a passage in God’s Word I would have us consider that clearly sets before us a principle we should be conscious of every day.

The passage comes from King Solomon and is found in Ecclesiastes 12.13-14. Solomon wrote, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” This passage is the close of a book that focuses on the vanity of living life for the here and now. In other words, Solomon said throughout the Book of Ecclesiastes that he had tried everything life has to offer and found it all empty of true pleasure, peace, contentment, and fulfillment of life. Solomon said there is nothing this life has to offer which can bring everlasting value and contentment to the heart and soul of man. As the richest and wisest man to ever live, Solomon had indeed tasted all life has to offer. Having done so, He concluded two things in this passage.

First, have a reverential fear of God and obey His commands. The idea here is that if we prayerfully order our lives according to God’s Word, life will take on a whole new meaning. True purpose in life comes from living in the will of God. True contentment in life comes from doing what God has gifted and called us to do. Life will never feel complete as long as we are trying to do our own thing apart from God’s will for us. Life will be unfulfilled if we live in sin and disobedience to God’s holy commands. We must surrender our will to His will. We must love God supremely and order our lives, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring honor and glory to Him at all times. To walk with Jesus is the lofty noble life God intends for His redeemed.

Secondly, we can be sure there is a day of accountability coming for every man. There is a day of judgment where every thought, every word, every action, every intent of the heart will be brought into account before God. There is no secret area of life hidden from God. God is omniscient, He knows and sees all things. We should live our lives knowing there is one before whom we must stand one day and give account. Good and bad will be set out in the open before God one day.

Knowing these things should drive us to our heavenly Father in confession of sin while at the same time imploring Him to lead and guide us in this new year. My prayer is that we individually and collectively as a church body will be found faithful to the cause of Christ. Let us set our sights on 2012 and pray that it will be the greatest year yet for the cause of Christ at OakLeaf Baptist Church.

Do Miracles Happen Today?

2011-11-30T07:41:00.000-08:00

For a brief discussion on miracles, click video below.

Do Miracles Happen Today? from Oakleaf Baptist Church on Vimeo.

To God Be The Glory

2011-11-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Our church publishes a monthly news letter in which I write an article. Here is a copy of what I wrote this month concerning God's worthiness to receive all praise, honor, and glory in our lives.

We live in a society overflowing with self exaltation and pride. No matter where we look we see someone boasting of their accomplishments, their skill, their prowess in the world. This attitude of pride is to be expected from a world whose influencer is Satan. The very first sin in all the universe was pride. There came a day when Satan said in his heart that he wanted to be like God, take God’s place, as if that were even possible. One might even make the case that the root of all sin is pride, for sin is, in its most elemental form, a rebellion against the authority of God. When we sin we are saying by our actions that we know more than God and we are in charge of our lives, not Him. The Psalmist, however, gives us a correct view of God and of ourselves. He said, “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake” (Psalm 115.1). The Psalmist simply confesses here that all boasting on our part is forever excluded. Everything good in our lives is attributed to God and Him alone. If we have received mercy in this life, it is the mercy of God. If we have enjoyed accomplishments or successes in this life, it is the blessing of God. If we receive notoriety, public accolades, or have been advanced in life above others, all glory, all praise belongs to God. The late Matthew Henry, in his commentary on the whole Bible, said it this way, “We must not imagine that we do anything for God by our own strength, or deserve anything from God by our own righteousness; but all the good we do is done by the power of his grace, and all the good we have is the gift of his mere mercy, and therefore he must have all the praise.” May we as Christians be reminded that our service to God and for God is a privilege. All we have, all we are, all we are able to do in His name is a gift from God over which we are mere stewards in this life. A stewardship, by the way, for which we will be held accountable one day. May we set our eyes on Jesus and serve Him with all our heart, all our mind, and all our strength. Then let us give Him and Him alone praise for whatever is done to His glory.

The 23rd Psalm

2011-11-10T07:47:00.000-08:00

The 23^rd Psalm may be the most well known passage in all the Bible. It is used at funerals, quoted in times of distress or sorrow, and has even been quoted by military leaders as they led their men into battle. The following is a brief running commentary of what this powerful passage says to our hearts.

1: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

This Psalm was written by King David, a shepherd who had practical experience at taking care of his father’s sheep. David understood what it meant to be a shepherd, the responsibility, the care, the tenderness required for the job. Therefore it was a small step for David to use this metaphor as a way to describe his relationship to God. Jesus used the same metaphor in the New Testament when He spoke of our relationship to Him, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow men. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10.27-28). David’s confidence in God as his shepherd is expressed in the assurance that he would want for nothing. The shepherd loves, cares for, and protects his sheep. Thus we who are saved are loved, cared for, and protected by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Green pastures represent a place of plenty, a place of rest. No doubt David had spent many days in his life looking out over the sheep who lay peacefully before him in the pasture, perfectly content as they rested beneath his ever watching care. Green pastures also represent a place of security. David himself bore testimony how he had protected his sheep from a bear and a lion, using his sling to kill both. For those who are saved, our God is a mighty fortress, our shield and our buckler. The redeemed of Christ are forever safe in His care. Still waters is yet another way to describe the tranquility of resting in Him. What a contrast one sees when looking at the lost heart of man today. For the lost man there is no peace, there is no security, there is no tranquility in life. For the lost man there is only a certain fearful expectation of judgment to come. (see Hebrews 10.27).

3: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

The soul of man is marred by sin. God created man to have fellowship with Him. But sin has broken that fellowship and separated us from our creator. David acknowledged here that God is the restorer of the human soul. God is the only one who can remove our sin guilt and restore us to a right spiritual standing and moral relationship with Him. Our sin is forgiven and our souls restored based on the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Jesus died in our place on the cross, was buried, and rose again the third day to make possible the forgiveness of our sin. David was saved the same way we are today, he was saved by faith. All who place their faith in Jesus Chris can and will have their souls restored, just as David declared here. The natural result of having our souls restored is that we are led of God. The shepherd leads His sheep. God leads us in the paths or ways of life that are righteous before Him. As we walk in obedience to His Word, His name is glorified before the world. God is honored and pleased when we obey Him.

4: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and they staff they comfort me.

The message here is that in the darkest possible time of life, our shepherd is still with us. Even when this life is over and we are to pass from this mortal existence, our God is near. The valley may look long, it may seem dark, we don’t seem to be able to make our way, yet our God is near. It is His shepherd’s rod, His shepherd’s staff that will guide, protect, and encourage, even in the day of death. The Bible tells us how the child of God never really dies. When the end of this physical life comes for the child of God, we are but changing locations. The moment this life ends with physical death, we are instantly in the presence of the one who saved us.

5: Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

A table of plenty is another expression by David of how God had met and was meeting his every need. Not only did God meet his every need in life, He even did so in the very presence of those who would destroy him. Even when David was hiding in the caves of the wilderness, running from King Saul, David could say God had prepared a table of plenty before him. The circumstances of this life cannot steal from us the joy and overflowing of God’s blessings in our hearts. Even when life seems contrary and difficult, our cup runs over with the love, peace, and joy of Christ. The anointing of the head with oil was always a symbol of gladness.

6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Are not past and present blessings an assurance of what is to come? As was so aptly penned by a secular song writer, “The future is so bright I have to wear shades.” The blessings of God we enjoy here in this life are only the tip of the iceberg. The apostle Paul said, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (2 Corinthians 2.9). If we can know and experience such peace, joy, and security in Christ in this life, truly what must it be like in heaven? What a testimony David closed with here, “I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” To that I can but say, “Amen.” I pray you have a saving relationship with Jesus by faith. I pray this Psalm speaks to the testimony of your heart.

Stressed Out!

2011-10-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the world feels like it presses in on us and we get stressed out. There is the ever present tension of financial obligations, the mortgage or rent must be paid, the light bill, the phone bill, food, clothing, putting gas in the car. Add to that the pressures of a job, children (small or grown), relationships, health needs, and it is easy to see how we might feel overwhelmed. What does the Bible say about our stress, anxiety, and worry?

The good news is as a child of God the cares of this world need not stress us out. The apostle Paul said, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4.6). “Be careful for nothing” literally means, “In nothing be anxious.” The apostle Paul said we are not to worry or be stressed out over worldly things. He is not saying we are to be careless about matters of life, he is simply saying there is no reason for us to be distracted from serving God and living a life that honors Him. There is no reason for our peace in Christ to be sacrificed simply because life has its challenges. Rather than be stressed out, we are to make it the habit of our lives to pray without ceasing, to speak every care to our heavenly Father as we move throughout the day. In every matter, whether it be an emergency or a normal routine of life, we are to pray to our Father in heaven and ask His blessing in all things. We are to commit our lives into the hands of the one who loves us and has promised to take care of our every need. Notice how all our prayers are to be offered in an attitude of gratitude, we are to pray with a thankful heart. God already knows what we need, however, we are to present it before Him in prayer as an expression of our faith and trust in Him. What is the result of this kind of prayer life? “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4.7). The peace of Jesus sets us free from worry. Cast all your cares on Him for He cares for you (1 Peter 5.7). May the peace we have in Jesus set you free today from the stress that so easily besets us all.

Should Christians Drink Alcoholic Beverages?

2011-10-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

The question of alcoholic beverage use among Christians is often an emotional one. There are basically two camps when one considers this issue. There are those who proclaim their liberty in Christ to drink alcoholic beverages so long as they refrain from being drunk. On the other side of the issue are those who claim a person might not even be saved if they have a beer or wine with their dinner. Before I share with you my conviction on the matter and what I preach from the pulpit, let’s consider what the Bible has to say about alcoholic beverages as well as our Christian liberty in Christ.

When we look at what the Bible has to say about alcoholic beverages we should be immediately impressed with the warnings. Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, said, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Proverbs 20.1). We know from this warning there is the potential for strong drink to make a fool of us and if we go down that path we are not wise. It was also Solomon who said, “Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine” (Proverbs 23.29-30). The rest of Proverbs 23 describes the sorrows and hurts associated with wine and strong drink. Hosea the prophet said, “Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart” (Hosea 4.11). Hosea said this in the context of Israel’s willful ignorance of God. The wine was part and parcel to their illicit sexual sins and rebellion against God. The same is prophesied against the Gentile nations by the prophet Joel, “And they have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink” (Joel 3.3). Again, strong drink is inseparable from their illicit sexual sins. The prophet Habakkuk recorded a vision of God where God said, “Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home” (Habakkuk 2.5a). Then we see in the New Testament the clear instruction, “And be not drunk with wine” (Ephesians 5.18a). We also see in Paul’s letter to Timothy how part of the qualification for pastors and deacons is that they are, “Not given to wine” (1 Timothy 3.3a). This quick survey simply tells us there is a danger present with alcoholic beverages. Can a person use strong drink and not be drunk or forsake home and God? Yes, there are many who drink alcoholic beverages and never allow it to control their lives, however, the danger is still there. It only takes getting bit by alcoholic beverage one time to ruin life and testimony. Whether you believe your Christian liberty allows you to drink or not, the biblical fact is, it is dangerous.

The second consideration concerning alcoholic beverage has to do with testimony and the value it brings to our walk with Jesus. The apostle Paul set the standard for us when it comes to areas of Christian liberty and how we are to view them. He said, “Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend” (1 Corinthians 8.13). The context is set in the eating of meat that had previously been offered to idols. Jews who had been saved by faith in Christ still carried with them a strong conviction concerning the sin of eating meat offered to idols. Under the law it was a sin, however, under grace they now had the liberty to eat the meat if they wanted to. Paul had every right in his liberty in Christ to eat meat, no matter what it had been used for before it was placed in the meat market. However, out of consideration for his brothers and sisters in Christ who might be offended or caused to stumble at his eating meat offered to idols, he said he would give up eating meat altogether to make sure he did not hurt their walk in Christ. Out of love for his brothers and sisters in Christ, Paul surrendered what was in actuality a Christian liberty in his day. Now, let’s apply this same principle to the issue of alcoholic beverages in our day. In my case, as a pastor, there is no way I can allow alcoholic beverages to be a part of my life. My use of alcoholic beverages would cause someone to stumble in their faith, even though I have the Christian liberty to drink a beer or have wine with dinner if I so choose. What if a young man in the youth group is struggling with alcohol or drug abuse and he sees me buying a six pack of beer at the local convenience store? Most assuredly that young man would be damaged in his battle with alcohol and drugs. He might very well be influenced by me to make bad choices in his life. Let’s take the principle outside the issue of alcoholic beverages. There is a restaurant a few miles up the road called “Hooters.” The reason it is so named is seen in the way the waitresses are dressed. I have the liberty in Christ to eat there as often as I like, however, I choose to never eat there. The reason I don’t eat at Hooters is the same reason I abstain from alcoholic beverages, I don’t want to cause a brother or sister in Christ to stumble.

The last thought for today has to do with spiritual benefit. There are things in life that are within my Christian liberty and yet they have no spiritual value in my life or the lives of others. What’s more, some Christian liberties may even have a detrimental spiritual effect on my life. Consider again what Paul had to say, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not” (1 Corinthians 10.23). The word expedient means to be profitable for me. The idea here is my Christian liberty has in it some things that are not profitable for me or others. Likewise the word “edify” means to build up in the faith. My Christian liberty has in it some things that are legal, but they do not make me stronger in my faith nor do they help others be stronger in their faith. The idea here is this, just because I can apply my liberty in Christ to something I might want to do does not mean it is good for me, good for others, or that it is the right thing for me to do.

My conviction, based in part on what we have looked at in these passages, is that it is best for Christians in our day to abstain from alcoholic beverages. Notice I said best because it really is an issue of what is good and what is best. There are certainly some good things a person might say about alcoholic beverages, however, given the stigma in our day it is better and best for Christians to abstain. I do not believe a Christian can have a truly effective witness for Christ and avoid causing someone to stumble if they use alcoholic beverages. In the end you and I have to answer to Christ for ourselves concerning the life and testimony we live. Do we really want to stand before Jesus someday knowing we forced our Christian liberty on some habit or lifestyle that hurt and hindered others? I pray God will give me wisdom to use my Christian liberty in a way to bless others and draw lost men and women to Him. I pray you feel the same way.

Satan And Demons

2011-09-27T18:56:00.000-07:00

There seems to be in our day an increased fascination with Satan and the demons. The subject of many advertised movies seems to be increasingly centered around or focused on some evil or wicked scenario that involves the supernatural effect of Satan or demons. I have also noticed an increased presence of palm readers, open affiliation with the occult, as well as increased public exposure of those who claim to be witches, warlocks, or soothsayers who claim they can predict the future. One has but to look at the recent lineup of primetime evening television shows to see mind readers, those who can converse with the dead, as well as vampires and werewolves. What are Christians to think and make of this fascination with the supernatural or spiritual realm? That is the subject of our thoughts today.

The first thing we understand from the Bible is that the spiritual world is real. There are angelic beings, good and bad, that are active in the world around us. The apostle Paul said, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6.12). The fundamentals of this verse are straight forward. Satan has an army of demons who are aligned against God and all that He is doing in the world. We see here the structure of these demon forces as principalities and powers. This tells us Satan’s demons are structured much as the angels of heaven are structured. There are ranks among the demons as well as among God’s angels. There is a continual battle in the spiritual realm we cannot see.

We further understand from the Bible that Satan has but one goal, to kill, steal, and destroy all that is good in the lives of men and women. Jesus called Satan a thief and a liar. Jesus said, “The thief cometh not but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10.10a). The glamorization of demon activity is dangerous. Satan is a master deceiver and his only aim is to destroy as many lives as possible. He seeks to keep men blinded from the truth of God’s grace and our need of a Savior. The proliferation of movies, books, and so called experts on the spiritual realm serve only to desensitize people to the danger and reality of the death and destruction Satan and his demons seek to bring into the world. It is healthy to have a firm biblical knowledge of the wiles of Satan and his demons, however, it is dangerous to have a familiar attitude concerning these demonic threats. In the little Book of Jude we read, “Yet Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, the Lord rebuke thee” (Jude 9). Here we are told how Michael, the archangel, one of the most powerful angels in heaven, would not personally rebuke Satan, but rather committed Satan’s rebuke to the Lord. Consider this, if the archangel Michael would not personally rebuke Satan, but rather turned him over to the Lord, how much more do we mere mortals need to rely on God to preserve and keep us from the power of Satan? How dangerous indeed it is for us to delve into demonic things of which we really have no comprehension? Christians should have nothing to do with witchcraft, fortune telling, future telling, or those who claim they have contact with departed souls. To delve into areas of magic, mysticism, or the occult is to play right into Satan’s hands.

From time to time someone will ask me where Satan and the demons came from? They will ask me why God would allow Satan and his minions to exist in His creation? The answer to the first question is Satan was created by God. Satan is actually a fallen angel. There was a time in eternity past when he served God as one of His chief angels. There came a time when pride welled up in Satan and he desired to be like God. We are told by the prophet Isaiah, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, who didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north” (Isaiah 14.12-13). Satan sinned by wanting to be like God. Satan rebelled against God and a host of the angels chose to rebel with him. The fallen angels are called demons. Satan and the demons are already under the judgment of God and will one day be thrown into the eternal lake of fire. As to the second question, why God allows Satan and his demons to do what they do, we can only say it is all part of God’s sovereign eternal plan. God will ultimately receive honor and glory when His plan and purpose for all things is fulfilled. All sin will receive its just reward, including the sin of Satan and his followers, demonic or human.

Let us be on guard against the world’s fascination with Satan and his minions. Let us give our attention to following Jesus with all our heart, all our mind, and with all our strength. Satan will do his worst while he has opportunity, but we who are saved by faith in Jesus have the victory. May Jesus come for His bride, the church, even today.

Eternal Security Of The True Believer

2011-09-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

From time to time someone will ask me, “Can a Christian lose their salvation?” What they want to know is if a Christian can sin in some way after they are saved whereby they lose their eternal life in Christ? The answer is no. A person who has been genuinely saved by faith in Jesus Christ cannot lose their salvation. There are many passages in the Bible that deal with a true believer’s eternal security, however, we will limit our thoughts today to a couple that more than seal the deal on the issue.

The first is found in the Gospel of John. In John 10.27-28, 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.” Jesus made this tremendous statement in the context of His discussion with some religious leaders of His day who were not saved. In other words, Jesus was drawing a contrast for them by showing they did not hear His teaching because they were not His sheep. However, all those who are truly saved by faith in Jesus Christ do hear His Words. We who are truly saved are receptive to what He has to say because He is our Lord, our Shepherd. Not only do truly saved people hear His Word, we are responsive to it. We who are truly saved actively follow our Lord, our Shepherd. So, up to this point we see two evidences of true salvation, we hear God’s Word and it has a direct effect on the way we live.

Now, notice what Jesus does for those who are truly saved. First, he gives unto us eternal life. The plain truth of the matter is, it would not be eternal life if it were conditional on our conduct after we are saved. It is true that Christians stray from time to time, but if we are truly sheep in the first place, we will not like it when we are away from fellowship (not relationship) with Jesus. Even when we are out of fellowship with Jesus because of our disobedience, He is still our Shepherd. The pig likes it in the pig pen, however, sheep will not like it in the pig pen for long. The bottom line here is this, eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ is a gift. We could not earn eternal life by good works and we cannot keep or secure our eternal life by our own efforts. Just as Jesus saved us by grace, so He keeps us saved by grace.

After telling us of His gift of eternal life, Jesus reinforced the security of our eternal life in Him by saying we will never perish. The Greek word for perish is “apollumi” which means to be sentenced to death, to be marked out for destruction, or in this context to be turned over to eternal misery. Jesus said that will never happen to anyone who is truly saved and belongs to Him. This passage alone is enough to convince us that we are eternally saved in Christ. However, let’s consider one more.

In chapter 7 of the Book of Romans, the Apostle Paul lamented the ongoing battle Christians have with their fallen human nature. We have been set free from sin in Jesus Christ, however, the presence of sin in our fallen human nature is still here. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to live in victory over sin in our daily lives. The question would then be, in those times when I sin, when I do not rely on the Holy Spirit for victory, what about my salvation? Am I still saved in those moments when I have a sinful thought? Am I still saved in those moments when I lose my temper or say something inappropriate? The answer is yes, we are still saved, even in the times of our weakness when we give in to the flesh. Look at what the Apostle Paul said, “There is therefore, now, no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8.1). What wonderful news is this! There is no “condemnation” for those who are in Christ Jesus. The word “condemnation” means judgment against, punishment pronounced, or a damnatory sentence. For those who are truly saved by faith in Jesus Christ, there is none of this. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

The only question left to answer is, are you in Jesus Christ by faith? If you are truly saved by faith in Jesus Christ you are in fact eternally secure. Jesus has promised as much and He cannot and will not go back on His Word. Praise God for His wonderful gift of eternal life in His Son Jesus Christ.

A Biblical View Of Christian Liberty

2011-08-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to take my eighteen year old daughter to lunch, just the two of us. She graduated from high school a few months ago and is starting college next week. Her mother and I have been consciously trying to allow her more latitude in her decision making process. We still give rudder directions from time to time, but we are trying to let her experience what it is like to be an adult and have the responsibility of making good decisions. That is why I was very blessed by our conversation over lunch. As we were eating she began to make some observations concerning the habits of some of her peers who are born again believers in Christ. She began to ask me about Christian liberties in Christ and how we should view certain conduct or indulgences Christians allow in their lives? The blessing for me is that she was thinking about her life in Christ and how her conduct would affect those around her. The question of Christian liberty is so important that I decided to share with you what I shared with her over lunch.

Some Christians live by a set of rules concerning their conduct. They have a list of do’s and don’ts and if they keep their list they think and feel they are living a good Christian life. There are several problems with that system of Christian living. First, no two people have the exact same list of what constitutes righteous holy living. For example, one Christian may feel going to the movies is okay and another will feel like it is a sin. The second problem with a legalistic set of rules for Christian living is it results in Christians being judgmental of those who don’t have the same list. In other words, Christians judge one another as living holy or unholy by a list of rules they, for the most part, created. Thirdly, and most importantly, living by a set of rules is not in the New Testament. Rules and legalism by the law are not what Jesus said should motivate us to serve Him.

The key to Christian living, doing what pleases God in our lives, is love. The key to determining which Christian liberties are right for me or for you is love. We find this truth in the account of Jesus’ interaction with a Jewish scribe in Matthew 22.36-40. In this passage the Jewish scribe asked Jesus which of the laws was the greatest? What Jesus said to him constitutes the basis for all we do as Christians in this life. Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22.37-40). Let’s think about what Jesus said here. If I obey these two commands I am fulfilling all the law. That’s pretty powerful stuff. Let’s put it to the test and see what we find. If I love God with all my heart, soul, and mind, I will not want to do anything that embarrasses or offends Him. If we apply that to the ten commandments, it means I will not allow anything in my life to take priority over Him, I will not take His name in vain, and I will desire to worship and honor Him at all times. We can clearly see that if I love God as I should then I will choose my Christian liberties in light of what glorifies Him. I will want my life to reflect His holiness so that He is honored and glorified in me. I will not want to disobey His commands or offend Him with willful sin because I love Him. The law brought obedience to God via fear. Grace brings obedience to God out of love because He first loved us.

Now, let’s apply the same truth to loving others. If I love my neighbor as myself, according to the ten commandments, I will not want to murder him, commit adultery with his wife, or take something that belongs to him. If I love my neighbor as myself I will not want to offend him, hurt him, or in any way hinder his coming to Jesus to be saved or his Christian walk after he is saved. This love for my neighbor will motivate me to regulate my Christian liberties for his benefit. For example, I have the liberty in Christ to drink a beer, however, I know it will affect my testimony in a negative way and may even keep someone from coming to church who needs to hear about the love and grace of God. I have the liberty to eat an evening meal in an establishment known for its scantily dressed waitresses, however, I know it will affect my testimony in a negative way. If I refrain from certain conduct, certain liberties that I otherwise have the right to exercise, it is out of love for my God and others, not some list of do’s and don’ts. Love is the key to Christian liberty. Genuine love for God motivates me to obey His Word. Genuine love for my neighbor motivates me to seek his best, even if that means I have to forgo a liberty that is otherwise okay.

As a concluding thought, consider the example of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 8. The Jews who had come to Jesus by faith and were saved still struggled with eating meat that had been offered to idols. They were offended at the idea of eating any meat that was part of pagan worship. Paul knew he was no longer under the restrictions of the law. Furthermore, Paul knew he could eat meat no matter what it had been used for before he cooked it. Yet Paul had this to say concerning his Christian liberty when it came to eating meat, “Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no meat while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend” (1 Corinthians 1.13). Out of love for his brethren, Paul willingly forsook a Christian liberty that would have hurt someone else. May our Christian liberty be guided and controlled by our love for God and our love for a lost world that desperately needs Jesus. Let us live so as to bring the highest honor, majesty, and glory to the one who loved us first.

Texas Governor Knows What We Need

2011-08-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

Recently Texas Governor Rick Perry called upon Christians to gather and pray for the citizens and leaders of our nation. The corporate prayer was to ask God to turn us around as a nation. Governor Perry has received much criticism for his public call to meet and pray. It is reported that Annie Gaylor of the Freedom From Religion Foundation filed a lawsuit to prevent the Governor from organizing and leading the prayer event. Thankfully a federal judge had the good sense to dismiss the case.

This situation is a perfect example of why our nation is in such a mess. Many of the difficulties we are experiencing today are a direct result of ignoring God and His sacred commands. We are raising and have raised a generation who know not God or His Word because we removed prayer and the Bible from our schools. We have leaders sitting in the highest offices of our land who have a poor understanding of what is right and what is wrong in accord with God’s Word. Decision making is based on man’s inept wisdom when our leaders should indeed be on their knees asking God for wisdom and direction. The problem is deeper than a handful of misguided leaders who don’t even know where to look for the answers to our problems. The deeper issue is that we as a nation, the people who make up this nation, have turned our backs on God. We have perverted God’s laws and ignored His warnings. When we read the Bible we find a very similar situation in the history of Israel. God had some strong words for His people through the prophet Hosea. “Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. ² By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood” (Hosea 4.1-2) God said He had a “controversy” with Israel because they willfully broke His commands. God named some of their sins, the same sins we are guilty of in our day, cursing one another, lying, killing or murder (abortion is murder), stealing, and adultery. Our land is riddled with these sins and there is no repentance or shame. It is for certain that God has a controversy with the United States of America today. We are guilty of sin before God and He will not let it pass without judgment. Listen to what God went on to say to Israel, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” (Hosea 4.6). We are suffering today for lack of knowledge. The knowledge and wisdom we need today is found in the Bible, God’s Word. May we pray for our leaders that they will come under conviction for sin and be led to repentance unto salvation in Jesus Christ. May we pray that our nation will become broken hearted over her sin and repent. May we pray for God’s mercy and direction. Governor Perry is to be commended for he knows exactly what we need, we need to seek the face of God and ask for His help. Kudos to him and all who are like minded among the leadership of our nation.

Evangelism, Where Do We Start?

2011-07-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

At OakLeaf Baptist we have been in a series on evangelism in our Sunday Morning services. According to Matthew 28.19-20, it is every Christian’s responsibility to share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a lost and dying world. We are to share the Gospel so that lost men and women might be saved. The Bible tells us that, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10.17). God the Holy Spirit uses his Word to enlighten the hearts and minds of the lost so they might see and understand their need of salvation. That brings us to the topic of this blog, where do we start when we share the gospel with someone? The best answer to that question is to look and see where Jesus began when He interacted with the lost.

In Matthew 19.16 a young man approached Jesus and asked Him, “What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” If we read the story we discover the young man had a good question with a preconceived idea to the answer. In his very question this young man revealed how he thought himself able to earn his way to heaven. He wanted to know what he could do to have eternal life, as if he was good enough or able to be good enough to get into heaven. Jesus confronted this young man’s error by holding up the law to him. Jesus told the young man to “keep the commandments.” Jesus was not telling the young man he could be saved by works, Jesus was drawing this young man to an evaluation of his life so that he might see he could not keep all the commandments. The young man should have realized he had not always obeyed all the commandments in word, thought, and deed. Therefore the young man should have been willing to admit there was nothing he could do to earn his salvation. That conclusion would have opened the door for him to place His faith in Jesus and receive forgiveness by the grace of God. The lesson for us when it comes to sharing the Gospel is Jesus started with the young man’s need. Jesus wanted the young man to realize he was a sinner and there was not one thing he could do to change that fact. When we share the Gospel we need to start with that fact that we are all sinners and have a need. It is the man or woman who realizes their need to be saved by grace that will be drawn by the Holy Spirit to call upon Jesus for salvation. If we read the story of Nicodemus in John 3 and the story of the woman at the well in John 4 we discover Jesus began with their needs and led them to faith in Himself. Let us emulate our Lord and share the Gospel with a lost world. Let us begin where He began, by sharing with people their need to be saved.

What We Believe About Jesus Matters

2011-07-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

What we believe about Jesus matters. Not only does our view of Jesus matter, it is the key to whether our religious world view is right or wrong. In other words, the validity or correctness of any religious system is directly proportional to that religious system’s view of Jesus Christ. Let me illustrate the point for you. I was at my son’s baseball game one evening when two men began to work their way through the park. The two men were Jehovah’s Witnesses and they were trying to convert anyone who would listen to them. They ended up standing behind me talking to a young lady. After hearing their conversation for a few minutes, I interjected myself into the conversation. You see, I know what the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe about Jesus. They deny that Jesus is God. They hold to a view that Jesus was an angel before He came to earth as a man. They also deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus, claiming that His resurrection was in spirit only. I confronted the men with their error and assured the young lady that there is only one way to be forgiven of sin and receive eternal life and that is by faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone. The men moved on and that was the end of it. What we believe about Jesus makes all the difference between knowing the truth and being deceived by error. Here are five truths about Jesus that define who He is.

One – Jesus existed before creation. Jesus has been and is eternally existent. The Bible tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God” (John 1.1-2). In Jesus’ great High Priestly prayer he said, “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (John 17.5). Jesus is the second person of the Trinity and has existed with the Father forever. There has never been a time in all of eternity when Jesus did not exist. He is not a created being, He is the creator. The apostle Paul told the church at Colossae, “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers – all things were created by Him, and for Him” (Colossians 1.16). Jesus was before creation and He is the originator of all creation.

Two – Jesus is deity, He is the eternal God. There are divine attributes that only God possesses and they are all attributed to Jesus. For example, only God is eternally existent, see the first point above. Only God is omniscient, knows all things. In John 4 Jesus told the woman at the well all about her life and He had just met her. Only God is omnipotent, all powerful. In Mark 4 Jesus was in a boat with His disciples on the Sea of Galilee when a terrible storm arose. Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves and they obeyed His command. Only God can supernaturally heal the sick. Many times it is recorded in the Bible that Jesus gave sight to the blind, healed the lame, open the mouth of the dumb, and healed many of various diseases, including leprosy. Only God can raise the dead. Three times in the earthly ministry of Jesus he raised the dead, brought the dead back to life. Only God can forgive sin. In Matthew 9 some men brought a sick man to Jesus to be healed. Jesus said to the man, “Son, be of good cheer; they sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9.2b). These divine attributes belong to God and Him alone. All of these attributes confirm what Jesus said of Himself. Jesus claimed to be God when He said, “Verily, verily, I say into you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8.58b). The deity of Christ is more than confirmed in His actions as well as His personal profession.

Three – Jesus was and is the perfect personification of holiness. As God in human flesh Jesus was the perfect man. Jesus had no sin nature, neither did He commit any sin in word, thought, or deed while He walked this earth. Jesus’ perfection in flesh began with His virgin birth. Mary became pregnant with Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had no earthly biological father and therefore was not born with the fallen sin nature of the first man, Adam. All who are born after Adam are partakers in his fallen sin nature. Jesus was born of Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit, completely apart from sin. Peter said of Jesus, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (1 Peter ). The fact that Jesus was sinless qualified Him to be the sacrifice on the cross of Calvary to pay for the sin of the whole world. It is because Jesus was the sinless sacrifice that we have the opportunity to be saved by faith in Him. He could die in our place because He had no sin.

Four – Jesus is the full and complete revelation of everything God wants us to know about Him in this life. The writer to the Hebrews said, “God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1.1-2). This verse tells us clearly that what God began revealing to man by the prophets in the beginning, He has fully revealed to all men in His Son Jesus Christ. If you want to know what God is like, just look at the life of Jesus.

Five – There is only one way to be forgiven of sin and it is by faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father, but by me” (John 14.6). Any religion that claims a way to heaven other than by faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone is a false religion. Peter, standing before the Sanhedrin court in Jerusalem said, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4.12). There is only one name we can call on, confessing our sin and asking for His forgiveness, and that name is Jesus.

It matters what we believe about Jesus. It matters eternally what we believe about Jesus. He is the only way a lost man can be saved. I pray you know Him as your Lord and Savior today.

Three Things You Should Know About Hevaen

2011-06-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

Last week we considered the reality of hell. If you have yet to read the post on hell, I would encourage you to do so. The subject of our thoughts today, however, are on the opposite end of the spectrum, I want us to consider some truths about heaven. When someone hears the word “heaven” there is no telling what mental picture might appear? Maybe an angel in a long white robe, sitting on a cloud, and playing a harp? Maybe Peter standing at the pearly gates ushering people in? Still others have no idea what heaven is like and they just think of it as a place to be preferred over hell. As always, if we want the truth about a matter we need to look into God’s Word, the Bible. Of all the things the Bible tells us about heaven, there are three that I want to share with you here.

First, just as hell is a literal place, so is heaven. When we see the word heaven in the Bible it can speak contextually of one of three places. It can mean the space in our atmosphere, it can mean outer space where the stars and planets are, or it can mean the place of God’s throne. The place where God’s throne resides is a literal place, just as inner and outer space are a literal part of what we can see. One day Jesus told His disciples that He was going away. He was speaking of His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension back to heaven. The idea of Jesus leaving troubled His disciples greatly. In response, Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14.1-3). Jesus has prepared a literal dwelling place for all those who are saved by faith in Him. Heaven is a literal place where the redeemed of Christ will abide with Him.

Another aspect of the reality of heaven has to do with our existence there. Heaven is not some ethereal place. Being in heaven will not be like walking in the mist or sitting among the clouds. Many have the tendency to think of heaven as some dreamy place where we will just float around. Much to the contrary, the Bible describes heaven in clear literal terms. The apostle John tells us in Revelation 21 and 22 that there will be a new heaven and a new earth as well as a new Jerusalem. These places are described in vivid detail with a river, trees, the throne of God, and dwelling places for the redeemed. Those who are saved by faith in Jesus Christ will have resurrection bodies like the one Jesus has. The saints of God will be able to recognize one another just as we are known here in these bodies. What an encouragement to meditate on the reality of heaven and what it will mean to live there.

Secondly, just as hell is a forever place, so heaven is a forever place. The new heaven, the new earth, and the new Jerusalem are eternal in nature. The resurrection bodies the redeemed will receive are eternal bodies that will never get sick, never get tired, never get old, and never die. What a glorious change that will be from this life. Paul told the church at Corinth, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5.1). Paul said here that when this body is dead and gone, we who are saved by faith in Jesus have a new body that will last forever.

Finally, heaven is a holy place. Isaiah the prophet had a vision of God on His throne and in that vision he could see the worship of the seraphim who surround the throne of God. Isaiah heard the seraphim saying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6.3b). God is holy beyond human comprehension and therefore the place where He dwells is absolutely holy, devoid of the slightest imperfection or sin.

The implication of the holiness of heaven means there will be no one there who is unholy. God will not allow sin into His presence, nor will He allow sin of any kind into His holy heaven. The apostle Paul said it this way, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, ²⁰ Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, ²¹ Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5.19-21). I will not take the time to deal with each of the sins listed here individually, but suffice it to say, Paul covered every area in which we might sin. The point here is simply this, we are all guilty of one or more of these sins in word, thought, or deed. None of us is holy enough to get into God’s heaven. That is why we need God’s forgiveness of our sin and his righteousness applied to our account to get into heaven. Only God can make us holy enough to be in His presence in His heaven. The only way to be forgiven of sin and receive His righteousness is to confess our sin to Him and ask Jesus to forgive our sin and save our soul. The only way to be saved is by faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone. That’s the truth about heaven, are you going to be there? It is my prayer that if you are not sure, you will pray and receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior today.

Three Things You Should Know About Hell

2011-06-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

I recently read a definition of hell that said, “A place of perpetual fire and loathsomeness” (Wycliffe Dictionary of Theology, pg 266). That definition conjures up all sorts of ugly mental pictures that most of us would rather not think about. The problem is, Wycliffe’s definition is spot on. Hell is a terrible place, the horror of which exceeds anything man can comprehend in this life. Hell is a place to be avoided at all costs. Most of the world today never thinks of hell in those terms. It is with that in mind that I want to share with you three realities about the place we call hell.

First, hell is a literal place. Hell is not the figment of some writer’s imagination. Hell is not some mystical place or the result of some religious system’s creativity. Hell is a literal place that is as real as the world you and I live in right now. The Bible tells us that at the end of the tribulation, the beast and the false prophet will be cast into a “lake of fire” (Revelation 19.20). Jesus described hell as a place where there is, “Weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8.12). Jesus later described hell as a, “furnace of fire” where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13.50). Hell is a literal place where God’s judgment is administered upon lost men and women for their sin. Some of the biblical descriptions of hell include a place of total darkness, a place of perpetual suffering, a place of eternal fire, a place of unquenchable fire, and a place of perpetual unrest. The worst part of hell is that it is a place of perpetual separation from God. You can be sure hell is a literal place.

Secondly, hell is a forever place. The Bible teaches that once a person goes to hell, they will be there forever, there is no hope of deliverance. The Bible tells us, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20.10). Particular attention should be given to the “forever and ever” phrase. The apostle Paul said to the church at Thessalonica, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on then that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1.8-9). Again, note the phrase, “everlasting destruction.” All of these terms portray the permanence of God’s eternal judgment on those who reject Him. There is no such thing as a second chance once a person has died and gone to hell. All the more reason to make sure of one’s relationship with Christ while there is still time to do so.

Thirdly – Not only is hell a literal place and a forever place, but it is a prepared place. By prepared I mean it has its designated inhabitants already identified. Who will be in hell? The Bible tells us who will be there. Satan will be in hell according to Revelation 20.10. Not only Satan, but the beast and false prophet of the tribulation will be there. In addition to these folks, the Bible says the fallen angels or demons will be there, see 2 Peter 2.4. So, we have Satan, the beast, the false prophet, and the fallen angels, but there is one more group that will be there with them. The last group is made up of human beings who died in their sin. We are told in John 3.36, “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.” Here is the truth of the human spiritual condition. We are all born with a sin nature and we are guilty of our sin before God. The penalty for all sin is death. Physical death is a part of this life because of sin and is proof of the truth. There is nothing we can do in this life to pay the debt of our sin and therefore we are under the judgment of God. However, God loves all men and would have all men to be forgiven of their sin and be saved. To that end Jesus Christ, who is eternally God, left heaven and took on human flesh so He could die on the cross and pay for our sin with His own death. Jesus arose in victory over death three days later and ascended back to heaven. Forgiveness of sin and salvation of the human soul is by faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone. We can be saved when we confess our sin to God, turn away from our sin, and ask Him by faith to forgive us and save us. Romans 10.13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” All who leave this life without being saved by faith in Jesus Christ will spend eternity in hell, separated from God. That truth is not popular in the world today, but that does not change the fact that it is true.

So, where are you planning to spend eternity? Hell is a real place. To die without Jesus is to go there and never return. You can turn to Jesus right now and be saved. God will save you if you will but call on His name and ask Him. May you consider what you have read today and may God use it to touch your heart. Next time we will consider another literal place called heaven.

Same Sex Marriage - Part Three

2011-06-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

The last thing I want to consider in this brief series on same sex marriage has to do with rebellion. Mr. Webster defined rebellion as, “Open resistance to authority.” All sin is a form of rebellion against God. The prophet Samuel said to King Saul, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Samuel 15.23a). It is a very serious matter indeed to rebel against God and His righteous commands. Refusing to believe on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is in essence rebellion against God’s anointed King.

When we come to Romans 1 in the New Testament we find what has been called a description of the progressive stages of Gentile unbelief. Let’s take a look at what the apostle Paul said about progressive unbelief and rebellion.

Romans 1.21-23
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”

The first step in the downward spiral away from God comes when a person has some knowledge or recognition of God and chooses by an act of rebellion to not worship or glorify Him as God. Creation reveals there is a God so all men and women are without excuse. There are many today who know full well there is a God and choose of their own stubbornness to ignore or deny Him. To reject God leads to the second step of rebellion, ingratitude. Those who refuse to acknowledge God are not thankful for the life He gives or the necessities of life He provides, like food, water, and the air we breathe. Those who reject God are not thankful for His general grace and mercy to all men. We see here that this rejection of God and an unthankful heart leads to the third step of empty thinking or reasoning, moral senselessness, and an inability to understand truth. There comes a point in a person’s life when they have rejected God for so long, they come to a point where they can no longer discern truth from error. Once a person or group of people have reached this level of rebellion against God they will begin to worship gods of their own making in the form of idolatry. They will make images and worship animals and other things that the living God has created. The ultimate irony is that man will reject the true and living God and then worship gods they make with their own hands. Many in our culture today worship the god of money, power, success, materialism, and pleasure.

The final step in the downward spiral away from God is to be judicially turned over by God to sin and its consequences. In other words, there comes a time when a person or persons have so rejected God and his advances of love toward them that God lets them have their sin and the consequences that sin brings. Notice what the apostle Paul said in the next few verses,

Romans 1.24-27
“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.”

When we follow out the path of rebellion against God it ends in sexual immorality and degradation. The ultimate form of sexual immorality is homosexuality. It is clear in verses 26 and 27 that God turned them over to unnatural affection for the same sex which is speaking of homosexuality. This being true, we can make some pertinent observations concerning the culture of our own day. First, our culture is in full blown rebellion against God as exemplified in the continued spread of a militant homosexual agenda. Our nation is continuing to embrace this sin more and more openly which is a sign of our further demise. Secondly, the consequences of this continual rebellion against God is that we bring the natural consequences of our sin upon ourselves. God’s direct judgment as well as the natural damage of homosexuality in society are increasingly evident every day.

In the final analysis there is no such thing as same sex marriage. Homosexuality is a sin, defined as such by God. To pursue any sin, including homosexuality, is to invited the just judgment of God. The good news is God loves us and does not want us to suffer for our sin. Jesus came and died on a cross to take away our sin and set us free from its dominion. There is no sin for which God will not forgive us if we genuinely confess that sin to Him, repent or turn away from that sin, and by faith ask Him to forgive us in Jesus Christ. May we pray for a revival in our land where God would turn our hearts back to Him.

Same Sex Marriage - Part Two

2011-06-07T07:51:00.000-07:00

We continue here with some further thoughts and truths concerning what is called same sex marriage. Homosexuals and those who are sympathetic to their position see the homosexual lifestyle as an acceptable way of life. They are militant in their efforts to force everyone else to see it in the same way or at a minimum to have to acknowledge legally that it is an appropriate lifestyle. However, there is a fundamental flaw in the homosexual relationship and it is called sin. God did not create men to be with men or women to be with women. Anatomically, emotionally, and relationally, men and women were created to complement one another in a life-long marriage relationship. It is a perversion of God’s created and ordered design to engage in same sex unions. Homosexuality is not an issue of equal rights, it is an issue of sin. A man or women who chooses to sin by way of homosexuality certainly has the freedom in this country to do so, but they do not have the right to force the rest of society to acknowledge their sinful lifestyle as equal with God’s ordained way of life. A homosexual relationship between two men or two women is most certainly not the same as the relationship I have with my wife of over thirty years.

Let’s consider for a moment God’s opinion concerning homosexuality. After all, it is God’s opinion that will count most when life is over. God said in Leviticus 18.22, “Thou shall not lie with mankind, as with womenkind: it is abomination.” This is an explicit command against homosexuality. The word “abomination” comes from a Hebrew word that means wickedness in an ethical sense. A couple of chapters over from this verse God said, “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” Under the Mosaic law, homosexuality was punishable by death. Today we are under grace and God gives space for a person to repent of their sin and be saved by faith in Jesus Christ. However, God’s condemnation of the sin of homosexuality has never changed.

God demonstrated His displeasure with the sin of homosexuality when He judged a couple of cities that were completely given over to the sin. We are told in Genesis 13.13, “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.” If you read Genesis 19 you will discover that their wickedness was homosexuality. We are told in Genesis 19.24, “Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.” The men of Sodom and Gomorrah knew better, yet chose to rebel against God and eventually suffered God’s just judgment for their sin.

Two thoughts for us today would be appropriate here. First, God loves every human being on the planet, including those who commit the sin of homosexuality. Jesus came to this earth, took on human flesh, and died on the cross of Calvary to pay the penalty for our sin. The Bible says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10.13). No matter what we have done in this life, no matter what sin we have committed (and all have sinned), God will forgive and pardon us if we repent of our sin and ask Him to forgive us by faith in Jesus Christ. God told the prophet Ezekiel, “For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD, wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye” (Ezekiel 18.32). God takes no pleasure in judging the wicked. He hates our sin, but He loves the sinner.

Secondly, make no mistake about it, there is a judgment day coming when every human being who has ever lived will stand before God. The writer to the Hebrews said, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9.27). Homosexuality is a sin and falls into the same category as any other form of rebellion against God. Our society is moving in a dangerous direction. We are becoming more and more desensitized to the seriousness of sin. God’s moral law is as applicable today as it was when He gave it. Same sex marriage is a sin and our nation invites God’s judgment when we condone what He has condemned. Next time we will discuss the rebellion aspect of homosexuality.

Same Sex Marriage - Part One

2011-05-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

I was reading a recent Gallup poll that reports for the first time a majority of Americans think same sex marriage is acceptable. The report said, “For the first time in Gallup's tracking of the issue, a majority of Americans (53%) believe same-sex marriage should be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages. The increase since last year came exclusively among political independents and Democrats. Republicans' views did not change.” If you want to read the article for yourself you can find it at, http://www.gallup.com/poll/147662/first-time-majority-americans-favor-legal-gay-marriage.aspx.

I will give more than one post to this issue for there are several things we need to consider concerning what is called same sex marriage. This first post will deal with the institution of marriage and how true marriage relates to the idea of same sex marriage. The first question we might want to consider is where did the social practice of marriage come from? Did some long ago generation just decide one day that it would be a good idea to pair up for life? Did some long ago civilization invent marriage and the following generations just thought it was a good idea so they followed along? The answer is marriage is a God given, God ordained institution. Marriage was not created by man, it was given to man by God for man’s benefit. Let’s consider for a moment God’s revelation of where marriage came from. When we go to the Bible, Genesis 2.18, we find one of the reasons God created us as male and female. God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (Genesis 2.18b). God stated clearly here that it was not good for Adam to be alone. God created the woman, Eve, to be a “help meet” for him (King James version). The literal rendering means a helper suitable for him. God made a women who was the perfect complement of Adam, a man. The two of them were made fully complete as man and women for the purposes for which God created them. May we all agree that had there been two men or two women in the beginning, they would not have been the perfect compliment for one another and none of us would be here.

After the account of God’s creation of Eve, we find the record of the very first wedding, performed by God. “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2.23-24). Those verses give us the account of the very first marriage, the first family unit, created and ordained by God.

From this biblical account of the origin of marriage, let’s draw some conclusions. Let’s consider three biblical reasons for marriage, as ordained by God. First, marriage creates a unique family unit where procreation is to take place. God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. It is into the family unit where there is a husband and wife, a father and mother, that children are brought into the world. It still takes a male and a female to bring about children. God ordained that males and females be united in marriage for the purpose of having children. Secondly, it is the family unit of one man and one woman where the truths of God are to be passed from one generation to the next. One of the primary responsibilities of a father and mother is to teach their children about God and His Word. Thirdly, God provided marriage to be the relationship where the sexual desires of a man and woman are to be fulfilled. God created us with a strong sex drive which motivates us to procreate. The only place where sexual activity is to be practiced is in the marriage union. All sexual activity outside of marriage is sin.

Those things being true, let’s make some observations now concerning what is called, “same sex marriage.” First, there is no such thing as same sex marriage. God established marriage and He established it as a permanent union between one man and one women. God never ordained men to marry men or women to marry women. God calls sexual activity between people of the same gender a sin (more on this in following posts). God does not recognize any form of marital union between two men or two women. No matter what a government says about same sex marriage, that governmental authority does not trump God’s authority. Secondly, since marriage is God’s institution man does not possess the power nor have the right to change its conditions. Man does not have the right to change what God set as the standard. God created a man and a woman, then He joined them in marriage and they became husband and wife. May we be reminded at this point that a majority of people choosing error just means there are more people wrong than right. God is a majority of one. God will not and does not change His perfect law based on the majority vote of human beings. Thirdly, children cannot be raised in a same sex union as if it is a normal family situation. Same sex unions are contrary to nature in every way conceivable and the children will figure that out sooner or later. God created women with a unique ability to be mothers and He created men with the same kind of unique ability to be fathers. The terms father and mother are more than just biological.

The bottom line is this, there is no such thing as same sex marriage in God’s eyes. It is a complete misnomer to use the word marriage when describing same sex unions. These unions are nothing more than homosexual relationships endorsed and condoned by a human government. God is not impressed with America’s continued shift toward normalizing homosexuality which I will deal with in the next post.

Four Freedoms We Have In Christ

2011-05-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

One – Freedom from the bondage of sin. The apostle Paul said, “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Romans 6.22). Before we were saved we were the servants of sin. The sinful desires of our fallen humanity dominated our lives in thought, word, and deed. But when by faith we confessed our sin and asked God to forgive us, we were born again spiritually and set free from the dominion of sin. In Jesus we no longer have to serve sin. Sin is no longer the master of my life, Jesus is now my Lord.

Two – Freedom from the eternal penalty of sin. Paul said in the same verse that we are set free from sin to serve Jesus which in the end brings everlasting life. The service to Jesus does not bring everlasting life, it is the relationship with Him by faith that brings everlasting life. At the moment I trusted Jesus by faith as my personal Lord and Savior, He forgave my sin and gave me His righteousness. He removed my sin guilt and replaced it with His perfect holiness. The reality of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ is that we have passed from death unto life (see John 5.24). The man or women who dies in their sin will have to pay for their sin eternally in a place of punishment called the eternal lake of fire. But for those who respond to God’s loving offer of grace by confessing their sin, repenting of their sin, and asking Jesus to forgive their sin, they receive eternal life to be realized in a place called heaven.

Three – Freedom from the law. The law of God was given to the Jews as the revelation of God’s standard of holiness. The Ten Commandments, for example, represent God’s requirement for us in our relationship with Him and our relationship with one another. No one has ever been able to keep the Ten Commandments perfectly in thought or deed. That means the law is a perpetual reminder of my failure toward God. Every day when I see the standard of holiness set forth in God’s law I am reminded of how far short I come of meeting that standard. But when I trusted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I was set free from the condemnation of the law. The standard of holiness that I cannot attain by my own efforts was given to me by grace in Christ. Jesus kept the whole law perfectly, He never sinned as He walked upon this earth in human form. When I was saved by faith in Him, His perfect obedience became mine. I am no longer condemned by the law for I am in Christ.

Four – Freedom to obey God. The day I was saved by faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit took up permanent residence in me. The moment I was saved I received freedom by the power of God to obey Him and live so as to bring honor and glory to His name. It is by the delivering power of God the Holy Spirit that I am enabled to obey the Word of God. I have been set free to live as God wants me to live.

Have you been set free in Christ? If not I pray you will consider His offer of salvation by grace through faith today.

Can We Really Name It And Claim It In Prayer?

2011-05-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

One of the things I like to do is listen to preaching. I guess it’s kind of like a baseball player who likes to watch baseball. I am a preacher who likes to listen to preaching. Sometimes when I’m listening to the radio, T.V., or internet I hear something said by a preacher that grabs my attention. It either grabs my attention because it is a tremendous blessing or it grabs my attention because it is wrong. Such is the latter case concerning a recent message I heard from a preacher on T.V.

This particular preacher was talking about prayer and the power of prayer. Then he began to make statements of a nature that insinuated God has promised to give us whatever we ask for. Verses of support for this position include Matthew 21.22 where Jesus said, “And all things, whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” This is one of those favorite verses for the “name and claim it” preachers. The reasoning goes something like this, if I have enough faith (believing), then God will do whatever I ask Him. That interpretation usually fleshes out into things like God will always heal the sick if we have enough faith when we pray or God will always deliver me from difficulty if I have enough faith when I pray. If a person prays and God does not give them what they asked for, they automatically assume they did not have enough faith. Is that really what the Bible teaches? The answer is no. Let’s consider this verse with a little dose of reality based on the preponderance of scripture.

The first thing we realize right away is that faith is not a standalone principle. To have faith means to have faith in something. My faith is not measured by how sincere I am or how long I spend in prayer asking God for something. Neither is faith measure by a degree of piety. Faith is my trust in something real, something tangible. My faith is based on unconditional trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. By faith I have trusted Jesus Christ to forgive my sin and justify me before the Father. Therefore my faith is founded on His promises to me which are written in the Bible. When we follow this line of truth about faith we see immediately that my faith concerning prayer must be based on God’s promises. In other words, God will always do what I ask in prayer when I pray in accord with my faith in His promises to me. For example, the Bible tells me in James 1.5, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him.” Based on that promise of God, I can pray for wisdom by faith knowing that God has promised in that verse to give it to me. That is praying by faith.

There is no such thing in the Bible as, “name it and claim it.” When it comes to healing, for example, it is not always God’s will to heal us from every physical ailment. Sometimes the difficulties God allows in our lives are for His glory and our spiritual edification. Consider the apostle Paul. In 2 Corinthians 12.8 we are told how the apostle Paul asked God three times to heal him of a physical ailment. I think the apostle Paul knew all about praying in faith. God’s answer to Paul’s prayer was no. Imagine that, God told Paul that He was not going to heal him and for Paul to stop asking. What was God’s reason? We are given that in verse 9, “My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12.9). God had His own sovereign reasons for not healing Paul and the same is true in our lives today.

So, we can pray as born again believers, knowing that God always hears us. We can pray by faith knowing that if He has promised something to us, then we can have it. However, we have no right to presume upon the sovereign purpose of God in all that He allows in our lives. We can know that our heavenly Father loves us and He has our best interest at heart. Pray with confidence, pray without ceasing, and pray with faith in God’s promises to us as His beloved children in Christ.

Why Do People Come To Your Church?

2011-05-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

Why do the people who attend your church come there? What moves them to get up on Sunday morning and drive to and participate in the service at your particular church? The truth is, the people who attend your place of worship probably drove past another to get to yours. So what is so special to them about your church? As the pastor of a church I planted some eleven years ago, that question was one I had to deal with early on. If I start a church in a area that needs an evangelical church, what will make them want to come and worship here? There are many reasons a person might select to attend one church over another, but let me give you five that I have observed over the years.

The first reason has to do with distance from their home. Some people select a church because it is near where they live. I pastor a church in the middle of a planned community. Many of the visitors who come through our doors tell us they gave the church a try because they drove by and saw the sign. The nearness factor is good for a percentage of growth and no doubt some will continue to attend because we are a church they associate with as part of their community.

The second reason people attend a particular church over another has to do with worship style. Every church has a worship style, whether it be traditional, full blown contemporary, or something blended in between. Music and worship are so important to some people that they will base their church selection on style alone. Many churches play hard to this venue in an effort to get as many people to attend as possible. One church cannot be all things to all people when it comes to style. Some will attend your church because they like who you are when it comes to worship.

Thirdly, some will attend your church because they like the ministries or a particular ministry your church offers. If you have an awesome youth ministry then there will be those who attend because they like that ministry for their children. Maybe your church has a dynamic children’s program? There will be young couples with small children who will hear about how good your church is with children and they will come. Some will come because the ministries of your church meet a need in their life.

The fourth reason some will attend your church is because of the pastor. This is particularly true for small churches or the beginning of a new church. When a church is small, say seventy five people or less, most everyone in the church can comfortably have personal interaction with the pastor. Many will come to a church early on because the pastor can spend time with all of them. When the church gets larger that becomes a little more difficult. There is still a draw to some people because they will like the pastor even if they don’t have a lot of personal interaction with him. They will like his style, his preaching, or even his personality. Yes, some people attend a particular church just because they like the preacher.

The fifth reason someone chooses to attend a particular church over another is, in my opinion, the most important. Some people choose a church based on the handling of God’s Word. By handling I mean the exposition of or teaching of the Bible. For some people the first four reasons are all secondary to this one. The priority for some is to hear God’s Word faithfully taught, precept upon precept and doctrine upon doctrine.

So, which one of these reasons did I emphasize when I started the church where I pastor? I started with the last one, majoring on God’s Word. God told the prophet Isaiah, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it” (Isaiah 55.11 KJV). When I started this church, I hitched my ministry wagon to that verse. I wanted this church to be known for its expositional teaching of God’s Word, verse by verse. The result was, the people who came here were in love with Jesus, not a program. The people who came here were in love with Jesus, not me or a ministry. When the church’s eyes are on Jesus and His Word, God makes good things happen, people come to Jesus by faith unto salvation and the church grows. What about the other reasons people choose a church? We have all those, they are simply added to the priority of preaching and teaching God’s Word. When Jesus and His Word are the center of what we do then the other things that draw people to our fellowship are just icing on the cake. What is your church and ministry known for? What is your ministry wagon hitched to?

Absolute Truth

2011-05-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

There are two predominate world views in society today. There is the world view of Christianity which holds to the biblical God-given view that there is absolute truth in life. The other is Secular Humanism which holds that all of life is relative and situational which means there are no absolutes. Let’s follow out these two world views in a very general sense and see there they lead us?

Christianity is based on the overwhelming evidence of a God who created all that exists. There are two kinds of revelation from God and both prove conclusively that He exists. First there is what is called general revelation. This is the revelation that comes primarily through creation. The apostle Paul said, “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. ²⁰ For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1.19-20) KJV. We understand by the things that are made, the creation around us, that there is a God. The detail and intricate nature of life is scientifically beyond random chance, which is the unsubstantiated position of evolution. Notice the apostle Paul said all men are without excuse before God by General revelation alone.

The second revelation of God to man is called special revelation. This category of revelation includes such things as miracles, the incarnation of Christ, and the Bible. The Bible, God’s Word, reveals God to us in ways that we could not and cannot glean from nature. The Bible reveals the absolute holiness of God. The Bible reveals the absolute sinfulness of every human being. The Bible reveals the absolute holy law of God which is a revelation of His perfect character. The Bible reveals that every human being has failed to measure up to God’s standard of perfection and that we cannot save or fix ourselves. The Bible reveals the vicarious suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross as payment for the sin of all mankind, thus making the way for man to be saved by faith in Jesus Christ.

The natural result of there being a holy God is the existence of absolute truth. God created the universe and He established His law over His creation. There is the principle of ownership in the very act of being able to create. Therefore it is absolutely reasonable that we, the creature, are subject to the righteous laws of the Creator. These things lead inevitably to the fact that there is absolute truth in life. They lead to the fact that absolute truth is found in the God who created us and all that exists. The moral code of society is not based on situational ethics, it is based on the absolute standards established by a holy and righteous God.

To follow these truths out to their natural conclusion means two primary things. First, it means there is absolute right and wrong in life. Morality is not left up to us to decide, based on a situation or how we happen to feel on a given day at a given time. God has clearly declared what is right and what is wrong in life. Secondly, the fact that there is absolute truth establishes accountability. We are accountable to God for what we do that is right or wrong. God will have the last word when he sets all things right on judgment day. The writer to the Hebrews said, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9.27). The Christian world view stands on absolute truth because there is a God who is the source of all absolute truth.

The alternative world view is called Secular Humanism. This view claims there is no God. The Humanist Manifesto II of 1973, page 5, under the heading, “Religion,” says, “As non-theist, we begin with humans not God, nature not deity.” That means man, in their view, is the highest being there is and therefore we can make our own laws and rules about life and morality. In the same document on page 6, under the heading, “Ethics,” it says, “We affirm that moral values derive their source from human experience. Ethics is autonomous and situational, needing no theological or ideological sanction.” Let’s spell out what this idea means. This means that right and wrong are determined on an individual level. If one man thinks it is permissible to sleep with another man’s wife, well, the rest of us, including her husband, should be tolerant. After all, it is up to the individual to determine his or her own moral code of right and wrong. This whole idea also opens the door in areas such as the value of human life. According to this way of thinking, there could come a time when the majority of society decides that left handed people are of no value and should be eliminated. Then it would be legal to go around killing people who are left handed. You might think that sounds preposterous, but see one Adolf Hitler and his regime’s attempt to exterminate the Jews just because they were Jews.

The conclusion is clear, it is a slippery slope when we make right and wrong relative to what man thinks or feels because our thinking and our feeling are flawed by imperfection and sin. God and His grace is the only hope a lost world has. May this encourage you to consider God and His word more intently today.