Q: Have you "Stopped" and told Jesus how much you "need" Him, and Adore Him?
A: I would like to Stop and thank Jesus for showing me how much God "needed" me and how much He "adored" me. Father, thank you for putting in motion your plan to restore your life to me before that life was lost in Adam. Thank you for sending Jesus to live a life I cannot live and offer a life I didn't have to give as payment for my sins. Thank you for raising Jesus from the dead to offer the life lost in Adam back to me as free gift. Thank you for the eternal redemption I have in the cross that takes away my sins forever so I will never lose that life you gave me. Thank you for loving me, and desiring to have a relationship with me, to the point that you did for me what I could not do for myself in order to come to You. Thank you for allowing my body to be your Temple to do with as you see fit in order to shine your light through me onto this dark world. "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him (Psalm 8:3-4)?" I don't deserve all you have done for me, but I stop and thank you beyond what words can say that You did do it for me. Amen!
Q: Why does God pursue us?
A: "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off (Mat 18:12)?" We see in the parable of the lost sheep an example of God pursuing us. It is consistent with His nature to do so. After all, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son (Jn 3:16)." God wants all to come to faith in Christ Jesus and He has put enough evidence in the world for us to respond to. So much evidence that He says man is without excuse. He doesn't pursue us in the sense of chasing us down. He does it in three different ways. He gives us evidence of Himself in His Creation (Romans 1). He gives the evidence of our conscious (Romans 2). And finally, He gives us the evidence of His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 3). Amazingly enough is that God loves the world so much that He doesn't force one to believe in Him. He wants us to choose Him out of a response to the love He has shown toward us through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God gives us all this evidence "so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:27)." If you haven't responded to God's call to His Son what evidence are you willing to accept? Your response has eternal consequences.
Q: The bible says Christians are dead to sin. Does this mean we don't sin anymore?
A: No, it doesn't mean we don't sin anymore. It means that we have an alternative not available to us prior to coming alive to God in Christ. We now have the Holy Spirit guiding us back into the truth of who we are in Christ. And as He does that we realize that engaging in sin is not consistent with who we are as children of God. When we were dead to God in sin we had no alternative, but to sow to the flesh. By doing so we falsely believed we would fill that spiritual need through sin. But, all it did was show us our death. Thankfully, for me at least, it lead me to the end of myself where I found Jesus Christ. Now, as I trust in Him, through the power of the indwelling Spirit of God, He teaches me to say no to ungodliness, etc. I no longer live by the flesh, but by the Spirit. I will still sin, but I know that when I do it is an example of how I was not trusting the Lord. And because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross my sin is not separating me from God. Therefore, I am able to approach the Lord, in confidence, to discover why it was I wasn't trusting Him, and all He has given me, when I chose to sin. I have discovered that the Christian life is not about avoiding sin, but trusting in and depending on the Lord. And when I am doing that I will engage the world with what I have and not in hopes of what I desire to get. In other words, I am dead to sin.
Q: Is "Temptation" a sin?
A: No, temptation is not a sin. Jesus was tempted yet did not fall. Temptation is a byproduct of our misunderstanding of what we have been given in Christ. When we don't believe that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness or that He has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ, we are forced to seek it from the world. And all the world offers is fleshly blessings that can only be gained through some form of sin. And the devil, who is the god of the is world, is more than happy to tempt us into believing that God wants our flesh to be blessed. The devil tempted Jesus with promises of a full belly, power and protection from physical harm. These are not unlike the promises Christians falsely believe God has promised them if they just exercise enough faith or behave properly. Unfortunately, many Christians have been led into misery because of this belief. If you do not believe that God has provided you with all you need your only alternative is to seek what you don't believe you have from God from the world. And all the world has to offer can only be achieved through some form of sin. It is the lack of knowledge as to what we have in Christ that leads us into being tempted by the devil and falling into sin.
Q: God desires a "personal" relationship with us but why is it still important to go to church and be apart of a bible study?
A: It is important to fellowship with each other, but attending church is not the only option nor is it a requirement. The Bible says "not to give up meeting together (Heb. 10:25)." Christians can meet anywhere two or more are gathered in His Name. If you don't have a church home, can't attend church regularly, or can't fellowship at all, that is okay. Remember, it is the Lord who teaches you His truth and He is indwelling you right now. I was without a "church" home for more than three years at one point. I grew more in my relationship with God during that time than any other point in my Christian life. I desired to be around other believers, but not at the expense of truth and sound teaching. Now, I co-moderate an online fellowship for like-minded believers who don't have church homes. I used to have a weekly bible study over the phone with a friend who didn't have consistent fellowship. Granted, the accepted and traditional model of church and bible study are fine, but let us remember that there are numerous ways to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24)" and "encourage one another (Heb 10:25)" as we "see the Day approaching (Heb. 10:25)." It is God who leads you into all truth and if He is indwelling you that is all you need.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Do Only What I Tell You
Q: Why was God angry with Balaam in Numbers 22:22, after He told him to go with the princes of Moab?
A: That is a good question that you are asking. If you are like me it appears as if Balaam angered God for doing what God told him to do. The answer to your question may lie in a closer examination of the surrounding text. "The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination (Numbers 22:7)." Obviously, the elders of Moab and Midian knew enough about Balaam that made them comfortable in trying to purchase his services. Divination, by definition, is the practice of attempting to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge by occult or supernatural means. Therefore, Balaam must have been well known for practicing these occultic behaviors. God had already made His feelings clear about this practice. In Leviticus 19:26, God says, "'Do not practice divination or sorcery." Therefore, when the elders first came to request Balaam's services God said to Balaam, ""Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed (Numbers 22:12)." This is consistent with God's command.
A short time later another, more highly respected, representation from Balak was sent to persuade Balaam with the promise of even more wealth. But, again, Balaam rightly refused to curse Israel in exchange for riches. However, this time God told Balaam "Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you (Numbers 22:20)." The key portion of God's command is when He says to Balaam to "do only what I tell you." The very next verse records Balaam saddling his donkey and going with the princes of Moab. But, if you notice, nowhere does it say that Balaam went with the princes of Moab in the manner in which God wanted him to go. It is as if Balaam took God's command and ran with it without seeking God's council prior to making his move. Knowing that Balaam practiced the occult and that he was going to visit Balak, who wanted him to curse Israel, gives the impression that Balaam would have continued to forget God's condition and be led astray by Balak and his promised rewards. That is why I believe God became angry with Balaam.
I think it safe to say that Balaam was blinded by his own lust for Balak's promised riches that God sent the angel to block his path. It is clear that God had sent the angel to kill Balaam and rightfully so. Balaam was disobeying God and was most likely headed to practice his divination against Israel on behalf of Balak. However, we see a picture of God's grace and mercy in the telling of Balaam's encounter with the angel. Instead of God allowing the angel to simply destroy him, God opened the mouth of his donkey, a miracle, in order to get his attention. After beating his donkey three times Balaam is snapped back to his senses. "Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown (Numbers 22:31)." Bowing low and falling facedown is a sign of reverence and an acknowledgement that he was in the presence of an angel of the Lord. The minute he saw this angel he confesses his wrongdoing. "Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back (Numbers 22:34)." This appears to be confirmation that Balaam had forgotten God's instruction to do only what God told him. And the angel confirms this idea when he reiterates God's command. "The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak (Numbers 22:35)."
As the story continues we see where Balak indeed wanted Balaam to curse Israel. However, when God intervened with His angel and reminded Balaam to only do what God told him to do, Balak's offers of riches were rebuked by Balaam so he could focus on God alone. Over the next two chapters Balaam utters a series of oracles, messages from God, that do not curse Israel, as Balak desired, but rather reveal Israel's favor in the eyes of the Lord. Eventually, Balak became so furious that he sent Balaam home without a reward. Balaam replied, "Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, 'Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the LORD -and I must say only what the LORD says' (Numbers 24:12-13)?" Balaam did only what God had told him to do and he was able to remind Balak of exactly what he told Balaks representatives when they first summoned him. God's anger served as a reminder to Balaam to only do what God told him to do. And thus Balaam was used by God to bless Israel and be a witness to Balak as to the power of God and His faithfulness to the people of Israel. It should also serve to remind us of God's faithfulness to us because of our faith in Christ.
A: That is a good question that you are asking. If you are like me it appears as if Balaam angered God for doing what God told him to do. The answer to your question may lie in a closer examination of the surrounding text. "The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination (Numbers 22:7)." Obviously, the elders of Moab and Midian knew enough about Balaam that made them comfortable in trying to purchase his services. Divination, by definition, is the practice of attempting to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge by occult or supernatural means. Therefore, Balaam must have been well known for practicing these occultic behaviors. God had already made His feelings clear about this practice. In Leviticus 19:26, God says, "'Do not practice divination or sorcery." Therefore, when the elders first came to request Balaam's services God said to Balaam, ""Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed (Numbers 22:12)." This is consistent with God's command.
A short time later another, more highly respected, representation from Balak was sent to persuade Balaam with the promise of even more wealth. But, again, Balaam rightly refused to curse Israel in exchange for riches. However, this time God told Balaam "Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you (Numbers 22:20)." The key portion of God's command is when He says to Balaam to "do only what I tell you." The very next verse records Balaam saddling his donkey and going with the princes of Moab. But, if you notice, nowhere does it say that Balaam went with the princes of Moab in the manner in which God wanted him to go. It is as if Balaam took God's command and ran with it without seeking God's council prior to making his move. Knowing that Balaam practiced the occult and that he was going to visit Balak, who wanted him to curse Israel, gives the impression that Balaam would have continued to forget God's condition and be led astray by Balak and his promised rewards. That is why I believe God became angry with Balaam.
I think it safe to say that Balaam was blinded by his own lust for Balak's promised riches that God sent the angel to block his path. It is clear that God had sent the angel to kill Balaam and rightfully so. Balaam was disobeying God and was most likely headed to practice his divination against Israel on behalf of Balak. However, we see a picture of God's grace and mercy in the telling of Balaam's encounter with the angel. Instead of God allowing the angel to simply destroy him, God opened the mouth of his donkey, a miracle, in order to get his attention. After beating his donkey three times Balaam is snapped back to his senses. "Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown (Numbers 22:31)." Bowing low and falling facedown is a sign of reverence and an acknowledgement that he was in the presence of an angel of the Lord. The minute he saw this angel he confesses his wrongdoing. "Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back (Numbers 22:34)." This appears to be confirmation that Balaam had forgotten God's instruction to do only what God told him. And the angel confirms this idea when he reiterates God's command. "The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak (Numbers 22:35)."
As the story continues we see where Balak indeed wanted Balaam to curse Israel. However, when God intervened with His angel and reminded Balaam to only do what God told him to do, Balak's offers of riches were rebuked by Balaam so he could focus on God alone. Over the next two chapters Balaam utters a series of oracles, messages from God, that do not curse Israel, as Balak desired, but rather reveal Israel's favor in the eyes of the Lord. Eventually, Balak became so furious that he sent Balaam home without a reward. Balaam replied, "Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, 'Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the LORD -and I must say only what the LORD says' (Numbers 24:12-13)?" Balaam did only what God had told him to do and he was able to remind Balak of exactly what he told Balaks representatives when they first summoned him. God's anger served as a reminder to Balaam to only do what God told him to do. And thus Balaam was used by God to bless Israel and be a witness to Balak as to the power of God and His faithfulness to the people of Israel. It should also serve to remind us of God's faithfulness to us because of our faith in Christ.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
My Answer is ... October 24, 2009
Q: I CAN'T IS NOT IN YOUR VOCABULARY"!...YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS "THROUGH" CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS YOU...CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO (Will Smith in Pursuit of Happyness) IT WILL ENCOURAGE YOU..."DECLARE TODAY, I CAN DO ALL THINGS "THROUGH" CHRIST"!
A: Encouraging scene. However, let us not mistake a desire to achieve something in life, and the unwillingness to take no for an answer, as God's promise He will make your dreams come true. Philippians 4:13 is not God's promise that anything we set our mind to He will make happen. That passage is Paul's conclusion that whatever life had thrown his way up to that point had taught him to be content with all he had in Christ. He "learned to be content whatever the circumstances (v11)." He knew "what it is to be in need, and..what it is to have plenty (v12)." He experienced being "well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want (v12)." In fact, Paul had written Philippians while he was in prison. Saints, if you want something in life, by all means, go for it. If you achieve it, thank God. If you don't achieve it, thank God. We are not promised a successful or comfortable life. Nor are we promised a miserable life either. God wants you to understand that He is there for you in the midst of whatever situation you are in. He wants you to realize what Paul discovered. That is that the strength we have in Christ is the knowledge that nothing can separate us from Him and His love and He wherever we go, He is right there with us. Saints, this truth will set you free and allow you to live above your circumstances. Be blessed.
Q: Don't be so "heavenly" minded your no "earthly" good..What does that mean?
A: There are plenty examples of this. Christians who "hide" on Halloween for fear it is the devil's night rather than use it as an opportunity to witness to those who come to their door. Christians who pass judgement on people who only attend church on Easter and Christmas as though going t church makes you a Christian. Christians who won't support a political candidate because he or she isn't perfect in every aspect of their lives as if they are themselves. The list is endless. When the Corinthian church was dealing with the immoral brother Paul warned about this "heavenly minded" attitude. "I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world (1 Cor 5:9-10)." You become of no "earthly" good when you "think of yourself more highly than you ought (Rom. 12:3)." That is the byproduct of a religious attitude that deceives you into thinking you are pleasing to God because of your perceived "obedience" to God. We must remember that we aren't better than others just better off. And be mindful of what we once were before we got saved. Somebody wasn't heavenly minded and took the time to share with us that which led us to Christ. Do the same for others. Amen!
Q: What is the difference between "Conviction" of sin and "Condemnation"?
A: Conviction of sin is when you have been found guilty of, or made aware of, a wrong doing. Condemnation is when the penalty for your conviction has been handed down to you. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of their unbelief in Jesus Christ (John 16:9). The Holy Spirit does not convict a believer of sin. God already judged mankind in regard to our sins. The verdict was guilty. The penalty was death. Jesus Christ took that penalty on our behalf. There is no penalty left for us to take because Jesus' sacrifice was once for all and for eternity. Because of that truth, there is also no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). Instead of convicting us of sin, the Holy Spirit leads a believer back into the truth of who we are in Christ; forgiven, blameless and free from accusation. That knowledge leads us into living a life of thankfulness to God for what He has done for us. In turn, we now know that there is no sin that separates us from God and we are able to approach Him in confidence in our time of need (Heb. 4:16). Conviction and condemnation are not a part of the believers vocabulary. Mercy and forgiveness are ours because of Jesus Christ. Amen!
Q: What does righteousness mean?...And what makes us Righteous?
A: Righteousness means that we are holy and blameless before God. "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight (Eph. 1:4)." We are righteous because of the righteousness of Christ that has been imputed to us through faith. "However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness (Rom. 4:5)." The moment we accepted Christ we were perfectly righteous, holy, justified and sanctified in God's eyes. This should tell us that all our attempts to maintain or sustain our righteousness through a life dedicated to repentance and obedience is not going to add one ounce of righteousness to us in God's eyes. If anything it will alienate us from God in our minds as we keep focusing on what we are trying to do for God and miss what He has already done for us in Christ. Without this knowledge we will live an impossible life that will only result in fear, depression and frustration. We may outwardly act as though we are experiencing the joy of our salvation, but inwardly we suffer in silence constantly wondering if God will ever accept us when, in fact, he already has accepted us.
Q: What does the enemy(devil) want Christians to do?
A: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy... (Jn 10:10a). The devil wants nothing more than to steal the joy of your salvation, kill the hope you have in Christ and destroy your life in anyway possible. The devil doesn't care what you are focused on as long as it is not on Jesus. One of the ways he does this is by getting us to fall for the same lie Eve fell for in the Garden; to be like God through the knowledge of good and evil. Countless Christians dedicate their entire lives to trying to be "better Christians" or more "Christlike" in their behavior through trying to live a life in accordance to what is good and evil. The only way to do that is to dedicate yourself to a life you cannot live. A life of constant repentance and obedience to rules, laws and tenants designed to modify your behavior. It is an endless trap of frustration, fear and depression as you realize you will never be like God and thus never experience His unconditional love and acceptance or have meaning and purpose to your life. Our eyes should be on discovering who we are in Christ, not on what the devil deceives us into trying to be ourselves. The life we have is Christ's life in us. After, all "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (Jn 10:10b).
A: Encouraging scene. However, let us not mistake a desire to achieve something in life, and the unwillingness to take no for an answer, as God's promise He will make your dreams come true. Philippians 4:13 is not God's promise that anything we set our mind to He will make happen. That passage is Paul's conclusion that whatever life had thrown his way up to that point had taught him to be content with all he had in Christ. He "learned to be content whatever the circumstances (v11)." He knew "what it is to be in need, and..what it is to have plenty (v12)." He experienced being "well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want (v12)." In fact, Paul had written Philippians while he was in prison. Saints, if you want something in life, by all means, go for it. If you achieve it, thank God. If you don't achieve it, thank God. We are not promised a successful or comfortable life. Nor are we promised a miserable life either. God wants you to understand that He is there for you in the midst of whatever situation you are in. He wants you to realize what Paul discovered. That is that the strength we have in Christ is the knowledge that nothing can separate us from Him and His love and He wherever we go, He is right there with us. Saints, this truth will set you free and allow you to live above your circumstances. Be blessed.
Q: Don't be so "heavenly" minded your no "earthly" good..What does that mean?
A: There are plenty examples of this. Christians who "hide" on Halloween for fear it is the devil's night rather than use it as an opportunity to witness to those who come to their door. Christians who pass judgement on people who only attend church on Easter and Christmas as though going t church makes you a Christian. Christians who won't support a political candidate because he or she isn't perfect in every aspect of their lives as if they are themselves. The list is endless. When the Corinthian church was dealing with the immoral brother Paul warned about this "heavenly minded" attitude. "I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world (1 Cor 5:9-10)." You become of no "earthly" good when you "think of yourself more highly than you ought (Rom. 12:3)." That is the byproduct of a religious attitude that deceives you into thinking you are pleasing to God because of your perceived "obedience" to God. We must remember that we aren't better than others just better off. And be mindful of what we once were before we got saved. Somebody wasn't heavenly minded and took the time to share with us that which led us to Christ. Do the same for others. Amen!
Q: What is the difference between "Conviction" of sin and "Condemnation"?
A: Conviction of sin is when you have been found guilty of, or made aware of, a wrong doing. Condemnation is when the penalty for your conviction has been handed down to you. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of their unbelief in Jesus Christ (John 16:9). The Holy Spirit does not convict a believer of sin. God already judged mankind in regard to our sins. The verdict was guilty. The penalty was death. Jesus Christ took that penalty on our behalf. There is no penalty left for us to take because Jesus' sacrifice was once for all and for eternity. Because of that truth, there is also no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). Instead of convicting us of sin, the Holy Spirit leads a believer back into the truth of who we are in Christ; forgiven, blameless and free from accusation. That knowledge leads us into living a life of thankfulness to God for what He has done for us. In turn, we now know that there is no sin that separates us from God and we are able to approach Him in confidence in our time of need (Heb. 4:16). Conviction and condemnation are not a part of the believers vocabulary. Mercy and forgiveness are ours because of Jesus Christ. Amen!
Q: What does righteousness mean?...And what makes us Righteous?
A: Righteousness means that we are holy and blameless before God. "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight (Eph. 1:4)." We are righteous because of the righteousness of Christ that has been imputed to us through faith. "However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness (Rom. 4:5)." The moment we accepted Christ we were perfectly righteous, holy, justified and sanctified in God's eyes. This should tell us that all our attempts to maintain or sustain our righteousness through a life dedicated to repentance and obedience is not going to add one ounce of righteousness to us in God's eyes. If anything it will alienate us from God in our minds as we keep focusing on what we are trying to do for God and miss what He has already done for us in Christ. Without this knowledge we will live an impossible life that will only result in fear, depression and frustration. We may outwardly act as though we are experiencing the joy of our salvation, but inwardly we suffer in silence constantly wondering if God will ever accept us when, in fact, he already has accepted us.
Q: What does the enemy(devil) want Christians to do?
A: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy... (Jn 10:10a). The devil wants nothing more than to steal the joy of your salvation, kill the hope you have in Christ and destroy your life in anyway possible. The devil doesn't care what you are focused on as long as it is not on Jesus. One of the ways he does this is by getting us to fall for the same lie Eve fell for in the Garden; to be like God through the knowledge of good and evil. Countless Christians dedicate their entire lives to trying to be "better Christians" or more "Christlike" in their behavior through trying to live a life in accordance to what is good and evil. The only way to do that is to dedicate yourself to a life you cannot live. A life of constant repentance and obedience to rules, laws and tenants designed to modify your behavior. It is an endless trap of frustration, fear and depression as you realize you will never be like God and thus never experience His unconditional love and acceptance or have meaning and purpose to your life. Our eyes should be on discovering who we are in Christ, not on what the devil deceives us into trying to be ourselves. The life we have is Christ's life in us. After, all "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (Jn 10:10b).
Friday, October 23, 2009
The Attacks of the Devil
Q: If a Christian cannot lose their salvation then why if we are saved does the devil continue to attack us? Why does Satan want us to fall away from God?
A: The devil will continue to attack a Christian because if he can't have you he will do all in his power to ruin your life as a Christian. The Bible describes the devil as a thief and that the "thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10)." He would enjoy nothing more than to steal your joy, kill your hope and destroy your faith. One of the primary ways he does this is by getting us to believe error about our faith in Jesus Christ. Some of the error he tries to get us to believe are things like we can lose our salvation, that we must maintain or sustain our right standing before God, that our sins separate us from God or to believe that worldly gain is promised by God or is a sign of His love for us.
Unfortunately, many Christians believe that we can lose our salvation. In my opinion it is because those Christians do not know what salvation is. In other words, they do not know the Gospel. Often times their understanding of the Gospel sounds something like, "Jesus died for my sins." While that is not wrong it is definitely incomplete. The forgiveness of sins is not salvation, but a means to salvation. Nobody is saved by Jesus' death on the cross. "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand ... that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4)." The key part often left out or misunderstood is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ was God's offer of His life as a free gift to all who believe in order to restore the life we all lost when Adam sinned. We are spiritually resurrected from the dead by the life of God. It is because of the cross that there is no sin to cause that life to leave a believer. The devil tries to get us to believe that when we sin we lose that life we have. Nothing could be further from the truth. You cannot lose eternal life because there is no sin that can cause that life to leave.
If we aren't deceived into believing we can lose our salvation, the next trick of the devil is to get us believing that the goal of the Christian life is to stop sinning. This is were religion comes in. Religion can best be defined as any attempt to maintain or sustain our right standing before God through our attempted obedience at laws or rules designed to modify our behavior. And any Christian denomination can be defined by the laws it imposes on its congregation. Basically, it is trying to live a life you can never live. In order to live a life dedicated to sinlessness you must define good and evil and then try to live in accordance to those rules. Then you must institute rewards and penalties based on your obedience or lack thereof. However, the Bible says, "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:14)." When you live a life focused on trying to stop sinning, you must put yourself under law. Therefore, sin is your master! No Christian will say sin is their master, but if you believe you have to eradicate sin entirely from your life, you are mastered by it.
The motivation behind trying to live a life focused on sin is that you have to believe that your sins separate you from God. And the devil likes nothing more than to have you believing that God doesn't accept you or love you because of your failure to stop sinning. How many Christians have invented ways they believe will get God to continue to forgive their sins? We have confession booths, repeat the Lord's Prayer, keep short accounts with God, answer endless altar calls to "rededicate" ourselves to God and so on. Again, we must turn to the Bible for the truth. "Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:17-18)." If God no longer remembers our sins and there are no more sacrifices for sin, what does that say about our attempts to get more forgiveness? It says that our sacrifices are no longer required or accepted by God as payment for sin. Only the shedding of blood will grant forgiveness and we don't have a life to give that would satisfy God as payment for our sins. That is why the sacrifice of Jesus was once for all and for eternity. God doesn't remember our sins because He remembers the death of Jesus Christ on our behalf.
The Bible calls the devil the god of this world. And when we believe that God has promised us worldly gain as a sign of His love and acceptance of us we are actually worshiping the wrong God. "I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High (Isaiah 14:14)." One of the devil's main objectives is to be like God. And as the god of this world he wants nothing more than to have subjects who pay homage to him whether intentionally or unintentionally through the pursuit of what he offers. And Christians can do this by our constant attempts to acquire the comforts of this world. The false gospel of health and wellness with its focus on material wealth and personal success has deceived many well meaning Christians. I don't mean to imply that God wants us to be miserable, unhealthy failures, but that He wants us to focus on what we have inherited from Him through faith in Jesus Christ. If we allow the devil to make us believe we don't have everything we need for life and godliness from God we have no alternative than to seek it from the world. And all the world has to offer can only be received through some form of sin.
"You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace (Galatians 5:4)." The things I have mentioned are just a few of the ways the devil tries to attack us. The devil tries to attack our minds because if he can control our thinking, our bodies and our actions will follow. That is why we have to continually renew our minds on the truth of who we are and what we have in Christ. If you fall away from grace it means you have to fall to something. And that something is our own self-effort of trying to get from God through our works what we already have been given through our faith in Christ. We cannot and never have been able to justify ourselves before God. It is a gift from Him that can only be received or rejected. "When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44)." The devil is the father of lies and he demonstrates his lies by trying to get us to believe his error and deceit instead of God's truth. We have to resist the devil so as not to lose the joy of our salvation and so our salt will not lose its saltiness. If the truth sets you free then error will put you in bondage. I encourage you to put "on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes (Ephesians 6:11)." Be blessed.
A: The devil will continue to attack a Christian because if he can't have you he will do all in his power to ruin your life as a Christian. The Bible describes the devil as a thief and that the "thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10)." He would enjoy nothing more than to steal your joy, kill your hope and destroy your faith. One of the primary ways he does this is by getting us to believe error about our faith in Jesus Christ. Some of the error he tries to get us to believe are things like we can lose our salvation, that we must maintain or sustain our right standing before God, that our sins separate us from God or to believe that worldly gain is promised by God or is a sign of His love for us.
Unfortunately, many Christians believe that we can lose our salvation. In my opinion it is because those Christians do not know what salvation is. In other words, they do not know the Gospel. Often times their understanding of the Gospel sounds something like, "Jesus died for my sins." While that is not wrong it is definitely incomplete. The forgiveness of sins is not salvation, but a means to salvation. Nobody is saved by Jesus' death on the cross. "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand ... that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4)." The key part often left out or misunderstood is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ was God's offer of His life as a free gift to all who believe in order to restore the life we all lost when Adam sinned. We are spiritually resurrected from the dead by the life of God. It is because of the cross that there is no sin to cause that life to leave a believer. The devil tries to get us to believe that when we sin we lose that life we have. Nothing could be further from the truth. You cannot lose eternal life because there is no sin that can cause that life to leave.
If we aren't deceived into believing we can lose our salvation, the next trick of the devil is to get us believing that the goal of the Christian life is to stop sinning. This is were religion comes in. Religion can best be defined as any attempt to maintain or sustain our right standing before God through our attempted obedience at laws or rules designed to modify our behavior. And any Christian denomination can be defined by the laws it imposes on its congregation. Basically, it is trying to live a life you can never live. In order to live a life dedicated to sinlessness you must define good and evil and then try to live in accordance to those rules. Then you must institute rewards and penalties based on your obedience or lack thereof. However, the Bible says, "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:14)." When you live a life focused on trying to stop sinning, you must put yourself under law. Therefore, sin is your master! No Christian will say sin is their master, but if you believe you have to eradicate sin entirely from your life, you are mastered by it.
The motivation behind trying to live a life focused on sin is that you have to believe that your sins separate you from God. And the devil likes nothing more than to have you believing that God doesn't accept you or love you because of your failure to stop sinning. How many Christians have invented ways they believe will get God to continue to forgive their sins? We have confession booths, repeat the Lord's Prayer, keep short accounts with God, answer endless altar calls to "rededicate" ourselves to God and so on. Again, we must turn to the Bible for the truth. "Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:17-18)." If God no longer remembers our sins and there are no more sacrifices for sin, what does that say about our attempts to get more forgiveness? It says that our sacrifices are no longer required or accepted by God as payment for sin. Only the shedding of blood will grant forgiveness and we don't have a life to give that would satisfy God as payment for our sins. That is why the sacrifice of Jesus was once for all and for eternity. God doesn't remember our sins because He remembers the death of Jesus Christ on our behalf.
The Bible calls the devil the god of this world. And when we believe that God has promised us worldly gain as a sign of His love and acceptance of us we are actually worshiping the wrong God. "I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High (Isaiah 14:14)." One of the devil's main objectives is to be like God. And as the god of this world he wants nothing more than to have subjects who pay homage to him whether intentionally or unintentionally through the pursuit of what he offers. And Christians can do this by our constant attempts to acquire the comforts of this world. The false gospel of health and wellness with its focus on material wealth and personal success has deceived many well meaning Christians. I don't mean to imply that God wants us to be miserable, unhealthy failures, but that He wants us to focus on what we have inherited from Him through faith in Jesus Christ. If we allow the devil to make us believe we don't have everything we need for life and godliness from God we have no alternative than to seek it from the world. And all the world has to offer can only be received through some form of sin.
"You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace (Galatians 5:4)." The things I have mentioned are just a few of the ways the devil tries to attack us. The devil tries to attack our minds because if he can control our thinking, our bodies and our actions will follow. That is why we have to continually renew our minds on the truth of who we are and what we have in Christ. If you fall away from grace it means you have to fall to something. And that something is our own self-effort of trying to get from God through our works what we already have been given through our faith in Christ. We cannot and never have been able to justify ourselves before God. It is a gift from Him that can only be received or rejected. "When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44)." The devil is the father of lies and he demonstrates his lies by trying to get us to believe his error and deceit instead of God's truth. We have to resist the devil so as not to lose the joy of our salvation and so our salt will not lose its saltiness. If the truth sets you free then error will put you in bondage. I encourage you to put "on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes (Ephesians 6:11)." Be blessed.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Self-Righteousness is no Righteousness at all
I will never understand the love affair Christians have with this idea that somehow their righteousness in God's eyes is dependent on them doing the impossible. Honestly, it is a misunderstanding bordering on disrespect that proclaims that we have anything to do with our right standing. If someone were to ask you about righteousness, and how you get it, what would you say? Maybe it sounds something like the following responses:
"Righteousness means we strive "daily" for the will of God. We are not perfect and we already have the salvation of Jesus to take care of that but this is a responsibility that we have."
"Righteousness is the judgment that we are living a life that pleases God. It is being right and doing right as lead by the word of God."
"Righteousness = JESUS CHRIST...us + confession + repentance + JESUS CHRIST = JESUS CHRIST = Righteousness..."
"What's righteousness? Living by Gods Word.. What makes us righteous? Living by Gods Word."
"Too obey the word and to give up things that are not right through god. Helping others as much as possible also speaking the word to others. Fearing god when not doing right also fasting any praying always remembering god is a loving and forgiving God."
No, no, no, no and no! Our righteousness before God has nothing to do with striving daily, trying to live a life pleasing to God, formulas, living by God's Word or being obedient. Why do I say this? Because all of it revolves around the individual trying to find ways in which to live up to all these statements. The bottom line is that in order to do so each individual will have to submit themselves to some form of law in order to meet their objective. It also is clear evidence of the ignorance of their identity in Christ. It makes me wonder what Gospel they received? What Jesus Christ have they put faith in? There is no Gospel or Jesus that tells us to respond in a manner that makes us utter such general statements like the ones above. All they do is raise more questions than answers.
How do we strive daily to find the will of God?
What, exactly, is the evidence of living a life that is pleasing to God?
What do we confess? Our sins? What do we repent of? Our sins?
What part of God's Word do we live by?
All of these questions are meant to reveal how each answer to the question of righteousness in one way or another is tied to our behavior. Often times those who feel that righteousness is commingled with our behavior will define what needs to be done through the prism of religion. Nearly every denomination has a set of laws it imposes on its congregants that they believe will meet God's requirements. Yet, when I read the Bible I see a different message. Jesus said, "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20)." Jesus also said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48)." How are you doing at these requirements?
Pharisees, by definition, emphasized strict interpretation and observance of the Mosaic law in both its oral and written form. Jesus said that our righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees! And do we even need to begin to fathom the impossible command to be as perfect as God Himself? Instead of acting as though Jesus was encouraging us with these words, we should be asking the question, "How then can anyone be righteous in God's eyes if we don't strive, obey, confess and live out God's Word?" The answer is that a Christian lives by faith. "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit...(1 Peter 3:18)." The only righteous person that ever walked this world was Jesus Christ.
Jesus' righteousness surpassed that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law because He fulfilled the law. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17)." He fulfilled the law by walking in perfect love. And He was as perfect as the Father in Heaven because He is God. "I and the Father are one (John 10:30)." Because Jesus is God and fulfilled the law on our behalf, we have been given His righteousness as a gift of our faith. There is nothing more to try and obtain as we live our lives. We already have it. If you don't know you are already righteous in God's eyes you have cursed yourself to living a life of self-righteousness based on your deeds. And self-righteousness is no righteousness at all. It is an attitude that says "look at me and what I have done." The righteousness that comes from faith in Christ is an attitude that says, "look at Jesus and all He has done for me." The first comes from pride while the second comes from humility. Which one do you want?
"Righteousness means we strive "daily" for the will of God. We are not perfect and we already have the salvation of Jesus to take care of that but this is a responsibility that we have."
"Righteousness is the judgment that we are living a life that pleases God. It is being right and doing right as lead by the word of God."
"Righteousness = JESUS CHRIST...us + confession + repentance + JESUS CHRIST = JESUS CHRIST = Righteousness..."
"What's righteousness? Living by Gods Word.. What makes us righteous? Living by Gods Word."
"Too obey the word and to give up things that are not right through god. Helping others as much as possible also speaking the word to others. Fearing god when not doing right also fasting any praying always remembering god is a loving and forgiving God."
No, no, no, no and no! Our righteousness before God has nothing to do with striving daily, trying to live a life pleasing to God, formulas, living by God's Word or being obedient. Why do I say this? Because all of it revolves around the individual trying to find ways in which to live up to all these statements. The bottom line is that in order to do so each individual will have to submit themselves to some form of law in order to meet their objective. It also is clear evidence of the ignorance of their identity in Christ. It makes me wonder what Gospel they received? What Jesus Christ have they put faith in? There is no Gospel or Jesus that tells us to respond in a manner that makes us utter such general statements like the ones above. All they do is raise more questions than answers.
How do we strive daily to find the will of God?
What, exactly, is the evidence of living a life that is pleasing to God?
What do we confess? Our sins? What do we repent of? Our sins?
What part of God's Word do we live by?
All of these questions are meant to reveal how each answer to the question of righteousness in one way or another is tied to our behavior. Often times those who feel that righteousness is commingled with our behavior will define what needs to be done through the prism of religion. Nearly every denomination has a set of laws it imposes on its congregants that they believe will meet God's requirements. Yet, when I read the Bible I see a different message. Jesus said, "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20)." Jesus also said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48)." How are you doing at these requirements?
Pharisees, by definition, emphasized strict interpretation and observance of the Mosaic law in both its oral and written form. Jesus said that our righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees! And do we even need to begin to fathom the impossible command to be as perfect as God Himself? Instead of acting as though Jesus was encouraging us with these words, we should be asking the question, "How then can anyone be righteous in God's eyes if we don't strive, obey, confess and live out God's Word?" The answer is that a Christian lives by faith. "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit...(1 Peter 3:18)." The only righteous person that ever walked this world was Jesus Christ.
Jesus' righteousness surpassed that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law because He fulfilled the law. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17)." He fulfilled the law by walking in perfect love. And He was as perfect as the Father in Heaven because He is God. "I and the Father are one (John 10:30)." Because Jesus is God and fulfilled the law on our behalf, we have been given His righteousness as a gift of our faith. There is nothing more to try and obtain as we live our lives. We already have it. If you don't know you are already righteous in God's eyes you have cursed yourself to living a life of self-righteousness based on your deeds. And self-righteousness is no righteousness at all. It is an attitude that says "look at me and what I have done." The righteousness that comes from faith in Christ is an attitude that says, "look at Jesus and all He has done for me." The first comes from pride while the second comes from humility. Which one do you want?
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The Devil made you Do It
Q: Does the Devil know the bible?
A: Yes, I believe it is safe to say that the Devil knows the Bible. It is the best way in which he has deceived so many people, Christians and non-Christians alike, for centuries. In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we see where the Devil's knowledge of scripture helps him deceive Eve into causing the Fall of mankind. "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden' (Genesis 3:1)?" The Devil knew exactly what it was that God told Adam which allowed him to question Eve. One thing to notice is how Eve didn't know what God had said to Adam which assisted in her being deceived. "The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die (Genesis 3:2-3).'" God did not say anything to Adam about not touching the tree. Adam either didn't convey the message to Eve properly, she forgot what was said to her, or just didn't know. In either case, her ignorance of the truth had catastrophic consequences.
Unfortunately, Eve is not alone in her lack of understanding of the Bible. Many Christians are guilty of the same problem and that has played right into the Devil's hands. The Bible says the Devil accuses and slanders believers, deceives the whole world, tempts believers and is the Father of lies amongst other things. His influence has led to many false teachings which have found a home under the banner of Christianity. We have people, who call themselves Christians, believing in such things like Jesus was not God, that Jesus was the spirit brother of the Devil, that God desires all Christians to be wealthy, that God chooses who goes to heaven and hell and many other errors. All of these are the byproduct of simply not knowing the Bible and thus giving the Devil ample opportunity to deceive people. "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15)." It is not heeding the instruction of the Bible to correctly handle the word of truth that is behind the Devil's ability to accomplish his deception. Quite frankly, many so-called Christians are content with not even opening the Bible to see if what they believe is true or not.
The perfect example of the Devil's knowledge of the Bible comes during his temptation of Jesus recounted for us in Luke 4. After tempting Jesus to turn a stone to bread and offering Him the kingdoms of the world, the Devil leads Him to Jerusalem and to the top of the highest temple. There he says to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone (Luke 4:9-11).' The Devil clearly says "it is written" which means he knows the Bible. However, unlike Eve in the Garden of Eden, Jesus, being God Himself, knows the Bible as well. Each time He is tempted by the Devil He shows us how to deal with Devil's schemes. After each temptation, Jesus responded with "it is written" or "it says." When the Devil realized he was not going to be successful with his temptation he left Jesus alone. Christians need to familiar ourselves with the Bible so well that when a counterfeit teaching or temptation comes along we will recognize it immediately by matching it up with the truth.
We have established that the Devil does know the Bible. I hope that we have also established that the only way to avoid falling for his schemes is through knowledge of the Bible ourselves. But, we must go one step further. Just like the Devil, many Christians know the Bible, but not all of us know the Bible in context. "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14)." Full understanding of the Bible only comes through the discernment of the Holy Spirit. We need God to teach us the meaning of the Bible so that we can correctly handle it. While we will never face the temptations of Eve and Jesus, we definitely get tempted by the Devil in various ways. The Christian life is all about trusting in and depending on God, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, to guide is into all truth. God wants us to mature in our faith and knowledge of the Bible "in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11)." The full armour of God talked about in the Bible is knowledge of His Word. By putting it on, having full understanding of it, we can shield our minds from the Devil's attempts to lead us astray.
A: Yes, I believe it is safe to say that the Devil knows the Bible. It is the best way in which he has deceived so many people, Christians and non-Christians alike, for centuries. In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we see where the Devil's knowledge of scripture helps him deceive Eve into causing the Fall of mankind. "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden' (Genesis 3:1)?" The Devil knew exactly what it was that God told Adam which allowed him to question Eve. One thing to notice is how Eve didn't know what God had said to Adam which assisted in her being deceived. "The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die (Genesis 3:2-3).'" God did not say anything to Adam about not touching the tree. Adam either didn't convey the message to Eve properly, she forgot what was said to her, or just didn't know. In either case, her ignorance of the truth had catastrophic consequences.
Unfortunately, Eve is not alone in her lack of understanding of the Bible. Many Christians are guilty of the same problem and that has played right into the Devil's hands. The Bible says the Devil accuses and slanders believers, deceives the whole world, tempts believers and is the Father of lies amongst other things. His influence has led to many false teachings which have found a home under the banner of Christianity. We have people, who call themselves Christians, believing in such things like Jesus was not God, that Jesus was the spirit brother of the Devil, that God desires all Christians to be wealthy, that God chooses who goes to heaven and hell and many other errors. All of these are the byproduct of simply not knowing the Bible and thus giving the Devil ample opportunity to deceive people. "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15)." It is not heeding the instruction of the Bible to correctly handle the word of truth that is behind the Devil's ability to accomplish his deception. Quite frankly, many so-called Christians are content with not even opening the Bible to see if what they believe is true or not.
The perfect example of the Devil's knowledge of the Bible comes during his temptation of Jesus recounted for us in Luke 4. After tempting Jesus to turn a stone to bread and offering Him the kingdoms of the world, the Devil leads Him to Jerusalem and to the top of the highest temple. There he says to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone (Luke 4:9-11).' The Devil clearly says "it is written" which means he knows the Bible. However, unlike Eve in the Garden of Eden, Jesus, being God Himself, knows the Bible as well. Each time He is tempted by the Devil He shows us how to deal with Devil's schemes. After each temptation, Jesus responded with "it is written" or "it says." When the Devil realized he was not going to be successful with his temptation he left Jesus alone. Christians need to familiar ourselves with the Bible so well that when a counterfeit teaching or temptation comes along we will recognize it immediately by matching it up with the truth.
We have established that the Devil does know the Bible. I hope that we have also established that the only way to avoid falling for his schemes is through knowledge of the Bible ourselves. But, we must go one step further. Just like the Devil, many Christians know the Bible, but not all of us know the Bible in context. "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14)." Full understanding of the Bible only comes through the discernment of the Holy Spirit. We need God to teach us the meaning of the Bible so that we can correctly handle it. While we will never face the temptations of Eve and Jesus, we definitely get tempted by the Devil in various ways. The Christian life is all about trusting in and depending on God, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, to guide is into all truth. God wants us to mature in our faith and knowledge of the Bible "in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11)." The full armour of God talked about in the Bible is knowledge of His Word. By putting it on, having full understanding of it, we can shield our minds from the Devil's attempts to lead us astray.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
My Answer is ... October 17, 2009
Q: It doesn’t matter how hard you hit in life, but when you get hit hard YOU GET UP AND KEEP MOVING… Declare today, “I WILL KEEP MOVING”!!
A: Father, I pray that you keep reminding me that the "moving" I do is not in the energy of my own flesh, but in response to the knowledge of who I am in Christ. Help me to be a reflection of You living in and through me so I can be a witness of Your love and acceptance to a hurt and dying world. Let my life be a reflection to Christians that we are not to live a life of obedience to You in hopes of being blessed by You, but a reflection that You have already blessed us by giving us Yourself. Let me be a beacon to the lost world that the unconditional love, acceptance and meaning and purpose to life cannot be found in the world, but only through coming alive to You in Christ. Keep teaching me and revealing to me the inheritance I already have been given by You to remind me that my motivation for living is a response to Your love of me as Your child. I pray that all Christians realize that if they are still trying to obtain or maintain their right standing in your eyes through their works that they are made aware of the fact that they are already righteous in your eyes because of Jesus Christ. I ask this is the name of Jesus. Amen!
Q: HOW DOES "FAITH" COME?
A: Father, I pray that you keep reminding me that the "moving" I do is not in the energy of my own flesh, but in response to the knowledge of who I am in Christ. Help me to be a reflection of You living in and through me so I can be a witness of Your love and acceptance to a hurt and dying world. Let my life be a reflection to Christians that we are not to live a life of obedience to You in hopes of being blessed by You, but a reflection that You have already blessed us by giving us Yourself. Let me be a beacon to the lost world that the unconditional love, acceptance and meaning and purpose to life cannot be found in the world, but only through coming alive to You in Christ. Keep teaching me and revealing to me the inheritance I already have been given by You to remind me that my motivation for living is a response to Your love of me as Your child. I pray that all Christians realize that if they are still trying to obtain or maintain their right standing in your eyes through their works that they are made aware of the fact that they are already righteous in your eyes because of Jesus Christ. I ask this is the name of Jesus. Amen!
Q: HOW DOES "FAITH" COME?
A: As was stated, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17)." So, if faith comes by hearing the message through the word of Christ, we must ask what is faith? Faith is our response to the truth that has been revealed to us through the Word. Faith is a natural byproduct of an encounter with truth that leads to our accepting of it and resting in it. Jesus is the truth and what He has said about us and offered us, through His death, burial and resurrection, is the key to life. We knew we were dead to God in sin and responded to His offer of forgiveness and resurrected life. In turn, it is our faith in Him that leads to us to being a witness for Him. That is why Paul asked the question, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent (Romans 10:14-15)?" The calling is to Jesus, we respond in faith and He sends us out to preach His message of salvation. Amen!
Q: Are there mountains in your life?..If so how can you make those mountains "move" out of our life?
A: The Bible says if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we could move mountains. And I don't see too many mountains moving. The conclusion to that is it isn't the size of our faith, but the size of our God that counts. The Bible reminds us that "God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, is faithful (1 Cor. 1:9)." The key isn't trying to move mountains in our life, but trusting in and depending on God to stick with us in the midst of the struggles we encounter. There is a reason scripture reminds us not to be anxious, that we don't have spirit of fear and not to worry. It is because the mountains in our life cause us to experience all these things and God is aware of it. But, it is in the knowledge that we know He is faithful to us, never leaving or forsaking us that comforts us and gives us strength in our times of need. It is that truth that led the Apostle Paul to exclaim, "I can do everything through him who strengthens me (Phil 4:13)." Paul knew that the ups and downs of life were not enough to separate Him from God. It is a lesson we need to learn in order to deal with our mountains in life.
Q: Is there such a thing of separation of Church and State?
A: Speaking more directly to Chris' question Christians should never separate themselves from the public. Being a Christian is not something we do and keep private from the world. Being a Christian is who we are and we are compelled by Christ's love to share that with the world. It is in that Spirit that we support any person, place or thing that is promoting or defending the tenants of Christianity and its effect on this country and the world. Remember, as Christians, we are the salt of the earth. And we can't be the salt of the earth if we are keeping what we have to ourselves. Of course, we should our best to let our "conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone (Col 4:6)." And as Paul said, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men (Rom 12:18)." But, we should never compromise truth in order to just keep the peace. The message we have has eternal consequences. We are the Church and should never be separate from the State. Because it is the State that needs the message of the Church. Be encouraged.
The rest of the passage in 1 Corinthians 10 gives further evidence to this topic. "Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God — even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved (1 Cor. 10:32-33)." We seek the good of the many not our own good. It is when we are being a witness for the Lord, out in public, that there may come a time where we have to put the good of the many over our own. If standing and proclaiming the Gospel may result in your own harm, but benefit the individual(s) you are surrounded by, then it may be a time to suffer for being a Christian. Maybe mentioning the name of Jesus, saying a prayer in His name or abstaining from doing something against your faith could result in the loss of a job or other condemnation. But, remember our God will take care of you as He always has. Of course, this is an individual choice and not encouragement to be a disruption, but there may come a time when you may have to COMBINE the Church and the State. Be ready!
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Static or Mobile Christian
Q: There is a school of thought that says don`t wait until God shows you where to go but start moving and He will lead you while you move. In other words He cannot guide you if you are static but only if you are mobile. Is this scriptural? I am aware of many scriptures that say the contrary such as `unless the Lord builds the house they labour in vain who try to build it` or `unless you abide in the vine you can do nothing`. Elijah would not move from the mountain (experiencing depression) but God moved Him by speaking/guiding Him from a stopped position. Abraham left his home etc because the Word of God came to Him and told him to leave. His step of faith followed a word not beforehand. Surely a step of faith needs to come after hearing from God not beforehand? My question: is there any clear cut examples from scripture where someone followed their heart without hearing God`s voice and then was guided by God afterwards?
A: I am not sure that the statement you mentioned has much, if any, biblical foundation. Each individual Christian has their own unique relationship with Jesus Christ. All of us are at different stages of our maturity and understanding in regards to who we are in Christ and how that applies to our individual life circumstances. The assumption that we either wait on God or just start engaging the world is a premise that I don't readily accept. God is not so much concerned with you being "static" or "mobile." If God is concerned with anything He is concerned with your "availability" to Him. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1)." We are urged to be living sacrifices to God. Sacrifice means to surrender or give up for the sake of something else. Jesus said a Christian "must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Matthew 16:24)." This has little to do with our actions, being static or mobile, but is about our attitude as Christians.
The Apostle Paul said, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus... (Philippians 2:5)." And what was the attitude of Christ Jesus? "I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me (John 8:28)." God speaks to Christians through His Spirit which indwells each and everyone of us. This means that as we go about our daily lives we do so with an attitude that if an opportunity presents itself to share what we know about the Lord then we take that opportunity. There is a problem that can arise when we focus on being "static" or "mobile" in our Christian lives. If we live a life of constantly waiting on the Lord to guide us we may be of no use to the world and get nothing accomplished personally. This belief can be taken to extremes where we sit around waiting for God to tell us everything to do in our lives from where to live, what job to take, who to marry, what to eat and so on. On the other hand many Christians believe and teach that we should get involved in serving immediately. Therefore, Christians are thrust into church activity without any regard to the individuals Christian maturity or desire to get involved. This can quickly lead to burnout and disinterest in being a Christian because, as a friend of mine once said, Christianity becomes "like a second job."
As far as any scriptural evidence to support someone who followed their heart without first hearing from God, the example of the disciples choosing Matthias to take the place of Judas may be one. After Jesus was taken up into heaven the disciples got together, under the direction of Peter, to choose a replacement. While we can read those present consorted scripture and prayed for guidance, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs (Acts 1:24-25)," there is no indication that God specifically answered their prayer or directed them to select Matthias. In fact, they resorted to casting lots as the way in which to determine that Matthias was to take the place of Judas. It is almost humorous that the position of Apostle of Jesus Christ was determined by a game of chance. This is more an example of mankind's impatience, the freedom we have in Christ to choose what direction in which to go in and a testament to the overwhelming sovereignty of God who still used their choice to advance His plan of salvation. We hear nothing of what Matthias did after his selection, but we also do not read where God was displeased with his selection.
I applaud you for testing this commonly used phrase up against the standard of scripture to see if it is true. There are many cliches that Christians say to each other that have little to no origin within the pages of scripture. The use of them, while well meaning in many cases, can also serve to reinforce bad teaching and doctrines not consistent with our life in Christ. And as I stated earlier, can lead to us being paralyzed or frustrated in our walk with the Lord and in our everyday lives. The Bible encourages Christians to "not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13)." Our Christian lives begin and end with our understanding and putting faith in the fact that God loves and accepts us unconditionally. It is knowing how much He loves us which compels us in our daily lives. Rather than deciding on whether to wait for God's direction or to get moving and hope He blesses our actions, we should live a life of faith in response to the love God has already shown to us. In turn, we engage the world with the love we have received from God through faith in Jesus Christ and are available to serve others with that love when the opportunity presents itself.
A: I am not sure that the statement you mentioned has much, if any, biblical foundation. Each individual Christian has their own unique relationship with Jesus Christ. All of us are at different stages of our maturity and understanding in regards to who we are in Christ and how that applies to our individual life circumstances. The assumption that we either wait on God or just start engaging the world is a premise that I don't readily accept. God is not so much concerned with you being "static" or "mobile." If God is concerned with anything He is concerned with your "availability" to Him. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1)." We are urged to be living sacrifices to God. Sacrifice means to surrender or give up for the sake of something else. Jesus said a Christian "must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Matthew 16:24)." This has little to do with our actions, being static or mobile, but is about our attitude as Christians.
The Apostle Paul said, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus... (Philippians 2:5)." And what was the attitude of Christ Jesus? "I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me (John 8:28)." God speaks to Christians through His Spirit which indwells each and everyone of us. This means that as we go about our daily lives we do so with an attitude that if an opportunity presents itself to share what we know about the Lord then we take that opportunity. There is a problem that can arise when we focus on being "static" or "mobile" in our Christian lives. If we live a life of constantly waiting on the Lord to guide us we may be of no use to the world and get nothing accomplished personally. This belief can be taken to extremes where we sit around waiting for God to tell us everything to do in our lives from where to live, what job to take, who to marry, what to eat and so on. On the other hand many Christians believe and teach that we should get involved in serving immediately. Therefore, Christians are thrust into church activity without any regard to the individuals Christian maturity or desire to get involved. This can quickly lead to burnout and disinterest in being a Christian because, as a friend of mine once said, Christianity becomes "like a second job."
As far as any scriptural evidence to support someone who followed their heart without first hearing from God, the example of the disciples choosing Matthias to take the place of Judas may be one. After Jesus was taken up into heaven the disciples got together, under the direction of Peter, to choose a replacement. While we can read those present consorted scripture and prayed for guidance, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs (Acts 1:24-25)," there is no indication that God specifically answered their prayer or directed them to select Matthias. In fact, they resorted to casting lots as the way in which to determine that Matthias was to take the place of Judas. It is almost humorous that the position of Apostle of Jesus Christ was determined by a game of chance. This is more an example of mankind's impatience, the freedom we have in Christ to choose what direction in which to go in and a testament to the overwhelming sovereignty of God who still used their choice to advance His plan of salvation. We hear nothing of what Matthias did after his selection, but we also do not read where God was displeased with his selection.
I applaud you for testing this commonly used phrase up against the standard of scripture to see if it is true. There are many cliches that Christians say to each other that have little to no origin within the pages of scripture. The use of them, while well meaning in many cases, can also serve to reinforce bad teaching and doctrines not consistent with our life in Christ. And as I stated earlier, can lead to us being paralyzed or frustrated in our walk with the Lord and in our everyday lives. The Bible encourages Christians to "not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13)." Our Christian lives begin and end with our understanding and putting faith in the fact that God loves and accepts us unconditionally. It is knowing how much He loves us which compels us in our daily lives. Rather than deciding on whether to wait for God's direction or to get moving and hope He blesses our actions, we should live a life of faith in response to the love God has already shown to us. In turn, we engage the world with the love we have received from God through faith in Jesus Christ and are available to serve others with that love when the opportunity presents itself.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Your Best is not Good Enough
My pastor tells the story of being confronted by a gentleman who wanted to promote that Christians were supposed to keep the commandment to obey the Sabbath Day. My pastor asked the gentleman, "How are you doing at keeping the Sabbath?" He replied, "I am doing my best." To which my pastor said, "Your best is not good enough!" You see, God doesn't require our best effort, God demands perfect obedience to His commands or to suffer the consequences. Those consequences in most cases is death. With that conversation in mind I was reading the comments of Christians in regards to Deuteronomy 13:4. That verse reads, "It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him." Albeit sad, many of the responses were simply "Amen." But, some were more disheartening:
"We must follow HIM - READ HIS WORD - OBEY!!! - serve HIM & others."
"If you love the Lord you will obey his commands! Preach it brothaa!" (sic)
"...sounds like a plan to me and try to do it every day. this should be a mission statement for all of us."
"I will try, with all my heart!"
These few responses represent the attitude of countless Christians. All of them living in the energy of their own flesh trying to be obedient to commands designed to show us that we cannot live up to them. If the nation of Israel, especially its leadership, could not keep all of the commands of God, what makes us believe we can? Human pride and the failure to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in a believers life. This is also the problem that happens when we play "scriptural hopscotch," picking and choosing what scriptures we want to use to justify our biases and beliefs. As often as you hear Christians talk about reading scripture in context, time and time again you notice a total disregard for this rule. This verse in Deuteronomy 13 is no exception.
This passage is written to the nation of Israel in the midst of a warning to them about listening to people who try to lead you into following false gods. Now, there is a general principle hear that can apply to Christians. Of course, we ought not to follow false gods. However, I notice that Christians rarely if ever keep reading in order to see what else is being said by God in these instances. In Deuteronomy 13:5, it says, "That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the Lord..." We live in a day and age where false gods are preached and promoted constantly. Should we put to death those that try to lead us astray? Later in the chapter we read that if a brother, son, daughter, wife or closest friend tries to lead you into following false gods we are to show "him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death (Deuteronomy 13:8-9)." How about obeying this command? Will we try with all our hearts to obey God if it means killing family and friends?
The interesting thing in all of this is that the people who God is telling the nation of Israel to avoid are those who arise from within their own ranks. In other words, fellow Israelites. How many Christian teachers and pastors "prophesy" about different things that either don't come true or lead us astray into false teachings? I had a female pastor, a problem in its own right, try to tell me my future and it didn't come true. Should I have stoned her to death? According to Deuteronomy 13 I should have. Of course, I wouldn't have done it. And that is what is so difficult and impossible about the Law. In fact, "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law (Galatians 3:10)." As Christians, we can verbalize all the support we want to by saying we will obey God and do what He commands, but we are just putting ourselves under a curse. We are under a curse, in many ways, because we are dedicating ourselves to living a life we can never live.
Our lives as Christians is not a life of repentance and obedience. It is not a life of trying to pick and choose what laws to obey. God is not impressed by our boasts to try with all our heart to obey him. And His commands are not a mission statement to use like a carrot to give us motivation for our lives. The Bible is clear that the "righteous will live by faith (Romans 1:17)." We don't live by law. We don't live by commands. We live by faith in the indwelling Holy Spirit, who guides us from within. Our lives as Christians is a life of faith and trust as we respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ gave His life to us to live His live through us. If we are going to take the law and apply it to ourselves we must obey all of the law. "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10)." Whether it is the Sabbath law, a law surrounding the worship of other gods or any other law, we are obligated to obey the entire law or face its consequences. Thankfully, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law so that we can rest from our righteous works of trying to obtain or maintain our right standing before God. Let us believe this truth and rejoice.
"We must follow HIM - READ HIS WORD - OBEY!!! - serve HIM & others."
"If you love the Lord you will obey his commands! Preach it brothaa!" (sic)
"...sounds like a plan to me and try to do it every day. this should be a mission statement for all of us."
"I will try, with all my heart!"
These few responses represent the attitude of countless Christians. All of them living in the energy of their own flesh trying to be obedient to commands designed to show us that we cannot live up to them. If the nation of Israel, especially its leadership, could not keep all of the commands of God, what makes us believe we can? Human pride and the failure to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in a believers life. This is also the problem that happens when we play "scriptural hopscotch," picking and choosing what scriptures we want to use to justify our biases and beliefs. As often as you hear Christians talk about reading scripture in context, time and time again you notice a total disregard for this rule. This verse in Deuteronomy 13 is no exception.
This passage is written to the nation of Israel in the midst of a warning to them about listening to people who try to lead you into following false gods. Now, there is a general principle hear that can apply to Christians. Of course, we ought not to follow false gods. However, I notice that Christians rarely if ever keep reading in order to see what else is being said by God in these instances. In Deuteronomy 13:5, it says, "That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the Lord..." We live in a day and age where false gods are preached and promoted constantly. Should we put to death those that try to lead us astray? Later in the chapter we read that if a brother, son, daughter, wife or closest friend tries to lead you into following false gods we are to show "him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death (Deuteronomy 13:8-9)." How about obeying this command? Will we try with all our hearts to obey God if it means killing family and friends?
The interesting thing in all of this is that the people who God is telling the nation of Israel to avoid are those who arise from within their own ranks. In other words, fellow Israelites. How many Christian teachers and pastors "prophesy" about different things that either don't come true or lead us astray into false teachings? I had a female pastor, a problem in its own right, try to tell me my future and it didn't come true. Should I have stoned her to death? According to Deuteronomy 13 I should have. Of course, I wouldn't have done it. And that is what is so difficult and impossible about the Law. In fact, "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law (Galatians 3:10)." As Christians, we can verbalize all the support we want to by saying we will obey God and do what He commands, but we are just putting ourselves under a curse. We are under a curse, in many ways, because we are dedicating ourselves to living a life we can never live.
Our lives as Christians is not a life of repentance and obedience. It is not a life of trying to pick and choose what laws to obey. God is not impressed by our boasts to try with all our heart to obey him. And His commands are not a mission statement to use like a carrot to give us motivation for our lives. The Bible is clear that the "righteous will live by faith (Romans 1:17)." We don't live by law. We don't live by commands. We live by faith in the indwelling Holy Spirit, who guides us from within. Our lives as Christians is a life of faith and trust as we respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ gave His life to us to live His live through us. If we are going to take the law and apply it to ourselves we must obey all of the law. "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10)." Whether it is the Sabbath law, a law surrounding the worship of other gods or any other law, we are obligated to obey the entire law or face its consequences. Thankfully, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law so that we can rest from our righteous works of trying to obtain or maintain our right standing before God. Let us believe this truth and rejoice.
Friday, October 9, 2009
My Answer is ... October 9, 2009
Q: For Christians, “YOU CAN WIN” is a false statement! “YOU HAVE WON” is the correct statement because every “battle” and “trial” was won in our life when Jesus shed His blood on the cross for us. “Declare” today “I WIN”…
A: To win is to "get possession of by effort or furtune." We know that our effot (works) amount to nothing, But, we know we are fortunate in that we are heirs of God (Gal 4:7). And as an heir we have an inheritance. And what is included in that inheritance we have? We are chosen by God (Eph 1:4), Saved by grace (Eph. 2:8-9), God is propitiated (1 Jn 2:2), we are reconciled to God (Rom 5:10), we are redeemed (Eph 1:7), Freed from the Law (Rom 7:4), totally forgiven (Col 2:13), totally cleansed (1 Cor 6:11), made holy and blameless (Col 1:22), hidden with Christ (Col 3:3), clothed wit Christ (Gal 3:27), given Christ's righteousness (Rom 5:17), justified (Rom 3:23-24), made at peace with God (Rom 5:1), freed from condemnation (Rom 8:1), sanctified (made holy) (Heb 10:10), made perfect forever (Heb 10:14), totally accepted (Rom 15:7), in fellowship with God (1 Cor 1:9), made complete (Col 2:9-10), given total access to God (Eph 3:16) and given everything (Eph 1:3; 2 Ptr 1:3). And there is much, much more. We have won, indeed!
Q: The bible says He who has found his life will lose it, but he who lost his life for my sake will save it..What does that mean?
A: Jesus said, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (Mat 10:39)." The life He wants us to lose is our pursuit of unconditional love, acceptance and meaning and purpose to life in anything other then a relationship with our God. Jesus told the rich man to sell his possessions to the poor and the man "went away sad." When the disciple wanted to bury his father Jesus told him to "let the dead bury their own dead." How many of us put the cares of the world before the things of God? Some even expect God to bless them with the things of this world if they just pray hard enough for them or are "obedient" enough to Him. This is a lie. God has given us Himself! God has given us His life, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, to indwell us for all eternity. He has given us everything we need for life and godliness and blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ so we would rest from trying to obtain these things from the world. When you realize the abundant life you already have in Christ you will forget about pursuing the life the world offers.
Q: What does it mean to live in the world..? Does it mean just material stuff?
A: Well, we do live in the world physically, but the battle is in our mind. Do we look for the world to meet the deepest desires of our heart that can only be met through a relationship with God? Do we think our earthly circumstances our a reflection of God's love and acceptance of us? I can't tell you how many people think that the direction in which their life is going is how God views them. How terrible is that? Instead of looking at themselves from God's perspective they look at themselves from the world's eyes. Bottom line is that too many Christians are looking for fleshly blessings rather than resting in the spiritual blessings they already have. It's all about more children, a bigger house, a better job, being healthier, having more money and thus they are never content. Thus we live in worry about what we don't have and never realize what we do have. Again, if God has given us everything we need and every spiritual blessing what is it we don't feel we have? And if you are still expecting something from God perhaps you are desiring something He didn't promise to give. Something to think about.
Q: Why do we need to "Pray"?
A: The purpose of prayer is to have personal, intelligent conversation with our Father in Heaven. This is the reason that Christ redeemed us. We pray in order to understand who we are in Christ and what we have in Him. And as we discover what we have we can apply that to our circumstances. Since God loves us we talk to Him. We are encouraged to do this secretly, on a one on one basis so as to be honest and open with Him. Prayer is not where we get God to move on our behalf to do our will. He is not a vending machine. God has already moved on our behalf, in Christ Jesus, and prayer is the way in which to understand what He has already done for us. There are no formulas, repetitive prayers or group sessions required in order for this to take place. We can approach God in confidence, praying unceasingly and making our requests known to Him because we are perfect, holy and blameless in His site. But we must remember to listen more than we speak and allow our prayer to be motivated by Him through His Word. And we respond by praying God's Word back to Him as it relates to our personal life, heartaches, needs, and aspirations. Amen!
Q: If Jesus has given us "Grace" for all our sins, can Christians live anyway they want too?
A: "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive (1 Cor 10:23)." In short we are free to "live anyway we want to." But, is how we live a reflection of who we are in Christ? We have been called to freedom. But, we are encouraged to use that freedom to serve one another in love and not indulge the flesh (Gal 5:13). We are not under law. We do not live a life of repentance and obedience to what is good and evil. We live a life in response to the unconditional love and acceptance we have in Christ. In turn, we live in dependence on Him to live the life only He can live in and through us. Until we realize that we truly are free in Christ we will never know what it is to rest in His finished work and allow Him to complete the work He began in us. It is the grace of God that teaches us to say to "no" to ungodliness. Discovering all that we have in Christ sets us free from having to find it in the world through sin. Understanding this truth is the key to growing and maturing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
A: To win is to "get possession of by effort or furtune." We know that our effot (works) amount to nothing, But, we know we are fortunate in that we are heirs of God (Gal 4:7). And as an heir we have an inheritance. And what is included in that inheritance we have? We are chosen by God (Eph 1:4), Saved by grace (Eph. 2:8-9), God is propitiated (1 Jn 2:2), we are reconciled to God (Rom 5:10), we are redeemed (Eph 1:7), Freed from the Law (Rom 7:4), totally forgiven (Col 2:13), totally cleansed (1 Cor 6:11), made holy and blameless (Col 1:22), hidden with Christ (Col 3:3), clothed wit Christ (Gal 3:27), given Christ's righteousness (Rom 5:17), justified (Rom 3:23-24), made at peace with God (Rom 5:1), freed from condemnation (Rom 8:1), sanctified (made holy) (Heb 10:10), made perfect forever (Heb 10:14), totally accepted (Rom 15:7), in fellowship with God (1 Cor 1:9), made complete (Col 2:9-10), given total access to God (Eph 3:16) and given everything (Eph 1:3; 2 Ptr 1:3). And there is much, much more. We have won, indeed!
Q: The bible says He who has found his life will lose it, but he who lost his life for my sake will save it..What does that mean?
A: Jesus said, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (Mat 10:39)." The life He wants us to lose is our pursuit of unconditional love, acceptance and meaning and purpose to life in anything other then a relationship with our God. Jesus told the rich man to sell his possessions to the poor and the man "went away sad." When the disciple wanted to bury his father Jesus told him to "let the dead bury their own dead." How many of us put the cares of the world before the things of God? Some even expect God to bless them with the things of this world if they just pray hard enough for them or are "obedient" enough to Him. This is a lie. God has given us Himself! God has given us His life, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, to indwell us for all eternity. He has given us everything we need for life and godliness and blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ so we would rest from trying to obtain these things from the world. When you realize the abundant life you already have in Christ you will forget about pursuing the life the world offers.
Q: What does it mean to live in the world..? Does it mean just material stuff?
A: Well, we do live in the world physically, but the battle is in our mind. Do we look for the world to meet the deepest desires of our heart that can only be met through a relationship with God? Do we think our earthly circumstances our a reflection of God's love and acceptance of us? I can't tell you how many people think that the direction in which their life is going is how God views them. How terrible is that? Instead of looking at themselves from God's perspective they look at themselves from the world's eyes. Bottom line is that too many Christians are looking for fleshly blessings rather than resting in the spiritual blessings they already have. It's all about more children, a bigger house, a better job, being healthier, having more money and thus they are never content. Thus we live in worry about what we don't have and never realize what we do have. Again, if God has given us everything we need and every spiritual blessing what is it we don't feel we have? And if you are still expecting something from God perhaps you are desiring something He didn't promise to give. Something to think about.
Q: Why do we need to "Pray"?
A: The purpose of prayer is to have personal, intelligent conversation with our Father in Heaven. This is the reason that Christ redeemed us. We pray in order to understand who we are in Christ and what we have in Him. And as we discover what we have we can apply that to our circumstances. Since God loves us we talk to Him. We are encouraged to do this secretly, on a one on one basis so as to be honest and open with Him. Prayer is not where we get God to move on our behalf to do our will. He is not a vending machine. God has already moved on our behalf, in Christ Jesus, and prayer is the way in which to understand what He has already done for us. There are no formulas, repetitive prayers or group sessions required in order for this to take place. We can approach God in confidence, praying unceasingly and making our requests known to Him because we are perfect, holy and blameless in His site. But we must remember to listen more than we speak and allow our prayer to be motivated by Him through His Word. And we respond by praying God's Word back to Him as it relates to our personal life, heartaches, needs, and aspirations. Amen!
Q: If Jesus has given us "Grace" for all our sins, can Christians live anyway they want too?
A: "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive (1 Cor 10:23)." In short we are free to "live anyway we want to." But, is how we live a reflection of who we are in Christ? We have been called to freedom. But, we are encouraged to use that freedom to serve one another in love and not indulge the flesh (Gal 5:13). We are not under law. We do not live a life of repentance and obedience to what is good and evil. We live a life in response to the unconditional love and acceptance we have in Christ. In turn, we live in dependence on Him to live the life only He can live in and through us. Until we realize that we truly are free in Christ we will never know what it is to rest in His finished work and allow Him to complete the work He began in us. It is the grace of God that teaches us to say to "no" to ungodliness. Discovering all that we have in Christ sets us free from having to find it in the world through sin. Understanding this truth is the key to growing and maturing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Law and Gentiles
Q: Was the Law of Moses ever delivered to the Gentiles? Does the bible mention unsaved Gentiles being under the same Law as the Israelites?
A: No, the Law of Moses was never delivered to the Gentiles. The Law was strictly given to the Nation of Israel by Moses. "Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel...(Exodus 19:3)." The Law was given to the Israelites to set them apart from the rest of the world as well as to allow for God's plan of salvation, Jesus Christ, to be fulfilled through them. The Law consists of the Ten Commandments and the ceremonial laws given to Moses at Mount Sanai. There were Gentiles who became Jews and subjected themselves to the Law. This still happens to this day. However, the Law was never given to Gentiles nor, as Christians, are we expected to subject ourselves to it. "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17)." The Bible is clear in making the distinction between law and grace. You may wonder what then is the purpose of the law?
"So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24)." If you are in Christ, regardless of whether you are a Jew or Gentile, the law has done its work in you. The Law shows us our spiritual death by revealing our sinfulness so we will turn to Christ for forgiveness and spiritual life in Him. Unfortunately, many Christians falsely believe that we are to live our lives subject to the Law and that Christ helps us do it. Keep in mind that the Mosaic Law is not the only form of law Christians subject themselves to. Every Christian denomination can be defined by the set of laws it imposes on its congregation. And even if you are not in an established Christian denomination you may still be familiar to the laws Christians put themselves under. Many Christians believe that water baptism is the "first act of obedience" after accepting Christ as Savior. This is usually followed up by being told that attendance in a church is mandatory. Then comes the direction that you have to tithe to the church or denomination you belong to. From there the laws will vary depending on the teaching of the particular fellowship. Granted, those teaching such things will not say they are teaching a form of law, but wait until you stray or balk at doing something deemed "necessary." You will be branded as "disobedient" or "out of fellowship" with God. Some may even question your salvation or say you have lost your salvation altogether because you failed to live up to the same burden they've put themselves under.
Staying in Galatians we see what the Apostle Paul had to say about those who put themselves under the Law. "You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?...Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort (Galatians 1a, 2-3)?" Paul didn't mix his words when describing his displeasure with the Galatians. I doubt he would be any kinder to many churches today. When Christians, whether Jew or Gentile, subject themselves to law they are putting the burden of there Christian life on their ability to live up to God's requirements or those of their denomination. Both of which require perfect obedience. This is basically dedicating yourself to trying to live a life you will never live. If living under the Law was all that God wanted us to do than Christ died for nothing. This reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age...(Titus 2:11-12)"
It is the grace of God that teaches us to say "no" to ungodliness, not the law of God. It does this through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the very life of God, leading us back into the truth of who we are in Christ. We were created to be indwelt by God and to allow Him to live in and through us. We were not created to live a life in response to laws designed to show us what is good and evil. Christians do not live a life of repentance and obedience to laws designed to modify our behavior. We live a life of trust and dependence on the indwelling Holy Spirit. "Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law (Galatians 3:25)." If a Jew or Gentile is under the law and has not come to faith in Christ then it has not done its work yet. Therefore, they need to stay under the law until its work is complete. But, Christians have something better available to us besides the Law. We have God Himself indwelling us and leading us from within. And with Him guiding us we will not be led into sin because we are walking in perfect love which is the fulfillment of the Law. It is understanding this truth which led to the Bible telling us that "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28)."
A: No, the Law of Moses was never delivered to the Gentiles. The Law was strictly given to the Nation of Israel by Moses. "Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel...(Exodus 19:3)." The Law was given to the Israelites to set them apart from the rest of the world as well as to allow for God's plan of salvation, Jesus Christ, to be fulfilled through them. The Law consists of the Ten Commandments and the ceremonial laws given to Moses at Mount Sanai. There were Gentiles who became Jews and subjected themselves to the Law. This still happens to this day. However, the Law was never given to Gentiles nor, as Christians, are we expected to subject ourselves to it. "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17)." The Bible is clear in making the distinction between law and grace. You may wonder what then is the purpose of the law?
"So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24)." If you are in Christ, regardless of whether you are a Jew or Gentile, the law has done its work in you. The Law shows us our spiritual death by revealing our sinfulness so we will turn to Christ for forgiveness and spiritual life in Him. Unfortunately, many Christians falsely believe that we are to live our lives subject to the Law and that Christ helps us do it. Keep in mind that the Mosaic Law is not the only form of law Christians subject themselves to. Every Christian denomination can be defined by the set of laws it imposes on its congregation. And even if you are not in an established Christian denomination you may still be familiar to the laws Christians put themselves under. Many Christians believe that water baptism is the "first act of obedience" after accepting Christ as Savior. This is usually followed up by being told that attendance in a church is mandatory. Then comes the direction that you have to tithe to the church or denomination you belong to. From there the laws will vary depending on the teaching of the particular fellowship. Granted, those teaching such things will not say they are teaching a form of law, but wait until you stray or balk at doing something deemed "necessary." You will be branded as "disobedient" or "out of fellowship" with God. Some may even question your salvation or say you have lost your salvation altogether because you failed to live up to the same burden they've put themselves under.
Staying in Galatians we see what the Apostle Paul had to say about those who put themselves under the Law. "You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?...Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort (Galatians 1a, 2-3)?" Paul didn't mix his words when describing his displeasure with the Galatians. I doubt he would be any kinder to many churches today. When Christians, whether Jew or Gentile, subject themselves to law they are putting the burden of there Christian life on their ability to live up to God's requirements or those of their denomination. Both of which require perfect obedience. This is basically dedicating yourself to trying to live a life you will never live. If living under the Law was all that God wanted us to do than Christ died for nothing. This reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age...(Titus 2:11-12)"
It is the grace of God that teaches us to say "no" to ungodliness, not the law of God. It does this through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the very life of God, leading us back into the truth of who we are in Christ. We were created to be indwelt by God and to allow Him to live in and through us. We were not created to live a life in response to laws designed to show us what is good and evil. Christians do not live a life of repentance and obedience to laws designed to modify our behavior. We live a life of trust and dependence on the indwelling Holy Spirit. "Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law (Galatians 3:25)." If a Jew or Gentile is under the law and has not come to faith in Christ then it has not done its work yet. Therefore, they need to stay under the law until its work is complete. But, Christians have something better available to us besides the Law. We have God Himself indwelling us and leading us from within. And with Him guiding us we will not be led into sin because we are walking in perfect love which is the fulfillment of the Law. It is understanding this truth which led to the Bible telling us that "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28)."
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Empty Words
Why is it that many Christians seem to think that the circumstances of their lives are always going to change for the better because that is how God wants it to be? There is nothing in the Bible that promises Christians health, wealth, restored relationships or anything we deem to be of worldly gain and a blessing of the flesh. The reason this type of theology prospers is because it appeals to the flesh. Everybody on this planet wants their flesh blessed to one degree or another and what better excuse to get that supposed blessing than to act as though God wants it to happen. Case in point are the following comments by a Christian:
"We are claiming a financial blessing for you right now in the name of Jesus. I pray not only will God make a way for you to meet every financial obligation." (sic)
"God Wants To Heal You Everywhere You Hurt!"
"That's right... claim your healing & walk in victory!"
All of this sounds good and appeals to the flesh, but it is nothing more than empty words, a Christianized version of positive thinking. The assumption behind it all is that God has promised all believers an easy, prosperous life if they just believe it will happen. Therefore, they keep praying and praying and praying for fleshly blessings and end up being mislead into believing an emotional experience is somehow an act of God. Individuals play scriptural hopscotch to "validate" their beliefs and offer anecdotal evidence as proof that God has indeed blessed them or others. Some of the scriptures they misuse are as follows:
"...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
This is one of the most widely used, and abused, passages of scripture used by Christians to justify calls for "revival" or as evidence that God will bless them if they would just pray to Him for His blessing. However, this passage of scripture was God speaking to Solomon about what He would do for the nation of Israel if they, not Christians, turned from their wicked ways after Solomon built the Temple. In verse 13 God talks about preventing it from raining, sending locusts to devour the land or striking the Jews with a plague for their disobedience. What does this have to do with anything Christian? This has everything to do with the power of God and the disobedience of the Jewish nation. Besides, Christians never seem to think about the penalties for disobedience. They think that being divorced, unemployed, broke or sick is God's punishment when the verse they quote is in the midst of God talking about something a bit more universal. Don't they know that God has already blessed us, forgiven us and that there is no condemnation for those of us in Christ Jesus? Furthermore, the temple of God is the body of each individual believer not a building constructed by the hands of man. After all it was the Apostle Paul who said God "does not live in temples built by hands (Acts 17:24)."
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5
Here is another passage of scripture taken out of context to give the false impression that because of Jesus' death on the cross Christians are promised physical healing. Yes, Jesus did perform miraculous healings during His earthly ministry, but they were done to establish His claim of deity and as the Messiah, not to establish some future right of all Christians to be healed of their physical ailments. The passage in Isaiah is a prophecy of the punishment Jesus took for our sins and that we would be healed of our spiritual death not of our physical infirmities. To misunderstand this passage is evidence of a greater problem within the Church. That problem is not knowing the Gospel and what it was Jesus came to accomplish. Mankind's condition is that we are born into this world spiritual dead to God in our sins and in need of His life. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus paid the debt we owed God for our sins for all eternity so that, raised from the dead, God could offer His life to us as a free gift. The "stripes" is the suffering Jesus endured to pay for our sins. The healing we receive is spiritual life, the restoration of the life of God, once lost in Adam, given back to us for all eternity. The physical healing Christians desire in this life will ultimately be experienced when we enter into eternity and rid ourselves of these fallen, sin ridden bodies.
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16
Here is another passage taken to mean that God will physically heal us. However, what James is mentioning here is for two believers who have been separated because of the sin of one of them to admit their sin so that forgiveness and restoration will take place. This is consistent with the forgiveness we have received in Christ. God has forgiven us of all our sins and because our sins no longer separate us from God we should not allow our sins to separate us from each other. In both Ephesians and Colossians we see this truth mentioned. Ephesians 4:32 says, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." In Colossians 3:13 it reads, "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." We forgive because we have been forgiven. We cannot begin to understand how to forgive others until we recognize how much we have already been forgiven in Christ. How can we hold the sins of others against them when God doesn't hold our sins against us? We have been reconciled to God. Therefore, we should be reconciled to each other. That is the healing God wants us to experience.
If you cut your finger and it heals, praise God. If you're sick in bed with a cold or flu and get well, praise God. If the X-ray suddenly becomes clear, praise God. All physical healing is a blessing from God, but it is not promised to any of us, nor should we expect it. If we are healed then we can take what time we have been given by God to continue our work of being a witness for Jesus Christ. If what ails us never fully heals or leads to our passing, we can rest assured that we will experience the ultimate healing in eternity. Paul had a thorn in his flesh that God did not remove. What did he say God's response was? "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)." That should always be our response when faced with the problems of this life. God has already given us everything we need for life and godliness and blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. So, if you are anticipating more from God when He has already given you everything, it is fair to assume that you are expecting something from God He didn't promise to give you. May God continue to reveal to you the blessings you already have in Christ.
"We are claiming a financial blessing for you right now in the name of Jesus. I pray not only will God make a way for you to meet every financial obligation." (sic)
"God Wants To Heal You Everywhere You Hurt!"
"That's right... claim your healing & walk in victory!"
All of this sounds good and appeals to the flesh, but it is nothing more than empty words, a Christianized version of positive thinking. The assumption behind it all is that God has promised all believers an easy, prosperous life if they just believe it will happen. Therefore, they keep praying and praying and praying for fleshly blessings and end up being mislead into believing an emotional experience is somehow an act of God. Individuals play scriptural hopscotch to "validate" their beliefs and offer anecdotal evidence as proof that God has indeed blessed them or others. Some of the scriptures they misuse are as follows:
"...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
This is one of the most widely used, and abused, passages of scripture used by Christians to justify calls for "revival" or as evidence that God will bless them if they would just pray to Him for His blessing. However, this passage of scripture was God speaking to Solomon about what He would do for the nation of Israel if they, not Christians, turned from their wicked ways after Solomon built the Temple. In verse 13 God talks about preventing it from raining, sending locusts to devour the land or striking the Jews with a plague for their disobedience. What does this have to do with anything Christian? This has everything to do with the power of God and the disobedience of the Jewish nation. Besides, Christians never seem to think about the penalties for disobedience. They think that being divorced, unemployed, broke or sick is God's punishment when the verse they quote is in the midst of God talking about something a bit more universal. Don't they know that God has already blessed us, forgiven us and that there is no condemnation for those of us in Christ Jesus? Furthermore, the temple of God is the body of each individual believer not a building constructed by the hands of man. After all it was the Apostle Paul who said God "does not live in temples built by hands (Acts 17:24)."
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5
Here is another passage of scripture taken out of context to give the false impression that because of Jesus' death on the cross Christians are promised physical healing. Yes, Jesus did perform miraculous healings during His earthly ministry, but they were done to establish His claim of deity and as the Messiah, not to establish some future right of all Christians to be healed of their physical ailments. The passage in Isaiah is a prophecy of the punishment Jesus took for our sins and that we would be healed of our spiritual death not of our physical infirmities. To misunderstand this passage is evidence of a greater problem within the Church. That problem is not knowing the Gospel and what it was Jesus came to accomplish. Mankind's condition is that we are born into this world spiritual dead to God in our sins and in need of His life. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus paid the debt we owed God for our sins for all eternity so that, raised from the dead, God could offer His life to us as a free gift. The "stripes" is the suffering Jesus endured to pay for our sins. The healing we receive is spiritual life, the restoration of the life of God, once lost in Adam, given back to us for all eternity. The physical healing Christians desire in this life will ultimately be experienced when we enter into eternity and rid ourselves of these fallen, sin ridden bodies.
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16
Here is another passage taken to mean that God will physically heal us. However, what James is mentioning here is for two believers who have been separated because of the sin of one of them to admit their sin so that forgiveness and restoration will take place. This is consistent with the forgiveness we have received in Christ. God has forgiven us of all our sins and because our sins no longer separate us from God we should not allow our sins to separate us from each other. In both Ephesians and Colossians we see this truth mentioned. Ephesians 4:32 says, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." In Colossians 3:13 it reads, "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." We forgive because we have been forgiven. We cannot begin to understand how to forgive others until we recognize how much we have already been forgiven in Christ. How can we hold the sins of others against them when God doesn't hold our sins against us? We have been reconciled to God. Therefore, we should be reconciled to each other. That is the healing God wants us to experience.
If you cut your finger and it heals, praise God. If you're sick in bed with a cold or flu and get well, praise God. If the X-ray suddenly becomes clear, praise God. All physical healing is a blessing from God, but it is not promised to any of us, nor should we expect it. If we are healed then we can take what time we have been given by God to continue our work of being a witness for Jesus Christ. If what ails us never fully heals or leads to our passing, we can rest assured that we will experience the ultimate healing in eternity. Paul had a thorn in his flesh that God did not remove. What did he say God's response was? "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)." That should always be our response when faced with the problems of this life. God has already given us everything we need for life and godliness and blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. So, if you are anticipating more from God when He has already given you everything, it is fair to assume that you are expecting something from God He didn't promise to give you. May God continue to reveal to you the blessings you already have in Christ.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
My Answer is ... October 3, 2009
Q: When we see our brothers and sisters in Christ make mistakes why do we "condem" each other?
A: Christians who condemn one another do so because they are treating others the way in which they believe God is treating them. Misery loves company. And if you believe your right standing before God is based on your ability to perform up to impossible standards you will treat others the same way. You can't love others if you haven't experienced God's love for yourself. If you believe your sins can separate you from God and that God will only accept you if you meet ever increasing standards you will never enter the Sabbath rest He has called you to. And you will feel inclined to put these same burdens you're under on the shoulders of others. It is this "yoke of slavery," the law, that is a burden none of us can bear. If a brother is caught in sin we are to "restore him gently (Gal 6:1)." We are able to do this because we "comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Cor. 1:4)." But you can't comfort others if you have never received it from God. And you never will if you don't know you are already forgiven, accepted and righteous in His site because of your faith in Christ.
Q: Who the son set "free" is "free" indeed...What does that mean?
A: Jesus said, "you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (Jn 8:32)." Truth is anything that corresponds to reality. And the reality is that mankind is born in the image of Adam, spiritually dead to God, in sin. In an effort to bridge the gap that separates us from God, we have created countless religions and practices designed to try and help us reach up to God in our own flesh. However, Jesus Christ is God's only attempt to reach down in forgiveness and offer us His life. That is why Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (Jn 14:6)." Jesus is the Truth and by knowing Him we have been set free from the curse of the law (religion) which stands against us. We are free from the bondage and condemnation associated with the works of the law and the religion it is contained within. Jesus has set us free from trying to do what we could not do for ourselves. That is why He says "if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (Jn 8:36)."
Q: If salvation is "free" then what will it "cost" you?
A: Let us not forget that while salvation is free for us it cost Jesus His life. It should humble us all that we didn't have a life to give that would satisfy God as payment for our sins, much less the power to raise ourselves from the grave. In turn, what it costs us is the world. Everything we tried to get from the world, in an effort to satisfy the deepest needs of our heart, could only be achieved through sin. But, the unconditional love, acceptance and meaning and purpose to life we tried to get from the world is ours in Christ. If you don't believe you are receiving all of this from God your only alternative is to pursue it in the world. As you discover all you have received through faith in Christ the appeal of the world will decrease. In the midst of that you may end up losing all that once was dear to you; family, friends, career, opinions, values, etc. Remember, that as you experience all this it only confirms what Jesus said. "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple (Lk 14:26)."
Q: What does "anointed" mean? And why does Jesus "anoint" Christians?
A: Anointed means to "choose by or as if by divine intervention." Jesus "anoints" us by indwelling us in the form of the Holy Spirit, the life of God. Christians have been chosen by God to be set apart, sanctified, from the world. "As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you (1 Jn 2:27)." God intervened on behalf of mankind to do for us what we could not do for ourselves, bring us to Him. We were once spiritually dead to God in sin, but now we have come alive to Him in Christ. God has "set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Cor 1:22)." Our anointing, the Holy Spirit, is God 's gift of Himself guaranteeing our eternal life and and citizenship in Heaven. We have been set apart for the work He wants to do in and through us in order that some might be saved. His indwelling life allows us to be salt and light to a dead and dark world so desperate for salvation.
Q: What does Jesus want to "See" in you?
A: He wants to see us come alive to God through faith in Him. The Gospel is sin, death, forgiveness, life. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive (1 Cor. 15:22)." Adam died spiritually. We are all born in the image of Adam, dead to God in sin. Jesus died to take away the sin that caused spiritual death. Now, raised from the dead, He can offer the life of God as a gift to all who accept Him by faith. There is now no sin that will cause that life to leave again because of the eternal consequences of the cross. That is why the Gospel is Good News. Jesus wants to see us rest in that truth and allow Him to live the life only He can live in and through us. It is only when we believe that we have unconditional love and acceptance from God in Christ that we will have meaning and purpose to life. Jesus wants to see us trusting in and depending on Him, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, and not in ourselves and our self-righteous works. He wants to see us believe this truth.
A: Christians who condemn one another do so because they are treating others the way in which they believe God is treating them. Misery loves company. And if you believe your right standing before God is based on your ability to perform up to impossible standards you will treat others the same way. You can't love others if you haven't experienced God's love for yourself. If you believe your sins can separate you from God and that God will only accept you if you meet ever increasing standards you will never enter the Sabbath rest He has called you to. And you will feel inclined to put these same burdens you're under on the shoulders of others. It is this "yoke of slavery," the law, that is a burden none of us can bear. If a brother is caught in sin we are to "restore him gently (Gal 6:1)." We are able to do this because we "comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Cor. 1:4)." But you can't comfort others if you have never received it from God. And you never will if you don't know you are already forgiven, accepted and righteous in His site because of your faith in Christ.
Q: Who the son set "free" is "free" indeed...What does that mean?
A: Jesus said, "you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (Jn 8:32)." Truth is anything that corresponds to reality. And the reality is that mankind is born in the image of Adam, spiritually dead to God, in sin. In an effort to bridge the gap that separates us from God, we have created countless religions and practices designed to try and help us reach up to God in our own flesh. However, Jesus Christ is God's only attempt to reach down in forgiveness and offer us His life. That is why Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (Jn 14:6)." Jesus is the Truth and by knowing Him we have been set free from the curse of the law (religion) which stands against us. We are free from the bondage and condemnation associated with the works of the law and the religion it is contained within. Jesus has set us free from trying to do what we could not do for ourselves. That is why He says "if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (Jn 8:36)."
Q: If salvation is "free" then what will it "cost" you?
A: Let us not forget that while salvation is free for us it cost Jesus His life. It should humble us all that we didn't have a life to give that would satisfy God as payment for our sins, much less the power to raise ourselves from the grave. In turn, what it costs us is the world. Everything we tried to get from the world, in an effort to satisfy the deepest needs of our heart, could only be achieved through sin. But, the unconditional love, acceptance and meaning and purpose to life we tried to get from the world is ours in Christ. If you don't believe you are receiving all of this from God your only alternative is to pursue it in the world. As you discover all you have received through faith in Christ the appeal of the world will decrease. In the midst of that you may end up losing all that once was dear to you; family, friends, career, opinions, values, etc. Remember, that as you experience all this it only confirms what Jesus said. "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple (Lk 14:26)."
Q: What does "anointed" mean? And why does Jesus "anoint" Christians?
A: Anointed means to "choose by or as if by divine intervention." Jesus "anoints" us by indwelling us in the form of the Holy Spirit, the life of God. Christians have been chosen by God to be set apart, sanctified, from the world. "As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you (1 Jn 2:27)." God intervened on behalf of mankind to do for us what we could not do for ourselves, bring us to Him. We were once spiritually dead to God in sin, but now we have come alive to Him in Christ. God has "set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Cor 1:22)." Our anointing, the Holy Spirit, is God 's gift of Himself guaranteeing our eternal life and and citizenship in Heaven. We have been set apart for the work He wants to do in and through us in order that some might be saved. His indwelling life allows us to be salt and light to a dead and dark world so desperate for salvation.
Q: What does Jesus want to "See" in you?
A: He wants to see us come alive to God through faith in Him. The Gospel is sin, death, forgiveness, life. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive (1 Cor. 15:22)." Adam died spiritually. We are all born in the image of Adam, dead to God in sin. Jesus died to take away the sin that caused spiritual death. Now, raised from the dead, He can offer the life of God as a gift to all who accept Him by faith. There is now no sin that will cause that life to leave again because of the eternal consequences of the cross. That is why the Gospel is Good News. Jesus wants to see us rest in that truth and allow Him to live the life only He can live in and through us. It is only when we believe that we have unconditional love and acceptance from God in Christ that we will have meaning and purpose to life. Jesus wants to see us trusting in and depending on Him, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, and not in ourselves and our self-righteous works. He wants to see us believe this truth.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Communion without Christ
Q: I remember participating in communion services as a child before I made a true confession that Christ was my savior. I believe that a person of any age can make a statement as to Christ being their savior, without really understanding or accepting Christ as their savior. I believe that both my wife and son have participated in the communion service without a true understanding or true faith that Jesus is their savior.What are the ramifications of an unbeliever taking communion without saving faith in Jesus?
A: One of the biggest problems within the Christian church is a misunderstanding of the Gospel. Taking part in communion is made much more enjoyable when you understand what is being said by taking part in the ceremony. "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body (Mark 14:22)."" The bread symbolizes the body of Jesus. Jesus is the only man in all of history who had a life worthy enough for God to accept as payment for our sins because He was born sinless and lived a sinless life. He was the lamb of God, a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. This alone sets Jesus apart from every other religious figure in the history of mankind. Abraham, Moses, Mohammad, Buddha, the Pope, or whoever you think of, did not have a life to give that would satisfy God's requirement to take away sins.
"Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them (Mark 14:23-24)." Once you have established that Jesus was the only man who had a life to give for our sins you will then realize how the shedding of His blood ushered in the New Covenant. The death of Christ was once for all and for eternity. That is why He cried out from the cross, "it is finished (John 19:30)." Because of the death of Jesus Christ there is now no sin that can ever separate a believer from God. And, for an unbeliever, there is no sin preventing them from accepting Christ as their savior, other than unbelief in Him. The ramifications of understanding this truth are far reaching. The Bible tells us that because of Christ's sacrifice "there is no longer any sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:18)." This means to put away our confession booths, altar calls, short accounts, repetitive prayers or whatever it is we do to continually ask God to forgive us. Not only is our continuing to ask God to forgive us a sacrifice not accepted, or required, by God, it doesn't even meet the requirement to receive God's forgiveness; the shedding of blood. Furthermore, it is not an act of faith to ask God to forgive sins He says He "will remember no more (Hebrews 10:17)."How many Christians are falsely taught that they can eat or drink condemnation on themselves if they have some hidden sin in their life at the time they eat the bread and drink of the cup?
When we eat the bread and drink from the cup it is to remind us that Jesus died for us to give His life to us. And that because of His death there is no sin that can cause that life to ever leave us. The Gospel is that "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)." The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is what is remembered when we partake in communion. It should only be taken by believers, but there are no ramifications for unbelievers taking it. I honestly believe that communion has become more of a religious duty rather than a remembrance of what Jesus Christ has done for us. Most Christians don't even understand the full Gospel much less what it is they are suppose to remember about it when taking communion. Please keep in mind that there are also no ramifications for believers not partaking in communion. Regardless of what the majority of Christianity teaches about communion you are not required to engage in it. Besides, many people are deceived into believing that taking part in communion means they are Christians. And just about everybody participates in it regardless of denomination.
May I suggest you ask yourself one question and then present that same question to both your wife and son after you have answered it for yourself. That question is "What is your understanding of the Gospel?" Your question about communion is really a question about the Gospel. Inherent in that question is discovering what is mankind's real problem that was solved by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To help you in your discovery may I point you to a key passage in Romans 5. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life (Romans 5:8-10)!" Nobody is saved by the death of Jesus Christ. His death made salvation possible. We are saved by the life of Christ, made available to us through His resurrection. Communion is a great picture of this truth and is as good a starting place as any to begin solidifying your knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
A: One of the biggest problems within the Christian church is a misunderstanding of the Gospel. Taking part in communion is made much more enjoyable when you understand what is being said by taking part in the ceremony. "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body (Mark 14:22)."" The bread symbolizes the body of Jesus. Jesus is the only man in all of history who had a life worthy enough for God to accept as payment for our sins because He was born sinless and lived a sinless life. He was the lamb of God, a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. This alone sets Jesus apart from every other religious figure in the history of mankind. Abraham, Moses, Mohammad, Buddha, the Pope, or whoever you think of, did not have a life to give that would satisfy God's requirement to take away sins.
"Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them (Mark 14:23-24)." Once you have established that Jesus was the only man who had a life to give for our sins you will then realize how the shedding of His blood ushered in the New Covenant. The death of Christ was once for all and for eternity. That is why He cried out from the cross, "it is finished (John 19:30)." Because of the death of Jesus Christ there is now no sin that can ever separate a believer from God. And, for an unbeliever, there is no sin preventing them from accepting Christ as their savior, other than unbelief in Him. The ramifications of understanding this truth are far reaching. The Bible tells us that because of Christ's sacrifice "there is no longer any sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:18)." This means to put away our confession booths, altar calls, short accounts, repetitive prayers or whatever it is we do to continually ask God to forgive us. Not only is our continuing to ask God to forgive us a sacrifice not accepted, or required, by God, it doesn't even meet the requirement to receive God's forgiveness; the shedding of blood. Furthermore, it is not an act of faith to ask God to forgive sins He says He "will remember no more (Hebrews 10:17)."How many Christians are falsely taught that they can eat or drink condemnation on themselves if they have some hidden sin in their life at the time they eat the bread and drink of the cup?
When we eat the bread and drink from the cup it is to remind us that Jesus died for us to give His life to us. And that because of His death there is no sin that can cause that life to ever leave us. The Gospel is that "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)." The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is what is remembered when we partake in communion. It should only be taken by believers, but there are no ramifications for unbelievers taking it. I honestly believe that communion has become more of a religious duty rather than a remembrance of what Jesus Christ has done for us. Most Christians don't even understand the full Gospel much less what it is they are suppose to remember about it when taking communion. Please keep in mind that there are also no ramifications for believers not partaking in communion. Regardless of what the majority of Christianity teaches about communion you are not required to engage in it. Besides, many people are deceived into believing that taking part in communion means they are Christians. And just about everybody participates in it regardless of denomination.
May I suggest you ask yourself one question and then present that same question to both your wife and son after you have answered it for yourself. That question is "What is your understanding of the Gospel?" Your question about communion is really a question about the Gospel. Inherent in that question is discovering what is mankind's real problem that was solved by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To help you in your discovery may I point you to a key passage in Romans 5. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life (Romans 5:8-10)!" Nobody is saved by the death of Jesus Christ. His death made salvation possible. We are saved by the life of Christ, made available to us through His resurrection. Communion is a great picture of this truth and is as good a starting place as any to begin solidifying your knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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