Our Marching Orders

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..." (cf. Proverbs 29:18).
"A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the LORD's work! ..." (Jer. 48:10, NIV).
"I will show you my faith by my good deeds" (cf. James 2:18).
"Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding..." (Isaiah 5:13, NIV).
"[M]en who understood the times and knew what Israel should do..." (1 Chron. 12:32, NIV).
"If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (cf. John 13:17).

We take our marching orders directly from the top--Jesus Himself, who has an open-door policy through the prayer ministry!  He issued the Great Commission and has entrusted the faithful to bring it to fulfillment until the day of the "Great Completion."  We are not here to usher in the Millennial Kingdom nor to be utopians, but to be salt and light in a dark and lost world that doesn't know the way-Christ is the Way.  Christ is to restore the kingdom (cf. Acts 1:6).   Christ, who Himself will usher in His kingdom and we are here to advance His agenda and cause in making Christ known to the lost, while also paying heed to our cultural mandate or "Social Commission," which is not a social gospel.

This is not to be confused with the so-called social gospel which is a misnomer (noting that every great social cause in history can be attributed to the church, from universities to hospitals and missions) and we are to be the hands, eyes, heart, and ears of Christ that needs a helping hand--we are to multiply bread and fish and "feed the people" or to meet needs as well as preach. We are commanded to "remember the poor" (cf. Gal. 2:10).   We are not to merely turn stones into bread, or do good deeds for their own sake, or to lose focus of the main objective which is to preach the Word; there's no social gospel, but there's a social mandate to combat evil and be salt and light.

The church is meant to fulfill more than the gospel, but also to make disciples and to teach and prepare for the ministry to the needy, so that they will obey all that Jesus taught.  We are examples to the world to whom we may be the only light they will witness.  There is just enough light to see and just enough darkness not to, and we are to make a difference to those with a positive and willing attitude--(cf. John 7:17) "if any man will to do His will," he shall know the truth to set him free.

But witnesses are to tell their personal story that cannot be refuted (Psalm 107:2 says, "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so..."), though there is never enough evidence for the unwilling or skeptic, no one can disbelieve for lack of evidence, for there is ample evidence for the willing and open-minded.  You must be willing to go where the evidence leads to find the truth and not rule it out as a possible reality from the get-go.  Christians with faith have nothing to fear from the facts because it's an evidence and fact-based faith.  Unfortunately, skeptics have their minds made up and don't want to be confused with the facts--no amount of evidence will convince them.

Now, what purposes do the churches fulfill in detail?  The primary one is the worship of God, the second is of love towards our fellow man demonstrated by works and good deeds as a witness to the world of Christ's love (mission), the next is to train up the people of God, and then provide for an opportunity of fellowship and communion of the body (contrary to popular opinion, the primary purpose of going to church is not to hear a sermon--that's only part of the equation).  The discipling or training up of believers is a primary function of the church (cf. Eph. 4:13).  People are to get a positive image of Christ and this can only be done when the church is doing its job, but unfortunately, today's church is largely absentee and in dereliction of duty, and many people see evil in the world and wonder where God is, but should be wondering where the church is--e.g., it has a calling to pray for all those in authority.

Secondly, the church must support mission work and to contribute to the needs of the saints in the body--there should be no one who is overlooked in the time of need by a body that is blessed in order to be a blessing.  The church that is not reaching out is a contradiction in terms.  People often wonder what's wrong with the world and should be asking what's wrong with the church.  A focus of the church largely ignored is what the Roman Catholic Church did in colonial days-- spread the light of Western civilization to a primitive world and to be a cultural force to be reckoned with.  It isn't necessarily the turf of the church to directly involve itself in political movements, but to train in the Christian worldview that believers can go on to be a force for good in the world at large.

The church needs to realize what's going on in the world and become informed and heed the wake-up call to action, flying its colors and taking its stand for Christ wherever needed no matter the cost--it must defy evil and illegitimate decrees from government, for Augustine said that "an unjust law is no law at all."   Isaiah 10:1 pronounces woe on those who decree unjust laws.   The church is not to sanitize society, but to be a positive force and influence for good so that there will be an opportunity to preach the Word and minister to those in need (sad to say, though, the church has become lax in its social commission, even as the moral conscience, compass, or fiber of society). NB:  It's not the government's role to outlaw all sin, but to keep evil at bay and protct huma rights.

In God's economy, there's always a right way to do things, and we must realize that the pragmatism of politics is evil.  The world cannot survive without the aid of the church as its preservative.  The apostolic church devoted itself (cf. Acts 2:42) to sound doctrine, prayer, fellowship, and communion or the breaking of bread (which presumably included fellowship meals to share with the needy and reach out in ministry and mission).

The church is to reach out to more than one demographic, recipient, or audience:  the seekers, the skeptics, those of another faith or no faith, the infidel, the pagan, the atheist, the agnostic, the nihilist, the polytheist, the anti-theist, the agnostic, the mature, and last, but not least, even the baby or newborn believer--anyone's guess who's in church.  Meanwhile, it must inform, educate, enlighten, and transform by preaching and teaching the Word faithfully, giving heed to sound doctrine (for heresy can creep in unawares and people become blind or callous to an orthodox faith).  We must admit that doctrine is not too arcane for the Average Joe believer, for it's a matter of the enlightening of the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of one's heart--thought some have become hard of hearing spiritually speaking.   All this is accomplished in toto by the cooperative effort of the body exercising their God-given gifts of the Spirit--all needing each other in some respect to use in ministry to each other.

The calling of the church is five-fold:  worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry (to believers), and mission (to the lost). Above all, the church belongs to all the family of God and is to be known as a house of prayer for all members.   Unfortunately, today's church seems to be the so-called "Church of What's Happening Now" and into the latest fad or movement (political or social), and is guilty of moral and spiritual laxity and negligence all for the purpose of making a name for itself, not a name for Jesus (for we are to minister and reach out in His name--e.g., too many churches are erecting edifices at great expense but have their priorities misplaced).

Our marching orders may be summed up as follows:  occupy or stand our ground till Christ returns, doing business as usual, not being doomsayers, purifying ourselves in holiness in sanctification (living each day in readiness for the Lord), watching for Christ's return (i.e., reading the signs of the times and being ready), worshiping and glorifying our Maker and Redeemer, all while reaching out to a lost world that needs salvation.  All in all, it should be the custom of believers not to forsake (cf. Heb. 10:25) the assembly together of themselves (all the more as one can see signs of the coming of Christ) and to meet with God regularly with a genuine and real encounter or experience with the Almighty in the fellowship of the body where no one is the rock but Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). 

The church has always been a light to the world of its devotion and mission:  Saint Theresa said she wanted to build a convent.  Someone asked her how much were her resources, and she replied twelve pence.  They told her that even Saint Theresa couldn't build a convent with only that at her disposal.  She retorted that Saint Theresa and twelve pence and God can do it!  We need to be examples of our faith in action and that God will always provide the provisions for His work and will. "Seek the welfare of the city I deported you to..." (cf. Jer. 29:7). 

This goes a long way in making an impact on the community and making a difference for Christ in the world at large and setting the example for the body of Christ at large, and so God has done something about the evils and problems in our world--He made the church and expects believers not to be remiss of their commitment to it, knowing that true faith expresses itself, because the faith we show is the faith we have!

The bottom line of the church's mission is that the members should know their place in the body (or they'll be a fish out of water!) and know what they believe (instead of pointing fingers and fixing blame we should find solutions and take responsibility) and realize the faith is defensible and they should be ready to take a stand for the truth in the world as Christ's ambassadors--the church is not a hotel for saints as much as a hospital for sinners and a training camp for soldiers of Christ to be equipped for the angelic and cosmic battle with Satan and his minions; i.e., having a working knowledge of apologetics and be ready to be defenders of the gospel and Christ.   In other words, Job One is the Great Commission and we must never lose focus to keep the main thing the main thing--getting people saved is only the beginning; there must be a follow-up!

In sum, we don't just go to church just to hear the preaching of a sermon (or corporate worship), but to get a spiritual checkup, take spiritual inventory, interact in the body by means of fellowship, minister in accordance with one's gift, serve one another even in the order of the towel or the servile act of foot-washing as an example of humility if need be, to charge one's spiritual battery pack, and ultimately to prepare for the mission, which is the world, and for the angelic conflict,  fulfilling the Great Commission in accordance to one's gift and preach the good news and the Word where the door is open.  However, though the church at large has a directive from God,  it's focusing on movements for pragmatic and expedient reasons.  Soli Deo Gloria!

The Greatest Miracle Of All

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6, NASB).  
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Cor. 5:17, NIV). 
"Thou art the potter, I am the clay" (cf. Isaiah 64:8).

"Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would [not could] not believe in him," (cf. John 12:37, NIV, italics mine). 

Another word for miracle is a sign (as John calls them in his gospel), they are the same in German (Wunder), and miracles are indeed signs from the Almighty, with Whom nothing is impossible. The greatest proof or evidence of the resurrection, for instance, is the changed, even transformed and renewed, lives of the apostles, especially of Saul to Paul.  As Job said, "I will wait till my renewal comes," (cf. Job 14:14).  Miracles don't make faith though, but faith makes miracles. There is never a big enough miracle for someone who doesn't want to believe, but there is ample evidence for the willing.  Jesus refused to do any biggie miracle or miracle on demand to prove Himself but told the crowds that they would receive one sign:  the sign of Jonah. 

Miracles are events that cannot be independently explained apart from God's Finger at work and are not producible without divine intervention or interference. They are not producible by natural causes at the time of the event.  Paul didn't change himself--he was transformed.  That's the miracle of salvation--changed lives from the inside out, and not reformed, nor informed, but transformed.  We don't get merely enlightened or educated, but our spiritual eyes are opened to see God at work in His world.

God is still in the resurrection business and Jesus is still in the business of changing lives.  No one is too much of a challenge for God!  We come to Him as we are, but He makes us anew in His image.  We don't turn over a new leaf, make an AA pledge, or vow to clean up our act, but accept the grace of God at work in us.  The same miracle that happened to Paul can happen to anyone. What He's done for others, He can do for you! 

No one is too far gone or too much involved in sin to be saved, for Paul was the chief of sinners. John Bunyan wrote Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners to reiterate this point, and in a sense, we all follow Christ to the "Celestial City" and have to avoid "Mr. Worldly Wiseman" or false theologian and seek the truth of God that transforms and sets us free, as Jesus said, "The truth shall set you free (cf. John 8:32)."  The whole point of salvation is a changed life, and if there is none then salvation is suspect--everyone needs to be set free; we don't come to God with free wills, but wills that are ready to be set free!

In Scripture, we read of the blind man who said, "I was blind, but now I see!"  You cannot argue with one's testimony like that--he knows something for sure that cannot be denied or refuted. Thomas was radicalized when Jesus let him put his finger into His side and was told to believe, not to doubt.  Another example was the wayward woman at the well in Samaria whose eyes were opened when she met Jesus and saw herself for what she was, but much more the grace of God.  We all have a testimony or story to tell and the Bible says, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!" in Psalm 107:2.  Each of us is a miracle ready to happen as well as one that must be told--if you want to see a miracle, look in the mirror or remember from what you were saved!  All of us should be able to relate what God has done for us by grace and feel grateful enough to pass on the good news.

The greatest sign that Jesus gave was his resurrection to a stubborn generation, but it was given "many infallible proofs" according to Luke in Acts 1:3.  But we can expect Christ to arise in us personally and to take up residence in our hearts.  The resurrection of Christ is history, but the resurrection experience in our hearts is salvation!  The resurrection is either the biggest and cruelest hoax in history, or it's the most important event and the turning point, according to Josh MacDowell.  Has Christ risen in you?  Look in the mirror, check your fruit!  If we have experienced God through Christ we will feel compelled and constrained to pass it on!  That's how we can accomplish miracles ourselves: changing lives in Jesus' name by sharing the gospel!  We are free to come as we are, but we will not stay that way.

Even great sinners can be changed into great saints by faith, but they must realize it's God at work, and not of human achievement:  we receive, we don't achieve.  Salvation is wholly God's work in us and of divine accomplishment ("salvation is of the LORD," per Job 2:9), not human achievement.  Religion is just a do-it-yourself proposition and a way of pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps, but Christianity is all about Christ coming to the rescue to save us from ourselves because we are our own worst enemy!

We are consequently saved from God's wrath, sin, Satan, hell and judgment, condemnation, our old sin nature, the power of sin over us, and eventually, the presence of sin itself--this is all a miracle and not our own work or effort that we should boast. When I got saved I remember telephoning my Mom and telling her that she would like the new me; she only replied that she liked the old one--but I'm sure she sees the difference now!  It's simply God at work in me as a work in progress.

CAVEAT:  NEVER FORGET YOUR ROOTS AND FROM WHAT YOU WERE SAVED (CF. ISA. 51:1).  

In sum, the only proof we need is what happened to us and to others as a witness and cannot be denied--don't be forced to prove anything, but let them see the irrefutable proof themselves.  The gospel illustrated in shoe leather.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Answering God's Call

"So he will do to me whatever he has planned.  He controls my destiny" (Job 23:14, NLT). 
"My times [future] are in your hands..." (Psalm 31:15, NIV).  
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you" (Psalm 32:8, NIV).  

God revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word (cf. 1 Sam. 3:21), because visions were rare in those days. In fact, it could have been God's judgment on the land (cf. Amos 8:11) for their inclination to do what they saw fit (cf. Judges 17:6; 21:25).  Samuel broke the mold and pleased God and became the last of the judges and founded the school of the prophets.  Samuel became obedient to the heavenly call and offered no excuses as Moses did, was eager and willing to do God's will.  Consider Paul's attitude:  "I am obligated ...I am so eager ... For I am not ashamed..." (cf. Rom. 1:14-16, NIV).  He was prepared and ready, and he felt indebted to God!

We must realize that none of us can depend upon our own strength to do God's will, for apart from Christ we can do nothing  (cf. John 15:5).  Don't confide in your own strength!  All that Samuel did was only what the Lord had done through him (cf. Isa. 26:12).  Paul had the same attitude in saying that he would not venture to boast of nothing but what the Lord had accomplished (cf. Rom. 15:18).  God isn't interested in our achievements, but our obedience and trust--trust and obey, there's no other way, the hymn goes. 

Samuel's call proves that God always has His witness and a way to speak to mankind, even in the darkest of times.  Solomon asked God for wisdom, and Paul asked that a thorn in his flesh be removed, but in the end, they were blessed by God and enabled by grace to do his bidding.  After all, we are God's masterpiece and workmanship (cf. Eph. 2:10), ordained to do good works in His name.  In other words, bloom where you are planted and don't look for greener pastures!

We are all called by God according to His purpose and will (cf. Eph. 1:5) and God has a plan for each of us.  Paul's only aim was to complete the task the Lord had given him (cf. Acts 20:24).  "The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me..." (cf. Psalm 138:8, ESV).  God has not made us automatons without a will of our own, but we are to cooperate in doing His will and bringing glory to Him through service manifested by faith.  The key to service is to be equipped in your gift and to reach out.  We will never find our gift without a servant's heart! 

Therefore, a non-serving Christian is a contradiction in terms. We are to "spur one another toward love and good deeds" (cf. Heb. 10:24, NIV).  Mother Teresa said that "true holiness consists in doing the will of God with a smile."  The greatness of our service is not our natural abilities, but our surrender and commitment to Christ, as we will be judged by our faithfulness; however, don't get into the "let's compare" game and belittle one another's gift.

There are several calls for the Christian to answer:  to salvation, for service, choosing a mate, finding a church home, choosing a pastor, a vocation, an avocation, a ministry, a mission, one's witness and testimony, a fellowship or inner circle, and good deeds to do.  God's not looking for resumes but faithfulness and too many divorce faith from faithfulness.  The only resume we need is that we know God and walk with Him in fellowship. There is a place for everyone in the church to contribute and to feel at home in the body, which is an organism of living beings, not an organization of impersonal ones.  The righteous will live by faithfulness (cf. Hab. 2:4) and walk by faith and not by sight (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7).          Soli Deo Gloria!

What Is Christianity?

"Christ is the centre of Christianity; everything else is peripheral." --John Stott

According to Karl Gustav Adolf von Harnack, Christianity's Wesen, or essence in German, can be reduced to two universal claims:  the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man.  This was gleaned from his book, What is Christianity? by theologian R. C. Sproul. The affirmation is false:  fatherhood only applies to born-again believers; likewise to a brotherhood.  Many scholars have attempted to reduce Christianity to something other than what it is--knowing God and making Him known. 

You cannot reduce Buddhism or Islam to knowing Buddha or Muhammad, because these men are not essential to those religions. You can remove them and the religion remains intact.  The Pharisees tried to reduce Judaism to man-made rules and laws, to make it nothing but externalism and legalism, but Jesus said that neglected the more important parts of the Law--justice, mercy, and faithfulness (cf. Matt. 23:23).

If we remove Christ from Christianity the faith is disemboweled and there is nothing left!  It would be nearly nice ethics and pie-in-the-sky thinking.  We need to realize that it's more than a creed but putting it to work and turning it into deeds.  God is only pleased by faith in action (cf. Rom. 15:18), not our successes or achievements; Christianity is about God's accomplishment, not our feats.  He wants our obedience, not our exploits!  Richard of Chichester put it rather succinctly and eloquently: "to know Jesus Christ more clearly, to love him more dearly, to follow him more nearly."

The Bible spells it out in what Jesus claimed, "I am the way, and the truth and the life." A. W. Tozer said that Christ is "not the best way or one of many ways, but the only way."  Thomas a Kempis said, "Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; and without the life, there is no living."  Yes, Christians claim to know the Way, and the faith was first called the Way.  Christ is the center of the faith and all else is circumference and even "peripheral."  Those who are mere do-gooders and know not the Lord have missed the boat. Christians are meant to be the salt and light of the world and to show people the way by virtue of knowing Christ.

They say Christianity is not a religion or system of dos and don'ts, but a relationship, and this has become a cliche, but the Bible says that if you want to boast, boast (cf. Jer. 9:24) in the Lord, that you know Him. I prefer to think of it as a to-know list (know the Lord, know the Bible, know sin, know God's will).  Buddhism a not really a religion, but a philosophy of life and good advice and enlightenment for the ignorant, but it offers no salvation and doesn't know of man's problem with sin.  Why is it that Muslims don't sing about how Muhammad loves them or worship him--he has many flaws and is not worthy--that's why!  With all due respect to the founders of all the great religions, none of them claimed to be God but Jesus!

According to The Westminster Shorter Catechism, "the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."  John Piper reinterprets this as "by enjoying Him forever." This is taken from Isaiah 43:7, NIV, that says God created man for His glory sake:  "[E]veryone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."  God has a purpose for everyone, including the wicked (cf. Prov. 16:4).   "The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;..." (Psalm 138:8a, ESV).

This means only in Christianity does man have dignity, meaning, and purpose from God.  Christianity is primarily a religion of salvation and a rescue operation; its good deeds and acts of charity performed in the name of Christ have been a light to the world, but it's more:  a faith; a communion; a relationship; a walk with God; a fellowship, and, of course, a camaraderie with God and fellow believers.

The ultimate goal of the Christian life is to let Christ live through you, as a surrendered, relinquished, substituted, inhabited, exchanged, and Spirit-filled life in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit's indwelling ministry.  All that ultimately counts is expressing our faith through love (cf. Gal.. 5:6).  We no longer live, but Christ lives in us! The mature believer is Christlike and is a work in progress towards perfection/holiness, which will only be completed upon glorification. 

The true believer will produce works and fruit to demonstrate faith, or it's dead faith and won't save.  Saving faith isn't inert or static, but growing and demonstrative with fruit! Faith cannot but express itself!   It is said that the faith you have is the faith you show! The wonder is that it's done by God's power working in us both to will and to do His divine pleasure.

In the final analysis, Christianity is not a religion or a works proposition, but a faith-and-grace one; religion is a do-it-yourself activity, and lifting yourself up by your own bootstraps, while God works for you in Christianity. The devil is not out to make us as ungodly as possible (that's why there are so many false religions), but godly or good without God--the epitome of humanism, which deifies man and dethrones God, as man seeks to make a name for himself (Christ didn't come to make bad men good, but dead men alive!).  Only in Christ is the sin question and problem solved by God.  Instead of doing, it's done; we don't achieve, we receive! 

Christianity is a faith of facts, history, prophecy, and assurance, while you never know in a works religion where you stand as to your eternal destiny--Christianity alone offers the full assurance of salvation.  The man of faith has nothing to fear from the facts, the truth, or scrutiny, for all truth is God's truth and meets at the top according to Thomas Aquinas.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Knowing Your God

"If man is not made for God, why is he happy only in God? If man is made for God, why is he opposed to God?" says Blaise Pascal, this is our "dilemma." If you've ever felt that God is keeping a low profile like the psalmist in Psalm 89:46, "How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever?" "...He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him": (Heb. 11:6). Francis Schaeffer said that Christianity is "about the God who is there." If you have wondered about this, read on.

Sometimes God seems MIA or missing in action; even Job replied, "Oh that I knew where I might find Him" (Job 23:3). Also in Job: "Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night?" (Cf. Job 35:11) We all have sometimes wondered of the "whereabouts" of God, but James says, "Draw nigh unto God, and He will draw nigh unto thee" (James 4:8). It is our fault if we don't find Him. Isaiah says that God conceals Himself, though He reveals Himself: "Truly You are a God who has been hiding Yourself" (Isaiah 45:15).

God will be found by those who are not even seeking Him too, according to Isaiah 65:1 which says, "I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me: I was found by those who did not seek me." God doesn't take triflers seriously if you want to really know God. Your testimony must be: "I was lost, but now am found." We do not find God in reality, He finds us! No one can come close to God and remain unchanged! "Seek the LORD, and live..." (Amos 5:6).

I quote Daniel 11:32 as follows: "...but the people who know their God will display strength and take action [other translations render it: do exploits or firmly resist him, i.e., the opposition]." To know God is to love God and the highest calling we have is to know God: "...but let him who boasts, boast in this, that he understands and knows Me..." (Jeremiah. 9:24). God will authenticate Himself to you because God is no man's debtor. When we find God--and as Pascal said, "I would not have found Him, had He not first found me," We must be prepared for an encounter and reckoning. How can we know God? First, we must seek Him with our whole heart-- "Prepare to meet thy God," says Amos 4:12. This is always true; we never know when or how we will meet and confront our God.

Let us look at the wisdom of Job: "Acquaint now thyself with Him and be at peace!" (Job 22:21). It wasn't until Job actually acknowledged God that he was truly humbled and realized his self-righteousness. Hosea's theme is to know the Lord, even though we are backslidden: "Let us know the LORD, let us press on to know the LORD" (Hosea 6:3). God's main "pet peeve" against Israel was that there was "no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land" (Hosea 4:1). What is true worship? Read Hosea 6:6 which I quote: "For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."

To know God, we must seek Him with our whole heart. Jeremiah 29:13 (cf. Deut. 4:29) verifies this: "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Isaiah offers similar advice: "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near" (Isaiah 55:6). Hosea says "...For it is time to seek the LORD..." (Hosea 10:12). In seeking God, He wants us to acknowledge Him and His presence. One of God's names is YHWH Shammah, or "the LORD who is there, (Ezek. 48:35). Paul says to the Corinthians: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells is in you?" (1 Cor. 3:16).

Some people think that everyone is on a mad quest to find God! In reality, they are trying to get the benefits without the Benefactor! God says that there "is none that seeks Him" (Rom. 3:11). The search for God begins at salvation, according to R. C. Sproul, not before salvation, because God finds us, who are lost sheep. Jonathan Edwards proclaimed seeking God as the main business of the Christian life.

The promise that He will be found is in Matthew 7:7 said by Jesus Himself: "....seek and you shall find...." "The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him": (Lamentations 3:25). Here are two promises: "If you seek Him He will let you find Him." and "O LORD, You have not forsaken those who seek You" (Psalm 9:10b). A warning to the wise is sufficient: "He did evil because he did not set his heart on seeking the LORD" (2 Chron. 12:14). Even Hezekiah, the godliest king of Judah, sought the LORD in 2 Chronicles 20 when threatened by Assyria's armies.

If you put God in a box, you will not find Him; you are restricting Him, like saying: "I just like to think of God as the Great Spirit in the Sky or as the Heavenly Father, doting Grandfather, or the Man Upstairs--well do you see what I mean? We must be willing to acknowledge God for who He is and that means accepting the truth no matter where it leads--you will not ever find the truth if you are not willing to go where the facts lead and admit you could be wrong.

The highest calling we can have is to know God and the most rewarding relationship is our one with Him--if we pass this on to our children in passing the torch we have done our duty as a generation. Knowing God makes you strong in your faith and able "to do exploits" and not falter in faith. The ultimate goal of knowing God is to be like Him or to be sanctified. Jesus said, that He came "not to be served, but to serve" It is the same with us, in that we will have a servant's heart and realize that true greatness is not in how many people serve you, but in how many people you serve.

God is both transcendent and immanent (distant or removed and near): "'Am I a God who is near,' declares the LORD, 'And not a God far off?' 'Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?' declares the LORD. 'Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?' declares the LORD." God is not bound by the time-space continuum and confined to our dimensions.

The only relationship that fully satisfies and fully rewarding is one with our Maker (we are made for Him and can only find happiness in Him); and we are like a vacuum that only God can fill, according to Blaise Pascal, and Augustine also said that our hearts have a need that only God can satisfy [paraphrased]. Paul said to the Philippians: "... that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection..." (Phil. 3:10). The ultimate questions are: "How big is your God?" not how big your faith.   The answer is that to know Him is to love Him! The biggest challenge you can give is to live for something bigger than yourself and your concept of God affects this--don't think small, but aim high with God on your side!
Soli Deo Gloria!

Reformed Theology On The Defensive...

Most Arminians (i.e., Wesleyans, Methodists, and those of the opposite persuasion) are not aware of the fact that their patron saint (Jacob Hermann or Jacobus Arminius in Latin) was once a Reformed theologian at a Dutch university who was expelled from his post in disgrace. Reformed theology is the orthodox position, (going back to Aurelius Augustine, Bishop of Hippo's, debate with the British monk Pelagius in the 5th century), though we are all born semi-Pelagians or Arminians (they are actually in the majority, even among Evangelical churches) and Martin Luther, formerly an Augustinian monk, wrote a book, The Babylonian Captivity of the Church. Luther claimed we are all natural-born semi-Pelagians and we should consequently understand their viewpoint.

Many are in a fog about what Reformed theology is, it is sometimes referred to as Covenant theology, (people call it this to avoid the derogatory term "Calvinist" with its negative connotations). Anglican theologian J. I. Packer says that is more than a set of doctrines to subscribe to, but a "hermeneutic"--a way of seeing and interpreting Scripture in the light of grace, and having a viewpoint from above. I see it as a "mindset" and even a "worldview" because we can see everything in the light of God's grace. Let the Holy Spirit's illuminating ministry open your eyes and I hope you "get it"--a new orientation.

The pill that's hard for some to swallow is that our ultimate destiny is in God's hands (cf. John 6:44, 65; Romans 9:15-16) and we are not in control (Yes, we are at the complete mercy of God who will have mercy on whom He will have mercy) and so they make erroneous conclusions based on their bias. "It is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy" (Rom. 9:16). It is written in John 15:16: "I chose you, and you didn't choose me." Ephesians 1:5 says "according to the good pleasure of His will...." Being the elect refers to God's election, not ours! The common belief of prescience is that God conditioned our election on our contingent faith on our belief and thus we did it and are better than the lost, rather than electing us "unto faith." 

The Golden Chain of Redemption in Rom. 8:29-30 militates against prescience if you exegete it. He elected those He foreknew (means to have a personal love-relationship with, not knowing facts about someone). Calvinists adhere to unconditional election based on His purpose and grace and nothing in us is found worthy of it. God doesn't owe us a measure of grace, or it would be justice, not grace! Do you really think you responded to the gospel because you were more virtuous or moral than the unbeliever? Arminians admit they cannot explain why some respond to His wooing and others don't, other than positing that some desire to be saved and others don't (actually the Greek word for wooing is elko and it really means to "drag" someone like into court!). God didn't owe us--He didn't have to save anyone; He'd still be just and holy without doing it!

It seems most people have preconceived notions of Calvinism (which really are "hyper-Calvinism" ideas of "double-predestination" and "reprobation" that they object to or even the doctrine of "election," and for this cause Calvinism gets a bad rap). Calvinism per se is not what John Calvin taught (his teachings about predestination, for example, were sparse), and it was first delineated by the Synod of Dort in 1618 to answer John Preston, John Ball, Caspar Olevianus, Robert Rollock, Zacharias Ursinus, Henry Bullinger, Huldreich Zwingli, John Calvin and Martin Luther with Phillip Melancthon ahead of the game or before the fact, so to speak).

Calvinists are not preoccupied with one doctrine and are not on a mission to convert people to their way of thinking. It only seems that way since they've had a "grace awakening" and become "grace-oriented." It's a wonderful way to see God and our relationship with Him--they get the "can't-help-its" and want to share their faith ("For we can not but speak of what we have heard and seen," cf. Acts 4:20) and open their brother's eyes. Case in point: When I personally became aware of "eternal security" it opened my eyes to a whole new way of interpreting Scripture.

C. H. Spurgeon said that Calvinism (also known commonly by the nomenclature of Reformed theology and Covenant theology, though these terms are not identical) is simply acknowledging that "Salvation is of the Lord" as Jonah testified in the belly of the great fish. Faith is God's gift, but our act (God doesn't believe for us!).  Some believe that faith is a meritorious work and we all know that we are not saved by works in Ephesians 2:8-9. It is easier to see that we owe our faith to our election and not our election to our faith. We are not elected because of our faith, but unto faith (this means the election results in regeneration and faith/repentance and is not caused by it--see 2 Thess. 2:13, Acts 13:48; and 1 John 5:1 in ESV), and this election is, according to the Calvinists, vital to know, as we don't merit our election in any way.   If we could believe apart from regeneration or prior to it, what good is it?  A condition of salvation is to realize we are not worthy.

If we have to do anything for our salvation we will fail, and miserably. The other possibilities are logical "of us alone" and "of us and God together in a joint, cooperative venture (synergism).   If you think about it, the former one is religion, and the latter is legalism. The only way of grace is by God alone and we can be sure this way (no human element involved to vary): Man is incurably addicted to doing something for his salvation according to Chuck Swindoll! We just receive it by faith and that faith is God's gift. If we have to do a work for salvation we will fail, and at that miserably. What's the joy in not knowing you are saved or that you have to do something to be accepted in the Beloved? Nehemiah 8:10 says: "The joy of the LORD is your strength." This is because there is a difference between the conjecture of the Arminian versus the certitude of the Calvinist--viva la difference!

John Newton says that he believes in an unconditional election before he was born because he certainly didn't do anything in his life to merit it! The Reformed doctrines (known also as "doctrines that divide" by some) are known as TULIP or by five so-called points in this acrostic. The misunderstanding comes from the unfortunate nomenclature in describing the points. They should be better known as radical corruption, sovereign choice, efficacious or quickening grace, particular redemption, and God's preservation of the saints, just to give examples (R. C. Sproul, among others, use these terms).

Faith is a gift per Acts 18:27 ("You have believed through grace") among other passages. He opens our hearts like He did to Lydia in Acts 16:14. Note also that repentance is the flip side of faith and is also the gift of God per Acts 5:31 among other passages like Acts 14:27. The terms faith and repentance are linked and used almost interchangeably in the gospels and epistles and there is no saving faith without genuine repentance; you can distinguish them, but not separate them--they go hand in hand and are seen together as the gift of God as a work of grace in the individual to change his character and quicken his spirit to salvation (cf. Acts 20:21). The point is that God grants repentance just as faith: Acts 5:31; 11:18; 2 Tim. 2:25; Rom. 2:4; 2 Cor. 7:9, et al. We have to see what Jesus meant in John 6:44, 65 and that we cannot come to the Father on our own, without grace and it is "granted," according to Philippians 1:29. 

All believers need to know the basics of this theology and not be ignorant. This is not the place to elaborate or defend these doctrines here, as we will miss the point: What is the point? Simply what the reformers' battle cry was: The "Five Only's": Sola Deo Gloria (to God alone be the glory--i.e., we get no credit!), sola fide (by faith alone--i.e., not of works we do), soli Christo (through Christ alone--i.e., we don't help Jesus out!), sola gratia (by grace alone--i.e., it is freely given and not earned or deserved!) and Sola Scriptura (They see Scripture alone as authority--i.e., not the Papists, Romanists, or the "Church."). As Martin Luther said, "I dissent, I disagree, I protest." Namely, that God gets all the glory and credit and we have naught to brag or boast of in His presence. Grace alone means we don't work at all in our salvation; it's a done deal land a free undeserved, unearned gift.!

They should be known as the "doctrines of grace, not doctrines that divide." Arminians don't accept the fact that grace is the sine qua non of faith (in other words it is not only necessary, but all-sufficient, and regeneration precedes faith per 2 Thess. 2:13 and 1 John 5:1 in the ESV). Romanists affirm that grace is necessary but we must add at least some congruous merit to it since it is not sufficient. We don't add to God's work in us--that gives us some of the credit.

Christians of the Reformed persuasion are not fanatics on a mission to convert believers to their school of thought but have a new spiritual fervor because of this awakening, and once you've experienced it, you want to pass it along! Just as Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free" (John 8:32). God turns our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh by grace (cf. Ezek. 36:26)--He makes believers out of us and works in us according to His will per Philippians 2:13et alia! The conclusion of the matter is this: God doesn't enable us to save ourselves or even just offer to save us--He saves us! We must first quit trying to save ourselves and learn to trust and obey. Soli Deo Gloria!
















N.B. Faith and faithfulness are the same words in the OT and Hab. 2:4 (and Rom. 1:17) implies that a righteous man lives by his faith (faithfulness, i.e., it is a continual action, not a one-time event that is saving faith, bringing about good deed as fruit). Martin Luther made it clear in his first of Ninety-Five Theses that repentance was also a continual event that never ceased in the believer's walk and not a one-time event either.