Ushering In The Kingdom

Many believers assume geopolitical considerations concerning the faith as if it's the social gospel (actually a misnomer) or political reform were the Second Great Commission. "Seek the prosperity of the city..." (cf. Jer. 29:7). This a social mandate, not a social gospel. We are its salt and light, not its savior. America is a secular nation and not a Christian one, no matter how many believers make this land their home. Always keep the main thing the main thing and save souls as Job One.

We are not to stoop to the level of radical or fundamentalist Islam and institute Christian Shari'ah law, which forces everyone to live like a Christian, whether they are Christian or not.  God doesn't expect heathens to live like believers.  We are held to a higher standard!   Our nation established freedom from religion, as well as freedom of the exercise of religion, and no sect has the right to impose its views on the others--note that secular humanism and atheism are considered religions. We may have started out with our forefathers as a predominately Christian nation, but today it is highly multicultural and diverse ethnically and religiously. We are the salt as preservatives of morality and to give meaning and enjoyment to life, and also as light to show the way and how people should live in spiritual darkness--not political darkness, but moral depravity and in need of salvation, as the Bible sanctions no specific or certain type of government or economy.

What is legal is not always moral or right and could be sin or evil, and what is illegal may be the moral thing to do in an act of civil disobedience to unjust laws. The state may recognize gay marriage, for example, but that doesn't mean God recognizes it--it doesn't become right or moral by an act of governmental decree. We cannot legislate morality, law is merely the majority vote that licks all others, according to Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, though Christians differ because they believe that God is the only Legislator and all law must comply with Him. Christians should never cease to drive basic morality in society as salt and light, but be aware that there are gray and doubtful or questionable areas where people should be free to make their own personal choices. Government is a "social contract" according to John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, whether we want to be in it or not, or knowingly or not, according to contract laws. The Bible sees government ordained by God to restrain evil in the world.

Jesus alone will usher in His kingdom and His kingdom is not of this world--we are not to get too comfortable in this life and become too much at home, for our conversation and real citizenship is in heaven! Remember, at your homecoming you are not home yet! Oliver Cromwell failed in making England a Christian nation. The Puritans also attempted to make a Christian nation and John Calvin even tried his hand at it while mayor of Geneva--both utter failures and examples that the Great Commission is to spread the gospel and change lives, not to change the government--the Bible is a beacon of light unto salvation, not a social tool for government reform.

Governor William Bradford of Plymouth Colony wanted to "advance the kingdom of Christ" when he settled here, but he misunderstood the Great Commission and the doctrine of eschatology. It is a well-known fact that the Salem witch hunts showed the failure of instituting the Christian faith and making the Bible itself the law of the land. Jesus will bring about His kingdom in due time when the body is full and complete with all His lost sheep saved.

Jesus told Pontius Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world. Pilate then perceived Him to be a philosopher or harmless dreamer, but no threat to Caesar. If His kingdom were of this world His followers would fight, but we have no such marching orders. Many misled, though sincere believers throughout history have tried to usher in the kingdom of God, and thought that the church's job was to aid in doing it. As William Bradford, Pilgrim governor in Colonial America, said that his mission was to "advance the kingdom of Christ." The Puritans also tried legislating Christianity in early America, but it failed and turned out to have evil fruit, such as hanging innocent women accused of witchcraft. John Calvin even tried to enforce biblical mandates on Geneva, like mandatory Sabbath observance and even forbidding anyone from naming children anything but biblical names.

Only Christ will usher in the kingdom of God and our marching orders are to fulfill the Great Commission, not to reclaim a nation for Christ. Yes, we are light and salt, but we must not lose focus and keep the main thing the main thing. Christians are not to dedicate their lives to the betterment of society unless God calls them specifically to this. The "social gospel is not only a misnomer but has no place in the church. We are interested in saving souls and winning people, not becoming political activists. The Bible is meant to be a light for salvation, not government reform or social activism. Everyone has the obligation to be involved in his society that behooves a responsible citizen.

Entering the kingdom is synonymous with getting saved. The whole purpose of announcing the kingdom of God to be at hand is to make people realize the urgency to repent and get ready for the second coming of Christ in glory. The first words out of John the Baptist and Jesus in their ministries was to repent. The kingdom is both present in the here and now, and future to be fulfilled at the Second Advent. Presently Christ reigns in the hearts of His followers and we shall all reign with Him in His millennial kingdom after the tribulation period. Jesus said that if He cast out demons by the finger of God, "the kingdom of God has come upon you." Salvation (the fulfillment of our redemption) is nearer now than when we first believed according to Romans 13:11.

We are to do kingdom living while sojourning on this earth as pilgrims, this is not our home and we should realize that our true citizenship is in heaven (cf. Philippians 3:20). We are just passing through and have spiritual green cards and this life is but a staging area or tryout for eternity, where each note we play has eternal vibes. We are rehearsing for kingdom living and our faith must be tested and God wants to prove our faithfulness and reward it according to our deeds done through faith by the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Isa. 26:12; Hos. 14:8). Like Paul said (cf. Rom. 15:18), he would not venture to boast of anything, but of what Christ has accomplished through him.

We are not to seek nor store up treasure in this life nor to seek earthly fame, fortune, nor power, but to seek spiritual riches and to learn to live in the power of the Holy Spirit in God's kingdom. God's kingdom is invisible and only God knows who is in it for sure or who the elect are (cf. Mark 13:27 "... and shall gather his elect from the four winds..."). Jesus said to "seek ye first the kingdom of heaven" and this means that our number one priority is kingdom living in God's economy, and when we put God first in our lives all else falls into place. As it says, "all these things shall be added unto you."

The richest people are not those with worldly wealth, but those most content in what God has blessed them with and faithful stewards of our resources, time, talents, gifts, money, and opportunities. Someone has said that riches are not in the abundance of our possessions but in the fewness of our wants. When we seek first God's kingdom all our priorities become focused on Christ and our life is oriented in the right direction and given divine purpose and meaning. In sum, we ought to live one day at a time in light of eternity--not regretting the past, nor worrying about the future. 

Though Pilgrims made a compact to usher in the kingdom of God. or literally to "advance the kingdom of God," it failed.   Little doctrine did they know but that Christ will usher in His kingdom, and that His kingdom is not of this world. America is supposedly the "Great Experiment." They would've done a better job of it and speeded His coming (cf. 2 Pet. 3:12); we ought to always be about "hastening the day of His coming." The question is how this is accomplished. It doesn't mean passing legislation or beginning new governments such as a great experiment. Or like the Social Experiment that failed called Prohibition. Jesus gave us the Great Commission to spread the good news and make disciples, some seek the Second Great Commission to reform society to their agenda and to be a social gospel to help the needy and down and out, we must be lights and not just turn stones into bread but spread the good news.

Jesus kingdom would reign in human hearts, not on the throne of an earthly king or monarch. All authority has been given Him. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords and we are to make this real in our lives, not force it on others. We don't conquer territory in the name of Christ, but hearts with love. We love them into the kingdom. "Love conquers a multitude of sins," God promised Abraham that his descendants would be a blessing and God saves us to be a blessing (cf. Zech. 8:13) and we are heirs of Abraham as believers.

We never stop expanding Christ's kingdom and when He comes the church age will cease and Satan will have a pass or permission to bring in his idea of a kingdom dominated by him and the antichrist. There have been many antichrists so to speak that had the notion to conquer the world: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Hitler, et alia. The ancient Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian empires all aspired to world domination, but the Spirit restrains the evil one. The spirit of antichrist is already here.

We are never to despair that God is not in control ("Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD"). His Providence is governing all events and creatures small and great. Yes, God doesn't just reign, He rules ("For the kingdom is the LORD's, and he is the governor among the nations") not like a do-nothing king or the monarch of the UK who has no powers though they reign. But we are to receive Christ as Lord of our hearts and let Christ's kingdom grow from there by the preaching of the gospel message and living it out as witnesses. We must admit we are not in charge, nor is any earthly ruler in charge, without any reservations in our lordship decisions--submission is an issue for some.

("The king's heart is in the hands of the LORD..."). What does this mean but we owe complete allegiance and obedience to Christ. We pledge allegiance to the Lamb on the throne! No governor or ruler can do anything outside God's will or permission (cf. Lam. 3:37). We must be encouraged that the only king who is capable of ruling hearts is Jesus. He has been called the Emperor of love. Christ is indeed the only Potentate and Ruler of heaven, the entire universe, not just earth--all things visible and invisible.

We must not just render lip service to God but bow in obedience to His sovereignty. Every knee shall bow to Him! This obedience is to the command to repent and stop the charade or hypocrisy and also to put our complete faith and submission in Christ as Lord and trust as Him as Savior. Christ demands the throne room of our hearts, the pass key to our complete soul, and if He isn't there, we are there and in control of our lives, it cannot be neutral! We must give Christ the ownership of our lives.

We must remember that Satan claims the soul of the infidel and actually influences him to evil and sin, and the only way to get free from his tyranny and power is to surrender to Jesus: We must say "No!" to Satan before saying "Yes" to Jesus. It is obvious that Satan is having his heyday and we must seek to be set free. "If the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed." But after the church age, Satan will have his day to do as he wills: to take over the world for a period of tribulation on earth. After we belong to Christ, we are no longer in Satan's kingdom, the kingdom of darkness, and belong to God in His kingdom and are protected from the evil one who cannot touch us. Soli Deo Gloria!

The Beatific Vision, A Sermon Is Needed

Men have always imagined what God must be like and Christians have longed to see visions and revelations of God, known as theophanies. But no one knows what God looks like because God is Spirit (cf. John 4:24)! Moses saw the backside of the glory of Christ, who does reveal Himself, but the Father doesn't and no man has ever seen the Father. Our faith concerns the God who is there!
A child was asked what he was drawing in class: "I'm drawing a picture of God!" The child had to learn that no one can draw God, but the child answered that people will see now what He looks like. Children have an innocent faith and we are to mimic it (cf. Matt. 18:3).  It would be good to see Jesus through their eyes.  Hebrews says that we do see Jesus (cf. Heb. 2:9), and we sense His presence when two or three are gathered in His name as a promise (cf. Matt. 18:20).

He indwells each of us and we can have an existential encounter with Him as we read Scripture, fellowship, worship, or pray. Christians see the glory of God in His work on earth and will see God's glory in heaven, to our delight. The prophets who claimed they "saw God" were seeing theophanies, and not God in His fullness. We cannot bear to look at the sun in its brightness, much less look at the glory of God directly. That's one reason God reveals Himself propositionally and in the Word.

Christians want Christ to be seen in them and also to seek Christ being glorified. As Paul said in Col. 1:27, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." He also boasted that Christ was glorified in him. We wait till Christ be formed in us and in our brethren as a sign of maturity. God will never give up making us in His image and we are works in progress (cf. Phil. 1:6).

The Greek disciples came to the apostles and said they "[wanted] to see Jesus" (cf. John 12:19); we have a much greater thing in that we have the Word of God and full revelation of the wisdom and knowledge of God in it--we're better off than being with Christ in person also, because we have the inner blessing of the Spirit. The apostles said that it would suffice to see the Father, but Jesus said that to see Him was to see the Father! All that we can know and see God is revealed in Christ! In eternity we'll see the big picture!

The infidel doesn't see God anywhere at work, but the believer sees His fingerprint everywhere, from the smallest atom to the largest galaxy, at work. No amount of proof will convince someone who doesn't want to do God's will or sincerely have a relationship with him; to the believer and honest seeker, there is ample evidence--no one can disbelieve due to lack of evidence!

In glory, we shall behold Him as He is and we shall be like Him too, able to take it in. It is said that some angels always do behold the face of God and that Gabriel "[stands] in the presence of God"; we'll have more privilege than an angel! People generally say that seeing is believing; however, believing is seeing! Don't envy those who have seen a vision or revelation, as Jesus told Thomas: "Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believed" (cf. John 20:29). Jesus rebuked the Pharisees who maintained they could see but were "blind guides," in fact, the "blind leading the blind"; think how much worse it is to think you see and be blind, or not knowing you're blind! Christ came to open our eyes and to make the blind see, and Satan has blinded the eyes of all who don't believe in Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4).

Caveat: Don't reduce God to one dimension or put Him in a box, emphasizing one aspect, like seeing Him just as: the Old, Doting Grandpa who says, "Boys will be boys;" the Kind Father; the Man Upstairs; Cosmic Killjoy; the Great Spirit; the Strict, Mean Judge; the Higher Power; or even as the Great Mathematical Mind. Whenever we have an inadequate perception of God it's idolatry and our God is too small, thinking of Him in human terms. How big is your God?  This is just as important as seeing Him. God cannot be limited, defined, or confined, and we must know that He is beyond comprehension, known as His profundity, and we will never fully apprehend His glory, nature, or essence throughout eternity ("the finite cannot contain the infinite," says the maxim).

The eyes of our heart are opened upon salvation and we can literally say we see and were blind, just like the blind man Jesus healed said, "I was blind, but now I see!" No one can argue the fact that we have spiritual eyes enlightened and illuminated by the Holy Spirit living in our hearts. Theologians have attempted definitions of God in vain, for He cannot be described, only known, loved, and worshiped!

It is the childish faith that seeks to know God through pictures, visions, or experiences, but the mature obedient believer clings to the Word and hears God speaking His message through it; just like Francis Schaeffer wrote: "He is there, and He is not silent!" The problem with man is not only is he blind to spiritual truth, but spiritually hard-of-hearing and turns a deaf ear to the gospel message that he does hear. Man isn't faithful to the God he does see and is without excuse.

The pagan Emperor Trajan once asked a Christian why his God was invisible and you couldn't see him (it sounded atheistic to him--just worshiping a spirit), and he was informed and given the scoop: "Look at the sun!" Trajan said he couldn't because it's too bright. "Then don't you now realize that, if you cannot behold God's creation, how much less the splendor and glory of God?" Jesus said that God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth (cf. John 4:24).

But we don't need to see Him in order to know Him, because Jesus said blessed is he who believes and hasn't seen (cf. John 20:29). We can see with the eyes of our hearts which are opened by the Holy Spirit's illuminating ministry. We are seeing the glory of God when our eyes are opened to see how He is manifest in believers, and we see Jesus in them and they see Him in us--this is only a taste of the glory which shall be revealed to us. As Hebrews 2:9 (ESV) says: "But we see him [i.e., Jesus, with our spiritual eyes] ...."

We shall all be satisfied in heaven by beholding the face of God (in Jesus), but only because we will not be in the flesh, but without any sin to corrupt our spiritual bodies and souls. God has revealed Himself throughout the Bible in many theophanies (revelation of God, such as in the burning bush) and Christophanies (revelation of Jesus, such as the Angel of the LORD). From the burning bush to appearances as the Angel of the LORD, to Gideon and as the Son of Man, to Daniel's friends in the furnace, and to Daniel in a vision. John saw Jesus in His glory at the transfiguration and then finally at Patmos in a vision of heaven.

Jesus is how God manifests Himself as the embodiment, personification, or icon of God. When Philip (cf. John 14:8-9) asked Jesus during the Last Supper in the Upper Room to show them the Father, Christ said, that he who has seen Him has seen the Father--they are one! All that God wants to reveal of Himself is presented in the Son--all that God has to say to us and all that we can know. God is Spirit, according to Jesus, and became a man for our sake so we would have something to relate to and what to think of when we meditate on God. Jesus is analogous to the sun because He gives light to all He shines on, and makes life possible too.

Jesus has the Shekinah (glory of God), not reflected the glory of God, as Moses had after being in His presence. Jesus does not reflect light--He is light: John 8:12 says, "... I am the light of the world...." Jesus willingly veiled His glory because they couldn't behold it in full. Jesus has all the glory of the Father, there is no diminishing of it, but He voluntarily laid it aside (known as the kenosis in Philippians 2) while incarnated on earth before His ascension. Actually, Jesus shines brighter than the sun, which is only an analogy or symbol of Him.

In glory, we shall behold Him: "... [B]ut we know that when he appears we shall be like him because we shall see him as he [Jesus]" (1 John 3:2, ESV). Moses wanted to see God's face but God said that no man shall see His face and live [in the flesh], as Jesus told Moses in Exodus 33:23. Jesus said in His Beatitudes that the pure in heart are blessed, for they shall see God [in the NT God usually refers to God the Father].

Don't forget the Aaronic benediction in Numbers 6:24-26 as a promise to claim: "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." What man has always yearned for is a God they can see; one that has skin on and we can relate to. Jesus is just that incarnation: God with skin on!

Jesus said that "God is glorified in Him" (cf. John 10:34) and this is when He is glorified. At His priestly prayer in John 17 Jesus besought the return of His glory after He had glorified the Father by doing all His will and being obedient in His subordination and humility. He did it by accomplishing all God's work for Him on earth that was given Him to do (cf. John 17:4). By analogy we give up our glory to share His glory and to glorify God: "The chief end of man is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever" (The Westminster Shorter Catechism, ca. 1646).

Everyone will bow to the glory of God, either at Judgment Day, or to become a believer and surrender the control over himself, and even others, to the lordship of Christ. We must give up the ownership of our lives and realize we owe all to Him because He purchased us at the cross with His blood. But Jesus wants more than our bodies dedicated to Him as reasonable service (cf. Rom. 12:1), He wants us (to surrender everything we have and are to His lordship)! This entails and involves giving up your personal throne and kingdom and surrender it to God's sovereignty and guidance or plan for your life--we don't ask God to bless our plans, but Him to reveal His plan.

We leave our throne to bow to His and ultimately get a crown to reign with Him, just like Jesus left His throne in Heaven to humble Himself in obedience all the way to the cross. This surrender and acknowledgment of His lordship are not only done at salvation but renewed daily, as we learn to walk in the Spirit and in fellowship with God and our brethren (cf. 1 John 1:7). We actually have more authority in Christ after surrendering our authority and this is a paradox indeed (i.e., if we are lords, we are to become servants for Christ's sake and humble and meek enough that no service is beneath our dignity). We have nothing in comparison to lose and everything in eternity to gain, including the right to rule in glory with Christ, as we go from glory to glory to an ultimate glorified state in the New Jerusalem.

He doesn't want sacrifice or offering, or even going through the motions of the rituals of worship--Jesus internalized religion to make it a matter of the heart (He said evil comes out from the heart of man) because the Pharisees had externalized it to outward obedience to the letter of the Law, and neglect of the spirit of the Law. He wants all there is of us--all of our minds, hearts, souls, spirits, strength, and wills. John was stunned at the sight of the Lord, so just imagine how we would react!

Jesus is the great Inspector General of the church and we all need to pass muster and be ready for daily inspection of our daily walk--take regular spiritual check-ups so as not to jeopardize your testimony to the world. Paul said to "test yourselves whether you are in the faith." We are to examine ourselves (cf. 2 Cor. 13:5)--not others--regularly and especially before the Lord's Supper (cf. 1 Cor. 11:28).  We are fruit inspectors--not detectives. We must examine ourselves first because judgment begins at the house of God, and when we have cast the beam out of our own eye we can help someone else with the speck in theirs.

In other words, don't throw bricks if you live in a glasshouse, because we all have feet of clay or have vulnerabilities not readily apparent--we may see the sins of others as obvious; however, we just sin differently and have no right to look down on our brother or criticize him, and we are all vulnerable to Satan's attack, which Martin Luther called the Anfectung, and we should never succumb to this nor even his accusations. If we take care of our witness and testimony, God will take care of our reputation and open doors for us--we must just be ready!

Men have always imagined what God must be like and Christians have longed to see visions and revelations of God, known as theophanies. But no one knows what God looks like because God is Spirit (cf. John 4:24)! Moses saw the backside of the glory of Christ, who does reveal Himself, but the Father doesn't and no man has ever seen the Father. Our faith concerns the God who is there!


He indwells each of us and we can have an existential encounter with Him as we read Scripture, fellowship, worship, or pray. Christians see the glory of God in His work on earth and will see God's glory in heaven, to our delight. The prophets who claimed they "saw God" were seeing theophanies, and not God in His fullness. We cannot bear to look at the sun in its brightness, much less look at the glory of God directly. That's one reason God reveals Himself propositionally and in the Word.

Christians want Christ to be seen in them and also to seek Christ being glorified. As Paul said in Col. 1:27, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." He also boasted that Christ was glorified in him. We wait till Christ be formed in us and in our brethren as a sign of maturity. God will never give up making us in His image and we are works in progress (cf. Phil. 1:6).

The Greek disciples who came to the apostles and said they "[wanted] to see Jesus"; we have a much greater thing in that we have the Word of God and full revelation of the wisdom and knowledge of God in it--we're better off than being with Christ in person also because we have the inner blessing of the Spirit. The apostles said that it would suffice to see the Father, but Jesus said that to see Him was to see the Father! All that we can know and see God is revealed in Christ! In eternity we'll see the big picture!

The infidel doesn't see God anywhere at work, but the believer sees His fingerprint everywhere, from the smallest atom to the largest galaxy, at work. No amount of proof will convince someone who doesn't want to do God's will or sincerely have a relationship with him; to the believer and honest seeker, there is ample evidence--no one can disbelieve due to lack of evidence!

In glory, we shall behold Christ as He is and we shall be like Him too, able to take it in. It is said that some angels always do behold the face of God and that Gabriel "[stands] in the presence of God"; we'll have more privilege than an angel! People generally say that seeing is believing; however, believing is seeing! Don't envy those who have seen a vision or revelation, as Jesus told Thomas: "Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believed" (cf. John 20:29). Jesus rebuked the Pharisees who maintained they could see but were "blind guides," in fact, the "blind leading the blind"; think how much worse it is to think you see and be blind, or not knowing you're blind! Christ came to open our eyes and to make the blind see, and Satan has blinded the eyes of all who don't believe in Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4).

Caveat: Don't reduce God to one dimension or put Him in a box, emphasizing one aspect, like seeing Him just as: the Old, Doting Grandpa who says, "Boys will be boys;" the Kind Father; the Man Upstairs; Cosmic Killjoy; the Great Spirit; the Strict, Mean Judge; the Higher Power; or even as the Great Mathematical Mind. Whenever we have an inadequate perception of God it's idolatry and our God is too small, thinking of Him in human terms. How big is your God, is just as important as seeing Him. God cannot be limited, defined, or confined, and we must know that He is beyond comprehension, known as His profundity, and we will never fully apprehend His glory, nature, or essence throughout eternity ("the finite cannot contain the infinite," says the maxim).

The eyes of our hearts are opened upon salvation and we can literally say we see and were blind, just like the blind man Jesus healed said, "I was blind, but now I see!" No one can argue the fact that we have spiritual eyes enlightened and illuminated by the Holy Spirit living in our hearts. Theologians have attempted definitions of God in vain, for He cannot be described, only known, loved, and worshiped!

It is the childish faith that seeks to know God through pictures, visions, or experiences, but the mature obedient believer clings to the Word and hears God speaking His message through it; just like Francis Schaeffer wrote: "He is there, and He is not silent!" The problem with man is not only is he blind to spiritual truth, but spiritually hard-of-hearing and turns a deaf ear to the gospel message that he does hear. Man isn't faithful to the God he does see and is without excuse. Soli Deo Gloria!

What Is The Christian Life About?

Everyone has a doctrine, it is just a matter of how accurate it is. Everyone is a theologian, it just matters how good of a one we are.  Jesus' doctrine was right but the Pharisees hated His doctrine, though they loved doctrine per se, they specialized in the requirements of the Law.  You cannot avoid doctrine though and it just means teaching and is usually made systematic by professional theologians. But the church fathers formulated all the major doctrines of our faith and penned the creeds we know and believe.  Doctrine separates Christians when they make it the end and not the means. 

The purpose of all doctrine is to lead us to a fuller understanding and relationship with God--not a reason to feel puffed up with knowledge. All Scripture is profitable for doctrine...   One can know very little doctrine and be very good at applying what he knows and be a very good Christian.  But just being good at doctrine is not necessarily a sign of spirituality.  We must content ourselves in our knowledge.  

The disciples were "dedicated to the apostle's teaching [or doctrine]" (Acts 2:42). In other words, knowing doctrine is a means to an end, and not the objective itself (what we apply is more important than what we believe in theory).  Don't just be content just to be theologically correct. Don't be complacent!   Some people like to divide Christians into two camps, for instance: Arminian vs. Calvinist. Both can be very fundamental, evangelical, and conservative in their beliefs. In fact, there are some Arminians that know their God far better than some Calvinists.  John Wesley was a famous English Arminian and George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards famous early American Calvinists. 

It is not a good thing to get into the habit of labeling fellow believers, which can lead to judging. You can say, "I am a Calvinist!" But I can retort, "I am a Christian!" In summary, at the Judgment Seat of Christ, God isn't going to ask you what party you were a member of or how you interpreted the atonement--but of your love for and trust in Christ. !

There are doctrines that divide (the renowned "Five Points of Calvinism," for instance) but they should be called the doctrines of grace, for they deal in salvation, namely, that salvation is of the LORD per Jonah 2:9. That means we contribute naught to our salvation, it is a gift of grace not of works.  Now, Christianity is separated and divided due to Satan's strategy to divide and conquer and they have gotten their eyes of the mission and the main thing, especially Jesus Himself, the true focus of our faith. If Christians learned what was negotiable and what wasn't, there would be no sectarianism. There might still be denominations but people would cooperate one with another and not have contentions or disputes. They would agree to disagree without being disagreeable.  It is high time we find commonalities with fellow believers: build bridges, not erect walls.   

Now it becomes necessary to define exactly what the Christian life is: the cliche that it is a relationship with Christ is too commonplace and trite and even misconstrued. What do we mean? Actually, we are talking of the thrust of our life; what motivates and inspires us, and what we love, and it should be Jesus. Two men notably walked with God in the Bible: Enoch and Moses.  So it can be said that our faith is a walk.  It could also be seen as a fellowship as it is impossible to be a spiritual Lone Ranger; we need other believers. It is an affair with Jesus, you might even call it a love affair!  One may inquire how one is getting along with Jesus and what you have learned of Him.  

Now, furthermore, Christ promised to be our friend if we obey Him, so it is an ongoing friendship too. Christ is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. Man was not made to walk through life alone with no God on His side and so we have an insurance policy. Salvation isn't really fire insurance, but with Christ, we have a hedge of protection against the evil one who cannot touch us. We have a job to do with God, a calling, so our life in Christ is a commission.  We are ambassadors for Christ to fulfill His gospel.  Christianity is a way to live but not just a philosophy or worldview but a path to know God and pursue or seek His face. 

Early Christians were referred to as followers of the Way: without the way, as Jesus claimed to be, there would be no going!   But then in a derogatory manner, the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch, or little Christs as an insult and that name stuck. God has no hands, but ours, no eyes but ours, no ears but ours, no legs but ours, and no mouth like ours on earth to do His will and goodwill. So we are Christ in disguise to some who may never know Him any other way; what is the gospel according to you? 

Christians are God's stewards of His provisions and blessing in order to be a blessing to others so that the others are blessed by association as it says, the rain falls on the wicked as well as the good.  We are examples to the world as salt and light to bring prosperity to the city we live in. Also, the very name disciple, used interchangeably with Christian, implies we are students and enrolled in the school of Christ, that we never stop learning and growing in Christ as works in progress.  But that would imply we are People of the Book as we are sometimes called! 

In sum, Christianity is a faith due to that being the means of salvation and prominent virtue, but what matters is that we authenticate or validate it with works.  Faith without works is dead and that faith cannot save.  We are not saved by works, but not without them either. James said that he would show his faith by his works and we are indeed known by our fruits. We are ordained unto good works and a called people to be zealous of good works. As the Reformers taught: we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone.

Note: I am not describing salvation such as a person with Christ as Lord or has Christ living in his heart due to repentance and faith. Soli Deo Gloria! 

Full Assurance Of Salvation...

"Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble"  (2 Peter 1:10, HCSB).   


It is not presumption nor conjecture to believe one is saved eternally in real-time, it's faith and a boon to one's well-being, even justification and a motive and reason to do good.  We should be able to quote 2 Tim. 1:12 that saying, I know whom I have believed and am confident that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him day.   Assurance is paramount and enhances our sanctification and is the helmet of salvation to fight Satan and his minions.  If we lack assurance, our walk is paralyzed and we are in limbo, so to speak, meaning we are not resting in faith.  Assurance is not of the essence of faith, and not an automatic fruit, but it is commanded and our duty to know (cf. 2 Pet. 1:10), not just be idly curious about!  Assurance isn't the job description of the pastor-teacher but individual responsibility to examine their heart.  All one can do is "reassure."

Actually, some believers are congenital doubters or have little faith, but false assurance is the bigger problem (believing one is secure without biblical warrant or sanction).  Also, note that it's not some one's job description to certify your salvation--they can only give reassurance:  One must examine his own heart and the fruits of his faith, and see if they align with the Word of God and the witness of the inward Spirit (per Romans 8:16; 2 Cor. 13:5). 

We need not speculate about our destiny with God, for we can take God at His Word and at face value, standing on the promises of God; however, this implies we are not ignorant of the Word and have faith to begin with. In the final analysis, realize that we don't rest on conjecture, but certainty!

God is the great Promise Keeper and His Word "cannot be broken"; He has given us His Spirit as the earnest money or down payment on our salvation dividend.  Our destiny is in God's hands!  Believing this, we ought to rest in faith and stop trying to save ourselves by piety or religiosity.  We see salvation as a done deal (a fait accompli) with nothing we can add improvements to it, and we cannot earn, deserve, nor pay it back--it's the gift of God received through faith by grace, giving all the credit and glory to God (Soli Deo Gloria!  "Salvation is of the LORD," per Jonah 2:9). Salvation is not of us, nor of us and the LORD, but solely of the LORD.

In sum, taking a verse that you can cling to as a promise is the way to have assurance, and some call this a spiritual birth certificate, for example, a favorite of mine: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life [now], and shall not come into condemnation, but has [past tense or done deal] passed from death unto life" (John 5:24, KJV).    Soli Deo Gloria!

Uniqueness Of Christian Faith

Jesus "was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead..."  (cf. Rom. 1:4, ESV).  By this, " he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead" (cf. Acts 17:31, ESV).  Paul goes on to say that, if Christ is not risen "our faith is futile and we are still in our sins" (cf. 1 Cor. 15:17, ESV).  We will see history as His story and Christianity as God entering history on our behalf--it's not just a story, but something that happened in real time.  H. G. Wells, in Outline of History, wrote that "Jesus of Nazareth was easily the most dominant figure in history."   Note that Christianity is the only religion based on history and evidence. No one can disbelieve for lack of evidence; there's plenty of it for the sincere and open-minded.

We are, of all people, "most to be pitied" if Christ is not risen (cf. 1 Cor. 15:19, ESV).  Why?  What sets our faith above others is the certainty of our salvation and that it's a done deal, finished on the cross and that the Father accepted Jesus, showing it by raising Him from the dead, which guarantees we will be too--a sure thing!   Because Jesus wasn't just resuscitated or revived, but resurrected into a resurrection body that is incorruptible.  Jesus predicted His resurrection, and the Pharisees knew this, though the disciples hadn't caught on, and would've been a false prophet had he not been resurrected.  His Word is trustworthy; if we can trust Him in this, we can trust Him in everything.

He didn't just get revived from the dead, but overcame it and defeated death itself, breaking its sting and power.   "... 'Death is swallowed up in victory.'  'O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?'"  (1 Cor. 15:54, 55, ESV).  Death has no hold on us and is now only a door to pass through to glory.  We, too, can get revived in the same Spirit of Christ.   Only in our faith is their hope realized that has a sure foundation and reason for hope.  He's in the business of changing lives and giving them purpose, not giving us rules, and that power of the resurrection is still available for us to use.  He didn't come to make bad men good, but dead men alive!  Alive in Christ, that is.

The song goes, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow."  What hope does a dead man like Buddha give you that he has discovered the key to the afterlife?  Confucius said that we know so little about this life, how can we know about the next one?  Jesus promised to prepare a place for us (cf. John 14:1) and that He will come again to receive us unto Himself.  Jesus gives us real evidence that there is a life after death and that we can find the way through Him.  Muhammad and Buddha are in their graves, but Jesus' grave is empty, and if they did find a body or any of His bones, then Christianity would be destroyed in its basis for faith.

Christianity is more than a system of ethics, a philosophy, even a worldview, or a creed, it's a growing fellowship and relationship with Jesus.  Jesus isn't just the perfect moral example for us to emulate and find the so-called good life:  We don't need a code to live by or a wise saying to confess, we need a Savior!  Only Christianity correctly diagnoses our problem and dilemma as sin, not ignorance as some religions do. And we can experience Him today subjectively in our hearts, as well as know objectively from the evidence in Scripture.  The resurrection is objective historical fact, but just believing He rose is history, but believing He rose for you is salvation.  We must personalize our faith and experience Him.  Christianity is a historical religion or it is nothing--if you disprove it historically, it would fall apart.

Other faiths do not employ history and are myths, fables, rules, ethics, or even just wise sayings.  Story faith is just believing it happened, but saving faith means you love the Lord and desire to follow Him in obedience  (cf. Rom. 16:26).  Other faiths don't demand self-sacrifice or cost anything to give up, but Christ demands obedience to His will, but it's worth it.  We don't present a way of life, such as a code to live by like the Sermon on the Mount--seeing this as the essence of the faith--nor even a creed to believe, but a person to know!  You can be convinced of all the facts and say, "Well, He's God alright!"  But you must make it part of you, desiring to live it out.

Christ wasn't just a man dying for a good cause, an unwilling martyr, a man who was getting his karma or what He deserved, a deluded madman, a deceived liar, nor a good teacher, He was who He said He was:  The living Son of God, and that is He is equal to the Father and the only way to get access to Him.  If Jesus wasn't who He said He was He would be not worth paying attention to, nor worth the time to study.  But His life was in sync with His teachings and there was no discrepancy.

If He had been a liar or deluded, wouldn't the disciples had figured it out after three years of close contact, since familiarity normally breeds contempt, but not in this case.  The disciple worshiped Him and He didn't stop them, He knew who He was, and was, of all things, a man on a mission--to die for us and be raised from the dead.  Paul staked His faith in this fact: if He is not raised, our faith is futile.

We don't need religion or a self-improvement course: religion is lifting yourself up by your own bootstraps and is a do-it-yourself proposition, what we need is salvation because our problem is sin and we need forgiveness--only a Savior could be the answer to our dilemma; not a philosopher, nor educator, nor scientist, nor teacher, nor conqueror. Christians aren't rule-obsessed but walk and live by faith and in the Spirit.  The Jews were looking for freedom from Rome and a military messiah, but Jesus isn't the Messiah of conventional wisdom, but one who sets us free form our sins (cf. Jn. 8:36)  and gives us a sure hope.

Only in Christ can we be sure of our salvation and know that we are going to heaven. It is the dying Jesus that saves us from sin, the living Jesus that gives us victory, and the coming Jesus that will glorify us.   We are saved from the penalty of sin by the crucified Savior, from the power of sin by the living Savior, and from the presence of sin by the coming Savior. Christianity is based on the Gibraltar of the resurrection miracle and this is either the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on man in history, or it's the most wonderful and important fact of history!  But "the resurrection is arguably the most attested fact of antiquity" (according to D. James Kennedy), and the biggest proof is changed lives (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17)--religion doesn't make you a new person from the inside out!

Christ is the focal point of the faith; you can remove Muhammad from Islam or Buddha from Buddhism and the religion is still intact--not so with Christ, who will never be surpassed nor equaled.  Christ wasn't self-effacing, but self-advancing; He made Himself the center of His teaching, and said He and the Father were one!   The power of the resurrection of Christ is available and alone transforms, not just reforms.   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Appearance Of Wisdom

It would seem that "holy" men like Mahatma (Mohandas) Gandhi or the Dali Lama of Tibet have reached a level unattainable by the average person.  But religiosity is not what God seeks.  Asceticism is condemned by Paul in Col. 2:23 and its show of holiness because the person thinks he is giving up something for God and doing Him a favor by impressing Him of his holiness--these types have a "holier-than-thou" attitude condemned in Isaiah 65:5.  Severe denial of pleasures or the good things in life is not the answer--God has given us richly all things to enjoy (cf. 1 Tim. 6:17) and we are not to refuse anything if received with thanksgiving--God is the source of all good things and blessings.

We are not any better because we give up something.  But fasting is a temporary abstinence of something for the sole purpose of humbling oneself to God and seeking His guidance or deliverance in a trial or difficult time or decision time--not to be practiced for its own sake as a measure of spirituality.  The purpose is to learn and practice self-control in all things, not just our eating habits as some allege.  Martin Luther practiced extreme self-flagellation, and if anyone could've benefited by such a lifestyle it would have been him--he took it to its logical conclusion and found out it didn't work nor impress God.

Faith is what pleases God, not religiosity--He tests our faith as if by fire and brings trials our way to force action.  There are plenty of athletes who have a lot of bodily self-discipline but aren't even saved.  Jesus didn't come to make us good people who have good habits, but to make dead people alive who enjoy the more abundant life He promised.  Abstinence of pleasure or the good things in life is not taught (I'm not talking of sin); for instance, there is no case for teetotalism.  Soli Deo Gloria!

When You Fast

Matt. 6:16 says that our fasting should be in secret to be rewarded.  We are not to be as the hypocrites who make a show of it and try to impress others with our self-flagellation, or self-discipline.  True fasting is self-control in all things in Spirit, not just skipping a meal and thinking that pleases God. The goal is to maintain discipline in every facet of life according to 1 Cor. 9:25.  Isaiah 58 says that only spiritually motivated fasting pleases the Lord and we shouldn't think we can force God to favor us on account of it, but it is done to humble ourselves as we see a need.

Isaiah 65:5 says that we should never think like we have a holier-than-thou attitude, especially that we have a spiritual strength and others have a weakness (cf. Heb. 12:1-2).  We all have our easily besetting sin and Satan knows us well enough to attack us at our area of weakness.  True fasting sets the prisoner free and puts the person in a more spiritual mood, if the person already has that he doesn't fast for the sake of fasting, thinking that it is the means of sanctification.  Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, and like all fruits, they must be cultivated and grown;  everyone is at a different level of growth and maturity and we are not to look down on our brother or even condescend to him, but see him as our equal in Christ--we are all one in Christ.

The Pharisees were especially guilty of drawing attention to themselves and practicing their piety before men, to be seen by them and this is forbidden in Matt. 6:1.  We shouldn't brag about our spirituality either or toot our own horn as to our piety, but let another praise us.  Religiosity is no sign of spirituality and if an unbeliever can duplicate it or fake it, it isn't of God.  There is a time to fast and a time to celebrate, but never to indulge.

There is always a danger of going overboard, but Christians should know that moderation in all things is a principle and never to go the extreme.  The Bible neither teaches nor endorses asceticism, abstinence, nor indulgence as lifestyles.  Fasting isn't just giving up food but can be many things the person "enjoys" and has the discipline to carry it out faithfully, such as skipping needed rest or entertainment. Soli Deo Gloria!