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! 

How Shall We Then Live?...

"And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2, KJV).
"And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8, ESV).
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people [Israel] whom he has chosen as his heritage!" (Psalm 33:12, ESV).
"There is no accountability since God does not exist" (Psalm 10:4, HCSB).
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people" (Prov. 14:34, NIV).
"To this, you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps" (1 Peter 2:21, NIV).


Note:  Christianity is composed of two things: orthodoxy or believing right, and orthopraxy or doing right. Orthodoxy has to do with ethics or right conduct, answering the question, "how shall we then live?"


My title was also the title of a book by Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer, of L'Abri Fellowship in Switzerland. It is a big issue of how believers should apply their faith and fulfill their marching orders. We are not meant to either flaunt it or privatize it, though our faith offends no one if we do keep it to ourselves. However, it's not a matter of personal preference to propagate our faith, or "shove it down other people's throats" as some call it--it's the Great Commission, mandated by our Lord Himself.

We are to live out our faith, and only those believers who desire to live it out and share their faith are obedient--the only way to keep it is to give it away! We are, in essence, to live forthright, honest, exemplary lives as proof of our profession, which is the reality of our faith. The faith we have is the faith we show! We must never lose focus of our first order of business (Job One), that we are here to make a contribution and fulfill God's will, and must heed the spiritual wake-up calls to read the signs of the times.

As American citizens, we have the awesome task of being witnesses in the midst of people who've already heard (territory Paul would've balked at entering, to sow where someone else had been). People already have preconceived notions of our faith and are prejudiced--we must be all the more ready to be "not ashamed" "in debt" and "ready" as Paul proclaimed in Romans 1. The door is indeed often closed and we must pray for the open door or opportunity to live out our faith as examples. Unfortunately, there's often just enough darkness not to see, and enough light to see, but only to the willing and obedient. That's the rub: man is by nature stubborn and in defiance of God's authority, especially in the political realm, which seems to be Satan's turf, and so it takes moral courage and grit.

The biggest error is to think we can usher in the kingdom and that America is somehow God's chosen nation. It's true that Governor William Bradford of Plymouth set out to "advance the kingdom of Christ," (cf. Jer. 29:7) but our nation has no right to usurp Israel's place in God's scheme of things and the overall plan for the ages. This is the church age and the kingdom of Christ is not of this world, and we are here primarily to save souls, not the nation.

But if Christians do get their so-called act together and repent, pray, and stand up for the truth, God will bless our nation and rebuke the devil's intervention, and may perhaps relent of His divine wrath, punishment, and even curse--yes, God can and does curse nations, even Israel (cf. Deut. 28). We can not call something crooked if we don't have an idea of what straight is. And we should never turn a deaf ear to the evil in the land and be too timid or inhibited to speak out about crimes against humanity or whatever form evil manifests.

But by and large, we can expect the blessing of God if we follow godly paths of righteousness in our nation; for the Word says, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." God is no respecter of persons and shows no partiality and will bless us for the sake of His people. But we must also note that God has promised to bless those nations who bless Israel as God's chosen people, promising Abraham that He'll bless those who bless him. We cannot maintain an anti-Semitic attitude or policy and expect God's approbation--this doesn't mean whether they are right or wrong politically or morally!

Believers are called to rise to the occasion and stand up and be counted for the Lord, and that means taking stands for the truth and being loyal to God and even courageous to the point of civil disobedience and public stands when the state's policies are immoral, unethical, or unscriptural. We must maintain the highest standards of conduct and hold our government accountable and be equal to the challenge! Who knows, as it is written in Esther 4:14, maybe we were born for such a time as this?

We must be careful not to idolize our party (i.e., "my party, right or wrong!"), identity, candidate, or policies to the point of demanding our highest allegiance and unwavering devotion. God is not a member of a party since He cannot be limited or put in a box or labeled, and it is often the case that Christians deify their party or candidate at the expense of losing all sense of decency, morality, and even ethics. Remember, only God deserves our homage and ultimate loyalty; we only pledge allegiance to a nation "under God."

We must learn to draw the line and know where the limits are. Sometimes the law is in direct violation of divine principle, but we will never realize this if we are blinded by following party, person, or policy above God. Augustine of Hippo said something very noteworthy for our time: "An unjust law is no law at all." "Woe to those who decree unjust laws," (cf. Isaiah 10:1).    Remember the words of Scottish Presbyterian minister and author Samuel Rutherford, in his book, Lex Rex, (i.e., the law is the king), that delineated limits to the power of the king or any government as being subject to the rule of law--and this goes back to biblical precedent, not just democratic--this book upset the political landscape and applecart. In a similar vein, Will Durant, historian, said, "No society has been able to maintain morality without the aid of its religion."Also, Edmund Burke noted: "'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good men do nothing."

Christians always reserve the right to peaceful protest and even defiance of evil law, and this is fully realized in the slogan of the Reformation: I dissent, I disagree, I protest, attributed to Martin Luther. In a crisis of evil, many ask, "Where's God?" but we should be asking, "Where's the church?" We must never forget that we have dual citizenship, our home is in heaven and we are only passing through with our spiritual green cards on a mission. God doesn't burden just one individual to change the world for Christ but will transform it through the corporate activity of the body of Christ and the church at large. One task of the church is to equip and help believers find their calling and gifting so this can be implemented. It's a shame when unbelievers lead the way and do what we should be doing by nature (cf. Romans 2:14-15).

NB: God did something about evil--He made you! Our mission to counter social injustice has not been rescinded. Note the words of a famous Christian philosopher, dramatist, theologian, and journalist--known as the "prince of paradox": "What's wrong with the world? I am. Yours truly, G. K. Chesterton." The words of John Donne come to mind: "Don't ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee." We must turn our creeds into deeds, thus proving our testimony by actions, which can speak louder than words--true faith always expresses itself!

We must expose, openly declare, and wave our Christian colors and not permit evil to win by default. We must also learn not to just bemoan evil, but to challenge ourselves to see the possibility of good beyond the gray clouds. Evil always presents an opportunity for good, because that's why it exists as the counter and contrast of good, which we can then highlight and see clearly in juxtaposition.

Thus, Christians have a Second Great Commission, to heal and preserve society, and we must pay our dues, living up to our faith and being worthy of the name of Christ, touching the world for our Savior, all in order that no one will have anything bad to say about us, and we can win them over by our witness.

 
Even though Francis Schaeffer wrote a book by this title too, showing its importance, the question we all must answer: "How shall we live in light of eternity?" Jesus didn't tell us to close shop and stop working to wait till He comes but Matthew Henry said that we should live each day as if it's our last! Jesus told us to occupy till [He] comes and be ready! But we are to be ready and watch for Christ's coming and live our life to have maximum impact on eternity. We aren't seeking to be remembered but to be obedient.


We see eternal results in everything; all we do strikes a chord that will vibrate for eternity. Everything will either be rewarded or not, and in time we can be disciplined for what we do if not in God's will. Paul said that to him "to die is gain" not as a death wish but he meant that he saw eternity in a better light than imagined ("what no human mind has conceived"). He only said this because he had a clear concept of heaven with no misconceptions or delusions to live the good life.

Living in light of eternity inspires us to do good deeds and to have a good testimony to the world at large so they get saved as a result. It helps us in our trials, seeing that they are only temporal and serve an eternal purpose. In short, we become purpose-driven. We prove and validate our faith by our deeds--the faith we have is the faith we show and authenticate. The more we see Jesus coming soon, the more eager we will be to show our faith also because we will see the urgency of the Great Commission relative to our personal lives. 

Thus, we will want to pass it on and become contagious Christians. We will be eager to make others ready and to stop living for the moment and the here and now. What we look forward to affects our worldview and how we interpret life in general. When the "Desire of all nations" comes at His Parousia, we will be transformed to become like Him, but we can have a taste of the good things to come now: "Taste and see that the LORD is good." But now we can see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living (cf. Psalm 27:13, KJV).

We are simply pilgrims, aliens, foreigners, and even strangers in this life and to the world, and passing through, not meant to make ourselves at home here--we don't belong here! But God has a place for us in His plan. God has an eternal purpose for our lives that He will fulfill and not give up on us. We are on a spiritual journey too, growing in our relationship with Christ--Reality 101. We should not cling to our mundane lives but see that our spiritual lives take precedence; however, we do not live with our heads in the clouds nor on cloud nine. What matters is how our relationship with Christ is growing. It is wrong to think that we should live as if we go around once and should grab all the gusto we can. We must have an eternal bucket list that involves our beatific vision of God in glory.

Having a true focus on Christ, keeping our eyes on Jesus orients our life and sets the priorities to have spiritual value. However, we ought not to be so heavenly-minded we are no earthly good. We must not be known as mere secluded saints but actively involved in the real world. We can enjoy this life, but without sin, and thank God for the blessings that it gives to all in common grace. We can enjoy life to the max as Jesus promised: "I am come that they may have life, and have it to the full [more abundant life]" (John 10:10, NIV). On the other hand, we ought not to "love the world nor the things of the world" because the more we do, the less room we'll have in our hearts to satisfy our spiritual appetites to enjoy all the good things He gives us richly as a blessing for stewardship (cf 1 Tim. 6:17).

The good life has universally been defined as an ethical one: our duty to God and mankind. We do this by loving God with all our hearts and our neighbor as ourselves as exemplified in the parable of the Good Samaritan. "Mankind, He has told you what is good and what it is the LORD requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8, HCSB). This is achieved by a true sense of "oughtness." Knowing and believing right doctrine or having one's thinking straightened out is orthodoxy while living right and practicing what one believes and applying it is orthopraxy--both are necessary for the good life (which is not achieving the American dream!).

In the final analysis, when our lives are given their final audit and we go one-on-one with our Maker to face God in the Bema or Judgment Seat, we must ask ourselves whether we are faithful stewards to the blessings God has given us and whether we used them to have an impact. We all will pass on some legacy and people will tend to judge our lives, but what matters most is what Christ sees in us. He isn't going to ask us about our achievements but our obedience and we will realize that success doesn't matter to God because it belongs to Him anyway (cf. Deut. 8:18), but what matters is our call to faithfulness. Praise the Lord, life is good! Soli Deo Gloria!

Basic Assurance

I have seen stats and data that support the conclusion that most Christians are not sure of their salvation. At least 50 percent of Christians claim to be unsure. In some churches, 95 percent of the members are unsure (mostly Roman Catholic). Assurance of salvation does not belong to the essence of faith and doesn't always exist with saving faith. God is more interested in whether our faith is sincere and unfeigned and not hypocritical than being unwavering. Everyone's faith is tested at times because it is more precious as gold and silver in God's eyes. Someone whose faith has never been tested has weak faith. It isn't the amount of faith, but the object of the faith.

We don't need divine intervention or a revelation to the effect that we are saved, like hearing voices or seeing visions, to know we are saved. God's Word is true and He cannot lie. If we have done our part of the promise of salvation and God's Word says we're saved, then God has more to lose than we do by not saving us, we would lose our soul, but God would lose His deity. Some claim to have experiences, but we should still base our assurance on the Word of God and stand on the promises of God, relying on His Word, not walking in the "glow" of some experience, or clinging to the memory of some emotional encounter.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance And Security...

"Our assurance is not based on our feelings, behavior...but on the character of God...." We may have a question of semantics here, but it seems to me that we are reassured by our subjective experience and objective faith in God's Word. Our ultimate "security" is in God's hands as we are inscribed on the palms of His hands (cf. Isaiah 49:16). We are sealed and a down payment has been paid to guarantee His promise. We are given assurance and security as a GIFT.

One cannot be "unborn" nor "unjustified" and so our salvation is as permanent as adoption can be. God's judgment of our justification is permanent. Christ is interceding for us, so who can be against us?

Do I understand you, that you don't believe in the final perseverance of the saints? Do you believe that it doesn't matter how you live as long as you know you are saved (antinomianism which is libertinism)? False security and presumption are wrong. Do you dichotomize (split into two factions) Christians into spiritual spheres? I don't believe some Christians can sin and say that it's alright because they are "carnal" Christians, but Christians can be carnal at times. (Look at the reality of Rom. 7--"Oh, wretched man that I am.") This is not a "Christian experience," but it is, nevertheless, the experience of many. This seems to be the anticlimax of the book of Romans but it is really the starting point--our END IS GOD'S BEGINNING according to Watchman Nee.

I believe you can fall away, but not absolutely, and finally. I do not believe that apostasy is a "clear and present danger" for the believer. I have heard it said that you should not believe in "eternal security" but perseverance. That means that we cooperate with God in our final security. I disagree with this, partly out of a personal experience where I can say I have strayed from the Lord and He has brought me back out of grace, and partly out of scripture.

The difference is not that we can say, "Now that I am a Christian I can go see a for fun and not worry about my salvation." I do not think any real genuine believer would ever say that it is only hypothetical. You can do what you want to if you love Jesus, but the things you want to do are different and are changed. We are held and kept in His hands and He has a tight grip on us. We do persevere in the end, though we may have our ups and downs and backslide, God, will heal us.

No Christian ever truly presumes on the grace of God or purposely goes astray; it usually happens slowly (he drifts away), by not being in fellowship or not going to church and waking up one day and realizing what you did, as God grants you repentance like the prodigal son. The Christian may go into sin, but he doesn't want to deep inside, he is just succumbing to temptation--it's not a temptation to some, who have no right to judge. God can cure him of his weakness and bring him back to the fold. If God allows it to happen, He has a purpose, because no one can thwart God's plan or resist His will.

One must understand that perseverance does not mean we will not sin frequently, or fall into it, but that our faith will not fail (David never lost faith, though he was out of fellowship for about one year). We should really give God the glory and stress the preservation that He does on our behalf. A word to the wise is sufficient: The Scriptural caveat is, "Let him who thinks he stands to take heed lest he falls" (cf. 1 Cor. 10:12). There, but for the grace of God go I. NB: Security and assurance can be distinguished but not separated--they go hand in hand and cannot exist independently.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance Of Salvation Part 5

First of all, it must be recognized that there is no assurance without eternal security, for one would never know if he were to persevere. Apostasy is never the final lot for the Christian--it is not a "clear and present danger," so to speak, even though one can temporarily be led astray by false teachers, Christ is watching out for His sheep. (We can fall from grace, but not absolutely.) "You have fallen from grace..." does not mean you've lost your salvation.

Faith in Christ is faith in His Word. Leaning on the everlasting promises. "Not one of them has failed." Good advice is to take a favorite salvation verse like John 1:13 and call it your spiritual birth certificate. God says it in His Word; I believe it in my heart; that settles it in my mind.

The entire book of First John was written primarily to give assurance of salvation and offers 7 tests that would be impossible without salvation to follow: Loving the brethren (1 John 3:9); Overcoming the world (5:4); Having the inner witness (5:10); Doing righteousness (2:3); Confessing the Lordship of Christ (4:15); Keeping His commands.

There are pseudo assurances such as spiritual interest, Bible knowledge, experiences, and moral behavior.

Some people have spurious faith and fall away and repudiate the faith. They were never true believers according to 1 John 2:19 which says that the went away that it would be manifest that they were not of us. They were enamored with some of the ideas of the faith or philosophies or: "converted" to the program, but not converted to Christ. They are "spiritual dropouts."

Jonathan Edwards wrote an entire book to give assurance as he studied the so-called "holy affections," which were impossible without conversion. (Having fellowship, sensitivity to sin, obeying God, rejecting the world, expecting the return of Christ, decreasing sin, love of the brethren, answered prayer, and experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit). His book was written in 1748 and is called  A Treatise Concerning the Religious Affections.  He wrote it because of the Great Awakening, [which began about 1741] and so many people were being converted he wanted to bring some perspective to the converts.

To remain uncertain is to paralyze our walk and it is God's will for us to "know" that we have eternal life, not just "hope so" (cf. 1 John 5:13). Paul says, "...I KNOW whom I have believed and am confident that He is able to KEEP that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:9--Emphasis added).  Soli Deo Gloria  

Assurance Of Salvation Part 4

I agree in theory that one must rest on the promises of God! We are fruit inspectors, but not of each other's fruit, but of our own--only we know if we are experiencing the joy of the Lord, etc. R. C. Sproul says that we "must search our OWN hearts." If we have come to a true love of the Lord, it is added assurance, because this is impossible without saving faith. (Cf. 1 Pet. 1:2-10)

 Assurance can be intermittent and immediate assurance is not of the essence but of the well-being of our faith according to The Westminster Confession (ca. 1646). The Christian that says he knows he is saved because he feels it in his heart will be silenced when one of another religion can duplicate his feelings if they are not based on objective historical fact and the Word of God. Without the historical fact of the resurrection, all the feelings in the world would be useless and meaningless and in vain.

The best way to be sure is to have faith in God's Word--holding Him to His promises as the Supreme Promise Keeper: 1 John 5:13, John 1:12, Rom. 10:9-10, et alia. But note well that our faith is not perfect but God only requires UNFEIGNED faith, we are not to be hypocrites but to be sincere and honest with God.

The doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints as the Reformed theology calls it or better known as "eternal security" should be called the doctrine of the "Preservation of the Saints" according to R. C. Sproul because it is really God's keeping power and not our ability. If our salvation depended upon us we would blow it. God does make us responsible for "Keep [yourselves] in the love of God."

Two verses that might be problematic are Mat. 24:13 and James 5:11 which say, "He that endures to the end shall be saved." and "Blessed is he who endures." These can be seen as "provisos" or requirements, but also as promises! I believe that we can fall, but not ultimately, we can fail the Lord, but not ultimately. We can even embrace heresy, but God will rescue us in the end. God will never lead us beyond that we are able, so there is to be no fear that we will be burned at the stake and lose our faith. We can backslide, but we will not despair. As far away from the Lord that I have gone, but God never gave up on me, even though I couldn't believe how far I had gone after I had come back to him.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance Of Salvation Part 3

I hope you see the IRONY in my claiming (in a humble manner) that I am an expert on the subject of salvation assurance. I have studied it for a very long time, but it is my experience that I have learned the lessons through the school of hard knocks. No one really wants to be an expert on this subject, because it is embarrassing that one has struggled in this area. Why do we feel ashamed of our doubts? Doubt is an element of faith, not the opposite of it. I believe, help thou mine unbelief it says, right? \

What I have found out is that without the doctrine of eternal security there is no assurance, and that is why Catholics deny it, even present assurance of salvation. Lutherans are split, some thinking that if you lose your faith, you can lose it, but Martin Luther believed in the security of the believer like Calvin. The point is, is that we won't lose our faith. We can fall, but not absolutely.

There is no experience that you can claim that means your "in." God doesn't want you to base your assurance on experience (re attestation, e.g., tongues)--I don't care if you have prophesied in Christ's name, or have cast out demons.  One must have faith in Christ alone for one's salvation, not in experiences, Like Christ said that he is blessed who believes and hasn't seen, so is he blessed who haven't had experiences of wonderment or awe. I am not trying to brag of my knowledge per se, but this is one area where I really believe I have a grip on and a solid take.

God wants us to be sure and the apostle John says in 1 John 5:13 that he wrote the letter that they might "know." Michael Faraday, the great scientist, was asked on his death bed what his speculations were now. He said, "I don't have any speculations, I have certainties!" "For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:9).   Tongues isn't the only attestation experience (cf. Rom. 8:16).   Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance Of Salvation Part 2

I am sort of an expert on this subject and would like to share some lessons I've learned in my spiritual journey.

Assurance is not presumption as the Catholics would have you believe, for Augustine said it was faith, even though Catholics say you must have a divine revelation to the effect to be sure of one's numbering in the elect; otherwise one is sinning unto presumption. There are four possibilities of assurance (according to R. C. Sproul): One can be sure of salvation and not be saved; one can be unsaved and know it; one can be saved and know it, or one can be saved and not know it. Assurance doesn't belong to the essence of faith (according to The Westminster Confession).

Some people have syllogistic (a major premise, followed by a minor premise, leading to a conclusion) assurance (As John MacArthur would say.): All Americans are saved, I am an American, ergo I am saved! They can be very ridiculous and there are many people talking about Heaven that are not going there, as the spiritual says. This is the phenomenon of false assurance.

True assurance comes from tried and proven faith through trials and tribulations and tests. One may or may not have an emotional reaction at salvation, but one shouldn't cling to the memory of some experience in the past as assurance, but only to present obedience and fruit. "Only he who is obedient believes, and only he believes who is obedient," said Dietrich Bonhoeffer. (Obedience is the true test of faith--Abraham obeyed God.) God is not impressed with feelings but with faith. A relationship based on feelings is shallow. The person that says he knows he is saved because of a warm feeling will be silenced when someone of another religion can duplicate his experience. One must base his assurance on the Word of God and stand on His promises and take God at His Word.

Assurance is commanded and enhances our sanctification and if one is or a backslider his assurance may be taken away. "Be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure ..." (2 Pet. 1:10). "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith, test yourselves..." (2 Cor. 13:5 cf. 1 Cor. 11:28).

We are guaranteed by God to endure to the end and not to lose our faith. Hab. 3:18 says that "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord" through the crops fail, etc. Only when one loses the Lord has he lost all, and a Christian cannot lose the Lord. However, it is a synergistic effort or you could say we persevere as God preserves.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Assurance Of Salvation Part 1

My area of expertise seems to be the assurance of salvation since I have backslid so many times and have had to repent and do the first things over and go back to square one so to speak ("I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely"). Sometimes I have compared myself to other Christians and have been discouraged, e.g. when they say they hear God's voice audibly and I don't, I think something is wrong. It is not just a matter of curiosity, but for our well-being. 

We are commanded to seek assurance: "Let us draw near to God with full assurance of faith;" "Be diligent to make your calling and election sure..."  "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith, test yourselves...." It seems like I have been saved many times, which I know is not biblical. I have a tendency to compare myself with others and wonder if I should be experiencing the same thing e.g., hearing audible voices from God.

I know the best assurance is that which comes from a holy and obedient life per Is. 32:17, which says, "The fruit of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance." Chuck Swindoll adds that only obedient Christians can have assurance. Disobedience and consequent chastisement take away one's feeling of the joy of salvation and one may doubt his position in Christ.

Remember: David prayed for the "joy" of his salvation to be returned in Psa. 51:12, not his salvation (after Nathan had told him of his sin and he repented).  Soli Deo Gloria!

Is Assurance Automatic?

Assurance belongs to the well-being of faith, but not to the being of faith (the bene esse, not the esse). It is not an automatic fruit, but, like all fruit, must be grown. Obedience and sanctification bring about the testimony of the Spirit within. Now, when I am talking of assurance, I am not talking about objective assurance or the knowledge that Christ died and rose again according to Scripture, but the subjective reality that it applies to you personally--like maybe you wonder if you have repented enough, etc. 

The church of Rome has a pernicious doctrine that denies any assurance or ultimate security, except by divine revelation to that effect. The Canons of Dort (ca. 1618) condemned this position. They affirmed that it arises from good works, a good conscience, measure of faith (it can be intermittent or in degree), and from the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit ("The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God").

Christians can struggle with assurance and have carnal doubts, but usually, this is in the state of backsliding and maybe God's way of warning him. Martin Luther called this attack the "Anfectung" of Satan, whereby he wants to take away our security in Christ. The Westminster Confession asserts that infallible assurance does not belong to the essence of salvation. 

We can feel abandoned by God, but we aren't, for He has promised us he "will never leave us nor forsake us." Sproul says we do not have to know we are saved to be saved, and I agree from personal experience. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints (which really means God preserves as we persevere) affirms not only our present security but also our continuity in the state of grace and in the end we will not fall from it.

In sum, we are exhorted to "make our calling and election sure," and it a tremendous benefit or boon to our well-being to have this knowledge which leads to higher levels of sanctification.  Remember, it's not an automatic fruit, and we can be saved without assurance, but the more pressing concern is those who have false assurance and think they are saved when not.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Are We Friends Of Jesus?

Some Christians imagine that they are "buddies" with the Lord. Paul calls us doulos or servants. John MacArthur says we are not His "sidekicks." What they are is bond-servants as Paul was Jesus will call us "good and faithful servants." Jesus called us all "friends" in the sense that we know His will and what He is doing. "I lay down my life for my friends," and we are His friends if we do what He commands. Doing His will doesn't mean we won't do things not His will!

We cannot be egotistical in thinking we are above other Christians or a "cut above" others because Christianity is egalitarian and we are all one in Christ. There is neither male nor female, etc. If we are not His friends we are His enemies; there is no middle ground. Let's not let it go to our heads that we are all as believers the "friends" of Christ. Saying one is a special buddy of the Lord like Abraham was indeed the "friend of God" is a bit grandiose.

We are only friends if we do His commandments!  He is our friend even when we aren't His.  Christians are never His enemies!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Does Prayer Work?

Prayer works, the preacher says, so come on up and we'll pray for your needs. The objection I have is that TM works and yoga works, but we don't try them. Just because something works doesn't mean it is true, that is not the criterion. Lee Strobel says that Christianity works because it is true, it is not true because it works.

We should pray even if we don't feel we are getting from God what we want, as it were, that he is our genie giving us what we want. We pray for the sake of praying says Steven Brown not for ulterior motives. Someone has wisely said that we should love God even if there were no heaven and fear God even if there were no hell. Well, we should have the desire to commune with God even if we don't get our way.

The paradigm of prayer should always include "in Jesus' name" (it is for his sake and God's will that we really want to pray). Now, some preachers think their prayers are more "effectual" (James. 5:16) than others but they are not. Any Christian can pray without giving up and "fervently" to get our wills aligned with God's. We don't change God, he changes us. You see, we are all on an equal footing in prayer--that is the beauty, God is no respecter of persons and shows no partiality.

Some say that worry works because 90 percent of what we worry about doesn't happen! Well, with that kind of logic prayer isn't as effective as worry because I don't think anyone can say that 90 percent of their prayers were answered in the affirmative--if they are, they are not very challenging prayers. God can answer in the affirmative, negative or tell us to wait. "Man ought always to pray and not to give up" (Luke 18:1). But we should never give up hope unless God clearly says no like he did to Paul's thorn in the flesh. But remember this: God has arranged it so that we can explain away answered prayers if we so desire--he doesn't force us to believe but wants faith to please him. Well, prayer does work but that is not why we pray!

The Error Of Sabbatarianism

I was almost caught up in the Seventh-day Adventist movement as a teen; however, I was able to study the Scriptures and disprove their legalism. Ever since I have been grace-oriented when it comes to observing the Sabbath. Warren W. Wiersbe mentions that nowhere in the New Testament are believers told to observe the Sabbath--it is the only one of the Ten Commandments not repeated in the New Testament. To me, every day is holy unto the Lord and I don't see a need to just have one day set aside. There is a reason that they called the Christian Sabbath the Lord's Day. (John said, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day.")

The Bible says that to some every day is alike--and to others, they feel compelled to set aside one day a week (cf. Romans 14:4-5; Col. 2:16). Actually, the Sabbath was given to Israel as a sign of His covenant forever (cf. Ex. 31:13; Ezek. 20:12,20). Once you realize that you are not under the law, but under grace, you will be free to dedicate every day to the Lord.

The principle of rest is still in effect, but there is no sin in working on Sunday, for example. It was because of unbelief and disobedience that the people of Israel failed to enter into His rest. "He leads me beside the still waters/ He restores my soul." [So if you don't get your needed rest, God may give it to you anyway.] "Man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man" (Mark 2:27).

Clearly, there is no "hard-and-fast rule for the Sabbath, if you do decide to practice it as a principle of the Word. "My presence will go with you and I will give you REST." The Christian is fulfilling the spirit of the Sabbath by worshiping one day a week and not forsaking the assembling together of the brethren, as is the manner of some (Heb. 10:25). The Christian enters into a permanent Sabbath that the Jews were unable to attain, because of disobedience.  Soli Deo Gloria!

How Should We Then Live?

The title is taken from a book by Francis Schaeffer (founder of L'Abri Fellowship International in Switzerland), the late American theologian and renowned philosophical apologist who wrote A Christian Manifesto.  Christianity is about the so-called "good life" indeed, for Jesus promised a "more abundant life."  But few believers achieve this and fall short of God's best for them and never really prosper in God's will and calling.  We must not live for ourselves for even Jesus didn't please Himself (cf. Rom. 15:3).   The Christian has the Spirit to know God and to enjoy and delight in the Lord while the infidel is a slave to sin and held captive by the devil to do his will.  We must be rescued from the kingdom of darkness and brought into the light.

God indeed promises prosperity, but prosperity theology of "name and claim it!" is fallacious as commonly taught--it's not always financial but definitely in finding God's will. Financial prosperity is not a sign of God's favor or blessing because even the wicked prosper--but some people receive their portion and reward in this life (cf. Psalm 17:14).  We are not here to live for the here and now, but in light of eternity.  Our reward is in heaven and, per Lamentations 3:24,  "the Lord is [our] portion]; we are awaiting a reward that cannot perish!  The whole purpose we are here is to glorify God (cf. Isa. 43:7).  We do this by completing the purpose we are called to do and enjoying Him in praise, thanksgiving, and worship.  We really glorify God by enjoying Him!

Now to the title of how should we live:  Solomon, the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, said that the whole duty of man is to fear God (for the fear of the Lord is only the beginning of true knowledge and wisdom! as is written in Proverbs) and to keep His commandments!  Obedience and faith are equated!  (cf. Heb. 3:18-19).   To be happy in Jesus we must simply "Trust and Obey!"  For the Word says, "To obey is better than sacrifice," in 1 Sam. 15:22, NIV.  They both say the same thing. Jesus (cf. Matt. 23:23) condemned the Pharisees for neglecting the main point of the Law:  Justice, mercy, and faithfulness!

In the same vein, Bonhoeffer said, "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes."  Some people would tell you that the secret is to have faith for they believe in faith in faith, while others will tell you to believe in yourself, for self-esteem is vital.  We as Christians don't put stock in faith per se, but faith in the right object--Christ.  We also don't stress self-esteem as we rely on God-esteem.

It's also not how big our faith is, but its object that counts and how big our God is that matters!  God only requires faith as a mustard seed, but it must be in Him!  It is a key point that the phrase "Keep the faith!" is erroneous and misunderstood by many.  It matters what our faith is and what kind of faith, and in whom (cf. 2 Tim. 1:12)!  We are not believers in faith for its own sake!  Some will be defenders of faith per se, but not defenders of THE FAITH (cf. Jude v. 3)!

We ought to walk even as Enoch did with the Lord and be in step with the Spirit all the way through thick and thin, come what may, letting the chips fall where they may, and even when the chips are down!  "Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God"--therefore the Lord reckoned him as righteous (cf. Gen. 6:5)  We have more at our disposal than Noah (the complete canon of Scripture, the Holy Spirit, the fellowship of the church, and even a long tradition of sound doctrine and teaching of the Word).

Our faith is a walk; i.e., "we walk by faith, and not by sight" per 2 Cor. 5:7.  That means we may have to venture out of our comfort zones and go where the Lord calls us, but we cannot be qualified if we haven't bloomed where we are planted first.  The order of the day is not to look for an area of service, but to bloom where planted and let God do the calling into service.  The whole world is our domain of service and we are already at large, so to speak, in the mission field, our circle of influence!

No matter how important faith is, love is of paramount importance in all things; let all things be done in love!  It matters not what we do--even servile acts of kindness and mercy--but how much love we put into action.  Love is proved by our good deeds and it should not be a matter of words only but of deeds--we must turn our creeds into deeds!  For our faith is not a matter of knowing a creed but of knowing a person and proving this to the world, making Him known as our marching order.  As Paul said in Gal. 5:6, NIV, "[A]ll that counts is faith expressing itself through love," and in the love chapter that, if we have not the passion of love manifest in our hearts, we are nothing but a "sounding cymbal or clanging gong."

And in the final analysis, we ought not to live selfishly, but for others and to see ourselves on a mission to live solely for Christ's work and to do His will in everything, always to the glory of God and making Him known.  We are all here for a purpose or mission (cf. Acts 20:24):  As it says in Pss. 138:8; 57:2, that God will fulfill His purpose for us!  When David had completed God's purpose, He took him (cf. Acts 13:36).  He will never abandon the work of His hands and will never give up on us as lost causes, for God completes His work (cf. Phil. 1:6) and we are all works in progress!

The conclusion of the matter is that the good life is not to be sought in materialism (the American dream), seeking a higher standard of living, education, clout, power, riches, or even fame, but solely in realizing one's potential in Christ, in whom we are made complete (cf. Col. 2:10); for we died and our life is hidden with Christ in God (cf. Col. 3:3).       Soli Deo Gloria!

A Bona Fide Savior

We don't worship a martyr for a good cause, or a good teacher of moral principles, nor even a great example or role model of how to live life to the full, but a risen Savior who gives us a real hope of heaven and even a more abundant and fulfilling life in the here and now, which we learn to live in light of eternity as God's will is revealed to us through Scripture.

We must realize we are lost before Jesus can find us, for He came to seek and to save those who are lost (cf. Matt. 18:10; Luke 19:10).  That's why a good rule of thumb for evangelistic outreach is to get them lost first!  We are not to reach out with an easy-believism that downplays the importance of taking up our cross and following Him, as we learn to deny ourselves.  It's also called cheap grace that doesn't point out the cross to bear only justifies the sin, not the sinner.  Salvation is not cheap at all, but costs us everything--it's free, but paradoxically it's at the cost of ownership of our lives as we follow Him as Lord of our life.

It has been said wisely that, the more we realize what a sinner we are, the more real of a Savior Christ becomes.  Also, the closer you get to Christ, the more aware and convicted you become of your own shortcomings, failures, and sins.  William Jay of Bath said that he is a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior!

The gospels are not bios of Christ and do not attempt to describe Him, but to make Him known.  That's the difference:  We can know our God personally--a facet of God denied by Islam and Eastern faiths.  In other words, God gets personal with us and is a personality to get to know through His residence in our hearts.  The purpose of Jesus becoming manifest to the world was to save us, because that was our problem, and we were lost in sin and needed forgiveness and justification.  Jesus didn't come to educate us or enlighten us, but to open our spiritual eyes, and not to tell us what creed to believe, but to change our lives by residing in our hearts in personal union and fellowship.

Our salvation differs from Eastern tradition because it's not just learning a code of conduct, rules to live by, good advice, nor a collection of wise sayings to ponder, but is a restoration of our relationship with God.  The religions of the world believe in a creed, Christians believe in a person!  We don't need another to-do list, list of taboos, or prohibitions to refrain from legalistically.  God teaches us right from wrong and writes His law in our hearts so that we need no one to order us to do the right thing.  Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to anoint and teach us so that we can go directly to the Bible and read God's Word for us and speaking to us.

The reason Jesus is a Savior is because He is in the business of changing and transforming lives.  We learn an exchanged life in Christ with Jesus living through us!  If all you want to do is to improve your behavior, or kick a habit, or reform your vices, any religion will do, but if you want to know God, Christianity is the only one the foots the bill and can satisfy; merely acknowledging Him for who He is doesn't satisfy, we must surrender to Him and trust Him implicitly and unconditionally.  Yes, it might cost something to follow Jesus, but it costs more not to!  The whole beauty of our faith is that it rests in the power of God and not our own wisdom (cf. 1 Thess. 1:5; 1 Cor. 2:4-5)!

One pertinent promise to believers is that God promises that they will not be dissatisfied or disappointed in Christ (cf. Isa. 28:16; Rom. 10:11)--it's the way to the more abundant life Christ promised in John 10:10.  Walking in the Spirit, or with the Lord is a joy to transform and once you've experienced it, you want to pass it on!   One thing about the real McCoy of a genuine follower of Christ is that you can discern they have been with Jesus because it's apparent and cannot be denied because the Spirit will be irresistible and noticeable.  The Christian soon finds out that if he has Christ, he has all he needs and all that is necessary for a fulfilled life that has purpose and meaning.

All religions will tell you some moral principles and virtues, but everyone falls short because the real problem is man's sin, and only Christ gives us the power to overcome it and defeat it victoriously--we are not all on our own to find our own enlightenment or to reform ourselves by our own efforts and strength.  Christ is the threefold Savior:  As Prophet, He saves us from the ignorance of sin; as Priest from the guilt of sin; as King from the dominion of sin!  Yes, Jesus saved us--He did; He keeps us--He does; He's coming for us--He will!  Jesus was more than just another teacher or prophet--the Law did come through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus (cf. John 1:17).   He is the very personification of truth itself (cf. John 14:6), and all who are of the truth hear His voice (cf. John 18:37).

There is a world of difference between putting a new suit on the man, and putting a new man in the suit!  This is shown just as Paul said in 2 Cor. 5:17 (NLT):  "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"  A point in fact:  Jesus isn't looking for sidekicks, admirers, groupies, fans, nor buddies, but worshipers, lovers, and devoted servants who trust Him to take the pilgrimage with Him as their Pilot or Captain, going wherever He leads, following in His steps.

We must reverence Him for who He is, not just patronize Him with human respect or homage as a great leader, teacher, or example.  We must not only believe that He lived and died on a cross, but did so for us and is alive today!  The whole summation of Christian ethics is summed up in following Him, and this means a surrender to His lordship and ownership of our lives, there's no accepting Him part way or conditionally--He demands unconditional surrender, as it were; in the final analysis, obedience is the only measure of faith!  Genuine believers walk the walk and talk the talk, their profession is not bogus, but is demonstrated by a life of good works as proof (cf. Titus 1:16).

Of all the major world religions, you can remove its founder and still have the religion remain intact; i.e., Islam doesn't need Muhammad, nor Buddhism need Buddha--it's merely a collection of teachings and philosophy.  However, if you remove Christ from Christianity you disembowel it and there is nothing left--Christianity is Christ, and all else is circumference, it's been described by John Stott.  That's because Christianity is not a creed nor a code, but a relationship--this is not just a cliche, but a deeper truth to be recognized personally.   In short, salvation is but the establishment of a personal and family relationship with the person of God; while the only proof of salvation is fruit (cf. Matt. 7:16, 20)! We are saved to become a blessing (cf. Zech. 8:13).

We need to be set free!  "People are slaves to whatever has mastered them"  (cf. 2 Pet. 2:19).  Paul says in Romans 6:16 (NLT):  "Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey?  You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living."  We are meant to stand fast in our liberty and not become slaves again (cf. Gal. 5:1).   Acts 13:39 (NIV):  "Through him, everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses."

The only way to be set free is in Christ:  "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed"  (John 8:36, NIV).  We no longer live in bondage to our old sin nature nor the yoke of the Law.  We do not have the freedom to live in the flesh, but the power to live in the Spirit!  We are no longer subject to the power of the Law:  "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace"  (Romans 6:14, NIV).  Soli Deo Gloria!  

You Died In Christ

"Here is a trustworthy saying:  If we died with him, we will also live with him"  (2 Tim. 2:11, NIV).
"...' If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me'"  (Mark 8:34, ESV).   
 "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God"  (Col. 3:3, NASB).

It has been said that Christ didn't come to make bad people good, but dead people live!  Paul says in Ephesians that we were dead in trespasses and sins and He made us alive in Christ (cf. Eph. 2:5).  We have to die to sin to become a believer and exchange our life in the flesh for one in the Spirit. Missionary Jim Elliott was admonished not to go to a mission field because he "might die."  He replied that he had already died when he became a Christian.  Jesus did say that we have to die to self and deny ourselves to become disciples.  We know that we died because we have come to life!  "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ..." (Col. 2:13, NIV).

Someone was polling people if they wanted to go to heaven.  He couldn't get any answers in the affirmative.  He later found out that they thought he meant right now.  It seems people are interested in heaven but are in no hurry to go there.  Paul was looking forward to heaven and knew his reward would be great:  life was Christ, but to die was gain.  The strength of testimony is its ability to put one's life on the line for it.  People won't die for something they don't have faith in.  And most people aren't willing to die or even live for any cause or person.  The witnesses in the tribulation "did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death," according to Rev. 12:11, (NIV).  You cannot be a disciple if you love your life more than Jesus, period.  Saying "Yes" to Jesus implicates saying "No" to self!

The Christian life is not so much a changed life, though that is a sign and the point of conversion, but the idea fulfilled is an exchanged or substituted life, in which Christ lives through you, as it is written:  "...which is Christ in you, the hope of glory," in Col. 1:27 (NIV).   Paul expresses this truth plainly in Gal. 2:20 (NIV) as follows:  "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God...[emphasis added]"  We must not so much as just imitate Christ or wonder what he would do, but let Him live through us doing His will as we walk in the Spirit by obedience.

We must die to self, and this doesn't mean denying ourselves certain things such as candy that have no inherent evil, but denying the "me" in ourselves (our ego), i.e., living selfishly for self. Jesus wasn't looking for sidekicks nor admirers, but devoted disciples who counted the cost!  Living for Christ is the only way to live and we must orient our whole life to reflect Christ's will.  We must count ourselves dead to sin, but alive to Christ as Paul says in Romans 6:11.  Should we, who have died to sin, live in anymore in it?  We have been freed from sin's dominion and are no longer its slave; we are not free to live in sin but to live in God's will.  When we do sin we show our slavery, not our freedom.  We're not free to live in the flesh but empowered to live in the Spirit.  We need a faith we'll die for, not one we can live with!

In summation and practicality, what do we need to know?  We crucified our old sin nature at salvation and exchanged our life of sin for a life in Christ, and the only way we will be joyful as believers is in being in His will and in seeking Christ.  The closer we are to Him the more fulfilled we are, and the believer in sin is very miserable and needs to know that his life is in Christ, not the world and what it has to offer--the more we are filled with the things of the world, the less room we have for Christ.

Dying to self is not a one-time act, but a progressive venture in Christ.  That is why it is written in Isaiah 55:6 (ESV): "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near."  David sought the LORD often according to Psalm 27:8 (ESV): "You have said, 'Seek my face.' My heart says to you, 'Your face LORD, do I seek.'"  Soli Deo Gloria!

Are You Cashing In or Enduring?

"Endure hardship as discipline..." (Hebrews 12:7, NIV).  
"But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship..."  (2 Timothy 4:5, NIV).
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith"  (2 Tim. 4:7, NIV).

Some believers seem to be deluded about the cost of discipleship and the suffering that comes with the package.  God doesn't promise to make us all rich, famous, influential, or powerful:  We are not worshiping at the altar of Almighty Chance trying to cash in our spiritual lottery ticket and live a balanced, successful life; we're here to do God's will: to know Him and make Him known (cf. Jer. 9:24).  We are just vessels of honor used by God, which should be seen as a privilege of grace, and are just servants to whom we hope God will say at that day:  "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

It is by discipline, suffering, trials, tribulation, and adversity that we build character and these are our crosses to bear, but they pale in comparison to Christ's.  Philippians 1:29 says that it has been granted unto us "to suffer for his sake."  Christ was honest enough to warn us of this and didn't exempt himself from any humiliation, persecution, shame, suffering, nor temptation.   Paul also expresses the desire to rejoice in the fellowship of His sufferings in Phil. 3:10.  Contrary to what Joel Osteen writes about in Your Best Life Now, our reward is in heaven and we are only spiritual pilgrims on green cards with citizenship in heaven only passing through!

Some of us have more hardship than others, but none of us gets a free ride or a bed of roses; it's an affliction that shapes our character and makes us Christlike.  Sure, God blesses us and makes our work in the Lord a success if we keep the faith and endure, but success in the eyes of the world is not what's meant--they have their reward in this life (cf. Psalm 17:14), but ours is in heaven.  We are, therefore, to endure with patience the race set before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus (cf. Heb. 12:1).

The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints guarantees that we won't lose our salvation, but it doesn't ensure we won't lose our full reward or be disqualified (cf. 1 Cor. 9:27; 1 Cor. 3:15).  "We must never, never give up" (in the words of Winston Churchill) and never quit but endure the hardship we are faced with, though it be a bucket of tears--it's always too soon to quit!

We may be tempted to compromise our integrity or to break faith, but we must go on from faith to faith (cf. Rom. 1:16).  That means faith is the essence and we believe that God is working on our behalf and we cannot lose or are in a win-win situation.  We may be tempted to deny Christ, or not to take a stand on His behalf, but we must keep the faith regardless.  No matter what the world dishes out we must be able to roll with the punches; we're not called to grin and bear it like a Stoic, but to see the reward hopefully, and to endure joyfully.

Jesus never encouraged people to follow Him; in fact, He did all He could to discourage them and to count the cost of signing up for life.  It wasn't something you give a whirl or make a short-term contract with, but a permanent transaction of becoming a child of God with all the consequences as well as blessings (divine discipline or chastisement and reward).  You don't just "try Jesus" but you must be willing to commit your life to Him much like a marriage where you commit to a lifelong contract. You don't experiment with Him or accept Him on a trial basis!  Jesus wasn't looking for admirers or sidekicks, but followers and worshipers who love Him and prove it by obedience.

The final goal is the smile of God, and He does so when we joyfully walk in His will and are obedient.  "True holiness is doing the will of God with a smile," (Mother Teresa).  The "joy of the Lord is [our] strength," according to Nehemiah 8:10; it's something the world cannot take away, as we are commanded to rejoice always.

The choice is clear:  We are either for Christ or against Him; there's no middle ground of neutrality. Persecution is part of the deal or the package that we signed up for and the deal is for a lifetime:  All who are godly shall suffer persecution.  It's like a  feather in your cap or crown on your head when you've been mocked or ridiculed for your faith and you know you've spoken out for Christ as His witness to a dark world.

 The goal is to please God; "The LORD takes pleasure in his people..." (Psalm 149:4, ESV).  We ought to rejoice in tribulation:  Cf. Rom. 5:3!   The caveat in tribulations:  Keep your eyes on Jesus, not yourself, the world, nor others--no matter how tempting.  Soli Deo Gloria!  

Ready For Heaven

"So it is with the resurrection of the dead:  Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; sown in dishonor, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body.  If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body"  (1 Cor. 15:42, HCSB).

I want to dispel the common notion that people have that they want to go to heaven, but are in no hurry to get there!  WE ARE JUST PILGRIMS WITH SPIRITUAL GREEN CARDS; DON'T GET TOO COMFORTABLE OR AT HOME IN THIS WORLD.  

As Matthew Henry said:  "It ought to be the business of every day to prepare for our final day." We are to live each day as if it were our last and prepare daily to meet the Lord in the air, and we can do this with gusto if we are looking forward to heaven, which means we must have some idea what it is like--through our knowledge is really speculation based on Scripture.  "No eye has seen...."  Yet we do know some facts and can cast away some common fallacies and misconceptions.  For instance, we won't be sitting on clouds playing harps all day.  We won't have to go to church (yes and no!).  We are the church and we shall worship in all our activities, whether work, leisure, or play, but the Lord will be present to have a Spirit of worship.

There will be work in heaven, but perfectly suited for us and our talents, gifts, and desires--what we enjoy doing!  Work will have meaning and not drudgery or be menial and boring, and there will be no physical exhaustion involved because the curse will be removed which made us work by the sweat of our brow.  Since Adam worked the Garden of Eden before the curse we know that we are not made for idleness, but in God's image and He is always at work.  We express God's image in our work and find fulfillment and satisfaction and meaning in it.  If we are faithful in little, we shall be faithful in much and God gives all of us opportunity to express our faithfulness.  Many of the tedious chores like hygiene will no longer be necessary, as we know them because we will have spiritual and not physical bodies--sown physical, but reaped spiritual.

We will be recognizable and have none of our physical flaws in our appearance that make us unattractive to others or ourselves--we will appreciate beauty in others and return our identity as men or women but not be given in marriage or be involved in procreation.  The most important element of heaven will be our authority over angels and be rulers with Christ--we shall all reign, some of us just have more authority or responsibility due to temporal faithfulness.  The key is that we are really servants of the Lord in heaven and be glad we are subordinate to Him.  Our bodies are not just improved from this one, but transformed into a new fashion that defies gravity, has no weakness, such as gaining weight, or getting out of shape, and can pass through walls at will, yet eat to prove we really have bodies.

When we realize the wonders and excitement of heaven, then we want to go there and live in light of eternity!  Paul said that to die was gain, but to live was Christ (cf. Philippians 1:21)--live or die he was content!  You can only really live after you are ready to meet your Maker and have prepared for your final day--you don't want to go unprepared but ready.  "... Prepare to meet your God, O Israel," says Amos 4:12 (ESV).  Every day when we rise we should announce that we are ready to meet God and ask Jesus if this is the day we will finally see Him face-to-face and be satisfied with the beatific vision.   We shall all be changed when we see Him as He is and be fulfilled and completely sanctified or holy and glorified.

Preparing for that day does not mean making funeral arrangements or writing a will, but making your peace with God and being faithful in the calling He has given you.  We want to receive a full reward and not just enter by the skin of our teeth, as if by fire (cf. 1 Cor. 3:15).   It is sadly said, that man lives like he's not going to die, and dies as if he never lived--may this not be the case with us, but that we lived to bring glory to God. ("The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever," as the Westminster Divines proclaimed.   Soli Deo Gloria!