Losing Saltiness

"Such a high priest truly meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens"  (Heb. 7:26, NIV). 
"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!" (Psalm 1:1, NASB).

We are the "salt of the earth,' according to Jesus, and salt is not only a preservative, but it also adds flavor, zest, seasoning, and taste.  One thing it's good for is the dung heap: it makes it useful for fertilizer! But what if the salt loses its usefulness?  Is it able to be recycled and renewed, once used up?  No, it's served its purpose and must be trampled underfoot by men or thrown away with the garbage.  Salt is always salt, and never loses its genetic characteristics or chemical makeup, but once mixed in with impurities, it cannot be made pure again by normal means. The consolation is that we remain salt as our permanent status.  It is simply good for nothing, and some believers find themselves good for nothing, harassed by Satan and the world.

We are in an angelic conflict and it matters that we stay pure to fight and not lose our taste or usefulness.  Our role in the world is as witnesses and light in the dark also, and we must guard our testimony and not jeopardize it by too much casual friendship (note that friendship is hard to define) with the world--i.e., not going where you cannot invite Jesus with you, and not being contaminated by the world, for we are called to be saints (set apart ones), which implies a setting apart or of being holy in God's sight.  The issue is:  "Who is the good neighbor?  Not who is a good friend?" The Scripture says in 1 Cor. 15:33, NASB, "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good morals.'"  We must not overestimate our spirituality and believe we are so holy and like Jesus that we don't have to be careful about the company, we keep and especially who we befriend.  Jesus said His friends were those who obeyed Him.  He was called the "friend of sinners," but He drew the line at befriending Pharisees, His enemies.

However, we must not neglect to reach out to the lost, of course, but there is a line to be drawn as to how intimate we get with the unbeliever.  There is a difference between being friendly and being friends!  If our ways please the Lord, even our enemies will be at peace with us, but they won't necessarily want our friendship.   We are opposed to the world and all it has to offer and our message to the lost is that they need to repent, not that we accept their sins and they are okay in our opinion.  Romans 1 makes it clear that approving of sin is equal to committing it.  If we don't denounce sin we are silently acquiescing and giving approbation to it.

There are many places I wish I'd never gone, and people I wish I'd never met (I've been to the dung heap and am permanently scarred as a result), but now I have learned to show discernment in whom befriend.  This doesn't mean we don't love indiscriminately and reach out to any in need, but friendship is a different matter and a friend can bring you down to his level.  It is true that, if you are so spiritual and mature that you may have a higher tolerance level and don't feel anyone can influence you, this is flaky and presumptuous, and naive ground to be on and you are not taking spiritual cautions.  If you have never been sorry about whom you rubbed elbows with, maybe you haven't been there and done that yet, or pitched your tent toward Sodom like Lot mistakenly did, "...who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked" (2 Pet. 2:7, NKJV).  One may inquire, "How do they get saved, if not by friendship?"  The answer is that only by the preaching of the gospel and our testimony, not to be jeopardized, penetrates their veneer and feet of clay.

We may find ourselves in a cesspool of human excrement and a wasteland, but we are to bloom where we are planted and realize that we are there for a reason: to plant seeds and be salt and light--sometimes the solution is MORE SALT, NOT BETTER SALT. The key, then, is to bloom where we are planted!  The Bible makes it clear that we are to show discernment and choose our associates and friends wisely, not being yoked unequally even when we are in love--to do otherwise would be presumptuous.  Friendship implies a mutual give and takes from equal partners.  Now it may be that you just happened to become friends with some sort of "untouchable" (i.e., the unrighteous who will not inherit the Kingdom of God according to 1 Cor. 6:9), and it may be your ministry to reach out to him, but it is not generally good advice to relax your standards.

How would you feel if your teenage daughter started hanging out with pimps because she thought she could convert them?  There is a place for common sense and choosing our friends and acquaintances.  Sometimes we are even distant from our own family members, much more do we need to keep our distance from sinners sometimes.  It is true that no unbeliever can "contaminate" you by his sin without your cooperation and negligence, but we are not to put the Lord to the test and see how far we can venture into sinful territory without contamination or defilement either!

This is why Scripture says, "[B]ut others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh," in Jude 23, NKJV.   If God has placed you in a dung heap, it shows His confidence in your ability to stay pure and He trusts you to know your limits and that you will show discretion.  Caveat:  Once we lose our innocence, it cannot be restored.


The conclusion of the matter is that some of us may become burdened for the lost and not afraid to befriend them (note that definitions of "friend" differ), no matter how sinful, and we may feel and think there is no danger of contamination, but we don't test the Word of God by our experience, but our experience by the Word of God, and the Bible says in 1 Cor. 15:33, NASB, "Do not be deceived:  'Bad company corrupts good morals.'"  The whole idea of being a Christian is to be one of the "called out ones" (ekklesia in Greek), and to be separate from the world:  "Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; and then I will welcome you"  (2 Cor. 6:17, ESV). This does not necessitate cloistered virtue or becoming recluses or hermits, but showing discretion.     Soli Deo Gloria!

Staying Alive

There is no such thing as a worldly Christian, or some term it carnal Christian, as a class of believer. Christians can become carnal or worldly, but it doesn't last due, to divine pruning by God.  If we are without discipline we are not sons.  Christians who get soiled by this life are brought to repentance and do not enjoy being in a backslidden state.  Newsflash:  But God heals us of our backsliding (cf. Hos. 14:4).

Even Christians can have "spiritual dryness" which is temporary.  Any believer can experience Bible fatigue or writer's block.  We all can feel dispirited, uninspired, or unmotivated, but it doesn't last and we bounce out of it or rebound into the full privilege of fellowship.  We all must have trials or crises to determine what we are made of, and to give us the opportunity to become overcomers.  The Christian life is not about keeping up appearances, nor about being ideal, but being real--we all have vulnerabilities and we all fall short--no perfect people need apply to the church.  Our faith is more valuable than silver or gold and must be tested, because in the judgment, faith, not feelings, please God.

Christians are to walk worthy of the Lord and to practice holiness--for we are to share in the divine nature and to produce fruit--no fruit equals no faith!  We all worthy in Christ and there is no such thing as one Christian being holier than another--we are all in Christ and His holiness is imputed to us.  So much of our walk depends upon what we expose ourselves to because of the computer principle, GIGO (garbage in equals garbage out) applies!

When we walk in Christ and are in fellowship, we are alive, and it is possible to keep this relationship growing because that which is alive grows.  "When we walk in the light, even as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another..." (cf. 1 John 1:4).  That's why we have a living faith in a living God.  When encountering evil we face up to it and overcome it with good.  We need to keep our testimony from being jeopardized by our walk, and therefore must pursue holiness, as a way of life in our sanctification.

This means we walk in the light of eternity and not store up treasures on earth but look to our heavenly reward. We don't want our reward in this life (cf. Psalm 17:14).  We have nothing to fear in man and if we fear God we have nothing to fear.  Remember Noah:  "... Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation [ways], Noah walked with God" (Gen. 6:9, ESV).  Soli Deo Gloria!

Jesus Incognito

"[To] reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles.." (Galatians 1:16, NIV, emphasis added).
"Whatever you did, for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me"  (Matthew 25:40, NIV, emphasis mine).
Jesus interposed His Father's will over His:  "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house [about my Father's business]?" (Cf. Luke 2:49, NIV).
"... A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household"  (Mark 6:4, ESV).

According to English legend, King Arthur would sneak among the common people, without his regalia, just to find out what they really thought and to get on the same page with empathy--Jesus did far more than that in humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross (cf. Philippians 2:7ff).  We are to have this same mind in us, as was in Christ (cf. v. 5)!  We should be aware of the fact that Jesus is loose and at large in our midst invisibly via the Holy Spirit residing in believers:

Jesus "came unto His own and His own received Him not," according to John 1:11; He was a man on a mission to seek and to save that which was lost (cf. Luke 19:10)--the lost sheep of the house of Israel, who had gone astray--He saw them as sheep without a shepherd. He didn't promote or advertise the fact that He was the Son of David or the Messiah, but He never denied it either.  He was known to use figures of speech when preaching, so as to confuse the religious leaders, especially the party of the Pharisees.

They had to ask Him bluntly:  "Are You the Messiah, or are we to look for another?"  He didn't always beat around the bush, but spoke plainly, and not in parables to keep the secrets of the kingdom known only to the sheep, but many were not willing to accept Him for who He was.  They called Him the son of Joseph, the prophet from Galilee, the carpenter, or as a snide remark: Mary's son, the Nazarene, even just the carpenter, or the teacher (rabbi).

Only once did He openly proclaim His rightful place as Messiah, and that was during the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, as we call it now.  It had been written that Israel would not see their messiah until they shouted, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD."  The Pharisees were getting nervous about His popularity and were worried that if He were left alone, that the whole world would go after Him.  They were worried about Job One, which was protecting their turf and influence over the people as their teachers and guides, but they did it out of jealousy and a jaundiced eye, which even Pilate saw at Jesus trial before him.

Jesus had foretold many times of His crucifixion and resurrection, but the disciples were dense and were clueless as to His real identity until they actually witnessed it on Easter morning.  Peter had confessed Him to be the Son of the living God, but this was more of a theoretical interpretation than actual application, though they had worshiped Him on occasion, their basic attitude was, "What manner of man is this?"  He gave signs, according to John's record, that He was God in the flesh, and His miracles were not helter-skelter, nor for personal gain, selfish motive, nor showy.  To prove His identity beyond doubt, there was no biggie miracle that couldn't be denied, and even King Herod thought he'd get a show from Him like He was a clown or magician--but Jesus never did miracles on demand.

The Christian is likewise called to be Christ incognito:  We are His mind to think Christlike thoughts; His heart to love others through; His voice to speak His message of love; His hands through which He can help others.  As St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) has said, "He has no hands but our hands, and no feet but our feet" to help others.  Note that some Christians are known to take this to the extreme and get a messianic complex, which can border on mental illness or delusion. People often pray for Jesus to help them and don't realize that He uses believers to answer prayers and to fill in for Him incognito.

When you've done it for the least of these His brethren, you've done it for Christ; for He said, "I was in prison and you visited Me, I was hungry and you fed me."  We don't want to go to the other extreme and deny that Christ is at work through our brothers and sisters in the Lord, either.  On the one hand people will want to know the gospel according to us, and on the other hand, we don't want to deny that the Lord Himself is at work through His children as vessels of honor: Just as Isaiah 26:12 (NIV) says:  "... [All] that we have accomplished you have done for us." The King James Version renders it:  "[For] thou hast wrought all our works in us."

The point is that not only are we Christ incognito, but we are to serve Christ as if He were incognito and undercover and at large!    We are being renewed in the image of Christ, who is the replica, icon, or express image of God Himself.  Christ is God with skin on, you might say, and we can put the gospel in shoe leather by living it out and making it real to others:  Only when you love the gospel, long to make it known, and desire to live it out, do you actually believe it--it's not a matter of pure acquiescence, intellectual assent, or agreement.  Those who have bowed to Christ are the ones He can use for vessels of honor and complete His mission, whose marching orders are given in the Great Commission--our raison d'etre or reason for being!

Our testimony must be for real, and not a masquerade, sham, nor facade; that is, we cannot be nominal Christians or believers in name only who have a bogus profession and no reality to back it up--there is a contrast between the reality of faith and the profession of faith and viva la difference! We represent Christ in our daily walk and people observe us and judge Him by our testimony and witness.  We are Christ's ambassadors who have authority to speak in His name! "... We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God"  (2 Cor. 5:20, ESV).   When they see Christ in us, it has an impact on the unbeliever, because Christ becomes real to them lived out through us as a testimony that cannot be denied.

We can make Christ real by living up to our testimony and that means walking the walk, not just talking the talk.  When they realize we are Christians they will watch our every step and judge our testimony to see if they are more righteous than us.  But be glad that we have God's stamp of approval and He promises to use us for His glory as vessels of honor and "He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."  Remember the words of Paul in Colossians 1:27 saying, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Finally, Paul says in 2 Cor. 13:5 (ESV, emphasis mine) a word of caution: "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.  Test yourselves,.  Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

As believers, we know that Christ said He'd never leave us nor forsake us and that He'd be with us always, even to the end of the age (cf. Matt. 28:20).  There is the promise that wherever two or three are gathered together in His name, that Christ is present incognito (cf. Matt. 18:20)!  Our spiritual eyes are opened and we see Jesus as present in Spirit.  The eyes of our heart are opened and we are to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (cf. Hebrews 12:2).   "But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels..."  (Heb. 2:9, ESV, emphasis mine).
Soli Deo Gloria!

Consequences Of Witness

ARE YOU READY, OBLIGATED, INDEBTED, EAGER, AND UNASHAMED?

When you mention God you break a sound barrier that opens doors of spiritual inquiry and brings the subject around to eternal matters.  If you can get them to dwell on eternity for a few minutes, you are well on the way to opening their eyes to the eternal truth.  There are always drawbacks and pros of being a witness--you may develop enemies or people that express and take out their animus toward Christ on you as an outlet.  You must be willing to suffer shame, persecution, and maltreatment for Christ's sake and "share in His sufferings."

There are several so-called sound barriers to break, and don't just be under the illusion that mentioning God is all there is to it: Mentioning the person and work of Christ is where the conviction is, because they will have smoke screens for not accepting this as historical, eternal, objective, and universal truth (which they may deny even exists).  People can, and often do, get upset and angry when they don't have the answers and go on the defensive with common intellectual problems they believe you cannot answer to their satisfaction to change the subject and get it off Christ--He is the issue, and steer the conversation His way.

By definition, a witness is someone who has a first-hand account or can attest to a fact personally and experientially.  We must bear in mind that God does the wooing, drawing, convicting, and regenerating, we are just to be obedient and speak forth what the Spirit leads us to say faithfully.

Don't be discouraged by personal attack, known as ad hominem, or "to the man," because this just reveals that they don't have the answers nor even adequate questions to challenge you and have resorted to defaming your reputation and discrediting your witness or testimony--just make sure you are not to blame for jeopardizing your testimony.  Be willing to suffer for righteousness sake and for the kingdom of  God, just like the prophets who were persecuted and even martyred--one of the Beatitudes pronounces a special blessing for this experience. Why?  Because experience is the best teacher or the school of hard knocks--you must be willing to get down and dirty or to get your feet wet and venture into uncharted territory.

They have to realize that it takes faith and you cannot scientifically prove any historical event because they are by nature non-repeatable; you can only depend upon how reliable the testimony and witnesses are and their veracity.  It is a known fact that people usually tell the truth on their deathbed and would certainly not purposely die for a lie if they could help it and knew it was one.  People will die for what they believe is true and even become martyrs but not for what they know is a lie if they are in a position to know the truth of the matter because they were eye-witnesses.  God only reveals the truth to those who are willing to obey Him and will not force Himself on anyone--they have the choice and are responsible for it.

Don't expect every encounter in witnessing to be successful, but you are always in a win-win situation and will be rewarded for your faithfulness and standing up for Jesus and being obedient, which is the test of your faith, and, even if the person doesn't get converted by you, you may just be planting a seed that others will water and still someone else reap. The point is not that you will win everyone over but that you gain experience in witnessing and be faithful to the Great Commission--we are ambassadors for Christ and must urge people to believe in Christ for salvation.  Thank God that He opened a door and gave opportunity, regardless of the outcome--leave this to God, who is able to make the seed grow.

When they find out that you "know your stuff" they will back down and find excuses to end the dialogue and short-circuit you personally, especially insulting you or getting personal, because there is nothing that can be charged against Christ or make Him a sinner. A good point, in fact, is that you can answer all their questions and they can still be unwilling to believe--it's with the heart that man doesn't believe and the heart of the matter is that it's a matter of the heart.

You might jump ahead and anticipate this by challenging them, "If I answered all your questions satisfactorily, would you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and repent of your sins?" They really don't have intellectual problems, but moral ones and they don't want to live a godly, moral, and spiritual life of obedience to God, but do their own things instead of being accountable to God.  They will realize that they might not win the discussion and then they will attempt to abort it by any means they can and look for an easy out that preserves their integrity (this should never degenerate into arguing or insults--you can never argue someone into the kingdom, because you can win the argument and alienate the person--you must nevertheless be a bold witness on behalf of Christ in His name).

They view flaws in your character as evidence against Christianity, but don't know that no one is perfect, not even believers--they are only works in progress who are forgiven.  Jesus alone is without flaw and sinless and we should all compare ourselves to Him, not each other. Of course, you may think yourself a saint compared to Saddam Hussein or Adolf Hitler, but they are not the standard and God doesn't grade on a curve and we all fall short of God's glorious standards.  Proving a Christian a hypocrite doesn't show that Christ was flawed or negate the faith.

It is extremely vital that you show love and compassion and patience in witnessing and to be "prepared to give an answer" like Peter said in 1 Peter 3:15.  If you are abused for your testimony just be reassured that they treated the prophets in like manner and you are being honored to suffer for His name's sake ("When they say all manner of evil against you falsely...").  God looks at the heart and our motive and even if we make mistakes is able to use it because we are His vessels of honor, not dishonor and God has chosen to use us to convert a dying world with no hope and without God.

Experience is the best teacher and we all have some learning to do--no one has arrived to be the perfect irresistible witness that cannot be denied.  You may just be losing a battle, but about to win a war.  We must be willing to accept temporary defeat or what seems like a failure, because, with God on our side, we can never lose--"We are more than conquerors through Him."  "If God is for us, who can be against us?"  We all have a lot to learn but you must get your feet wet and venture out in faith.  It may be uncharted territory, but we must be willing to leave our comfort zone and test the waters.  It is like any skill in a sport, the more you do it, the better you get at it.

The most important link to success is making a beeline to the gospel and realizing its power to convict.  We must learn to depend on the Holy Spirit, not our wisdom or cleverness--be Spirit-led and let God give you an answer for the critics, skeptics, doubters, and even seekers. Try to identify with people and show your compassion, that you care about them--people don't care how much you know, till they find out how much you care.  And if you really do care about people you will be concerned about their eternal state and where they will spend eternity--ask God to open the door and talk to God concerning the person, before talking to the person concerning God.

Finally, you will sometimes make a scene, or make enemies--some people are totally negative to the truth and have hardened their hearts. A person is not the same after encountering Jesus, they are either softened or hardened.  It is well said that you win some, and you lose some--don't be discouraged because only God can see the person's heart and future. You are designed or tailor-made for a certain sort of witness and appeal especially to them in our sphere of influence and circle of friends.

Steps to heed:  Just pray for guidance, be prepared with a testimony, know the gospel message, and always look for and sense an open door (jumping at the chance to ask intriguing questions that pique curiosity about salvation, such as, "Do you know what is on the other side?" Other good ones are: "Why should God let you into His heaven?" And "Are you 100 percent sure you would go to heaven if you died right now?" Jump at the opportunity like the saying, "Seize the day!"  This may be your big chance, so "go for it!"  Soli Deo Gloria!

Are We All To Witness?

Witnessing primarily denotes telling of what has happened to you and your personalized side of the story--usually, there is no way to refute or deny it either, such as the blind man saying, "I was blind, but now I see."  When Christ has changed your life, you should bear witness of the miracle that only He can do ("Let the redeemed of the Lord say so..," says Psalm 107:2)--a changed life in Christ is one of the greatest of all miracles.  The glory should go to Christ and you shouldn't glamorize your sins or former manner of life.  Soli Deo Gloria!

On the other hand, some Christians don't have a "testimony" in the sense of a dramatic story of conversion (I'm saying this is all right!), primarily because they were saved at a very young age and grew up in a Christian home. Should they "witness?"  Note that Jesus said in Acts 1:8 that we "shall be witnesses" not might be when power shall come upon us (i.e., all of us).  Paul said, "that God had called us to preach the gospel to them"  (Acts 16:10, NASB).  Therefore, a non-witnessing Christian is a contradiction in terms.  But what do we mean by this? Preaching the gospel IS witnessing. Standing up for Jesus IS witnessing!  Sharing your testimony IS witnessing. Standing up for Jesus to be counting and showing your Christian colors IS witnessing!

Now, Jesus said that we are witnesses ("You shall [not might be] witnesses..."), and that means if we don't "witness" we are not saved, but a vessel of dishonor; we are all witnesses (sometimes even bad), testifying of the gospel in shoe leather or according to us.  Jesus was saying that we shall receive power and then witness.

By definition, a witness witnesses.  We are not witnesses of the resurrection, for instance, as the apostles were.  The issue:  Is there a difference between witnessing and preaching the gospel, of which we are all commanded to do as ministers of reconciliation (he gave us the "ministry of reconciliation" according to 2 Cor. 5:18).  (They are not mutually exclusive, but one can do both or either one, you can witness without preaching the gospel, unfortunately, depending on your definition of "witnessing.")

Witnessing and preaching the gospel is something any believer can do, and he must know the gospel, first of all, to be effective and know Scripture as the seed to sow and trust God for the increase and timing, as well as open doors.  We just have to be ready "in season and out" to plant seeds.  Some sow, some water, and some reap, but God gives the increase.  Note:  Just saving souls is not all that is entailed in the Great Commission, as some infer; there is the subsequent making of disciples (not just converts) through baptism, teaching and preaching in edifying onto maturity so that they are ready to go out and start the cycle over again.

Many believers today say they witness, when in reality only a very small percentage (less than two percent by some polls) are engaged in any regular kind of active witnessing, and it has usually been a long time since they have shared their faith.  We must be willing to speak up for Christ and to stand up for Jesus, as it were. We must pray for opportunities to open doors (as even Paul had to do), and for God to make it known to us where we fit in and our role in the body.  The church body at large is to fulfill the Great Commission together and each one exercising their gift is a common way to do this--if they don't know their gifts they will be mainly ineffective or neutralized.

Just telling your own story without mentioning the way of salvation or the gospel (you must make a beeline for the gospel message as soon as the door opens) and this kind of witnessing can be duplicated by a another religious convert who testifies of how Buddha or TM changed his life, or that Allah lives in his heart for a Muslim.  The point is not your personal story, but the power of the gospel to change lives ("... [F]or it is the power of God unto salvation..," according to Romans 1:16).

In conclusion, to say that you don't witness, in that you don't believe in telling your personal testimony, but do share the gospel and your faith in Christ unabashed, is not unbiblical, because the Great Commission refers to sharing the good news of Jesus as the way of salvation basically in any manner necessary or that works--find your niche in the mission!  Soli Deo Gloria!

The Window Of Opportunity...

You never know when God opens the door to communicate the gospel or to tell your personal testimony.   The first step is to break the ice and get the conversation rolling--pique their interest with something like:  "Have you ever considered what happens on the other side?" There are manifold opening lines one could concoct to challenge a person to think about eternity--don't force it, but wait for God's timing ("He makes all things beautiful in his time"), and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Don't be contentious, divisive, or argumentative, but try to build bridges and find common ground to start a dialogue. There are many barriers to break in witnessing:  The first mention of God; the mention of Jesus; the testimony of your salvation; and the way of salvation itself to challenge a person to make a decision--not making a decision is a "no" decision!

We are not to judge our witness as to its effectiveness, but only plant seeds (relying on the Word of God as you know it), water them and let God give the increase.  Caveat: Don't try to convict the person of his sins, but let the Holy Spirit do His job as He will.  The most important aspect of witnessing is our faithfulness and not our knowledge--God can work with what we know and will give us the words to speak at the time.  You don't need to feel you need all the answers to witness and you never will.

There will come a time when you will have to get to the real issue--the moral decision and not the smokescreen of an intellectual problem, as if they are feigning some ability to believe--they can believe; they just won't, unless they are willing to do His will (cf. John 7:17).  You cannot argue a person into the kingdom and it shouldn't be attempted--it will only feed their ego and reaffirm their skepticism and cynicism.  You must make it clear that there is enough evidence for the willing person who wants to believe, and never enough for the person not willing to do God's will.

How do you open doors? (Even Paul prayed for open doors in Eph. 6.) When God opens the door, no one can close it (cf. Is. 22:22).  You must absolutely realize that only God can and will with prayer--speak to God about the person before speaking to the person about God as a good rule of thumb.  But don't be hesitant, but be always ready, in season and out, as Peter says--preach the Word boldly and let them see your faith in action!   You will find that God is giving you the wisdom to speak His Word and will guide you by the filling of the Holy Spirit--enabling to do His work.  

If you genuinely care about a person they will sense it and will give you the opportunity and time to share a testimony or give a reason for the hope within you, as Peter says.   We don't preach to people, but share and relate to them on their level--find out where they are (neither go over their heads nor condescend), and level with them in an area of commonality.

Your story uniquely qualifies you to witness to certain people that others cannot reach.  In a sense, we are all things to all people or people for all seasons in this regard.  When you see God opening doors, know that He is blessing your witness and proceed faithfully and confidently with this assurance.  But note:  Once you see the door open to share the gospel message, make an immediate beeline to the way of salvation--sometimes this window of opportunity is very small and we must be attentive to see its arrival.  Remember, you are in a win-win situation when witnessing because God is responsible for the outcome and result, while He expects you to just be a faithful witness and tell your own personal story. You cannot lose!  Soli Deo Gloria!

How I Know I Am A Christian...

"The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith"  (1 Timothy 1:5, cf. 2 Tim. 1:5, ESV).
"Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall"  (2 Peter 1:10, ESV).

God does not require perfect faith, but sincere faith.  It is the object of the faith that saves, not the amount of it.  We don't have faith in faith per se, but faith in Christ.  You can be sincerely wrong too. You can be 100 percent sure and still go to hell because the faith was misguided.  God wants no feigned, pretended, pseudo-faith but an honest faith in Christ. Muslims can be 100 percent sure (by dying in a jihad) and still go to hell because they are misguided. Like Romans 10:2 says the Jews had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  In other words, you can have a lot of faith in the wrong thing and be lost.  Our faith gets strengthened by trial and tribulation as our faith is tested by God since it is more valuable than silver or gold.  Bear in mind that we are saved through the instrumental means of faith (but in Romanism the instrumental means are the sacraments, i.e., baptism, etc.), but our reward is based on our works (Rom. 2:6), not our faith!  Faith and faithfulness can be distinguished, but not separated (they are the same Hebrew word in Habakkuk 2:4).

Now, I have had no heavenly vision, divine visitation, dream, heard voices, have had any divine revelation, or existential experience whatsoever to my knowledge, yet I know I am saved.  This begs the question:  How can I be so presumptuous, as it were, and be so positive without any doubts whatsoever, being convinced 100 percent?  After all it is our duty to be sure and find assurance because of the command in 2 Peter 1:10; however, it is not just to satisfy idle curiosity!  Without assurance, you will be stunted and paralyzed in your walk and remain an infant in Christ.

The reason most believers doubt (and assurance is not an automatic fruit nor of the essence of salvation, according to The Westminster Confession of Faith, ca 1646, but only for the benefit of its well-being), and this is because they confuse works and faith or fact and feeling. They may also just be ignorant of the Word or even fail to take God at His Word in light of the gospel message!  Once they get a biblical view of the subject of assurance they may be reassured.  It is not the evangelist's job to give or grant assurance or to certify salvation--that is the domain of the Holy Spirit.

It is because I know the Scriptures and they are a part of my soul and spirit and I know they are dependable and reliable for faith, as the psalmist declared in Psalm 119 so many times.  God wants us to be sure and to know, but He wants us to have faith and not be dependent on experience which is so subjective. We can have reassurance in many ways to increase our faith though.  No one has the same experience and there is no common ground for faith and fellowship.  "For without faith it is impossible to please God."  Thomas was gently rebuked by Jesus because he doubted and he had to see Jesus believe (believing is seeing, not seeing is believing!) because Jesus said that "blessed are those who have not seen [or heard] and yet believed [they have more faith]."

1 John 5:13 says that the reason he is writing is so that we can know that we are saved--he doesn't mention any type of O.B.E. or out-of-body experience, near-death experience, hearing of heavenly voices, visits of angels,  visions, or dreams, but quotes the Bible.  We are to rely on God's plain and simple Word, the way a child would.  We need childlike, but not childish faith!  Take Him at His Word!   This is known as having "spiritual birth certificates." There are other reasons I know I am saved, besides relying on verses like John 6:37 ("He who comes to Me I will in no wise cast out") and John 1:12 ("As many as received Him gave He the right to be the children of God, even them that believe on His name"). I know that Christ died in my stead and rose again on my behalf!  God has more to lose than I do if I don't get saved, because His Word says so:  "God says it in His Word, I believe it in my heart, that settles it in my mind."  I know what God says and believe Him  (as 2 Tim. 1:12 says, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able...").  As Michael Faraday said, "I'm not resting on conjecture, but certainties."

There are other factors that reassure me:  The way God is changing my life and making me more in the image of Christ; the way God speaks to me through the Bible and many other ways; and especially in fellowship and witness the way the "Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God" (cf. Rom. 8:16).  An obvious sign is that I live an abundant, complete, and fulfilled life in Christ that has meaning and purpose and is very rewarding and inspiring, producing fruit. In short, my life has not only been changed, but exchanged, surrendered, renewed, and transformed, and I have not just turned over a new leaf, but my mind, will, and emotions have experienced a complete and total about-face, a complete turnaround, an overhaul of my soul and spirit,  a 180-degree turn! It's not that God made me "good," but He gave me life and made me "alive!"  However, no matter my experience, I like the refrain:

"My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name."  (Edward Mote)

I know that I have "the Spirit!"  I have tested the spirit like it says in 2 Cor. 13:5 (ESV): " ... Test yourselves.  Or you not realize this about yourselves, that  Jesus Christ is in you? ...."  We are to examine ourselves and I have done this to "test the spirit."  In other words, we are to examine our own fruit and be fruit inspectors (no fruit--no faith!).  Search your own heart--do you love Jesus?

Only God can inspire me as He does and open my eyes to the Word as He does, and guide my life providentially as He does (like in meeting my daily needs)--there is no mistake God is at work in me--anyone that has known my life story could testify to this--my life is a miracle!  I have witnessed so much in my life and been the recipient of so much grace that, if I were to ask God for a sign or more evidence, He would simply say, "My grace is sufficient for thee!" I was indeed saved long before I became fully convinced because you don't have to know you're saved to be saved!  We are all "works in progress" as it is commonly said.  Like Paul says in Philippians 2:13 (ESV) to conclude: "For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."  Soli Deo Gloria!

The Power Of The Gospel

As Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes..."  (Rom. 1:16).  Our faith does not rest in the wisdom of man nor of the energy of the flesh, but in God's power; [we] "... were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God"  (John 1:13, ESV).   I am appalled at the present-day presentations of the gospel message of giving a heaven without a hell, a salvation without repentance, an abundant life without lordship, and a joy without sin.  If a minister's outreach is fading or not as effectual, possibly it is because there is no passion for the gospel--the power is there unto salvation and also as the message never gets old to believers, it gives power in preaching to deliver the goods.

There is the flip side to every coin.  They only preach half the gospel who preach only the good news of Christ without telling the bad news first (get them lost first!):  they are lost in sin and headed toward hell and eternal damnation apart from Christ.  We are depraved and cannot save ourselves or get our act together; we need a work of grace or unmerited favor on our behalf.  There are some preachers who refuse to "go there" when it comes to the "killjoy" word of "sin." They preach what can be termed "gospel light" (a truly dumbed-down version of the evangel).  Why raise eyebrows and make the donors feel uncomfortable and uneasy they say? We don't want to be "people-pleasers" or "crowd-gatherers," but gospel preachers.  Don't "domesticate" the gospel, but preach it in all its power and authority!

When we preach the simple gospel message it has power and we must just leave the results to God--it is a win-win situation. The gospel doesn't just inspire or motivate, it radically alters our life from top to bottom and does an overhaul on our system to make us new creatures in Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17).   God's Word "will not come back void" according to Isaiah 55:11.  (No one has our story and can tell it like we can; we are all one in Christ and individually members of His body, each for a particular function.)  Proclaim the gospel, don't debate it!  Let the world know you are a satisfied customer and a happy camper! "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so" (Psalm 107:2).

We are saved by grace: Christ paid the debt He didn't owe for a people who couldn't pay their debts they did owe.  Some people stress that grace is sufficient, and indeed it is--but it is also necessary!   No one can say that they are good enough to get saved or can prepare themselves for it; it is work of grace all the way from beginning to end.  We wouldn't have come to Christ apart from grace and we are saved by the grace of God--it's all grace from beginning to end (the Father has to draw them or woo them per John 6:44,65).  Apart from His sovereign grace (cf. Rom. 5:21): and  "...grace reigns through righteousness," none of us would've believed!  We are no more qualified nor wiser, but can only say as we see another sinner lost in sin:  "There, but for the grace of God, go I."

Grace is necessary because we cannot merit God's mercy nor can we demand it--it would be justice and not mercy then. We have no claims on God--He didn't have to save anyone!  We don't deserve it, we cannot earn it, and we can never repay it!  They say in theological terms that grace is the sine qua non of salvation or that it is the thing without which we cannot have.  It is necessary and sufficient. This is important because Romanists will admit grace is necessary, but that you have to had merit to it or that it isn't sufficient. They add works to faith, and merit to grace; thus confusing the work of salvation on our behalf.

Jesus is in the business of changing lives from the inside out and the gospel has the power and authority to do it. Shakespeare may inspire but the gospel transforms!  (As Paul said:  "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection" in Phil. 3:10.)  He's still in the resurrection business! All religion says, "Do."  Christianity says, "Done." Religion has good works as an "in order to." Christianity has them as a "therefore."  Viva la difference between a "have to" and a "want to."   Religion is a do-it-yourself proposition, but Christianity is a done deal or fait accompli.  Christ said on the cross: "Teltelestai" or "It is finished." Religion is man reaching out to find and gain the approbation of God, while in Christianity God reached down to find man; we didn't find God--He found us!

The one concept that distinguishes Christianity is the idea of grace or unmerited and undeserved favor (that we aren't saved by our works or good deeds being weighed against our bad ones).   Because of this only Christianity gives us the assurance of salvation (if salvation depends on works you can never know for sure how much is enough) and that no other religion can offer in the here and now assurance to live the Christian life--sure the radical Muslim believes that, if he dies in a Holy War or Jihad, he will go to paradise; however, he doesn't live his whole life in that hope--you won't find a Muslim who is sure he will go there beyond a doubt.

When we add to the work of Christ, it is as asinine as putting a mustache on the Mona Lisa and thinking you improved it, or have the gall to think you can improve the Sistine Chapel art by Michelangelo!   It insults God to the max!   What if you invited someone over to dinner and afterward they said, "What do I owe you?"  Wouldn't you be offended?   God wants us to accept His grace salvation by faith and just be thankful and live our lives accordingly.

We don't want to be accused of watering down, domesticating, dumbing down, or toning down the gospel by our sensibilities by making it too easy to get saved: what is known as easy-believism, libertinism, or Antinomianism. Whereas, one doesn't have to be an obedient Christian to have faith--faith and obedience are eternally equated and linked (Rom. 1:5; 16:26; Acts 6:7).  "They were obedient to the faith."  There is a cost to discipleship--Christ tended to discourage half-hearted seekers and not encourage them.  We must take up our cross and go where ever He leads and bloom where he plants us.  We don't have to be so apologetic about the gospel because it has intrinsic value to change hearts and lives and open eyes. Would you defend a caged lion?  Well, the gospel can take care of itself too!

The power of preaching is in the presentation of the gospel message and in the cross of Christ, as Paul proclaimed in 1 Cor. 2:2:  "I strive to know nothing but Christ, and Christ crucified."   The devil doesn't like to hear about the passion and Via Dolorosa of Christ and how he shed His blood on our behalf.  The devil will do everything in his bag of tricks to keep this from transpiring.

I'm not saying that the only job of the preacher is to preach the gospel, but that he comes to the realization that God honors only the power of the gospel message to change lives. Believers never get tired of hearing the gospel message in a different light or text.  If no one's heart was stirred in an eternal manner during a sermon and it was just "interesting" or "thought-provoking," and not utterly challenging and even offensive or upsetting, the preacher has missed the mark and preached in vain. Christ was not merely interesting; He upset the applecart; He was divisive, invading the turf of the Pharisees, challenging, and even offensive to some--no one was unaffected or remained neutral after an encounter--their true colors showed.   But note well:  It should be Christ and the gospel that should offend and not us as just obnoxious Christians--He is the Rock of Offence and Stone of Stumbling.    Soli Deo Gloria!

Is Talk Cheap?

The Romans were practical people who believed talk was cheap and actions are what matter because sometimes actions do speak louder than words.  Did not Pilate ask Jesus, "What did you do?" and not "What did you say?"  If we don't make good on our talk it is cheap and we lose the validity of our testimony.  Most people that believe talk is cheap are those who don't know how to talk or haven't acquired the skill to converse intelligibly.  It is a matter of mutuality or give and take, listening and talking because there are times when listening is a better skill and more valuable than speaking.  We may need someone to listen to us at times of need and God can give us a word of encouragement, and it is a gift to be able to speak a word in season and to know how to comfort someone in their loss.

Talk can be therapeutic, too.  People that have problems need to talk them out and resolve personal issues together with other peers or trusted counselors.  To give someone the silent treatment is one of the cruelest forms of punishment because it cuts him off from communication and fellowship. All believers need the fellowship of their brethren and no one is a rock or island in need of no friends. Like the song by The Beatles, "I Get Along With A Little Help By My Friends."  People who need people, it is said in another song, are the happiest people.   Personally, I can testify that there have been periods in my life when I just wanted "talk therapy" and needed to talk out my problems and to get some empathy or sympathy.  I have been to the point of such loneliness that I was desperate to talk to even anyone.

We relate to one another by communicating not by doing works, which are a validation of our witness, and show that our faith is real.   Like Paul would say, "I will show you my good deeds by my faith," and James would say, "I will show you my faith by my good deeds."  They go together and can be distinguished, but not separated--you cannot have one without the other and works and faith are each other's flip side.  One work we are commanded to do is to witness of our conversion and of the gospel message and this is via words, not actions, through our actions prove our witness is real to us and show the gospel in shoe leather.

Talk can be cheap if it isn't backed up by a testimony that isn't jeopardized and is without hypocrisy. It can be empty talk that has no inner meaning or edifying or redeeming value to the listener. Some people know how to talk so well that their talk is their profession and they heard no matter the season because they have proved themselves or have the training and experience to back it up. We all want to hear from someone who has been there and done that or has learned through the school of hard knocks and has a story.  A person with a message to relate will always find hearers.

We earn the right to be heard and no one is obligated to listen to us if we haven't earned this privilege.  People who are good talkers have learned to be good listeners first and have often learned the hard way and not just through books.  Scholars don't necessarily have all the answers either; it is a matter of knowing God and having the gift of wisdom that He alone can bestow.   Soli Deo Gloria!  

Poor Follow-through

You can have the best of intentions, but if you don't make good on them,  they are only gestures and not worth recompense.  Sincerity is necessary, but it is not sufficient, you must practice the truth as well as know it;  this is known as orthopraxy vs. orthodoxy (right conduct and right creed).  We can all be in danger of being more empty talk and promise and less delivery of the goods. Intentions don't count without making good on them.

Some just preach or talk about what people want to hear and to please their itching ears and try to water down the truth and make it more palatable, instead of telling it like it is.  The truth can knock you out of your comfort zone, wake you up from your dogmatic slumber, and upset the applecart. Jesus was known for challenging authority and being "anti-establishment" and to invade the turf of the Pharisees so that they were jealous of His influence.

Sometimes we can tend to be all heart and not have the follow-through to apply what we feel or get convicted of--it is just sentiment.  We are to follow the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind; this means our whole person and ability, talent, time, gifts, and resources that we are stewards of and are accountable for.  Following God begins in the heart but we must graduate and go on to know the Lord and follow Him in obedience to His commands.

We must never jeopardize our testimony by not living up to our creed; we must turn it into deeds and make it our own to God's glory, for which we are saved. We tend to agree with each other in principle, but fail to carry it out in practice as a reality and testimony to others, making us look like hypocrites who don't practice what we preach.  I can't stress enough the value of going the "extra mile" and putting in the extra effort to please God to the best of our ability, and do the best job we can for the Lord ("Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not unto men," quoting Colossians 3:23).   Soli Deo Gloria!

Do We Earn Our Testimony?

If I told you that you had to earn the right to witness you might never witness, just like if I told you that you couldn't do it until you get your act together. All Christians are called to witness regardless of spiritual growth (don't ever be ashamed of Jesus). The witness or testimony that we have is God's gift to us; our "niceness" is God's gift to us not our gift to God. He is the potter, we are the clay. "...All that we have accomplished you have done for us..." (cf. Isa. 26:12). "Who makes you to differ? What do you have that you didn't receive" (1 Cor. 4:7)?

I realize that God expects us to bear witness to the world and let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works, but God the Holy Spirit does the convicting. It is the Father who draws us to the cross of Christ and we are only vessels of honor. If we were in the military we may have a "witness" to ex-service people but that is not because we earned that witness; it is because God opened the door (an open door is an opportunity). We must see it in a grace orientation. Soli Deo Gloria! (To God alone be the glory!)

There is an example in Acts 16 that tells of Paul witnessing to "anyone who will listen." Even Paul had to ask for prayer to have God open doors and make him a bold witness; much more we! Let us never discourage someone from witnessing just because we know better or are more mature--they will learn. Someone has said that the world wants to see the gospel in shoe leather--that means our life is a witness. We must be like Paul who spoke to anyone who would listen while praying for the open door.  In sum, we are witnesses for Christ whether we want to or not; it just depends on what kind of witness, good or bad.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Should Christians Argue?

"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone ..." (2 Tim. 2:24-25).


It's been wisely said that it's better to debate a matter and not settle it than to settle it without debate.

R. C. Sproul says the Bible states we are not to be "divisive, contentious, argumentative, or judgmental;" I might add: As brethren--it is unfruitful and doesn't work to the benefit of the body. We are to seek unity and to be one in the Spirit and in agreement as much as possible (cf. Eph. 4:3).   "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God"  (Matthew 5:9).  We may be called to restore a fellowship and be mediators or go-betweens.   We don't want the reputation of being troublemakers.

By way of definition, this is the way I see it, for the purpose of this post:  Arguing is when we purposely strive to show that someone is wrong or misinformed.  The word has negative connotations for some and they refuse to have anything to do with them.  We may just be calmly debating back and forth and just asking and answering questions; it doesn't necessarily mean we are raising our voices or getting vociferous.  We should always be tactful and sensitive, all the more when we know someone.  The pitfall is when an innocent argument leads to a quarrel and worse yet a feud or permanent cleavage in a relationship.  Simple inquiries or debates can escalate into full-blown quarrels if we are not vigilant and careful.  Arguments per se are not taboo for the believer--it is one methodology of exposing truth or falsity.

To arrive at the truth you must be willing to admit you may be wrong:  the quickest way to diffuse an argument is to say, "Then, again, I may be wrong!"  That's because there is no such thing as total objectivity apart from God, and neither of the participants may be right.  As part of our image of God, we all have an inner sense of right and wrong and we always end up appealing to some standard and we end up arguing.

Notice it says "foolish and stupid arguments."  John Stott (one of the 100 most influential people in the world one year) wrote the book Christ the Controversialist.  "To avoid controversy is to avoid Christ" according to R. C. Sproul.   Christ was no stranger to controversy and dared to challenge the system with clever logic and even answering a question with a question.  Some controversies are godly and necessary; otherwise, we would not be able to refute heresy and false teaching.  But there is a difference between being contentious, argumentative, and starting arguments, and after the truth in a methodical spiritual manner.  Are we seeking to heal or hurt is the question; are we seeking the truth on a godly issue or are we being argumentative and challenging someone.

 Remember that relationships are the most important thing, not how clever we can be to outwit our win an argument.  You can win an argument and lose a friend.  Some people are familiar with each other may just know how to pull each other's strings.  Christianity is not about how smart we are but our relationship with the living God, largely manifested by our fellowship with fellow believers, especially if they are family.  It is a good thing to avoid unnecessary family tiffs.  But if it is about Christ then God says that Christ will even split a family.  Matthew 10:34 says that He came not to bring peace, but a sword!

Our debate skills (and I was on the debate team and even judged debates, so I am qualified to comment here) are not on the line in our friendships and family ties. We aren't debating our brethren in the Lord on personal matters,  and we should restrict debate to where it belongs:  politics and issues of doctrine that are paramount to the church.   We don't try to one-up our brothers and sisters or get into the habit of comparing or bragging.  "Love doesn't brag," but in a family it is understood (it is more like "news" and we believe they want to know it) that there is a place for sharing things with family members and to brag on each other--this is not the time of bragging it is talking about. What is good is when we took someone else's horn or brag about them and they don't have to do it.  We really shouldn't toot our own horn according to the Bible.

"As far as it is possible, be at peace with all men, "says Romans 12:18.  This means that we keep the peace the best we can,  and not see if we can ruffle some feathers and stir up a lively or contentious conversation that has no positive fruit. Sometimes it is easy for more educated people to see an opportunity to pick apart the brains or conversation of those less in the know or clued in (don't  "wow them with your scholarship" as Chuck Swindoll has written).  Do everything in love and seek harmony and peace, not division!  Sometimes it is tempting to let the steam out of one's balloon or deflate their ego; but Scripture says clearly to "rejoice with those who rejoice," (Rom. 12:15a).

I can remember an example when someone was really excited that our team won, and I commented that it was against a losing team:  I was not rejoicing because he replied that a w is still a w.  What this means is that if someone is happy about something that we should not find reasons for them not to be happy and bum them out and show the negative side.  If one hears good news, we don't seek the bad news somewhere hiding in the shadows.

Case in point:  Suppose brother A says that his town was chosen as the best town in the state to live and he was celebrating the good news and maybe even bragging a bit, but only to close family and friends whom he knew.  And brother B was very skeptical and challenged his "fact" and wanted to know the source of such info. What if he didn't know and interpreted B's skepticism as doubting his "word" and calling him "naive" or "gullible."  What I'm saying is that it is far better and more Christ-like to say something like:  "That's very good for your town and I'll bet you're glad you live there now!"  This sounds far more positive and constructive to a good relationship. People do take a lot of pride in the places they live and could take it as a personal offense to question their belief in it being a good place to live.

Where am I going with this and what's the conclusion of the matter?  Let's say that we must learn to pick our battles: George C. Patton wrote a book Patton's Principles: A Handbook for Managers Who Mean It.  In other words, choose an argument that is worth something and you may have something to lose or gain spiritually by.  It is not worth just arguing just for the sake of arguing just to see who wins!  We must try to stay positive and rejoice with those who rejoice and not always present the pitfalls or negative side which may bum them out!  We may even have the skills of a lawyer, but that doesn't entitle us to use them haphazardly or recklessly on family and friends if we want to stay in fellowship.  Soli Deo Gloria!

So, Are You A Sinner?

"If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar" (1 John 1:10).
"For everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness, sin is lawlessness" (per John).
"And who fain would serve Thee best
Are most conscious of wrong within."
John Stott:  "It is no use giving us rules of conduct; we cannot keep them."

That's a loaded question and not so easily expounded upon. First of all, according to R. C. Sproul, the renowned Reformed theologian, we are all sinners in that we sin and we sin because we are sinners, we are not sinners because we sin (i.e., we are born with the inclination to sin or with the cards stacked against us). We are born in sin (Psalm 51:5 says, "Surely, I was sinful at birth....")  You could say we lie because we are natural born liars and we don't become liars when we tell our first lie.

We are deeply flawed and radically corrupt and deformed in our heart, mind, and will by depravity, and are inherently evil, not basically good, as humanists assert.  My pastor says that God no longer "classifies us as sinners [though we really are]."  He also says, "Sin no longer defines us."  This means that we are above it and God no longer holds it against us (Psalm 32:2 says, blessed are those "whose sin the LORD does not count against them."

This may also seem like a trick question:  Either way, you answer it, you can be refuted!  N.B. that the Bible calls Christians "saints" and sinners are generally referred to those who are lost in their sin and not overcoming it. An exemption is Gal. 2:17 calling Christians sinners ("...we ...find ourselves also among the sinners").  We are no longer slaves to sin, nor under its power as believers.  We don't have the right to live in the flesh because we are forgiven, but the power to live in the Spirit.  Martin Luther, the renowned theologian, and pastor who inaugurated the Reformation said that we are at the same time sinners and just.  God reckons us as just as righteous as Christ because He sees us in Christ as our position.  In the Bible, when it calls people "sinners" it is generally referring to the lost or the unjust--that doesn't mean Christians aren't sinners who have reached "perfectionism" or "entire sanctification" (cf. Psalm 119:96 says, "  To all perfection I see a limit;" Prov. 20:9 says, "Who can say, 'I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin'?"

The titanic struggle that Christians have is to overcome sin; even pagan writer Ovid wrote that he "sees the better things and approve them, but he follows the worst:"  This is exactly what Paul was referring to in Romans 7 when he said that nothing good dwells in him and said, "I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it but is sin living in me" (Rom. 7:15-17).

The key to conquering sin, and we are more than conquerors in Christ, is to keep our eyes on Jesus and stop trying so hard--but learn to trust!  The more we try to stop sinning in our own strength, the more enslaved we become, because we are reinforcing it (my pastor says).  Some good ideas to avoid sin is to keep busy, especially in the work of the Lord, and to think of things of good report and of virtue as Phil. 4:8 says.   There's always a way of escape according to 1 Cor. 10:13 and we never have to sin anymore.

It is important to realize how bad of a sinner we are and that we have no hope of saving ourselves, but throw in the towel and give up the ship to Christ as one's captain.  We don't realize how bad we are till we try to be good, and, conversely, we can't be good until we realize how bad we are.   This is a catch-22 to reflect on.  We are not as bad as we can be, but are as bad off as we can be--even Hitler loved his mother and wasn't as bad as he could have been and he is considered by many to be the paradigm of evil along with Judas.

This is God's estimation of man, not man's estimation of man!  Our sin, no matter how much or how little is enough to condemn us, because to God sin is like antimatter to matter.  I am grateful that even though I am a great sinner, I have a great Savior!  I just keep short accounts and "move on" as my pastor says.  I don't live in the past.

The devil accuses you of sin, but the Holy Spirit does an open and shut case against you and there is no argument.  We all have feet of clay and have weaknesses not readily apparent. But God doesn't grade on a curve!   Jesus sees through the veneer and exposes our dark side that we want to hide--He is the only one that really knows us better than we know ourselves even.  God doesn't grade on a curve!  Yes, we are bad, but not too bad to be saved!  We are never good enough to be saved, in other words, but bad enough to need salvation:  ironically, some people don't even want to admit they are sinners because they "haven't done anything that bad."

We often compare ourselves with others who seem worse and get proud:  "Compared to Saddam Hussein I am a saint!"  We may think of ourselves as just a "run-of-the-mill" sinner, but we should be comparing ourselves to Christ who is the express image of His glory and the divine standard:  "Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48).  Caveat:  God doesn't grade on a curve;  the standard is is perfection, the test is direction!

Well, what is the biblical definition of sin?  In the study of hamartiology sin is from the Greek word hamartia, a marksman's word for "missing the mark."  It is suggested that one shoots at a target and misses the bull's eye.  When one misses achieving this standard he "sins."  There are both sins of omission and commission.  When God says in negative terms:  Thou shalt not, and we do, it is a sin of commission  When we fail to do God's will and leave something undone, which we should have done, it is also sin--this is a sin of omission.  Having a mind and willpower makes us able to sin.  Basically, sin is nonconformity to the law of God, anything not of faith, when we know the right thing to do, and fail to do it, any transgression, trespass, or perverted act.

Some things may be sin for one brother and not another.  We can sin against a brother (cf. 1 Cor. 8:12), but basically all sin is against God and only His forgiveness brings salvation from past, present, and future sins.  Any act of unbelief is a sin according to 1 John 5:10.  Sin is also lawlessness according to 1 John 3:4.  The Anglican Book of Common Prayer adds: "leaving undone that which I ought to have done."

However, Jesus internalized sin (the Pharisees had "externalized" sin by reducing it to what can be seen by men like fasting; eating kosher; ceremonial washing; et cetera), saying that "out of the heart proceed evil thoughts."  It is not a matter of having clean hands, but a clean heart to be pure in God's eyes.  "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Prov. 23:7).  Sin is a disease or an illness and we cannot say we have a little sin no more than we can say one is a little pregnant!  In short, when we sin against God, we violate His nature and holiness; when we sin against man, we violate his humanity and dignity as a human in the image of God, according to R. C. Sproul.  He goes on to say that all sin is an act of treason to overthrow God.  I have heard it said, that sin is "man's declaration of independence from God."

It is a grave mistake to rename sin with pretty names to be less offensive like:  shortcomings, errors, mistakes, habits, vices, et cetera.  Billy Graham says that this is like relabeling a poison and calling it the Essence of Peppermint, which would make it more dangerous to the kids.  The closer you get to God the more aware you are of sin:  Samuel Rutherford said, "Pray for a lively sense of sin, then you'll have less sin."   Great saints have often discounted their holiness and downgraded themselves out of humility:  John Bunyan wrote Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners."  Paul called himself "the chief of sinners."  A good definition from Charlie Riggs is "any thought, word, omission, action, or desire contrary to the Word of God."  The whole purpose of the law is to make us cognizant of our sin not to be a way of salvation, or a code to live by for good measure--we are incapable of keeping it:  "For by the law is the knowledge of sin"  (Rom. 3:20, Phil.).  The Law measures us, it doesn't save us!

To become Christians we must be willing to turn from sin (repentance) and turn to God (through faith in Christ by grace).  We need not only to be against sin in theory but renounce sin and any individual sins God has laid on our hearts.  [Believers are still sinners, by the way, according to Gal. 2:17. and John says in 1 John 1 that "if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us in v. 8.] We need to repent of all our sins, not just the ones we don't like and keep our pet sins. Legalists see sins and not sin (God can make us a new person with a victory over it by putting a new man in the suit, not a new suit on the man):  Our problem is the old sin nature, or our sinful flesh or carnal man.  We must be changed (passive case) from the inside out (i.e., God does it!).  This is due to our solidarity in Adam and what's known as "original sin" (therefore sin is universal (termed the universality of sin) and the common-held belief that nobody's perfect--as they say, "To err is human."

We don't try to be the Holy Spirit and convict people of their sins, that's the role of the Holy Spirit alone.  In due time He will show them the error of their ways:  thus we have so many Christians doing what we wouldn't because they haven't matured to our level yet.  It is the consensus that we all grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Pet. 3:18).  We go from glory to glory and increase in Christ-likeness as we grow and mature according to 2 Cor. 3:18. ("...we are transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory....").

Albert Camus said that "the absurd is sin without God."  This is true:  if there is no God, there is no absolute value system and everything is only relative.  No one can say with certainty that something is a sin.  We need a divine standard to appeal to:  some call this "natural law"--this is what convicted the Nazi war criminals who claimed they only obeyed the law of the "Fatherland."  We all have a conscience and an innate sense of right and wrong which makes us culpable for our sin.  Dr. Karl Menninger wrote a famous book: Whatever Became of Sin?  Even psychiatrists are starting to use the word again and think that "God" may have a point!

There is a very well-known preacher of a megachurch that refuses to preach on sin because he regards it as a "killjoy word."  I recall Calvin Coolidge, the man of few words, coming home from church and his wife asking him what the sermon was about:  "Sin."  "What did he say?" "He was against it!"  If  I make any point, I want you to be sure that God cannot tolerate sin in His presence (Satan was booted out of heaven) and His eyes are too pure to behold evil (Hab. 1:13). God is just and must do something about the sin question.

But God is love and also gracious and has found a way out of the dilemma.  The gospel message is that God has solved the sin problem through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  If we truly repent of our sins and receive Christ as our Lord and trust Him as our Savior we will be delivered and rescued from the coming wrath or calamity of God (1 Thess. 1:9).    Soli Deo Gloria!

Are You In A Movement?

Let me make this clear to start:  I am against movements.  Many have come and gone in the church and some more influential and misleading than others:  Some even rather harmless, but all wrong and not of God, regardless.  There are many so-called movements prevalent today or remnants of old ones remaining:  Keswick Movement, Perfectionist Movement, Neo-Pentecostal Movement, the charismatic movement, conservative-right political movement, WWJD, (or even WWJT) known as the "what would Jesus do?" movement [I am not against the imitation of Christ as Thomas a Kempis wrote his famous, widely read book, My Imitation of Christ--this is another ballgame], the "Church of What's Happening Now" movement, the one that isn't defined or named is when believers think God wants them to hang around sinners, like the Pharisees accused Jesus of doing.

Scripture says to choose your friends carefully in Proverbs 12:26 and Paul say that bad company corrupts good morals in 1 Cor. 15:33.  The thing you have to look at is who was calling them sinners (the evil Pharisees who were blind) and we are all sinners and if Jesus wasn't our friend where would we be now?   But hanging around them is different and Jesus is our friend when we were his enemies, right?  We are not Jesus and need to be careful with whom we spend our time; however, this does not mean that we need to fear man ("The fear of man proves to be a snare," says Prov. 29:25).

As an illustration, when you get saved it means you should witness to your circle of friends, not go to the local tavern and hang around expecting God to open the door for you--they will influence you more than you influence them and the devil has you right where he wants you.  If you must go there go with a fellow believer for support; Jesus sent them out in groups of two.  You are not some one's friend if you don't witness to them and they will accuse you and blame you for all eternity if you don't at least try!  Jesus didn't condone sinners in their sin, nor did He get tainted, because He couldn't; you can be!

We worship Jesus because of what He could do as the God-man.  Evil company should make us feel uncomfortable and uneasy like it did Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah--don't get callous and insensitive!  "Come out from among them and be ye separate, and I will accept you," says the Lord. (I blogged about this Sept. 7, 2014).  This was meant to be derogatory but remember:  Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.  He told the woman who sinned:  "Go and sin no more."  He didn't condone nor participate in sin--he didn't party like one of the guys!

What's wrong with WWJD? Most Christians know their Savior in a very shallow manner--they know the Scriptures a bit, but knowing Christ comes with maturity and the searching for Him is the main business of the Christian life and begins at salvation, not ends (it's better to concentrate on obeying Him than trying to be Him).   Firstly, they don't really know what Jesus would do, they just imagine it.  They might know what their mother would do if she is a Christian, that is, but they can only guess what Jesus would do.  Would he be a teetotaler?  Would he ever speed?  There are difficult questions and God gives us the liberty to have our own conscience and like it says in 1 Cor. 6:12:  "All things are permissible, but I will not be mastered by anything."  "Mama told me not to come" is a popular rock lyric. Another:  "Mama said, 'You better shop around.'"   I've heard it said, that you should always question authority, but never mother!

What's on earth is so bad about the Neo-Pentecostal movement?  They teach unsound doctrine for number one, though I admit most of them have their heart in the right place and that is important, but false teachers like to be mostly right and add a little error to deceive and the element of truth makes it palatable.  We are commanded to teach a sound doctrine as teachers (Tit. 2:1).  This movement is in competition with and even infiltrates other churches and steals sheep or proselytize by impressing them that there is "something more or missing in their experience" just like Paul was admonishing the Colossians to be aware of (mysticism, asceticism, and legalism).

The Perfectionists started with John Wesley who thought you could reach a stage of willful or unintentional sin as a mature believer or that you "have arrived."  Even Paul didn't claim such:  "I do not claim to have laid hold of it yet..." (Phil. 3:12).  The psalmist says he has seen the limit of all perfection in Psalm 119:96.  Proverbs 20:9 says:  "Who can say, 'I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin'?"

The Keswick movement is still alive via Andrew Murray's writings and devotional classic by Oswald Chambers My Utmost For His Highest."  Reading that book, I came across many doctrinal errors and whether you believe this or not, he believed in a second blessing and this is very controversial and not traditional (I blogged about this in "Where is Oswald Chambers Coming From?").  Chambers believes in perfectionism and what's called the "entire sanctification"  He believes that tongues are the initial "initial evidence validation" of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The point is that most people are ignorant of his erroneous teaching and fall for his balderdash and pious talk.  He makes a dangerous dichotomy between discipleship and salvation and doesn't seem to understand just how to become a Christian in the first place!   (I blogged on this March 3, 2014).

What's wrong with the "church of what's happening now?"  They have been led astray by Satan's masquerading as an angel of light like the rest and are on side issues away from the Bible.  They may be into the latest prophecy rage on the Internet or something else like blood moons that tickles their fancy. J. Vernon McGee was orthodox in that he entitled his study: "Back to the Bible."  The devil wants the church to get away from the Bible and doesn't deny that it's important, just not paramount!

It is better to be a "cloistered" church that sticks to the Bible (after all the Bible is all we need for spiritual growth and is not only necessary but sufficient).  They may have coffee shops in their church and a bookstore and many extra-biblical activities that get away from the Bible, like overeaters anonymous and whatnot.  So what is the latest fad, they wonder.

What's wrong with the Evangelical right?  The Pope tries to dictate politics and make members vote according to his understanding!  Most black churches are in the so-called Christian left!  First of all, not all sincere and knowledgeable believers are in agreement politically:  This does a grave disservice to Christ by labeling him politically, when He is beyond description and defies analysis.  People are going to judge Christianity by a party and Jesus is not a member of any party!  You cannot put God in a box, nor limit God!

The charismatic movement is more subtle in that it infiltrates even the Roman Catholic Church and many denominations while not having one of its own.  Basically, if you believe that the gift of tongues is a bona fide gift, you are charismatic!  Most churches today are either considered mainline denomination (which is in the state of near heresy and apostasy, losing members rapidly), the evangelical wing (like most Baptists or those who are actively "saving" people and spreading the gospel and not the so-called social gospel (which is a misnomer).  The charismatic tend to make a dichotomy among believers and make them think they are missing out; this makes them have spiritual wanderlust and they eventually leave their home church and become spiritually vulnerable.

A true church will get you into the Word and make it paramount; teaching sound doctrine devotedly.
The church is the body of Christ, not the parachurch or the electronic church.  Watching TV is no substitute for one-on-one, accountability, and fellowship.  I'm not suggesting that we don't need these organizations, because they do serve a purpose; Chuck Swindoll says that if you drink of only one fountain, you lose your perspective: however, there is some pastor out there that is just right for you right where you are spiritual. We need to stay connected and in touch spiritually and not become lone ranger type believers who are doing their own thing.

We are all entitled to opine (to have our own opinions), but not to have our own facts, and fabricate at will.  Many preachers have a personal agenda many a church has an extra-biblical program that they want to promote.   Causes are not taboo, individuals can do whatever they get called to do:  Look at William Wilberforce devoting himself to the end of slavery!   We can even have a political agenda that is self-serving, but we do not have the right to label it as "Christian."

The church needs a wake-up call:  It's okay to hand out bread, but put the gospel in its rightful place--don't get caught turning stones into the bread like Jesus was tempted to do!  "Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8).  Don't get converted to a cause or movement, but to Christ!   In conclusion, the only movement I want to be in is (Christ) the fulfilling of the Great Commission, which ought to be the main business of the church and its raison d'etre--don't forget our Marching Orders!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Anatomy Of Rejecting Christ

There is no such thing or category of Christian known as a disobedient believer, though Christians can disobey they are chastened of the Lord if they belong to Him.  John 3:36 in the ESV and NASB correlates unbelief with disobedience.  Hebrews 3:18-19 also equates the two--they were not allowed to enter the Promised Land because of their unbelief (disobedience).   Heb. 5:9 says God grants salvation to all who obey.  We must obey the gospel!  The Fourth Commandment to honor our parents is the first commandment to respect authority and show obedience in the Lord, so as not to harden our hearts.  "They were disobedient to the Word."  There is a curse on anyone who despises or rejects the Word of the LORD--we must always regard God's Word with respect and honor.

What the problem with most evangelists is that they fail to get the people lost before they try to save them.   Christ came to seek and to save that which is lost, and not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.  In order to be saved, one must realize how bad he is to God's standards; one doesn't really know just how bad he is till he has tried to be good--that's the paradox!  (i.e., the alcoholic doesn't realize his addiction and problem till he's tried to quit).  We need prepared soil to sow the seed of the Word of God.  Another problem in the church is that they don't present the gospel clear enough to be rejected!   We have become so seeker-sensitive that people feel right at home without even giving testimony or showing themselves disciples--there is to be a certain sense of acceptability, but privilege comes with membership, not mere attendance.  The order of faith is believing, belonging, and then becoming.

What takes place in the "hardened" heart (Rom. 11:7) of the unbeliever who rejects what light God has given him?  We are only responsible for the light given to us; however, no one has an excuse and we are all culpable and held accountable before God's justice.  If we are sincere there is an expectation of more light that Christ, the light, will reflect on us.  The unbeliever walks in darkness and doesn't come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed (cf. John 3:19).  The problem with the blinded Pharisees is that they witnessed the miracles of Jesus, and "would not" not "could not" believe.  The didn't believe it because they didn't want to believe.  No miracle can make a believer out of a skeptic, there has to be the will to believe.  It is not an intellectual thing (they feign intellectual problems), but a moral dilemma.

The heart of the matter is that it's a matter of the heart.  Sincerity is not everything, though God requires sincerity and looks for "sincere faith" (1 Tim. 1:5) and not perfect faith (unfeigned faith)--it isn't the amount but the direction and the object of the faith that is important.  You can have a lot of faith in the wrong direction and be sincerely wrong.  God opens the heart of the prepared heart like that of Lydia's in Acts 16:14.  Faith is granted according to Philippians 1:29 as well as repentance in Acts 11:18. Faith is our act but God's work.  We are incurably addicted to doing something for our salvation (they asked Jesus:  "What shall we do, to do the works of God? This is the work of God, to believe in Him..." in John 5:28.)

Salvation is not by works lest we are able to boast (Eph. 2:8-9); hence, faith cannot be a meritorious work as Rome believes!  It is the gift of God according to 2 Pet. 1:1 where it says we "received a faith."  Rom. 12:3 says that we are responsible for the faith we have "received."  We are no more virtuous nor meritorious that we can boast or brag before God; Soli Deo Gloria (to God alone be the glory in Latin).

The unbeliever doesn't believe the gospel because his heart is not right--the soil is not good and the seed cannot grow.  He doesn't understand the gospel and is really rejecting something he doesn't fathom--"Who has known the mind of the Lord?"  It is only by grace that we come to perceive the gospel message that God has once and for all settled the sin problem by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ on our behalf as a substitute.  The natural man cannot accept the things of the Spirit, for they are foolishness unto him (cf. 1 Cor. 2:14).

The unbeliever starts out doubting and questioning, then he won't listen or pay attention ("To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams," says 1 Sam. 15:22), and becomes hardened and hostile and finally he sees Christ as the enemy of himself and society (the enemy of God is also the enemy of the state).  He closes his mind because to arrive at the truth you have to admit you could be wrong and be open to all possibilities--and they have made up their minds and don't want to be confused with the facts!  Christ doesn't ask an unreasonable faith, but only one going in the direction of the preponderance of the evidence leads.  You can believe without having all your questions answered because it takes faith and only faith pleases God--however, it takes more faith to deny Christ and the gospel than to accept it ("I don't have enough faith to be an atheist," says Norman Geisler, renowned theologian), due to all the proof cited by former atheists and skeptics who have examined the evidence and have become believers against their own wills.

You need an open mind, a willing spirit, and a needy heart to arrive at the truth: Jesus said, "If any man wills to do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself," says John 7:17.   God doesn't force anyone to believe and the system is rigged such that anyone can willingly reject Christ and find a reason to do so.  We don't believe despite the evidence, because there is adequate evidence for anyone who is looking for it.  There is more evidence in the affirmative and more questions for the skeptic to answer than the believer would have to answer.

The surprising thing is that it is forgivable to reject Christ, through our hearts become hardened.  The average believer has heard the gospel 7.6 times before actually accepting it.  The unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and attributing the miracles of Jesus to the devil's doing.  It is deliberate and a state of impenitence is the result, and if you are afraid you have done it, it means you haven't. The good news is that the gospel is for as many as the Lord our God shall call (Acts 2:39) and all whom the Lord calls shall be justified, sanctified, and glorified!  [This is the inner call of God on the soul which is efficacious and not the outward or general call of the gospel message given by the Christian to the world at large.]  Soli Deo Gloria!

The Testimony Of Zacchaeus

Zacchaeus was a publican, which was worse than being called a sinner because he collected taxes on Rome's behalf and swindled all he could manage.  But one day he heard that Jesus was coming to Jericho and he was curious enough to climb a sycamore-fig tree to see him, seeing he was short in stature.  Jesus surprised him and invited himself over to his house for dinner.  Jesus convicted him of his shortcomings and failures as a fallen sinner and he showed genuine repentance by giving restitution and owning up to his cheating, in addition to just confessing it. Zacchaeus wanted to come clean and from what he did, it sounded like he did more than eat his humble pie. He wasn't just seeking fire insurance, but a relationship with Jesus; then he was good to go!  He sold out lock, stock, and barrel to Jesus and became a new person.  Note that Jesus was not afraid to get down and dirty with the scum of the earth and the most despised.  He didn't condone their sin, but welcomed sinners and even ate with them; this infuriated the Pharisees and Jewish hierarchy.

[Repentance is doing a 180-degree turn, an about-face, or a U-turn-- radical turning from sin to God.   It means you have stopped trying to save yourself and are willing to trust and obey Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Luke 3:8 says that we must bring forth the fruits of repentance.  We must turn from dead works to serve the living God.  We must not only repudiate and renounce sin but all our sins-- and decide to follow Jesus in obedience to the faith, in the act of abiding in Christ and His Word.  It is more than a change of opinion, but a whole change of heart, mind, and will.  We must be convicted of our sins, feel sorrow or regret for them, and be willing to turn from them and follow Christ as His disciple.]

There is no saving faith without genuine repentance because they go hand in hand and one is the flip side of the other:  one could use the terminology penitent faith or believing repentance.  Nevertheless, Zacchaeus' change of heart was real and he knew it.  He had changed his way of thinking and was willing to assume all the responsibilities for his errant ways--there is a cost to discipleship:  ironically there are the twin truths that salvation is free, but it costs everything, because Christ wants us to surrender to His will--it is no longer a yoke of the Law, but the yoke of Christ's will.   I suggest that he had a vacuum in his heart that Jesus filled and he recognized the Savior.  He had already come to the conclusion that riches don't satisfy the longings of the soul and one cannot buy happiness or love.

This is an example of how Christ, the Good Shepherd, finds us and brings us to the fold when we are lost; but we must realize we are lost first.  He came not to call the righteous (those who think they are okay), but the sinner (who knows he needs God and cannot save himself or has literally given up).  What did Jesus save him from?  From a life of sin and purposelessness, of pleasing and living for self, and empty meaningless existence.  In short, he saved him from his sin (that's why His name is Jesus) and only He has the power to set us free from our sin nature;  our sinning doesn't demonstrate our freedom, but proves our slavery!

Being saved doesn't mean we have the freedom to live in the flesh just because we know we are saved, but the power to live in the Spirit.  Zacchaeus didn't have to clean up his act or turn over a new leaf to get saved, he got saved first and God changed his from the inside out.  God wants us to obey Him out of love and gratitude (he who is forgiven much loves much), not out of slavish fear.  Love is the strongest power in the universe and God is love and when we know God we learn to love our enemy, our neighbor, and our brother. You could fulfill the demands of a law, but not of love.   Zacchaeus got more than he bargained for, he was just looking for acceptance and answers and found love; no one is looking for God according to Romans 3:11, but the search for God begins at salvation--he finds us, we don't find Him!  Pascal said that he would not have found God, had He not first found him.

The lesson of Jesus reaching out to this publican is that no one is too bad a sinner to be saved--we are bad, but not too bad for salvation.  We are not to look down on "sinners" because George Whitefield said it well:  "There, but for the grace of God, go I," when asked about a condemned man going to the gallows.  Zacchaeus was informed and deformed by sin, but meeting Christ transformed him.  Once is never the same after meeting Christ--there is no neutral ground; one must decide to be for or against him.  The Scripture is right in saying that we must "repent and bring forth the fruits of repentance."  We must demonstrate our new faith and if we don't share it we will lose it--we cannot be a secret disciple, but must be willing to confess Him before men openly and without shame.  Soli Deo Gloria!