"Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:17-18, ESV).
"[F]or we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7, ESV).
"If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25, ESV).
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7, ESV).
"TRUE HOLINESS CONSISTS OF DOING THE WILL OF GOD WITH A SMILE." --MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA, CANONIZED AND NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER
All Christians have the power to walk in the Spirit with the Lord all the days of their lives, not just in church or among their friends and fellow believers--but even with the sinner! "Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (cf. Gen. 6:9). That would look good on any resume! Likewise, "Enoch walked with God, and was not, for God took him"--he was translated into heaven like being raptured! To enjoy a continuing, ongoing, progressive fellowship with God the Father and God the Son through the resident Spirit is a blessing and privilege all believers share. It is good that Jesus left us the legacy of the Spirit so we would learn to lean on Him and realize we are actually better off that way than if He were still residing on earth. He promised not to leave us "orphans" but to send another Comforter, the Holy Spirit! Few believers avail themselves of the fullness of the Spirit and find their otherwise unrealized potential.
We all have an innate ability to walk with God and are commanded to continually be filled with the Spirit from Day One of our salvation. To do this we must keep short accounts with God and readily confess all known sin as we get convicted, not letting them get stacked up and having a backlog or spiritual "docket." Martin Luther mentioned progressive repentance in his Ninety-Five Theses as his first objection! In God's economy, emptying comes before filling and repentance before faith; they go hand in hand: if one doesn't believe, repentance is to blame; if one can't repent, belief is the issue! All in all, it's not always how big our faith but how thorough our repentance. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear" (cf. Psa. 66:18). We must come clean and fully surrender! We don't have permission to live in the flesh, but a new power and energy to live in the Spirit!
The genuine Spirit-filled believer isn't one who goes by feeling or walks about on Cloud Nine or on some perpetual, religious high, but must learn to lean on his faith in times of testing and trial, for his faith must be tested, being more precious than silver or gold. Lewis Sperry Chafer, the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary, wrote a book entitled He That is Spiritual in 1918 that was a bombshell in the doctrinal schools because he introduced the terminology of carnal believers as a separate class of believer (i.e., not spiritual).
There is no dichotomy in the body, for all believers are spiritual and all are subject to becoming carnal or getting out of fellowship or falling into temporary sin unless confessed. A believer who thinks it's all right to live in a carnal lifestyle needs to repent and surrender to the lordship of Christ, not just call himself carnal.
But one thing is certain, Jesus left us the legacy of peace in turmoil and faith to move mountains as it were. We are more than conquerors in the power of the Spirit as a fringe benefit of salvation. The primary perk of salvation is inner peace with God and oneself. It is a proven fact that one can face any trial if one has peace about it!
In other words, the fruit of the Spirit is the primary manifestation of the Spirit-filled Christian. We are to become fruit inspectors of our fruit and we also are to know others by their fruits! These two are different meanings of fruit since we judge others by their actions since we cannot see their thinking and heart's condition. False teachers will be exposed by their fruit or deeds!
It is a known fact that those who know their God are able to do great exploits in His name and have great energy for God (cf. Dan. 11:32). Having great thoughts of praise for God is another sign of filling (cf. Dan. 4:35). Spirit-filled believers display boldness for God and are content in their relationship, as we stand up for the truth and fly our Christian colors and realize that God meets all our needs in Christ so that He will give us everything we need to do His will (cf. Phil. 4:19).
Athanasius is known as taking such a stand against Arianism that he said he'd be "Athanasius contra mundum" if the whole world embraced the heresy. It is oh so very important to be vigilant of heresy creeping into the church! Likewise, Ignatius and Polycarp, two disciples of John the Elder, gave up their lives as martyrs rather than do homage to the emperor Trajan.
When you hate your life without Christ and only live for the glory of God you are being filled. With Christ at the helm, life is worth the risk and the venture. Just like Paul said, "For to me to live is Christ..." (cf. Phil. 1:21). That's the essence of spirituality: to not think or dwell on ourselves, but to be overcome with thoughts of Christ and to be obsessed with divine thoughts from the Spirit, not selfishness--we don't think less of ourselves, but of ourselves less! We live for the glory of God to be displayed in us as His vessels of honor!
In the power of the Spirit, we find that energy to do His will that cannot be done in the energy of the flesh! We have the power of God at work within us both to do and to will of His good pleasure (cf. Phil. 2:13). In fact, everything done solely in the flesh is in vain and cannot be rewarded! Paul would boast of nothing but of what Christ accomplished through him (cf. Rom. 15:18). The world may ask us, "Where do we get our strength?" Our answer must be that we have a secret: We can do all things through Him who strengthens us! (Cf. Phil. 4:13). The Christian life is not hard, it's been said, but impossible! We must learn to seek His face and find God's strength to do His bidding. That power resides inside us because we all possess the same Spirit, and it's not how much of the Spirit you have, but how much of you He has! John 15:5 says that apart from Christ we can do nothing!
That's why the Spirit is called the Comforter and the Paraclete, or the One called alongside. We must learn by experience how God speaks to us and to realize that the primary M.O. is the Word of God and our relationship to the Word is an indicator of how in tune we are to His will. We are all anointed by the Spirit (cf. 1 John 2:20-21) and need no one to teach us these things if we only get into the Word God will illuminate it for us. One telltale sign of the apostles was that when they were filled with the Spirit they spoke the Word of God with boldness. The Spirit-filled believer has his antennae sensitized to the Word and realizes when God is speaking to him through it by conviction and enlightenment. He will open our eyes to wonderful things in the Word!
Only the power of the Spirit transforming their lives can explain the way the apostles turned the Roman world topsy-turvy! That was the biggest miracle to witness--their conversions from cowards to bold witnesses for the resurrection. Today we don't so much as witness the resurrection but we do see the miracles of transformed lives and what God can do. We must realize that what He's done for others He can do for us!
Our prayer ought to be: Just a closer walk with Jesus! Richard of Chichester prayed to help people "to know Jesus Christ more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow him more nearly." Job was admonished: "Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee" (cf. Job 22:21, KJV). Brother Lawrence, a monk in a French Carmelite monastery in the seventeenth century, practiced the presence of God throughout the day no matter what he did, even washing dishes according to his book, The Practice of the Presence of God.
We must realize the divine order of events: fact, faith, feeling! We must first get our thinking straightened out and know right to think right, then we are equipped to do the right thing, and finally, we will reap the benefits of feeling right! A good litmus test is having peace as Christ's legacy (cf. John 14:27). We must rejoice in the Lord always as Habakkuk said, "[Y]et I will rejoice in the LORD..." (Hab. 3:18, ESV). And Nehemiah said, "... [F]or the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Neh. 8:10, ESV).
NB: THE ONLY HINDRANCE TO ENJOYING THE WONDERFUL SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE IS THE AMOUNT OF YOUR SURRENDER, AND IN HOW CLOSELY YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THE PROMPTINGS OF THE SPIRIT TO DO GOD'S WILL. TEST THE SPIRIT: IS THERE A SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING AND OF PRAISE TO GOD? WHEN WE GET OUR EYES OFF OURSELVES AND DWELL ON THE GLORY OF GOD IT HUMBLES US!
CAVEAT: DON'T ASSOCIATE THE FILLING WITH FEELINGS PER SE, THEY MAY ACCOMPANY IT AND MAY NOT FOR GOD REQUIRES US TO WALK BY FAITH AND STEP OUT IN FAITH TRUSTING THAT HE'S WITH US TO EMPOWER US. ("BY FAITH ABRAHAM OBEYED!") Soli Deo Gloria!
About Me
- Karl Broberg
- I am a born-again Christian, who is Reformed, but also charismatic, spiritually speaking. (I do not speak in tongues, but I believe glossalalia is a bona fide gift not given to all, and not as great as prophecy, for example.) I have several years of college education but only completed a two-year degree. I was raised Lutheran and confirmed, but I didn't "find Christ" until I was in the Army and responded to a Billy Graham crusade in 1973. I was mentored or discipled by the Navigators in the army and upon discharge joined several evangelical, Bible-teaching churches. I was baptized as an infant, but believe in believer baptism, of which I was a partaker after my conversion experience. I believe in the "5 Onlys" of the reformation: sola fide (faith alone); sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); soli Christo (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory). I affirm TULIP as defended in the Reformation.. I affirm most of The Westminster Confession of Faith, especially pertaining to Providence.
Sunday, May 12, 2019
The Church With A Reputation
"... When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up" (1 Cor. 14:26, ESV).
"I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the LORD" (Psa. 122:1, KJV).
"[F]or there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized" (1 Cor. 11:19, ESV).
NB: ALL CHURCHES HAVE A REPUTATION; THE JURY MAY STILL BE OUT AS TO WHAT KIND THOUGH! SPURGEON WAS RIGHT: THE CHURCH HAS SO LITTLE INFLUENCE ON THE WORLD BECAUSE THE WORLD HAS SO MUCH INFLUENCE ON THE CHURCH! ALSO, THERE IS A SOCIAL COMMISSION ONLY IN LIGHT OF BEING THE SALT AND LIGHT OF THE WORLD--WE MUST NOT TURN STONES INTO BREAD AND NOT MEET SPIRITUAL NEEDS AS GOD OPENS DOORS.
Sardis, the church mentioned in the Book of Revelation, had a reputation that it was alive; but it was dead! Even today many people mistake the church's vitality and life because of its "social gospel". They are "turning stones into bread" and not preaching the Word in tandem. We ought not to get a reputation of do-goodery! Even Christ didn't want to get the reputation of being a miracle worker. They are meant to go hand in hand! The Spirit-filled (energized) and consecrated church bears fruit and has a witness to the outsider that it is against sin and for Christ--it will take a stand lest it loses its focus by default. Christ through the church offers hope to a lost world!
The Bible says that we ought to preach the Word in season and out, and the gospel is always relevant, front and center. They keep the main thing the main thing and encourage members to get with the program. This can only be accomplished by the power of the Spirit: "... Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts" (cf. Zech. 4:6, ESV). But what we seem to see in the Evangelical Right is a loss of its bearings to forget about the moral compass of the rule of law it must set, and not keeping the main thing the main thing--we are salt and light, not the sanitizer of the world! The church's calling and mission is to complete the Great Commission, not to get sidetracked with a political agenda. Baptists traditionally and firmly adhere to the belief of separation of church and state, as one theologian said, when they are joined, "it's good for the state but bad for the church!"
A church can have quite the reputation and be dead spiritually, even a megachurch or media empire can become apostate or heretical! But authentic fellowships are organisms, not organizations. We can be edified in a crowd, for instance, but not be able to function in our capacity as believers using our spiritual gifts. The church must become a living entity and that means spiritual growth: life means growth and removal of what's dead! This doesn't necessarily mean growth in members! One must not compare ministries and size isn't the measuring stick. There will always be those who "play" church and go through the motions as they "nod to God" once a week singing "Onward Christian Soldiers," then go AWOL on Monday.
God clearly condemns lip service and halfhearted worship. We must "worship the Father in spirit and in truth"--that means being filled with the Spirit and with integrity and correctness of doctrine--not heresy. We must know the Author of the book we are reading and studying, and not for academic reasons. Even though doctrine is important, it's not everything (necessary, but not sufficient), one's heart must be in the right place. We must not give place to faction and contention over disputable points and gray areas, and reason from the Scriptures as the arbiter of truth and final word of authority. Sectarianism is a sin: As Augustine's dictum says, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."
The vibrant church isn't for socializing: we attend for fellowship, worship, edification, discipline, getting our spiritual batteries charged and energized, taking spiritual inventory, getting a spiritual check-up, and the opportunity to serve with our gift. The functional church displays the gifts of the Spirit as people enjoy each other and submit to one another in the Lord as unto Christ; i.e., no one lords it over the others, but in love preferring one another.
Love is manifest and people will say, "Behold, how they love one another." They will know we are Christians by our love, not our bottom line or 401(k)! Sinners attending a sound church will get convicted and not feel comfortable in their sin, but they will realize they don't have to live in it but can have a way through life without sin controlling them. Different strokes for different folks; i.e., different denominations. In sum, we never should judge one another for their experience with the Lord or church affiliation; for there's no one-size-fits-all for worship! (No church can claim a monopoly on truth or doctrine.) Soli Deo Gloria!
"I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the LORD" (Psa. 122:1, KJV).
"[F]or there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized" (1 Cor. 11:19, ESV).
NB: ALL CHURCHES HAVE A REPUTATION; THE JURY MAY STILL BE OUT AS TO WHAT KIND THOUGH! SPURGEON WAS RIGHT: THE CHURCH HAS SO LITTLE INFLUENCE ON THE WORLD BECAUSE THE WORLD HAS SO MUCH INFLUENCE ON THE CHURCH! ALSO, THERE IS A SOCIAL COMMISSION ONLY IN LIGHT OF BEING THE SALT AND LIGHT OF THE WORLD--WE MUST NOT TURN STONES INTO BREAD AND NOT MEET SPIRITUAL NEEDS AS GOD OPENS DOORS.
Sardis, the church mentioned in the Book of Revelation, had a reputation that it was alive; but it was dead! Even today many people mistake the church's vitality and life because of its "social gospel". They are "turning stones into bread" and not preaching the Word in tandem. We ought not to get a reputation of do-goodery! Even Christ didn't want to get the reputation of being a miracle worker. They are meant to go hand in hand! The Spirit-filled (energized) and consecrated church bears fruit and has a witness to the outsider that it is against sin and for Christ--it will take a stand lest it loses its focus by default. Christ through the church offers hope to a lost world!
The Bible says that we ought to preach the Word in season and out, and the gospel is always relevant, front and center. They keep the main thing the main thing and encourage members to get with the program. This can only be accomplished by the power of the Spirit: "... Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts" (cf. Zech. 4:6, ESV). But what we seem to see in the Evangelical Right is a loss of its bearings to forget about the moral compass of the rule of law it must set, and not keeping the main thing the main thing--we are salt and light, not the sanitizer of the world! The church's calling and mission is to complete the Great Commission, not to get sidetracked with a political agenda. Baptists traditionally and firmly adhere to the belief of separation of church and state, as one theologian said, when they are joined, "it's good for the state but bad for the church!"
A church can have quite the reputation and be dead spiritually, even a megachurch or media empire can become apostate or heretical! But authentic fellowships are organisms, not organizations. We can be edified in a crowd, for instance, but not be able to function in our capacity as believers using our spiritual gifts. The church must become a living entity and that means spiritual growth: life means growth and removal of what's dead! This doesn't necessarily mean growth in members! One must not compare ministries and size isn't the measuring stick. There will always be those who "play" church and go through the motions as they "nod to God" once a week singing "Onward Christian Soldiers," then go AWOL on Monday.
God clearly condemns lip service and halfhearted worship. We must "worship the Father in spirit and in truth"--that means being filled with the Spirit and with integrity and correctness of doctrine--not heresy. We must know the Author of the book we are reading and studying, and not for academic reasons. Even though doctrine is important, it's not everything (necessary, but not sufficient), one's heart must be in the right place. We must not give place to faction and contention over disputable points and gray areas, and reason from the Scriptures as the arbiter of truth and final word of authority. Sectarianism is a sin: As Augustine's dictum says, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."
The vibrant church isn't for socializing: we attend for fellowship, worship, edification, discipline, getting our spiritual batteries charged and energized, taking spiritual inventory, getting a spiritual check-up, and the opportunity to serve with our gift. The functional church displays the gifts of the Spirit as people enjoy each other and submit to one another in the Lord as unto Christ; i.e., no one lords it over the others, but in love preferring one another.
Love is manifest and people will say, "Behold, how they love one another." They will know we are Christians by our love, not our bottom line or 401(k)! Sinners attending a sound church will get convicted and not feel comfortable in their sin, but they will realize they don't have to live in it but can have a way through life without sin controlling them. Different strokes for different folks; i.e., different denominations. In sum, we never should judge one another for their experience with the Lord or church affiliation; for there's no one-size-fits-all for worship! (No church can claim a monopoly on truth or doctrine.) Soli Deo Gloria!
Getting Something Out Of Church
Most believers go to church for the wrong reason: For comfort; for fellowship; for making friends; for spreading their agenda or ministry; for music; for a sermon; ad infinitum. We may go to church for the wrong motive, but we ought, nevertheless, go: "Let us not abandon the assembling together of ourselves as is the manner of some (cf. Heb. 10:25), but encourage one another." Today, the typical Christian will die for a church he won't attend! God wants us to have the right motives, but can work with us even if our motives are wrong--He wants us in church and that is where we belong.
The church is an organism (a living entity) and not just an organization or a business run by some well-intentioned do-gooders. All the members need each other and no one has all the gifts necessary to make the body function. We all bring our gifts to share with the body or family we are part of and contribute as God has equipped us (cf. 1 Cor. 14:26). Our gifts are for the edification of the body, and not to be selfishly used for our own service or profits. We do not peddle the Word of God but make it available without price and without cost. Our ministry is to the body and in another vein, our mission is to the unchurched or unbeliever.
Someone might say, "I didn't get anything out of worship today!" That person went for the wrong intent and needs to examine his motives and heart and the doctrines pertaining to the church's raison d'etre. Christ established the church for the edification of the body and the dissemination of the gospel message to the world at large. The church's primary goal is to fulfill the Great Commission.
When you go to church do you feel better equipped to do that? You may need a spiritual workout or even a checkup!
Worship isn't passive, but active, it is contradictory to listen to worship because worship is giving and not receiving. It is an invitation to worship and an opportunity to prepare our hearts. And God has commanded all creation to worship its Creator and corporate worship can only be done in the assembly of believers known as the local church. There is a special presence of Christ when two or three are gathered together in His name.
The key to worship is surrender and the more one loves God, the more he has to give in worship--there must be a relationship there to build on. In God's economy, the way to be filled is to be emptied first! Some churches teach that there should be no holds barred in worship and everyone should feel free to be as spiritual as they are inclined to be and not inhibited or concerned about what others think, but the truth is that there is no one-size-fits-all worship service and everyone is at a different "stage" or phase, in there spiritual journey and walk in the Lord, and we cannot compare ourselves with each other. "Everything should be done decently and in order," (God is not the author of confusion).
Everything we do in church is worship: Singing spiritual songs and hymns; giving of our tithes and offerings; fellowshipping and reaching out to others; serving with our gift, and even listening to the sermon is worship! "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15:22).
We go to church to contribute something of our spiritual gift and to receive from other's gifts in exchange--it is mutual and we need each other; no one is an island to himself. We only get what we put into it and we shouldn't go unprepared, like showing up without any spiritual preparation or devotion. We all can minister to one another and reach out to those in need with our gift.
Finally, to get the most out of worship, we must empty ourselves, or stop dwelling on ourselves, and get our eyes on Jesus. The gateway is to focus on others and not be self-centered but reach out in love to one another. Emptying comes before filling, and being filled with the Spirit is imperative because worship is unnatural and we can only do it in Spirit and in truth (cf. John 4:24).
To conclude: We are to be active listeners: Listening with a purpose like we want to learn and be challenged. We don't go to church solely to hear a wonderful sermon and get uplifted, but that may be part of the equation of well-balanced church attendance. This may involve taking notes or discussing the sermons afterward--anything that reinforces it and it doesn't end up in oblivion after church. You will find that the more in the Word you are the more interesting you will find the sermons and the ability to follow them critically and positively. God commands our respect and attention, and it is sacrilegious to purposely be a distraction and cause others to lose focus on the message. Remember, God has anointed the minister and has something in mind for you to learn and apply directly to your life. Soli Deo Gloria!
The church is an organism (a living entity) and not just an organization or a business run by some well-intentioned do-gooders. All the members need each other and no one has all the gifts necessary to make the body function. We all bring our gifts to share with the body or family we are part of and contribute as God has equipped us (cf. 1 Cor. 14:26). Our gifts are for the edification of the body, and not to be selfishly used for our own service or profits. We do not peddle the Word of God but make it available without price and without cost. Our ministry is to the body and in another vein, our mission is to the unchurched or unbeliever.
Someone might say, "I didn't get anything out of worship today!" That person went for the wrong intent and needs to examine his motives and heart and the doctrines pertaining to the church's raison d'etre. Christ established the church for the edification of the body and the dissemination of the gospel message to the world at large. The church's primary goal is to fulfill the Great Commission.
When you go to church do you feel better equipped to do that? You may need a spiritual workout or even a checkup!
Worship isn't passive, but active, it is contradictory to listen to worship because worship is giving and not receiving. It is an invitation to worship and an opportunity to prepare our hearts. And God has commanded all creation to worship its Creator and corporate worship can only be done in the assembly of believers known as the local church. There is a special presence of Christ when two or three are gathered together in His name.
The key to worship is surrender and the more one loves God, the more he has to give in worship--there must be a relationship there to build on. In God's economy, the way to be filled is to be emptied first! Some churches teach that there should be no holds barred in worship and everyone should feel free to be as spiritual as they are inclined to be and not inhibited or concerned about what others think, but the truth is that there is no one-size-fits-all worship service and everyone is at a different "stage" or phase, in there spiritual journey and walk in the Lord, and we cannot compare ourselves with each other. "Everything should be done decently and in order," (God is not the author of confusion).
Everything we do in church is worship: Singing spiritual songs and hymns; giving of our tithes and offerings; fellowshipping and reaching out to others; serving with our gift, and even listening to the sermon is worship! "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15:22).
We go to church to contribute something of our spiritual gift and to receive from other's gifts in exchange--it is mutual and we need each other; no one is an island to himself. We only get what we put into it and we shouldn't go unprepared, like showing up without any spiritual preparation or devotion. We all can minister to one another and reach out to those in need with our gift.
Finally, to get the most out of worship, we must empty ourselves, or stop dwelling on ourselves, and get our eyes on Jesus. The gateway is to focus on others and not be self-centered but reach out in love to one another. Emptying comes before filling, and being filled with the Spirit is imperative because worship is unnatural and we can only do it in Spirit and in truth (cf. John 4:24).
To conclude: We are to be active listeners: Listening with a purpose like we want to learn and be challenged. We don't go to church solely to hear a wonderful sermon and get uplifted, but that may be part of the equation of well-balanced church attendance. This may involve taking notes or discussing the sermons afterward--anything that reinforces it and it doesn't end up in oblivion after church. You will find that the more in the Word you are the more interesting you will find the sermons and the ability to follow them critically and positively. God commands our respect and attention, and it is sacrilegious to purposely be a distraction and cause others to lose focus on the message. Remember, God has anointed the minister and has something in mind for you to learn and apply directly to your life. Soli Deo Gloria!
The Seeker-sensitive Church
The church is "the pillar and ground of truth," not a safe haven for the lost and happy place for the sinner, who must become convicted and find the truth. The church is not to be consumer-driven or aim to please everyone and become all things to all people. It can be sound in its doctrine and still miss the boat (it's necessary but not sufficient), for the most important goal is to have the heart in the right place, not to have one's doctrine impeccably correct, which can become a source of pride and faction. Seekers are not to become comfortable in their sin, but not feel singled out and judged by the members. Church is always in a state of renewal and reform; hence, the slogan of the Reformers: Semper reformanda or always reforming. Martin Luther said he had only begun his reforms when dying.
The marching orders of the church should always be front and center and the biblical evangel is never to be neglected, keeping the main thing the main thing--the fulfilling of the Great Commission. The church has a duty to preach the Word and to disciple the family that gathers for spiritual renewal and checkups and to exercise their gifts. Church should throw out the welcome mat to sinners and be ready to accept people for who they are, after all, it's a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints, and no perfect people need to apply. Remembering that Christ loved us while we were yet sinners and enemies of the cross! We learn to love by showing it to those in need of it and the most difficult recipients. Christ is the friend of sinners and those who realize their sin are on the road to recovery and salvation. But this doesn't mean the preaching ought to be watered down, dumbed down, nor its gospel domesticated and contextualized to suit the fancy of the listeners. Let God do the convicting and He will!
The church is more than an organization; it's an organism of a body that functions in a synergistic manner as a family to fulfill the Great Commission. The body together can accomplish more than individuals can solo. The evangelical church has become The Church of What's Happening Now doing its own thing, trying to be popular and see how big a crowd it can amass. What the latest thing is and seems to be the focus is being all things to all people, and not the gospel message. We don't go to church for socializing, but fellowshipping, worshiping, edification, discipling, and ministering--basically getting our spiritual batteries charged and our growth assessed and appraised as we examine ourselves and take a spiritual inventory. We are there to prepare for the Lord's battle and get equipped for our mission to the lost.
The truly seeker-sensitive church is one where the truth is preached and defended, not where it's watered down and avoided. The sinner needs to hear the gospel which should be the consummation and finale of every sermon. Church is to be the hospital for saints and those who realize their sin. Outreach starts with the truth being preached as the expository Word of God. Preachers ought to be biblicists of the first order--men of the Book--who rely on the Word and the Spirit, not their own acumen, scholarship, talents, academic training, for many preachers have been effective without seminary training, e.g., Spurgeon, Moody. God always honors the preaching of the Word which will not come back void and be used to God's glory to convict and edify. Doctrine is important for vitality, but church shouldn't be content just to be doctrinally correct and pure--orthopraxy (right actions) are just as important as orthodoxy (right belief).
Sinners ought not to be comfortable in their sin and realize they need salvation and came to the right place! Remember, the church is a functioning family and builds relationships, missions, and ministries. Whenever the body gathers in the name of Jesus, each member should feel free to exercise their gift and feel like themselves in their comfort zone. The seeker is the one who is out of his element and should be convicted of this. Megachurches often miss the point not seeing the church as a living, functioning body, and become some sort of a personality cult focusing on the preacher, who is more of an entrepreneur, and not the mission and gathering crowds, not families. If there is no opportunity for the member to serve, then he's in a crowd, not a ministering body that meets members needs and exercises the gifts. In a healthy church, there is a place for everyone and everyone feels welcome and part of the family! Soli Deo Gloria!
The Church Of What's Happening Now
Today's church is not really growing, in fact, it is in a state of decline, and what is happening is just a relocation of the saved from dying churches to ones tuned into the newest thing. We refer to this as The Church Of What's Happening Now! You may even find coffee bars selling lattes and bookstores! They may also be into self-promotion, marketing their ministry on the media and the church may be built upon one personality who has a reputation and this is akin to being a personality cult--especially if the pastor is "in charge" of the one-man show. Many churches are reverting to Catholicism in that the members don't search things out in a Berean style (cf. Acts 17:11), and accept the "authority" of the preacher much like the "cult of death" (i.e., The People's Temple) did to Jim Jones, who was said to speak the Word of God, so that you didn't even need a Bible in church anymore. What happened to the words of Martin Luther: "I dissent, I disagree, I protest?"
Why do you think we have church history to study? But to avoid the same mistakes and to build on the past, and also to keep that which is good (i.e., 1 Thess. 5:21, ESV, says, "[But] test everything, hold fast what is good"). A vibrant, living, and growing church has members who exercise their spiritual gifts and no one is self-sufficient or even thinks they don't need the body. The Reformers said that the church was to be Semper reformanda, or always reforming (there's always room for improvement). Our mindset never should alter from this focus of reformation. We should never think we've arrived, but we are to preserve the better part.
The church has been known to turn a deaf ear to what's going on politically, and the converse, to get overly involved in partisanship. The Bible is not a manual for government reform, but Christians should have a biblical worldview and not any secular one. When you leave God out of the reckoning disaster is sure to follow suit. Remember, the German church turned a deaf ear to Hitler and didn't stick up for rights and morality while they had the chance. The church is the salt and light of the nation and God uses it to dispense His grace. You can say a lot of things about the Roman Catholic Church, but they are more involved in outreach and dispensing mercy and good deeds than any other church. We are not just to minister to the spirit, but to the soul and body as well. Christ has no hands but ours to reach out to a lost world.
In the modern church, we see many who are "holier-than-thou" and have forgotten what it's like to have a relationship with Jesus. The only solution is to get into the Word see themselves for who they are and repent. Yes, repentance is not a one-time event, but progressive and we are to live in a state of repentance, just like we live in a state of faith. Living by faith and walking by faith is the only way to grow in Christ. We must keep our eyes on Jesus and get reacquainted with Him on a personal basis. Even seasoned believers can grow distant and become estranged. That's why we all need the body to give us regular spiritual checkups and to stay in sync with Christ. No one is an island, a lone wolf, a spiritual Lone Ranger, or a rock in God's eyes--we are all members one of another. Remember, one doesn't defect from Christ as a believer, but gradually slips away and before you know it, he's backslidden. As an example, he doesn't rebel against the church, but misses on occasion and gradually comes to the conclusion he can get along without it. "[Not] neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some..." (Heb. 10:25, ESV).
Today's mainstream Protestants are becoming apostates, buying into all the liberal worldview and agenda, even some are known as the Christian left, as opposed to the evangelical right. The evangelicals are soon becoming outnumbered and few truly independent churches exist. It is increasingly difficult to find a vibrant, growing fundamentalist church. Members are transferring from one church to another, and the net effect is zero on the church at large. Christendom is having little impact on the world because the world is having so much effect on the church.
This is where spiritual self-sufficiency or complacency gets a hold on a believer who falls away from fellowship--and this is precisely what Christ wants of us--us--i.e., to have fellowship with us. But we must open the door--Christians are the ones who've opened the door! There are believers who are out of fellowship, living in disobedience, but Jesus loves them and the proof of that is His discipline and rebuke. The verse in Revelation 3:20 primarily refers to unbelievers who need to repent and let Christ reign in their hearts, but it can be applied to believers to help them find the locus of their disillusionment or disenchantment with the church and with Christ. Soli Deo Gloria!
Why do you think we have church history to study? But to avoid the same mistakes and to build on the past, and also to keep that which is good (i.e., 1 Thess. 5:21, ESV, says, "[But] test everything, hold fast what is good"). A vibrant, living, and growing church has members who exercise their spiritual gifts and no one is self-sufficient or even thinks they don't need the body. The Reformers said that the church was to be Semper reformanda, or always reforming (there's always room for improvement). Our mindset never should alter from this focus of reformation. We should never think we've arrived, but we are to preserve the better part.
The church has been known to turn a deaf ear to what's going on politically, and the converse, to get overly involved in partisanship. The Bible is not a manual for government reform, but Christians should have a biblical worldview and not any secular one. When you leave God out of the reckoning disaster is sure to follow suit. Remember, the German church turned a deaf ear to Hitler and didn't stick up for rights and morality while they had the chance. The church is the salt and light of the nation and God uses it to dispense His grace. You can say a lot of things about the Roman Catholic Church, but they are more involved in outreach and dispensing mercy and good deeds than any other church. We are not just to minister to the spirit, but to the soul and body as well. Christ has no hands but ours to reach out to a lost world.
In the modern church, we see many who are "holier-than-thou" and have forgotten what it's like to have a relationship with Jesus. The only solution is to get into the Word see themselves for who they are and repent. Yes, repentance is not a one-time event, but progressive and we are to live in a state of repentance, just like we live in a state of faith. Living by faith and walking by faith is the only way to grow in Christ. We must keep our eyes on Jesus and get reacquainted with Him on a personal basis. Even seasoned believers can grow distant and become estranged. That's why we all need the body to give us regular spiritual checkups and to stay in sync with Christ. No one is an island, a lone wolf, a spiritual Lone Ranger, or a rock in God's eyes--we are all members one of another. Remember, one doesn't defect from Christ as a believer, but gradually slips away and before you know it, he's backslidden. As an example, he doesn't rebel against the church, but misses on occasion and gradually comes to the conclusion he can get along without it. "[Not] neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some..." (Heb. 10:25, ESV).
Today's mainstream Protestants are becoming apostates, buying into all the liberal worldview and agenda, even some are known as the Christian left, as opposed to the evangelical right. The evangelicals are soon becoming outnumbered and few truly independent churches exist. It is increasingly difficult to find a vibrant, growing fundamentalist church. Members are transferring from one church to another, and the net effect is zero on the church at large. Christendom is having little impact on the world because the world is having so much effect on the church.
This is where spiritual self-sufficiency or complacency gets a hold on a believer who falls away from fellowship--and this is precisely what Christ wants of us--us--i.e., to have fellowship with us. But we must open the door--Christians are the ones who've opened the door! There are believers who are out of fellowship, living in disobedience, but Jesus loves them and the proof of that is His discipline and rebuke. The verse in Revelation 3:20 primarily refers to unbelievers who need to repent and let Christ reign in their hearts, but it can be applied to believers to help them find the locus of their disillusionment or disenchantment with the church and with Christ. Soli Deo Gloria!
Churchianity
Some Christians "play" church and go through the motions of worship and never go for the right reason--to worship God--they say, "I didn't get much out of worship today!" (maybe they should concentrate on what they put into it). God condemns us for having worship without our heart in it or hypocritical worship, this is just "memorizing the dance of the pious." A real hypocrite (hypocrite means wearing a mask, or acting in a play) is not one who falls short of his ideals, but one who uses religion as a cover-up and knows he is insincere. The theme of Psalms is Psa. 29:2, "Ascribe the Lord the glory due to His name, worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness." Deut. 17 condemns insincere and dishonest worship or sacrifice. Amaziah was known for doing the will of the Lord, but not with a true heart. Someone has said that there are four persons that we show: The one God sees; the one you see; the one the world sees; and the one your intimate friends see. Let's be careful not to just have a "public persona" and parade our spirituality or piety.
Worship should be a delight and our feelings should be in it (or we are blaspheming God--like doing it as a "duty" not because we want to) as the command "Delight yourself in the Lord..." says. In summary: Psa. 84:1 says, "My soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the Lord" and Psa. 122:1 says, "I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.'"
We can worship or be edified in a "crowd," but we need to function in a local body of believers with our spiritual gift. Rick Warren says that there is no "one-size-fits-all" for worship and there are many ways to worship. He says we believe, we belong, we become. We are to be committed to our church as a token of our commitment to Christ--they go hand in hand--and then we will grow and be accountable.
I can't stand the legalistic crowd that goes to church thinking that will make them a Christian, like going into a garage will make you a car, or eating a donut will make you a cop. They are called the "nod-to-God" crowd, which thinks it is fulfilling its obligation by a short visit to the local church, just out of guilt. The true Christian wants to worship God and wants to fellowship with other believers with whom he is a "fellow in the same ship." I think some mega-churches miss the boat in worship, you just don't hear people "amen" the preacher (where is the worship in the Spirit and in the truth?). But different people are at different stages and God has a purpose for their existence--mega-churches aren't where I'm at, because I want to know my pastor personally, not just from afar.
Some think their religious performance is enough to save them. To some, it's only a formality and not a relationship. John MacArthur says, "We can't enter through our religious emotion or our sanctified feelings...Lip service is no good--there must be obedience...You don't get into the kingdom by sincerity, by religiosity, by reformation, by kindness, by service to the church, not even by simply naming the name of Christ; you get there only by personal trust and faith in [the person and work of] Christ." We can have a form of godliness and be empty. The church at Sardis had a reputation that it was alive, yet it was dead (see Rev. 3:1). We can even have "sanctimonious emotions" and not know Christ. There is a difference between knowing the Word and knowing the Author of the Word.
We can have many experiences in church and everyone has a different one, but I believe we should test our experiences by the Word of God and not the Word of God by our experiences. That's an important concept--we are not to become either rationalists nor empiricists (going by reason or experience only), but belief in the Bible (revelation) and sound teaching. The more we learn the more we realize where the wiggle room is and what is not worth fighting about. We are to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Sectarianism is a sin according to 1 Cor. 1, and we shouldn't divide into factions if we can help it. Pascal said, "In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, in all things charity." Soli Deo Gloria!
Worship should be a delight and our feelings should be in it (or we are blaspheming God--like doing it as a "duty" not because we want to) as the command "Delight yourself in the Lord..." says. In summary: Psa. 84:1 says, "My soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the Lord" and Psa. 122:1 says, "I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.'"
We can worship or be edified in a "crowd," but we need to function in a local body of believers with our spiritual gift. Rick Warren says that there is no "one-size-fits-all" for worship and there are many ways to worship. He says we believe, we belong, we become. We are to be committed to our church as a token of our commitment to Christ--they go hand in hand--and then we will grow and be accountable.
I can't stand the legalistic crowd that goes to church thinking that will make them a Christian, like going into a garage will make you a car, or eating a donut will make you a cop. They are called the "nod-to-God" crowd, which thinks it is fulfilling its obligation by a short visit to the local church, just out of guilt. The true Christian wants to worship God and wants to fellowship with other believers with whom he is a "fellow in the same ship." I think some mega-churches miss the boat in worship, you just don't hear people "amen" the preacher (where is the worship in the Spirit and in the truth?). But different people are at different stages and God has a purpose for their existence--mega-churches aren't where I'm at, because I want to know my pastor personally, not just from afar.
Some think their religious performance is enough to save them. To some, it's only a formality and not a relationship. John MacArthur says, "We can't enter through our religious emotion or our sanctified feelings...Lip service is no good--there must be obedience...You don't get into the kingdom by sincerity, by religiosity, by reformation, by kindness, by service to the church, not even by simply naming the name of Christ; you get there only by personal trust and faith in [the person and work of] Christ." We can have a form of godliness and be empty. The church at Sardis had a reputation that it was alive, yet it was dead (see Rev. 3:1). We can even have "sanctimonious emotions" and not know Christ. There is a difference between knowing the Word and knowing the Author of the Word.
We can have many experiences in church and everyone has a different one, but I believe we should test our experiences by the Word of God and not the Word of God by our experiences. That's an important concept--we are not to become either rationalists nor empiricists (going by reason or experience only), but belief in the Bible (revelation) and sound teaching. The more we learn the more we realize where the wiggle room is and what is not worth fighting about. We are to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Sectarianism is a sin according to 1 Cor. 1, and we shouldn't divide into factions if we can help it. Pascal said, "In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, in all things charity." Soli Deo Gloria!
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Just And Justifer
"For the LORD is righteous, and he loves justice, / Those who do what is right will see his face" (Psalm 11:7, NLT).
"... Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne" (Psa. 97:2, NLT).
"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (cf. Gen. 18:25).
What qualifies God to be our judge? Remember, God is our Judge; we are not His judge! He judges everyone according to what they've done; even the righteous according to their deeds, not their faith. God is holy as His chief attribute that regulates all others and is without sin. Because He is just, He is obliged to judge all sin and evil. Also, Jesus lived the sin-free life as what to expect of us, while the Ten Commandments delineated God's demands and expectations. We know what to judge by as a measuring rod when we behold the perfect God-man, Jesus the righteous One. God is a God of justice and sin and evil are incompatible with His nature just like matter and anti-matter cannot co-exist. He wouldn't be holy if He let sin slide and let us get away with it.
But He did do something that allows a way out of exercising judgment on everyone. By declaring all guilty of sin in Adam, He has the right to impute righteousness on those who are in Christ. It's the principle of substitution and representation. Adam was Christ's prototype and represents us, while Christ is the last example and our substitution that sets us free from Adam's sin. God is just and must not compromise His perfect holiness and violate justice so He had to find a way to become both Just and Justifier. He did this by sending His Son to be our replacement or substitute. His wrath is satisfied in Christ who died on our behalf.
God is not only offended by sin, But He's also angry at it and will take vengeance on it in due time. God cannot even behold or look upon evil! The only way to appease His wrath is by expiation or propitiation through the blood of Christ. His demands were fully met and we can have this reconciliation on account of the blood of Jesus. Note that God doesn't make us righteous but declares us righteous. Just like God, we ought to be indignant at the evil in the world and for God to avenge in His time.
Now God is unjust to no one! The exercise of grace and mercy are forms of non-justice but are not injustice. The reconciled believer has been imputed with righteousness and is considered as if he'd never sinned in God's eyes--as righteous, not sinful. But Paul says in Gal. 2:17 that the believer is, in reality, both sinner and righteous at the same time. We never stop sinning but grow in our acknowledgment and holiness as we get to know our Lord. The believer who thinks he can reach a point of maturity without sin is self-deceived! This is where confession comes into play. We must continually confess our known sin to remain in fellowship with God the Father and God the Son, as well as our believers in Christ ("forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us").
We must not reckon that justice delayed is justice denied, for God tarries to exercise His judgment on mankind and in His time the day of grace will cease. It may appear that the sinner is getting away with cursing God and sin but his day will come and someday he'll give an account of himself. God's goodness and delay are meant to give us time and space to repent and to bring us to realize our sin by conviction.
By definition, justice is rendering to someone their due desserts! Giving them what they deserve, good or bad! But Christians receive both mercy (not getting what we do deserve) and grace (getting what we don't deserve). What we must realize is that God was not under any obligation of justice to be merciful to anyone--He could've condemned everyone all the same and remain holy and just. However, to demonstrate His love, He found a way to be both just and justifier and to save some from the consequences of the coming wrath.
If God had to save anyone, it would be justice, not mercy and grace. We can rejoice that God tempers His justice with mercy (cf. Hab. 3:2), knowing that He was under no obligation to save us, but loves us even while we were His enemies and still in our sin. Rest assured that no one will ever be punished beyond that which strict justice demands they deserve, even in hell, if they are not covered by the blood of Jesus!
Don't ask God for justice for your case, but mercy and grace! Don't just say, "All I want is justice!" Because you may get it and that is not what you want! But note that vengeance belongs to the Lord and is not our prerogative or duty, we must have faith that God's will is for our best and He will determine what justice is and mete it out to His standards. CAN WE BELIEVE IN JUSTICE WITHOUT A JUDGE? In summation: We should become so convicted that we are great sinners and that God is a great Savior that we plead "guilty as charged": "... God be merciful to me, the sinner!" (cf Luke 18:13, NASB). and concur with John Bunyan, in his book, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. Soli Deo Gloria!
"... Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne" (Psa. 97:2, NLT).
"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (cf. Gen. 18:25).
What qualifies God to be our judge? Remember, God is our Judge; we are not His judge! He judges everyone according to what they've done; even the righteous according to their deeds, not their faith. God is holy as His chief attribute that regulates all others and is without sin. Because He is just, He is obliged to judge all sin and evil. Also, Jesus lived the sin-free life as what to expect of us, while the Ten Commandments delineated God's demands and expectations. We know what to judge by as a measuring rod when we behold the perfect God-man, Jesus the righteous One. God is a God of justice and sin and evil are incompatible with His nature just like matter and anti-matter cannot co-exist. He wouldn't be holy if He let sin slide and let us get away with it.
But He did do something that allows a way out of exercising judgment on everyone. By declaring all guilty of sin in Adam, He has the right to impute righteousness on those who are in Christ. It's the principle of substitution and representation. Adam was Christ's prototype and represents us, while Christ is the last example and our substitution that sets us free from Adam's sin. God is just and must not compromise His perfect holiness and violate justice so He had to find a way to become both Just and Justifier. He did this by sending His Son to be our replacement or substitute. His wrath is satisfied in Christ who died on our behalf.
God is not only offended by sin, But He's also angry at it and will take vengeance on it in due time. God cannot even behold or look upon evil! The only way to appease His wrath is by expiation or propitiation through the blood of Christ. His demands were fully met and we can have this reconciliation on account of the blood of Jesus. Note that God doesn't make us righteous but declares us righteous. Just like God, we ought to be indignant at the evil in the world and for God to avenge in His time.
Now God is unjust to no one! The exercise of grace and mercy are forms of non-justice but are not injustice. The reconciled believer has been imputed with righteousness and is considered as if he'd never sinned in God's eyes--as righteous, not sinful. But Paul says in Gal. 2:17 that the believer is, in reality, both sinner and righteous at the same time. We never stop sinning but grow in our acknowledgment and holiness as we get to know our Lord. The believer who thinks he can reach a point of maturity without sin is self-deceived! This is where confession comes into play. We must continually confess our known sin to remain in fellowship with God the Father and God the Son, as well as our believers in Christ ("forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us").
We must not reckon that justice delayed is justice denied, for God tarries to exercise His judgment on mankind and in His time the day of grace will cease. It may appear that the sinner is getting away with cursing God and sin but his day will come and someday he'll give an account of himself. God's goodness and delay are meant to give us time and space to repent and to bring us to realize our sin by conviction.
By definition, justice is rendering to someone their due desserts! Giving them what they deserve, good or bad! But Christians receive both mercy (not getting what we do deserve) and grace (getting what we don't deserve). What we must realize is that God was not under any obligation of justice to be merciful to anyone--He could've condemned everyone all the same and remain holy and just. However, to demonstrate His love, He found a way to be both just and justifier and to save some from the consequences of the coming wrath.
If God had to save anyone, it would be justice, not mercy and grace. We can rejoice that God tempers His justice with mercy (cf. Hab. 3:2), knowing that He was under no obligation to save us, but loves us even while we were His enemies and still in our sin. Rest assured that no one will ever be punished beyond that which strict justice demands they deserve, even in hell, if they are not covered by the blood of Jesus!
Don't ask God for justice for your case, but mercy and grace! Don't just say, "All I want is justice!" Because you may get it and that is not what you want! But note that vengeance belongs to the Lord and is not our prerogative or duty, we must have faith that God's will is for our best and He will determine what justice is and mete it out to His standards. CAN WE BELIEVE IN JUSTICE WITHOUT A JUDGE? In summation: We should become so convicted that we are great sinners and that God is a great Savior that we plead "guilty as charged": "... God be merciful to me, the sinner!" (cf Luke 18:13, NASB). and concur with John Bunyan, in his book, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. Soli Deo Gloria!
Indebted To Jesus!
Do you know that you owe
It all to the Lord Jesus!
When your goal loses your soul,
And you want a way out,
Remember He's near and saves ev'ry tear,
And your woes won't overflow His bowl.
When the fight is lonely as the night,
And you wonder where He is,
Remember all the same to praise His name.
So thank Him anyway,
For you He'll win, so don't lose by sin.
And if you pray, claim His fame.
The joy you'll share, knowing He's there,
Treading those paths ahead.
But let it glow, and you will grow,
To lighten the paths of sin;
But love is the way to make His day,
And loving the Lord will make them know.
Soli Deo Gloria!
It all to the Lord Jesus!
When your goal loses your soul,
And you want a way out,
Remember He's near and saves ev'ry tear,
And your woes won't overflow His bowl.
When the fight is lonely as the night,
And you wonder where He is,
Remember all the same to praise His name.
So thank Him anyway,
For you He'll win, so don't lose by sin.
And if you pray, claim His fame.
The joy you'll share, knowing He's there,
Treading those paths ahead.
But let it glow, and you will grow,
To lighten the paths of sin;
But love is the way to make His day,
And loving the Lord will make them know.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Sunday, May 5, 2019
It Costs To Be Saved
They say that salvation is free, but it costs everything you've got. Salvation is free but not cheap; so-called cheap grace justifies the sin, not the sinner. It costs to be saved, but more not to be. We must be willing and open to the idea of saying goodbye to our past and it's ties, friendships, idols, and commitments and turn over everything to Christ. We make a clean break with our old life and old nature and venture ahead in a leap of faith with Christ in charge of our life and at the helm. It's a clean cleavage from our past and an ever new beginning. Christ doesn't put a new suit on the man, but a new man in the suit. Behold, all things become new! Christianity is not turning over a new leaf, making a New Year's resolution, or making an AA pledge, it's becoming a new person from the inside out.
Our lives are salt and light to the world and we are here to bear testimony of what Christ did for us. But most people love their lives too much to leave them and cling to idols, which are anything that takes the place of God. But we didn't want to be born the first time either! We came into the world crying and throwing a fit or tantrum thinking it was worse, but not realizing it was for our good. People don't like commitment either no matter the choice. Marriage takes a leap of faith too! Christ is infinitely more trustworthy than any spouse.
The real reason many people reject Christ is that they love their sin too much and don't want to leave a life of sin or even living in sin. They don't have an intellectual problem with believing, masked in smokescreens, but have a moral problem--they don't want to change their way of life and stop living in sin. People cannot imagine a life without their sin and don't realize that the only abundant and fulfilling life is in Christ doing His will (cf. John 10:10). That's the safest place to be!
That's why we give a testimony of how much Jesus has done for us, not how we turned around our lives and got our act together! No one can argue your personal story of salvation: "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!" (cf. Psalm 107:2). The fact is that we come to Christ, as we are, warts, blemishes, and flaws in all and He makes us into His image; i.e., we will not stay that way, though the change doesn't happen all at once, it's a process; that's why we're called a work in progress!
God owns us and we belong to Him as His own and we are never asked to give up anything in the sacrifice, that Christ didn't suffer or give up, without reward and abundant recompense--our crosses pale in comparison. Reality 101 is that we enroll in the school of suffering to complete Christ's sufferings in the body and bring Him glory from our adversities. It is an honor to suffer for the sake of the Name. The principle is, "No cross, no crown!" In glory, all the suffering we bore will be worth it and rewarded. Soli Deo Gloria!
Our lives are salt and light to the world and we are here to bear testimony of what Christ did for us. But most people love their lives too much to leave them and cling to idols, which are anything that takes the place of God. But we didn't want to be born the first time either! We came into the world crying and throwing a fit or tantrum thinking it was worse, but not realizing it was for our good. People don't like commitment either no matter the choice. Marriage takes a leap of faith too! Christ is infinitely more trustworthy than any spouse.
The real reason many people reject Christ is that they love their sin too much and don't want to leave a life of sin or even living in sin. They don't have an intellectual problem with believing, masked in smokescreens, but have a moral problem--they don't want to change their way of life and stop living in sin. People cannot imagine a life without their sin and don't realize that the only abundant and fulfilling life is in Christ doing His will (cf. John 10:10). That's the safest place to be!
That's why we give a testimony of how much Jesus has done for us, not how we turned around our lives and got our act together! No one can argue your personal story of salvation: "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!" (cf. Psalm 107:2). The fact is that we come to Christ, as we are, warts, blemishes, and flaws in all and He makes us into His image; i.e., we will not stay that way, though the change doesn't happen all at once, it's a process; that's why we're called a work in progress!
God owns us and we belong to Him as His own and we are never asked to give up anything in the sacrifice, that Christ didn't suffer or give up, without reward and abundant recompense--our crosses pale in comparison. Reality 101 is that we enroll in the school of suffering to complete Christ's sufferings in the body and bring Him glory from our adversities. It is an honor to suffer for the sake of the Name. The principle is, "No cross, no crown!" In glory, all the suffering we bore will be worth it and rewarded. Soli Deo Gloria!
What Is Saving Faith?...
"... [A]nd a large number of priest became obedient to the faith" (Acts 6:7, NIV).
"Through him we have received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from or his Name's sake" (Romans 1:5, NKV).
"... [S]o that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith" (Rom. 16:26,NIV).
Everyone has faith; in what is the question. We are a religious creature made to worship and will worship someone or something if not God, which is idolatry. Dostoevsky said that "man cannot live without worshiping something." We are made for God and can only find our fulfillment in living for Him. But why is man opposed to God when He offers Himself to them? Man is a slave to sin and doesn't want to change his way of life, doing his own thing his way. He doesn't want to submit to authority and grant the ownership of his life to the One who made it. A person of no organized religion may have their faith in the scientific method, that science can solve all our problems--but he is nevertheless a person of faith. And so everyone is a person of faith! We have sound reasons to believe and need not commit intellectual suicide.
Real faith in God is when we go a step beyond so-called story-book faith or head belief and it registers in the heart and we desire to live it out in trust and commitment. We must be obedient to the gospel and to the faith. Saving faith is always accompanied by genuine repentance--they go hand in hand! And we must never divorce faith and faithfulness, for we live by faith and it must grow, not being dead. Dead faith produces no works and that kind of faith cannot save. Good soil produces fruit and saving faith produces the fruit of good works. As the Reformers said, "We are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone." If we have no works, our faith is suspect. James says that faith without works is dead! James 2:18 also says, "I'll show you my faith by my works!" But we are not saved by works, but not without them either. We don't have faith in ourselves or our ability in trying to save ourselves, because it's the object that matters. We must realize that genuine faith expresses itself!
God opens our eyes to have faith, for we are blinded by Satan. He quickens or kindles faith within us by grace and it's not a meritorious work as Rome would have you believe--for then we would be saved by merit or works. We will have nothing to boast of in God's presence. Faith is the work of God but our act. We must put our faith in the right object to be saved, for we don't have faith in faith, but faith in Christ--faith doesn't save, Christ does! But this faith must be penitent as we turn from sin to God and believe in Christ. That's why it may be termed penitent faith or believing repentance that saves. We have believed through grace, a supernatural act of God regenerating us. God grants both repentance and faith as a privilege of being the elect (cf. Acts 5:31; 11:18). He opens the door to faith and repentance (cf. Acts 14:27).
There is a profession of faith and reality of faith, whereas bogus faith is misplaced and insincere. God doesn't ask for perfect faith, only sincere, unfeigned faith (cf. 1 Tim. 1:5; 2 Tim. 1:5). Without faith, we cannot please God (cf. Heb. 11:6). There are people of great faith but it's misplaced (cf. Romans 10:2; Proverbs 19:2)--sincerity matters but it's not everything (you can be sincerely wrong). There are believers in name only or nominal Christians who go through the motions and have memorized the Dance of the Pious. Saving faith is obedient as Bonhoeffer says, "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes." (cf. Romans 16:26; Romans 1:5, Acts 6:7). They shall know we are Christians by our love--the ultimate obedience. That is the litmus test! Faith and obedience are correlated in Heb. 3:17-18, HCSB, as follows: "And who did He swear to that they would not enter His rest, if not those who disobeyed? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief." We desire to obey, even if we fall short of perfection (cf. Matt 5:48).
The faith you have is the faith you show! The rallying cry of the Reformation was that we are saved by faith alone and Rome pronounced anyone anathema that adhered to this doctrine at the Council of Trent (the Counter-Reformation). We are not saved by good works, and faith is not a work, but we are saved unto good works, that we may accomplish the will of God. Works are no substitute for faith, but only evidence of it. In fact, God foreordains good works for us to do for His purposes. We must be saved by grace, for this is the only way to have assurance. And "salvation is of the LORD," as Jonah found out (cf. Jonah 2:9) which means it's God's accomplishment, not man's achievement. We receive faith, we don't achieve it, i.e., we don't conjure it up by ourselves, but it's totally a gift of grace (cf. Acts 18:27; John 6:29; 2 Pet. 1:1). But we must put our faith to work and turn our creed into deeds, for faith is knowledge in action. Keeping the faith only works if it's in Christ!
Rome reduces faith to assent or acquiescence or acknowledgment with the church dogma. Just realizing Christ is God and rose from the dead, if one doesn't put the faith into action, will not save. Believing Christ rose from the dead is history; believing He died for you and rose for you and personalizing this is salvation. By faith Abraham obeyed! True saving faith is a surrendered, substituted, inhabited, relinquished, and even yielded life to the will of God, whereas Christ lives in us through the Holy Spirit's residence--in other words, He owns us because He bought us and redeemed us! We must take a spiritual checkup or spiritual inventory to find out whether we have the Spirit or not and if Christ is living in us--if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His and he is reprobate (cf. Romans 8:9). In sum, if we love Jesus we will obey Him (cf. John 14:15) and there is a curse on anyone who doesn't love the Lord (cf. Rom. 16:22)--true faith trusts in Christ as Savior and submits to Him as Lord, as Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will obey My commands." Soli Deo Gloria!
"Through him we have received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from or his Name's sake" (Romans 1:5, NKV).
"... [S]o that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith" (Rom. 16:26,NIV).
Everyone has faith; in what is the question. We are a religious creature made to worship and will worship someone or something if not God, which is idolatry. Dostoevsky said that "man cannot live without worshiping something." We are made for God and can only find our fulfillment in living for Him. But why is man opposed to God when He offers Himself to them? Man is a slave to sin and doesn't want to change his way of life, doing his own thing his way. He doesn't want to submit to authority and grant the ownership of his life to the One who made it. A person of no organized religion may have their faith in the scientific method, that science can solve all our problems--but he is nevertheless a person of faith. And so everyone is a person of faith! We have sound reasons to believe and need not commit intellectual suicide.
Real faith in God is when we go a step beyond so-called story-book faith or head belief and it registers in the heart and we desire to live it out in trust and commitment. We must be obedient to the gospel and to the faith. Saving faith is always accompanied by genuine repentance--they go hand in hand! And we must never divorce faith and faithfulness, for we live by faith and it must grow, not being dead. Dead faith produces no works and that kind of faith cannot save. Good soil produces fruit and saving faith produces the fruit of good works. As the Reformers said, "We are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone." If we have no works, our faith is suspect. James says that faith without works is dead! James 2:18 also says, "I'll show you my faith by my works!" But we are not saved by works, but not without them either. We don't have faith in ourselves or our ability in trying to save ourselves, because it's the object that matters. We must realize that genuine faith expresses itself!
God opens our eyes to have faith, for we are blinded by Satan. He quickens or kindles faith within us by grace and it's not a meritorious work as Rome would have you believe--for then we would be saved by merit or works. We will have nothing to boast of in God's presence. Faith is the work of God but our act. We must put our faith in the right object to be saved, for we don't have faith in faith, but faith in Christ--faith doesn't save, Christ does! But this faith must be penitent as we turn from sin to God and believe in Christ. That's why it may be termed penitent faith or believing repentance that saves. We have believed through grace, a supernatural act of God regenerating us. God grants both repentance and faith as a privilege of being the elect (cf. Acts 5:31; 11:18). He opens the door to faith and repentance (cf. Acts 14:27).
There is a profession of faith and reality of faith, whereas bogus faith is misplaced and insincere. God doesn't ask for perfect faith, only sincere, unfeigned faith (cf. 1 Tim. 1:5; 2 Tim. 1:5). Without faith, we cannot please God (cf. Heb. 11:6). There are people of great faith but it's misplaced (cf. Romans 10:2; Proverbs 19:2)--sincerity matters but it's not everything (you can be sincerely wrong). There are believers in name only or nominal Christians who go through the motions and have memorized the Dance of the Pious. Saving faith is obedient as Bonhoeffer says, "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes." (cf. Romans 16:26; Romans 1:5, Acts 6:7). They shall know we are Christians by our love--the ultimate obedience. That is the litmus test! Faith and obedience are correlated in Heb. 3:17-18, HCSB, as follows: "And who did He swear to that they would not enter His rest, if not those who disobeyed? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief." We desire to obey, even if we fall short of perfection (cf. Matt 5:48).
The faith you have is the faith you show! The rallying cry of the Reformation was that we are saved by faith alone and Rome pronounced anyone anathema that adhered to this doctrine at the Council of Trent (the Counter-Reformation). We are not saved by good works, and faith is not a work, but we are saved unto good works, that we may accomplish the will of God. Works are no substitute for faith, but only evidence of it. In fact, God foreordains good works for us to do for His purposes. We must be saved by grace, for this is the only way to have assurance. And "salvation is of the LORD," as Jonah found out (cf. Jonah 2:9) which means it's God's accomplishment, not man's achievement. We receive faith, we don't achieve it, i.e., we don't conjure it up by ourselves, but it's totally a gift of grace (cf. Acts 18:27; John 6:29; 2 Pet. 1:1). But we must put our faith to work and turn our creed into deeds, for faith is knowledge in action. Keeping the faith only works if it's in Christ!
Rome reduces faith to assent or acquiescence or acknowledgment with the church dogma. Just realizing Christ is God and rose from the dead, if one doesn't put the faith into action, will not save. Believing Christ rose from the dead is history; believing He died for you and rose for you and personalizing this is salvation. By faith Abraham obeyed! True saving faith is a surrendered, substituted, inhabited, relinquished, and even yielded life to the will of God, whereas Christ lives in us through the Holy Spirit's residence--in other words, He owns us because He bought us and redeemed us! We must take a spiritual checkup or spiritual inventory to find out whether we have the Spirit or not and if Christ is living in us--if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His and he is reprobate (cf. Romans 8:9). In sum, if we love Jesus we will obey Him (cf. John 14:15) and there is a curse on anyone who doesn't love the Lord (cf. Rom. 16:22)--true faith trusts in Christ as Savior and submits to Him as Lord, as Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will obey My commands." Soli Deo Gloria!
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