The Place Of Sound Doctrine...

To theologians:  Don't be content or satisfied just to be right in your doctrine, because there is more to the Christian abundant life than knowing all the answers, in being right all the time, or your "philosophy," because love is what makes us distinct--not orthodoxy, which can be a sham or pretense.  You can have all your theology correct and be hollow and shallow inside amounting to nothing spiritually, and then again you can know very little about doctrine (I assume you know the basics of a standard credo) and have a very strong faith.  However, if the doctrine you do believe in is not sound, your walk will not be either:  You can have a sound doctrine without a sound life, but not a sound life without sound doctrine--you cannot be a heretic, or out on a limb.

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To be a theologian is not a spiritual gift and we are all theologians; some are just better at it than others or are more serious about it.  It is not whether or not you are a theologian, but what kind of theologian you are--your doctrinal viewpoint reflects your theological school of thought and you see in this light in a sort seeing the big picture through a lens.  Without doctrine, you get tunnel vision and don't have any perspective.  A lot of theological skill is just plain academic skill and that is why all the great theologians have been men of great learning and expertise. A word of wisdom:  We are not rewarded according to how much we know, but how much we sow.

Doctrine is not everything, but it is still necessary, and if you realize that it means "teaching" you will not object to the nomenclature.  The early disciples were devoted to the "apostles' doctrine" according to Acts 2:42.  Paul urges Timothy to "watch your doctrine closely...."  There will come a time according to 2 Timothy 3 that men will not endure sound doctrine, but will "bail out theologically" to use Chuck Swindoll's wording.  No matter what, you cannot avoid facing up to theology or you commit spiritual suicide--this is not an option for the believer, according to R. C. Sproul, renowned theologian.

We are not all professional theologians and the reason they get such a bad rap is basically the distrust of theologians, and their reputation as being eggheads, intellectuals, and scholarly, and not realistic or applicable. To cite three well-known examples:  Where would we be without St. Augustine of Hippo, the greatest theologian of the first 400 years, of the church after the closing of the canon? It was Tertullian who first termed and taught clearly the doctrine of the Trinity.  "All Scripture is profitable for [what?] doctrine..." (2 Tim. 3:16); Athanasius was called the Father of Orthodoxy because of his diatribe with the Aryan heretics and defense of the triune Godhead.  

That is a loaded question since most people have a preconceived idea of what doctrine is. Doctrine is important; don't bail out theologically (cf. 2 Tim. 4:3). We all have a credo; we all have doctrines; some of us just don't have sound doctrine. Usually, they think of something dogmatic or doctrinaire or narrow-minded. They want to avoid doctrine. Actually, if we realize that all doctrine means is "teaching" then half the problem is solved. Who's against teaching?

Doctrine isn't just for intellectuals. You don't commit spiritual or intellectual suicide when you join a ministry or church. You are committing spiritual suicide if you ignore doctrine: It is a given and we are all theologians in a sense. We cannot avoid doctrine: "All Scripture is profitable for doctrine..." (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16). "Those who are wayward in spirit shall gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction [doctrine, as it were]" (cf. Isa. 29:14).

There is value in knowing the scoop, as it were, or being "clued in," because this gives us confidence and these two, according to Charles Swindoll, are like Siamese twins. Doctrine feeds the soul and is the spiritual bread that Christ referred to when He said, "You shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (cf. Matt. 4:4). Just because we are privy to some doctrine doesn't make us a cut above other Christians. " The mere presence of doctrine can leave us cold, even if it is sound doctrine." It is necessary for spiritual wellness but not sufficient.

We don't have the right to believe what we feel is right but must obey rules of hermeneutics and logic that apply to any other book as well. Avoiding controversy is un-Christlike because Christ didn't shy from controversy: "To avoid controversy is to avoid Christ" (see John Stott's book Christ the Controversialist) The early disciples were devoted to the apostles' doctrine or teaching. Remember, God wants us to be "mature in our understanding." Ignorance is not bliss! It is a childish faith that balks at learning Scripture in depth. The meat of the Word is for those who "have their senses trained to discern good and evil" (cf. Heb. 5:14). I rest my case!    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!

A Dysfunctional Personhood...

Some well-meaning brothers gratuitously tell us to "get our act together."   It really hurt me when someone who knew me well told me that--touche--it hit home!   We don't have to get our act together to get saved, contrary to popular opinion.  We come as we are to God  ("Come as you are!  But don't stay that way!), because He accepts us with all our foibles, discrepancies, failures, idiosyncrasies, and weaknesses--the whole package!

It is common axioms that no one is perfect and to err is human, but few of us are willing to make this known publicly--we are just like Mark Twain quipped:  "Everybody is a moon; and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody," or like the double personas in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  It is assumed by the present-day Secular-Humanist philosophy, which elevates or deifies man, and dethrones God, that we are basically good or inherently good--born innocent with a blank slate.  If we start off perfect how did the world get so depraved and why isn't there anyone perfect?

The fourth-century British monk Pelagius was one of the first heretics of Christendom and he believed that Adam's sin affected only him and that since God commands us to be perfect, we must have that inherent ability or the command doesn't make sense--why tell someone to do something he can't do? This doctrine of perfectionism or that we can attain unto it, was condemned at the Council of Carthage in AD 418, and even Rome sees it as a perversion of the gospel. It is been revived recently as "entire sanctification" or that we can reach a point in our walk that we no longer purposely sin or are "perfect,"  like it says in Matthew 5:48 to be "perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect."

It is assumed that some people are too bad to be saved or that they have gone too far. No one is beyond the reach of the grace of God. If you do the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit you simply are unconcerned about repentance and salvation. "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13, ESV).  You can drown in 7 feet of water just as easily as 700 feet.  It just takes one sin to make a person deserving of hell and eternal damnation at the Great White Throne Judgment.  We must learn not to depend or rely on ourselves and stop trying to save ourselves.  The Secular Humanists proclaim that no deity will save them, so they must save themselves!

Well, this begs the question:  How bad off are we as unbelievers from being saved?  How far is a blind person from realizing the beauty of a Rembrandt, or simply the beauties of nature of-of mankind? How far removed is a deaf person from appreciating a Mozart or Beethoven symphony?  We are not as bad as we can be; you can always say that God grades on a curve and that you are better than Adolf Hitler or Saddam Hussein and think you have an edge, but this is false assurance because the plumb line or measure of standards is Jesus Christ Himself and we all fall short of His example of fulfilling all righteousness and living for us to prove it.  We are not as bad as we can be or what you would say "utterly depraved." However, we are as bad off as we can be or totally depraved.  Every part of our inner being is affected with evil and sin, and if sin were blue we'd be all blue--that includes our minds, wills, and affections or feelings-our complete soul.

We are dead spiritually to God and cannot communicate or have a relationship with Him, but must be reborn in the Spirit to become God's children and have fellowship with Him.  The point is that we are as bad off as we can be, but salvation is as great as can be and no one is too bad to be saved--it isn't that we are good enough to get saved, but that we are bad enough to need salvation.  According to C. S. Lewis:  We don't know how bad we are till we try to be good, and we can't be good till we know how bad we are (what a catch-22!).  Soli Deo Gloria!

Helping A Brother In Need

It is quite admirable to be able to notice a brother in need and be in the position to help out.  When you've done it to the least of Christ's brethren, you've done it unto Him (cf. Matt. 25:40).  The question Christ will ask at judgment is when you saw the naked did you clothe them, or the hungry did you feed them, etc. Paul said that "My God shall supply all your need..." (Philippians 4:19).  God doesn't promise to provide our felt needs or wants, just our needs.  Some need more than others, but the purpose is to do the will of God, not our will.  If you need it to do God's will, He will supply.

"Saint Theresa was going to build a convent with a sum the equivalent of twelve pence as her complete resources.  Someone said to her, 'Not even Saint Theresa can accomplish much with twelve pence.'  'True, she answered, 'but Saint Theresa and twelve pence and God can do anything.'" (anecdote quoted from William Barclay's The Letter to the Romans.)  The fact is that God has unlimited resources and we don't work for Buddha:  God has nothing against rich people or riches per se.  But when we are not rich toward God (see Luke 12:21 and the parable of the foolish tenant) it is foolish to put our trust in riches.  Our life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions, and we are to be content with what we have, and not be envious of what others have.

Greed is the driving force in modern society as a rule in a materialistic age, and some people who love money never seem to have enough and aren't satisfied no matter what.  They ask a millionaire how much would make him happy:  Just a little more!  They always want a more than they have, no matter how much they have.  We are all stewards of what God has assigned us and have different degrees of responsibility and are all accountable both in this life and at Judgment Day.  We also reap what we sow and it seems like the evil get rich and prosper, but the Bible says in Psalm 17:14 that it is because their reward or portion is in this life.  I would rather go to my reward when I pass on than leave my riches behind.

Although it is true that it does no good to help some people because they are irresponsible and will spend it unwisely if you give a beggar on skid row a dollar, he will buy a bottle of wine and if you offer to take him to a restaurant to get fed, he will decline.  Helping someone in need isn't just financial, it may be of your time because everyone knows the cliche that love is spelled T-I-M-E. When absentee fathers don't spend any time with their children no wonder they grow into delinquents and live maladjusted lives searching for an identity.

Each person should decide in his own heart how much he is to give and be faithful to that, and not feel that he must give of his money--it is completely voluntary for the Christian and not to be "under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (cf. 2 Cor. 9:7).  The church's responsibility is to use some of the money to give to those in need, to help the poor, and make good use of their resources. "The point is this:  whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly..." (2 Cor. 9:6, ESV).  Tithing can be seen as a test of generosity, a principle of stewardship, and a sign of faith giving back to God some of His blessings to us-- but it is not a mandate for Christians--not mentioned in any epistle as imperative.          Soli Deo Gloria! 

What Destroys A Church

Nothing destroys a church like problems within party politics!  The Corinthians, for example, were on the verge of a church split and Paul begged them to get along.  Some quarrels are not worth the adrenaline and you don't have anything material to gain in the struggle:  like Gen. George S. Patton's book Patton's Principles:  A Handbook for Managers Who Mean It, where he posits that you should pick your battles; some just generate more heat than light!   Don't fight and quarrel (and the servant of God must not quarrel according to 2 Timothy 2) over non-issues that have to vital doctrinal significance!  Remember, above all Saint Augustine's dictum:  "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."

A true believer, who belongs to the universal and catholic church of Christ should be in fellowship with all members of the family worldwide, and not just his own sect or denomination or party or even clique.  What this boils down to is the tendency to judge and criticize and Paul warns against both of these weaknesses of man.  It has always been from within that the enemy makes the most inroads:  domestic terrorists, the syndicate or organized crime, traitors, double agents, spies, and even ourselves as Pogo said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."  John said, that the enemy is the world, the flesh, and the devil--that is our carnal nature or old man is working against God's will and is always present to defeat us and take away our victory.

Sometimes we can't agree on a leader, and we must realize that the only true leader is Christ, the only head of the church, who acts through the entire body of Christ, where no member can despise another.  Sometimes it is the leader's fault for not mediating because often the buck stops there!  If we can't agree on a leader like the Corinthians, then maybe we can agree on an arbiter like when they chose Paul to settle their dysfunctional family feud. As you may know, many families are very dysfunctional and as a body in Christ we are family, so there are likely to be jealousies, competitions, rivalries, contentions, etc., in the body, as sure as there is sibling rivalry and similar problematic relational situations.  There may be some member who has a gift of wisdom and experience to settle a matter and be a daysman, middleman, or mediator in the dispute.  We are all called to a ministry of reconciliation and to represent Christ to the world.

In sum, we can learn to walk hand-in-hand or to be in fellowship, without seeing eye-to-eye or agreeing on everything.  There has to be room for disagreement (no one has a monopoly on wisdom and is infallible--not even the Pope) and we must learn to disagree without being disagreeable, contentious, argumentative, judgmental, or divisive.  The reason we should strive for unity is because God is a unity or a union of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--they are one in essences and will ("I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.") and there is no conflict in the Godhead--division is against the nature of God and we should be aware of red flag issues and not go there if it is likely to upset people--they must be ready for the meat of the Word before it is fed.  "[To equip the saints] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood" (Ephesians 4:13, ESV).  Finally, Ephesians 4:3 (ESV) says:  "[I urge you to be] eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."   Soli Deo Gloria!

Do You Really Love God?...

"Jesus answered, ... AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH"  (Mark 12:29-30, NASB).

You don't have to do this to get saved, it is just a template of your agenda for life and to see what direction you are going.  In other words, as Jesus commanded us to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect, the test is the direction we are going, not the measure of our achievement.  Faith is never static (staying in one place) or stagnant (not growing or wasting away) either, you are either losing ground and backsliding or you are growing in the faith by an obedient life and moving ahead in becoming more Christlike and increasing in reflecting His glory and partaking of the divine essence (cf. 2 Pet. 1:4; 2 Cor. 3:18).  We can't stand still in our relationship and just be complacent to be saved and nonchalant about what rewards we get; you are either a first-class and world-class Christian or a worldly and carnal Christian losing ground spiritually--no one treads water!

What does this command mean when it says to love God?  Everyone has a strong suit or forte that they feel they can trump others on and compare themselves with themselves (2 Cor. 12:12 says this is unwise) and feel a cut above others in this category or department. You can say:  "I can see why you like to sing, you're so good at it."  And to answer:  "I can see why you like to write, you're so good at it."  We are all different!  One brother may say:  "I think you need to show more feeling."  In reply, the other says:  "I think you need to use your mind more and get your thinking straightened out!" It is vain to judge one another because we are all works in progress and under the auspices of God. All love is sacrificial as the supreme example of God so loving the world that He gave His only Son: You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.  We give of our minds, hearts, wills, and strength as we have the opportunity and responsibility for the same.  Bear in mind:  We are all merely stewards of the blessings of God and will be held accountable for what we did in the body.

For instance, loving with all your mind means to learn how to think and to think with discernment and wisdom and devote it to God's will, and not be foolish like the Proverbs warn against; we are not to go by feeling but to think before we speak and act.  We should also do our best to achieve whatever intellectual capacity we are called to fulfill or to complete our calling (apathy and ignorance are taboo).  To think with a divine rather than human viewpoint and worldview is part of this mindset. Focus your mind on Christ: "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you" (Isaiah 26:3, ESV); "Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus."   Do you just settle for a job halfway and being "good enough" to your low standards?

Feelings, affections, or the heart come after obedience and faith and is not the engine but the caboose of the metaphorical train. They used to say in the '60's that if it feels good, do it!  This is a recipe for disaster. Don't go by feelings, but the facts of the Word of God, because they come and go and are like a see-saw with its ups and downs--you must keep the faith!  Christians on fire for the Lord are contagious--get to know some!  We love God with our affections or heart by going with our feelings and not inhibiting them but feeling what God feels about tragedy and evil in the world.  You must seek God with all your heart to find Him, and believe with your heart to be saved (in other words, you will fall in love with Jesus).

Do you have compassion for the things of God and feel what God feels and love the things God loves, as well as hate the things God hates?  Do you enjoy the emotional lift of worship as the Holy Spirit stirs your spirit and delight in heavenly things (some people would not like heaven because that's what will happen there!)?  Psalm 16:11 comes to mind: "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."  Nehemiah 8:10 says that the "joy of the LORD is your strength."  Don't ever lose that joy--Jesus says no man can take it from you (cf. Phil. 4:4).   Don't be discouraged that you aren't as excited, ecstatic, or euphoric as other more mature believers who have fallen in love with Jesus, because they don't have more of the Spirit, the Spirit just has more of them!

We must also surrender all of our soul or all of our being (intellect, affection, and will) to be saved. This equates obedience with faith (Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes--they are correlated and the flip side of each other and cannot be separated, though we do distinguish them--they go hand in hand.  "Do not be foolish, but understand the will of the Lord"  (Ephesians 5:7).  We must be willing to pick up our cross and follow Him to the death, if need be, and make His will our will in a constant prayer of relinquishment ("Thy will be done," which is the greatest of prayers, that even Jesus prayed). Being ignorant of the will of God is a sign you are not willing to do it, because God will reveal it to you as you are ready for it and can handle it, but never more than we need to know--no one knows the will of God for their whole life as a laid-out plan, because we don't know what God is going to end up doing with us.

The problem most believers have is that they know the right thing to do and God's will, but don't have the will power or discipline to do it, (Ovid said, "I see the better things, and I approve them, but I follow the worse").  Paul realized in Romans 7:24 that he couldn't please God in his own power ("Who will deliver me from the body of this death?"), but thanked Christ for giving him the power--we cannot complete the yoke of the Law of Moses as the Jews couldn't either, but the yoke of the will of God is what we have in the New Covenant and Jesus said, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  God gives us tasks according to our ability and the place we are at and the level of maturity and we prove to have--we must grow up and take on the task given us and not remain infants in Christ forever living a carnal life and not as spiritual.

Finally, we must also surrender our strength to God and love with all our natural ability and physical stamina and athletic or coordinated prowess.  We are not to exalt our body, thinking it is the most important thing to center our life around and become fitness or health freaks living an unbalanced life at the expense of other areas and faculties.  On the other hand, we are not to despise our body and misuse it, but see it as a temple of the Holy Spirit and a trust or responsibility to maintain.  Ignoring health issues is a bad sign and a violation of our responsibility and duty to God as His creatures and children.  We are endowed by God and should be faithful to fulfill our individual gift or gifts.  Some are stronger and better endowed as they say by nature, and just like other talents or gifts, are more responsible to complete that calling.

Let me clear up something: No one can say they have obeyed this command! We aren't saved by loving Jesus, but by faith in Christ:  We are saved solely by grace (no merit of our own) through the gift of faith that is God's gift, but our act, and we must do something with it and take the leap of faith, and it must be directed in Christ alone as the object (it is the object of faith that saves, not the amount of faith or just faith per se, which would be faith in faith). We can be sincerely wrong, (sincerity is necessary, but not sufficient) sincerity is vital but it only opens the door to an opportunity to respond and answer the call of God and believe in our hearts.  The whole person must be involved to be saved: Intellect with the right knowledge or doctrine, emotions or affections of our heart, and the will as we endeavor and resolve to obey God and follow on to know the Lord and to be a disciple or learner of Christ.  No one has ever followed the Greatest Commandment to love God with their whole personhood and being; we must accept the gift of salvation by faith and realize our utter bankruptcy before God that we aren't good enough to be saved, but that we are bad enough to need salvation.

In summation, no one can brag before God that he has complied with this commandment but must rely on the grace of God for salvation, and strive to complete as loving children who want to do God's will as our duty as creatures and children.  Just because you are good at one aspect of loving God doesn't mean you can pull rank and start forcing compliance to your standards or rules and be in your image--Christ is the only image of God and we are all works in progress and none of us can say that the have "arrived" or is perfect or God is finished with them.  "I do not claim to have laid a hold of it yet," as Paul said to the Philippians 3:12-13.  But rest assured:  God finishes what He starts as Philippians 1:6 (ESV) proclaims:  "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."  Soli Deo Gloria!

Is The Pope Catholic?

This seems like a proverbial and unambiguous or obvious question, but is it?  What do I mean by "catholic?"  The word denotes being universal in application (all true believers) and specifically to the Roman Catholic Church denomination of Christianity.  Roman Catholicism does not refer to a sect or cult, but a bona fide division of our faith like the Orthodox and so-called Protestant schisms. This means you can be a true Christian in either denomination or division of Christianity, but that doesn't mean because you adhere to one that you are automatically a Christian.  Catholics, as a rule, don't believe Protestants are saved; while Protestants believe some Catholics are saved--they just don't accept their soteriology or dogma of salvation that all Protestants subscribe to (salvation by grace through faith).  So this begs the question, "Which denomination is sectarian?"

By Reformed tradition and interpretation of the doctrines of salvation, and Martin Luther was excommunicated for his faith, Catholics do not have saving faith by definition because they regard "merit" and see faith as a work and not a gift--we are not saved by works. In effect, they save themselves.  Catholics officially believe you are saved "through the Church," obeying the teachings of the Church, and accepting their dogma without question. It is solely the responsibility of clerics to interpret Scripture, though the parishioner can read it.

The Pope is allegedly the Supreme Pontiff of the universal church and the vicar of Christ on earth, who speaks ex-cathedra when pronouncing from St. Peter's chair--this is known as pontificating, and it is infallible or without error (he claims to be speaking for Christ.)  (Catholics have a lot of faith in the Pope and priests--you must trust Christ alone to be saved because it is the object that saves, not the faith--they have misdirected faith--in the wrong person.)

Catholic (small c) denotes the general and universal church at large of true believers (the Nicene Creed says there is "one holy and apostolic catholic church") if you go by definition and not what the Church says; therefore, the Pope must know Christ to be catholic. He can be "Catholic" and not catholic, catholic and not Catholic,  and even Catholic and catholic.  Christian by definition can be any denomination, is really universal terminology and is nonsectarian--sectarian spirit is sin according to Paul, because "Christ is not divided."  (We shouldn't squabble over leadership.)

We should be "one in Spirit" (cf. Eph. 4:3) with all believers and not find differences but commonalities and be able to walk hand in hand without seeing eye to eye on every issue. True Christians are able to have fellowship with other believers around the world and across denominational lines if they know the Lord, regardless of sectarian bias or affiliation.  There is no fellowship with an unbeliever.  There is a time to be nondenominational and a time to stick to your guns and be faithful to your creed.  But note: Christianity is not a creed, but a relationship! But we have to turn our creeds into deeds and make good on our faith because true saving and obedient faith is a fruitful faith--we are known by our love producing good deeds.

"Woe unto you when all men speak well of you," Jesus said.  (They all thought well of the Pharisees!)  I don't know of anyone more popular in the world and that has more friends than the Pope, who tries to be everyone's friend and peacemaker.  If you think the Pope is a Christian, then you may be a Catholic at heart--there are many Catholics who disagree with him!  A former Pope made a "mecca" to Fatima to place something on the statue of the Virgin Mary, thanking her for saving him from assassination.  What he stands for is anti-Christian because he exalts himself to a position only God is worthy of and will bear his judgment on the Last Day.

Because his judgment tarries and we don't see it, doesn't mean it isn't a sure thing.  But he deceives many and God is patient for His elects' sake because they believe in Him in spite of being Catholic, not because they are Catholic.  To be specific: The Catholic way or following the Pope is the road of good intentions leading to hell.  Ever since the Council of Trent (1546) justification through faith alone has been anathema (cursed)--their misdirected faith in the Church won't save if they are converted solely to the program as do-gooders--granting false assurance.

They say that love is the test and we shall "know them by their love."  You must believe right (orthodoxy) as well as act right (orthopraxy).  Love is not God, God is love.  "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love;"  "Whoever loves has been born of God, for God is love."  (1 John 4:7-8, ESV).  Do not be deceived!  Don't say, "Oh he is such a lover; he must be saved."  (Love without faith, as well as, faith without love is nothing.)   This is how we shall know the brethren who believe the right creed from impostors or charlatans who claim faith and don't love. What it implies is that we shall not know solely by their creed, possessions, or testimony.  Love must be the main ingredient and without it we don't have salvation, regardless of faith.  Just having love per se doesn't prove salvation, it's just a sign to notice.


(Now, I am aware that you cannot judge whether a person has saving faith (only God sees the heart), Catholics freely admit to believing a creed contrary to grace and grace orientation--their salvation is a cooperative venture between us and God known as synergism, while "salvation is of the Lord" according to Jonah 2:9 and is monergistic or God's work only.  How important is grace?  It is the one thing that  distinguishes Christianity from religion and Catholicism, (Catholics do believe that grace is necessary, just not sufficient and must be improved upon by merit) and by definition, Catholicism is legalism (mixing works with faith), not Christianity, ergo the Pope is not catholic at heart but sectarian. What is religion?  Its main effort is to reach God, is the best man can do.  The Catholic dogma--a creed that is contrary to sound doctrine- is a do-it-yourself proposition of merit; Christianity is God reaching down to man, the best God can do and gives God the credit or glory (Soli Deo Gloria!) and we get none. Beware of the sin of Diotrephes, who liked to be number one and put himself first!  Ego problems! Only Christ is the Head of His Body.)

The question also arises as to whether a "sincere" Catholic is saved.  God says that ignorance is never an excuse because we all have His Word as a witness of the truth and are responsible to know it.   Sincerity is important, but it is not everything--you can be sincerely wrong.   Many Catholics have misdirected zeal without knowledge (cf. Rom. 10:2) and faith in the wrong object, which should only be Christ. Having faith in Christ and a combination of someone or something else (like the Mass) is not saving faith.  One must wonder whether they know the Lord or not.

To clear something up the Reformed teaching is that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone and that God alone gets the glory--"Salvation is of the Lord" (per Jonah 2:9 is their stand). Catholicism adds works to faith and merit to grace, teaching that they are necessary, but not sufficient and must be improved upon with our cooperation with God, helping Him out, as it were.  Grace is not only necessary but wholly sufficient and needs no aid on our part to participate. Faith doesn't save, no matter how great it is, but the object saves (i.e., Jesus Christ).  What one doesn't usually hear is that Paul was angry at the Galatians for teaching "another gospel" and pronounced a curse on them--this is what Catholics are doing, as they change Paul's doctrine to suit their traditions, ideas, and notions.    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!

Knowledge Has Its Place

"...knowledge puffs up, but love edifies"  (1 Cor. 8:1b).

Does this mean that knowledge is inappropriate?  Why do we pursue knowledge anyway?  Do we just have a desire to be smarter than everyone or to have all the answers?  Knowledge is indeed a byproduct of knowing the Lord and being obedient in the faith by discipleship and application.  We should never pursue it for its own sake because it is merely a means to an end, and not the end itself--we must always ask ourselves why we are learning something and what our inner or ulterior motives are.  We can't all be scholars (and some don't even know the Lord to their shame, like the Pharisees), but there is a need for them in the body and they have their function.  We can't all be theologians who organize Bible teaching (doctrine just means teaching pertinent to a subject), but there is a need for them to defend the Bible (polemics) just like we need apologists to defend the faith.  We are all basically theologians, it just varies how good of a one we are--they are not just Christians good at theology, i.e., we all have a viewpoint or interpretation of Scripture that biases us, and no one is impartial completely, except God, who alone is objective in toto.

When teaching others, we want to aim to disciple them, not educate them, and that means to lead them on to a personal relationship with and knowledge of the Lord through Bible application--and no sermon or teaching is complete without making application, or it is just theory without practice or just something to talk about and not do something about.  We should be stirred to do something new by way of application that we wouldn't normally do.  The tendency for some students of the Word is to become intoxicated with the deeper truths of the Bible that they forget or neglect the basics of the Word or feel they have outgrown the milk of the Word, just because they can digest the solid food. We must restrain our natural curiosity and not just study for curiosity sake, but for a yearning for the things of God and a genuine thirst for the Word itself.

We need to pass the baton to the next generation what we have learned so they won't make the same mistakes!  A good teacher doesn't balk at teaching the whole counsel of God to the best of his ability and training and doesn't just have a personal agenda and motive to convert them to his way of thinking or interpretation.  There is a big danger in getting a big head and having too high an opinion of yourself when you have increased in knowledge without application.  The goal of the teacher should be to make the student independent of his teaching so he can in turn disciple others and the cycle continues.

The Pharisees knew a lot about the Scriptures and didn't know the Author and so they couldn't interpret it; they just had religiosity and customs to pass on.  They had in effect externalized religion and thought that going through the motions was all that mattered.  This is called "memorizing the dance of the pious."  It is formalism without any heart involved or what Jesus called being lukewarm in Revelation 3:19.  We don't want to be like the debaters who made it their way of life to just talk about the latest ideas or theories, but be doers of the Word, and not merely hearers (even if we gladly hear it).  Everyone doesn't have the same mental capacity and to whom much is given much is required, so we are not to hold everyone to the same standard, but let God be the judge.c

We also don't want to be hypocrites like the Pharisees who didn't practice what they preached either (Jesus said to listen to them, but don't imitate them). The more eager we are to learn and the more we apply it and pass on to others, the more God will reveal to us--but it is always a byproduct and we are not to compare ourselves with ourselves.   Remember that the Hebrews went into captivity because of their ignorance to their shame ("My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..," says Hosea 4:6a).

We don't want to know "about the Bible" but to know the Author of the Bible and use our knowledge constructively and to edify others. Knowledge is a spiritual gift and some believers are simply gifted with more of it, and we are not to hold everyone to the same standard.  They can become serious students of the Word to detect error and heresy and to pass on sound doctrine.

Note also that knowledge can be dangerous, especially when one gets an exclusive mindset thinking he is right and everyone else wrong and gets highly sectarian and dogmatic on nonessential doctrine. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing and a half-educated person can do more damage than an uneducated one.  Always bear in mind Augustine's dictum:  "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."

In conclusion, don't fall under the delusion that ignorance is bliss, because knowledge is power according to Blaise Pascal and Proverbs 24:5 (ESV):  "...and a man of knowledge enhances his might"; however, anyone who thinks he knows it all or knows some secret others don't (like the Gnostics who thought they were in "the know" and clued in above others and they had the secret to salvation), doesn't yet know as he ought to know, because no one has a monopoly on wisdom, or inside track, revelation, or knowledge.  Soli Deo Gloria!