Antinomianism Versus Legalism...

The two extremes I am referring to are libertinism or antinomianism and legalism. It is vital to know these distortions of the Christian walk and learn to distinguish them so that one can walk faithfully and obediently with Christ.  The only antidote known is a thorough knowledge of the Bible and to know Christ--Christianity is not a list of dos and don'ts but a living fellowship with the Lord.  Christianity is not a code but a relationship with Christ. 

You have to decide whether you are the kind of person who needs no law because you are regenerated and obey the new nature, or know no law because of your carnality and obey your old nature.  Martin Luther (and I believe Dietrich Bonhoeffer reiterated) pointed out that there are no disobedient Christians--for this is a contradiction:  "Only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes."  They go hand in hand and the only test of faith is obedience.  A Christian can be guilty of carnality, but there is not a sub-class of carnal Christian.

Antinomianism was refuted by Martin Luther in Against the Antinomians in 1539.  It refers to a distaste for the law or literally "anti-lawism."   You might say that it designates a believer who feels he has a license to sin or for disobedience since he cannot lose his salvation and is secure in Christ.  I must stress that the Bible never gives one the right to do what is wrong or sanctions sin or doing what is right in according to your opinions, or your own thing.  We have many believers today who make up their own rules as they go along and do their own thing like the Hebrews did in Judges 21:25 when each man did what was right in his own mind or made up his own rules as he went along: whatever seems or feels right. 

Romans 6:1 (ESV) is the rebuttal to antinomianism saying that we should not go on sinning at all after salvation ("... Are we to continue in sin, that grace may abound?").  This would be taking advantage of God's grace and nullifying it and going back to the old life before salvation. The philosophy of antinomianism is "Freed from the law, O blessed condition; now I can sin all I want, and still have remission."  It is a frantic search for freedom to run amuck.  Rather, heed Paul's testimony:  "I do not frustrate [take advantage] of the grace of God"  (Gal. 2:21)!

There is a place for the law in our life and the whole of Scripture is law and grace and one must rightly divide it and know how to apply it.  In short, we never have a right to do what is wrong, and if it was morally wrong then it is still morally wrong because God's standards of morality haven't changed.  The law is meant to show us our sin and not a means of salvation; it is the mirror that shows us our unrighteousness.  The Phillips translation says of Romans 3:20:  "Indeed it is the straightedge of the law that shows us are crooked we really are."  It is a guide to the principles of morality and nine of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament (except keeping the Sabbath). Note that the Law doesn't save us, it measures us! 

Legalism is the error of many churches that try too hard to be spiritual or "holier than thou" (cf. Is. 65:5) than their counterparts in other churches.  Believes like to commend themselves and compare themselves to others (2 Cor. 10:12).  They seem to think they have a corner on the market of spirituality and this is one measure of it.  Legalism is counter to grace and salvation by grace because one is essentially trying to earn salvation and get to heaven by good works.  But in effect they are "going beyond that which is written" (cf. 1 Cor. 4:6).  If the Bible doesn't forbid something nor imply it by the application it is not a sin, though some things may be sin to some and not to others, due to knowledge and enlightenment.  "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin"  (James 4:17, ESV, emphasis mine).

By way of example, the Pharisees were legalists because they adhered simply to the letter of the law and not the Spirit.  Legalistic churches bind people where they should be free and exercise tyranny over the congregants.  They also stress minor issues and ignore major ones or major on the minors. For example, they condemn smoking, drinking, gambling, card-playing, dancing, movie-going and even TV (watching the hemlines, hairlines, and ticket lines!), while they forget about their lack of witness and lukewarm worship.  Weightier matters of the Law (mercy, faithfulness, and justice)  ought to be addressed first and things the Bible explicitly does condemn.  We have no right to micromanage our brother's lives and tell them what is right and wrong--that is the job description of the Holy Spirit.

In conclusion, you may say the Mormons are good people because they refrain from coffee, of all things,  and are reasonably moral people, but Christ didn't die just to make bad people good, but dead people alive; however, we are not lawless, but live to a higher law:  The law of love.
Soli Deo Gloria!

Are We All To Witness?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are We Puppets On A String?

To Christians misinterpreting predestination, it seems like we are saying God is a despot and we are puppets on a string, robots, or automatons. Robots don't have a will as we do; however, we do not have a neutral volition, but one biased to evil.   Does God just pull the right strings?  He does know how to push the right buttons just like you do to someone you know, like spouses.  Are we stronger than God's will and is God's sovereignty limited by our freedom? (Cf. Rom. 9:19)  No!

These are age-old disputes and what kind of a God wouldn't be 100 percent sovereign?  He doesn't just reign on a throne, but He rules all things great and small, such that there is not even a rebel molecule in the cosmos.  Before preceding, I would like to point out two kinds of will:  mundane or natural; and moral or towards God.  It is in the latter that God makes the final decision as to whom will be regenerated by belief because no one can come to the Father unless the Father draws them and it is granted by Him (cf. John 6:65:44).  

John 15:5 says that we can do nothing apart from Christ. It is as if all of us choose to go the way of the devil and God had to choose out of His mercy to save some and demonstrate His grace and justice in action. We were all free (in Adam as our representative) and we chose the wrong path!  We are, therefore, sinners by choice, by birth, and by nature.  

Predestination means that our destiny is ultimately in the hands of God ("we are not the captain of our souls nor the masters of our fate"), and that if we were left to ourselves, none of us would want to be saved or have the will to believe--even our desire for Christ is of God.  God reserves the prerogative to save whom He will and show justice to whom He will (cf. Rom. 9:18).  Some men receive justice and some mercy. Romans 9:19 says that no one can resist His will.  God's will is always done with or without our cooperation.   

Now, our will have little to do with our believing in Christ, for we are simply clay in the hands of the Potter and God is the one who decided our character and personality.  Just like a dove will voluntarily choose seeds to eat and a vulture will feast on carrion, so God knows us and we are fearfully and wonderfully made to His specs. In the same manner, we act voluntarily and not by compulsion, and never act unwillingly so as not to be culpable.

We did not choose our nature, and it is our nature that primarily, along with nurture that determines our fate and consequent choices.  No one will deny having made their own decisions.  There is no such legitimate doctrine as determinism whereby God makes us do something we don't desire or there is an external force acting upon us--that is coercion and the opposite of freedom.  

But just as all man can only do evil and sin (non posse non peccare or the inability not to sin or that he is unable to please God in the flesh or is dead in a moral/spiritual sense), man is free in the sense of self-determination (he has to admit he made the decision or confirmation).  God is also free but He cannot sin and we will be free in heaven without the ability to sin too.

The British monk Pelagius thought that man had the ability to make a free decision apart from grace, but Aurelius Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, said we are "free but not freed."  We have lost our liberty like a person in jail that is free in the sense that he still makes decisions apart from being a robot.  We are free to act according to our God-given nature, but we've lost the inclination to do good; therefore, we are still human, just not good.  

What this entails is that we don't need an absolute free will, but wills made free--that is the crux of the doctrine because if the Son sets you free you shall be free indeed (cf. John 8:32).   We still remain human with the faculty to make choices, such as what we want to eat, but we have lost all ability to please God and to believe in Him!

Jesus clearly said that we didn't choose Him, but that He chose us in John 15:16 and Matt. 22:14 (ESV) says:  "For many are called, but few are chosen."  We wouldn't have chosen Christ, had He not first chosen and loved us.  The problem with our freedom is that it is a curse because we didn't choose Him  (Adam is our representative) and God had to choose us.  We were free but didn't choose Christ and we wouldn't have come to Him unless He had wooed us and drew us to Him, taking the initiative. 

God took the initiative and the first step in such a way that we never did anything we did not want to do, and without any outside coercion or force acting upon us.  Our righteousness, including faith and repentance, is God's gift to us, not our gift to God (we have nothing to offer Him but our sin):  "Who makes you to differ?  What do you have that you didn't receive?"  (1 Cor. 4:7).

Love must be voluntary to be love and we loved God because He first loved us and God worked in our hearts a regeneration that loves Him willingly--we never do anything we don't want to do and in this sense, we are not robots but free agents.  However, God is able to make us do His intentions by His omnipotence, which is stronger than our will.  For example, He can turn the king's heart like a stream of water (cf. Prov. 21:1). 

Again: "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps"  (Prov. 16:9, ESV).  Jeremiah 10:23 says, "I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps."  In the example of loving a mate, we can think that it was all voluntary, but God knew what we wanted and couldn't resist and brought them into our life--so whose in control?

We can never frustrate God and catch Him off guard, not being able to run His universe at will.  Just like you can manipulate your friends to do you a favor, God knows how to work His will in you. God can make you love Him without violating your free will or making you do it against your choice.  We do indeed have the power of choice and must choose Christ, but we cannot do so of our own power because of our depravity--our wills are depraved too.  ("... [H]e greatly helped those who through grace had believed," says Acts 18:27.)  

We cannot believe apart from grace as God gives us the power.  The whole Christian life is not hard, it is impossible and we could never live it without the power of God in our life. Humanists and semi-Pelagians or Arminians argue, however,  that the will is not affected by sin and is not depraved, but absolutely and totally free.

We didn't come to Christ of our own independent and free volition, but were called and drawn by the Father with efficacious grace or what Reformed theology calls irresistible grace (better named efficacious grace that works what God intends)--i.e., He intervened. This saving grace is demonstrated in Philippians 2:13 (ESV) saying. "[F]or it is God who works in you, both to will [God changing our will or making us willing] and to work for his good pleasure." And in Psalm 110:3 (ESV) as:  "Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power...." (Also refer to Jer. 20:7; Heb. 13:21 and Col. 1:29.)   

We were chosen by God according to His good pleasure, "according to His own purpose and grace," (cf. 2 Tim. 1:9).   Jesus used the analogy of the wind blowing where it wills, and that is how one is born of the Spirit.  The bottom line is that, though we possess a depraved will capable of decision, God can cause us to believe in Christ and repent according to His good pleasure.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Disgusted With Our Sin...

"[Therefore] I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes"  (Job's repentance, Job 42:6, ESV).

"Depart from me O Lord, for I am a sinful man"  (Peter's sudden awakening).

C. S. Lewis' catch-22:  "We must see how bad we are to be good, and we don't know how bad we are till we've tried to be good."

Ovid:  "I see the better things and approve them, but I follow the worst."

"Why is it that I know what is right and do what is wrong?" Pierre in War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

There comes a time to throw in the towel and declare spiritual bankruptcy and stop trying to save ourselves.  But before the good news a little bad news is in order:  We must get a realistic handle on sin and call a spade a spade; that entails not inventing pretty un-offensive names for it like weaknesses,  mistakes, or habits--we are all as guilty as sin and must come clean and own up to this. The verdict is in:  "Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil" (cf. John 3:19).   God levels the playing field and judges all equally guilty of Adam's prototype sin as our legacy as well as individual fault as a result of our inherited old sin nature or original sin.

Sin is the roadblock that hinders fellowship and a relationship with God and creates a chasm or schism between us that only Christ can bridge.  We are not only guilty of breaking God's law (definition of sin), but His heart--the law breaks us too!   We shouldn't be afraid God will hurt us, but that we'll hurt Him.  We are in the predicament of not being able to clean up our act and get our house in order in preparing for salvation--we must come as we are for a changed life, not with a changed life. 

To define sin we must call it by its biblical terminology:  lawlessness, iniquity, lack of faith, missing the mark, rebellion, trespassing, lack of love, autonomy or independence, and transgression.  When Adam ate the proverbial apple he doubted, disbelieved, and disobeyed.  His prototype sin rejected God's authority, doubted His goodness, disputed His wisdom, spurned His grace, repudiated His justice, and contradicted His truthfulness according to one theologian--that about covers the bases!

Why are we so bad?  If evil were yellow, we'd be all yellow.  Actually, we are not as bad as we can be because of God's restraining grace and whenever you see someone worse than you, you should acknowledge that there, but for the grace of God, go you, in George Whitefield's words.  We justify ourselves and don't think our sin is so bad, but the other guy is guilty.  

We are not as bad as we can be, but as bad off as we can be--that means we are totally separated from God in our whole heart, will, and mind and need total redemption of our soul.  Our thoughts are evil, our imagination is depraved and runs wild, our emotions are sick, and our wills are stubborn and selfish:  "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"  (Jer. 17:9, ESV).

Sin is not just our actions, but those we thought or intended, and our attitudes, both of commission and omission as the Anglican Book of Common Prayer addresses this:  "We have done those things we ought not to have done, and we have left undone those things we ought to have done." We all have feet of clay or weaknesses not readily apparent, but that God sees.  The sinner flatters himself too much to hate his own sin, according to Psalm 36:2.

The unbeliever is a sinner in the hands of an angry God, according to Jonathan Edwards preaching on Deut. 32:35 (ESV) saying:  "Vengeance is mine and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly." We all have an inner sense of ought and the Law is written on our hearts according to Rom. 2:15, so that we are without excuse and stand accountable to God.  We must realize our state of sin to be saved:  It is not that we are good enough to be saved, but bad enough to need salvation.

The mandate or imperative from God is to repent and the goodness of God is meant to lead us to repentance according to Romans 2:4. God doesn't desire for any to perish, but for all to repent and gives man time and space to do it.  He commands men everywhere to repent (cf. Acts 17:30).   But the problem is that we cannot work ourselves up into repentance, it is the gift of God as he changes our hearts upon the hearing of the Word by grace.  Both Acts 5:31 and 11:18 attest to God's "granting" repentance to the Jews and Gentiles respectively.   

We don't need a Jewish Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement, but a change from the inside out which is not turning over a new leaf or making a New Year's resolution. We need progressive repentance that continues our entire life.  We need forgiveness from all that we've done, and deliverance from what we are.  This is because we are born sinners and we sin because we are sinners, we are not sinners because we sin. What God orders is true contrition, not just regret or feeling sorry--we have to be willing to turn our back on our sin and renounce it, counting the cost.

The good news is that Christ paid the penalty we deserve by dying in our stead and rising to the Father to prove His victory and show us hope eternal.   God has solved the sin question by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  As a priest, he saves us and redeems us, as a prophet he dispels our ignorance, and as our king, he sets us free from sin's dominion.  

Why should we try to be good to please God when all we have to do is accept the free gift of salvation offered to all who put their faith in Christ?  It's not a matter of our good deeds outweighing our bad ones, but all of our righteousness counting as naught and coming to the Father with nothing to offer but ourselves and our sins in faith willing to do His will.    Soli Deo Gloria!

The Window Of Opportunity...

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Reluctant Prophet VII

Israel was commissioned by God to be His messenger of the gospel to the world, but they botched it miserably and that is why the church had to come into being--to make Israel jealous.  God's grace has never been limited to one family, clan, tribe, nation, race, or peoples; but always open to all who have faith like Abraham ("Everyone who has faith is a child of Abraham," says Gal. 3:7).

Jonah was a type of Israel who was ordered to go to Nineveh to tell them to repent and went to opposite way! Now, before you condemn him for his disobedience, compare this to sending a Jew to Hitler in Berlin during the Holocaust to tell him to repent or else!  It was a suicide mission, to say the least, and Jonah had a survival instinct--get as far away from it as possible.  He actually didn't believe God would hassle him in Tarshish, and may God wouldn't have any authority there.  He asked the next boat if they were "going his way" and he was off to escape God.  But he found out you cannot run away from God but the Hound of heaven will always catch up.  Jonah was out of fellowship and fell asleep in the hold of the ship during a violent storm.

To say the least, Jonah was a reluctant prophet and a negative example in Scripture of how to obey.   God used Him anyway and turned the situation around by His providence.  Jonah is the most famous, infamous, and even notorious of all prophets and people sure like to mock his faith and story as fiction--but Jesus, Himself, believed it.  Jonah is indeed a lowlife in this book who happens to be the only one not on board with God--the ship's crew repents, the city of Nineveh repents and Jonah is "angry enough to die."  He has a death wish, but I wouldn't say he is suicidal--he is in a depressed funk and takes it out on God.  

Why?  His prophecy didn't come true about God destroying the city and he actually wanted it destroyed--he didn't love his enemies.  Jonah must have been aware of the doctrine of the providence of God and could've seen how God was moving behind the scenes in the small details of his life as He prepared (Providence in action!) a storm, a fish, a goad, and then a worm to convict him.

Jonah should not be judged by us, but only looked upon as a lesson to learn from, even if negative. He is one of the few prophets in the Bible that was successful and got the people to repent.  He certainly didn't want to be known as a "false" prophet and humiliated; on the other hand, he had no right to be angry and should have recognized that God reserves the right to have mercy on whom He will have mercy.  This is a lesson on universal grace and for us not to have self-pity and lack compassion for our fellow man--we shouldn't be so willing for them to be judged.

In summation, we are all reluctant prophets who must complete our "commission" to share the gospel message to the lost everywhere God plants us and sends us.  We cannot run from God, but must reckon that if God wants to use us as a vessel of honor, nothing will stop him and there is no Plan B--get with the program!    Soli Deo Gloria!

Do You Qualify?

Have you ever wondered if you were good enough for heaven?  Did you ever think you were on probation or on your scout's honor to do your best till Jesus comes or you die?  The fact is is that we are never good enough to be saved, but must realize we are bad enough to need salvation.  We cannot compare notes at our judgment as if we would be graded on a curve and think that we have a advantage over someone less fortunate.  "Who makes you to differ?  What do you have that you didn't receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7).  God doesn't grade on a curve and if He were to mete out justice to all, none of us would be able to escape hell; salvation is not because we deserve it, that would be justice, not mercy. 

The requirements for heaven are to have the righteousness of Christ, and the only way to get it is by imputation or God just reckoning it to our account.  We are not just forgiven of our wrongdoings and brought to a place of neutrality, but given the righteousness of Christ to boot--actually we are declared righteous or reckoned as righteous, but we are not made righteous, which would be different. We tend to think that God is looking for our achievements, or even cares about them, but God is looking for our obedience. 

Religion is about man's achievement; Christianity is about God's accomplishment.  Religion tries to reach out to God, while, in Christianity, God reaches out to man.  God doesn't even call us to success but to faithfulness.  What the world regards as success, I am saying, is not how God sees it.   You cannot be a man of the world and a man of God, they are mutually exclusive.  John exhorts us not to love the world (cf. 1 John 2:15) are not to be of the world (John 15:19).

People shouldn't come to their judgment and tell God about all the works they did, even if they were miracles, (Matt. 7:22) because Christ may say He never knew them.  We are not to put our faith in our works--works are no substitute for faith and works don't save--only faith in Christ saves. It is the object not the faith that saves.  Let me repeat:  Faith doesn't save; Christ saves.  

We live in an era when people applaud faith, even blind faith and most don't care what your faith is as long as you have it.  When someone says, "Keep the faith," it is meaningless and has no spiritual value. The reason the people are rejected who did great works in God's name is because they put their faith in their works and not in Christ.  They had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge as it says in Rom. 10:2. You can have a lot of faith, but if it is misdirected, it does zilch and is worthless. 

Who gets saved, but the lowest bidder!  It is not the person who says he meant well, and was sincere, and did his best and believed the right creed, but the person who comes to God with nothing to offer and knows his wretchedness and knows he is at God's mercy, saying:  "God be merciful to me, the sinner." The way up is down in God's economy!   Don't think so highly of yourself!  You cannot think too lowly of yourself in God's eyes (actually humility is not thinking of self at all!), because you are just that:  Your righteousness is as filthy rages (cf. Is. 64:6).  You must despise yourself, hate your life, and realize you have nothing to offer God.

It cost a lot to be saved, and Jesus never made it seem easy, but it cost more not to be saved or to ignore His gospel message of being saved solely by grace, through the instrumental means of faith, in the object of Christ as Lord and Savior--God gets all the glory and the authority is the based on the Word of God.  Anything less is heresy, and corruption of the gospel and not evangelical in emphasis, but influenced by false teachings [the three heretical twists of the gospel's purity].   

"Salvation is of the Lord," (Jonah 2:9) and of the Lord alone (we contribute naught)--that is its essence. God has done it all--"It is finished!" Reckon it as a done deal.  There are religions galore that emphasize our achievements; however, Christianity stresses divine accomplishment, not human achievement!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Getting Something Out Of Church...

Most believers go to church for the wrong reason:  For comfort; for fellowship; to get favors; for making friends; for spreading their agenda or ministry; for the 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. 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?  Worship isn't passive, but active, it is contradictory to listen to worship because worship is giving and not receiving.  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. 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.  There's no "one-size-fits-all." 

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.  Look for a church in which you can serve with your spiritual gift.  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 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 an 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 a 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!

Competent For Every Good Work

It is the Word of God that gives us the expertise to do His will and accomplish every good work (cf. 2 Tim. 3:17: (We are "thoroughly furnished unto all good works!")  We have everything we need and this is what is meant by God supplying our needs-to equip us for His will.  2 Cor. 9:8 says we may abound in every good work because of the grace of having sufficiency in all things!  If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.  We will never be overwhelmed in the Lord (i.e., if we are doing His bidding and will) and God will be with us in the storm and when we pass through the waters He will be with us (cf. Is. 43:2).

We can never boast that we have done something for the Lord, but only that we are counted worthy to be used as vessels of honor for His glory.  "I venture not to speak, but of what Christ has accomplished through me"  (Paul, in Romans 15:18).  We should be humbled that God used us for glory and not shame because He has a purpose for everyone in His plan, even Judas was decreed to betray Him and went according to what was written.  

The people of Israel became haughty and prideful that they had done something worthy of praise, but God downplayed it and put them in their rightful place:  "You who rejoice in Lo-debar [Hebrew for "nothing"], who say, 'Have we not by our own strength captured Karnaium [nothing] by ourselves?'" (Amos 6:13, ESV).  That means they had an overrated and exaggerated opinion of themselves and needed to be brought down a peg after their victory and give the credit and glory to God.   "[Y]ou have done for us all our works" (Is. 26:12, ESV, cf. Hosea 14:8) or "all that we have done God has accomplished for us."  Isaiah knew that it was just God using them and they should give Him the glory.  Colossians 1:29  (ESV)  is Paul's explanation:  "For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me."

The whole purpose of our life is to glorify God according to Isaiah 43:7 and "... God will equip you with everything good that you may do his will"  (cf. Hebrews 13:21, ESV). According to the Shorter Westminster Catechism, "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."   In the end, we want to accomplish great things for God, and believe God for greater things, knowing that if we are in His will He will provide all we need to perform it.  St. Theresa said she was intending upon building a convent.  They asked her how much money she had as resources.  When she said only twelve pence; they said that even Saint Theresa couldn't do much with twelve pence.  "However," she said, "God and Saint Theresa can!"

"To whom much is given, much is required" and this also goes for needs.  It's not that some people inherently need more, but are attempting more in God's will and God wants to see them through in these needs.  God is really supplying all His needs according to His purposes and we don't realize it.

In conclusion, God is able to multiply our "loaves" exponentially into enough to feed "multitudes," and we are to turn stones into bread and walk on water if that is the obstacle to God's will and completing the mission that He has given us.  Truly, we shall be able to do greater things than the Lord in greater dimension and magnitude than He was able to reach out to. (Per John 14:12 in the ESV:  "... [Whoever] believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.")  Thus, we are all competent to do what God has designed us to do; the key is to find that out and where we fit into God's framework and design. Soli Deo Gloria!

Secure In Who You Are

We all know who we are supposed to be in Christ as a body:  We are a holy nation, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood, a chosen race, and a people for His own possession (cf. 1 Pet. 2:9).  However, we are individual members one of another with our own peculiar gift and identity in the Lord.  It is vital to find out who we are in the Lord ourselves and where we fit in, and not try to be all things to all people.  We go astray when we compare ourselves with others or commend ourselves with one another (2 Cor. 10:12).   Like one saying: "Compared to him I'm a saint!" or "I just can't compete with Mother Teresa!" The compare game is a no-win proposition.

We all like to size people up and put them in a box and see what they are capable of.  Caveat:  Don't belittle someone's gift (remember that to whom much is given much is required and your race is different from theirs) and worst of all, don't exalt someone and be fooled by charisma (Greek for gift), for many cult leaders have displayed great personalities and are therefore able to lead many astray. These are wolves in sheep's clothing and charlatans to boot.

We celebrate diversity in the body, as the eye needing the ear, we all have different functions in the body and are all necessary to get the body going on track.  You cannot expect someone to have the same passion for music as one gifted in this area and feels called to have a music ministry. Likewise, some people feel the passion of God when writing and this cannot be expected as normative.  Eric Liddell, in the movie Chariots of  Fire, said that he felt God's pleasure when running and realized this is what he was meant to do.  We need to find our own passions and develop them and not try to keep up with the Jones, spiritually speaking.  I used to go to a church that had a member who always said "amen" to everything the pastor said, and we called him Amen Eddy--but he was just being himself and we loved him for it, we didn't feel compelled to copy his behavior. To be sure, we are all unique and God threw away the mold when He made us!

There is such a thing known as gift envy when we wish we had someone else's gift or position in the church.  We are prone to worry that we fall short when we get our eyes off Jesus and unto others--Peter sank in the water when he took his eyes off Jesus!  There is no gift more important than another per se, but rather the spirit that the person exercises it in, and the faithfulness he demonstrates that brings reward from the Lord at the Bema  (Judgment Seat of Christ).  We want to hear Jesus say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

There is no "one-size-fits-all" way to worship God, as some are more demonstrative and some stoical and feel inclined to be reverent and respectful of the presence of others, not presuming to be the spiritual leader.  Some people naturally follow and some lead but we are all one in Christ--neither is more "spiritual."  It is not a matter of "inhibition" whether one feels free to express his praise, but sometimes just a matter of church background--for instance, Pentecostals are known for being unruly and free-spirited.  Those of this persuasion think that is the only "spiritual" way to be in church.  I disagree with Pentecostal-type worship on doctrinal grounds, having been there and done that, I know where they are coming from.  The intellectual loves God more with his mind and the sentimental person may wear his feelings on his sleeve.  It is too easy to rely on feelings, and let others run the show in chaos or in an unruly manner.  It is faith, not feelings that pleases God.

I, personally, am suspicious of charismatic excess, and anything that is not decent and in order as being a sign of disrespect to others.  There are plenty of churches where this is welcome.  We go to church to worship God, be edified, and get a spiritual checkup--but they are going nowhere edification-wise in the Spirit.  We should worship God in any way that seems fit or suitable--that's why there are so many denominations.  We all have our own ideas as to what is right and what is suspicious, foreign, or "strange fire" before the Lord.

The other error is gift projection, where we think everyone should be like us and imitate our gift or way of worship.  We cannot expect others to have our gift or to measure up to our standards, but we must see that we all are part of the picture and fit into God's plan in a unique way. We are not to hold someone in special esteem as our exemplar, except Christ, who alone is worthy--we are to look to Him and keep our eyes focused on the Author and Finisher of our faith.  When we expect others to be like us or like a person we respect we are presuming to be the spiritual leaders and have spiritual ambitions that as an ulterior motive.  

Besides bringing honor to the Lord, we want to get some attention for ourselves. We shouldn't expect others to meet our standards and expectations, nor should we point others out as the one to follow and bring him into the limelight, especially if he desires to keep a low profile; but let the Holy Spirit lead through multiple people.  The Holy Spirit, Himself, is not interested in attracting attention, but only in magnifying and glorifying the Lord.

Don't get into a worship rut and be confined to one way to worship.  Don't think that your church is right and everyone else just doesn't get it. Some people are caregivers and love God through meeting the needs of others.  Some are born singers and just love to sing unto the Lord all day long--it thrives in their souls.  Some people are social activists and like to get involved in political or social causes and see this as serving and loving God.  Catholics and Lutherans are highly traditional and show their love for God through a devotion to ritual.  The point is that you must learn to be yourself and not imitate others or envy what God does through them.  God is looking for real people, not ideal people and especially not people thinking they are ideal people--no perfect people need apply!

We don't want to "betray" someone as the de facto spiritual leader ("You're the man!"), and put them under pressure.  The devil sure would like to see who we see as a leader and tempt him or use him. It can go to one's head!   It is vital that we notice when someone is exalting themselves or presuming upon themselves a position of authority or leadership--the way up is down and we must heed John the Baptist's words:  "He must increase, I must decrease" in John 3:30.  The way up is down in God's economy.  

Before honor comes humility and also we should know that the wolf in sheep's clothing always tries to get in some other way than a legitimate way, and likes the back door or a side door that is not the conventional way--he recognizes no chain of command or authorized leadership but his own, and doesn't understand authority.  Soli Deo Gloria!