Get Off My Case!

The closer we walk with God the more conscious we become of failure and sin within. Pray for a lively sense of sin, says Samuel Rutherford, the more sense of sin, the less sin.  The court that throws the book at a convicted felon will do it because he doesn't seem redeemable and is beyond hope, and the only chance at reformation is to make him very sorry for his crime.  Normally, there is leniency for the first time in court and it gets progressively worse and more strict.  Some people tend to throw the book at people because they have a false sense of their own personal righteousness; however, God says that He will show mercy to the merciful.  We all should say with Paul:  "I am what I am by the grace of God" (1 Cor. 15:10).

The way we see things reveals more about us, what about the things we observe-it's all subjective interpretation. We see reality as we are not as it is.  The Golden Rule says to treat others the way you want to be treated; therefore, do not ever throw the book at someone, unless he is a hardened recidivist and you seek to make him an example. The good judge always tempers his justice with mercy and metes out justice without bias and only after hearing carefully the arguments of both sides--he doesn't pervert justice or take bribes.

None of us really has his act together so well that we could escape death, if God were to decree suddenly to stop all evil in the world--no one would be left.  It's all relative, the standard of goodness is God, not man and God doesn't grade on a curve.  We are to judge nothing before the time according to 1 Cor. 4:6 and Jesus said that when you judge, judge righteous judgment (John 7:24, ESV):  "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."

The admonition not to judge in Matthew 7:1 is not to judge harshly nor rashly, and considering what standards you want to be judged by--it doesn't make an absolute prohibition on judging.  In 1 Cor. 5:12 (ESV):  "...Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?" God judges those outside the church! We must purge the evil ones from the fellowship because allowing sin in the camp (cf. Aachan's sin in Joshua) infects the whole camp and having sin in the family brings down the whole family; if one part suffers, they all suffer.  Church discipline is a sign of a living and obedient church, and not out of control concerning its membership.

We are not to have a critical spirit of a brother because we don't have all the facts, and when we judge another it only shows what kind of person we are, or what offends us personally (usually the sin that we hate in ourselves). We don't know the details of our brother's case and are not to pry into his business like busybodies--live and let live and leave room for the judgment of God.  It is not our job to stop sin, because only God can convict of it and bring one to repentance and faith.  We must not habitually judge another brother because he stands or falls to his own master.   Soli Deo Gloria!

To A Higher Standard

Many believers strive to obey the letter of the law and are derelict of the spirit of it just like the Pharisees.  We are guilty of flaunting our liberty and thereby hurting our brother who has a weaker faith and doesn't approve of our behavior.  Romans 14:22 says that the faith we have we should keep to ourselves.  If we eat and offend our brother we are destroying the kingdom of God for the sake of a meal and wounding him spiritually.  How can this be?  We are held to a higher standard than just obeying the law, either civil, biblical, moral, or ecclesiastical.

In God's economy, the way up is down and we are all in this together--we must bear one another's burdens.  We all need each other--no one is a rock or an island to himself like Hindu and Buddhist karma teaches. No one in the body should be in need.  Karma disregards Samaritan acts and lets a person suffer his own karma without anyone's interference.  When we just go through the motions without our heart being involved or any real motivation we are obeying the letter of the law, like Saul performing the illegal sacrifice and Samuel telling him that to obey is better than sacrifice (doing it the right way and in the right spirit).

Just because something is legal doesn't make it moral, ethical, nor spiritually correct.  There's the politically correct thing to do and there's the spiritually correct thing to do.  Too many believers are guilty of complying on the outside while disobeying on the inside--they obey outwardly, while their face says no.  We must never be remiss of doing everything in the right spirit and being filled with the Spirit in our activities. "Whatsoever you do, do to the glory of God"  (cf. 1 Cor. 10:31).  The law we are subject to is the law of love and I mean agape love, which is eternal and unconditional.

You can get technical and say that you aren't sinning, but inside you can know that you are evading the Spirit and doing your own thing, which is what sin is (man's declaration of independence from God).  "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way..." (cf. Isaiah 53:6, ESV).

Sometimes Christians think that if others do something it is okay, too. We rationalize and say: "Everyone's doing it," or "We always have done it that way and gotten away with it," or "It sounds responsible," or "It sounds like the rational thing to do."  We must follow the law of love, as I said, and obey in the right spirit, too, not just our outward duty--we go beyond the call of duty!  They may just be partners in crime or in cahoots and will bring judgments on themselves for their wrongdoing.

We are to look to the Bible for our standards of right and wrong and not human opinion or worse yet, popular opinion.  Christians are to stand out and stick up for Jesus and be counted, not defend the worldview or devil's world and all he stands for--it's an angelic conflict we're engaged in and the battle is the Lord's if we have faith.  We must not become casualties because we are ignorant of the devil's schemes and wiles.

We may think we can get away with something (Numbers 32:23 says, "Be sure your sin will find you out.") or that it is right in our eyes (God sets the ultimate standards, not us), but God wants us to be sensitive to the weaker brother and our liberty is limited by our brother's conscience--we must not stand up for our rights in the name of Christian liberty (this is liberty gone amok).

Yes, we must realize that the world obeys only the letter of the law, and we are held to a higher standard to do everything in love and to prove it by our deeds, not just in our words (1 John 3:18).   "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?"  (1 John 3:17, ESV). We are to be known by our compassion, just like Bertrand Russell knew when he quipped:  "What the world needs is more Christian love [he was a famous atheist himself!]."   What we want to demonstrate is that Christians go beyond the call of duty and think of someone other than themselves.  As Jesus said, "Go the extra mile!" In sum, Jesus raised the bar in ethics and told us to be good Samaritans, love our neighbors as ourselves, and love our enemies.    Soli Deo Gloria!

Friend Of Publicans And Sinners

"The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray" (Proverbs 12:26, NKJV--italics and boldface mine).

"...to depart from evil is understanding"  (Job 28:28, NASB).

"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil"  (cf. Proverbs 8:13).

"You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean" (cf. Lev. 10:10).

"A people without discernment will come to ruin"  (cf. Hosea 4:14).


Jesus was called the "friend of publicans and sinners" but did not say that of Himself ("You are my friends if you do what I command you," Jesus, in John 15:14, ESV), it was only assumed since He went where they were and was not afraid to get down and dirty with mankind. Jesus said that His friends were those who obey Him.  But it's the sinners who admit it that are closer to Him than those who think they're righteous   He was with them but did not condone their behavior, nor alter His mission to save man from sin.  He was not influenced by their sin, which is not something we can boast:  "Do not be deceived:  'Evil company corrupts good habits'" (1 Cor. 15:33, NKJV).  Note that He saved and loved us before we were His friends.

Are we to justify our friendship with the world as being like Jesus?  He who is the friend of the world, is the enemy of God, according to James 4:4. If we spend most of our time with sinners and little of it with God's people, who will influence us the most?  Jesus could be exposed to sin and no corrupted by it because He is holy, but we are highly influenced by our surroundings and environment, not to mention the kind of people we choose to associate with.

We can not justify watching sinful programs that are indecent, lewd, suggestive, disgusting, and risque, because we are "friends of sinners" (like Jesus).  Show discretion in entertainment choices.  Don't be like Demas who loved this present world and departed from the faith.  God has given us a discerning mind to know good and evil and we are to use it, to be wise as serpents, but innocent as doves.

You are what you think about.  It is also said that you're not what you think you are, but what you think you are. "Keep [guard] your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring [flow] the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23, NKJV).  "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he," Prov. 23:7    Be aware of the wiles of the devil and don't be ignorant (cf. 2 Cor. 2:11). "Come out from among them and be separate."2 Cor. 6:17.    

We are all vulnerable and susceptible to Satan's influence: He is the god of the media, entertainment world, academia, and even this world-system, and we are not to be influenced by this, but come out of it and be separate--that is what holiness is about.  "....without holiness shall no man see the Lord..."  (cf. Heb. 12:14).  We are to be cheerful that He overcame the world (cf. John 16:33).   He who walks with the wise will become wise, according to Solomon and a "companion of fools suffers harm."   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Limit Of Freedom

"... For why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience? (1 Cor. 10:29, NKJV).


It is for freedom that Christ set us free, and we are not to be entangled again with a yoke of bondage (i.e., the Law, which was unbearable to the Jews).  The yoke we bear is that of following Christ and doing His will, which He does reveal to us:  "... The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will..." (Acts 22:14, ESV).  "'All things are lawful for me,' but not all things are helpful.'   All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything" (1 Cor. 6:12, ESV).  Even though we have liberty in Christ, we are to be restrained by our brother's conscience, not flaunting our freedom so as to offend him.

It is a dangerous thing to flirt with evil and see what we can get away with, and savor of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil again, ruining our innocence--which is always deliberate.  Jesus said to be wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.  Even though we have the right to do something, doesn't mean we should do it--we must show restraint for our brother's sake.  In 1 Cor. 8:12 says: "When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their conscience, you sin against Christ." We can make someone fall from the faith by approving of things that he considers wrong if his faith is weak.  We are to be sensitive to the weaker brother. There are certain churches that teach taboos and forbid things not even mentioned in Scripture, but we are not to "go beyond that which is written." (Cf. 1 Cor. 4:6).

Things that are not mentioned as a sin in the Bible nor implied as an application are not sin.  This is why it's hard to make an anti-gambling, or abstinence from alcohol or teetotaler case from the Bible. Though forbidding "free love" is a clear violation, regardless of what modern man and society say. What was wrong in the time of Moses, is still wrong; right and wrong do not evolve with the times but are absolute and eternal.  The freedom we have is from the Law, not from sin--we are free to obey Christ and given the power to do it in Christ.  We are not free to sin, but free from the power of sin--we don't have to sin anymore.  What you may approve of is not necessarily the right thing to do in public, but "the faith that you have to keep between yourself and God."  And remember: "... and be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23, NASB).

Everyone has a dark side that no one sees but God, just like the moon.  Someone has said we have four personas:  One the world sees; our friends see, we see, and God sees.  Hypocrisy is when these don't align with purpose and we pretend to walk the talk when we only talk the talk.  We don't want others to praise us as a great Christian or give that impression when we know inside we are only hypocrites.  Remember, your sin doesn't show your freedom but demonstrates your slavery.    Soli Deo Gloria!

What's Behind Karma?

The demonic doctrine of karma (from Hinduism and Buddhism) must be exposed because, in this so-called Age of Aquarius, modern man is fooled and taken in by Eastern philosophy and thinking, letting it influence the Christian faith.  Both Eastern faiths adhere to this and believe that actions in this life automatically determine your fate.  Many Christians flippantly, or even seriously, say, "What goes around, comes around," and think that everyone gets precisely what they deserve in life like God has a ledger-book mentality, just keeping score of our deeds and dealing with us accordingly. Case in point:  Job's friends accused him of evil-doing and told him to repent.

The beauty of our faith is that it is the opposite of karma:  We don't get what we do deserve (mercy) and we do get what we don't deserve (grace)--both contrary to the doctrine of karma and its exact-reward concept.  God doesn't just weigh out our good deeds versus our bad ones and deal with us as the result in the afterlife.  Eastern thinking believes you cannot escape karma because it is the system of justice in the universe--people get precisely what they deserve, whether good or bad, and what's more, you should not interfere with someone else's karma--everyone is an island or a rock to himself and has to deal with his own reality and fate in life because he deserves it.  This erroneous thinking also says that you can overcome bad karma with good karma, and this would make one believe it's alright to do evil if one balances it out or neutralizes it with a good deed--sort of like wasting fuel on a solo flight but planting a tree in remorse to make up for it.

How do we know karma is wrong?  The Bible teaches that suffering is not something we can comprehend and that there's an easy answer to--one only need consult Job.  If karma were true, why did Jesus suffer more than any man--did he deserve his sufferings?  There is not a man alive that God is not good too and doesn't deserve to die a thousand deaths--even believers.  George Whitefield was asked what he thought of the poor souls going to the gallows:  "There, but for the grace of God, go I."  It is said that if God were to actually wipe out evil from the earth, none of us would be left.  The question is not why is there evil, but why is there good.    The psalmist in Psalm 103:10 (ESV) delineates our thinking:  "He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities."

Case in point:  If you remember the massacre of refugees by the Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge in Thailand (known as the "killing fields") in the mid-'70s, you should be informed that this happened on Buddhist turf, and they refused to help their own Buddhist brothers (some 300,000 stranded in no-mans-land on the Cambodian border), because they felt they shouldn't interfere with their karma--Buddha taught that you are to be an island to yourself.  It was Christian goodwill and relief organizations that stepped into the save the day and be the example of Christ's love for the outcast and rescued those in need.  This is an example of that what the world needs is more Christian love, according to Lord Bertrand Russell, British philosopher, and mathematician, who happened to be atheist.  There is no basis for the love and compassion of one's fellow man in a world of karma.

There is a certain manner in which we get what we deserve, reaping what we sow, but this basically refers to our eternal destiny whether in the flesh or the spirit and if we are in the habit of judging we shall be judged accordingly.  Spiritually speaking, we are to sow to the Spirit, not the flesh.  But Christians do indeed suffer the consequences of their acts but are forgiven and there is no eternal aftermath.  The doctrine of karma has to do with the exact-reward concept that you cannot escape it and it is the final judge of your destiny.

One must not say that he has blown it and will suffer for it the rest of his life, because God doesn't punish us for our sins--He only prunes or disciplines us (according to Romans 8:28 all things will work out for the good) that we may grow and learn a lesson and be sanctified.  God isn't finished with us yet and is still working on us--we are a work in progress! The immediate response when something disastrous happens, is that God is out to get us, or we may ask, "What did I do to deserve this?"  We are not capable of understanding the motives of God and must accept by faith that He intends it for good just like Joseph said, "You meant it for evil, but God intended it for good" (cf. Gen. 50:20).

And so why is karma evil?  It denies grace and mercy and means that there is an impersonal force in the universe meting out justice mechanically like fate.  God is personal and deals with us accordingly, and knows us and has a plan of good and not of evil toward us and as Psalm 145:9 (ESV) says, "The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made."  There is no one that will be able to claim that God is not good and that they got more than they deserved in life because of His blessings. The uniqueness of Christian thinking is the introduction of the concepts of grace and mercy as seen in the atonement of Christ.

People that believe in karma don't help out their fellow man, because they believe everyone must suffer his own personal karma.  Karma denies the reality of a substitutionary death (no one should interfere with someone's karma), as done by Christ on our behalf.  We get what we don't deserve and are delivered from what we do deserve!  Eastern salvation or "nirvana" is released from this impersonal law of karma.

God is not only "great" like Islam proclaims, but He is also "good," and this is what they deny, seeing God as capricious, arbitrary, or whimsical and able to treat man unpredictably, according to any rational basis.  This doctrine leads to pride in thinking because people think they are "self-made" and don't owe God anything for their prosperity (it is God who makes one have the power to get rich per Deuteronomy 8:17-18). This reminds me of the definition of an Englishman:  A self-made man who worships his creator.

There is justice (meting out punishment as deserved and giving one his due).  But God metes out justice with mercy and there is not always justice in this life--in which case they will meet it in eternity, so no one ultimately escapes it, except by the mercy of God in Christ.  "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Cf. Gen 18:25).  Governments are God's ordained means to monitor evil and punish wrongdoers, but God's justice is never escaped.  No one will be punished beyond that which strict justice requires, but believers escape justice by virtue of their faith in the atoning work of Christ on the cross, where He suffered for us.

We must acknowledge God's ultimate control of our destiny and that it is in His hands--He is sovereign over all.  Remember what Jesus said to those who inquired why a person was born blind, whether he had sinned or his parents:  "Neither, it was so the glory of God should be manifest."  It is good news that there is no karma (I'm not saying we don't sometimes get what we deserve, but there is no iron-clad law that cannot be escaped and our destiny isn't controlled by it), and one should rejoice in the fact that we can say regarding our salvation: "What did I ever do, to deserve this?" This answer is nothing, it was all grace--God gets all the glory from start to finish.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Committing Spiritual Suicide

Doctrinal accuracy is not an option in the church, but a mandate, as teachers are to teach sound doctrine and pay attention to what accords with sound doctrine (cf. Titus 2:1).  There is nothing wrong with the quest to be right, contrary to the teachings of the so-called "emerging church," which has the postmodern philosophy that we haven't nailed down biblical orthodoxy yet, making it "shrink-wrapped" or "freeze-dried."  It is dangerous to react to dogma by not believing in dogma or to be anti-dogma.  It is true, however, that one can be correct in his doctrine and have no spiritual life; we don't want to content ourselves on just being right theologically, with no inner reality.  Faith is more than acquiescence or consent to the church's dogma.

We cannot think that we are a cut above others or that less informed brethren are poor specimens of the faith.  It is vitally more important to be right in our hearts than in our minds--but both are necessary for a living faith.  "You cannot have a sound life without a sound doctrine, but you can have a sound doctrine without a sound life" according to R. C. Sproul.  You could say that one could get A's in theology class and hardly know the Lord at all, but if one does know the Lord, he will not ignore theology; however, it cannot just be in his head

We don't kiss our brains goodbye when converting but begin our search for the truth.  The sign of a believer is that he loves the truth and the sign of the unbeliever is that he rejects the truth (cf. 2 Thess. 2:10)  The unbeliever does not "obey the truth" and will "reject the truth" (cf. Rom. 2:8).  It is not an option to dismiss doctrine as unimportant, an aside, or only a side-issue; one cannot ignore doctrine--it's just what doctrines will be adhered to.  If we dismiss doctrine, we are committing spiritual suicide because we cannot avoid it doctrine. You could say that it is necessary, but not sufficient for a healthy relationship with God.  You can have no normal relationship with God without it, but you can also have no normal relationship with it, too. We cannot dismiss doctrine as irrelevant, because of only childish faith balks at learning the things of God in depth.  (Cf. 1 Tim. 3:9:  "They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.")

We are to contend (per Jude v. 3) for the faith (the common body of knowledge we adhere to).  We must not remain an infant in the faith, unable to comprehend the meat of the Word. What some believers do is to reject all theology or doctrine because they have experienced bad theology or bad theologians and reject theology per se because of it.  This is not an option for the true student of the Word (cf. John 8:31).  As we use our mind to God's glory, we are to "always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you..." (1 Peter 3:15, NKJV).

To despise theology is to despise the very Word of God.--not an option (can't avoid it!).   How can you be right in your heart, if you are not right in your mind first?  Our hearts reflect what we think:  "Keep [guard] thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23, KJV).  Proverbs says, (23:7, NKJV):  "As he thinks in his heart, so is he...."  We are what we think about and our heart is only a reflection of our thoughts.  To be sure, there can be no spiritual health with correct theology, and there can be none without it either. One should not content himself just to be doctrinally orthodox either.  This is what the situation with the Ephesian church was:  They were theologically sound, but had left their first love--this is dead orthodoxy!

We must apply what we know and make it our experience, not just pride.  According to 1 Timothy 4:1, one of the signs of the last days will be that churches will bail out theologically--they will not heed sound doctrine and "depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons." When you ignore sound doctrine, it only opens the door to false doctrine.  We don't just ignore good doctrine because we've had a bad experience with bad doctrine.  Simply because we hate being wrong, we must not avoid theology altogether. God places a premium on the mind and deplores ignorance--ignorance is no excuse and is not bliss either!  We may be against intellectualism, but not against the mind per se and using it to God's glory, as we love God with all our minds.

God's will is to dispel our ignorance and it is the domain of the Holy Spirit to enlighten us, as we "shall know the truth and the truth shall set [us] free" according to John 8:32.  "Canst thou by searching find out [fathom] the deep things of God?"  (Job 11:7, KJV).   The answer is "NO!."   Our religion is a religion of revelation and not of human origin:  "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes."

One modern phenomenon is that we are increasing in knowledge, but remaining unchanged in our natures.  There is a vacuum in everyone that only God can fill, according to Blaise Pascal.  Carl Jung said the "central neurosis of our time is emptiness."  Billy Graham says we are all on a great "Quest" to find meaning and purpose in life and live in a vacuum that is boring (only man is truly capable of being bored despite his environment and circumstances) and "nature abhors a vacuum."  Man not only needs knowledge, but he needs a relationship with God and the wisdom to use it.

It is actually pride that closes the door to learning:  To commence learning we must admit our ignorance!  "I believe in order to understand," said Augustine.  In other words, "all knowledge begins in faith." We must remain vigilant, humble, teachable, open-minded, receptive, needy, and willing to do as God reveals to us to be in the right frame of mind to mature.  When we learn the truth we must not merely say,  "How interesting!" It is meant to upset and challenge us and our lifestyle--God's Word is meant to shock us out of our comfort zones!

You must open yourself up to the possibility that you may be wrong and let God's Word do its thing and have its total impact!  If you've never made a mistake, they say, you've never made anything!   Finally, never get caught in the trap that you've arrived--that you do not have any more need to learn anymore, having the attitude of a "know-it-all."  Soli Deo Gloria!

"How Does This Man Know ..?"

They really wondered how Jesus could be so wise, having never learned (been taught)--He was self-taught by God. Some people have only second-hand knowledge of God and not a first-hand experience from walking with Him.  1 John 2:27 (ESV) says:  "But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you.  But as his anointing teaches you about everything--and is true and is no lie, just as it has taught you--abide in him." Psalm 119:99 (ESV) says, "I have more understanding than all my teachers...."

Christians are not meant to be dependent on teachers forever but come of age spiritually enough to learn to be noble enough like the Bereans, who searched these things out for themselves what Paul taught.   Some believers that aren't even teachers are mighty in the Scriptures because they have learned to abide in the Word--it doesn't take high intelligence or any arcane knowledge.  When you meet a genuine believer, you will find out that he has had first-hand encounters in the Word and has learned to attend to it to hear God speaking to him.

There is nothing to be privy to except a basic reading skills and good study techniques.  We are not Gnostics claiming a secret knowledge that is necessary for salvation, but when we are able to discern good and evil (cf. Heb. 5:14) we can then be ready for the meat of the Word. The childish believer balks at learning the things of God in depth and remains an infant in the faith.  Deacons are called to "hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience [not reluctant to study the deeper truths]" (cf. 1 Tim. 3:9, ESV). The Bible is not abstruse and its basic message of salvation can be comprehended by children.

The simplicity of Scripture is a mystery and inscrutable to unbelievers who don't have the Spirit to enlighten them and show them the way. The way of salvation is not complicated nor a mystery to unravel, but the wise in this world, don't see its wisdom.  1 Cor. 1:25 ESV, says, "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men").  God makes the world's wisdom foolishness.  All it takes is to be teachable and receptive, having a willing spirit, an open mind, and a needy heart.

When we are in heaven we will know what we cannot know in the flesh and every question will be answered to our satisfaction (Jesus said that "in that day" we "shall ask [Him] nothing").  We cannot know the secret things of God because they are none of our business, but that which is revealed in Scripture belongs to us forever (cf. Deut. 29:29).  As Jesus quoted the prophet in John 6:45 (ESV): "They shall all be taught of God"

No prophecy is of any private interpretation and that means we have the privilege to interpret Scripture, but not to fabricate our own truths--God is not going to give us a personal revelation of the meaning of a passage or prophecy that He doesn't give to others--we are to avoid strange teachings and people claiming special links to God that makes them infallible like the pope does.  It is the illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit that shows us the light in the Word and opens the eyes of our hearts.  We must learn to depend upon the leading of the Spirit and not depend on our own wits.

In summation, the aim of the teacher is to teach others and equip them to be able to pass on that which is committed unto them and spread the Word, and ultimately and hopefully so that they can also teach others and exponentially increase the ministry, rather than arithmetically. When they believe they don't need you anymore, that is good news and a blessing--the fulfillment of a ministry; we don't want them to become dependents!  2 Timothy 2:2 says to entrust these things to faithful men who will be able to pass them on to others.  Soli Deo Gloria!

To The Angel Of The Church

John gets a dictated message from Jesus Himself to give to seven churches in Asia and is told to address them to the angel of the church in each case. One sound principle of hermeneutics is to heed the recipient of a message and interpret it accordingly. Note that these letters are addressed "to the angel of the church" not to the church per se; the letter was not to be circulated among members in my understanding, but read by the angel and applied by him to his church and likely read publicly. These letters are indirect to the churches, but the message relayed by their angels (which, being interpreted really refers to messengers, elders, or spiritual leaders).

Sometimes the Word falls on deaf ears and sometimes the opposite, they have itching ears and just want to hear a good word without any negative news or rebuke accompanying it.  All these letters have both good and bad news, except Philadelphia, which has no rebuke explicit nor implied. It seems that Jesus says the good news first and then says, "Nevertheless, I have this against you...."  At one level all the letters apply to every church and all believers as commendations to aim for and warnings to heed. None of us want to go where some of these churches are. Don't say, "That doesn't apply to me." It does apply; however, the application may be different!  But one point I want to stress is that it is to the angels that the letters are sent and addressed (they may not necessarily be the elders or preachers), and the letters are to be read and applied by them.  It is not what the pastor holds against the flock, but what the Lord holds against them manifest in the Word.

It is quite possible that people were not as literate in those days as they are now, and may have needed someone to read it to them, but in today's society with almost 100 percent literacy in Protestant nations, the letter might have gone into circulation.  Even the Scriptures themselves were widely in circulation and there might have been only one per church that was shared among members.  I do not believe manuscripts, which were hand-copied, were as likely to be privately owned, but mainly in libraries and in churches.  

At that time it was still thought possible to wipe out or stamp out the Bible and abolish it everywhere, making it illegal. Even though people usually graduate from high school today, many still have minimal skill in reading and find it quite challenging or difficult to read because of dyslexia or other handicap or just plain limited academic skill.  Not everyone can read, and this makes them disinclined to do it--I believe this is why we have preachers and teachers who can do the homework and read for them:  "Faith comes by the hearing [via preachers] of the Word"  (cf. Rom. 10:17).

I have been teaching the Bible for years now, and I have been in many Bible classes, being exposed to students of the Word at all academic skill levels and natural abilities, and one thing I have learned is that some people are just not wont to read and do not enjoy it due to difficulty--not everyone finds reading fun and easy and a learning experience. They don't want to read anything mainly because it is over their head and they are not at that reading level--it's no fun for a high school student to read the college-level material unless he is a bright student and quite proficient and ahead of his years.

Some people don't realize that even Bible-reading is a challenge to some--though I believe in the simplicity of the Word and that its main salvation message is plain enough for anyone to comprehend as far as salvation goes (cf. Isa. 35:8)  Part of teaching is to be able to condescend and know where people are and not preach over their heads, and also not to try to "wow" them with your scholarship, which only discourages in the end--students should be able to relate to their teacher. We don't want them to say: "You lost me." Einstein's dictum is right:  "Keep things as simple as possible, but not more so."

Paul told Timothy to pay attention to the "public reading of Scripture" (cf. 1 Tim. 4:13).  During the Middle Ages, people were illiterate and got most of their doctrine from artwork in the church and from the sermons on Sunday and had no direct access to Scriptures, which were even illegal to own in their own language and they were only copied into Latin.  Martin Luther is credited with making Scripture accessible in Germany, and William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale in England (John Wycliffe and Jan Hus actually started the movement).  It wasn't long after the invention of the printing press in ca. 1454-56 that Bibles were widely published, circulated, and available quite cheaply. 

It is not true that, just because a person has graduated from high school that he can read at that level in today's day and age, or that he can read at all, and doesn't have severe difficulty, handicap, or academic deficiency to be able to read at will, even if he desires to.  Those of us who are very good readers are not to look down (which is expecting a certain level of comprehension from reading is doing this) when we note those who lack this skill, nor are we to expect them to rise to our level and find reading pleasurable and rewarding.  It is just as much the schools' fault to have never taught how to read, as natural ability not being inherent in everyone equally.

Jesus urged us not to lord it over one another and Paul told elders not to be domineering; we should not try to micromanage each other's lives and try to tell them what God's will for them is or what they should do to apply the Word of God.  We apply ourselves to the Word of God, and then the Word to us, and then we might have something to share with others and hope they can spread the Word and apply it to themselves.  Case in point:  A teacher cannot say to his student or a preacher to someone in the church that it's God's will to read a certain book or go to a certain class or take a certain course--we are all stewards of our gifts and held accountable accordingly and to whom much is given much is required, etc.  Preachers and teachers can make suggestions and possible applications and can express their opinion, but not to lay down the law and tell people what they ought to do in applying the Word--"Do not go beyond that what is written" (cf. 1 Cor. 4:6, NIV).

It is getting presumptuous to get sidetracked and turn the church into a college or academic institution, instead of a hospital for sinners and family of believers who are meant to do one mission: Fulfill the Great Commission--including preparation;  all else is unnecessary, or in addition to this. We are not to "turn stones into bread" or be involved in the so-called social gospel, which is a misnomer. This mission is our purpose and focus, and we must let people operate and function within their gift's domain and not try to project our gifts onto others and expect them to be like us.

At my last church there was a popular two-year college-level Bible Study that the pastor encouraged members to take, but at no time did he rebuke them for not taking it--one felt accepted whether one took it or not. I'll bet that if a church offered a course at the 9th-grade level there would be some who would take it that don't feel up to the level of the average member.  Some people have the deck stacked against them from the get-go and find other ways to learn the Word and do God's will.  My brother is dyslexic and is hardly the one to ever read a book--I doubt he's ever read one; he didn't even graduate from high school; however, his spiritual development and maturity level, as well as comprehension of the deeper truths, is no less than someone who just reads a lot.  He has gotten his knowledge first-hand while those who just read a lot have accumulated a lot of knowledge that is second-hand.

What we are to encourage people to do is to read the Bible the best they can and be faithful to what God has shown them in the Word. We cannot superimpose our standards of performance or achievement on others--God isn't looking for achievement; He's looking for obedience.  Christ said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (cf. Matt. 11:30)--we are not to overwhelm our sheep and so discourage them.  The yoke we have to follow is the will of God and we should walk in fellowship with Christ doing His will, in whatever capacity, a sphere of influence, circle of friends, or turf we find ourselves.

Any course should have a purpose:  We don't increase knowledge for knowledge sake.  If it is your calling to be a teacher, then God requires more knowledge--that is the tool of the trade. Knowledge must not remain theoretical or be a basis of pride. It is not an end itself, but a means to an end.  A little knowledge can be dangerous; therefore, we must be careful not to half-educated our sheep give them overconfidence that they know something--knowledge should humble a person and make him realize what he doesn't know. Today, we have too much knowledge to know what to do with it. Wisdom is sen as the good application of knowledge or learning. 

Even believers must realize that the cliche is still valid that "Christianity is a relationship, not a religion" (list of dos and don'ts). You can't just tell people to read the Bible and make them feel guilty if they don't; you have to instill a love and appreciation for the Word, which must come naturally from God, and not conjured up.  I always read the Bible because God gave me a love for it, not because someone told me I had to. Religion says "have to," while Christianity says, "want to.  "Jesus said that eternal life is to know Him (cf. John 17:3) and this should remain the focus.  It is often tempting to tell others what they ought to do (unless the Bible admonishes it). We all have an inner sense of "ought." The end result may be that they stop listening or don't think you know what you're talking about.

Pastors advice from Paul is "not lording it over those entrusted to [them], but being examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:3, NIV).  We are not out to make clones of ourselves nor set up ourselves as the standard to emulate; God doesn't want cookie-cutter Christians.  Paul urged young preacher Timothy to "preach the word" in 2 Tim. 4:2 and we must realize that truth endures and is unchanging, but applications may or may not apply and are different for different people.  Paul told Titus to "teach what accords with sound doctrine"  (Titus 2:2, ESV).

In the final analysis, knowledge (except knowledge of God) puffs up (cf. 1 Cor. 8:1), and it is not what we know, but what we apply--viz., faith expressing itself through love (cf. Gal. 5:6, NIV). It is not in the knowledge of Scripture that the power is, but in the doing of it (cf. James 1:22). Our aim is to know the Lord, not getting a big head, and in this should we boast (cf. Jer. 9:24). It is not knowing the Scriptures, but knowing the Author!  One great teacher may be a great scholar but hardly know his Lord.

The aim is not to know about the Bible (or be educated in it), nor even to familiarize yourself with it, but to get acquainted with the AUTHOR and be at peace with Him (cf. Job 22:21). Anyone who knows the Lord is all right in my book and I would never attempt to throw stones and try to bring guilt at not meeting my own personal standards of scholarship--I know God's will for me, but not for someone else. We can know who we are in the Lord, but not necessarily for someone else.

Personally, I believe you can learn from anyone, even a child, but there comes a coming of age spiritually when you venture out on your own studies and not become dependent on someone else if you have this gift. The same can be said about a lot of endeavors: I know that God loves music and brings him glory; however, I'm not musical and cannot carry a tune or sing in key, so I depend on the talents and gifts of others;  I don't need another book on prayer--I just need to pray; I don't have a deep theology on prayer--I just believe in prayer!

In summation, we must find out who we are individually in the Lord and what our own calling is and what we can do, not thinking we have to be like someone else or compare ourselves with others, as is the manner of some; or, conversely, that others have to be like us and minister similarly.  We can all strive to be angels or messengers in the church.     Soli Deo Gloria!

Evidence's Verdict...

"This is the verdict, that light has come into the world and men loved darkness greater than light, because their deeds are evil," (cf. John 3:19). 

Josh McDowell wrote the book, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, in which he systematically unfolds and lays out proof and arguments for Christianity and its tradition, the Scriptures.  There are several volumes and there is sufficient evidence for the seeker who wants to believe and is willing to do God's will. But for the skeptic who wants to stay in his sin because he is fond of it, and not repent, there is never enough evidence--you cannot argue someone into the kingdom; they must be receptive and open-minded. 

Where there's a need God will fulfill it; therefore the kingdom belongs to the poor in spirit (those who recognize their need and sin).  If you are earnestly and diligently seeking God you will find Him  (cf. Deut. 4:29; Jer. 29:13) and God is no man's debtor and will let Himself be found by the sincere and willing seeker.  The truth of the matter is that you don't need all the answers to believe. It is not an intellectual problem, but a moral one and the heart of the matter is that it's a matter of the heart!   Mark 9:24 says: "I believe, help thou mine unbelief."

We may find we have doubts, but this is a good thing that will strengthen our faith in the end--doubt is not the opposite of faith, but an element of it.  Our faith must be tried in the fire and tested as to its validity and whether it is genuine, saving faith.  God will not make a person believe against their will, that would be coercion and against our natures, to be forced or coerced by someone to do something we don't want to do; however, God is able to make the unwilling willing and to woo (cf. Jer. 20:7; John 6:44, 65; Psalm 51:12; Col. 1:29; Heb. 13:21) us to the Father and melt our hearts in grief for our sins and repent in all sincerity.  "God is at work within you, both to will, and to do of His good pleasure" (cf. Philippians 2:13).

There is no question that is going to make Christianity come to its knees without the answer:  The Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties by Gleason Archer, and the book, Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible by John W. Haley, answer just about every question about the Bible skeptics have.  Apologetics is a discipline that takes many forms: literary like C. Lewis; philosophical like Francis A. Schaeffer; scientific like Henry Morris; cultural like Charles Colson; and historical like Josh McDowell, et al. Belief in God is universal and in every culture, nation, people, group, and tribe.

God is the Potter and we are the clay and He is ultimately in control of our destiny and all those who are the elect shall believe--His divine decree (cf. Acts 13:48).  You practically have to teach a child not to believe in God, because he instinctively knows everything we observe has a purpose, and that ultimately leads to the uncaused cause or the necessary being, which is God. A child's heart isn't hardened and it is with the heart that man disbelieves according to Psalm 14:1.

The original tradition, historically speaking was of one God, not a pantheon.  Eventually, they thought the more gods, the better! Paul is right in Romans 1:20 that man has no excuse and he also says that God has never left the world without a witness (cf. Acts 14:17). People are without excuse and we are not God's judgment, weighing the evidence--He doesn't need evidence--His fingerprints are on all creation and every living thing.  God accommodates us and condescends to strengthen our weak or little faith, but we must take that first step in the right direction when He woos us.

Many scholars have attempted to disprove the Bible and have been forced to admit its truth and found out the truth does set you free--they wrote books, such as General Lew Wallace's Ben Hur:  A Tale of the Christ; Lawyer Frank Morrison attempted to disprove the resurrection, and ended up writing Who Moved the Stone? with the first chapter entitled, "The Book that Refused to be Written;" Simon Greenleaf, the world's foremost expert on legal evidence in the nineteenth century, and professor at Harvard, considered the evidence and then wrote, The Testimony of the Evangelists.  Many archaeologists have tried to discredit the Bible's historicity and have ended up becoming believers because no dig has ever contravened the Bible's record.

What they say is that you don't have to prove the Bible it can defend itself--you can prove it yourself by just reading it and giving it the opportunity without a closed mind. The Bible makes no effort either to prove God's existence, but assumes this and asserts that all knowledge begins with the fear of God (cf. Prov. 1:7).  The Bible actually declares a person a fool if he doesn't believe in God!  In sum, there's never enough evidence to convince someone who's unwilling to believe or do God's will; there's just enough light to see for the willing, and enough darkness not to see for the unwilling. Soli Deo Gloria!

Defender Of Faith

We are called to contend for the faith that was once and for all delivered to us, according to Jude 3. Christianity is rightly called a faith, rather than a religion, because of two things:  The common body of knowledge adhered to; and the virtue of faith that is essential for its doctrine of redemption.  Religion is not a faith in the same sense--our faith is in a person that we know ("I know whom I have believed..," says 2 Tim. 1:12), and our faith is not in a system or code of ethics or rules and ritual.

Saving faith is a living faith that grows--where is it going?  It is not being credulous or believing for no sound reason--we have ample reasons to believe and don't believe despite the evidence.  We take God at His Word and accept His authority over ours as self-attesting (which means that if you appeal to any higher authority than Him, then you are saying He is not God, but the authority is). We are not inclined to believe due to our depravity and must be regenerated unto faith by an act of grace of the Holy Spirit. The only manifestation of faith and the test of faith is obedience--you cannot believe in the Lord without submission, it's a contradiction in terms.

These two are equated in Hebrews 3:18-19; 4:6).  Faith commences with receptivity and an open mind, and you don't need all the answers to believe; you are required to take a leap of faith because faith is what pleases God (cf. Heb. 11:6). Some think of it as going with the preponderance of the evidence as a jury making a decision and going in the direction of the evidence, though you don't have all the evidence that is possible and there may be gaps in it to fill by faith.

It takes more faith to be an atheist than a believer and there is sufficient evidence for anyone with an open mind (can have your own opinions, but not your own facts; some say, "I already have my mind made up, don't confuse me with the facts"), a willing (i.e., to do God's will) spirit, and a needy (poor in spirit, or recognizing need for God and depravity and sinfulness of self) heart.  Not believing in God is not evidence and one must always inquire, "What evidence is there that there is no God, etc?" You cannot prove that God doesn't exist, or that Jesus didn't rise from the dead; the opposite of Christ rising from the dead is not that people don't normally do this, but that He didn't--and there's much circumstantial, historical, and empirical evidence that suggests He did!

There is historical or story-book faith that's all in the head, and then there's heart belief that saves. We must not only believe that Christ lived but that He lives.  And that He died for you personally.  Christ wasn't just born, but must be born in you!  We may come to Christ, which is believing in Him and say, "I believe, help thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:24).  You need to be sincere, but can be sincerely wrong--you have to believe the right thing about Christ and be orthodox--sincerity is necessary, but not sufficient.  Finally, saving faith is childlike, but not childish, and simple, but not simplistic.

We do not believe it is the amount of faith that saves, but the direction or object that counts.  You can have great faith in the church and its program and be lost (that's why some will say to the Lord, "Lord, Lord, did we not [do this or do that]?").  There are some whose faith is weak, but at least it is in the right direction.  It's like having only a little faith to step out on the frozen lake that has 2-foot-thick ice--it doesn't take much faith!  Our God is so great, it isn't our faith that saves--it's Jesus, who is the only Savior who saves.  The problem most people have is not that their faith is too small, but their God is too small and their thoughts of God are too human! We boast of a big God who can do anything, and with whom everything (except going against His nature) is possible.  That's why Jesus said that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains (which means attempting great tasks that seem impossible without God).  With God on our side, little is much and we can do a lot with our small ability--we all have the small ability and need to depend on God.  It isn't how much self-esteem we have, but God-esteem!

The crown prince of Great Britain wants to change his motto of the monarchy, "Fidei Defensor" or defender of the faith (FD), to defender of faith. Faith is a virtue but it is the gift of God and we are to use it to His glory.  Peter wrote "to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with [their]..." (2 Peter 2:1, ESV).  Paul says in Romans 12:3 (ESV) that we serve "each according to the measure of faith God has assigned [us]." Jesus said, that to whom much is given, much is required.  And also of a woman that she has done what she could.   Being the defender of faith per se is not biblical, because it must be the faith that saves, not just faith for faith's sake or faith in faith.

The Bible says, "... For not, all have faith"  (2 Thess. 3:2, ESV).  This is referring to saving faith because everyone has faith in something, even if it's oneself and he thinks he's a self-made man. Some have faith in the system or in religion, and some have faith in nothing (nihilism), which takes more than to believe in God because there is more evidence for God than against Him.   It isn't for lack of evidence that a person rejects God, but with the heart, he doesn't believe out of his stubbornness and unwillingness to do God's will--for Jesus said, that if any man is willing to do His will he shall know of the doctrine. Man simply doesn't want to believe, it's not an intellectual problem--these are just smokescreens designed to change the subject and stump the Christian with side issues--the real issue is repenting of sin and following Jesus as Lord and Savior for a new and more abundant, eternal life.

There is no such thing as easy-believism whereby your faith involves no commitment nor surrender of the ownership of your life--salvation is free but it's not cheap!  The only kind of faith that saves is productive faith that yields good fruit, for you shall know them by their fruits. We are indeed saved by faith alone, but the formula of the Reformation says, it is not by a faith that is alone.  James 2:20 says that faith without works is dead--that kind of faith cannot save.  No fruit--no faith--no salvation! Faith comes by the hearing [or preaching] of the Word (cf. Rom. 10:17), and isn't conjured up, caught like one catches a cold by going somewhere, imagined, gained by osmosis, or even hanging around the right people.  We don't work ourselves into the mood to believe!  It is the gift of God and comes through the power of the Word of God.

The first step to believing is a willingness to listen and receptivity, you must understand next and then put your trust and reliance on Christ and stop trying to save yourself or get your act together--you can never do this; cleaning up your act comes after salvation as a fruit and sign of a changed life.  Faith must be put to work and it consists of knowledge but knowledge put to use and acted on:  By faith, Abraham obeyed, etc.  We must realize and act on our faith to make it real saving faith by taking the leap of faith.  Works are the byproduct of saving faith and not the substitute for it because we are ordained unto good works according to Ephesians 2:10.  We don't do them because we have to (legalism) but because we want to out of a grateful and changed the heart.  We are not saved by works and we are not saved without them either!  They can be distinguished, but not separated.

There is not saving faith without genuine repentance either! They go together as one package and are the flip side of each other.  In Scripture, they are often mentioned in juxtaposition.  They can be distinguished, but not separated.  Repentance is turning from sin and faith is turning to God--in other words, you do an about-face or U-turn (cf. Acts 20:21).  We exchange our life of sin for a life in Christ as we choose to follow Him. If a person is impenitent, he cannot be a believer; likewise if one doesn't believe, he is also impenitent, because they go hand-in-hand. If you have a problem with believing, it's probably some sin you are cleaving to and refusing to surrender to the Lordship of Christ.

The formula of the Reformers was that we are saved:  By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and by the authority of Scripture alone, and to God alone be the glory!  Soli Deo Gloria!