What is meant by God being good? the phrase "God is good all the time..." is too simplistic and is open to interpretation and misunderstanding. Does this mean He is incapable of being anything but good? God is good is only part of the story and description of His nature. Romans 11:22, KJV, says to "behold the goodness and severity of God...." "Therefore, consider God's kindness and severity..." (HCSB). There are multiple criteria for determining goodness! He is able to withhold His goodness. We believe that we shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living (cf. Psalm 27:13).
All of us have eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil--it's in contrast to evil that we behold good. Being good can be interpreted in many ways, for it's one of those words that is relative to what it describes: a good dog is merely one who is housebroken and does tricks, not a virtuous one! Sometimes we say we are having a good day! A good mother can always be counted on in times of need and to love you no matter what! A good housekeeper is one who keeps the house in order, relatively. A good movie may be entertaining and worth the investment. Do you see my drift?
NB: Something cannot be good without something to compare it to--a perfect standard; everything is good compared to an evil standard! That's why it's only in contrast to evil that we comprehend good and the knowledge of the two come in a package (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) and we all see ourselves as good compared to Hitler, but the standard of good is Jesus, and compared to Him, we all fall short.
When God created the earth He said that it was all very good, and then rested! Man was created good, not perfect--if he were perfect, God would be creating another God. Now, good doesn't necessarily mean perfect--wouldn't you rather get a perfect score on a paper than a good one, which may just be mediocre? If the earth was perfect at creation, it couldn't have been made corrupt or vulnerable to change. When God's nature is defined in terms of goodness, it's relative to Him and Jesus said that only God is good in this respect--no matter how good we think we are.
God is perfect needing no improvement and incapable of losing any perfections. God's goodness is the standard, for even Plato called God the Supreme Good and we would not know good except for Him. After all, where did this idea come from, except from God? Every rating, criticism, or standard must be weighed against a perfect standard to make any sense! In other words, it's only because of a Supreme Good that we can measure or assess any good at all. Even people compare themselves with themselves and congratulate themselves when they feel superior or holier---they like the "let's compare game."
Now, God is good for a reason! The goodness of God is meant to lead us to repentance according to Romans 2:4. But in reality, God is more than good--He's perfect, in that His goodness cannot be improved upon and cannot diminish! It goes back to the old philosophical axiom that "whatever is, is!" If God were to change or if He weren't immutable, He wouldn't be perfect, but vulnerable like His creatures,. God's goodness is that standard by which we see all good!
On the other hand, we must never accuse God of being vindictive, mean, cruel, imperfect, less than divine in any way, because God is good and He invites us to find out for ourselves! That's why He says, "Taste and see that the LORD is good!" in Psalm 34:8. A full comprehension of God's goodness is comprehended with an awareness of our depravity!
We don't just have to assume it or take it by faith, but have the opportunity to find out by giving God a chance to prove it to us. You could say that the proof of the pudding is in the eating, Those of us who know the Lord know that His goodness is far more than we can imagine or think--it blows our minds as to how and why He can or is so good--He doesn't know how to be bad, you could say; and yet we are bad inherently or basically by nature--just the opposite. Man used to be inclined to good before the Fall and now he's inclined by nature, by choice, and by birth, to be evil or bad and in need of someone to be good to us as ambassadors of goodwill! Grace is goodness in action and the way God reveals it to us in salvation: we don't deserve it, we cannot pay it back, we cannot earn it, and we cannot even add to it!
One mystery we must meditate on in awe is not that God is good to His children, but why is He good to all, even the bad--He's good to some people in all ways (cf. Psalm 145:9) but God is good to all in some ways--no one will be able to deny His goodness in the end. It is by grace, realizing our unworthiness, that we understand God's goodness to us in His provision and blessings. As Joseph told his brothers, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good" (cf. Gen. 50:20). Soli Deo Gloria!
To bridge the gap between so-called theologians and regular "students" of the Word and make polemics palatable. Contact me @ bloggerbro@outlook.com To search title keywords: title:example or label as label:example; or enter a keyword in search engine ATTN: SITE USING COOKIES!
About Me
- Karl Broberg
- I am a born-again Christian, who is Reformed, but also charismatic, spiritually speaking. (I do not speak in tongues, but I believe glossalalia is a bona fide gift not given to all, and not as great as prophecy, for example.) I have several years of college education but only completed a two-year degree. I was raised Lutheran and confirmed, but I didn't "find Christ" until I was in the Army and responded to a Billy Graham crusade in 1973. I was mentored or discipled by the Navigators in the army and upon discharge joined several evangelical, Bible-teaching churches. I was baptized as an infant, but believe in believer baptism, of which I was a partaker after my conversion experience. I believe in the "5 Onlys" of the reformation: sola fide (faith alone); sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); soli Christo (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory). I affirm TULIP as defended in the Reformation.. I affirm most of The Westminster Confession of Faith, especially pertaining to Providence.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Sunday, July 14, 2019
The Gospel In Its Purity
The Reformers' formula for salvation was that we are "saved by faith alone but not by a faith that is alone," and they defined this faith: by grace alone, in Christ alone, giving God alone the glory, and the Scripture alone as the authority--known as the Five Only's (by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, Scripture alone as authority, to God alone be the glory: sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus, sola Scriptura, and sola Deo gloria). We are to have Bible verses as our spiritual birth certificates, not taking the authority of a teacher, preacher, or church to certify our salvation--it's not their job description! Our assurance comes from the Word of God coupled with the inner witness of the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom. 8:16). We are to examine our own hearts, and become fruit inspectors of ourselves!
Grace means we cannot add to it, we cannot substitute for it, we don't deserve it, we cannot earn it, nor can we ever pay it back--grace all the way! We cannot put faith in the church or the pastor/teacher or even ourselves but the object must be Christ--it's the object that saves, not faith per se. Faith doesn't save: Christ is the Savior! Faith is the instrumental means or channel of grace.
The battle cry or rallying cry of the Reformation was that we are "saved by faith alone"; yet Romanists said that the Bible doesn't say that and they couldn't point to any certain passage in particular. When we are arguing or proof-texting we have missed the boat and don't see the big picture. Many cults like to point you to some verse and catch you off-guard, unprepared for their interpretation. You are either grace-oriented or not! Yes, they are technically right, but no text says Jesus is God per se, in so many words, or that God is a Trinity either! Some seemingly obscure doctrines we deduce from accepted dogma and plain, obvious passages or verses.
But with the Romanists, faith is seen as agreeing or acquiescing with what the Church (in their case the Roman Catholic Church) teaches or espouses. Faith of this kind is merely head belief, not heart belief, that doesn't enter the inner being of man and grow as a living and saving faith. Saving faith is an obedient one! We obey the gospel! The Holy Spirit is only given to those who obey: "We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him" (Acts 5:32, HCSB). (CF. Heb. 3:18-19). THE POINT IS THAT FAITH AND OBEDIENCE ARE ETERNALLY EQUATED IN HOLY WRIT! THEY ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN; "ONLY HE WHO BELIEVES IS OBEDIENT; ONLY HE WHO IS OBEDIENT BELIEVES"
NB: The Judaizers were guilty of mixing law and gospel, works and faith, merit and grace! This confusion led Paul to delineate the gospel message and condemn anyone who preaches an unbiblical evangel.
Rome distorts the pure gospel message in multiple ways: it adds works to faith, merit to grace, the Church to Christ, tradition to Scripture, and diminishes the glory of God as a result and outcome. For instance, they may have a lot of faith in their priest or in the Pope as being right. Of course, they see faith as necessary, grace as necessary, and Christ as necessary even Scripture as necessary, but they refuse to acknowledge them as sufficient. We believe grace is not only necessary but also sufficient to save us, as we are saved by grace, not by works, as Paul said, "My [God's] grace is sufficient for thee" (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9).
What Rome has done is make faith a meritorious work and in effect enabled man to save himself by what's called an analytic is a tautology, adding no new data, inherent righteousness and infused justification, not a synthetic, meaning we add data, alien righteousness (belonging to Christ, not us), and imputed justification of Christ--they see man as getting qualified or meriting salvation and he must make himself worthy in some way with some presalvation work--this is like stealing God's glory and giving yourself a pat on the back. "Salvation is of the LORD," (Jonah 2:9) and is a completed work of God, not a cooperative venture. If we had to do anything, we'd fail. (Inherent is what we already possess and analytic means we add no new info--a triangle has three sides-- and this implies he already has the capability and is just and it's only latent, and it's infused which means inspired or quickened--so God just instills our latent righteousness--whereas synthetic means we add new data we don't have to the equation, and alien means foreign and not our own--so God imputes Christ's righteousness to us, it's not our righteousness that saves us! In other words, God declares us righteous by virtue of Christ's righteousness, we are not made righteous and have no natural righteousness of our own--our righteousness is solely God's gift to us, not our gift to Him.
We must not believe in ourselves but in Christ and the object of our faith must be Christ, not Christ plus something or someone, not even us--we must give up trying to save ourselves. It is heresy to add anything to Jesus in our salvation: Jesus plus alms-giving, Jesus plus churchmanship, Jesus plus tithing, Jesus plus witnessing, Jesus plus any good behaviors--we are not saved by good behavior, but unto good behavior and if we don't have it our faith is suspect and may not exist. Dead faith cannot save and that refers to a faith that is unfruitful and is not shown or demonstrated by works or deeds to prove it and validate it. The faith you have is the faith you show, is what I always say.
The present-day evangelicals like to preach an easy-believism and/or play down the lordship of Christ in making a decision to follow Him and open the door of one's heart to die in Him, taking up one's cross after Him in obedience. Christ will not save those He cannot command according to A. W. Tozer and what this means is that we must accept His ownership over our lives and surrender our wills at salvation and constantly renew that surrender as is fitting and proper. In other words, true saving faith involves trusting Jesus alone as Savior, and submitting to His authority or lordship over our lives--only then do we own Him as our Lord and Savior. He will not be a divided Christ, we accept Him for who He is or it's rejection.
We must not confuse the gospel with the law either! Law involves our duty to God and gospel is how Jesus settled the sin question and all He did on our behalf. The two can be distinguished but not separated: we have responsibilities as well as privileges as the flip side! They go hand in hand. Parishioners must see their duty as well as the grace of God. The Law was given to break and make us realize we cannot keep it; we don't break it, however, it breaks us! What we do break is God's heart! Preachers must get them lost ( cognizant of conviction of sin) before attempting to save them (preach salvation via the gospel) and some actually believe they are saved having never sensed they were ever lost sheep! All we like sheep have gone astray! We all need to be corralled into the flock now and then and a sermon ought to be able to give us a spiritual inventory as we get our regular checkup and connect with the preacher and one another with the message in mind.
The slogan "Just do it!" is relevant to following Christ; a disobedient follower or disciple is a contradiction in terms! Remember the obedience of Peter: "Nevertheless, at thy Word, Lord, I will cast down my net." We are like soldiers in God's army and the line for the poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson comes to mind: "Ours is not to wonder why ours is but to do and die!" If Christ can be obedient unto death for us, we must follow our Exemplar and do likewise, for He doesn't ask us to do anything He didn't do. Those who question orders don't belong in the military and likewise, with our Lord, we should obey wholeheartedly, and in full compliance.
In regards to law and gospel, we must never separate faith and repentance. There is no saving faith without genuine repentance, and no genuine repentance without accompanying saving faith--they're two sides of the same coin, going hand in hand and one is the flip side of the other; you could call the command to penitent faith, or believing repentance, for you can distinguish them but never divorce them without compromising the truth. Acts 20:21, ESV, says that the apostle was "testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." Note that these two active verbs are juxtaposed and forever wed in Scripture. We see other passages where we are enjoined to repent unto salvation and in others to believe in the gospel. We make a turnaround from sin (repentance) to Christ (faith). The first words preached by John the Baptist and Jesus were to repent; Jesus added to believe in the gospel!
NB: The Reformation was inaugurated because of a revolt against so-called tradition of the Roman Catholic Church as well as the restoration of the gospel, and during the Counter-Reformation in the Council of Trent (1545-63), the Church declared tradition on a par with the Bible in authority as well as condemn (pronounce anathema) anyone who believes we are saved by faith alone; i.e., the Protestants!
In sum, we must learn as the gospel hymn goes, "Trust and obey!" Paul was a good example for he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision and warned of those who distort or pervert the gospel (cf. Gal. 1:7) and even preach another gospel, another Jesus, and another Spirit (cf. 2 Cor. 11:4). Soli Deo Gloria!
Grace means we cannot add to it, we cannot substitute for it, we don't deserve it, we cannot earn it, nor can we ever pay it back--grace all the way! We cannot put faith in the church or the pastor/teacher or even ourselves but the object must be Christ--it's the object that saves, not faith per se. Faith doesn't save: Christ is the Savior! Faith is the instrumental means or channel of grace.
The battle cry or rallying cry of the Reformation was that we are "saved by faith alone"; yet Romanists said that the Bible doesn't say that and they couldn't point to any certain passage in particular. When we are arguing or proof-texting we have missed the boat and don't see the big picture. Many cults like to point you to some verse and catch you off-guard, unprepared for their interpretation. You are either grace-oriented or not! Yes, they are technically right, but no text says Jesus is God per se, in so many words, or that God is a Trinity either! Some seemingly obscure doctrines we deduce from accepted dogma and plain, obvious passages or verses.
But with the Romanists, faith is seen as agreeing or acquiescing with what the Church (in their case the Roman Catholic Church) teaches or espouses. Faith of this kind is merely head belief, not heart belief, that doesn't enter the inner being of man and grow as a living and saving faith. Saving faith is an obedient one! We obey the gospel! The Holy Spirit is only given to those who obey: "We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him" (Acts 5:32, HCSB). (CF. Heb. 3:18-19). THE POINT IS THAT FAITH AND OBEDIENCE ARE ETERNALLY EQUATED IN HOLY WRIT! THEY ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN; "ONLY HE WHO BELIEVES IS OBEDIENT; ONLY HE WHO IS OBEDIENT BELIEVES"
NB: The Judaizers were guilty of mixing law and gospel, works and faith, merit and grace! This confusion led Paul to delineate the gospel message and condemn anyone who preaches an unbiblical evangel.
Rome distorts the pure gospel message in multiple ways: it adds works to faith, merit to grace, the Church to Christ, tradition to Scripture, and diminishes the glory of God as a result and outcome. For instance, they may have a lot of faith in their priest or in the Pope as being right. Of course, they see faith as necessary, grace as necessary, and Christ as necessary even Scripture as necessary, but they refuse to acknowledge them as sufficient. We believe grace is not only necessary but also sufficient to save us, as we are saved by grace, not by works, as Paul said, "My [God's] grace is sufficient for thee" (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9).
What Rome has done is make faith a meritorious work and in effect enabled man to save himself by what's called an analytic is a tautology, adding no new data, inherent righteousness and infused justification, not a synthetic, meaning we add data, alien righteousness (belonging to Christ, not us), and imputed justification of Christ--they see man as getting qualified or meriting salvation and he must make himself worthy in some way with some presalvation work--this is like stealing God's glory and giving yourself a pat on the back. "Salvation is of the LORD," (Jonah 2:9) and is a completed work of God, not a cooperative venture. If we had to do anything, we'd fail. (Inherent is what we already possess and analytic means we add no new info--a triangle has three sides-- and this implies he already has the capability and is just and it's only latent, and it's infused which means inspired or quickened--so God just instills our latent righteousness--whereas synthetic means we add new data we don't have to the equation, and alien means foreign and not our own--so God imputes Christ's righteousness to us, it's not our righteousness that saves us! In other words, God declares us righteous by virtue of Christ's righteousness, we are not made righteous and have no natural righteousness of our own--our righteousness is solely God's gift to us, not our gift to Him.
We must not believe in ourselves but in Christ and the object of our faith must be Christ, not Christ plus something or someone, not even us--we must give up trying to save ourselves. It is heresy to add anything to Jesus in our salvation: Jesus plus alms-giving, Jesus plus churchmanship, Jesus plus tithing, Jesus plus witnessing, Jesus plus any good behaviors--we are not saved by good behavior, but unto good behavior and if we don't have it our faith is suspect and may not exist. Dead faith cannot save and that refers to a faith that is unfruitful and is not shown or demonstrated by works or deeds to prove it and validate it. The faith you have is the faith you show, is what I always say.
The present-day evangelicals like to preach an easy-believism and/or play down the lordship of Christ in making a decision to follow Him and open the door of one's heart to die in Him, taking up one's cross after Him in obedience. Christ will not save those He cannot command according to A. W. Tozer and what this means is that we must accept His ownership over our lives and surrender our wills at salvation and constantly renew that surrender as is fitting and proper. In other words, true saving faith involves trusting Jesus alone as Savior, and submitting to His authority or lordship over our lives--only then do we own Him as our Lord and Savior. He will not be a divided Christ, we accept Him for who He is or it's rejection.
We must not confuse the gospel with the law either! Law involves our duty to God and gospel is how Jesus settled the sin question and all He did on our behalf. The two can be distinguished but not separated: we have responsibilities as well as privileges as the flip side! They go hand in hand. Parishioners must see their duty as well as the grace of God. The Law was given to break and make us realize we cannot keep it; we don't break it, however, it breaks us! What we do break is God's heart! Preachers must get them lost ( cognizant of conviction of sin) before attempting to save them (preach salvation via the gospel) and some actually believe they are saved having never sensed they were ever lost sheep! All we like sheep have gone astray! We all need to be corralled into the flock now and then and a sermon ought to be able to give us a spiritual inventory as we get our regular checkup and connect with the preacher and one another with the message in mind.
The slogan "Just do it!" is relevant to following Christ; a disobedient follower or disciple is a contradiction in terms! Remember the obedience of Peter: "Nevertheless, at thy Word, Lord, I will cast down my net." We are like soldiers in God's army and the line for the poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson comes to mind: "Ours is not to wonder why ours is but to do and die!" If Christ can be obedient unto death for us, we must follow our Exemplar and do likewise, for He doesn't ask us to do anything He didn't do. Those who question orders don't belong in the military and likewise, with our Lord, we should obey wholeheartedly, and in full compliance.
In regards to law and gospel, we must never separate faith and repentance. There is no saving faith without genuine repentance, and no genuine repentance without accompanying saving faith--they're two sides of the same coin, going hand in hand and one is the flip side of the other; you could call the command to penitent faith, or believing repentance, for you can distinguish them but never divorce them without compromising the truth. Acts 20:21, ESV, says that the apostle was "testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." Note that these two active verbs are juxtaposed and forever wed in Scripture. We see other passages where we are enjoined to repent unto salvation and in others to believe in the gospel. We make a turnaround from sin (repentance) to Christ (faith). The first words preached by John the Baptist and Jesus were to repent; Jesus added to believe in the gospel!
NB: The Reformation was inaugurated because of a revolt against so-called tradition of the Roman Catholic Church as well as the restoration of the gospel, and during the Counter-Reformation in the Council of Trent (1545-63), the Church declared tradition on a par with the Bible in authority as well as condemn (pronounce anathema) anyone who believes we are saved by faith alone; i.e., the Protestants!
In sum, we must learn as the gospel hymn goes, "Trust and obey!" Paul was a good example for he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision and warned of those who distort or pervert the gospel (cf. Gal. 1:7) and even preach another gospel, another Jesus, and another Spirit (cf. 2 Cor. 11:4). Soli Deo Gloria!
Dwelling In God's House
What exactly was David referring to in verse 6 of the 23rd Psalm? "... and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever!" (in the HCSB it says "as long as I live.") This was a confession of faith an article of a creed, or a proclamation of victory that all was well with his soul and he knew to Whom he belonged. There are three key doctrinal points to be made from this verse.
First, he was assured of his salvation as it were.
Second, it commenced immediately or he owned it in the present tense (i.e., eternal life in Christ the Chief Shepherd referred to).
Third, he could not lose this confidence or his security was assured and good as God's Word. David was emphatically proclaiming his salvation and announcing to us that he will be there in the LORD's house as a sure thing, for He is the perfect Promise Keeper.
David connected with the Lord on a personal level and sensed His presence in his life; you might say he knew that God is the One who is there, as Schaeffer called God, "The God who is there!" As he also said, "He is there, and He is not silent." We cannot be any closer than that--we converse with Him--in one level this psalm is a prayer of faith! David's faith expressed a deep fellowship and not just second-hand knowledge.
That is to say that we can have assurance of our salvation and don't have to wonder or just "hope" for the best; that our salvation begins in real time (it is not provisional and we are not on probation to earn our salvation or to keep it); and that our salvation is eternal and cannot be forfeited or lost--once you have it, you can never lose it--you're family and one of the Shepherd's sheep. This is vital to know because the assurance of salvation and the eternal security of the believer are to be distinguished, but not separated! They go hand in hand and you cannot have one without the other--we must never divorce them!
If there wasn't any security you would be presumptuous to say you had assurance or were saved, because you don't know if you might lose it by some future sin or might commit apostasy or fall away as a backslider and not recover. If there's no assurance, there's no security; if there's no security, there's no assurance--this is logic and by definition. Just by the definition of eternal life, we say that it cannot end and begins and goes on from Day One, and from there all of one's days into eternity! How can you have eternal life for one day? You either partake of eternal life or you don't! In sum, we share in God's life and are considered members of His household!
Our heritage as believers is the peace of God, which is manifest in multiple ways. We have the peace with God, of God, and with ourselves. This knowledge that we can rest in peace knowing we belong to God and are secure in our legacy, is really living the good life or life to the max! Our peace is the peace that surpasses all understanding! Isaiah 57:21 says, "there is no peace, says my God, for the wicked" and Rom. 3:17 says that "and the way of peace they do not know." As they say, know Jesus, know peace; no Jesus, no peace!
"I was glad when they said unto mem, let us go into the house of the LORD" (cf. Psalm 122:1). Soli Deo Gloria!
First, he was assured of his salvation as it were.
Second, it commenced immediately or he owned it in the present tense (i.e., eternal life in Christ the Chief Shepherd referred to).
Third, he could not lose this confidence or his security was assured and good as God's Word. David was emphatically proclaiming his salvation and announcing to us that he will be there in the LORD's house as a sure thing, for He is the perfect Promise Keeper.
David connected with the Lord on a personal level and sensed His presence in his life; you might say he knew that God is the One who is there, as Schaeffer called God, "The God who is there!" As he also said, "He is there, and He is not silent." We cannot be any closer than that--we converse with Him--in one level this psalm is a prayer of faith! David's faith expressed a deep fellowship and not just second-hand knowledge.
That is to say that we can have assurance of our salvation and don't have to wonder or just "hope" for the best; that our salvation begins in real time (it is not provisional and we are not on probation to earn our salvation or to keep it); and that our salvation is eternal and cannot be forfeited or lost--once you have it, you can never lose it--you're family and one of the Shepherd's sheep. This is vital to know because the assurance of salvation and the eternal security of the believer are to be distinguished, but not separated! They go hand in hand and you cannot have one without the other--we must never divorce them!
If there wasn't any security you would be presumptuous to say you had assurance or were saved, because you don't know if you might lose it by some future sin or might commit apostasy or fall away as a backslider and not recover. If there's no assurance, there's no security; if there's no security, there's no assurance--this is logic and by definition. Just by the definition of eternal life, we say that it cannot end and begins and goes on from Day One, and from there all of one's days into eternity! How can you have eternal life for one day? You either partake of eternal life or you don't! In sum, we share in God's life and are considered members of His household!
Our heritage as believers is the peace of God, which is manifest in multiple ways. We have the peace with God, of God, and with ourselves. This knowledge that we can rest in peace knowing we belong to God and are secure in our legacy, is really living the good life or life to the max! Our peace is the peace that surpasses all understanding! Isaiah 57:21 says, "there is no peace, says my God, for the wicked" and Rom. 3:17 says that "and the way of peace they do not know." As they say, know Jesus, know peace; no Jesus, no peace!
"I was glad when they said unto mem, let us go into the house of the LORD" (cf. Psalm 122:1). Soli Deo Gloria!
Death Be Not Proud!
"What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death?" (Psalm 84:48, KJV).
These are famous words of John Donne, the poet, known also for such lines as "Don't ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee!" and "No man is an island!' These words seem immortal to some because they have the ring of truth, even for Christians, and Donne didn't profess a faith in God. Truth hurts no matter who says it sometimes and we must speak it in love for that reason. The reason death cannot be proud is found in Hosea 13:14, HCSB, which says, "I will ransom them from the power of Sheol [the grave]. I will redeem them from death. Death, where are your barbs? Sheol, where is your sting?" Jesus conquered the death for us and we need not fear it any longer, in fact, the apostles went from being a fearful band to becoming bold as a lion in facing death after seeing Christ, and the way they died as martyrs shows no fear of death at all, so that their death became a witness to the infidel and pagan world of the time.
Now, I want to make a distinction between the martyrs of Christianity and those of radical Islam as an example: Many a man will die for what he believes in or thinks is true, but will not die for a known lie--and the apostles were in a position to know whether Christ rose from the dead because they were eyewitnesses! What transformed them so suddenly? The resident power of the Holy Spirit that is not a spirit of timidity, but of boldness for Christ. I am reminded of what David said, and he lived dangerously for sure, that there was "but a step between him and death." He knew that you always have to be ready because no one knows when their time is and they must be prepared to meet their God always. Woody Allen was afraid of death too but kept his sense of humor about it: "I'm not afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens!" Also, George Washington fought death and was asked if he was afraid to die: he replied that he wasn't afraid to die; he just dies hard! (He doesn't give up easily--he was a diehard!)
The Bible makes it clear that even believers can die before their time (cf. Eccl. 7:15, 17; Isa. 57:1), and no one takes note! We are not guaranteed a long life if we serve God, but a more abundant one, and when we've completed our mission, then it's our time to check out, as it says of David having completed all God's will in Acts 13:36.
The trouble with people today is that they live as if they aren't going to die, and die as if they never lived! People spend more time worrying about their funeral arrangements than making plans for eternity! No one wants to make their final preparations, and I don't mean providing for final expenses or making a will, but knowing what God's will for them is. NB: St. Francis of Assisi was always ready to meet his Maker, and when asked what he would do if he only had thirty minutes to live while he was doing his gardening, he said, "I'd finish this row!" We should all heed the warning given to Hezekiah to get our house in order for it might be our time, and it may come when we least expect it. Matthew Henry said we ought to live each day as if it's our last! But we also are admonished by the Lord to be ready to meet the Lord in the air and not be taken by surprise, as if asleep when He comes for us--we should be reading the signs of the times and notice that His coming is near, even at the door or we may be unprepared for the day of our visitation.
Fanatics claim they aren't afraid to die and Socrates is known to have died very stoically, but there is a difference the way Christians die. They die in hope, not despair and God gives them dying grace to grant the faith to face the end, which they see as not a wall, but a door! We don't wait for death, but for a new life and have hope that cannot fade away, not based upon anything we've done, like a suicide bomber hoping for mercy from Allah. The Christian has already died in Christ and has nothing to lose and everything to gain to go to his reward; while the unbeliever's reward was in this life--ours does not fade away. We die daily!
We must be willing to take up our cross and follow Jesus, which might involve more than an inconvenience and denying ourselves some luxury, but dying to self--the sacrifice is our ego and all we have (God wants us, not our achievements or resources--they already are His!), and put all that is on the line for Jesus. Satan held the power of death and death is the last enemy to be destroyed, but look upon it as our promotion and going to our reward, meeting our Maker in glory, which is not a continuation of this life as we know it, but a whole new realm of existence that may seem surreal if one could imagine it--in fact no eye has seen what God has prepared for those who believe! The paradox of our faith is that in dying we live!
In sum, we must reckon ourselves never to be out of deaths shadow and always but a step away from it (it's inevitable and as sure as taxes!) I say the only thing certain about life is death--we commence it upon birth! Oscar Wilde said, "One can survive anything nowadays except death!"--so the Boy Scout motto applies: Be Prepared! Soli Deo Gloria!
These are famous words of John Donne, the poet, known also for such lines as "Don't ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee!" and "No man is an island!' These words seem immortal to some because they have the ring of truth, even for Christians, and Donne didn't profess a faith in God. Truth hurts no matter who says it sometimes and we must speak it in love for that reason. The reason death cannot be proud is found in Hosea 13:14, HCSB, which says, "I will ransom them from the power of Sheol [the grave]. I will redeem them from death. Death, where are your barbs? Sheol, where is your sting?" Jesus conquered the death for us and we need not fear it any longer, in fact, the apostles went from being a fearful band to becoming bold as a lion in facing death after seeing Christ, and the way they died as martyrs shows no fear of death at all, so that their death became a witness to the infidel and pagan world of the time.
Now, I want to make a distinction between the martyrs of Christianity and those of radical Islam as an example: Many a man will die for what he believes in or thinks is true, but will not die for a known lie--and the apostles were in a position to know whether Christ rose from the dead because they were eyewitnesses! What transformed them so suddenly? The resident power of the Holy Spirit that is not a spirit of timidity, but of boldness for Christ. I am reminded of what David said, and he lived dangerously for sure, that there was "but a step between him and death." He knew that you always have to be ready because no one knows when their time is and they must be prepared to meet their God always. Woody Allen was afraid of death too but kept his sense of humor about it: "I'm not afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens!" Also, George Washington fought death and was asked if he was afraid to die: he replied that he wasn't afraid to die; he just dies hard! (He doesn't give up easily--he was a diehard!)
The Bible makes it clear that even believers can die before their time (cf. Eccl. 7:15, 17; Isa. 57:1), and no one takes note! We are not guaranteed a long life if we serve God, but a more abundant one, and when we've completed our mission, then it's our time to check out, as it says of David having completed all God's will in Acts 13:36.
The trouble with people today is that they live as if they aren't going to die, and die as if they never lived! People spend more time worrying about their funeral arrangements than making plans for eternity! No one wants to make their final preparations, and I don't mean providing for final expenses or making a will, but knowing what God's will for them is. NB: St. Francis of Assisi was always ready to meet his Maker, and when asked what he would do if he only had thirty minutes to live while he was doing his gardening, he said, "I'd finish this row!" We should all heed the warning given to Hezekiah to get our house in order for it might be our time, and it may come when we least expect it. Matthew Henry said we ought to live each day as if it's our last! But we also are admonished by the Lord to be ready to meet the Lord in the air and not be taken by surprise, as if asleep when He comes for us--we should be reading the signs of the times and notice that His coming is near, even at the door or we may be unprepared for the day of our visitation.
Fanatics claim they aren't afraid to die and Socrates is known to have died very stoically, but there is a difference the way Christians die. They die in hope, not despair and God gives them dying grace to grant the faith to face the end, which they see as not a wall, but a door! We don't wait for death, but for a new life and have hope that cannot fade away, not based upon anything we've done, like a suicide bomber hoping for mercy from Allah. The Christian has already died in Christ and has nothing to lose and everything to gain to go to his reward; while the unbeliever's reward was in this life--ours does not fade away. We die daily!
We must be willing to take up our cross and follow Jesus, which might involve more than an inconvenience and denying ourselves some luxury, but dying to self--the sacrifice is our ego and all we have (God wants us, not our achievements or resources--they already are His!), and put all that is on the line for Jesus. Satan held the power of death and death is the last enemy to be destroyed, but look upon it as our promotion and going to our reward, meeting our Maker in glory, which is not a continuation of this life as we know it, but a whole new realm of existence that may seem surreal if one could imagine it--in fact no eye has seen what God has prepared for those who believe! The paradox of our faith is that in dying we live!
In sum, we must reckon ourselves never to be out of deaths shadow and always but a step away from it (it's inevitable and as sure as taxes!) I say the only thing certain about life is death--we commence it upon birth! Oscar Wilde said, "One can survive anything nowadays except death!"--so the Boy Scout motto applies: Be Prepared! Soli Deo Gloria!
Friday, July 12, 2019
Pre-salvation Works?
"I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD, and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart" (Jer. 24:7, NASB).
"I will give you a new heart and put anew spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezek. 36:26, HCSB).
"For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn't receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn't received it?" (1 Cor. 4:7, HCSB).
"Jesus replied, 'This is the work of God--that you believe in the One He has sent" (John 6:29, HCSB).
"For it is God who is working in you, enabling you desire and to work out HIs good purpose" (Phil. 2:13, HCSB).
NB: If our salvation depended on us or our works, we'd find a way to blow it!
I have heard that the outsider or infidel thinks we are saved by submitting to the Lordship of Christ as some kind of tit for tat arrangement! There are no, and I repeat no, pre-salvation works we must do to inherit salvation! God does all the work and also gets all the glory! We contribute naught and get no glory or credit--we cannot pat ourselves on the back and give ourselves congrats for a job well done; i.e., being proud of our virtue, wisdom, or even intellect. Salvation is not by works, but by faith received from God. We don't achieve faith, we receive it ("[we have ] received a precious faith," cf. 2 Pet. 1:1; cf. Phil. 1:29). It's grace all the way: We cannot earn it, nor pay it back, nor do we deserve it, nor even can we add to it! If faith were a work that we do, we'd have something to boast of because ours salvation would be a work, and we are not saved by works (cf. Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-6)!
This tit for tat (quid pro quo) is the totally wrong way to view salvation, because God turns our heart of stone into a heart of flesh and removes all our wrinkles and blemishes in His sight to make us acceptable and justified, even though we are still sinners, we are just in His eyes--He declares us just, He doesn't make us just. We must look upon salvation as going from Point A to Point Z, whereas Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith and works in us to do according to His good pleasure (cf. Phil. 2:13; Col. 1:29; Heb. 13:21), completing what He began, our salvation accomplished by the power of God, not in the energy of the flesh. What happened to Saul on the road to Damascus? Jesus changed his rebellious heart and told him he was "kicking against the goads [fighting God's will]."
God is able, because He's the Almighty, to overcome our weak wills and change our hearts (cf. Jer. 24:7), totally transforming us into new creatures in Christ. Our destiny is in God's hands, not ours (cf. Rom. 9:16). When we realize that it was God at work, and we that turned over a new leaf, made an AA pledge, or a New Year's resolution, then we are becoming grace-oriented and giving God His due glory.
NB: There is nothing we can do to make ourselves "acceptable" in God's eyes; we are totally depraved and unable not to sin in His estimation. As theologians say, "We are not sinners because we sin, but sin because we are sinners." We cannot not sin! We are dead in trespasses and sin before salvation and a dead man can do nothing but await the grace of God like Lazarus did, whom Jesus rose from the dead. What He does is quicken faith (cf. Acts 16:14) within us and make us alive in Christ to respond to the gospel message; i.e., we are regenerated unto faith. "He opened the door of faith. [cf. Acts 14:27]" A good rule of thumb for sound Bible doctrine is that the one that gives the glory to God, not man, is the right one! For example, the sinner who claims he came to Christ of his own free will, probably left of his own too, un-regenerated, that is. We must be wooed or drawn (cf. John 6:44, 65) and transformed all by grace. If we merited our salvation because we believed, it wouldn't be grace, but justice!
In summation, let me point out that salvation is wholly a work of God (it's monergistic, not synergistic or cooperative) and Jonah 2:9 summed it up with one utterance: "Salvation is of the LORD!" It's not Jesus plus anything: not plus going to church, plus witnessing, plus giving alms, et cetera! This means it's not of us and God, nor of us, but of the Lord--He did it all! Soli Deo Gloria!
"I will give you a new heart and put anew spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezek. 36:26, HCSB).
"For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn't receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn't received it?" (1 Cor. 4:7, HCSB).
"Jesus replied, 'This is the work of God--that you believe in the One He has sent" (John 6:29, HCSB).
"For it is God who is working in you, enabling you desire and to work out HIs good purpose" (Phil. 2:13, HCSB).
NB: If our salvation depended on us or our works, we'd find a way to blow it!
I have heard that the outsider or infidel thinks we are saved by submitting to the Lordship of Christ as some kind of tit for tat arrangement! There are no, and I repeat no, pre-salvation works we must do to inherit salvation! God does all the work and also gets all the glory! We contribute naught and get no glory or credit--we cannot pat ourselves on the back and give ourselves congrats for a job well done; i.e., being proud of our virtue, wisdom, or even intellect. Salvation is not by works, but by faith received from God. We don't achieve faith, we receive it ("[we have ] received a precious faith," cf. 2 Pet. 1:1; cf. Phil. 1:29). It's grace all the way: We cannot earn it, nor pay it back, nor do we deserve it, nor even can we add to it! If faith were a work that we do, we'd have something to boast of because ours salvation would be a work, and we are not saved by works (cf. Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-6)!
This tit for tat (quid pro quo) is the totally wrong way to view salvation, because God turns our heart of stone into a heart of flesh and removes all our wrinkles and blemishes in His sight to make us acceptable and justified, even though we are still sinners, we are just in His eyes--He declares us just, He doesn't make us just. We must look upon salvation as going from Point A to Point Z, whereas Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith and works in us to do according to His good pleasure (cf. Phil. 2:13; Col. 1:29; Heb. 13:21), completing what He began, our salvation accomplished by the power of God, not in the energy of the flesh. What happened to Saul on the road to Damascus? Jesus changed his rebellious heart and told him he was "kicking against the goads [fighting God's will]."
God is able, because He's the Almighty, to overcome our weak wills and change our hearts (cf. Jer. 24:7), totally transforming us into new creatures in Christ. Our destiny is in God's hands, not ours (cf. Rom. 9:16). When we realize that it was God at work, and we that turned over a new leaf, made an AA pledge, or a New Year's resolution, then we are becoming grace-oriented and giving God His due glory.
NB: There is nothing we can do to make ourselves "acceptable" in God's eyes; we are totally depraved and unable not to sin in His estimation. As theologians say, "We are not sinners because we sin, but sin because we are sinners." We cannot not sin! We are dead in trespasses and sin before salvation and a dead man can do nothing but await the grace of God like Lazarus did, whom Jesus rose from the dead. What He does is quicken faith (cf. Acts 16:14) within us and make us alive in Christ to respond to the gospel message; i.e., we are regenerated unto faith. "He opened the door of faith. [cf. Acts 14:27]" A good rule of thumb for sound Bible doctrine is that the one that gives the glory to God, not man, is the right one! For example, the sinner who claims he came to Christ of his own free will, probably left of his own too, un-regenerated, that is. We must be wooed or drawn (cf. John 6:44, 65) and transformed all by grace. If we merited our salvation because we believed, it wouldn't be grace, but justice!
In summation, let me point out that salvation is wholly a work of God (it's monergistic, not synergistic or cooperative) and Jonah 2:9 summed it up with one utterance: "Salvation is of the LORD!" It's not Jesus plus anything: not plus going to church, plus witnessing, plus giving alms, et cetera! This means it's not of us and God, nor of us, but of the Lord--He did it all! Soli Deo Gloria!
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Do We Need The Law?
Most believers know they are not under the law, but under grace (cf. Rom. 6:14); however, they are not lawless and do not have contempt for the law, but know it has its place. The law was never given to be a way of salvation, but only to show our need, to measure us. The law was given to show us we cannot keep it! The Hebrews vowed they would keep all the law when it was given, but they should have asked for mercy, knowing such a law was impossible to keep. The Christian life is not hard, it's impossible too! We must live by faith and express it through love, for love is the fulfillment of the law.
The law of love is harder to satisfy than any code though! Thank God Jesus lived it and the law's righteousness is credited or imputed to our account in the Divine Ledger up above. We all fall short, and perfection is only the standard, the direction is the test as we grow in expressing faith through love (cf. Gal. 5:6, NIV). In essence, the law is for the lawless and the lawbreaker (cf. 1 Tim. 1:9)! We don't only have the law to guide us in right and wrong, we also have a conscience, the Holy Spirit, and the totality of Scripture as our plumb line to convict us of wrongdoing.
There are several purposes of the law for the believer (its purpose was formulated in the first Lutheran confession of faith known as the Formula of Concord in 1577): a mirror to show us what we are like inside with all our guilt, insecurities, sin, and uncleanness--wrinkles and all; a sword to divide soul from spirit; a whip that drives us to the cross for mercy, and a hammer to smash our self-righteousness! The moral code is a guide to enlighten us to the Way, for morality never changes. It's a perfect standard of righteousness that only Jesus fulfilled.
The law was also ordained to restrain evil in society and provide for orderliness. To the Christian, it never loses its ability to convict of sin and to be a light unto our path. But we must realize that the whole law is summed up in loving God and our neighbor as its fulfillment. The whole idea is to make us realize we cannot save ourselves no matter how righteous we think we are and no matter how good we are to our standards--we always fall short of the divine standard in Christ.
There are four types of laws that I want to mention, and disobeying each one has its consequences, BUT WE ARE NOT ANTINOMIANS OR AGAINST THE LAW! NB: Nowhere in the NT are we exhorted to obey the Law, or to become somewhat Jewish--we must use it righteously--it's only a shadow (cf. Heb. 10:1)!
The first is the law of nature (SOME FIFTY UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS), e.g., the weak and strong nuclear force, the force of gravity, the speed of light, the speed of sound, the freezing of water, the charge on the electron, and even the nuclear weight of the proton and neutron, et al., and there are some fifty of them to consider and are uniform and consistent throughout the universe. The laws of motion also come to mind: an object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion; each force exerted is met by an equal and opposite force; force equals mass times acceleration.
The second law to consider is the moral law: there is a moral compass in man's heart and conscience given by God, and guilt is meant to signal that we break it, there are consequences for wrongdoing to our soul's health, we don't toy with sin and get away with it! What was right in Moses' time is still right and what was wrong is still wrong--morality is absolute, universal, and also timeless. If you ignore your conscience it may go away but this may lead to becoming perverted, degenerate, destitute, criminal, psychopathic, or worse! It doesn't pay to ignore the signals of what God has ordained to restrain evil in man.
The third type of law is governmental (THE POWERS THAT BE), which is instituted by God and meant to keep evil at bay and provide for the public welfare--we no longer can survive with tribalism or patriarchal society. Government, according to Augustine, is not a necessary evil, but necessary because of evil. We are to fear government and submit to it unless it contradicts God and it has been given the power of the sword to enforce its laws--under God!
The last and probably most important law to bear in mind is the spiritual one (THE FIVE ONLY'S): the way of salvation is only by grace through faith in Christ and saving faith must go hand in hand with repentance--one can imagine this as either penitent faith or believing repentance, but they must bear fruit to be genuine and not bogus. Faith is manifest by trust in Jesus as Savior and embracing Him as Lord.
The savvy preacher knows how to discern and demonstrate law and gospel: the law is what God requires from us and God's expectations or standards; the gospel is the good news about what Christ has done for us in the cross and resurrection--solving the sin problem or the breaking of the law. NB: Christ is the end of the Law for believers unto righteousness (cf. Rom. 10:4); Christ abolished the law (cf. Eph. 2:15).
What does this all mean in essence? What can we take away from this going forward? Laws couldn't exist without a lawgiver, right? All these laws are indicators of a Supreme Lawgiver far superior to anything we can fathom! Law implies a Lawgiver--this is reasonable to believe! We all must beware lest we violate any of God's laws that apply to us, for God disciplines and chastens His children and they don't get away with sin or lawlessness. Also, each law has its natural consequence which cannot be avoided any more than we can avoid gravity--we violate at our peril! Soli Deo Gloria!
The law of love is harder to satisfy than any code though! Thank God Jesus lived it and the law's righteousness is credited or imputed to our account in the Divine Ledger up above. We all fall short, and perfection is only the standard, the direction is the test as we grow in expressing faith through love (cf. Gal. 5:6, NIV). In essence, the law is for the lawless and the lawbreaker (cf. 1 Tim. 1:9)! We don't only have the law to guide us in right and wrong, we also have a conscience, the Holy Spirit, and the totality of Scripture as our plumb line to convict us of wrongdoing.
There are several purposes of the law for the believer (its purpose was formulated in the first Lutheran confession of faith known as the Formula of Concord in 1577): a mirror to show us what we are like inside with all our guilt, insecurities, sin, and uncleanness--wrinkles and all; a sword to divide soul from spirit; a whip that drives us to the cross for mercy, and a hammer to smash our self-righteousness! The moral code is a guide to enlighten us to the Way, for morality never changes. It's a perfect standard of righteousness that only Jesus fulfilled.
The law was also ordained to restrain evil in society and provide for orderliness. To the Christian, it never loses its ability to convict of sin and to be a light unto our path. But we must realize that the whole law is summed up in loving God and our neighbor as its fulfillment. The whole idea is to make us realize we cannot save ourselves no matter how righteous we think we are and no matter how good we are to our standards--we always fall short of the divine standard in Christ.
There are four types of laws that I want to mention, and disobeying each one has its consequences, BUT WE ARE NOT ANTINOMIANS OR AGAINST THE LAW! NB: Nowhere in the NT are we exhorted to obey the Law, or to become somewhat Jewish--we must use it righteously--it's only a shadow (cf. Heb. 10:1)!
The first is the law of nature (SOME FIFTY UNIVERSAL CONSTANTS), e.g., the weak and strong nuclear force, the force of gravity, the speed of light, the speed of sound, the freezing of water, the charge on the electron, and even the nuclear weight of the proton and neutron, et al., and there are some fifty of them to consider and are uniform and consistent throughout the universe. The laws of motion also come to mind: an object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion; each force exerted is met by an equal and opposite force; force equals mass times acceleration.
The second law to consider is the moral law: there is a moral compass in man's heart and conscience given by God, and guilt is meant to signal that we break it, there are consequences for wrongdoing to our soul's health, we don't toy with sin and get away with it! What was right in Moses' time is still right and what was wrong is still wrong--morality is absolute, universal, and also timeless. If you ignore your conscience it may go away but this may lead to becoming perverted, degenerate, destitute, criminal, psychopathic, or worse! It doesn't pay to ignore the signals of what God has ordained to restrain evil in man.
The third type of law is governmental (THE POWERS THAT BE), which is instituted by God and meant to keep evil at bay and provide for the public welfare--we no longer can survive with tribalism or patriarchal society. Government, according to Augustine, is not a necessary evil, but necessary because of evil. We are to fear government and submit to it unless it contradicts God and it has been given the power of the sword to enforce its laws--under God!
The last and probably most important law to bear in mind is the spiritual one (THE FIVE ONLY'S): the way of salvation is only by grace through faith in Christ and saving faith must go hand in hand with repentance--one can imagine this as either penitent faith or believing repentance, but they must bear fruit to be genuine and not bogus. Faith is manifest by trust in Jesus as Savior and embracing Him as Lord.
The savvy preacher knows how to discern and demonstrate law and gospel: the law is what God requires from us and God's expectations or standards; the gospel is the good news about what Christ has done for us in the cross and resurrection--solving the sin problem or the breaking of the law. NB: Christ is the end of the Law for believers unto righteousness (cf. Rom. 10:4); Christ abolished the law (cf. Eph. 2:15).
What does this all mean in essence? What can we take away from this going forward? Laws couldn't exist without a lawgiver, right? All these laws are indicators of a Supreme Lawgiver far superior to anything we can fathom! Law implies a Lawgiver--this is reasonable to believe! We all must beware lest we violate any of God's laws that apply to us, for God disciplines and chastens His children and they don't get away with sin or lawlessness. Also, each law has its natural consequence which cannot be avoided any more than we can avoid gravity--we violate at our peril! Soli Deo Gloria!
Sunday, July 7, 2019
For His Name's Sake
God's reputation and character are at stake in protecting us and providing our needs, as well as the testimony we give and the salvation we receive. For instance, if one of His promises fail, like the assurance of our salvation, God would be a liar and not the great Promise Keeper He is. For example, if we lost our salvation, God would lose His honor in keeping us. In fact, we are not only justified while we are sinners, but God gives us the gift of righteousness in time and we are stewards of it. We don't honor God with our righteousness, which is as filthy rags, but praise God by using His righteousness and walking in it to His glory. Remember, we are engaged in His will doing His work, He is not doing our thing or doing what we want for our pleasure. Bear in mind, our righteousness is God's gift to us, not our gift to Him.
Everything we do, say and think ought to be for His Name's sake and to His glory. We pray in Jesus' Name, not as a formula, but to ensure that our prayers are according to His will, not ours and bring Him glory and honor, not us. This is the essence of trust: seeing everything through God's eyes for His will and glory, not our self-interest. We let go of the sovereignty of our lives before we can own Him as Lord! We must remain on track with His will daily and constantly renew the commitment because we easily go astray or go rogue unto our own paths or ruts. Actually, habits can become ruts to get into because they may interfere with God's will and can become hindrances in our walk. But Scripture says we have all gone astray like sheep, each to his own way (cf. Isa. 53:6). And we all tend to do what is right in our own eyes! (Cf. Judges 17:6; 21:25). It is vital to know that the key to staying on course is to realize it's not about us! The key to failure and depression is to live for self and not love anyone above yourself.
We must grow up and realize that God has our best interest in mind just like a shepherd cares for and tends his sheep--we are really too stupid to map out our own lives and to see the dangers ahead and how to find pasture or supplies for life. No man is an island or a rock who needs no one! We cannot survive without our shepherd for all our basic necessities in life--Jesus is that Shepherd! We must constantly ask ourselves: are we in the rut we make for ourselves by bad habits and lack of foresight, or are we in God's tracks that are sure to lead to fulfilling God's purpose for our lives? We all can be on track with God if we renew ourselves daily and get into the Word, prayer, and stay connected through the ministries of the local church as it disciples us and trains us through all the spiritual gifts manifested corporately.
Job said that all of his days he shall wait for his "renewal" (cf. Job 14:14, ESV) and we must wait patiently on the Lord because we are assured He wants what's best for us (cf. Isa. 40:31). If we had our own way, we would surely mess up our lives--we aren't merely as wise as we think we are as finite beings. The safest place to be is in His will for our life and this ought to be Job One! The only happy and fulfilling life is doing God's work and interpreting everything accordingly or seeing God at work in what we do. We only learn the hard way of the school of hard knocks by resisting God's will and will soon find out that God knew best in the first place! Soli Deo Gloria!
Everything we do, say and think ought to be for His Name's sake and to His glory. We pray in Jesus' Name, not as a formula, but to ensure that our prayers are according to His will, not ours and bring Him glory and honor, not us. This is the essence of trust: seeing everything through God's eyes for His will and glory, not our self-interest. We let go of the sovereignty of our lives before we can own Him as Lord! We must remain on track with His will daily and constantly renew the commitment because we easily go astray or go rogue unto our own paths or ruts. Actually, habits can become ruts to get into because they may interfere with God's will and can become hindrances in our walk. But Scripture says we have all gone astray like sheep, each to his own way (cf. Isa. 53:6). And we all tend to do what is right in our own eyes! (Cf. Judges 17:6; 21:25). It is vital to know that the key to staying on course is to realize it's not about us! The key to failure and depression is to live for self and not love anyone above yourself.
We must grow up and realize that God has our best interest in mind just like a shepherd cares for and tends his sheep--we are really too stupid to map out our own lives and to see the dangers ahead and how to find pasture or supplies for life. No man is an island or a rock who needs no one! We cannot survive without our shepherd for all our basic necessities in life--Jesus is that Shepherd! We must constantly ask ourselves: are we in the rut we make for ourselves by bad habits and lack of foresight, or are we in God's tracks that are sure to lead to fulfilling God's purpose for our lives? We all can be on track with God if we renew ourselves daily and get into the Word, prayer, and stay connected through the ministries of the local church as it disciples us and trains us through all the spiritual gifts manifested corporately.
Job said that all of his days he shall wait for his "renewal" (cf. Job 14:14, ESV) and we must wait patiently on the Lord because we are assured He wants what's best for us (cf. Isa. 40:31). If we had our own way, we would surely mess up our lives--we aren't merely as wise as we think we are as finite beings. The safest place to be is in His will for our life and this ought to be Job One! The only happy and fulfilling life is doing God's work and interpreting everything accordingly or seeing God at work in what we do. We only learn the hard way of the school of hard knocks by resisting God's will and will soon find out that God knew best in the first place! Soli Deo Gloria!
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Do You Know God's Name?
"'Why do you ask My name,' the angel of the LORD asked him, 'since it is wonderful'" (Judges 13:18, HCSB). "'.... It is beyond understanding.'' (Ibid., NIV). "'...seeing it is secret?'" (Ibid, KJV). "'... seeing it's wonderful'" (Ibid. ESV).
God has no definitive name, title, or description--we cannot even put Him in a box nor define, limit, peg, or analyze Him according to our human criteria. Jesus alone has 118 titles in Scripture! His name is wonderful (cf. Isa. 9:6), beyond understanding and comprehension, and secret! Moses dared to ask His name and the Lord told Him to tell them "I AM" has sent him! One Greek philosopher said, "Whatever is, is!" You never step into the same river twice! This holds true because only God is not in a state of flux and needs no change. We are always in a process of transformation, change, or decay, being in flux because we are not perfect--God being perfect, cannot change for the worse, and since He's already perfect, He cannot change for the better!
God is an IS-ING, a living Being, not an IS-NESS, or state of Being. This is the highest form of existence known since God is self-existent (uncreated or caused) and needs no one or nothing, He abides alone making no attempts at describing Himself fully, but makes it plain that we can know Him. We cannot know Him in full or comprehensively, but we can truly and intimately know Him and have a living, vital, growing relationship with Him. Notice that when God says I AM that there is no definitive completion to the name (no predicate!)--it's not meant to be a description like we would have one (e.g., "shorty," "curly," "blondie," etc.) but it's not arbitrary either! God's names are for a reason and make sense, they aren't just conveniences or nicknames!
We cannot fully apprehend God's and without predicate: I AM THAT I AM THAT I AM ..." The chain may go on ad infinitum. The Bible gives no completed name (however many titles and forms of address), so we must rely on ad hoc ones that meet our needs for the moment, but the most inclusive one is Father. There are several so-called Jehovah-texts in Scripture that complete or add predicates to the name or moniker of God. For instance, He is called Jehovah-Nissi (our banner), Jehovah-Shammah (the Lord who is there), Jehovah-Shalom (our peace), Jehovah-Jireh (our provider), and Jehovah-Ra-ah (our shepherd), among others. The point is that God is whatever we need Him to be! He is all we need and that's why idolatry is a sin because it assumes another God to meet our needs and usurps God's prerogative and place in our lives.
God jealously defends His name and the Third Commandment on God's top ten list is not to take His name in vain! He values and guards His name above all His honor by the integrity of His Word (Psa. 138:2, ESV, says: "... for you have exalted above all things your name and your word." God protects His name as He does His Word and they shall not come back void but accomplish His purposes (cf. Isa. 55:11)! It is a great privilege to be able to address God by name! Christians have the right to call Him Father, the name Jesus addressed Him as. Father implies intimacy, subordination, and sonship in our union with God. Our reverence for God is reflected in how we treat His name; when we use it frivolously or in vain, it shows contempt and unholy attitudes. Our speech betrays us! How we address God betrays our attitude, maturity, and relationship with Him; we must beware lest we fit Him into our boxes and our God is too small for our needs--we can never know a God in a box--then He wouldn't be God!
We know the second person of the Trinity simply by the name Jesus and we have the right to be this familiar due to His not being ashamed of calling us His brothers and friends--confessing this to the Father. It is not presumptuous to speak to God as to our friend in time of our need--look at the thief on the cross calling Him simply, "Jesus." He's earned the honor of being "The LORD is our Salvation." When we address Him as Lord, we are bringing attention to our servanthood and His Lordship and lordship over us--that we are subject to His ultimate authority over our lives, to whom all authority has been given ("He is Lord of all")! Jesus had boldly and clearly announced His Deity: "... before Abraham was I AM!" "[S]o that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:10-11, ESV).
Another interpretation for I AM is "causes to be," and this means God is the First Cause or Unmoved Mover who is the originator taking the initiative and making the overture for our salvation--not us! He acted on our behalf and we found favor in His eyes. We cannot take credit for anything because God made the first move! One reason the Pharisees hated Him is that it was obvious to them that Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh: He said He was the great I AM! Again, Jesus confessed: "Before Abraham was, I AM." In fact, He said that unless we believe He's the great I AM we shall die in our sins (cf. John 8:24). Soli Deo Gloria!
God has no definitive name, title, or description--we cannot even put Him in a box nor define, limit, peg, or analyze Him according to our human criteria. Jesus alone has 118 titles in Scripture! His name is wonderful (cf. Isa. 9:6), beyond understanding and comprehension, and secret! Moses dared to ask His name and the Lord told Him to tell them "I AM" has sent him! One Greek philosopher said, "Whatever is, is!" You never step into the same river twice! This holds true because only God is not in a state of flux and needs no change. We are always in a process of transformation, change, or decay, being in flux because we are not perfect--God being perfect, cannot change for the worse, and since He's already perfect, He cannot change for the better!
God is an IS-ING, a living Being, not an IS-NESS, or state of Being. This is the highest form of existence known since God is self-existent (uncreated or caused) and needs no one or nothing, He abides alone making no attempts at describing Himself fully, but makes it plain that we can know Him. We cannot know Him in full or comprehensively, but we can truly and intimately know Him and have a living, vital, growing relationship with Him. Notice that when God says I AM that there is no definitive completion to the name (no predicate!)--it's not meant to be a description like we would have one (e.g., "shorty," "curly," "blondie," etc.) but it's not arbitrary either! God's names are for a reason and make sense, they aren't just conveniences or nicknames!
We cannot fully apprehend God's and without predicate: I AM THAT I AM THAT I AM ..." The chain may go on ad infinitum. The Bible gives no completed name (however many titles and forms of address), so we must rely on ad hoc ones that meet our needs for the moment, but the most inclusive one is Father. There are several so-called Jehovah-texts in Scripture that complete or add predicates to the name or moniker of God. For instance, He is called Jehovah-Nissi (our banner), Jehovah-Shammah (the Lord who is there), Jehovah-Shalom (our peace), Jehovah-Jireh (our provider), and Jehovah-Ra-ah (our shepherd), among others. The point is that God is whatever we need Him to be! He is all we need and that's why idolatry is a sin because it assumes another God to meet our needs and usurps God's prerogative and place in our lives.
God jealously defends His name and the Third Commandment on God's top ten list is not to take His name in vain! He values and guards His name above all His honor by the integrity of His Word (Psa. 138:2, ESV, says: "... for you have exalted above all things your name and your word." God protects His name as He does His Word and they shall not come back void but accomplish His purposes (cf. Isa. 55:11)! It is a great privilege to be able to address God by name! Christians have the right to call Him Father, the name Jesus addressed Him as. Father implies intimacy, subordination, and sonship in our union with God. Our reverence for God is reflected in how we treat His name; when we use it frivolously or in vain, it shows contempt and unholy attitudes. Our speech betrays us! How we address God betrays our attitude, maturity, and relationship with Him; we must beware lest we fit Him into our boxes and our God is too small for our needs--we can never know a God in a box--then He wouldn't be God!
We know the second person of the Trinity simply by the name Jesus and we have the right to be this familiar due to His not being ashamed of calling us His brothers and friends--confessing this to the Father. It is not presumptuous to speak to God as to our friend in time of our need--look at the thief on the cross calling Him simply, "Jesus." He's earned the honor of being "The LORD is our Salvation." When we address Him as Lord, we are bringing attention to our servanthood and His Lordship and lordship over us--that we are subject to His ultimate authority over our lives, to whom all authority has been given ("He is Lord of all")! Jesus had boldly and clearly announced His Deity: "... before Abraham was I AM!" "[S]o that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:10-11, ESV).
Another interpretation for I AM is "causes to be," and this means God is the First Cause or Unmoved Mover who is the originator taking the initiative and making the overture for our salvation--not us! He acted on our behalf and we found favor in His eyes. We cannot take credit for anything because God made the first move! One reason the Pharisees hated Him is that it was obvious to them that Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh: He said He was the great I AM! Again, Jesus confessed: "Before Abraham was, I AM." In fact, He said that unless we believe He's the great I AM we shall die in our sins (cf. John 8:24). Soli Deo Gloria!
Saturday, June 29, 2019
Why People Reject The Bible
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you..." (Eph. 1:18, NIV).
"Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law" (Psalm 119:18, NIV).
People who reject the Bible have motives that aren't readily apparent but should be obvious. If the heart is in the right place one would see for oneself that it appeals to the very heart of man. The Bible is able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart and it reads us as we read it. Many have read through the Bible thinking they apprehend its message of salvation, but have never let the Bible read through them! When we ignore what we do see, God blinds us and refuses more light. Mark Twain illustrated this by quipping: "It's not the parts of the Bible that I don't understand that bother me; it's the parts I do!" Likewise, we must heed what the Lord is trying to say or we will not get further light.
Israel witnessed many signs and wonders and still wouldn't believe (cf. Psalm 78:32, NIV) and the Pharisees in Jesus' time would not, not could not, believe despite His signs and miracles (cf. John 12:37, NIV). The point is that miracles don't elicit faith, but faith evokes miracles. Miracles can bring about skepticism as well as increase faith. Miracles only increase faith but don't make it. If you remove the miraculous from Scripture, you have just idle tales, a catalog of religious idealism, meditations, or even list of dos and don'ts. This is not the case of so-called miracles of other religions--they are believed because the religion is already affirmed to them, not to make them believe--they are not necessary for their religion.
If Jesus had performed no miracles, He'd be a mere footnote in history. Jesus' miracles were not haphazard or helter-skelter, nor for personal gain, but to illustrate His Deity or to show compassion and make a point in His teaching--they were not fantastic, nor showy and He never did a miracle on-demand or any biggie miracle to force faith on the hardened and unwilling. He said in His teachings that if anyone is willing to do His will (cf. John 7:17), he shall know whether His works were of God or not and His teaching was from God.
Now, you don't have to believe the Bible per se to become a Christian, but it will make a believer out of you upon reading it. Note that the Pharisees believed the Scriptures, but were blind to the truth due to the hardness of their hearts. And Paul preached to the Greeks who didn't necessarily already believe in the Scriptures. But most people that reject the Bible or say it's obsolete or even legend or tall tale, have never read it! If they say they have, ask them what its main message is! The Bible is known to feed you, then make you hungry--one can never get too much of the Word and newborn believers seem to have an insatiable appetite for its contents--a true thirst and love for the Word.
The person who has never read the Bible is on the verge of being barbarian or illiterate and doesn't realize the Western Civilization was founded upon its principles. The Bible has always been considered part of the Common Law of England according to Jurist William Blackstone. It's easily the most influential book in history, even most popular! People who reject it have a problem in their heart because the heart of the matter is that it's a matter of the heart--one's heart needs to be in the right place to appreciate it. Bitterness can blind a person to the truth! The Bible is so foundational to wisdom that a knowledge of the Bible without a college education is worth more in life than a college education without knowledge of the Bible.
Now, why do the vast majority of skeptics deny the Bible's authenticity as true, even historically? If a secular scholar or historian disagrees, it's assumed they are the ones without bias. They believe and accept usually by faith since they may have only heard this, that it contains contradictions. Several scholarly books have been written to dispel this notion; namely, The Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties and Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible. But I contend that there are no contradictions because I have seen many resolved and see that most are merely the result of not knowing basic Bible doctrine, semantics, or of sound reading, of seeing the big picture, or even that they don't know basic rules of interpretation like interpreting the obscure in light of the clear, and seeing that the Scripture interprets itself. When they say that the Bible contradicts itself; it really contradicts them! Some famous men have done Bible revisions or tried to rewrite it the way they see it, even taking out the miracles which they find offensive or unbelievable. But they are not believing the Bible, but are believing themselves!
The Bible is its own Supreme Court that appeals to no higher authority for attestation. the proof of the pudding is in the eating! If it appealed to science, then science would be the ultimate arbiter of truth! The proof of the Bible is in itself: "Taste and see that the LORD is good!" The Bible appeals to the heart and soul of man and if it's not good soil, it will not be able to grow into fruition and mature. We often are asked to prove the Bible is the Word of God by those who cannot prove it isn't! But the Bible can prove itself if given the opportunity. If they say prove it to me! You ought to say, "No, you prove it yourself--read it!" All one needs is an open mind, willing spirit, and needy heart and God will authenticate Himself through His chosen vehicle or method of communication--the Bible.
In sum, people who think they are rejecting the Bible are really rejecting themselves and/or their perception or understanding of it, not necessarily what it says in reality; the Bible tells it like it is and shows people who and what they are in God's estimation (it isn't pretty!), but some people don't want to live up to its reality but choose to delude themselves and reject the truth. Soli Deo Gloria!
"Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law" (Psalm 119:18, NIV).
People who reject the Bible have motives that aren't readily apparent but should be obvious. If the heart is in the right place one would see for oneself that it appeals to the very heart of man. The Bible is able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart and it reads us as we read it. Many have read through the Bible thinking they apprehend its message of salvation, but have never let the Bible read through them! When we ignore what we do see, God blinds us and refuses more light. Mark Twain illustrated this by quipping: "It's not the parts of the Bible that I don't understand that bother me; it's the parts I do!" Likewise, we must heed what the Lord is trying to say or we will not get further light.
Israel witnessed many signs and wonders and still wouldn't believe (cf. Psalm 78:32, NIV) and the Pharisees in Jesus' time would not, not could not, believe despite His signs and miracles (cf. John 12:37, NIV). The point is that miracles don't elicit faith, but faith evokes miracles. Miracles can bring about skepticism as well as increase faith. Miracles only increase faith but don't make it. If you remove the miraculous from Scripture, you have just idle tales, a catalog of religious idealism, meditations, or even list of dos and don'ts. This is not the case of so-called miracles of other religions--they are believed because the religion is already affirmed to them, not to make them believe--they are not necessary for their religion.
If Jesus had performed no miracles, He'd be a mere footnote in history. Jesus' miracles were not haphazard or helter-skelter, nor for personal gain, but to illustrate His Deity or to show compassion and make a point in His teaching--they were not fantastic, nor showy and He never did a miracle on-demand or any biggie miracle to force faith on the hardened and unwilling. He said in His teachings that if anyone is willing to do His will (cf. John 7:17), he shall know whether His works were of God or not and His teaching was from God.
Now, you don't have to believe the Bible per se to become a Christian, but it will make a believer out of you upon reading it. Note that the Pharisees believed the Scriptures, but were blind to the truth due to the hardness of their hearts. And Paul preached to the Greeks who didn't necessarily already believe in the Scriptures. But most people that reject the Bible or say it's obsolete or even legend or tall tale, have never read it! If they say they have, ask them what its main message is! The Bible is known to feed you, then make you hungry--one can never get too much of the Word and newborn believers seem to have an insatiable appetite for its contents--a true thirst and love for the Word.
The person who has never read the Bible is on the verge of being barbarian or illiterate and doesn't realize the Western Civilization was founded upon its principles. The Bible has always been considered part of the Common Law of England according to Jurist William Blackstone. It's easily the most influential book in history, even most popular! People who reject it have a problem in their heart because the heart of the matter is that it's a matter of the heart--one's heart needs to be in the right place to appreciate it. Bitterness can blind a person to the truth! The Bible is so foundational to wisdom that a knowledge of the Bible without a college education is worth more in life than a college education without knowledge of the Bible.
Now, why do the vast majority of skeptics deny the Bible's authenticity as true, even historically? If a secular scholar or historian disagrees, it's assumed they are the ones without bias. They believe and accept usually by faith since they may have only heard this, that it contains contradictions. Several scholarly books have been written to dispel this notion; namely, The Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties and Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible. But I contend that there are no contradictions because I have seen many resolved and see that most are merely the result of not knowing basic Bible doctrine, semantics, or of sound reading, of seeing the big picture, or even that they don't know basic rules of interpretation like interpreting the obscure in light of the clear, and seeing that the Scripture interprets itself. When they say that the Bible contradicts itself; it really contradicts them! Some famous men have done Bible revisions or tried to rewrite it the way they see it, even taking out the miracles which they find offensive or unbelievable. But they are not believing the Bible, but are believing themselves!
The Bible is its own Supreme Court that appeals to no higher authority for attestation. the proof of the pudding is in the eating! If it appealed to science, then science would be the ultimate arbiter of truth! The proof of the Bible is in itself: "Taste and see that the LORD is good!" The Bible appeals to the heart and soul of man and if it's not good soil, it will not be able to grow into fruition and mature. We often are asked to prove the Bible is the Word of God by those who cannot prove it isn't! But the Bible can prove itself if given the opportunity. If they say prove it to me! You ought to say, "No, you prove it yourself--read it!" All one needs is an open mind, willing spirit, and needy heart and God will authenticate Himself through His chosen vehicle or method of communication--the Bible.
In sum, people who think they are rejecting the Bible are really rejecting themselves and/or their perception or understanding of it, not necessarily what it says in reality; the Bible tells it like it is and shows people who and what they are in God's estimation (it isn't pretty!), but some people don't want to live up to its reality but choose to delude themselves and reject the truth. Soli Deo Gloria!
Sunday, June 23, 2019
The Peace Beyond Comprehension
"'There is no peace,' says my God, 'for the wicked'" (Isaiah 57:21, NIV).
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you" (Isaiah 26:3, NIV).
To say that knowing Jesus is knowing peace, and with no Jesus, you get no peace. But the devil always has his counterfeit peace with just enough truth to lure them into his lies and deception, inoculating them from the real thing, for example, secularists are intellectually fulfilled by adhering to evolution to explain reality. He offers the world faux peace through idolatry, crutches, the supernatural, drugs, and in many forms. Putting anything where God should be in one's priorities is idolatry--a time-consuming habit, hobby, or pastime.
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you" (Isaiah 26:3, NIV).
To say that knowing Jesus is knowing peace, and with no Jesus, you get no peace. But the devil always has his counterfeit peace with just enough truth to lure them into his lies and deception, inoculating them from the real thing, for example, secularists are intellectually fulfilled by adhering to evolution to explain reality. He offers the world faux peace through idolatry, crutches, the supernatural, drugs, and in many forms. Putting anything where God should be in one's priorities is idolatry--a time-consuming habit, hobby, or pastime.
Christians can only know peace when they give Christ first place in their lives. He is called the Prince of Peace for a reason! He paid the price to set us free from our guilt and confusion brought on by sin. And only by His truth can we be set free from the lies of the enemy. He is still in the resurrection business and can transform our lives into something beautiful to His glory. Ephesians 2:14 says He is our peace!
One of the Jehovah texts is Judges 6:24, which calls Jesus "the LORD is our peace," or Yahweh Shalom in Hebrew. God's peace is manifold and multi-dimensional in the spiritual realms transcending our comprehension. We are given peace with God, with ourselves, and with each other, and the ability to bring peace to the land by humbling ourselves in repentance to Him, and even being set free from our bondage and slavery to sin.
One of the Jehovah texts is Judges 6:24, which calls Jesus "the LORD is our peace," or Yahweh Shalom in Hebrew. God's peace is manifold and multi-dimensional in the spiritual realms transcending our comprehension. We are given peace with God, with ourselves, and with each other, and the ability to bring peace to the land by humbling ourselves in repentance to Him, and even being set free from our bondage and slavery to sin.
We are also given the ability to share, communicate, and bring peace to others as Christ's "peacemakers," and we are lights to the world of what real peace is. We experience this peace in the Lord and want to pass it on! But it must start with a decision to call upon the Lord as our peace! We must look to God, not ourselves and we will be saved, keeping our eyes focused on Him and not the obstacles. Without Jesus, in our lives, we head towards chaos not knowing where we are going, and cannot find God or any real lasting peace.
Everyone has a God or god and if not the real thing--Jesus--there is some idol in the life filling the void. So-called faux Gods are only the substitute that the devil offers to lure us away from the real thing! People mistakenly believe that if something works, it's true. The test of an idea is not whether it's true, but whether it works just considering the consequences (this is pragmatism): because it works is no guarantee it's true (e.g., TM, hypnotism, astrology, meditation, channeling, and yoga).
Everyone has a God or god and if not the real thing--Jesus--there is some idol in the life filling the void. So-called faux Gods are only the substitute that the devil offers to lure us away from the real thing! People mistakenly believe that if something works, it's true. The test of an idea is not whether it's true, but whether it works just considering the consequences (this is pragmatism): because it works is no guarantee it's true (e.g., TM, hypnotism, astrology, meditation, channeling, and yoga).
That's why it's so important to seek the truth and to seek the Lord, not peace per se. Many are really looking for the benefits, not the Benefactor, and are content with the things the devil offers the world, which will diminish one's appetite for the spiritual things of God. Soli Deo Gloria!
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