Dissertation On Salvation

What Scripture says about our standing before salvation: 
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people"  (Titus 2:11, ESV).

"Today, if you hear His voice, harden not your heart, as in the rebellion" (Heb. 3:15).  God has a plan of salvation:  "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?"  (Heb. 2:3).  "Behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2).   God has a future for His people and offers them abundant life.  "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope"  (Jer. 29:11).  "...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly"  (John 10:10).   God's kindness and goodness toward you is not leniency but meant to give you space to change.  "...Not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance"  (Rom. 2:4).

But we are in a predicament and cannot realize God's plan.  We are totally, but not utterly depraved, which means you are as bad off as you can be and that every part of you is corrupt, even though you are not as bad as you can be. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?"  (Jer. 17:9).  We are a "sinner by birth, by nature, and by choice", according to  Chuck Swindoll.   "Indeed it is the straightedge of the law that shows us how crooked we are"  (Rom. 3:20, Phil.).  We are "free but not freed," says Augustine of Hippo.  We are free agents who are culpable and blameworthy and guilty, and all we can do is sin ("non-posse non-peccare," says Augustine [literally, "unable not to sin"]) period, case closed.

We cannot please God:  "We are like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness is like filthy rags"  (Isa. 64:6).  We are in a no-win situation and cannot gain the approbation or approval of God no matter what we do--we cannot clean up our act or prepare ourselves for salvation, except admit we are unqualified.   "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23).  There is a great chasm, rift, or cleavage between us and God.  "But your iniquities have separated you from your God..."  (Isa. 64:6).  Jonathan Edwards preached back during the Great Awakening  in 1741 that we are" sinners in the hands of an angry God [referrring to Deut. 32:35 as his text]""  Furthermore, God doesn't hear our prayers as unbelievers:  "...Your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear" (Isa. 5:2).  We are even blind to the truth of the gospel:  "Whose minds the god of this age has blinded..."  (2 Cor. 4:4).

We cannot clean up our act or get it together--don't get me wrong; we can come as we are to Christ, we just can't stay that way.  We are "by nature a child of wrath" and cannot reform ourselves enough to please God.   "Can an Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?  Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil?" (Jer. 13:23).   "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?"  (Prov. 20:9).

 There is an exit strategy:  Jesus comes to the rescue and shows a way out of our dilemma.  This is no "do-it-yourself" proposition, but God taking the initiative and paying the price we couldn't pay on our behalf.  "But God demonstrates His love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8).  "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, all we like sheep have gone astray, and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all"  (Isa. 53:5-6).  "Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us, and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross" (Col. 2:14). "For Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (1 Pet. 3:18).  "For He made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us..."  (2 Cor. 5:21).   This is called the propitiation, atonement, or reconciliation and is what God did for us on the cross through His Son Jesus Christ, and what was needed for our forgiveness (sort of like paying the price with His blood).

Christ died for "whosoever will" and no one who wills to do His will be left out.  However, the offer is to all whom the Lord our God will call, cf. Acts 2:39).  God does the wooing and actually compels us to come to Him with irresistible grace and an effectual call and we refer to as efficacious in its result.  "No one can come to Him unless the Father who sent Me draws him ..."  (John 6:44).  This is called one of Christ's "hard sayings."  "No one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father"  (John 6:65).  I am not offering religion to you, but a relationship and way of life. It is not "do" but "done."  "The just shall live by faith"  (Hab. 2:4). It's a "done deal" and we cannot add to God's work, because Jesus said, "It is finished."

But the prerequisite to salvation is repentance by the grace of God or His unmerited and undeserved favor.  "... [God[ commands all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30).  Repentance is an about-face, a 180-degree turn, a turnaround, a change of mind and heart and action, a turning from sin toward God.  "Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, and times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord"  (Acts 3:19).  "For godly sorrow leads to repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted..."  (2 Cor. 7:10).  God gives space and time to repent and is patient:  "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9).  God is being good for a reason--He wants repentance.  God grants repentance, so we should ask Him.  "Then God also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life" (Acts 11:18).  "...If perhaps, God will grant them repentance..." (2 Tim. 2:25).   True repentance always accompanies saving faith as the flip side. The combo is called believing repentance or penitent faith.  They are seen in juxtaposition in certain passages like Acts 20:21 and used interchangeably in others like Luke 24:47.    God puts a new man in the suit, not a new suit on the man!

We must be regenerated or born again, or born from above.  Irresistible grace makes us willing on the day of salvation (cf. Phil. 2:13).  "Salvation is of the Lord' (Jonah 2:9).  The Spirit regenerates like the wind blows where it wills (cf. John 3:8).  "Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh"  (Ezek. 11:19, cf. Jer. 24:8).

We are at the mercy of God:  "...so then, it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy" (Rom. 9:16).  Our destiny is ultimately in God's hands and we are not the masters of our fate or captain of our souls, God is in control.   We are born "...not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13).

You must have faith to be saved, for only faith pleases God, and it is impossible to please Him without it.  Everyone has faith, they just have to exercise what they have; everyone has faith in something or someone.  We must have a  "heart belief" and not just a "head belief" or mere assent or agreement; it must involve the intellect, knowing the fact;, the will,  being obedient;  and the heart or emotions.    Real saving faith produces good works and if no fruit is present there is no faith, period. The Reformers' formula was "saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone."  Faith is quickened within us and comes by the hearing and by the hearing of the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).  "For by grace are you saved through faith [the instrumental means], and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (cf. Eph. 2:8-9).  "God has dealt to each a measure of faith" (Rom. 12:3).  Peters epistle was directed "to those who have obtained like precious faith" (2 Pet. 1:1).  "This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent" (John 6:29).  Doubt is an element of faith, not its opposite, and often resides with faith because no one knows all the answers or it would be knowledge.  "I believe, help thou mine unbelief" (cf. Mark 9:24).   If left to ourselves, none of us would believe, and we are no more virtuous because we do:  "There but for the grace of God, go I," (George Whitefield).  God has poured out grace on His chosen ones:  "...as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed' (Acts 13:48).  "He greatly helped those who believed through grace" (Acts 18:27).

The general call is to all but God gives His invitation to all whosoever will:  the poor, imprisoned, blind, and oppressed, according to Isa. 61:1.   The offer is not "swimming instructions for a drowning man, but a reprieve to a man on death row, who is guilt," ( Paul Little).  The invitation is as follows:  "Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat.  Yes, come buy wine and milk, without price" (Isa. 55:1). "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness, I have drawn you" (Jer. 31:3).  "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

We must respond (or reach a decision) to the good news about Christ.  That He died for sinners (they must know this), that He was buried, and that He rose again (for us personally--to know He died is history; to know for us is salvation).   There is no place for cheap grace or peace or easy-believism that thinks we can be saved without surrendering to His ownership of our lives and lordship over us and live in the flesh after its desires.  We must count the cost of following Him as Lord of our life.  "Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision" (Joel 3:14).

The search for God begins at salvation and we cannot find Him but that He found us:

 "Sow for yourselves in righteousness; reap in mercy, break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you"  (Hos. 10:12).   "But you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jer. 29:13).  "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near" (Isa. 55:6).

The three things (the ABCs) we must do are as follows:

(1)   Admit our need that we are a lost sinner in need of salvation and alienated, estranged, or separated from God.

(2)  Believe in the gospel message that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again all on our behalf as a substitute.  This implies that He is God in the flesh or the incarnate God of the same essence as the Father--His Deity.

(3)  Confess Him openly before men as Lord, not being ashamed of Him, that He is the Lord and your personal Lord.  "That If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved"  (Rom. 10:9).

Man is incurably addicted to doing something for his salvation, but in a works religion, you can never be sure and have the assurance of heaven.  Here is a simple sinner's prayer you might want to echo:


Lord Jesus, I believe that you rose from the dead and died on my behalf as a lost and condemned sinner.  Come into my heart and reign as Lord of my life, as I commit to following You as a disciple in the fellowship of Your church.  I hereby repent of all known sin and desire to be changed by Your power and not to look back.  Amen [So be it!].    This is not some magic formula to say but the condition and sincerity of the heart are paramount.

Now, a transaction has taken place and we should not confuse fact and feeling or works and grace.  God says it in His Word, I believe it in my heart, that settles it in my mind.  There are several verses of comfort and assurance:  

"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool|" (Isa. 1:18).

"But as many as received Him to them gave He the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in His name"  (John 1:12).

If you have honestly (God doesn't ask for perfect, but unfeigned or sincere faith) trusted Christ for your salvation and have stopped trying to save yourself, you have accepted the gift of life eternal that begins now and goes on forever, forgiving your sins, past, present, and future.  Your salvation began in eternity, was realized in time, and is going to be consummated or fulfilled in heaven.  God erased the tape, as it were, gave you a clean slate, and doesn't recall your sins--they are deleted permanently. Look at the following verses:

Our position before Christ:
"As far as the East is from the West, so far has He removed our transgressions from us" (Psa. 103:12).  "I am He who blots out your transgressions, and will not remember your sins" (Isa. 43:25).   "I have blotted out like a thick cloud your transgressions, and like a cloud your sins"  (Isa. 44:22).  "....You have cast all my sins behind Your back" (Isa. 38:17). "If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared (Psa. 130:3-4).  "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more;'  (Heb. 8:12).

  Assurance is up to the Holy Spirit:

 "The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:16).   But reassurance is found in Scripture, and we should stand on the promises of God and take Him at His Word.  "He fills us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 15:13).  Simply find a verse that means something to you and gives you what you need to hear and cling to it.  My favorite is John 6:37 saying, "The one who comes to Me I will in no way cast out [permanent salvation or eternal redemption]."  Some others are as follows:  "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand..."  (John 10:27).  "And this is the testimony: That this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life... These things I have written to you that believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life:  (1 John 5:11,13).  My favorite is what Michael Faraday quoted when he died:  "For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day"  (2 Tim. 1:12).  Soli Deo Gloria!

Are You Doing The Lord's Work?

Bill Gates, the richest man in the world, was asked why he was doing the Lord's work (charitable causes as a philanthropist) since he is not a Christian:  "Well, the Lord isn't doing it!"  This is sarcasm and it is sad we have this state of affairs in our blessed nation deemed to be under God.  Nothing done in the Lord is done "in vain," according to Scripture; so we should never give up doing His will for our lives, no matter how mundane or humble the task (remember the poor widow who fed Elijah in Zarephath).  "Do your work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men [as people-pleasers or brownnosers]  We must realize that our reward is in heaven and the unrighteous receive their portion in this life (Psa. 17:14).  Some leave their riches, while others go to theirs.   Let's keep our eyes on Jesus and not on men, even if they are so-called "princes".

Work has it's own reward  (knowing we are pleasing God:  "Work, for I am with you," says Hagga):   fulfillment, achievement, goal attainment, and of knowing we're "purpose-driven".  The Air Force motto is "Aim High!" and the Army says, "Be all you can be!" We must discourage a lukewarm and apathetic attitude:  attitude determines altitude and is everything!  Recall King Saul's halfhearted obedience compared with David being a man after God's own heart.  Joshua and Caleb "wholly followed the Lord."   Pete Rose was known as Charlie Hustle and displayed this kind of character.  Sports show that the key to getting something done is to be a team player and not worrying who gets the credit or the glory.

Jesus had a servants heart (cf. Mark 10:45 saying, "I came not to be served, but to serve..."). Yes, complacency is the enemy and we must work as if everything depends on us, though we pray like everything depends on God--we leave the results to God!   Solomon says that whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might--get a purpose and be a man or woman on a mission!   "For the people had a mind to work..." (Neh. 4:6).

The Lord's second coming should motivate us and stimulate us all the more, as we see the Day approaching (Heb. 10:25).   There is intrinsic motivation like knowing God is happy with us and we are doing His will, and there is extrinsic motivation like being rewarded with more pay as an incentive.  Feeling called to do something is intrinsic:  Zechariah was an expert at this:  "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts."  Nehemiah felt inspired to work hard and finished his task in 52 days, which was a miracle.  We are inspired as lofty as our insight and dreams; so dream big and remember that God is big enough for our dreams.  A personal example:  I got a job filing and that was my bugaboo, as it were, and my fears and Angst had to be overcome!   God did indeed change me and gave me the patience to do it and not ever be overwhelmed (I thought of the promise in Isa. saying, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you...").   A good anecdote you might want to remember:   There were three stonecutters who were asked what they were doing.  The first said he was laying bricks, the second that he was making 20 pounds an hour, the third said that he was building a cathedral for God.  Which one had a real vision ("Without vision the people perish,"  says Prov. 29:18)?

The Protestant work ethic has a long history.  You must have the vision of Nehemiah:  "Behold, I am doing a great work."  St. Francis of Assisi was asked if he died in 10 minutes what would he do:  He was the gardener at the monastery and he said he would finish "this row."  Work is part of our image and likeness of God and we are hard-wired for it--incomplete without it.  We are compelled to accomplish something and take pride in our achievement done in the Lord. God will someday balance the books and justice will be served as far as reaping what we sow--and I'm not talking about karma or fate, but if we are not rewarded in this life, we will in the afterlife. 

A bit of history:  During the time of Paul there were 60 million slaves in the world and work was considered a curse and only slaves should do it.  Martin Luther brought honor to work by saying that all work can be done to the glory of God.   Another exemplar was Brother Lawrence, a dishwasher/cook at a French Carmelite monastery in the seventeenth century.  In the formative and desperate years of the Jamestown settlement, started in 1607, Captain John Smith quoted 2 Thess. 3:10 saying, "He that is unwilling to work, shall not eat."  That got people motivated!  Now we hear of the "idle rich," but the Bible says that those who wear themselves out trying to get rich are just as wrong.   Theodore Roosevelt said, "There has never yet been a man who led a life of ease whose name is worth remembering."  Everyone needs a purpose in life and seeing something higher than himself to attain to.    Carl F. H. Henry, a 20th-century theologian,  said that we are made for work and not for idleness.  We are hard-wired that way, to be blunt.   Yes, there will be work, even in heaven.

God does not call us to success but to faithfulness, according to Mother Teresa of Calcutta.  Failure is not a sin!   Jeremiah 45:5 says,  "Do you seek great things for yourself?  Seek them not."  Selfish ambition is a fruit of the flesh and carnal according to Gal. 5:20.   Everyone has a niche and calling from God ("The gifts and calling of God are without repentance," per Rom. 11:22).  Some are homemakers, and some are kings or presidents; they are judged according to their faithfulness in the talents God gave them:   "To whom much is given, much is required" per Luke 12:48.  It is not so much what we accomplish and brag  (being a braggart is wrong) about, but our character that matters.   Only deeds done to the glory of God in the power of the Spirit will be rewarded.  God is not against good deeds; only ones done in the flesh (or without God's Spirit, cf. Rom. 8:8).

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might," says Solomon in Eccl. 9:10.  Believe me, I have paid my dues and know what hard work is. There is nothing beneath us, and if we are humble  and meek, being willing to do whatever God wants us to do,  and be what He wants us to be, we will be willing to do the order of the towel as Jesus did and do the role of a slave or servant:  Then God will say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."   We should be redeeming the time because the days are evil; making the most of the opportunities we are given--there are always lost opportunities that teach us a lesson.  Col 1:10 says we should be "bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God [they are correlated]"

We are not saved by good works, but not without them either:  "we are saved unto good works [Eph. 2:10]."  We need to find our labor of love, that we would do even if we were not compensated.  But there is a caveat:  Jer. 48:10 says that slackness in the LORD'S work will bring a curse!  Slothfulness is one of the seven deadly sins according to the Vatican and they could be right.  When we have completed the work that God has given us we "enter into His rest."

 Jesus prayed in His priestly prayer in John 17 that had completed the work that God had given Him to do (John 17:4).   The only question I want to leave you with is to consider what kingdom you are working for--is it God's kingdom or your own empire and circle of influence.  God wants us to leave our comfort zone and venture out to do brave and great things for God!  Nehemiah said it well:  "Behold, I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down."

In summation, let me quote Nehemiah, an expert on motivation in getting the walls of Jerusalem rebuilt, in Neh. 4:6 as follows:  "For the people had a mind to work...."  Note that it was all about attitude and frame of mind!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Indebted To Jesus!

Do you know that you owe
It all to the Lord Jesus!
When your goal loses your soul,
And you want a way out,
Remember He's near and saves ev'ry tear,
And your woes won't overflow His bowl. 

When the fight is lonely as the night,
And you wonder where He is,
Remember all the same to praise His name.
So thank Him anyway,
For you He'll win, so don't lose by sin.
And if you pray, claim His fame. 

The joy you'll share, knowing He's there,
Treading those paths ahead.
But let it glow, and you will grow,
To lighten the paths of sin;
But love is the way to make His day,
And loving the Lord will make them know. 

  Soli Deo Gloria!

Rationale For My Blog

This is an extended disclaimer or for the tone and subject matter of my blog.  My intention is simply soli Deo Gloria or to God alone be the glory, using me as a vessel of honor.  I don't want any bad blood or bad vibes between me and my friends, associates, family members, or readers, but to have as much harmony and unity of spirit as possible. I truly believe Augustine's dictum "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity.

There are plenty of gray areas and we are not to judge our brother indisputable areas according to Romans 14:1, but leave room for disagreement (agreeing to disagree and disagreeing without being disagreeable) and freedom of conscience as Martin Luther would phrase it ("to go against conscience is neither right, nor safe")  But the Scriptures exhort us to strive "for the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3),  and Paul said to each "be fully convinced in his own mind."  Abraham said it well to Lot:  "Let there be no strife between us ... for we are brethren"  (Gen. 13:8).

Some Christians have come full circle, in that in Catholicism you cannot question the priest who alone has authority to interpret Scripture, but they frown upon believers who show discernment and discretion toward Bible teachers and pastors.  It is alright to have a biblical objection, but just don't get personal and attack his character, which would be casting a slur on our fellow man or taking up a reproach against another (cf. Psa. 15:3).  A man of God must not "strive."  We don't purposely cause divisions or separate brethren, but we must take our stand for the truth as we know it.  "If I die, I die," said Esther as she took her stand!   John 7:24 says it like this:   "Do not judge by appearances, but judge right judgment.

I do not have an axe to grind nor do I wish to pick a fight or have a bone to pick; and I'm certainly not out to get you to join my church or become my convert.  I'm not just interested in "doctrines that divide" like the so-called "Limited Atonement" that Calvinists are known for.  I am not desirous of controversy, but only in finding the truth (to go there you must be willing to admit you could be wrong, and be willing to go wherever it may lead).  My goal is to make issues in the church have a forum for discussion and to bring to light some of my opinions to the open marketplace of ideas.

I am not contentious, divisive, nor argumentative by nature in my estimate, but Christ was known as a controversialist and to avoid controversy is to avoid Christ according to R. C. Sproul.  Sometimes a diatribe can create more heat than light and cannot be settled in print or in writing, but end up getting personal and emotionally charged. We need to keep our cool and commit ourselves to what the Bible says and that it alone is the infallible source of truth.  No one has a monopoly on truth nor has cornered the market of knowledge or wisdom--even Solomon made mistakes!

The only stand that I take dogmatically is that I am a Protestant  (I disagree, I dissent, I protest), in that I believe I can question authority and that the Bible is the final word on any subject of doctrine over tradition or any papal edict or prophetic utterance.  As the reformers proclaimed:  "Sola Scriptura"  (Scripture alone as authority).  If there is a disagreement I hope the Bible and not personal hunches or insights from mystical teachers will settle the issue.   I submit to the authority of the Bible alone and do not revere any teacher or leader as holy or above criticism, but I believe I can reserve the right to show what I call discernment.

My blog and I have been criticized and blamed for being "judgmental" of other ministries or ministers.   I admit to being a Protestant and claim the right to "dissent, disagree, and protest" against the pope or Rome's dogma as I understand it.   First of all, I would like to refer to the heading of my blog not to promote any one denomination or a certain agenda.  I may have blogged about certain doctrines that have been of interest or even problematic, or open to debate and not easily settled or dismissed, but I have not made it my "mission" to attack anybody I know unless he just happens to come up in the topic in question.  My blog is not definitive (I do not claim to have the last word or to speak ex-cathedra or from the chair as the pope does, nor do I ever pontificate or speak for God, but am only expressing my personal educated and edified opinion, which comes from considerable study of all of the Scriptures and growth as a Christian.

 When one has a highly visible ministry like Billy Graham or Joel Osteen. or John MacArthur he is just asking for opinion and criticism.  I know we are not to judge or criticize our brothers (cf. James 4:11), but I'm  not getting personal and am showing what I regard as "discernment."  There are some areas that ministers compromise important truths, and I believe should be brought to the attention of students of the Word with an open mind, willing spirit, and needy heart.


Now, I claim to be a Calvinist or Reformed in doctrine, yet I do not harp or get preoccupied with the subject of predestination or the bondage of our will (as opposed to so-called free will), and if I did you could say I was just trying to convert you rather than edify you or whet your appetite for the truth and stimulate to be Bereans and search these things out for yourself.  Some people just need to be shocked out of their comfort zones and woken up out of their dogmatic slumber. 

Let's get specific, I was "saved" by Billy Graham preaching more than 40 years ago and revere him, yet I disagree with that organization saying that Mormonism is not a "cult".  I also think that John M. has taken upon himself to judge other ministries and I do not believe that is the job of the expositor of the Word.  I believe we should keep the main thing the main thing.    I disagree with Joel Osteen because I disagree with "prosperity theology" and am shocked that he won't mention "sin" because it is such a "killjoy word."  

I do not agree with  Jack Van Impe because it seems he is trying to scare people into the kingdom and has an agenda about the Lord's second coming.     I understand that genuine believers do follow these ministers and do not think they are going to hell,  but there is a difference between judging and show discernment.   In sum,  I do not argue ad hominem or "to the man" and make a personal attack as it were because I cannot refute what they say from Scripture.
   Soli Deo Gloria!

Is Invictus Right?

Are we the "masters of our fate" and the "captains of our soul?"  According to this famous poem Invictus, penned by William Ernest Henley, and recited at a many a graduation ceremony, we are unconquerable and just don't realize it all the time.  We should thus thank God for our own success.  The irony of modern man is that he ruins his own life and blames God (cf. Prov. 19:3) however, he becomes a success and gives himself the credit. Like the definition of an Englishman:  "A self-made man who worships his creator."  There is no such animal as a self-made man.  Isa. 64:8 says God is the potter and we are the clay.  We should remember the rock from which we were hewn and the stone from which we were cut, says Isaiah in chapter 51:1.  We are all a byproduct of all those we've been influenced by in our circle of friends and family.   Very little of our personality or success is due to genetics per se, but the sovereignty and providence of God and, of course, environmental factors.

The psalmist says in Psa. 31:15 the following claim:  "The course of my life is in your power."  Another translation reads, "My future [my times] is in your hands."  God can, and does control the king and sovereign of the state just like the course of a river according to Prov. 21:1.  "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way,"  says Psa. 37:23.  The most devastating blow to think that we are in control of our lives and destiny is two verses that essentially say the same thing:  Jer. 10:23 and Prov. 20:24.  "I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his steps."  "A man's steps are from the LORD, how then can a man understand his way?"

 Did you know that your life was already planned out by God and written in a book before you were born, just like an author writing a play and you merely have a role to play?  Psa. 139:16 says precisely this:  "....in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me when as yet there were none of them."  Fate is impersonal, like the blind "kismet" of Islam, but we have a destiny, which is different:  We have a part to play and must cooperate with God to reach God's best for us.  For instance, if your destiny was to be a piano virtuoso, you must practice diligently.

Isaiah says in Isa. 26:12, "...all that we have accomplished you have done for us...."  Paul says he will not "venture to speak, but of what Christ has accomplished through him,"  in Rom. 15:18.  Amos 6:13 speaks of Israel being proud of accomplishing nothing by themselves:  "You who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar [nothing] and say, 'Did we not take Karnaim by our own strength?'"  All our fruit comes from God (Hos. 14:8).   In summation, our destiny is ultimately in God's hands, but it isn't a blind, mechanical, impersonal fate that some seem to think--our input matters!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Can Christians Be Blind To Evil?

"Before he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right..." (Isa. 7:15). Even Jesus' mind had to develop and as Christians, the writer of Hebrews says that mature Christians are those who are "trained to distinguish good from evil"  (Heb. 5:14).  We don't see clearly right from wrong just because we are born again--we must mature and grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18).

[I'm not going to be definitive and answer all the questions, but many may be raised and I hope this doesn't just open a can of worms.]

It is a loose use of the word  (people today have watered down its meaning by overuse) that gets people in trouble and we must define terms to continue, so you know what I mean.  According to R. C. Sproul,  "Augustine sought to define evil in purely negative terms.  Evil is a lack, privation or negation of the good.  Only that which was first good can become evil...  Evil depends on good for its very definition."  In other words, evil is a corruption of good or masking of it for the wrong reason or motive.  Doing something that is moral consists not only of the right motive but a right end.  Doing the right thing in the right way, for example.  Case in point:  claiming to do good or saying it is good when it is really evil.  Evil is basically anything that is wrong and not according to God's plan or economy:  e.g., homosexual matrimony masked as a good thing.   ("Woe unto those who call evil good, and good evil," says Isaiah.)

 Evil usually masks itself, like the so-called "nanny-state" that some people think is "good."  They say sincerely:  'Let us help you" (like putting you in the hospital and "curing' you of your illness).   The government has rights, responsibilities, and duties just as individuals do and God sets those limits.  The communists believe, for instance, that the end justifies the means and they are only seeking the "higher good" at the expense of the individual. Another fallacy is seeking the greatest good for the greatest number and doing it by any means possible.  

We, Westerners, believe in the inherent worth of the individual and of personal rights which are paramount and trump the states rights (this goes back to the Magna Charta he signed by King John in A.D. 1215).  Sproul cites an example:  the Antichrist depends on Christ for his identity, he says.  When we call someone evil (and many people rightly think of Hitler as the paradigm of evil if there is such a beast), we are making a "value judgment" that refers to our standards of right and wrong.

There are many less strident and innocuous ways of speaking without being inflammatory or alienating.  We hear of partisans "demonizing" each other and by this, they mean that the blame the other side and think they are right and the other is wrong and they won't compromise with "evil."  The Bible says to "put away the pointing of the finger" (cf. Isa. 58:9) and to realize the "we" are the problem:  start humbling ourselves is the exhortation of 2 Chr. 7:14 saying, "If my people shall humble themselves ... I shall heal the land."  We should be "delicate" in our talk and not offensive if we can help it because words not only have denotations from the dictionary but connotations that we may not intend and imply something else.  What you call evil, I may say isn't.

To solve the problem, in politics, I think it is more tactful to say they believe some politico is "wrong" and not "evil."  If you say a leader is evil (and I admit some are, Adolf Hitler, for example) you are labeling those who support that person as evil by the "guilt of association."  I'd more readily and  much rather admit I was wrong than evil, and there is nothing inherently bad about admitting we are wrong-no one has a monopoly on the truth and is right about everything, including the pope, who claims "infallibility."

 We shouldn't "jump to the conclusion" that a leader (and our duty is to pray for them and honor and obey them in the Lord as much as possible) is evil just because we disagree with part of their agenda or policies.  Name-calling and labeling are uncalled for and un-Christ-like--since we are to be examples in our behavior, speech, and views.  We mature believers may have a more sensitive awareness of good and evil, and we have all tasted of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,  and we should be patient with those "less enlightened" ones that need to be edified about a Christian worldview:  We not only need to do like Christ would, but talk, think, and believe the way we ought-- having a sense of "ought" you could say.  I am appalled at the evil in the world and deplore the fact that most Christians can't even pray, but they sure can judge, condemn, complain, and criticize--this ought not to be so.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Parading Our Freedom

When we sin we are not displaying and demonstrating our freedom, but proving our slavery.   "If the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). Do not be "entangled again in a yoke of bondage," but don't take advantage of grace either and misuse it.    A Christian ought to be free, yet not flaunt it or rub it in to make others envious:  "You shall know the truth, and truth shall set you free" (John 8:32).

We should set aside the "sin which so easily besets" us and pray for deliverance from "willful" or "presumptuous" sins. Some call this intentional sin and we are all guilty of it.    A good rule of thumb is whether we are in control of it or it controls us. Habits are hard to break but any ungodly habit should be overcome.  A man is not totally free until he has conquered himself.   The psalmist prayed not to "let any sin rule over him."  Paul said, in 1 Cor. 6:12 that "all things are lawful for him, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but I will not be enslaved by anything."  He also said that "not all things are constructive [edifying or for our good]."

We are also limited by our brother's conscience.  The legalist sees "sins" and doesn't see that the root problem is "sin," his fallen nature, and this must be dealt with,   transformed, and renewed from the inside out.   Do not offend his idea of right and wrong on questionable matters and leave room for difference of opinion.  Don't repress his sense of "ought" and code of conduct.   Weaker brothers have more scruples or qualms than you do and you should respect their code of conduct and conscience, and not show off!  

The stronger brother needs to grow in love to not offend the weaker brother, who may have qualms about something. The weaker brother needs to grow in knowledge and be set free.   Remember, not all possess "knowledge" and that  "knowledge puffs up, but love edifies"  (1 Cor. 8:1).  Don't think you know it all, have a monopoly on wisdom, or have cornered the market on truth because Scripture says,  "If anyone thinks that he knows anything, he does not know as he ought to know"  (1 Cor. 8:2).

You can say that many things are sin if you just say the body is a temple, and, therefore any mistreatment is a sin (for instance, being sedentary is unhealthy, too).  The Bible says that exercise is profitable, but we are not to exalt the body, nor mistreat it.  You may approve of something others may not, and you should keep your faith to yourself.  You could say that eating meat is sin because it has cholesterol--but everything is bad for you except vegetables; even Jesus exercised moderation in all things and abstinence in some things.

We like to show off that we are not religious, but there comes a time when we must take a stand for what's right and stand up for Jesus.  Being sensitive to sin (and the more sense of sin, the less sin) keeps us humble. I relate to a great believer who said, "I am a great sinner, but I have a great Savior."  John Bunyan wrote Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. When we point the finger, three are aiming back at us, so he that is without sin should cast the first stone, as Jesus said--we all have feet of clay (having weaknesses not readily apparent)  and live in glass houses that can be vulnerable.

The closer you approach God, the more of a sinner you feel you are.  Peter said in Luke 5:8:   "Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man."    In summation, sometimes we feel it is our duty to point out some one's sins trying to make them go into a guilt trip, but only the Holy Spirit can convict of sin and He will choose which ones--not use. Each individual must act according to his own conscience, not his brother's.    Soli Deo Gloria! 

The Normal Christian Life

What is the Christian experience all about?  Is it just about being orthodox and dogmatic and infallibly correct in all your doctrines and have a legitimate credo?  Is it about being a so-called good, moral, upright, and decent person?  Is it about having a good philosophy or worldview and being active in geopolitical or social movements?  These things are "necessary, but not sufficient."  You can be a great student of theology and not know your Lord hardly at all, or you can know very little of the Bible and really have a dynamic relationship that is even contagious and a good advertisement for Christ. All these things work together.  Is it also about the sum total of your relationships?  The Christian life is like a tram that can't go horizontal unless it is plugged into a vertical power source.  We need both a relationship with God and with our fellow man; especially the fellowship of the body of Christ.

There are two extreme positions among believers:  antinomians who are lax on morality because they feel so secure in their salvation and don't believe genuine faith produces fruit (the axiom is that we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone), and the legalist who feels compelled to narrow his choices by strict interpretation of the Bible.  The stronger believer needs to grow stronger in love and the weaker one in knowledge.  The strong believer is limited by the conscience of the weaker brother and doesn't have free rein to do as he likes.

I cannot stress enough that the normal Christian life is an obedient one:  taking part in the fellowship of a local body of believers, studying, meditating, and/or reading Scripture, witnessing on a regular basis, having a vital and active prayer life The summation of the new life is simply "follow me."  He has learned to handle temptation and shuns evil and of course, knows the difference between good and evil.  It's not normal to be overtaken by a fault or to let a sin rule over you.

Remember that the Devil's chief strategy is to "divide and conquer."  Relationships break down when you have is a failure to communicate--you must keep in touch and not let it slip away.   If you claim to have a prayer life with God and can't even talk to your friends, you are fooling yourself--what do you think it's all about?  Recently I have refined, revived, and developed a relationship with my mom that seems to make her my "significant other"--We must know God and all else is the icing on the cake.

 We must first "seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness," as Jesus said in Matt. 6:33.  Are you a kingdom seeker and working for God's kingdom and glory or your own? God has given us the kingdom of God--let's learn how to use it for His glory!   You may be content or proud of your intellectualism of the faith (there is no place for an intellectual elite or privileged party in the brotherhood)  and be very good at doctrine or be able to comprehend the deepest truths (the incomprehensible Trinity or providence of God, the definite or limited atonement,  infralapsarianism, and supralapsarianism, for example) and fail our God.  Jesus said to have eternal life is to "know God." This means an ongoing, living relationship--not just being family with facts or theory.  I really don't care about a believer's philosophy, what I want to see is faith in action by the good works and fruit that is produced--you shall know them by their fruits.

 You most likely know the cliché that Christianity is not a religion but a relationship--but have you ever thought of the consequences of this assertion?  If you claim to know all the dogma and teachings of the Bible and are a failure in life's relationships (e.g.,  siblings, spouse, extended family, friends, relatives, comrades, or associates,) you have fallen short.  When you can be so close to someone that they believe in you and you believe in them you will get my drift.    You can get out of sync and not know what has happened, but if you "walk in the light, even as He is in the light, you will have fellowship one with another...."  When you cultivate a relationship and you become simpatico or have camaraderie you will realize that that is a reward in itself.   The biggest lesson I have learned about friendships is that "iron sharpens iron" according to Prov. 27:17.

God wants you to swallow your pride in always wanting to be right (religionists are more concerned about being right because they have a relationship or infatuation with doctrine, not God--we are all in this together as members of one winning team in Christ-- and interested in winning the argument more than in arriving at the truth--if you are not willing to admit you could be wrong, you will never attain to the truth!   In science, you must be willing to go where the truth leads to unconditionally if you want to arrive at it.  If you have your mind made up already and don't want to be confused with the facts you will never know the truth "that will set you free."   I realize what it is like to be accused of it all being in my head and being an egghead (a great thinker with no passion or zeal for the Lord), so I know whereof I speak.

I look back on my life and now realize the value it was to my Christian experience to have had a relationship with my grandmother, who was a devout and faithful lady (in small things, have you).  Now that I am older and wiser, I realize how wise my mom is and value my fellowship and relationship with her more than with anyone else--you could say that right now she is my "significant other" because I am divorced and have no girlfriend.  We have gone past the threshold of mother-son relationship to friend and confidant, which is very unique.  I relate to King David who had a "bosom friend" in Jonathan and said it was better than the love of women, too, because I have been there and done that if you follow me.

Who do you think Jesus is, if not manifested in the body of the church and our brethren?   It is not normal to be a "holy joe" or be so pious that we are just trying to outshine our brother and see everything as completion or rivalry.  I am not a "holy roller" and I am proud of it; I do not go on all day with my head in the clouds or being "religious."  I believe you can be a Christian without being religious!  

The day we are set free and realize that it is not about our performance in daily devotions or piety that counts, but what God accomplishes through us that matters.  It is not a human achievement, but a divine accomplishment that is worthy of a reward.  "Only one life, 'twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."  You can be Jesus to someone and fulfill your calling, and, whether you realize it or not, you are a witness, whether good or bad.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Lessons From A Family Tiff

Disclaimer:  I do not claim "infallibility" like the popes in Rome do, even though they contradict each other.  We all have feet of clay and have weaknesses not readily apparent. There is an upside to a hard lesson:  We learn something the difficult way.  Everyone sooner or later "plays the fool."   There is a downside to being dogmatic or ideologically oriented:  There will be disagreements. I deplore the family quibble I have found myself involved in and am writing this to ameliorate it the best I can.  (Let us never forget that we are in the body and members one of another; we all need each other, as Barbra Streisand sang, "People who need people are the happiest people.")     Nevertheless, this is my point of view; I am not trying to pontificate or speak ex-cathedra like the pope.

NB:  I am not totally innocent, am not trying to point the finger, but I believe that in any quarrel both sides are culpable to some degree, whether they admit it or not--"The Lord's servant must not strive," says the Word. Satan's strategy is to divide and conquer!  I have to agree with the psychologist that said it was good to feel so bad--because I have learned from this ordeal.   We must always remember to show mercy because Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." "Love covers a multitude of sins" (Prov. 10:`12).  "A man's wisdom gives him patience, but it is his glory to overlook an offense'  (Prov. 19:11).    I can't  forget the Disciple's Prayer that says to "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."

I bemoan the fact that we become too subjective, relying on emotion and personal opinion, rather than objective, and seeing things from God's point of view--though only God is perfectly objective!  We must also refrain from striving about the meaning of words:  sometimes it is just better policy to find out what they meant and not what they said, what is their definition and not necessarily what the dictionary says, unless it's not a word you're familiar with--so don't jump to the conclusion that someone said something that he may not have, and resolve it.    Remember,  we should avoid foolish and godless controversies, but ones that are real issues are important to resolve and settle.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Family disharmony can have unintended consequences:  Especially when religion or politics is involved.  We must learn not to get confrontational, aggressive, or condescending, and turn it into an ad hominem argument.  It is natural to be defensive and feels we are on the hot seat like Jesus with the legal experts when put on the defensive, but one shouldn't go into attack mode consequently.  Many times there ensues a "failure to communicate."  Sometimes we are cynical and "don't get mad, we get even."  Both parties can feel compelled to want to say the last word and cut the other off, closing the door, but I do not believe in doing that, but in resolving the issue and only ending the discussion when both sides have said their peace.

Sometimes when we argue we try to get the advantage over the opponent by citing some ace in the hole, or are tempted to brag about that we think will give us an advantage (this is a fulcrum to throw the other one off balance).  How do I know we shouldn't give up?  Let them quit, but don't give up:  God doesn't give up on us according to Phil. 1:6 and we are all works in progress--no one has "arrived."  Too often our arguments (any attempt to prove the other person wrong) end up in a face-off where we get emotional and lose our cool. Patience by definition is the endurance that goes to the breaking point and doesn't break.    Remember to take insults like a man:  Even Jesus endured insults and this is part of the cross we all must bear.

We should not assume an air of superiority or monopoly on wisdom, or that we have cornered the market on truth, even if we are wiser (even Solomon made mistakes ) and realize that God can speak even through the voice of a child.  (I only cite Augustine, who claimed God spoke to him via a child's voice.)   I have a Pentecostal background, though I do not adhere to all their dogma, and you have a right to dissent, disagree, or protest.  But I say any believer, filled with the Spirit, can utter a word of wisdom (a word to the wise is sufficient) and we shouldn't despise prophesying, no matter who it comes from.  Sometimes we wonder:  Where's your patience?   Our patience can be tried to the extreme; we must recall that God is longsuffering toward us and we should be likewise.

One can be wise in the ways of the world, have business sense, or be well-educated, but not have spiritual mojo or know the Lord. Look at Donald Trump who is an infidel.   Just because one is saved doesn't mean he knows the Lord very well--this takes walking with the Lord.  One can also, conversely, be very astute spiritually and have much spiritual insight and even be blessed with special epiphanies, and not know his way around the block,  or know  the scoop, be naïve, or even have no  common sense--much wisdom comes from growing up in the school of hard knocks and experience.  One can be savvy about the Bible and not be applying it, too.

We should never get confrontational or be antagonistic.  We should refrain from being a bully, and being bitter, or angry with our brother, (Jesus  gave a stern warning against being angry with our brother in Math. 5:22.),  but remain filled with the Spirit and "speak the truth in love."  I like the words of Gen. 13:8:  "Let there be no strife between us, for we are brethren." As far as boasting or bragging, the Bible says that if you want to boast, boast in the Lord (what He has done through us) and "let another praise you and not your own lips."  As believers in the body, it is common to think that people "owe" us, but we all need and owe each other, and no one is an island.   I do not believe in making implied ultimatums, threats, warnings, or cautions,  but in being patient (we may need to pray for it!).  Sometimes it's right to "let go and let God."    We must be willing to let God's will be done, not ours.

People ask me where I get my so-called knowledge (like asking me how I know the Bible so well) and how I just know things (sometimes, it seems fortuitous), having never been "trained," but my pastor told me I had the gift of knowledge.   I just know things and am a good person to ask questions because of this gift.  I do not claim to be a genius, know all the answers (if I did, I would be on a game show!), or even  be a learned or scholarly man, (I am mainly self-taught, mentored, and have no formal education in the Bible), but I know that I have a gift and that God uses me as a vessel of honor and glory in His kingdom.

When treated unfairly or insultingly, we should not return the favor in-kind (the so-called "brazen rule" says to treat unto others the way they treat you), but remember that Paul says  not to "recompense evil with evil, but overcome evil with good."  "Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me" (Prov. 24:29).  "Iron sharpens iron" is the principle to remember.   We should be willing to take whatever someone dishes out like a man.  "Brace yourself like a man..." (Job 38:3).   It is very important to "test the spirit" and respect our brother's "opinion" and realize he has the right to believe that.  We should always remember not to be hypercritical  (feel we have to debate everything--we should see what the Spirit wants to say), overly analytical,  or hypersensitive (wearing our feeling on our sleeve).  Boast in the Lord, says Jer. 9:23.  What hath God wrought?   Finally," we glory in Christ and not in ourselves", says Gal. 6:14.   Soli Deo Gloria! 

Doing Things The Right Way

When I was in the Army I was always reminded that there was "your way, my way, and the Army way."   Don't forget:  Jesus is the way! It is the same with the Lord:  Doing God's will our way is not commendable.  Our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees who insisted on finding their own way of doing things and making it into traditions and binding laws.  Someone here at the Vets Home was upset that he was not allowed on the bus, even though there were plenty of seats (the policy is only 20 per trip); what did he do?  He reacted and lost his temper, practically cursing everyone.   It talked to him later and told him that if he was against the policy (it wasn't the driver's fault!) that he should go to the administrator of the Home and do things the right way:  "Refrain from anger, forsake wrath...."

We need to trust in the Lord, unlike King Asa who sought the physicians in his illness and God afflicted him and he never did get healed--the rest of his career spiraled downward.  The first place we need to go with our problems is  God (and the Bible), then our spiritual leaders--and prayer is not the last resort, but the first avenue of divine intervention.

If it seems that prayer doesn't work, we should not give up and seek the wisdom of the world (I do not seek the advice of the psychologists here because they have an evil worldview because there is a curse on anyone who takes advice or counsel from the wicked per Psalm 1:1.  We may seek medical help, which is the gift of God after seeking God; but if we do, we are not to give up on God.

Money is not the answer to our problems and we are not to think we have an advantage over less affluent people because we can merely afford it.  Are we seeking our will?  We don't want our will, but the Father's, because we will screw things up.  We should be glad God doesn't answer all our prayers in the affirmative!   We need to continually ask ourselves if this is what Jesus would do (and we are all going to mess up sometimes). 

In sum:  "But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way"  (1 Cor. 14:40, NIV, emphasis mine).   Soli Deo Gloria!