Throwing Down The Gauntlet On Homophobia

 "But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, ... not to eat with such a person [shun]"  (1 Cor. 5:11, NKJV). 
"For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside?  Do you not judge those who are inside?  But those who are outside God judges.  Therefore 'put away from yourselves the evil person'" (1 Cor. 5:12-13, NKJV).  
"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived.  Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites ... And such were some of you.  But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God"  (1 Cor. 6:9,11, NKJV). 
 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation:  old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new"  (2 Cor. 5:17, NKJV).  
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10, NKV).

Leviticus 18:22 makes it clear that homosexuality is an abomination to the Lord ("detestable" in the NIV).  This sin is not listed in Proverbs 6:16-17 as one of the seven sins that God hates and are detestable to Him, though. " ...[Men] who have sex with men" ... "will not inherit the kingdom of God" period, according to Paul in 1 Cor. 6:9-11 (NIV).  Note:  the ESV (emphasis added) says, "those who practice homosexuality... shall not inherit the kingdom of God."  This means it cannot be their way of life or lifestyle, just like a kleptomaniac may steal on occasion, and confess it, but he isn't practicing it; likewise, the way John says in 1 John that the believer doesn't "practice sin."  Lapses are possible, and even relapses, but victory is ultimate and they will be justified, sanctified, and washed. We must acknowledge sin as a sickness that infects the soul as a virus and can be cured.  No one has the right to do what comes natural--we're all sick in sin and sinners by nature, by birth, and by choice.  "We are not sinners because we sin, but we sin because we are sinners," as it's been said by theologians!

My point of view is that homosexuality is not a genetic trait passed down by DNA (we are not pawns of our genes), but a character trait acquired by choice and indulgence--the nature you nourish tend to flourish--they must be put under control and not exercised at will.  God did make us the way we are, but we are still responsible for our flaws and cannot blame God or cast any slurs on His creatures, which He made us in the mage of God to have a relationship with Him--we don't have a license to sin. God's intention in the garden was Adam and Eve, and not two men or two women, but they were each others' perfect partner and the union was meant for procreation and fulfillment in each other.

When you indulge a sin, its grip becomes greater and you become enslaved to it.  The psalmist prayed, "Let no sin have dominion over me" in Psalm 119:133, (italics added) ESV, "Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me."  David prays, "Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me!..."  (Psalm 19:13, ESV, italics added).  We must bear in mind that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of heaven, but also that there is no condemnation for those who in Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 6:9; Rom. 8:1).

Due to Adam's fall, we inherited an old sin nature, but we are no longer under its dominion in Christ--we are set free from the power of sin as redeemed believers.  Everyone's sin nature inclines them differently and he must not let it get the best of him.  "For sin shall have no dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace"  (cf. Romans 6:14).  This implies we are accountable and cannot blame God.

If you look at the nature of sin, you will get the drift of Scripture:  Going contrary to God's design; He designed marriage as the only outlet for sex, and only between one man and one woman to become "one flesh" until death.  God is a God of design and the argument from design is one of the proofs of God, to not see that it is unnatural for a homosexual union is to go against nature as Paul states in Romans 1.  Biblical sexuality is only to be celebrated in the holy reins of matrimony.  God hates and condemns all perversion and no pervert will enter the kingdom of heaven.

But there is a difference between a desire and following through.  One may be inclined in an unnatural way and keep himself under control and not sin; he may say that he was born that way and that justifies his sin, but the heterosexual single person who lives in lust is in the same dilemma and must refrain likewise. The Bible recognizes no natural state of man to be perverted, but sin is a choice and we are responsible for our character. The gospel is for all, though, and Christ is the Healer who can bring anyone into the confines of normalcy. Just like there are reformed drunks and thieves, there are reformed gays. We should, therefore, not be homophobes, but welcome them and realize they can be saved just as well as the drunkard, the thief, the fornicator, or even the murderer!  There will be plenty of reformed criminals in heaven.  "But such were some of you.." (cf. 1 Cor. 6:11).

The homosexual is admonished to restrain from the practice of all sins, and this is just the one that easily besets him. God doesn't want any sin to overcome us or be domineering.  The church has no right to exclude a class of people or to discriminate, but to present the gospel and see its amazing power to change lives (whether all at once or over time).

We must address the problem of our society recognizing gay marriage and thinking this is a "right." The Supreme Court has sanctioned it, but it is not a God-given right to be perverted and God doesn't recognize such marriages, but they are living in adultery and sin and will be judged.  Rights are conferred from God, not the State, which only recognizes God-given rights.  They cannot say that they are wired differently because the Bible's list of sin gives no one an excuse.  The State has overstepped its bounds by legitimizing and normalizing gay marriage and society at large will be judged.  God is the ultimate law of the land, not the Constitution! Our leaders have God to answer to; The point is that being legal doesn't always mean being moral.

We outlaw child molestation, bestiality, and, until recently, sodomy was even outlawed; why do we seem to think that moral standards change with the times?   Everyone has a sexual appetite and he is expected to celebrate it within the bounds of legal marriage. Homosexuality is not an alternate lifestyle according to the Bible but is condemned and the truth of the matter is that we shouldn't hide from this fact--we need to call a spade a spade and not gloss over sins by calling them by another name that is less offensive.  We all have the sex drive, and are expected to master it as God said to Cain  (cf. Gen. 4:7):  "Sin wants to destroy you, but don't let it."

Scripture nowhere warrants a civil right to live any way that seems natural but commands righteous and holy living.  The whole purpose of government is to restrain evil and sin and to maintain civil order and upright institutions which are the foundations of society.  As Psalm 11:3 (NIV) says, "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?"  Finally, as Martin Luther said (paraphrased), we cannot control what enters our mind, but we decide what to dwell on and let our imagination get carried away with or fixated on.  Therefore, people who feel so inclined are no different than Christians who are battling other sins and need to overcome them!

The conclusion of the matter is stated in Numbers 32:23 (ESV) as follows:  "... [A]nd be sure your sin will find you out." Sin can be understood as anything not according to God's plan or will.   Caveat:  we reap what we sow (cf. Gal. 6:7) and if we sow the flesh, it will destroy us.  Therefore, Gal. 5:16 (ESV) expresses it:  "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."   Soli Deo Gloria!

GODISNOWHERE!

"I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me..." (Isaiah 65:1, NASB)
"Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you" (Hosea 10:12, NASB).  
"What can be seen on earth indicates neither the total absence of God nor his manifest presence, but rather the presence of a hidden God."  (Blaise Pascal, French mathematician/philosopher).


Reread that title and realize it can be deciphered two ways:  God is now here; God is nowhere. Probably you may preconceive your own interpretation due to prejudice! The query shouldn't be, "Where is God?" but, "Where isn't God?"  The truth is that God is everywhere, even in Hades (though not in His compassion, but only justice).  When we are looking for God, it is not He who moved, but we moved!  We cannot escape the presence of God, as David prays in Psalm 139.

We are commanded to look for God and to search Him out at His invitation:  "You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jer. 29:13, NASB).  We are to seek Him while He may be found in Isaiah 55:6 and to find Him while He is near!  When you find God, you realize He was there all the time!  Mention His name and have a sincere, expectant, and obedient heart.

"Truly, You are a God who hides Himself,..." (Isaiah 45:15, NASB).  Job had reason to wonder: "Oh that I knew where I might find Him,..." (Job 23:2, NASB). Sometimes God seems MIA or missing in action, but He is there, and it's likely our sins have built a chasm from fellowship or a breach of our relationship due to the cleavage from our unconfessed sin.  Psalm 66:18, NASB says it eloquently: "If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear." Sometimes God is playing a low profile and doesn't want to be so obvious:  "How long, O LORD?  Will You hide Yourself forever? ..." (Psalm 89:46, NASB).

Yes, the whereabouts of God isn't meant to be a mystery, but He is available to all who call upon His name in penitent, sincere, obedient faith.  Sometimes it seems to others that God has forsaken us, but Jesus promised He never would do that even to the end of the age He would be with us--don't let it get to you if they taunt you saying, "Where is this God of yours?" Because we know He is always here, they are just blind and are turning a deaf ear; only the saved see the kingdom of God and if they want their eyes opened they must repent and believe in Jesus.

God doesn't deal in triflers, and His pet peeve is that people aren't seeking (cf. Rom. 3:11). God is more ready to authenticate Himself to you than you are prepared to meet Him!  "Prepare to meet thy God," He says in Amos 4:12.  Pascal said he wouldn't have found God, had He not searched for him. Everyone has their chance, you might say, and the world has never been without witness (cf. Acts 14:17).  As Christians, we have it better than the Old Testament saints because the Lord dwells within us and whenever two or three are gathered together in His name, there is a special blessing of His divine presence.

Finding God isn't so much as to go where God is, like to church expecting He'd have to be there; it's an individual thing, and if you know the Lord you will indeed find Him.  But the Hound of Heaven pursues us and like a Good Shepherd is constantly seeking out the lost sheep (the believer who has lost his way).  Because of God's transcendence, He fills the cosmos, and because of His immanence, He is also nearby to aid us in our troubles and bless us.  "'Am I a God who is near,' declares the LORD, 'And not a God far off? ... Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?' declares the LORD"  (Jer. 23:23-24, NASB).  God is irrespective of the time/space continuum and location is no object to Him because He is Spirit and not material like us who have bodies to limit us--Jesus is both Spirit and body in His incarnation.  Some believers will be known by saying regretfully, "He was there all the time, and I knew it not!"

Jesus' name is called Immanuel and that is to mean that God is with us and when we have the resident Spirit of Christ indwelling us we never have to lose track of where God is--He will never leave us nor forsake us and will abide with us in a personal sense. We have all the tools necessary to find God, the Word, the Church, the abiding Spirit; so we have no excuse not to be filled with His Spirit and to know Him privately and personally.  Only in our faith do we claim the potential to know God and that God is personal.  "Acquaint now thyself with him and be at peace..." (Job 22:21, KJV); "Yield now and be at peace with Him; Thereby good will come to you" (Job 22:21, NASB).

To level with you, most believers are not moved by the Holy Spirit, nor have the discernment to awaken to His presence, simply because they have too much of the world's spirit within them and God cannot fill a space already full!  Before filling, in God's economy, comes emptying!   In sum, it is a boggling affair to know the Lord and to put things into that perspective.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Differing Functions

"Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are not wise"  (2 Cor. 10:12, ESV).
"...We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done" (Luke 17:10, NASB).

We are all "members, one of another," and individually too, as God preserves our personality and works with what we have to make us different one from another (cf. Romans 12:4).  There is no "one-size-fits-all" method of serving the body, but everyone must find their domain of service and praise God accordingly, for it doesn't matter the gift, but the spirit in which it is used.  Everyone fits in someway! Like Mother Teresa, the ultimate caregiver, said, "It doesn't matter what you do, but how much love you put into it!" Galatians 5:6, NIV, says that "all that matters is faith working through love."  We all are built differently and should be faithful to the faculties, inclinations, and turfs we have been granted.

And so we are not to compare ourselves one with another and think we are meant to be clones of each other--even children are individuals with a personality and gift all their own.  We do not all have the same function and are built differently, to relate to Christ's body as He sees fit--actually, it's the Holy Spirit who assigns gifts to each of us individually.  Paul goes on to say that one who leads, should do so in zeal accordingly.  We all are given a measure of faith (cf. Romans 12:3) and are required to make good on it and bring forth fruit as its byproduct.  Jesus has a lot invested in us, and likewise, we are to venture to take stock of how much we have invested in others and be faithful.  We are not going to be rewarded according to our faith, but according to its byproduct, our good deeds, according to Romans 2:6.

There can be jealousy and factions in the body if the members are maladjusted or trying to do something they aren't designed for--this is the ultimate in frustration and can lead to discouragement.  Never are we to let it go to our head that we are a cut above other believers by having a superior gift, and they are but poor specimens, because of whom much is given, much is required (cf. Luke 12:48). Some members are highly affectionate and demonstrative in emotional appeal and sentiment as part of their disposition; while others are naturally stoical and inhibited, maybe because they haven't gotten out of their shell yet or realize their potential.

Cultures vary quite a lot on the amount of touch permitted or approved.  I know I wouldn't like it if some man walked up to me and gave me a kiss!   We are free to love Jesus as we know how and we don't have to be someone else or try to pretend affection or have an affectation--love must be genuine. Natural affection is suited best to the body and believers need to just be themselves--God can and will change people over time, but it's not to be under duress or coerced.

People are wired differently; some are natural servants and helpers, and see ways to help and be of service; others are born leaders and know how to take charge and show it convincingly.  The point is that we are not to think we have a superior gift, though some have more responsibilities, and some have higher callings (but there's no caste system in the body) like missions, evangelism, and ministry, but the body is to fit together in unity to fulfill the Great Commission. Romans 12:3 says, "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned."

When you look at the story of Mary and practical Martha, and how Jesus rebuked her in that Mary had "chosen the better part" (to express her love and devotion), and it "will not be taken from her." It is obvious that Jesus wants us and not our service--He wants to be with us in fellowship, taking time to be holy.  I have heard it said that He doesn't want our achievements, but our obedience. The obedience demanded is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith (cf. 1 Tim. 1:5), which is the fulfillment of the Law of Moses as Paul said in Rom. 13:10. What does He require, but to love Him and to love our neighbor--especially our brethren in Christ?

We can show love in many ways:  e.g., giving and receiving gifts; words of affirmation; quality time spent; physical touch and gesture; and by acts of service and devotion.  In short, we are all unique persons in Christ and express our love in many ways or all ways, but certainly in some way!  I believe there is no one certain way of expressing love that trumps the others, they are all subject to the personality of the giver and recipient.   We need to see how God has equipped us and serve Him accordingly.  At the Judgment Seat of Christ, we can joyfully hope to hear that we are good and faithful servants, and have done that which was required.   In sum, what Jesus wants is you, so be yourself--you're not fooling anyone!    Soli Deo Gloria!

Miracles On Demand

Why didn't the Lord do a show for King Herod to demonstrate His authority?  Jesus never did a showy or biggie miracle to impress people, in fact, He stated that the only "sign" that evil generation would get was the one of Jonah!  The miracles of the Lord are consistent with His teachings and not meant to be attention-getting, or to force belief, though they do elicit faith in some--but in others evoke only skepticism.  If you took out the miracles of the Lord in the Bible, or if He had never done any, He would've only been a footnote in history, and we would've only heard of a humble teacher or martyr. But the "signs" He did were for a good reason--to be an illustration of His deity in some dimension (e.g., raising the dead to show He is the life, or feeding the hungry to show He is the bread of life).

In other religions, you don't have skeptics or doubters present to witness the event, but Jesus feels free to do them in the open, so that no one can deny them--even the Pharisees admitted that, if He had gone on, the whole world would believe in Him.  There is a vast difference in His miracles; if you take the miracles out of other faiths, they remain basically intact in their teachings, but not so with Christianity. What Jesus knew was that faith produces miracles and not vice versa.  You cannot force someone to believe by a miracle!  Jesus refused to oblige the mockers at His crucifixion who demanded that He get off the cross--He could've done it, but we'd all be lost.  The Scriptures point out in John 12:37 and Ps. 78:32  that though God performs miracles the people "would not" believe--note that it doesn't say "could not."

Miracles don't give faith, but only a desire for more miracles--that's why God refrains Himself.  God is the cause of all events, and miracles are just unusual ones caused by Him; if miracles happened all the time we'd call them "regulars."  Miracles can evoke faith in the believing, but skepticism in others. The question of whether miracles can occur is not scientific, because it's out of its domain, but is a philosophical question.

Ultimately, it depends upon whether God exists.  You cannot disprove God because that would be a universal negative, and all philosophers know you cannot prove a universal negative--like the fact that there are no little green men or Earth-like planets in the entire cosmos; you would have to know all and be everywhere, or be God yourself!  You can choose not to believe due to lack of evidence, but you cannot disprove. 

Jesus' miracles were different in that they were not helter-skelter, for prestige, money, or power; He never used His powers for personal advantage, gain, or relief.  None of them were capricious, nor fantastic, so as to force faith.  Also, His miracles were unique, in that they proved and illustrated lessons.  Jesus is the Lawgiver and has the authority to overrule His own laws of nature.  The miracle of miracles, of course, was His resurrection, and this is the ultimate verification of His power of death, hell, and Satan, and the proof that He's the Son of God in the flesh.

For this event, Luke writes, "there are many infallible proofs"  (cf. Acts 1:3).  What we need to determine, is whether the records of His resurrection are historically reliable and test the veracity of the witnesses (who were willing to lay down their lives for their testimony)--you will find that the evidence would stand up in a court of law verifying His resurrection as fact by an impartial jury. If the resurrection is true, it's the most fantastic and wonderful fact of history, if not, it's the cruelest hoax perpetrated on mankind.    Soli Deo Gloria!

Numbering Our Days

"[Making] the most of your time, because the days are evil"  (Ephesians 5:16, NASB). 
"Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity"  (Col. 4:5, NASB).  
"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil"  (Eph. 5:16, KJV).   
"For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it passes by,
Or as a watch in the night"  (Psalm 90:4, NASB).


The Lord can teach us to number our days and get wise to the fact of our limited time.  Too many live like there's no tomorrow, and die like they didn't get a chance to live!  We tend to live like we won't die, and die like we didn't live!  The truth of the matter is that God holds the future, as Scripture (cf. Psalm 31:15) says, "My times [future] is in your hands."  We are to make the most of every opportunity as the Lord gives us in grace to make hay with.  When He gives us lemons, make lemonade!  In other words, carpe diem, or seize the day!  We are only here for a limited time and will be judged by our stewardship of the opportunities God has granted us.

When we truly number our days or see them for what they're worth in the perspective of eternity, we get wise and don't take life or time for granted!  What does this mean but to thank God constantly for all He has done in our lives, to be ever aware of His presence and blessings, and hopeful and prayerful for the future, as being in His hands?  We should thank God for prayers even yet to be answered! Only when we see how passing our life is, and frail, ready to fade as a leaf, do we have high regard for it and see it as a blessing not to be wasted--we don't have the right to live as we choose and spend time doing as our pleasure only.  When we say we belong to God, our time does too! We are never too busy for God's service!  "... All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come"  (Job 14:14, NIV).

We don't have the right to kill time, and we should always find ways to redeem or buy back whatever God has allotted us by grace.  We can invest our time, spend our time, or waste our time--choose wisely.   Somethings are not necessarily a waste of time, they just aren't necessary!  When we walk in the Spirit He guides us and makes our time valuable, but never think that God is out of control when the unexpected happens--we are never interrupted, just given opportunities.  No one is a waste of your time, just an investment! The two-time wasters are looking back with regret and looking ahead with worry--neither are necessary with the eye of faith.  Time management is in order for the faithful believer who will give account for his stewardship of God's resources.

In summation, we need to constantly update our schedule and agenda to put God in it, and to orient ourselves to His plans, not making Him fit into or approve of ours!  Soli Deo Gloria!

The Timeless One

"... Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God"  (Psalm 90:2, NASB).  
"Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God..." (Isaiah 40:28, ESV).
"For thus says the high and lofty One
  who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy;
'I dwell in the high and holy place [outside the time/space continuum]"  (Isaiah 57:15, RSV).
"[W]ho has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.  This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time"  (2 Tim. 1:9, NIV).

Most people don't know that time actually began!  Before there was a cosmos, there was no time--it was not of the essence!  "[G]od ... promised before time began"  (Titus 1:2, HCSB, emphasis added).

To our disadvantage, we are confined to time to comprehend things because we fit into the four dimensions that it included; whereas God created time and is timeless; from everlasting to everlasting He is God, according to Psalm 90:1.  Scientists have determined that if there were no space or matter, there would be no time.  What we can infer is that they were all created ex nihilo or out of nothing by the command of God simultaneously, since time is merely a corollary of space and matter.  If God created time, he cannot be defined in terms of it and is independent of it, and cannot be confined to it as we are.

God lives in more dimensions than we do and ones we cannot fathom.  When we say God is timeless, it means He doesn't age nor change--He is immutable!  Everything that begins to exist has a cause according to the ancient Greeks, and since God didn't begin to exist, He has no cause--He's not an effect, which means He owes His existence to no one or nothing.  God is not an effect since He had no beginning! Therefore, He must be self-existent and is who He is.  We don't know what God was doing before creation--some say He was creating hell for curious souls!  

But Jesus is the "Alpha and Omega," who always is, always was, and always shall be; the One "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty" (cf. Rev. 1:8), having no beginning and no end.  He is called the eternal "I Am" in Scripture and this is not an Is-ness or state of being, but an Is-ing, a living Being (the Is-ing One), that is independent of all other life.

What God did was create a place in our heart to long for eternity--He set eternity in our hearts according to Eccl. 3:11.   When God is not defined in terms of time, it means He's timeless and will never grow old, become obsolete, nor become weary due to age.   If God created time, then, He has the right to manipulate it according to His will and to step outside it and to see all of it in one big spectrum or perspective.  To Him, a day is as a thousand years (He can accomplish as much as He wants in any given moment), and a thousand years is as a day (He can speed it up to His desires).

In summation, we can see how man cannot fathom God's limits nor understand eternity since the finite cannot grasp the infinite, as the Greeks said.  We are limited no matter how we approach the equation of God.  "Canst thou by searching find out God?" (Cf. Job 11:7).  You cannot put Him into a box or equation!  Jesus Himself pronounced:  "... Before Abraham was, I Am [already existed as the eternal One]"  (cf. John 8:58).  God created the time/space continuum and is able to manipulate after His will.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Queen Of Sciences

Theology is the "queen of sciences" and probably the first science since it formulated the basics of all we still know of God.  It is based on Scripture, the immediate revelation of God, and cannot be disputed by man's conjecture or speculation.  We are all theologians in a sense because we all have private ideas concerning God and interpret the Bible accordingly.  It's not that some people are just good at theology and are therefore theologians, but some people just take a liking to this avenue of knowledge--direct from God.

Someday even science will have to admit that the theologians were right and they will meet together where theologians have stood for centuries, contemplating the origin of the universe, of evil, of man, et al.  Theology is not an abstract science that is a fool's errand of speculation, rather it's an exact science based on the faith that God has revealed to us what we need to know.  It's not a matter of faith versus reason, but of faith in God versus faith in science, or which set of presuppositions you decide to accept as your starting point.  In other words, everyone has faith!

You can know all there is to know of theology and miss the boat spiritually, yet theology is necessary, though it's not sufficient.  You must have your heart in the right place and have faith in God, not just head knowledge or consent to a dogma.  We all need a sound theology to mature in Christ, and that is why theologians are necessary--those that devote themselves to this endeavor.  The reason is that you cannot avoid theology--we're all theologians (those who study the nature of God)!   However, you can get A's in theology class and hardly know the Lord, because it's just head knowledge--it must go down 18 inches to the heart.

Many people distrust theologians because they seem to be intellectuals with their heads in the clouds or on abstract ideas, but this is unwarranted because there are theologians who know the Lord and know how to apply theology to the Christian experience.  It's the immature believer who balks at learning the teachings of God in-depth and doesn't go on to know the Lord.  We must get an intellectual grasp on the concepts found in theology because something cannot be in your heart that's not first in your head!   That's why it's vitally important that our heart is in the right place, even before we get our thinking straightened out--which is commanded in 2 Cor. 10:5, ESV, to "take every thought captive to obey Christ."  Otherwise, we will be "carried about by every wind of doctrine" (Eph. 4:14, ESV).   When we are ignorant of basic doctrine we are vulnerable to the assaults of Satan and are led astray by false doctrine and even doctrines of demons.

The mistake is to be overly convinced that the primary goal is to be right in everything; however, it's imperative that our hearts be in the right place more so than our doctrine be "impeccably correct." There are some controversies worth the fight to see what the truth is; godless ones are not.  Sound doctrine must be ascertained and heresy denounced--this is the calling of polemics or of defending the faith.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Thought Control

The heart in Scripture refers to the innermost being of man, his affections, will, and intellect.  In Psalm 19:14, David prays that the thoughts of his heart be acceptable in God's eyes.  Man is whatever he thinks about all day, some poet has written.  Another has said appropriately, you aren't what you think you are, but what you think, you are!  Jesus said  (cf. Matt. 15:19) that "out of the heart comes evil thoughts." The lips reveal what's on the heart, that's why David prays that the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart be acceptable in God's sight.  In Psalm 139:23, David prays, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts." We keep no secrets from God. Proverbs 23:7 is pertinent:  "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." Jesus said that all is open and laid bare to Him whom we must give account.  In other words, God wants us to get our thinking straightened out!  We are to love God with all our minds, too.

Why are thoughts so important to our walk?  They are to be godly and have a divine viewpoint.  We are not to think like the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (to conform to the image of Christ), according to Romans 12:2.  It is not sufficient to be content with Bible knowledge if it doesn't sink into our minds and make them in the image of Christ and to learn to think like He thinks, "we have the mind of Christ [Scripture]"  (1 Cor. 2:16). Our minds are finite and Christ's is infinite and we will never peg Him nor have a handle on everything He thinks, but we are to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Pet. 3:18).

The devil likes to destroy our thinking process with lies from the world, and only the study of Scripture can prepare us to fight them.  "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ"  ((2 Cor. 10:4-5, NIV, emphasis mine).

Your worldview is your mental outlook (how you interpret the world around you and its events) and it must be Christian or what is known as the Judaeo-Christian worldview, as opposed to the Secular Humanist or Postmodern ones so prevalent in academia today.  It is a sad fact, for instance, that the average teen believer now actually believes truth is only relative and there is no "absolute truth." Jesus came to bear witness to the truth (cf. John 18:37-38).  "...Everyone on the side of truth listens to me" (John 18:38, NIV). Jesus claimed to be the incarnation, embodiment, or personification of the truth and He claimed you will and can know it:  "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free" (cf. John 8:32). Man's learning can be called "true," but only Scripture is "truth." That's why truth transforms and has the power to change lives. That's why Jesus said:  "Sanctify them by the truth, thy word is truth"  (John 17:17, KJV).

This is where we must take our stand and show our colors--there is knowable absolute truth and we are responsible for it, as revealed in Scripture.  No one can claim ignorance and no one has an excuse (cf. Romans 1:20).  Just like Paul said in 1 Cor 13 that when he was a child he thought as a child, and so on; it is time to think like a man of God and this doesn't just imply being content to be impeccably correct theologically (it is far more urgent to have your heart in the right place), but thinking like Christ as it relates and applies to the world around us  (i.e., "to understand the times" per 1 Chronicles 12:32).  Our thoughts are vital, for Christ must first be in our minds before He can be in our hearts, likewise doctrine.


At the Ocean Grove Conference Center in New Jersey the inscription over the speaker's platform reads:

SOW ...                           REAP
a thought                           an act
a habit                               act
an act                                character
a character                        a destiny

IT IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE TO PUT A PREMIUM ON THOUGHT CONTROL.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Repentance And Confession

"Therefore, repent and turn from all your sins, that you may be forgiven and times of refreshing may come from the Lord." Acts 3:19

When we get saved, it's by penitent faith, or believing repentance, because they go hand in hand as the Bible says, "Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate" in Mark 10:9. ("[Testifying] both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ," says Acts 20:21).  The first of the Ninety-five Theses that Martin Luther made was that our penitence is a continual thing and renewed, an ongoing resolution it's not just a one-time event.  It is a mockery of repentance to confess without turning from the sin and not being sorry enough to quit.  As Job said, "... I will wait till my renewal comes" (cf. Job 14:14).  Indeed, even Job did find repentance: "[Therefore] I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes"  (Job 42:6, ESV).

Some believers are concerned that they confess the same sins over and over (this is called the "sin which easily besets [or ensnares] you" per Heb. 12:1).  "... And let no iniquity have dominion over me"  (Ps. 119:133, NKJV).  David says, "Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me...."  What do they want?  New sins?  God is able to make grace abound toward us and give us the victory over sin because we are no longer "under the law" and "sin shall have no dominion over you" per Romans 6:14.

When we become believers we do not have permission to live in the flesh or become Antinomians living as our flesh desires, but we have the power to live in the Spirit.  As David says in Psalm 18:23 that he has "kept [himself] from [his] sin." We cannot achieve sinless perfection but we can overcome our easily besetting sin and not let it hinder our walk.  "Who can say, 'I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin [sinful nature]?'"(Cf. Prov. 20:9).   Note that the psalmist said in Psalm 119:96 that he had seen the "limit of all perfection."

We have to be on the alert, because "sin wants to destroy you, but don't let it [it's crouching at the door!]"  (cf. Gen. 4:7).  Hosea says that sin has been Israel's downfall (cf. Hos. 14:1).  Repentance was demanded of the woman caught in adultery:  "Go and sin no more!"[i.e., live in sin] (Cf. John 8:10ff).  Salvation is more than mere forgiveness at the point of salvation--it covers all sin, past, present, and future, but is not an easy believism or cheap grace that grants forgiveness without repentance.

We must confess and admit our faults and sins to God, calling a spade a spade, naming sin as God does and  calling it out, making no excuses, nor trying to justify ourselves.  "No one who abides in him keeps on sinning..." (1 John 3:6, ESV).   If we go on in our sin we will be disciplined or chastised of the Lord and we can be sure "our sin will find us out" per Numbers 32:23. Jeremiah writes:  "Why should a living man complain, A man for the punishment of his sins?"  (Lam. 3:39, NKJV).   

Remember, to feel remorse or regret is only half the formula; we must have faith and accept God's forgiveness, not living in guilt. It must be matched with faith.   Peter was forgiven, Judas wasn't because Peter had penitent faith/believing repentance and Judas just felt sorry for what he'd done or had remorse but lacked faith, his missing ingredient.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Coming Full Circle

Some Protestants have come full circle, in that they are no different from Roman Catholics in their study of Scripture and acceptance of its authority.  What they do is rely too heavily on the leadership or teachers of the church and fail to take the Word of God at face value for what God is telling them--in other words, they should become Bereans (cf. Acts 17:11), and search things out whether they are so.  The whole concept of being a Protestant is to question authority just as Martin Luther uttered:  "I dissent, I disagree, I protest!"  We must question authority, for no one is infallible, not even the Pope who claims to speak ex-cathedra.  Our authority from the Reformation was sola Scriptura, or the Scripture alone and this was one of its slogans during the drive to find its identity.

If you just rely on one person for inspiration or instruction or drink of just one fountain, you will lose the power of discernment and could become vulnerable to the Jim Jones phenomenon, where the whole church decides it doesn't even need the Bible anymore, since they have God's voice on earth to pontificate it. One consequence of not searching things out is that the church tends to become set in its ways and loses balance and perspective of the influence of new ideas and reform:  Semper reformanda was another slogan of the Reformation and we should never become complacent and think we've "arrived" at the perfect church or orthodoxy--we are always in the process of reform--Martin Luther, et al. didn't finish the work and they would be the first to tell you this.

But note that Reformation is not just in doctrine or what is called the dogma of the church, but also in practice, worship, outreach, and missions because we should always be open to new ideas and applications. We are not to change the gospel message though since that would bring Paul's curse (cf. Gal. 1:6-9). But customs and norms of society change and, though we are not exhorted to keep up with the times, we will see that not only fashion but customs and what is acceptable changes through time; for example, in my day as a youth it was unheard of to go to church dressed in blue jeans!

There is no one-size-fits-all for worship nor for church order and government, and there are Roman Catholics who are better Protestants than Protestants, in that they regularly read the Bible, question the Pope and priest or clergy's authority and have more zeal and love for the Lord and His work.   One thing about Catholics that should be commended is their mission work (for they are responsible for bringing the message of Christ to all of Latin America) and all the outreach work they do in hospitals, schools, orphanages, and charities.

A Christian is not saved en masse, in that it's according to what church he attends--God will not ask us what denomination we were affiliated with at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  The problem seems to be the reverse, in that many believers are content just to be theologically correct and rule out the experience with Christ and the joy of serving Him, not to mention worship.  Catholics may seem to be disinterested in theology but what matters most to God is having your heart in the right place, more than doctrine being impeccably correct.

However, we are all theologians and have a slant on the doctrines, whether we realize it or not, and we cannot escape theology!  But knowledge about God must be translated into an acquaintance of God or a true relationship.  Knowledge is not just an end in itself but must lead us to a closer walk--to know Him more clearly, to follow Him more nearly, and to love Him more dearly (as Richard of Chichester said).   We are never to look down on our brother as a poor specimen simply because he's not in the know or doesn't know his way around theologically.  We may be quite conversant on Bible themes and hardly know our Lord at all, because it's all second-hand knowledge.

What God teaches us and what we learn for ourselves has much more impact on our souls.  The danger is intellectual pride in thinking we are a cut above other believers by virtue of knowledge alone.  You can know the Lord with little theological training, and you can be a stranger with much training.  But in the final analysis, we will desire to go on and know the Lord and to search things out and know the scoop when we come into a living relationship with our Lord.   Soli Deo Gloria!