The Freedom To Choose

"I know, LORD, that a man's way of life is not his own; no one who walks determines his own steps."  (Jer. 10:23, HCSB).
"A man's heart determines his way, but the LORD determines his steps" (Prov. 16:9, HCSB).
"A man's steps are determined by the LORD, so how can anyone understand his own way?" (Prov. 20:24, HCSB).
"For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose" (Phil. 2:13, HCSB).  

NB: GOD COULDN'T HAVE GIVEN US FREE WILL WITHOUT HAVNG THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHOOSE EVIL AND REBEL AGAINST HIM.  

Life is full of choices.  We've all heard the order by Joshua:  "Choose this day whom you will serve!"  If there were no choice, we'd have no freedom!  Deut. 30:19 says, "...Now choose life...."  Our life is full of choices or decisions if you will:  "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley decision!  For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision," (Joel 3:14, NIV).  Most people balk at making the big decisions in life (career path, marriage, buying a home, college to attend, but especially becoming a member of a religion and more specifically becoming a Christian).  We should be hesitant at such climactic times that could make or break us!

Now, why were we given this faculty of choice in the first place?  Adam had the power not to sin and the power to sin, after the fall, he had the inability not to sin, and after salvation, the ability not to sin and the ability not to sin again.  But Christ has the inability to sin!  He is fully incapable of sinning, while the natural man is fully incapable of not sinning!   As the Bible does reveal, there was a rebellion in heaven and the devil was cast out for his pride and revolt at doing God's will.  The issue is why does evil exist and there is no simple answer.  To say that it just shows who the bad guys are is too simplistic.  If we had no choice (i.e., free or independent will or our own) we'd be automatons or robots or puppets on a divine string pulled by God!

God never created evil; He created its possibility! (No choice to make means no real free will to obey).  If people weren't free to disobey Him, they'd be robots without a free will or faculty of choice.  With the existence of objective good comes the necessary existence of objective evil!  When you have equality, inequality will exist, whether realized or not, at least in concept.  We must see evil as a parasite on good and not its opposite, though.  It couldn't exist apart from good.  For example, we have inequity, injustice, unrighteousness, lawlessness, unfairness, un-sportsmanship, et cetera! But the good news is that good triumphs over evil and there will be a final end to its influence in the world in the Day of the Lord.   But God just chooses to let it run its course--that's His way of defeating it and showing that it cannot win no matter what. 

And so, the freedom of choice or free will cannot exist without a choice to be made or the existence of evil as well as good.  And we did eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and we are all are involved in this battle against evil and its influence on the world. What we lost at the fall was the inclination to do good and inherited the inclination to do evil. And so we haven't ceased to be human, just to be good!   There is no outside force to influence us (that would be coercion or determinism), but God is able to work with our will to accomplish His will (cf. Rom. 9:19; Prov.16:9; Prov. 20:24, Jer. 10:23; Prov. 21:1).

We can only see good in light of evil!  There must be something to compare goodness to!  God is the Supreme Good you might say and we compare all goodness to Him.  Evil is the absence of good, therefore, and that's why we are evil because we lack perfect goodness in God's eyes and are sinners!

But our wills are enslaved to sin and need salvation just like the rest of our evil hearts.  We don't need free will to be saved, but wills made free--we are not born free but the slave of sin and in bondage!  As Augustine said, we are "free but not freed."  That is, we've lost our liberty like being a man in prison who still has a will of his own!

In a sense, everything is determined, even as it was written of Judas to betray our Lord, but God is not deterministic, that is to say, there is no determinism or coercion to do what aren't wont to do, but act fully voluntarily.  You may say that we act according to our nature or upbringing, (nature vs. nurture), but God determines both!  The vulture and dove eat according to their nature in a voluntary manner, because of their nature.   We cannot change who we are, but God can transform us into new creatures in Christ.

"... Now choose life that you and your children may live"  (Deut. 30:19, NIV).  To have no choice to make is inhuman and foreign to freedom and will.    
   Soli Deo Gloria!  

Faith Is a Start

We must attempt our commencement somewhere.  NB:  the principle is that where you start has a lot to determine where you'll end up!  Athanasius said that the only system of thought that Christ will fit into is the one where He is the starting point.  Paul says we progress "from faith to faith."   But today we see Secularists screaming "Down with God, up with man!'  They seek to dethrone Him and exalt man.  The Bible assumes unapologetically that God exists, and if it appealed to any authority figure or discipline it wouldn't be the final arbiter of truth, which it claims to be (e.g., if we appealed to a historian to verify the narrative, historians would be the authority not the inspired Word of God).  Scripture says a man has no excuse (cf. Rom. 1:28) and suppresses the truth.  The Bible says that denial of God stems from the heart of man that is depraved (cf. Psa. 14:1), and there is a God-shaped vacuum only filled by God!  So man is searching (really for the benefits, not the Benefactor) and has an innate sense of eternity, but that doesn't mean he'll find Him unless he is willing to do His will and diligently searches for Him with all his heart (cf. John 7:17; Jer. 29:13; Isa. 55:6).

When someone challenges your faith saying, "I don't believe in God!' Retort back as a comeback that objective truth is true regardless of belief or not.   Something isn't true because it's believed nor false because of denial.   We cannot wish God out of existence--He's the God who will not die!  We may not see Him but we don't see the wind either--we can see what it does though!  Likewise, with God, we cannot see the invisible, but we can see Him at work in the world and in our lives!  Just like when the sun comes out we can see everything else, so it is when God opens our eyes and we see with the eyes of our spirit and heart! Faith is not a throwback to our need for a father figure, a projection of an authority figure, nor to fulfill a psychological need to believe; the skeptic has a psychological need not to believe--his lifestyle may be at stake!

NB:  Science is inappropriate for finding or proving God; He's not tangible, audible, nor visible, and certainly won't subject Himself to our tests, test tubes, and experiments.  We cannot measure two feet of His love nor weigh a pound of His justice--these things are metaphysical!   But we know they exist, nevertheless!   Remember:  doubt is not the opposite of faith, but merely a sign of courage and intellectual integrity.  NO one has perfect faith.  Learn to doubt your doubts. Doubt, in essence, is an element of faith, for there's a doubt-faith continuum with various degrees of the certitude we all progress through on our way to the Celestial City as pilgrims.  We all must take the LEAP!  

The Bible says in Prov. 1:7 that "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge"--that's what we must seek.  In other words, if we don't know God or assume Him in the equation of life, we can know nothing for certain--it's all relative and all truth, morals, and values are only relative and not fixed, objective, universal, absolute, and eternal.  No God--no truth!  When we remove God from the metric of our life we lose our bearings and the moral compass we need, a sense of "ought."  This leads to erosion of the moral fiber of society and finally its demise or takeover.

All knowledge is contingent and must begin somewhere.  We know the Lord as a gift of faith and revelation:  "Taste and see that the LORD is good!"  The proof of the pudding is in the eating!  We don't believe in the sun simply because we can see it in the sky, but because we can see everything else.  Scientists also assume things they cannot prove; all knowledge begins with some presupposition or premise that cannot be proven.  Scientists and Secularists (those who believe in naturalism or that every event has a natural explanation and that science is the ultimate arbiter of truth in the physical world) both of these persons are people of faith the same as religious people--they just presuppose something different.  You can be religious without even having a religion!  But Secular Humanism is when someone is trying to be good without God in the calculus, giving himself the praise, glory, and honor.

Now let's assume you know that fire is hot!  Either you took it by faith or found out the hard way, empirically!  But that knowledge depends upon the senses you have being accurate and that you're not delusional or imagining things.  You may be dreaming!   But in saying it is hot, you're assuming that hot is an accurate description and you are intelligible and communicable.  But when you touched the fire, your suspicion turned to experience and experience as well as rationalism and revelation are ways to arrive at knowledge.  Skeptics like to say that they have facts and the naive and religious have faith, but in reality, both are people of faith and will be accountable for what they do with it.

When you have faith in someone and they betray you, you can lose some faith or break faith completely.  You can also lose faith by finding out by experience you are right--then you have knowledge.  Knowledge is defined as "justified true belief."  A belief is some idea we hold concerning our reality.  There is no universal belief but there is the universal, absolute truth!  Don't confuse the two.  In the seventeenth century, it was justified to be in a geocentric solar system, and in the fourteenth century, you were justified to believe in a Ptolemaic one as well as flat earth!  The Copernican revolution changed our ideas of science just as the Reformation did about theology.    Experiment or scientific empiricism is what changed everything!   This requires measurement, observation, experiment, repeatability, testing, hypothesizing, and controlling of variables.  You may also need laboratory conditions and/or a test tube.

Now, theology is considered the queen of sciences and Christianity the mother of modern science! Sir Francis Bacon is considered the "father of the scientific method."   Why?  Because they were first to actually know something in a metaphysical way, making sense of the physical universe and making it possible in their worldview to have a rational study of nature.  The Bible actually says that there are laws to nature (naturally what you'd expect from a Divine Lawmaker) in Job 38:33, and in several passages, it's ahead of the scientific knowledge of its day to prove its divine origin and inspiration.

Now, infinite regress is impossible in math, logic, and philosophy!  It's impossible to cross infinity, like trying to run an infinite distance in a finite time span.  But God is timeless and lives independent of it as being eternal (He created time as the corollary of space and matter).  It is known in the kalam cosmological argument for God that everything that begins to exist (in time) has a cause--this is logical.  The universe began to exist and ergo had a cause--I daresay God!   We cannot say, for instance, that life evolved because we have to start with the assumption that life was in existence in the first place.

We believe in God because we are convinced and see it as a rational and reasonable choice; thus we take a leap of faith and "experience God" as good.   Our faith transfers to a properly basic belief or a kind of knowledge based on experience--like finding out fires are hot! How many don't really know that yet!   We see the direction the evidence is leading, going with the flow and preponderance and making a decision to exercise our sense of faith, even if we don't have all the evidence (like juries often do) and may not have any "smoking gun" evidence either.  No one can disbelieve due to lack of evidence!  But God doesn't force faith, it's a gift for us to exercise.  We are not exhorted to exercise blind faith or lend credence without a valid reason or evidence.

Faith has a reason with some being more valid:  I want to believe it; I have vested interest in it; it will cost me something (a job or grade not to believe it); everyone believes it; it's always been believed!  We must believe rationally, for God respects our minds and doesn't expect intellectual suicide or for us to kiss our brains goodbye!  Our faith is defensible in the open marketplace of ideas, even the public forum, and public square!  God requires no one to believe what seems irrational or unreasonable!  We believe something just like a jury does--we are convinced by the weight of evidence and see the big picture.

Now that newborn or beginning faith has room to germinate, it must be tested, tried, and proved as to whether it's genuine, saving faith, or bogus faith that gets choked on weeds, being distracted or has too thin of a soil. Faith grows, but it's still faith because we aren't asked to have perfect faith, only sincere faith.  If we knew everything perfectly then we'd have knowledge, and faith is what pleases God.  For God is not going to reward us according to our faith, though, but what it produces--its fruit!  God doesn't want our achievements in the flesh, what He wants is us and this entails obedience.  A disobedient Christian is a contradiction in terms!  We must "trust and obey."

Now, faith the size of a mustard seed is all that's necessary, but we can ask for more faith and Jesus can help us with our unbelief (cf. Mark 10:9).  The point of faith is that we don't believe in faith, for faith doesn't save, Christ does--it's the object that matters!   It is to no avail to have strong faith in a lie or be deceived into fanaticism.  Sincerity matters, but it's no everything and someone can be sincerely wrong.  Paul said (cf. Rom. 10:2) that Israel had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge--they were sincerely wrong!

There's no excuse not to believe: there's ample evidence for the willing but never enough for the unwilling.  The real reason people don't believe is that it's a choice and they don't want to believe (cf. John12:37).  We all must choose Whom we will serve--we're all servants, it just differs who our master is!  The heart of the matter is that it's a matter of the heart.  Sin makes man rebellious and stubborn, unwilling to obey or please God.

Finally, you must start somewhere: How about first base?   In every truth claim, you begin with a premise you can't prove. Knowledge has its beginning, but don't jump to the conclusion that everything had a beginning, then nothing would exist because you'd have the problem of infinite regress or crossing infinity--there was a beginning, just as the Bible says!   You either start with man and explain everything else, (Homo mensura, or "man is the measure of all things), or you begin with God and explain man!  The Bible doesn't start out, "Once upon a time," but  "In the beginning God."  Every journey of faith begins somewhere and God says to begin with Him in our calculus focused on Him.

In other words, we don't rationalize to God, but reason from Him.  You can neither prove nor disprove Him, you only can offer evidence and arguments, neither being conclusive, but possibly compelling or convicting.  Either there was just the material cosmos or there was God!  Either God created everything or it evolved by some fluke or accident of nature; there's no other choice except the Eastern philosophy of Maya or that the cosmos as an illusion.  God hides (cf. Isa. 45:15) with just enough light for the searcher to see and just enough darkness for the trifler not to see.

In sum, a seasoned believer has been there and done that so to speak and has a faith tried as if by fire and knows in Whom he believes and his calling, gifting, marching orders, and mission in life.  He isn't likely to be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine (cf. Eph. 4:14).  He may have ups and downs in feelings or moods, but his faith has a foundation and is steadfast.  Sometimes he is called to act merely in faith and walk with the Lord in the Spirit, having fellowship during the hard times.  For we walk by faith, not by sight!  Faith can be seen as knowledge in action; it's not how much we believe but how well we obey.  (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7).

Biblical Economics

Biblical Economics

Christian economics is in accordance with biblical principles that are called God's economy.  It is stipulated, for instance, that it is more blessed to give than to receive (like Jesus said) and that God is interested in the success of His servants (not necessarily financial success), i.e., that God blesses the task or endeavor of the believer, and uses him for His glory as a vessel of honor ("... And in whatever he does, he prospers," says Psalm 1:3, NASB).   Jesus said in Matt. 10:8 (NASB) "... Freely you received, freely give."  It is also written, "Give, and it will be given to you.  They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return"  (Luke 6:38, NASB). We cannot out-give our generous God!



Jesus said, "To whom much is given, much is required." Thus, we all have different levels of talent, resources, time, money, and opportunity to let our lives bring glory to God.  Mother Teresa of Calcutta summed it up by saying that God doesn't call us to success, but to faithfulness. God isn't interested in our achievements, but in our obedience.  To put it in perspective, Einstein also said that we should not strive to be persons of success as much as persons of value--inherent worth in Christ.



The Bible doesn't endorse any form of economic system outright, but the spirit of it seems to view human rights and an open and free economic market.  Biblical economics relies on the profit motive, competition (the government should level the playing field and ensure fairness), stewardship of God's resources (we are accountable to God at the Judgment Seat of Christ), equal opportunity (not equal outcome) in an open market, as little government intervention as possible (even Adam Smith, in The Wealth of Nations, advocated this), i.e., laissez-faire policy, property rights (even the government cannot seize without due process), the Protestant work ethic (ensuring dignity in all labor), and the legitimate money system (stable, free from inflation, and not just fiat currency).



The barter system and mercantile (exchanging gold for products, etc.) systems were used before money in the form of coins or currency were in circulation. Now we have fiat  (it's money by decree, not inherent worth) or printed money from the government, which is only legal because the government says so and has the monopoly to do it, and it's not even backed by its value in precious metals anymore since 1963.  America went off the gold standard soon afterwards.



The basic types of economic systems in existence, though none exist in their purest  form, are capitalism (favoring free enterprise without governmental intervention,  fraud, theft, or force wand open markets that are unregulated), and socialism or communism that take away biblical rights and use a centralized governmental control one's freedom and the other entails totalitarianism or no personal liberty.  Note that economics is called a dismal science because it's not really science, but more like philosophy.  The Christian's main focus necessitates central planners that regulate the means of production and the economy at large.  We are not here to achieve the American dream or to amass wealth as the summum bonum, "for where his treasure is, there his heart will be also."  We are neither to be materialists seeking to become successful monetarily, not to be so spiritual that we are no earthly good. However, we are called to be productive and bear fruit and return on the investment that God made in us to the best of our ability, opportunity, resources, time, and talents.



With a Christian's ethical view, making the maximum profit is not the ultimate bottom line.  Profit must be legit and not by the exploitation of workers or the consumer.  Christ judges a company by its moral value and contribution to the well-being of society, not by how much it makes.  Serve God in the one that you can most glorify Him in and dedicate your service to.  We are made in the image of God and show forth that image best when we work or are in engaged in our calling--what we are meant and suited to do.



There was a film years ago "Wall Street" about a broker that said, "Greed is good."  Capitalism is driven by greed, envy, and covetousness.  We want to keep up with the Jones's!  Businessmen today interpret ethics as the art of not getting caught, not doing the most good to the most people, at the most times, in the most manners, as long as you can.  It has been said that capitalism is a system suited for sinners, while socialism is for saints (but we have both!).



Communist theory or mentality is basically that each one will automatically produce what he is capable of and society "owes" him a living to meet all his needs, if he cannot.  This is the source of the "entitlement mentality" that prevails today--people ruin their lives or are victims and blame the government for their own problems.  But note that society has granted certain people as being entitled.  No one gets something for nothing or undeserved, but only out of compassion and rule of law.  If they get laid off, the government is to blame and must support them. Prosperity is not about God blessing us and seeing how much we can produce and contribute to our fellow man, but how much we can get from the government by milking the system for all it's worth.


The Bible warns against governments that weaken or defile the money supply with dross and this is comparable to inflation, or what is in reality a hidden tax on the one's who are most vulnerable. Inflation is not just an increase in taxes, but an increase in the money supply, which drives up everything in turn and no one comes out ahead.  The only way to eliminate this juggernaut is to balance the budget, but today's economists basically follow the Keynesian model that makes deficit spending respectable and the government just prints money and increases its supply as a hidden tax, which the politicians have gotten away with because of the ignorance of the common people.  Even defender of free enterprise, Milton Friedman, calls for limited and controlled inflation as being in the best interest of the general public, and so it is commonplace to subscribe to.



The Christian worldview doesn't call for a redistribution of wealth or the scarce natural resources of robbing the rich and giving the poor, but of creating equal opportunity under the law, because we believe that "all men are created equal," not equal outcome under the law--the goal is to equitably distribute natural resources.  Also, the Pledge of Allegiance calls for "liberty and justice for all."  The Bible nowhere teaches that we are to be one economic class or classless, as communism teaches, but we are still "one in Christ." Before the law, we are all equal and no one is to be denied liberty and justice, which are never to be perverted--we must not resort to the law of the jungle.



Mandatory welfare was known in antiquity and Israel was obliged to practice it with their tithes, alms, and farming practices, such as being allowed to glean in the fields.  There was to be no poor in the land (cf. Deut. 15:4).  But a welfare state whereby the state takes care of you from cradle to grave, called a "nanny state," was unknown in biblical times--people took responsibility for their own lives and fates.  The more rights we receive, the more obligations others have. Today only a small portion of all entitlement (20 percent) goes to the poor (actually less than 2 percent of the total budget) and most of it goes to Republican party members who own farms and other businesses that get a take. Partisans are talking about cutting entitlement, they are focused on food stamps or some other aid to the poor, not the upper classes.  Scripture condemns labor exploitation in Malachi 3:5 and warns against not giving him his due. The worker deserves his wages and the farmer ought to be the first to benefit form the fruit of his labor. The Greeks looked upon labor as a curse that was only fitting for slaves, but Martin Luther gave it dignity because all manner of labor, secular and sacred, can be done to the glory of God (cf. Col. 3:23). America has championed the Protestant work ethic since the days of Jamestown and Captain John Smith, who declared that if a man is unwilling to work he shouldn't eat, just like Paul told the Thessalonians in 2 Thess. 3:10. There is to be no "idle rich" or leisure class living in luxury that is unproductive or retired from engaging in the Lord's work, in which we never give up doing--doing the Lord's work with slackness is cursed (cf. Jer. 48:10).



The government has the divine right and obligation to assure equal treatment in the marketplace and that there is a fair and equitable exchange of goods and services, whereby no one takes advantage of or defrauds the consumer.  It respects the right of private property and its chief purpose is to maintain peace and safety and protection of personal property in the society.  There must be law and order in a land run by the rule of law for there to be opportunity to make the investment because of the ability to make a profit is not infringed on by an over-regulated economy.  We need as little government as possible, known as being against Big Government, and need to stop thinking that government is the solution to all our problems.  The more government, the less freedom and rights and more obligation to others.  There has to be a balanced trade-off because of the law of diminishing returns on interventionism by the bureaucracy, lest one system run amok.



However, the Christian is concerned for social justice and whether there is equity and opportunity for the poor.  "He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well.  Is not this to know me?  declares the LORD?" (Jer. 22:16, ESV).  The prophet Amos decried the social injustice of his day and how "... They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals"  (Amos 2:11, NIV).  John Wesley had the right attitude and motto:  "Make all you can, save all you can, give away all you can--this is good stewardship of God-given resources.  Never lose track of the fact that we own nothing, but are just stewards of God's gifts.  In sum, there is no "social gospel" that we are called to convert the world to, other than the Great Commission and making disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that Christ taught (including labor/management rights and responsibilities).
Soli Deo Gloria!

What Is Saving Faith?

In Jesus' Name

When we pray in Jesus' name what do we imply and implicate? It seems odd to pray to Jesus in Jesus' name but God's name is one and co-equal, but not interchangeable, and by no means do we pray presumptuously or in an overly familiar pattern like we're being best bud; however, we can pray like one of the family of God.   Jesus exhorted us to ask anything in His name in prayer (according to His will) and Paul said, all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.  Does this necessitate knowing Jesus' actual, official name or title?  In  Aramaic, His name was Yeshua or Joshua as we would say it Anglicized.  Are Christians who believe in Jesus and those in Yeshua both saved and praying to the same God?  Today, many youths believe all monotheistic religions pray to the same God, just by different names.

There is nitpicking and anyone who thinks we have to get all our doctrine straightened out to be saved doesn't know the Lord.  It is vital to know to Whom we are praying and Whom we trust, not their official title or name.  The name of Jesus refers to His authority and power at the right hand of God. We may all know Christ by a different name, but what is fundamental and essential is that we know the Lord in our hearts.  Obviously, if you don't feel comfortable with a father figure, you may refrain from calling God your Father (cf. Isa. 9:6), but you have the divine right and privilege to do so, which is a status symbol in heaven.  When we command demons in Jesus' name to leave or begone, we are using His authority, not ours.  They know Jesus, not you!

We must understand that in every tongue they call Jesus by a different name by custom, though by transliteration or close pronunciation (as allowable).  The Spanish refer to Jesus, but pronounce it differently, the Germans may say Jesu, and the Swedes Jesus, but they all pronounce it quite unique to their tongue without a J sound.  What's more important, the spelling or the pronunciation then?  But we all know to whom we are referring--the only begotten Son of God!

Doctrine is important, but it's not everything and even sincerity isn't, where one's heart resides is the most vital link to eternal life.  We will be rewarded for all our deeds done in the name of Jesus, and that doesn't mean according to our perception of it, but to honor and glorify the one and only begotten Son of God.  Some will do good deeds in Christ's name but lack saving faith, simply trusting in their works, not in Christ.  To suffer for the sake of the Name is an honor, though.

The crux of the matter, then, is knowing Him, not in being a linguist!  How do we know that translating a name is copacetic with God and He doesn't forbid it?  Greek translates Hallelujah as alleluia because there's no H!   In Greek, there is no J sound!  They translate Jesus name, nevertheless with it.   With a J sound would've sounded strange to them.  

We know that translating is approved because we have the Septuagint into Greek and it was quoted by the apostles and church fathers, who even wrote in Greek.  We don't go around like Germans telling people to believe in Jesus Christus!  In German a Christian is a "Christ," and a Christ is Jesus Christus, or Jesu Christi!  Just like when immigrants come to America they usually Anglicize their names to they don't sound fresh off the boat.  Though it seems odd that Hispanics name their children Jesus, they call the Lord Senor too like we would say, Mr. Jesus!   Thus, we know the Son of God by the Anglicized name "Jesus."
  Soli Deo Gloria!

Christ's Bema

"...[B]ecause anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him"  (Heb. 11:6, NIV).
"... 'Fear not, Abram,  I am your shield, your reward shall be very great'"  (Gen. 15:1, NIV).
"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you"  (Matt. 5:12, NIV).
BY WAY OF INTRO, SOME LAWYERS DON'T CARE SO MUCH WHAT THE LAW IS AS TO WHO THE JUDGE IS!  WE CAN REST IN PEACE THAT THE RIGHTEOUS FATHER HAS GIVEN ALL JUDGMENT TO THE SON WHO SAVED US.

The Judgment Seat of Christ, known as His bema or tribunal, is where all believers get their appraisal (cf. 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:8,10) and evaluation of their life's work done in the Lord, as to whether it deserves reward.  Some will be saved, as if by fire (cf. 1 Cor. 3:14-15) and some will have a full reward.  But what are we to expect at the bema?  God isn't going to inquire as to what political party we aligned ourselves with or affiliated with, as to whether we are saved by virtue of it--for God is nonpartisan and doesn't give us brownie points for this!  He will not inquire about our denominational affiliation or positions on the issues and doctrines.  God isn't going to ask us about our highs and ecstasies in our walk, for God is more concerned with faith than feeling.

Oswald Chambers said that the "measure of a person's spiritual life is not their ecstasies, but their obedience!"  Again I quote Dietrich Bonhoeffer, rephrased Martin Luther:  "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes!"  They go hand in hand and must not be divorced--they can be distinguished, but not separated!   We must be obedient to the faith (cf. Rom. 1:50.   This means a penitent and willing spirit, submissive to His will as our yoke. We are not under the Law, (cf. Rom. 6:14) but under a higher standard, albeit easier, the law of love, which can never be satisfied! 

We must not expect God to give us kudos for our strong faith or our assurance--how strong our faith was--for the faith as of a mustard seed is adequate.  Faith, like our righteousness, is the gift of God for which we are held to account.  Our assurance of salvation and strong faith is a gift and for our benefit, not God's.  We're measured by our good works, not our faith (cf. Rom. 2:6)!  Our righteousness is God's gift to us, not our blessing or gift to God!   All our works must be tried as if by fire, to see if they are worthy--some will only be wood, hay, and stubble, while others as pure as silver and gold that is refined and found to reflect God's image--we are meant to be God's ambassadors in the world (cf. 2 Cor 5:20) and for God to see Himself in us (cf. Col. 1:27).

At Christ's bema we will be held accountable for all the resources, blessings, character, personality, gifts, talents, relationships, time, opportunities God has granted us by grace.  Everything we have is only on loan from God as we are merely stewards of His manifold blessings and provision.    Nothing we have belongs to us, for it's all His and we must make an investment in the Lord to find a return on that investment!   God's dividends are well worth it--for it is well worth the time and effort to serve the Lord, for He is a bountiful giver of rewards as our Provider (Jehovah-Jireh) to those who serve Him, and God is no man's debtor!

Paul wasn't against good works, just those done in the flesh (by the energy of the natural man, not the Holy Spirit).  Only those works foreordained by God per Ephesians 2:10 and we are led to do while filled with the Spirit and enabled to do:  "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD God"  (cf. Zech. 4:6).  If we walk after the flesh, it doesn't matter how many good deeds we do--they are not worthy (cf. Isa. 64:6). This is why the faith we have is the faith we show, and works validate faith and are evidence, not the substitute for it; also, faith without works is dead faith and cannot save (cf. James 2:17)!

We increase in the knowledge of God as we do works in the Spirit as God ordained (cf. Col. 1:10).  This is precisely why Christ said that even a cup of cold water given in His name will not remain unrewarded or lose its reward!  Many will put their confidence in their works, not in the Lord, and expect a free pass by virtue of them; however, all in all, what we should expect to hear are the words:  "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!"  The Lord is our portion and our reward  (cf. Gen. 15:1)  and compensation is in heaven--don't get into a comfort zone in this life and feel too much at home.

In sum, we must be looking unto the heavenly city (cf. Phil. 3:20), to a heavenly reward not realized, and not realize our reward in this life (cf. Psalm 17:14)--we're only passing through as sojourners (cf. 1 Pet. 2:11) and pilgrims, as mere stewards of God's manifold bounties!   Soli Deo Gloria!

God Is Good!

What is meant by God being good?  the phrase "God is good all the time..." is too simplistic and is open to interpretation and misunderstanding.  Does this mean He is incapable of being anything but good?  God is good is only part of the story and description of His nature.  Romans 11:22, KJV, says to "behold the goodness and severity of God...."   "Therefore, consider God's kindness and severity..." (HCSB). There are multiple criteria for determining goodness! He is able to withhold His goodness. We believe that we shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living (cf. Psalm 27:13).

All of us have eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil--it's in contrast to evil that we behold good.   Being good can be interpreted in many ways, for it's one of those words that is relative to what it describes:  a good dog is merely one who is housebroken and does tricks,  not a virtuous one! Sometimes we say we are having a good day!  A good mother can always be counted on in times of need and to love you no matter what!   A good housekeeper is one who keeps the house in order, relatively.  A good movie may be entertaining and worth the investment.  Do you see my drift?

NB:  Something cannot be good without something to compare it to--a perfect standard; everything is good compared to an evil standard!  That's why it's only in contrast to evil that we comprehend good and the knowledge of the two come in a package (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) and we all see ourselves as good compared to Hitler, but the standard of good is Jesus, and compared to Him, we all fall short.

When God created the earth He said that it was all very good, and then rested!  Man was created good, not perfect--if he were perfect, God would be creating another God.  Now, good doesn't necessarily mean perfect--wouldn't you rather get a perfect score on a paper than a good one, which may just be mediocre?  If the earth was perfect at creation, it couldn't have been made corrupt or vulnerable to change.  When God's nature is defined in terms of goodness, it's relative to Him and Jesus said that only God is good in this respect--no matter how good we think we are.

God is perfect needing no improvement and incapable of losing any perfections.  God's goodness is the standard, for even Plato called God the Supreme Good and we would not know good except for Him.  After all, where did this idea come from, except from God?  Every rating, criticism, or standard must be weighed against a perfect standard to make any sense!  In other words, it's only because of a Supreme Good that we can measure or assess any good at all. Even people compare themselves with themselves and congratulate themselves when they feel superior or holier---they like the "let's compare game."

Now, God is good for a reason!  The goodness of God is meant to lead us to repentance according to Romans 2:4.  But in reality, God is more than good--He's perfect, in that His goodness cannot be improved upon and cannot diminish!  It goes back to the old philosophical axiom that "whatever is, is!"  If God were to change or if He weren't immutable, He wouldn't be perfect, but vulnerable like His creatures,.  God's goodness is that standard by which we see all good!

On the other hand, we must never accuse God of being vindictive, mean, cruel, imperfect, less than divine in any way, because God is good and He invites us to find out for ourselves!  That's why He says, "Taste and see that the LORD is good!" in Psalm 34:8.   A full comprehension of God's goodness is comprehended with an awareness of our depravity!

We don't just have to assume it or take it by faith, but have the opportunity to find out by giving God a chance to prove it to us.  You could say that the proof of the pudding is in the eating,  Those of us who know the Lord know that His goodness is far more than we can imagine or think--it blows our minds as to how and why He can or is so good--He doesn't know how to be bad, you could say; and yet we are bad inherently or basically by nature--just the opposite.  Man used to be inclined to good before the Fall and now he's inclined by nature, by choice, and by birth, to be evil or bad and in need of someone to be good to us as ambassadors of goodwill!  Grace is goodness in action and the way God reveals it to us in salvation:  we don't deserve it, we cannot pay it back, we cannot earn it, and we cannot even add to it!   

One mystery we must meditate on in awe is not that God is good to His children, but why is He good to all, even the bad--He's good to some people in all ways (cf. Psalm 145:9) but God is good to all in some ways--no one will be able to deny His goodness in the end.  It is by grace, realizing our unworthiness, that we understand God's goodness to us in His provision and blessings.  As Joseph told his brothers, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good" (cf. Gen. 50:20).      Soli Deo Gloria!

The Gospel In Its Purity

The Reformers' formula for salvation was that we are "saved by faith alone but not by a faith that is alone," and they defined this faith:  by grace alone, in Christ alone, giving God alone the glory, and the Scripture alone as the authority--known as the Five Only's (by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, Scripture alone as authority, to God alone be the glory: sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus, sola Scriptura, and sola Deo gloria).  We are to have Bible verses as our spiritual birth certificates, not taking the authority of a teacher, preacher, or church to certify our salvation--it's not their job description!  Our assurance comes from the Word of God coupled with the inner witness of the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom. 8:16).  We are to examine our own hearts, and become fruit inspectors of ourselves! 

Grace means we cannot add to it, we cannot substitute for it, we don't deserve it, we cannot earn it, nor can we ever pay it back--grace all the way!  We cannot put faith in the church or the pastor/teacher or even ourselves but the object must be Christ--it's the object that saves, not faith per se. Faith doesn't save:  Christ is the Savior!  Faith is the instrumental means or channel of grace.

The battle cry or rallying cry of the Reformation was that we are "saved by faith alone"; yet Romanists said that the Bible doesn't say that and they couldn't point to any certain passage in particular.  When we are arguing or proof-texting we have missed the boat and don't see the big picture. Many cults like to point you to some verse and catch you off-guard, unprepared for their interpretation.  You are either grace-oriented or not!  Yes, they are technically right, but no text says Jesus is God per se, in so many words, or that God is a Trinity either!  Some seemingly obscure doctrines we deduce from accepted dogma and plain, obvious passages or verses.

But with the Romanists, faith is seen as agreeing or acquiescing with what the Church (in their case the Roman Catholic Church) teaches or espouses.  Faith of this kind is merely head belief, not heart belief,  that doesn't enter the inner being of man and grow as a living and saving faith.  Saving faith is an obedient one!  We obey the gospel!  The Holy Spirit is only given to those who obey:  "We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him" (Acts 5:32, HCSB).  (CF. Heb. 3:18-19). THE POINT IS THAT FAITH AND OBEDIENCE ARE ETERNALLY EQUATED IN HOLY WRIT! THEY ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN; "ONLY HE WHO BELIEVES IS OBEDIENT; ONLY HE WHO IS OBEDIENT BELIEVES"

NB:  The Judaizers were guilty of mixing law and gospel, works and faith, merit and grace!  This confusion led Paul to delineate the gospel message and condemn anyone who preaches an unbiblical evangel. 

Rome distorts the pure gospel message in multiple ways:  it adds works to faith, merit to grace, the Church to Christ, tradition to Scripture, and diminishes the glory of God as a result and outcome. For instance, they may have a lot of faith in their priest or in the Pope as being right.  Of course, they see faith as necessary, grace as necessary, and Christ as necessary even Scripture as necessary, but they refuse to acknowledge them as sufficient.  We believe grace is not only necessary but also sufficient to save us, as we are saved by grace, not by works, as Paul said, "My [God's] grace is sufficient for thee" (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9).

What Rome has done is make faith a meritorious work and in effect enabled man to save himself by what's called an analytic is a tautology, adding no new data, inherent righteousness and infused justification, not a synthetic, meaning we add data, alien righteousness (belonging to Christ, not us), and imputed justification of Christ--they see man as getting qualified or meriting salvation and he must make himself worthy in some way with some presalvation work--this is like stealing God's glory and giving yourself a pat on the back.  "Salvation is of the LORD," (Jonah 2:9) and is a completed work of God, not a cooperative venture.  If we had to do anything, we'd fail.  (Inherent is what we already possess and analytic means we add no new info--a triangle has three sides-- and this implies he already has the capability and is just and it's only latent, and it's infused which means inspired or quickened--so God just instills our latent righteousness--whereas synthetic means we add new data we don't have to the equation, and alien means foreign and not our own--so God imputes Christ's righteousness to us, it's not our righteousness that saves us!  In other words, God declares us righteous by virtue of Christ's righteousness, we are not made righteous and have no natural righteousness of our own--our righteousness is solely God's gift to us, not our gift to Him.

We must not believe in ourselves but in Christ and the object of our faith must be Christ, not Christ plus something or someone, not even us--we must give up trying to save ourselves.  It is heresy to add anything to Jesus in our salvation:  Jesus plus alms-giving, Jesus plus churchmanship, Jesus plus tithing, Jesus plus witnessing, Jesus plus any good behaviors--we are not saved by good behavior, but unto good behavior and if we don't have it our faith is suspect and may not exist.  Dead faith cannot save and that refers to a faith that is unfruitful and is not shown or demonstrated by works or deeds to prove it and validate it.  The faith you have is the faith you show, is what I always say.

The present-day evangelicals like to preach an easy-believism and/or play down the lordship of Christ in making a decision to follow Him and open the door of one's heart to die in Him, taking up one's cross after Him in obedience.  Christ will not save those He cannot command according to A. W. Tozer and what this means is that we must accept His ownership over our lives and surrender our wills at salvation and constantly renew that surrender as is fitting and proper.  In other words, true saving faith involves trusting Jesus alone as Savior, and submitting to His authority or lordship over our lives--only then do we own Him as our Lord and Savior.  He will not be a divided Christ, we accept Him for who He is or it's rejection.  

We must not confuse the gospel with the law either!  Law involves our duty to God and gospel is how Jesus settled the sin question and all He did on our behalf.  The two can be distinguished but not separated: we have responsibilities as well as privileges as the flip side!  They go hand in hand.  Parishioners must see their duty as well as the grace of God.  The Law was given to break and make us realize we cannot keep it; we don't break it, however, it breaks us!  What we do break is God's heart!  Preachers must get them lost ( cognizant of conviction of sin) before attempting to save them (preach salvation via the gospel) and some actually believe they are saved having never sensed they were ever lost sheep!  All we like sheep have gone astray!  We all need to be corralled into the flock now and then and a sermon ought to be able to give us a spiritual inventory as we get our regular checkup and connect with the preacher and one another with the message in mind.

The slogan "Just do it!" is relevant to following Christ; a disobedient follower or disciple is a contradiction in terms!  Remember the obedience of Peter:  "Nevertheless, at thy Word, Lord, I will cast down my net."  We are like soldiers in God's army and the line for the poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson comes to mind:  "Ours is not to wonder why ours is but to do and die!"  If Christ can be obedient unto death for us, we must follow our Exemplar and do likewise, for He doesn't ask us to do anything He didn't do.  Those who question orders don't belong in the military and likewise, with our Lord, we should obey wholeheartedly, and in full compliance.

In regards to law and gospel, we must never separate faith and repentance.  There is no saving faith without genuine repentance, and no genuine repentance without accompanying saving faith--they're two sides of the same coin, going hand in hand and one is the flip side of the other; you could call the command to penitent faith, or believing repentance, for you can distinguish them but never divorce them without compromising the truth.  Acts 20:21, ESV,  says that the apostle was "testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." Note that these two active verbs are juxtaposed and forever wed in Scripture.  We see other passages where we are enjoined to repent unto salvation and in others to believe in the gospel.   We make a turnaround from sin (repentance) to Christ (faith).  The first words preached by John the Baptist and Jesus were to repent; Jesus added to believe in the gospel! 

NB: The Reformation was inaugurated because of a revolt against so-called tradition of the Roman Catholic Church as well as the restoration of the gospel, and during the Counter-Reformation in the Council of Trent (1545-63), the Church declared tradition on a par with the Bible in authority as well as condemn (pronounce anathema) anyone who believes we are saved by faith alone; i.e., the Protestants!

In sum, we must learn as the gospel hymn goes, "Trust and obey!"  Paul was a good example for he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision and warned of those who distort or pervert the gospel (cf. Gal. 1:7) and even preach another gospel, another Jesus, and another Spirit (cf. 2 Cor. 11:4).  Soli Deo Gloria!

Dwelling In God's House

What exactly was David referring to in verse 6 of the 23rd Psalm?  "... and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever!" (in the HCSB it says "as long as I live.")  This was a confession of faith an article of a creed, or a proclamation of victory that all was well with his soul and he knew to Whom he belonged.  There are three key doctrinal points to be made from this verse.
First,  he was assured of his salvation as it were.
Second, it commenced immediately or he owned it in the present tense (i.e., eternal life in Christ the Chief Shepherd referred to).
Third, he could not lose this confidence or his security was assured and good as God's Word.  David was emphatically proclaiming his salvation and announcing to us that he will be there in the LORD's house as a sure thing, for He is the perfect Promise Keeper.

David connected with the Lord on a personal level and sensed His presence in his life; you might say he knew that God is the One who is there, as Schaeffer called God, "The God who is there!"  As he also said, "He is there, and He is not silent."  We cannot be any closer than that--we converse with Him--in one level this psalm is a prayer of faith! David's faith expressed a deep fellowship and not just second-hand knowledge.

That is to say that we can have assurance of our salvation and don't have to wonder or just "hope" for the best; that our salvation begins in real time (it is not provisional and we are not on probation to earn our salvation or to keep it); and that our salvation is eternal and cannot be forfeited or lost--once you have it, you can never lose it--you're family and one of the Shepherd's sheep.  This is vital to know because the assurance of salvation and the eternal security of the believer are to be distinguished, but not separated!  They go hand in hand and you cannot have one without the other--we must never divorce them!

If there wasn't any security you would be presumptuous to say you had assurance or were saved, because you don't know if you might lose it by some future sin or might commit apostasy or fall away as a backslider and not recover. If there's no assurance, there's no security; if there's no security, there's no assurance--this is logic and by definition.  Just by the definition of eternal life, we say that it cannot end and begins and goes on from Day One, and from there all of one's days into eternity!  How can you have eternal life for one day?  You either partake of eternal life or you don't!  In sum, we share in God's life and are considered members of His household!

Our heritage as believers is the peace of God, which is manifest in multiple ways.  We have the peace with God, of God, and with ourselves.  This knowledge that we can rest in peace knowing we belong to God and are secure in our legacy, is really living the good life or life to the max! Our peace is the peace that surpasses all understanding!  Isaiah 57:21 says, "there is no peace, says my God,  for the wicked" and Rom. 3:17 says that "and the way of peace they do not know."  As they say, know Jesus, know peace; no Jesus, no peace!

"I was glad when they said unto mem, let us go into the house of the LORD" (cf. Psalm 122:1).     Soli Deo Gloria!

Death Be Not Proud!

"What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death?"  (Psalm 84:48, KJV).  

These are famous words of John Donne, the poet, known also for such lines as "Don't ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee!" and "No man is an island!'  These words seem immortal to some because they have the ring of truth, even for Christians, and Donne didn't profess a faith in God.  Truth hurts no matter who says it sometimes and we must speak it in love for that reason.  The reason death cannot be proud is found in Hosea 13:14, HCSB, which says, "I will ransom them from the power of Sheol [the grave].  I will redeem them from death.  Death, where are your barbs?  Sheol, where is your sting?"  Jesus conquered the death for us and we need not fear it any longer, in fact, the apostles went from being a fearful band to becoming bold as a lion in facing death after seeing Christ, and the way they died as martyrs shows no fear of death at all, so that their death became a witness to the infidel and pagan world of the time.

Now, I want to make a distinction between the martyrs of Christianity and those of radical Islam as an example:  Many a man will die for what he believes in or thinks is true, but will not die for a known lie--and the apostles were in a position to know whether Christ rose from the dead because they were eyewitnesses!  What transformed them so suddenly?  The resident power of the Holy Spirit that is not a spirit of timidity, but of boldness for Christ.  I am reminded of what David said, and he lived dangerously for sure, that there was "but a step between him and death."  He knew that you always have to be ready because no one knows when their time is and they must be prepared to meet their God always.  Woody Allen was afraid of death too but kept his sense of humor about it:  "I'm not afraid to die.  I just don't want to be there when it happens!"  Also, George Washington fought death and was asked if he was afraid to die:  he replied that he wasn't afraid to die; he just dies hard!  (He doesn't give up easily--he was a diehard!)

The Bible makes it clear that even believers can die before their time (cf. Eccl. 7:15, 17; Isa. 57:1), and no one takes note!  We are not guaranteed a long life if we serve God, but a more abundant one, and when we've completed our mission, then it's our time to check out, as it says of David having completed all God's will in Acts 13:36.

The trouble with people today is that they live as if they aren't going to die, and die as if they never lived!  People spend more time worrying about their funeral arrangements than making plans for eternity!  No one wants to make their final preparations, and I don't mean providing for final expenses or making a will, but knowing what God's will for them is. NB:  St. Francis of Assisi was always ready to meet his Maker, and when asked what he would do if he only had thirty minutes to live while he was doing his gardening, he said, "I'd finish this row!"  We should all heed the warning given to Hezekiah to get our house in order for it might be our time, and it may come when we least expect it.  Matthew Henry said we ought to live each day as if it's our last!  But we also are admonished by the Lord to be ready to meet the Lord in the air and not be taken by surprise, as if asleep when He comes for us--we should be reading the signs of the times and notice that His coming is near, even at the door or we may be unprepared for the day of our visitation.  

Fanatics claim they aren't afraid to die and Socrates is known to have died very stoically, but there is a difference the way Christians die.  They die in hope, not despair and God gives them dying grace to grant the faith to face the end, which they see as not a wall, but a door!  We don't wait for death, but for a new life and have hope that cannot fade away, not based upon anything we've done, like a suicide bomber hoping for mercy from Allah.  The  Christian has already died in Christ and has nothing to lose and everything to gain to go to his reward; while the unbeliever's reward was in this life--ours does not fade away.  We die daily!

We must be willing to take up our cross and follow Jesus, which might involve more than an inconvenience and denying ourselves some luxury, but dying to self--the sacrifice is our ego and all we have (God wants us, not our achievements or resources--they already are His!), and put all that is on the line for Jesus.  Satan held the power of death and death is the last enemy to be destroyed, but look upon it as our promotion and going to our reward, meeting our Maker in glory, which is not a continuation of this life as we know it, but a whole new realm of existence that may seem surreal if one could imagine it--in fact no eye has seen what God has prepared for those who believe!  The paradox of our faith is that in dying we live!

In sum, we must reckon ourselves never to be out of deaths shadow and always but a step away from it (it's inevitable and as sure as taxes!)  I say the only thing certain about life is death--we commence it upon birth!  Oscar Wilde said, "One can survive anything nowadays except death!"--so the Boy Scout motto applies:  Be Prepared!     Soli Deo Gloria!