Overcoming The Pitfalls Of Ministry

"I came not to be served but to serve.,.."  Mark 10:45  "Whoever desires to be first, shall be slave of all." Mark 10:44

First, "ministry" doesn't just refer to preaching but to all services rendered by believers who use their spiritual gifts for the growth or edification of the body of Christ. There are downfalls as well as fringe benefits and an upside.  Just like it is more blessed to give than to receive, the person doing the ministry feels the most joy over the one who benefited.  Now, most Christians are in the dark as to their gifting and this is because they have never ministered.  You don't just serve where you want to or think your gift is, but whenever and wherever the opportunity arises to serve and see where God blesses you. God isn't so much looking for ability as for availability.  Showing up is 90 percent of the success!  

We do not need impressive resumes to minister because God opens the door and breaks the sound barrier for to reach others.  Another distinction: ministry is to believers or to the body, and mission is to the lost. And we must always keep the man thing as the main thing and not major in minors with our mission statement. Many ministries seem like thankless jobs or of no consequence or fanfare or glory but to God, they are all vital to the work of the equipping of the saints. The unfortunate thing is when we have good intentions and poor follow-through; that is why we need to be faithful and obedient and leave the success to God. 

We need to focus on what matters! Recognize boundaries in our people skills and even our limits and not overestimate ourselves or even take ourselves too seriously. We have to realize that sometimes we can't win and let Gop provide the growth as we water and plant seeds. Big misunderstandings happen when we have a failure to communicate and people get the wrong impression.  There are two kinds of ministers to mention here at work: those who have been humbled and those who will be! If you think you're already humble, get out of the ministry! 

We are all called by God and are suited to minister in our own way. We must not have excuses when God calls like Moses: Who am I?  I am clumsy with words, they will not believe me! we must trust God with the results and realize we can move mountains and walk on water with mustard-seed faith.  It is not how big our faith is but how big our God is and what the object of our faith is. Remember, God is not looking to success or achievement or accomplishments but to faithfulness and obedience. We should be humbled that God is just using us as servants or vessels of honor. It isn't our resume that suits or qualifies us but the Holy Spirit's residence in our hearts. We don't want results from the energy of the flesh or the ways of the world but the glory to God in the power of the Spirit. As they say, you can accomplish much if you don't care who gets the credit; likewise in ministry: if you give God the glory, He will use and bless you. 

Remember that the mission of the church is to fulfill the Great Commission.  And there is no social gospel but you could say we have a social commitment to the betterment and blessing of our society. We may think we have a thankless job but what matters is the spirit we do it in and our faithfulness. The best we can hope for is that Jesus says: Well done thou good and faithful servant! That is why we look for the open door and earn our right to minister. Our deeds must correlate and match our creeds!  That they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. 

Now, someday this mission will be the Great Completion and in the fullness of time Christ will come to reward us and our work never finishes as we never retire from the Lord's work.  We should all have a Great Commitment to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment!  The best mission statement of a church body I have seen is to be committed to knowing the Lord and making Him known!  Soli Deo Gloria! 

Through Thick And Thin

One Jewish rabbi bemoaned the suffering of mankind because he said that since God is almighty and God is good, why is our suffering. People basically complain about suffering and what happens to them especially. There are many alternative realities to suffering among the various worldviews and religions. Eastern philosophy grasps Karma, which means that there's an ironclad rule that governs good and bad and you get punished for all the bad or rewarded for all the good, they cancel each other out and you cannot escape from Karma. In fact, when they see someone else suffering, they say, "Well, that's his karma!"  And they don't have any mercy to help other people because they don't want to interfere with one's Karma. Another ancient philosophy was that of the Stoics in ancient Greece taught us to grin and bear it,, in that case, we must be glad to just go through suffering because there's no other choice but to be hardened and to grow in character we just must accept it as reality. 

The old Christian rule that gets in the way sometimes is that we reap what we sow and we only get what we deserve and we don't get half the punishments that we deserve, et cetera. Paul suffered more than any other Christian and he said that we should rejoice in our sufferings Rom. 5:3. Job was known for his patience in his suffering and we are to take him as an example. Jesus however suffered more than any other man he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and he went the way of the Via Dolorosa. 

Even among Christians there are various alternate realities that people see in suffering they see it as mere punishment from God or a curse of God or it's all of Satan or the enemy or that's only a test we must pass the test or that is just a thorn the flesh and we need it to keep us humble we all Christmas must realize we all have a cross to bear. There are only two types of Christians. Those who have been humbled and those who will be humbled. 

We must not get a martyr's complex in our suffering, thinking that we are humble or we have suffered more than anybody else or that suffering brings salvation. We must realize it's suffering is for the glory of God and that God means it for good no matter how we see it, he sees the big picture, so we should thank God even in our sufferings not thank for our sufferings we shouldn't we have the right attitude in other words and trust in the province of God as it says in Rom. 8:28 "All things work together for the good of them that Love God and our lows are called according to his purpose."

Only in Christianity, is there true meaning in suffering and I promise of a God who knows us and has suffered more than us and looks upon our suffering with sympathy (he can relate to us!) and we can relate to it that he will help us and comfort us in our suffering as Joseph said you meant that his brothers meant it for evil but God meant it for good.   So this is a Providence of God, a God who guides our lives and we must trust that he knows what's best for us and we will we look back upon the years and see that God indeed was wise and knew what was best for us.   And we will realize finally that God's Grace is sufficient for us and there are others who suffered more than us like they said you complain about not having shoes until you see someone that has no feet.

In the end, we can say that we have fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith )(2 Tim 4:7) we have been with God through thick and thin, and come what may we know that God is with us all the way wherever we go. And we will not leave us nor forsake us.  Soli Deo Gloria!

The Servant's Heart

The Apostle Paul was a servant par excellence. He could boast of his sufferings for Christ beyond measure and more than anybody else in the New Testament. Paul also said that he would boast of nothing but what Christ has accomplished through him. (Romans 15:18). You see, the most we could ever hope for no matter how much we suffer and no matter how much we do is that Christ says to us on that day well done thou good and faithful servant. Paul proved this by being down getting down and dirty just like Jesus did when he took up the tall and washed the disciples' feet.   He was not afraid that something was beneath him that is the servant's heart to be servant of all. Paul had no sense of superiority but he defended his right as an apostle appointed by Christ. the idea of a servant is that we have a master and we are obedient.  

When we call Jesus Lord that implies that he is our Master and that we will obey him.   In other words, to say no lord is a contradiction in terms. There could be no salvation apart from obedience. for instance, the Bible says to obey is better than sacrifice And God gives his holy spirit to those who obey him. obedience and faith are linked in scripture many times we adhere to the obedience of the faith.  God has given his Holy Spirit to those who obey him Acts 5:32

The Lord would not ask us about our achievements or accomplishments But he will be interested in what kind of persons we are. That is why Christ condemned those who posted before him on Judgment Day saying, "Lord have we not done this or that?" They were having faith in their works, not in the Lord. We should realize that we are only honored and privileged to serve God. Paul says it has been appointed unto you not only to believe in Christ but to suffer for his sake. (Phil. 1:29).   We also fill up the suffering of Christ. We are called to serve and when we do in Christ's name we should consider it an honor.

Would you worship a God who had no understanding of suffering? But Jesus Christ suffered more than anyone and God allowed his own son to suffer much more will he allow us to suffer for his glory. Then Christianity we find meaning and suffering unlike any other religion But of course, the true answer is not in philosophy but in the person of Jesus Christ. Now we are not to get a martyr's complex and think that the more we suffer the whole year we are or the more worthy we are. The faith doesn't us to become martyrs necessarily but to live for Christ and to present our bodies as living sacrifices. Many people will die for a Christ that they will not live for. Paul said that he would rejoice in his sufferings (Romans 5:3). 

As far as boasting goes, Paul said that he would boast in the Lord but he didn't do it to exalt himself but to put himself in Christ's shoes and think that doing something that Christ expects him to do. When we suffer and when we serve God, we are only doing what is our duty and we are even unworthy of that. Paul said that those who will be exalted must humble themselves.   And we do this by putting Christ first in our lives and making him our number one priority and letting all other things slide. 

One thing Paul did boast of saying that he was better at not just also at doing was that he was a servant of God. Yes, Paul did have a servant's heart, mentality, and mindset.  Paul did his boasting to be a fool for Christ. We all are fools and in a sense, but who's fool are you? Are you willing to be God's full and to do things that require faith not just the world's wisdom? Suffering can thus be a badge of honor but we must not use it to make ourselves better than others or to think of ourselves better than others or to think we are whole there than not type of attitude. All the suffering that we do is for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of the Name and we should be considered honored and privileged to be able to do it and that God is just using us for His glory!  Soli Deo Gloria!

The Need For Effective Ministries

 Martin Luther was asked if the Reformation was complete with his corrections and he replied that the  Reformation had only just begun and would never end.  We are always to be an attitude of Reformation. The Latin for that is Semper Reformanda.  We ought never to become complacent in our church and think that we have arrived at the perfect ideal church or at monopolizing the truth or that we are the only ones. We could always learn from each other's churches because no church is THE "reformed"  church. There is a church for everybody in my opinion or what you call niche churches and have a certain demographic or an appeal that they have. We cannot be all things to all people. 

In other words, some churches try to become mega-churches or attract followers by teaching or preaching what the people want to hear especially when it comes to prophecy or prosperity theology.  These preachers are really gifted entrepreneurs and not called by God.  The Bible warns against those who have itching ears and only want to hear what they want to hear and preachers who cater to them.  Even the devil himself disguised himself as an angel of light.  So no wonder his servants do also.

We must admit that our teacher or our pastor will have his weaknesses and issues. But what is the bottom line? What is it that God considers important?  God called Moses and Paul who were not good speakers!  Good that the preacher admits and knows his flaws too.  But that does not mean that he cannot become all things to all people by God's grace as Paul claimed.   And that God cannot use him for what is important to majors are what's important in the minors are not we don't major in the minors in other words.   We don't get distracted by things that are unimportant but remember what is important: KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING!  None of which I put first things first and realize our priorities. Pastors should never be people pleasers then you cannot please God and our praise ought to be from God and not man.

Too many churches preach another Jesus, another gospel, or another spirit than the one that they should have received or did receive. There are too many counterfeit churches out there, and too many counterfeit preachers that were not even called into the ministry.  They have just enough truth to deceive.  They are experts at marketing, even using Madison Avenue techniques.  They may be scammers or even grifters and rob their congregations because they do not gather the funds for God's purposes.

Today, we have too many churches that do not keep their eyes on Jesus and on the truth and have gotten side-tracked.  They have forgotten about the church being the cornerstone of the truth and doctrine matters and truth matters.   It is often looked drowned upon and frowned upon to be into polemics or defend against heresy. We ought to be obedient to the heavenly vision!   

We have a church without doctrine today.   The post-doctrinal era!  What really matters, in the long run, is the truth.   We ought to teach people to be searchers for the truth with an open mind yet a critical mind.   An open mind says they do not think they know all the truth yet and they're willing to learn more but a critical mind in the sense they must test the spirit whether it is of God or not.  Today, we have churches that are even into the New Age doctrine and want to say things like Jesus isn't enough.  We need Jesus plus this Jesus plus that.  We have the "church of what's happening now!'   We need to realize that Jesus is enough and we have Jesus. We have all we need.

Churches cannot be good at everything;  they each have a certain ministry in calling some churches are more evangelical,  some churches are more ministerial, some churches are more mission-oriented, and some churches reach out to the lost more and loft into causes like social causes like the social gospel which is another mistake.   We have a mission and a commission to reach the world through Christ but our commission is to preach the gospel. We have a social mandate yes to be a blessing to the world in the sense of being salt and light but not in the sense that there is a social gospel that all things work out good if we become Christians. The church ought to prepare and fight the actual enemy out there which is Satan and his minions and his servants truth that's why the doctrine is important we have a foundation of doctrine and we can readily discern who these false teachers are because, in the last days, many shall come in Christ's name saying they are Christ even.   

And many false teachers will teach doctrines of demons.  People will no longer endure sound doctrine!  These churches ought to recognize the needs of the church and should really be needy people in the church.  They should minister one to another. And the church also should be aware of strange teachings because many shall come in Christ's name and teach a new doctrine that sounds good to outsiders, especially in churches where they're overly seeker-sensitive rather than God-oriented.  

Yes, there is a true battle in the Lord and the battle is the Lord's.   If we know the truth and are armed with the truth and the word of God which is our only fence weapon we shall win this battle we should realize that we will not be good at everything and find and find what we are good at Christians ought to find their spiritual gift.   In other words, they do that by experimenting or serving God and finding out what God blesses them in.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Remaining Obedient To The Heavenly Vision...

Paul was really despised and disparaged in Corinth and had to defend his ministry and authenticity as an apostle.  He reminded them of the signs of an apostle: signs, miracles, wonders!  He even entreated them to accept his authority, even begging for their ears and was frank even blunt.  But this seemed to fall on deaf ears and they were spiritually hard of hearing!   This was done by literary techniques of restatement and repetition of his points to drive them home and strike a chord to resonate with them on their "home page" and get on the same page finding common ground and commonality, not points of disagreement, especially of opinions. It was obvious to the Corinthians that Paul could be quite articulate and authoritarian in letters but not in person.  This did not qualify him as timid or as a gifted speaker, and this in no way reflected on his knowledge, expertise, or experience, and especially his authority as the appointed apostle of Jesus. 

He used this as an excuse to teach and instruct them and he did not rely on a human playbook or means but used "divine power" to demolish the strongholds of Satan and the world. Not to rely on human authority but depending on the power of the Spirit so that their faith does not rest in the power or authority of men but in God alone! The divine weapon of choice was the Word of God and not opinion, oratory skill, education, or biblical or world savvy. But Paul knew how to get their attention! This is encouraging to us who are unlearned and have handicaps to overcome.  

Paul wasn't one to lord it over them either but shared the ministry of the Spirit that we all take part in the work of God according to the gifts of the same Spirit.  Paul knew that you could not argue someone into the kingdom or win one over by the art of persuasion techniques alone. He didn't try to rationalize nor appeal to logic alone.   Our faith must be in the power of God in the gospel ("for it is the power of God unto salvation..."). Paul believed in living the gospel message out and his life showed more suffering for Christ than anyone who ever lived.  But in all this Paul never had a martyr's complex thinking the more you suffer the better Christian. 

He was humble and thought of himself as the chief of sinners. He said that this is a way of becoming all things to all people and reaching out to the lost and those unreachable by other means such as the church.  This is to say that if we are not hypocrites and practice our faith and prove our faith by good works and fruit, then people will be drawn to Christ  God fills the vacuum in the soul and draws people to Christ.  In sum, to be obedient to the heavenly vision, we must see the light and depend upon God's armor and power of the Spirit not ourselves.  Soli Deo Gloria! 

Interpreting Scripture

Taken from Quora post by Steve Sorrell. 










The Holy Spirit guides us as we interpret the Scriptures. He does not necessarily interpret Scripture for us, for disciplined study is required. I do not mean everyone has to know Greek and Hebrew, only that you read the Bible everyday beyond just a devotional study. Devotional reading is personal and wonderful it is where the promises come to life, but this can not be all you do.

The Bible deserves endless reading and must be reread over and over again to understand its depth. A person who only sees the literal meaning of Scripture just needs to learn the principles of Biblical interpretation.

The Early Church Fathers taught “when the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense.” So we should take everything at its ordinary and literal meaning unless the facts of the context indicate to us something different.

The Bible also speaks in different genres mostly figuratively, hyperbolic, metaphoric, in similes, in symbols, apostrophe, personification, in types, in parables, paradox, pun, irony, allusion and allegorically.

beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep‘s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from vessels? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. (Matt. 7:15–17)

The true teachers only want to edify the body and strengthen the brothers and sisters.

Some examples in the Bible:

Metaphors are words or phrases literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them.

You are the salt of the earth. ( Matt. 5:13)

I am the light of the world. (John 8:12)

I am the door. (John 10:9)

I am the bread of life. (John 6:35)

We know Jesus is the spiritual door to new life, and not a literal door. He is spiritual food (bread) not literal bread.

SIMILE- brings two objects together to show their similarities: “cold as ice” white as snow” smooth as silk” The Apostle Paul used a simile to discribe the serious believe when in Ephesians 6, he called them “soldiers.” It is the image of spiritual warfare that is conveyed.

We are to “share in the suffering of a good soldier of Jesus Christ” and we are reminded that “ no one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs, for the soldiers goal is to please the enlisted officer” (2 Timothy 2:3–4) Paul called his fellow workers Epaphroditus and Archippus “fellow soldiers.” (Phil. 2:25, Philemon 2, 1 Cor. 9:7)

Hyperbole is an exaggeration for effect and is used symbolically to prove a point. Why beholdest the mote that is in thy brothers eye, but considereth not the beam that is in thine own eye? (Matt 7:3)

Symbolism is any detail in literature which in addition to its own meaning stands for something else. The book of Revelation has many symbolic phrases. He who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; …and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God. (Rev. 3:12)

Types are found in the Old Testament with there fulfillment in the New Testament. It is described in Scripture, “A shadow of things to come” (Hebrews 10:1); (Colossians 2:17) (the type and the anti-type do not agree in all things, but are similar.)

Parables are comparisons that convey truth. They are short fictitious narratives from which a moral or spiritual truth is drawn, such as the parables of Jesus.

Apostrophe is where the writer addresses someone absent or something nonhuman as if it were present or human and could respond to the address.

I will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from death, death, I will be thy plagues, O grave, I will be thy destruction, repentance shall be had from mine eyes. (Hosea 13:14)KJV

Allegory is a work in literature which some or all of the details have a corresponding other meaning and refer to either a concept or historical particular. (Galatians 4:21–31)

now these things are being treated allegorically, for these are the two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, giving birth to slavery -this is a Hagar. (Galatians 4:24)TLV

Allusion as a reference to past history or literature.

for as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. (Matt. 12:40)

Personification is a figure of speech in which human attributes are given to something nonhuman, such as animals, objects, or abstract qualities.

but when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his immersion, he said to them, “you brood of vipers! who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? (Matt. 3:7)


Scripture must be compared with scripture.

A good understanding of the human condition and human experience is useful when reading the Bible.

The Apostle Paul stated that salvation is by faith (Romans 4:5), while James says, “By works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (James 2:24)both are right. Faith is by faith alone, and James warns against an alone faith. One condemns works without faith and the other faith without works. We learn by studying parallels of verses and their word order. I personally lean toward faith alone, but seek the balanced life of faith and works. Works do not aid salvation in my humble understanding of Scriptures.


Bible interpretation is not mechanical the Holy Spirit is involved and must be considered the great interpreter who leads us into all truth. There are many things to consider before you give your opinion to what the Bible actually says. Our opinion does not really matter at all. We must check our own motives and let the biblical text speak for itself.

Many people claim to be lead by the Holy Spirit. Why do two different people, both claiming to be lead by the Holy Spirit come up with two different interpretations of the same Scripture? Personal bias, religious background conditioning, secret agendas, lack of in-depth study, could be some of the reasons, but without a deep love and reverence for Scripture, the Holy Spirit is not that active. The Bible has its own Spirit, this is the best way to read it.


The more study one is prepared to give to the Bible the more one will get from it.

God gives us light (divine revelation) without which we can not fully understand His Word.

“ Light first shines into the spirit,(human spirit) but God does not purpose to have the light remain there. He wishes this light to reach the understanding. After light has reached the understanding, it no longer passes away but can be fixed. Revelation is not permanent in nature, it is like lightning which flashes and passes away. But when light shines a man’s understanding takes it in and knows its meaning, then the light is fixed and we know it’s content. When the light is only in the spirit it comes and goes freely, but once it enters our thought and understanding it becomes anchored. From then on we are able to use the light.“- Watchman Née (from The Ministry of God’s Word pg.146.)

We must be ministers of the Word to strengthen the Body of Christ.

Oh how I Love Your Word it is my meditation all day long. (Psalms 119:97)e/pr5

Why Believe In Eternal Security?

Why I Affirm Eternal Security

Dated May 1999 @ Discovery Church, Hastings, MN 55033

In spite of the fact that I believe in the assurance of one's salvation, I do not want to give either false assurance or a sense of insecurity. The apostolic injunction to make one's calling and election sure is to be noted (cf. 2 Pet. 1:10) and only after one is confident of his salvation and has made his decision for Christ to accept Him personally and believes in his heart does he have a right to speculate about whether he can lose his salvation. The question is raised by those who base their assurance on subjective experience rather than on the Word of God.

Some people claim to have been saved over and over again and have made countless dedications and re-dedications or commitments. At a recent "Arise with the Guys" evangelical outreach featuring Tony Dungee et al., a few hundred were "first-time: decisions. God makes it clear that He wants us to know for sure that we are saved(2 Pet. 1:10) and John says in 1 John 5:13 that He wants those who believe in the name of the Son of God may know that they have eternal life.

We must distinguish between conjecture and certainty. I am not an expert in epistemology, but we cannot know in an absolute sense anything that requires faith, but here is a faith-knowledge that is "the assurance of things hoped for." There is no certainty in religion and in a works religion, you can never know for sure. Charles Swindoll says that one can never say how much works is enough or how little is enough to lose it. Ignorance is not bliss! God wants us to be in the know. Swindoll says we should know the "value of knowing the scoop!" If we can lose our salvation then we really cannot know for sure but only hope. God doesn't want us to say: "Well, I hope I go to heaven!"

Our salvation cannot be forfeited, to put it bluntly. To state the doctrine in plain terminology: "Once saved, always saved!" A cute way of affirming that apostasy is never the lot of the believer is to say that "if you have it, you never lose it; if you lose it, you never had it!" The Calvinists referred to the doctrine as "perseverance." This is more correctly termed "preservation" because God really preserves us more than we keep ourselves. Note that God doesn't give us permission to give up and go back into sin (cf. Romans 6:1).

The doctrine is commonly called "eternal security." I do not have this as my hidden agenda, but I see this as vitally important to the understanding of soteriology. One will never really grow until he has ascertained his salvation and rests in the faith and accepts Christ's work on his behalf as "finished" and a done deal. If our salvation was not a continuity, we could not be certain whether we were saved. By definition of the term "eternal life," we must assume that one's life cannot be terminated and is not "temporary salvation" but "everlasting salvation (cf. Heb. 5:9; 9:12).

There are extremes in the spectrum. For instance, the antinomians believe that you can do anything you want to as long as you simply believe. The legalists believe that you have to do this or do that plus believe and they are adding to the work of Christ and not believing in grace alone, faith alone, and Christ alone. The Quietists believe we should "let go" and "let God" and deny any cooperation in our sanctification, the Pietists like the Amish believe in the exertion of human willpower and effort to sanctify and do not become grace-oriented.

I deem this doctrine important because I first started to understand the Scriptures after I comprehended God's grace. I had been confirmed a Lutheran and had rededicated myself at a Billy Graham Crusade, but I never had assurance. In the Army, I met up with some Navigators (a parachurch organization) and God led in the right direction.

Catholics, I found out, deny assurance, as well as security and call it the sin of presumption. They say you cannot know for sure unless you have a special divine revelation to that effect. I am told that this is the born-again experience, if you will, and would agree with that. Catholics believe in sacramental theology and divide sins into mortal and venial categories. Some sins are egregious enough to kill the grace of justification and one must do penance to be restored. "Penance is the second plank of salvation for those who have made shipwreck of the faith," according to R.C. Sproul. Man is "incurably addicted to doing something to get saved"; however, Christianity is about receiving a gift not earning merit. We are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone, the Reformers affirmed. We receive salvation, we don't earn or deserve it.

Assurance is necessary for our "well-being" but one doesn't necessarily have assurance as a fruit of conversion or of the Holy Spirit. It is not of the essence of faith since sometimes doubt and faith coexist and assurance is intermittent, not frozen in concrete, so to speak. God doesn't require perfect faith, but sincere and unfeigned faith. Assurance is not a sin but a duty and it is the link to our sanctification. Growth results from this awareness. But let's not be subjective and base our assurance on some past experience, such as raising our hands or walking to an altar. Let's base our assurance on the Word of God, which is objective and reliable and performs its work in us who believe. True assurance is based on the Word of God coupled with the testimony of the Holy Spirit--that's why we must search our hearts and examine our fruit.

This doctrine wasn't really articulated by Augustine but really developed in the Reformation. It was developed at the Synod of Dort (ca. 1618-1619) and Calvinists and Arminians took issue with it against each other immediately. Even though Jacob Arminius wouldn't go so far as to say that one could lose his salvation the Arminians objected. The Wesleyans and Lutherans followed suit. The Lutherans made salvation contingent upon continued faith. The doctrine was articulated in The Westminster Confession, ca 1646, which is very eloquent. It must be noted that assurance and security go hand in hand and if you deny one, you must deny the other to be consistent.

Now the question arises about those who apostatize: First John 2:19 makes it clear that some commit apostasy or fall away, but those were "not of us." Some so-called people profess faith but later repudiate it and do not endure. They are like seed that doesn't take root. Some people do lip service to Christ and honor him with their lips, but their hearts are far away. The believer can fall but not absolutely. His fall is only temporary. Jesus prays that our faith will not fail. Some are saved "as if by fire" or by the skin of their teeth, but they do make it, even if they get no reward or lose the reward. There is a sin unto death as punishment, but no sin unto hell. To sum it up: their departure manifested their true state, but we shall be kept in the Father's hands. Jesus said, "He that comes to me I will in no wise cast out."

There are many inferential proofs that make it clear that salvation is eternal and permanent. King David never lost his salvation but only prayed for the joy to return. We can grieve the Holy Spirit and lose our joy, but not the Holy Spirit, which will never be taken away from us. The Holy Spirit is the "earnest of our inheritance and is given a "pledge' and "seal." God is the ultimate Promise Keeper. Salvation is a covenant and God will not renege. We are adopted as children and cannot be un-born. We are His sheep and Christ will not lose any of His sheep. We are born of "imperishable seed" and "salvation is of the Lord" (not of our efforts). Our salvation doesn't depend upon our free will but on God's immutable decrees. "We are born, not of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man [cf. John 1:13]." "It is not of him that runneth, nor of him that willeth, but of God, who shows mercy [cf. Rom. 9:16]."

The objections to this doctrine are that it leads to indolence, smugness, complacency, and false assurance or license to sin. But only when one realizes the grace of God and has experienced the peace of God can he have the good works." "For we are created unto good works." We are His handiwork and He is the Potter, while we are the clay. Some think the doctrine violates Scripture. They usually point to Judas or Saul and make false conclusions. The Bible never says Saul lost his salvation, and never says Judas was saved. "He that endures to the end shall be saved is not a proviso, but a veiled promise of endurance.

I agree with Martin Luther that we should base our doctrine on the Bible and not on some experts or scholars. The Reformation cry was "Sola Scriptura" or Scripture alone. If one doesn't realize salvation he can lose orientation, therefore we need the helmet of salvation for battle. Moreover, we are to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" and this implies a spiritual workout to prove it and make it real. Some of us really need a spiritual workout. Soli Deo Gloria!

Do You Know Your Place In The Church? ...

Many believers do not recognize their place or gift in the body. One needs to experiment and try different services or opportunities to see how God uses or blesses you. You do not tell God that you refuse to serve in an individual capacity because you do not think you have that gift. You also should not have gift envy and wonder why you are not gifted like someone else nor even expect others to have your gifting and be able to walk in your shoes. You don't need this gift projection either; i.e., gift projection.  Remember, we are all on the same team with one mission statement and vision of fulfilling the Great Commission with a great commitment. 

We must show faithfulness in little to be faithful in much and rewarded. God the Holy Spirit equips each believer as He sees fit and enables each to do God's will effectually. What it boils down to is not ability but availability! We will be judged by our faithfulness in what God has gifted us, not its success. Note: we all have different gifts but the same Spirit! And we aim and strive for the greater gifts with the spiritual ambition of a noble thing, such as to prophesy or edify the church. 

You must decide whether you want to be a part of the solution or part of the problem. That is the dichotomy! A Christian who will not serve is a contradiction in terms and only those who serve Christ know true peace and fulfillment. There may be two types of Christians questioning their church body's functionality or effectiveness. One says, "What is wrong with this church?" and says, "You are wrong!" Another one says to God, "God can you fix the church?" and God replies, "That is why you are in it!" Either way, we must learn to serve God and labor in the Lord trusting in what He tells us and taking it to heart. Let us be faithful to our heavenly vision and calling and fulfill our ministry. 

We must be the reason people believe in God and be positive witnesses and be the only Jesus some may ever see or the only sermon they may hear! What they see ought to be what they get! We do much harm to our witness and jeopardize our testimony's credibility if we do not live up to it and live it out faithfully! Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?    Soli Deo Gloria! 

Was The Apostle Paul A Christian?

 It has been disputed even today whether Paul was an apostle or one duly appointed and even an inferior one at that. Paul was so questioned about it that he wrote 2 Corinthians to refute the idea in chapters 10 and 11 he makes his case. What else is an apostle but one who has seen the risen Lord, can do miracles, signs, and wonders, and is personally appointed by the Lord Himself?  But the contention was that Paul was just a troublemaker, not a peacemaker, a divider, was always in trouble with the law or in jail, got shipwrecked, stoned,  beaten with rods, unpopular, left for dead, gone without food,  not an uniter, and a poor preacher and even too hard to understand and didn't get along with Peter or other apostles even disputing with Barnabas. 

We see believers do likewise today thinking that if you haven't achieved the American dream or are not a success in the eyes of the world, then you are not measuring up as a Christian and not be one at all, especially if bad things happen like divorce, bankruptcy, unemployment, disease, disability, or trouble with the law.  The proliferation of prosperity theology is appalling and widespread and is popular as even the mention of the word "sin" is considered a killjoy and taboo.  What we must learn is that we are not to cash in on our spiritual lottery ticket but learn to be content in whatever circumstance God gives and be thankful to be in God's will.  

But we must realize that hardship is par for the course in our Christian experience of hard knocks and the spiritual adventure and road to Reality 101 learning. In short, we are not promised a bed of roses and our life is no rose garden. We can have just as many hardships as an unbeliever. It is written that the Jews thought they were immune to disaster or calamity by virtue of being God's people but had a wake-up call during the Babylonian captivity. It is true God can and does put a hedge of protection around us but God can allow short-term evil for long-term good; look at Joseph saying, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." and also Job saying, "Should we accept good times from the LORD and not evil times?" 

We are to judge Paul by his writings which Peter called "scripture" despite being hard to understand. He is the one we owe our understanding of the gospel message.  Paul is the one who preached to the Gentiles and founded more churches than the other apostles in Europe and Asia. But we must put his life into the perspective that Jesus said he would suffer 'great things for Him." Paul said it was a privilege to suffer for the sake of the Name. Paul wrote at least 13 epistles and is considered the chief New Testament writer. 

What About The Hard Sayings Of Jesus? ...

And after some disciples heard these sayings, they no longer followed Him..... Jesus never made it easy to be a follower of His and stipulated strict guidelines and requisites like denial of self, and having first priority in our hearts so much that we "hate" our parents. He also said that we "cannot come to the Father unless it has been granted.." We cannot believe in Jesus apart from grace ("Apart from Me, you can do nothing...." "This is the work of God... that you believe in Him whom He has sent."). St. Augustine of Hippo said it well: “God command what you will, but grant what you command…” If we can turn over a new leaf, make a New Year’s resolution, Boy Scout pledge, or AA pledge to change our lives, what good is regeneration? God must change us from the inside out!

What good is regeneration if we can accomplish this of our own strength and without grace working in our hearts? God opens the door of faith and kindles it within us as He quickens our dead spirit. This is called "lordship salvation" as opposed to "easy-believism" or that commitment to Christ as Lord is not required for salvation. We must receive Him for who He is! Jesus never watered down His message, contextualized it, nor dumbed it down, but told it as it is in straight talk and calling a spade a spade. He never minced words or made it easy to follow Him but discouraged half-hearted disciples who may have admired Jesus but were not ready to lay down their lives for Him.

For instance, no fornicator, murderer, liar, drunkard, homosexual, thief, or swindler will get into the kingdom. But with all these requirements, we cannot change ourselves but we must be willing to let God change us: we come as we are, but do not remain that way due to the grace of God working in our hearts. What good is regeneration if we can believe apart from it or conversion if we had the power to transform our lives ourselves? The whole point of the gospel is that God changes us and we become new creatures in Christ: a changed life as a testimony!

Salvation must be grace from beginning to end: "Salvation is of the LORD," (Jonah 2:9) and that means we do not contribute anything to our regeneration and conversion. Therefore, it is not of us and God nor of us alone but of God alone! It is the work of God on our behalf who gets the glory. Soli Deo Gloria!