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The Keeping It Simple Blog

I had no idea that I could start my own Blog (weblog, etc.) until someone mentioned it to me one day at work. I thought it was a good idea so I started one! On this blog I will be ranting on various issues that I think are relevant for Christians today. You can read my latest "article" at http://isaiah820.blogspot.com/, ENJOY!

Below is a list of the titles of the blogs I have written to this point. If you would like to be notified when new articles are posted, please write me at one of the emails on the contact page. You can also click of the title of the article below in order to read the blog article here (coming soon).

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- John

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Check out Jason's articles by clicking here!!!

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Date Posted	Article	Audio Version Available?
July 23rd, 2008	John 6:44, Total Depravity and Irresistible Grace	Coming Soon!
October 9th , 2007	Christianity and Science, Part 1 – “Not at Odds”	Coming Soon!
July 23rd, 2007	"I'm Offended"	Coming Soon!
September 13th, 2006	Is Eternal Security a “License to Sin”?	Coming Soon!
May 20th, 2006	"Always Right"	Coming Soon!
May 26th, 2006	The Christians at Ephesus	Coming Soon!
February 20th, 2006	James and the Prosperity Gospel	Coming Soon!
April 5th, 2006	The Birth of Legalism	Coming Soon!
April 20, 2006	Why the Trinity? A Biblical Defense	Coming Soon!
March 24, 2006	Self-Motivated, A Look at Man's Religions	Coming Soon!
March 1 , 2006	Minding Your Bees-Wax	Coming Soon!
February 14, 2006	The Ugly Green-Eyed Monster	Coming Soon!
January 30, 2006	Does God Owe Me Something? PART 3	Coming Soon!
January 11, 2006	Does God Owe Me Something? PART 2	Coming Soon!
October 27, 2005	Does God Owe Me Something? PART 1	Coming Soon!
October 20, 2005	My Faith, Your Faith	Coming Soon!
September 13th, 2005	Are YOU a Fundamentalist?	Coming Soon!
September 10th, 2005	Fakes, Phonies and Misrepresentations	Coming Soon!

 

Sunday, July 27, 2008
John 6:44, Total Depravity and Irresistible Grace

I have heard many Calvinists say that John 6:44 is proof of irresistible grace because “those that are drawn are the ones who are raised”. From this verse is also included the Calvinist’ own view of total depravity (which equals “inability”).

I will agree that one has to be drawn, that much is plain; however, it is not as plain to me the conclusion that the Calvinists come to with this verse.

Let’s quickly review the verse:

John 6:44
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

It is agreed that no one can come unless the Father draws that person unto Christ (via the Holy Spirit). It is also agreed that apart from the sharing of the Gospel no one would ever turn to God. In other words, apart from one hearing the Gospel it is impossible for them to be saved (thus the importance of obeying the call to preach the Gospel to every creature). No one apart from the Gospel just up and decides one day that, “hey, I think I’ll serve God”. However, this and John 6:44 do not exclude the possibility that one has a real choice at the moment of the Holy Spirit’s drawing. And this is the thrust of my argument… that at the moment of the Holy Spirit’s drawing man has a real choice to decide whether or not he will rebel or repent and believe the Gospel.

I do not interpret this verse as saying, “the ones that are drawn are the ones that are raised” or “being drawn equals being raised”. I believe that the proper interpretation of this verse is that, “the one that is raised is the one that comes… and that one can only come if he is drawn”. My question to the Calvinist is; how am I misinterpreting this verse? Is there some grammatical reason in the Greek that I should not come to this conclusion? It is my opinion that if one does not come to this verse with a preconceived idea of what it has to mean (in light of a certain set of presuppositions such as TULIP), I believe that one would come to the same conclusion I have reached. Of course I reserve the right to be wrong, so if anyone can show me OBJECTIVELY from reason and context how I am misinterpreting this verse I will concede the point.

Working with the interpretation that, “the one that is raised is the one that comes… and that one can only come if he is drawn”… we can see that the verse does not exclude the possibility (logically) that one could, at the moment he is drawn, refuse repentance (thus refuting, if I am right, the Calvinist’ view of Irresistible Grace and that Total Depravity equals total inability). Now at this point some have sought to misrepresent this view as a sort of “deal” that God makes with man. For example, one straw man in this line of thinking said that our view is like someone buying a car. God offers a price, a “good deal” if you will, and the man then decides whether or not the price is right. This analogy is flawed and if you’re going to bring me to your side you’ve got to deal with what I believe.

At the moment a person is convicted of sin, a bargaining table is hardly the scene that represents the situation. When a person is being drawn he is being shown that he is a sinner in need of Jesus’ sacrifice. He is dealing with the Holiness of God, the penalty of sin, the weakness of himself, et al. This is a serious issue and at that moment the person is hardly “cutting a deal”. He is being presented with the truth of all truths, believe and repent or refuse and rebel. An atmosphere of the conviction of sin is the picture here, hardly two making a “deal”.

 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2007
Christianity and Science, Part 1 – “Not at Odds”

Since my oldest son’s recent obsession with Dinosaurs, a love for the Sciences that I once had has been revived. First of all, Dinosaurs are just cool. Secondly, all the sciences surrounding how they are studied like Paleontology, Geology, et al, I find fascinating to study. When most folks are watching the boob tube I am curled up with a Geology textbook (guess I am a dork, no?).

Recently I have been recording everything I could find on the National Geographic, Discovery and Science Channels that has anything to do with these subjects. Now if you do this, the first thing you’ll notice is that everything on these channels is saturated with Evolution; however, I am not too disheartened by this. As with most things one has to take in the good and throw out the bad. There are many things that can be learned from these shows and many things they say actually confirm the Bible (ironically).

One quick example is the Ceolophysis of Arizona. A large grouping of this Dinosaur (among others) were apparently killed by a flash flood. This theory is given because of the way the Dinosaur bones were found grouped together (apparently they were all buried rapidly and together). Now, as a Christian I am thinking… hmmm… now what event that the Bible (as well as other sources) says happened could have suddenly buried large groups of animals at the same time? I’ll give you three guesses.

However, since the average non-Christian scientist automatically discounts even the possibility that a Sovereign God could have created all that we see, they miss out on pieces of the many puzzles that could otherwise be answered.

I find this sad because in my many hours of study I haven’t found one single contradiction between the Bible and TRUE Science. I haven’t had one single reason yet to demonstrate why they would have to be at odds. What do I mean by true science? Folks that disagree may be saying at this point, “no, you only see true science as the parts of science that line up with YOUR view of the Bible”. Let me answer that perceived accusation in two parts.

Firstly, if you’ll begin to read scientific journals, magazines and books, etc, on your own you will begin to notice that A LOT of guessing goes on. In many of the articles and shows out there, a critical look further into the issues often (if not almost always) shows that what is presented many times as fact to the “general public” are a loosely held together hodge-podge of theories, opinions and guesses. I am not going to go into detail of the myriad of examples that could be given… I just want you the reader, Christian or not, to begin to challenge everything, question everything and be a critical thinker. One of the reasons my faith in the Bible and the God thereof is so strong is BECAUSE I looked deeper into its’ claims and truths.

Secondly, Science is constantly “evolving” (forgive the play on words). Just one example is our understanding of what is called “plate tectonics” and “continental drift”. Since Scientists have began thinking about this 3 major theories have been posited, 2 have been abandoned and 1 is currently held. I am not going into the details of these, you’ll have to look that up on your own if you don’t know what I am talking about; however, you don’t need to know the details in order to understand my point. Let’s critically think about this… if the two earlier “theories” or “ideas” about this issue have been replaced, how do we know the current one won’t be replaced in the next 5, 10 or 20 years? I do realize that there are certain facts established by science that will not be augmented; however, a lot more than you realize is not set on a solid foundation and the information is constantly changing. I have sadly read of many who have rejected the Bible based on scientific knowledge that we know now is obsolete. The Bible is not a scientific manual; however, when it touches on the subject, it speaks infallibly. The Bible and true Science are not at odds. If one takes out the guess work that many scientists have dishonestly posited as fact… there is no disagreement with the Bible.

I do realize that this opening article makes very general statements. I am not seeking to convince you of my view point here. What I do hope is that you will begin to critically think about everything. Don’t just accept anything and use the brain God gave you. Christians, we have a RESPONSIBILITY to be as educated as possible on everything that we can. Knowing the Bible is first and foremost on our agenda but adding to that a good knowledge of other subjects can open more doors for ministry… and isn’t that what it’s all about?

My goal with these articles will be to demonstrate that the Bible and Science are not as at odds as many have supposed.

Monday, July 23, 2007
"I'm Offended!!!"

Have you ever simply been discussing a subject with someone only to have that person get “offended”? Or someone nearby over hears a religious or political conversation that you’re having and gets “offended”? Or even worse, do you find yourself censoring your own speech in public trying not to “offend” anyone (aka, “make them mad”)? This is political correctness run amuck and doing what it was meant to do… take away freedom of speech.

Here’s a chapter from the playbook: Someone says something I don’t like… so I get angry and label them with a title such as “bigot”, “racist” or “homophobe” so that they will be cowed into not speaking again. Context is irrelevant, freedom of speech is irrelevant… if I don’t like it, it’s got to go… at all costs. Labeling, lying, polarizing and misrepresentation are all legitimate means to achieve the goal.

The truth is, one has to CHOSE to be offended. No one can make you be offended. It is a conscience decision of the will to be upset at something another says and then in turn react with anger and contempt in order to manipulate the situation.

Unfortunately, Christians are also allowing themselves to be silenced in the church and society at the “risk” of offending someone. This idea comes from a misreading of certain scriptures such as Mark 9:42 where Jesus said, “And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.” The mistake many of us make is applying the modern, politically correct interpretation of the word “offend” in this verse and take away a completely WRONG understanding of this and other verses.

For instance, you know someone you thought was a brother who gets involved in a cult or attends a church that is grossly out of order concerning a key doctrine of the faith. Should you be worried that presenting the truth to this person and reasoning with them will offend them? Do you believe that this is what Mark 9:42 is talking about? No and No! I want to take this burden off you and demonstrate that the word “offend” in the verse doesn’t mean what many nowadays have thought it to mean. I want to show that if you lovingly (emphasis on lovingly of course) share the truth with someone and they get angry and claim to be offended that you have NOT disobeyed Jesus’ words in Mark 9:42.

Let’s start and finish the issue by looking at the Greek word behind the English word, “offend”. The Greek word here is Strong’s number 4624, transliterated “skandalizo”. Concerning this word the Strong’s Concordance states, “from 4625; to entrap, i.e. trip up… …or entice to sin, apostacy”.

(The other word mentioned, 4625 is transliterated “skandalon”. According to Strong’s this is a “trap-stick (bent sapling), i.e. snare”. Concerning this word William Mounce in his book, “Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words” on page 479 he states concerning its’ meaning, “skandalon is something that leads a person to sin or to fall away from faith”.)

Looking at the Strong’s definition together we can begin to see what Jesus is really talking about. Let’s read the verse with the definitions of this word placed in for better understanding, Mark 9:42 states, “And whosoever shall offend (entrap, trip up or entices to sin) one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.” With that in mind, let me ask you a question… if you, with a sincere and loving heart and a Biblical foundation try and reason with a brother who is in doctrinal (or some type of other) error, are you trying to entice them to sin? NO! You are actually trying to get them OUT OF SIN! You’re not at all trying to “trip them up” or “entrap” them. Again, the goal is to remove he or she from the trap they are currently in. If the person gets mad, there is nothing you can do. In fact, Jesus dealt specifically with this.

Matthew 15:12 states, “Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?” The word offend here is the same 4624, “skandalizo” and in this context, according to Zodhiates Word Study Dictionary, this word means “generally, to offend, vex, particularly to scandalize”. The point should be made here that the same word in various contexts can have slightly different nuances of meaning. Here, in this context, our word appears to have a similar meaning to how many understand the word today (specifically “to scandalize”, “to offend the moral sense of”). Jesus said something and the Pharisees got mad (i.e. offended). Sound familiar? Now let’s look at Jesus’ reaction to their reaction.

Matthew 15:13-14 states, “But he (Jesus) answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch”. In modern day speech Jesus was basically saying that if they got mad at the truth, then tough cookies! I don’t believe that Jesus is telling us here to leave people alone and never share the truth with them BUT once that truth is shared and rejected, THEN let them be. Let me emphasize here, Jesus is talking about a very specific instance here. There is a specific context here that we are to derive our behavior from. (I do realize there may be situations where repeated attempts to deal with someone may be relevant, you’re just going to have to seek the LORD on that.)

In conclusion I believe that these two scriptures teach us two important lessons. Firstly, if we need to deal with a brother about an aberrant behavior or a false doctrine (I mean an essential doctrines here), we need not be afraid of making them angry. If we lovingly share them truth we are not “enticing them to sin” or “offending” them in the way Jesus speaks in Mark 9:42. If he or she is “offended” in the way that the Pharisee’s were in Matthew 15 then we are to leave them alone (about the issue). This example could be applied to several situations, such as sharing the gospel with a Jehovah’s Witness or reasoning with a brother about a church he or she is attending that has an aberrant view of the virgin birth. Either way, we cannot be worried about making them angry. We must share the truth in love. And if this is done correctly, then Matthew 15 applies. I hope this short article has been a help to you in deciding what to do in a situation that you may be facing.

 

Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Is Eternal Security a “License to Sin”?

From time to time, as a person believes the doctrine of “Eternal Security”, I am accused of “telling people that they can live anyway they want to” or “giving people a license to sin”. I want to demonstrate briefly here why this is WRONG and how that argument itself is a straw man.

Firstly, it should be obvious to the person who would make such an argument that he and I are reading the same Bible… so then it stands to reason that we would agree on some things. So let’s look at some things we agree on and how these things prove the opposing view to be a straw man based purely on emotional argumentation. Let ‘s read some verses (many more could be utilized):

1 Peter 1:15-16
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
MY COMMENT: Yes, I preach and believe in living holy… is that encouraging people to sin? If so, please tell me how one rationally comes to that conclusion…

2 Corinthians 5:15
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
MY COMMENT: Yes, I also preach and believe that we shouldn’t live unto ourselves… which of course would involve a shunning of sin.

Galatians 2:19-20
For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
MY COMMENT: “Live unto God”? “Crucified with Christ”? “Christ liveth in me”? If one preaches, teaches and lives his life in the flesh by the “faith of the Son of God”… how in the world is that encouraging people to sin? How does a sane person come to that conclusion?

Galatians 5:22-25
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
MY COMMENT: Need I say anything here? Here’s a deep theological revelation… I believe this and I believe Eternal Security!

Titus 2:12-14
12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
MY COMMENT: “Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts”, “live soberly, righteously, and godly”, “zealous of good works”… these verses couldn’t possibly be in the Bible of a person who believes in Eternal Security, strike it from the record I say!

1 Peter 4:1-3
Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
MY COMMENT: Dear accuser of the Eternal Security brethren, your argument just received the “death blow”. The straw man you continually bludgeon has… …disappeared.

So where does this accusation come from? It comes from someone’s “experience” because it can be easily disproved scripturally (just for starters, eternal life is a FREE GIFT and is not “eternal” if it could be lost, duh?). Many people have said, “I know this guy who believes in Eternal Security (ES) and he lives any way he wants to”. May I respond to that? I know people who don’t believe in ES who seem to have no care for living holy. So can I accuse EVERY person who doesn’t believe in ES of living “any way he wants” based on “my experience”? Hasn’t the charismatic movement shown us what relying on experience does? Let’s get past this silliness and look at what the Bible teaches instead of creating straw men to bludgeon that are based purely on experiential or emotional arguments.

Even with all this proof, some will of course persist in their bludgeoning of the straw man. Why? Well, if they admit that a ES believer is not “preaching a license to sin” then their argument completely disappears. That is unacceptable to some, so they persist in the weak and emotional arguments in the face of plain scripture and logic. If one so denies such a simple point, I have to wonder about their whole view of scripture.

ONE MORE THING…
It may shock some to know that as someone who holds to the doctrine of ES that I DO NOT subscribe to “easy believism”. Let’s clear this up...

Acts 2:38
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Faith as well as repentance is required for one to have truly trusted Christ as Savior. One cannot have faith without repentance or repentance without faith. They go hand in hand. The whole reason we need to be saved is because of the state sin has left us in… turning from that sin is part of saving faith! Even the devil believes there is a God, obviously that isn’t enough. Trusting IN Christ’s FINISHED work (finished as in there is nothing left for us to do, like try and live a good enough life to “stay saved”) is what saves. This saving faith involves a turning from, i.e. repentance of, the selfish fleshly life that is the result of original sin.

Will one live perfectly after that? No, not one will be able. If God left it up to us to live a “good enough life” to “stay saved”… then NONE would be saved.

Finally, any non-ES position is works religion trusting in ones own ability to keep a set of rules after being saved. For more on this, please see my 3 part series, “Does God Owe Me Something?”

 

Thursday, April 20, 2006
“Always Right”

Ever been around someone who always thinks they are right about every LITTLE thing?  I find that being around a person that can’t seem to even entertain the possibility that they were wrong an annoying circumstance.  I want to discuss this attitude in the context of doctrinal disagreements.

Now, if you have read my past blogs you know that I believe there is one and only, absolute, unconditional and uncompromised TRUTH.  I DO NOT believe that “all paths lead to God”.  I DO NOT believe that “you have your truth and I have mine”.  There is ONE truth and I believe one right, or “most correct” answer to any given situation or question.

Now, if you know me, you have also heard me say that Christians are allowed to disagree on certain things.  So what does that mean?  How could I believe that there is only one answer or only one correct interpretation of any given doctrine and at the same time believe that Christians could possibly disagree on anything?

To answer this question, let’s use the example of the “Rapture” (I will not be sharing my view on this here, this is simply an example).  There are many differing opinions on the timing of the Rapture.  Now, before I go any further, I firmly believe that there is only right answer to this question (i.e. only one correct way to interpret the Bibles’ teaching on this).  At the same time I believe that this is an issue that we can disagree on and still be brothers in the Lord.  How can this be?

Firstly, I believe there are only two types of issues that we should disagree on to the point of parting fellowship or separating ourselves from others that call themselves believers.  (A) Issues that pertain to Salvation are non-negotiable.  Also, (B) issues that are so clear it would defy common sense to believe otherwise also qualify.  One example that covers both of these types is the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.  The Bible prophesies and plainly states that Jesus was born of a virgin.  In addition, unless he was born of a virgin he couldn’t thus be the Son of God and die for the sins of the world.  So this particular issue is very plain and salvation depends on it.

So why allow for certain disagreements (like differing views on the Rapture)?  Remember, we are ALL growing in the Lord (at least we should be) and not all of us are on the same “level”.  Our understanding of certain doctrines should be continually growing and deepening.  There may be even occasions that deeper study into certain doctrines will cause us to change our view on those doctrines.

My problem is with those who don’t acknowledge or realize that everyone in the body of Christ hasn’t reached their “pinnacle of infinite knowledge”.  They seem to have no patience for others “less learned” than themselves and are ready to anathematize everyone who can’t see every minute detail the way they do. 

This kind of person ceases to actually grow and has made the possibility of deepening their understanding of scripture a impossibility (This kind of person is the one who might fight over the color of the carpets in the sanctuary).  They come to a conclusion on a particular doctrine upon which salvation is not dependent and tell all that disagree with them that they are bound for hell.

Finally, I hope that you won’t think I have gone liberal.  My point is simply that all Christians don’t know everything.  We should have a fervent love among ourselves and the patience to teach and learn from one another instead of putting each other down.  It would seem to me that if we really were concerned about others welfare (more so than trying to look smart, etc.) that we would show our brothers love instead of looking down our nose at them.

 

Thursday, April 20, 2006
The Christians at Ephesus, Heretic Hunters Extraordinaire 

Nowadays there is much contempt for those Christians who would examine the teachings of others who would name the name of Christ.  “Touch not the Lord’s anointed”, is the cry and justification for allowing so called Christian Pastors and Teachers to say anything they wish without one shred of accountability.  Another popular accusation to those who examine others teachings is that he or she is “fault finding”.  Is examining the teachings of those who call themselves Christian Leaders Biblical? 

Firstly, before I answer the question… notice the word “examine”.  I too am against “fault finding”.  When I speak of examining the teachings of those who are “representatives” of Christianity, I mean simply confirming whether or not their teachings line up with scripture or not.  I am against listening to folks with the intention of finding something wrong.  As we will see, the Bereans examined Paul’s teachings (Acts 17:10-12) and this is completely different than “fault finding”.

So, is examining the teachings of those who call themselves Christian Leaders Biblical?

Revelation 2
[2] I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Jesus here is speaking to the Christians at Ephesus.  He is COMMENDING them for trying, proving or examining the teachings of those who claim to be apostles and actually are not.  This is also said of the Bereans in Acts 17.

Acts 17
[10] And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
[11] These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
[12] Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

The Bereans searched the scriptures to see if what Paul and Silas were teaching was true!  This is not fault finding, this is allowing the Word of God to be our final authority.  Yet many so-called teachers today are unwilling to be scrutinized in such a way.  When one questions the teachings of many so-called Christian Leaders today, simply in the same way that the Bereans and Ephesians did, this person is met with accusations of “fault finding” or “touching the Lord’s anointed”.

Why would anyone who is claiming to speak in the name of Jesus not want to or be willing to have their teachings tested for agreement with the Word of God?  What could this person be afraid of?  When any man has set himself up above being examined, he has started a cult.  A situation where the “leader” is followed and what the “leader” says is gospel, regardless of whether or not it agrees with the scriptures. 

I encourage people to examine anything written here and see whether or not it lines up with the scriptures.  You may not agree and may want to tell me.  That is fine, just be ready to defend any opposing positions with scripture and scripture alone.

Finally, it certainly is Biblical and perfectly normal to be zealous for doctrinal purity.  I encourage everyone to examine the teachers who are “above them in the Lord”.  The only warning I have is not to allow simple examinations to turn into what is legitimately called “fault finding”.  When we are learning from others we are not to be purposely looking for error.  Also, many times the Holy Spirit will give us a warning in our hearts as to when something is unbiblical; however, this is always to be confirmed with scripture.  Stick with scripture my friends and you won’t go wrong.

Romans 16:17!!!

    

Thursday, April 20, 2006
James and the Prosperity Gospel

James 2:1-4
(1) My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
(2) For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
(3) And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
(4) Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

James here is speaking of the “respect of persons”.  This is the treatment of one person better than another based on some type of “social status” or difference.  Many times (like this example) this “respect of persons” is based on how much money one has; however, this is not necessarily true.  It can also be based on someone being a difference race, color and any number of things.  I think it is ironic that James uses the example of monetary status and there is a strong parallel that I intend to draw to how many think today.

There are many in the church today that would tell someone that if he isn’t rich, it’s because he doesn’t “have enough faith”.  If something bad happens, there must not have been enough faith.  The attitude of, “surely God is not with this person because they aren’t being blessed with riches”.

The fact is that while many scriptures promise God’s provision in the arena of needs, the scriptures never promise us that we can “command” God to give us what ever we want (1 Timothy 6).  God is not the cosmic slot machine in the sky that beckons to our every call to deliver to us (as our cosmic bellhop) anything we want.

I hope the parallel can be seen.  James speaks of those “social elites” who have all the money and right connections who hold each other in esteem.  These put down, shun and treat with contempt others who “aren’t up to par” with their expectations or social status.  Today, we have the “spiritual elites”.  Those among us who always have their prayers answered (so they say), those who always have a “word from the Lord”, those who have all the gifts and make sure that everybody else knows it.  Maybe you know someone in your church like this (but I hope not).

And just like the ones that James is talking about, so to today’s spiritual elites hold themselves in high regard and look down their nose at those who aren’t as “blessed” as they are. 

I am continually amazed at how the 2000 year old word of God (specifically the New Testament in this case) nails it every time.  This shows not only the truth of the Word of God but also how the heart of man has not changed since the Garden of Eden. 

 

Thursday, April 20, 2006
The Birth of Legalism

Genesis 3:2-3
(2) And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
(3) But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Let’s take this very well known story from the Bible and teach a lesser known issue… that issue is “legalism”. 

Earlier in Genesis 2:15-18 we see that God put Adam in the garden and instructed him that he could eat from any tree except “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”.  After man had received his job and instructions God then created an “help meet” for him.  It is important to notice in all this that God never directly spoke to the woman.  It was (as it is today) the mans’ responsibility (as the “head of the family”) to relay the instructions that God had given.  So what is the point? 

Compare Genesis 2:17 and Genesis 3:3.  You will see where Eve added to the original commandment that God gave in the garden.  Eve added the words, “neither shall ye touch it” and “lest ye” (“lest” meaning, “the possibility of something undesirable happening”, Oxford American Dictionary).  God said nothing about touching the fruit and He said that they would SURELY die.  So somewhere along the line, Adam or Eve, felt the need to add these ideas to what God had said.
Let me share with you what I think happened.  I really want to focus on the first addition to God’s Word in this example.  Where did the idea that they shouldn’t “touch it” come from?  Based on how I see people add extra-Biblical rules to God’s Word today (and through out history as well) I believe Adam added this rule.  Stay with me… (what we know for sure is that ONE of them added it, it is my opinion that Adam did, the point is still the same)

I believe that Adam said to himself, “God said to not eat of that tree but I will my tell my wife not to even touch it, just to make sure she doesn’t mess up”.  I believe Adam added a rule to the one already established by the Lord.  In this example I see a parallel between what Adam did and what many folks do today.  The rules that God gives aren’t enough, the liberty we have as Christians just can’t be tolerated!!!

Some examples?  Some folks want to say that women shouldn’t wear make-up.  Some say women shouldn’t wear pants based on a MIS-interpretation of Deuteronomy 22:5 (considering in that day what women and men wore wasn’t that different).  Some folks think that a divorced man can’t preach even when it’s a Biblical divorce.  Some condemn smoking as a sin even though most of them are ADDICTED to caffeine and other such DRUGS (of course smoking can be a sin if the person is addicted).  It goes on and on… man is ever persistent in adding rules to God’s laws in order to “help God out”.  There are DOZENS more examples that could be used.  Basically it always boils down to man adding rules to God’s already established law (rules that God Himself didn’t establish).

The conclusion is simple, man persistently feels the need to try and “help God out” as if God could not handle His own people.  Plus it gives those folks who like to keep these extra-Biblical rules a chance to look down their noses at all the folks that can’t or choose not to follow their additional rules.  It gives them that superior feeling that they are more spiritual than those around them.  Jesus dealt with folks like this… so I guess we’ll have to as well.

 

Thursday, April 20, 2006
Why the Trinity? A Biblical Defense

One of the most attacked (if not THE most) doctrines of the Bible is the Trinity; however, as I hope to prove… God could not other wise reconcile sinners unto Himself.

The biggest argument against the Trinity is that it is hard to understand. This is not a legitimate argument quite simply because God’s character and His attributes are simply not dependent on our understanding of them. In my experience, Muslims and Jehovah’s Witnesses use this type of argument the most. To them it is “logically impossible” that God could be a Trinity. Again, man is in no place “make judgments” about the character of God. We are not capable of approaching God on our own, if we are to know anything about God HE must inform us.

In Salvation, God was reconciling the world unto Himself THROUGH Jesus Christ. The ONLY way salvation could be provided would be if God is the end and the means. Why? God is eternal and He is outside of time. His law therefore is eternal and has eternal consequences if broken. We are sinners who have broken God’s eternal standard, His eternally relevant law. Those who seek to be “logical” (not to say that is necessarily bad), try this logic… how could a FINITE creature, who has broken his eternal Creators eternal law, then be justified (considered blameless) before his Creator? We could not possibly justify ourselves. Since we have broken the eternal law, there is an eternal consequence that no amount of our “finitely valuable” good works could make up for.

With this in mind, the only possible way God could reconcile sinners to Himself would be through Himself. Only God could provide a way for us to be justified and thus saved from the consequences of our sin. Thus, through Jesus Christ was made an eternally valuable sacrifice that eternally paid the debt of our sin that we could never pay (in or own efforts).

So what is the “logical” flipside? If God, as many suppose, was a unity (versus a Trinity) He could not provide a JUST means of salvation. In the Bible salvation is a free gift that only needs to be accepted. God fully provided the end and the means thus God receives ALL the glory. We cannot share in His glory and by saying that by our works we were saved or “kept ourselves saved”, we would be attempting to share in glory that belongs to God alone.

Back to the flipside…

If God was a “unity”, how could he possibly reconcile sinners, who have broken His eternal laws, to Himself? Since (in this case) He is a Unity there would be no way for Him to justly pay the ETERNAL debt on sin. There are only two possibilities at this point.

The first possibility is a system of works. A system where the person who does more good than bad can then qualify to be saved and justified from his sin. Here are the problems with this view. God didn’t save this person. The person, by their own efforts, got themselves into heaven. The conclusion? If your works are involved in getting you to heaven, then God would OWE it to you. Does the eternal Creator of all things owe us anything? NO! Also, if our works could justify us in the sight of God, then God doesn’t get all the glory, He would have to share it with His creatures.

The second possibility is God just simply forgiving whom He wills without any regard to their works or any other “qualifications”. The idea here is for God to simply “sweep under the rug” any offences to His law that His creatures are guilty of. In this case, would God truly be just? Is He going to let someone like Hitler or Stalin go free on the simple grounds that He just “felt like it” or just “decided to”? This would not be a just basis for forgiving sin. Who would trust in that god?

Finally, it’s time to wake up to reality. We are rebels in God’s universe. We are hopelessly lost without His salvation. We can’t earn it and we can’t just hope we’ll make it… we must accept the free gift of salvation provided only through Jesus Christ.

 

Friday, March 24, 2006
“Self-Motivated”

Another striking contrast between the servants of the worlds religions and the servants of God through Christ is the motivation for which they serve God.

One of the central themes of Christianity (which is also unique to it) is “denying self” (Matthew 16:24). One might say in response to this that many of the worlds religions involve “self denial”; however, what makes Christianity unique is the MOTIVATION (for the self denial).

Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “[8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
[9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

2 Timothy 1:9 states, “[9] Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.”

From these two verses it is easy to see that salvation in Christianity cannot be earned with any amount of “good deeds” or “keeping of rules”. One is justified by faith alone in Christ Jesus (John 3:16, 5:24, et al). Now once works are eliminated from the equation for a man to be able to get to heaven and have eternal life, the motivation has completely changed. If I can do nothing to earn my way to heaven, my service to the Lord comes from gratitude and true thankfulness for the work Jesus has done on my behalf.

In contrast, every other religion on the planet has for it’s equation, “faith + works = heaven/eternal life” (even Christians who think that Salvation can be lost have to subscribe to this equation). If one is working to EARN their ticket into heaven their motivation behind their “good works” cannot be entirely pure. An attitude of “self preservation” is involved. This person is not performing their good deeds out of gratitude or thankfulness but are instead are doing these deeds in order to “save their own behind”. While the person “working their way” to heaven may indeed have a sense of thankfulness, this cannot possibly be their motivation entirely. Thus the denial of self in this case is, “denying self to get something for self”. If one “denies self” only to get something for self… then has the denial of self actually occurred? No!

Finally, in true Biblical Christianity denying self is essential and motivated in no way out of self-gratification. Since Jesus has already secured salvation for all who will believe (and by the way repentance is fruit of true faith), these are now free to serve God with a good conscience. When the Christian is laying down his life for his friends, wife, children, church brethren, etc he is doing so because he chooses to do so freely… not because he is trying to “earn” his way to heaven. This makes his motivation PURE and UNDEFILED… and a true, uncontaminated denial of self.

…A good friend of mine wanted to add these comments…

…”many (who believe in Eternal Security like we do) … have the idea that works enhance their righteous standing in God's sight, forgetting the imputed righteousness of Christ, thus making a breeding ground for an economy of legalism and therein exercising a motivation of self-enhancement. This motivation for self denial is not self denial at all, but once again self promotion and pride.”

 

Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Minding Your Bees Wax

Have you ever known someone who just couldn’t mind their OWN business? A “busy body” who felt as “General Manager of the Universe” knew just how to handle everyone else’s affairs. I have heard folks tell these people to “mind their own bee’s wax” (aka 'mind your business').

Now, let me say up front I am not talking about Church discipline issues or friends who out of GENUINE CONCERN deal with their brothers in Christ on issues of intentional disobedience (where the person knows better, etc.). What we are talking about here is the person who noses in other peoples "bee’s wax" for the purpose of gossiping, tearing people down behind their backs or “confirming their own superiority” (in other words, “I showed up for this and you didn’t so obviously I am a better Christian” attitude).

For Example: Let’s say there is a Men’s Prayer Breakfast or a work day at the church or something like that… now…

If I knew it was going on and couldn’t come, and YOU knew that I knew about the event… what is the purpose of “confronting me” about it? (you know the question, “so where were YOU?”) Only unless you are seeking this information so you can sit back and make some sort of “judgment” in your own mind about how I should be spending MY time? I SAY MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. It is sad how often we want to sit back and condemn folks in our minds about what WE think they “ought to” be doing. But how can we be consumed with running everyone else’s lives and ours at the same time? We can’t, plain and simple. If you and I are spending all our time peeking into someone else’s windows then we won’t have time to clean our own house. AMEN!

On the flipside… as long as I am doing what I have to do to PLEASE GOD and as long as I am doing what I believe the Lord would have me to do why should I concern myself with the opinions of those who would only seek to know my business for their own selfish purposes?

Forgive my passion about this subject. If people were more concerned about their OWN service to the Lord I believe there would be fewer problems in many churches.

Finally, please don’t read this the wrong way. I don’t mind friends and others who are GENUINELY CONCERNED and inquire about me; HOWEVER, I have only a feeling of disgust for the selfish and insincere inquiry into my business that is judged and condemned in the dark courts of the hypocritical mind.

 

Tuesday, February 14, 2006
The Ugly Green-Eyed Monster

In this article I want to write about something that I have seen destroy ministries, friendships, etc. I want this to be an admonition, a “friendly warning” or perhaps some “friendly advice” based on the scriptures about some things I have seen and experienced.

In this article I want to deal with one thing I HATE… and that thing is jealousy. What is it mean to be jealous?

Jealous: “intolerant of rivalry…” or “hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage” (definitions from www.m-w.com, Merriam Webster Online).

We have all seen it, experienced it and most likely are guilty of it (I certainly have been). Being jealous of another in more laymen’s terms is basically not liking the fact that another person has some thing or some position that we don’t have. Some one else got the promotion at work you think that you deserved and now you’re jealous. I think we have all been jealous of someone else at some point in our lives BUT this is not an excuse to “feed the monster”. When this “work of the flesh” begins to rear it’s ugly head we are to fight it with all our might; however, the sad truth is most of us would rather stew in it a while. So what’s the danger?

The danger in UNCHECKED, UN-DEALT WITH jealousy or “jealousy run amuck” is the fruit that it produces. When we are jealous of another person, for whatever reason, that jealousy (if not dealt with) will turn to hatred in time. Now, this person that was your friend and has done nothing to you is now your object of hate. So what’s the danger?

The next step of unchecked jealousy that has turned to hate is the things you’ll find yourself doing. You’ll begin to gossip about this person and make cutting, perhaps subliminal comments to others about this person that skews their perception of him or her. Maybe you’ll begin to snap at them and not realize it. You’ll begin to treat them differently. Again, being short or maybe conveniently not telling them things that they need to know. And in some cases, like Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:2-9), that hatred turns into murder.

Someone told me long time ago taught me to deal with myself. In other words, we all have sinful flesh to fight BUT there is a huge difference between the person that deals with himself and is open about his shortcomings and the person that in their pride and arrogance will not deal with himself (and will DEFINITELY not ever pretend that they could have a fault).

If you have been jealous of someone else OR are currently being jealous of someone… DEAL WITH IT. Go to God, our only help and ask for His Holy Spirit to help you overcome this green-eyed monster. We all are guilty, but we can respect those who have the courage to face this monster with His help.

I wonder how many Ministries, lives, marriages, friendships, etc. have been DESTROYED because of someone being jealous and who was NOT willing to deal with it, get over it and repent of it. Jealousy in the darkness of our own hearts is never as hidden as we think. If we truly love our brothers and love God, we should attack this monster whenever it comes around.

 

Monday, January 30, 2006
Does God Owe Me Something? PART 3

In my last installment I began to deal with the doctrine of Eternal Security and how contrasts working for (earning) one’s salvation. Now let’s look at the second issue at hand (“scenario #2)…

Here is the excerpt from the last installment:

“Many Christians today believe that once a person puts faith in Christ they (1) can at some future point commit an act that would negate the “eternal life” they received or (2) “deny their salvation / faith” and thus go to hell when they die.”

Now Scenario 2 doesn’t directly deal with “earning” one’s salvation; however, it is related to the issue at hand in the fact that “denying your salvation” destroys Christ’s finished work and puts the work of salvation in the hands of man. There is one scripture where people seek to prove this assertion (Scenario #2). We’ll now look and that scripture and prove that interpretation wrong.

Matthew 10
[32] Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
[33] But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

The ASSUMPTION I hear time and time again about verse 33 is that Jesus is talking about a saved person (I used to think this myself). However, if you look at these two verses carefully Jesus is actually comparing two types of people. There are those (in verse 32) who accept the gospel and “confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus” (Romans 10:9-10) and there are those who “deny” him by never accepting Him IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!

Jesus is comparing to distinctly different types of people, saved and unsaved. Most people believe that Jesus is talking about people getting saved and then being ashamed of Him. Also, again, many believe that this is a way one can “lose their salvation”… by “denying Him”. But I believe the denial taking place here is talking about a person who hears the gospel and rejects it. Please read Romans 10:9-13. Also, Jesus statements here are very much like many of the Proverbs that speak of a righteous man v/s the unrighteous or the wise versus the unwise. Check out these examples in Proverbs 10:2-11 and many others in the Proverbs. The construction of these statements are just like the construction of Jesus’ statement in verses 32 and 33.

Finally, I hope this “series” has provoked some thought. I hope it has helped you examine what you believe and to challenge those beliefs to make sure they line up with scripture. The Bible-way of salvation is absolutely unique in the fact that the ETERNAL LIFE that Jesus offers is indeed eternal (having infinite duration) and it is a work of God from beginning to end. Since it is Christ’s finished work that saves us, our works could not possibly play any part in saving us or “keeping us saved”. We are saved by faith alone, SOLA FIDE!!!

 

Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Does God Owe Me Something? PART 2

PART 2... It’s been way TOO long since my last blog entry (article)… In 2006 I hope to keep this updated weekly!

Welcome to PART 2, if you have not read part 1, please read it before reading this! The foundation of many statements that will be made here are there.

With that said…

Many Christians who would agree that God does not owe us anything (much less Salvation) unwittingly support such a position due to their view of the doctrine called, “Eternal Security” (aka “Once-saved, Always-saved”)

Many Christians today believe that once a person puts faith in Christ they (1) can at some future point commit an act that would negate the “eternal life” they received or (2) “deny their salvation / faith” and thus go to hell when they die.

Scenario #1 - The inescapable conclusion for scenario #1 is that once a person places their faith in Christ they must then “walk the straight and narrow” or “keep a set of rules” in order to “maintain” their salvation. In other words, we are justified NOT by faith alone but by faith PLUS obeying the law until we die… HOWEVER, faith + works (keeping a set of rules to stay saved) is not the Bible equation for salvation! Consider Romans 3:20a, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight”. If one believes that once they are saved they then have to “keep a set a rules”, that person is in a works oriented religion (trying to earn salvation by performance THUS God would “owe” salvation because of this persons ability to keep the law versus being justified by faith alone). This person is seeking to “stay” justified by obeying law YET the Bible says this is impossible (Rom 3:20). Also, consider these verses in Galatians 3:

[2] This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
[3] Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

[7] Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
[8] And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

What are we justified by? FAITH, nothing more, nothing less. Justified simply means to be put in right-standing before God, to be considered blameless. This is when our sins are forgiven, our “slate is wiped clean” if you will. The Bible says that, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” (Rom 4:5) It did NOT say that our “good works” were counted for righteousness. It did NOT say that our “ability to keep the law after we are saved” is counted for righteousness. It must be understood that if a person is keeping a set of rules to “maintain” being justified or maintain the righteousness that GOD has IMPUTED to them… they are earning / working for their salvation.

Finally, I hope it can be seen that if we add our “good works” or “ability to keep the law” into the equation that brings about eternal life then we are earning that eternal life. If works are involved at all in the equation then God OWES salvation to us and this is neither logical nor Biblical. (also consider Romans 4:1-4; 11:5-6, Ephesians 2:8-9)

Consider also these verses that speak of faith ALONE being how we are justified / made righteous in God’s sight:

Romans 3:28 - Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Romans 5:1 - Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Galatians 2:16 - Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Galatians 3:11 - Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Galatians 3:24 - Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Looks like we’ll have to deal with “scenario #2” next time… please check back!!!

Thursday, October 27, 2005
Does God Owe Me Something? PART 1

There are many issues that make Christianity distinct and unique from every other "religion" on earth. For instance, there are many subjects like the diety of Christ, verifiable fulfilled prophecies, et al... and of course the subject we are going to deal with in this article... salvation by faith alone.

One of the great proofs that the Bible is THE Word of God is the way it sets itself apart from all other works oriented religions of the world by presenting salvation as a work of God from beginning to end. ALL of the worlds other religions, whether large or small, involve some set of actions / works / good deeds / rules to keep that one must perform in order to earn ones way into good standing in the after-life. Some attempt to cloak their works religion by saying their "good deeds" only qualify them for heaven. Simple logic destroys such a notion. If ones PERFORMANCE "qualifies" that one to be saved (or go to heaven), then obviously ones works are involved. Such a religion offers no just basis for the forgiveness of sin.

So what is my point? There is one inescapable conclusion to any works religion... if ones works, good deeds or qualifying actions are what gets them to heaven... then God OWES it to them. If you living a good life gets you to heaven, it wasn't God that saved you... you did (by your actions / works / good deeds). So, this begs the question... Does God, the Eternal Creator of all things (including the air you are breathing) OWE you ANYTHING? NO, NO and NO. Somehow, this simple logic seems to evade the majority of humanity.

The Bible talks to this issue in Romans 4:1-4 and 11:5-6

Romans 4
[1] What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
[2] For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
[3] For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
[4] Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

Romans 11
[5] Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
[6] And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Verses 4 and 6 above close the issue completely and utterly. Either a person will try and earn their way to heaven or they will trust God to save them by His mercy and grace. The Bible is clear... your choice is clear... His way or your way and yours will not get you there.

In conclusion, if there is salvation, God alone has provided the end and the means. God, through Jesus Christ has fully accomplished our salvation in paying the just penalty for our sins and thus providing a JUST means of forgiving sin. Thus God is the author and finisher of our salvation. The forgiveness of sins and the resulting justification before God is His work from beginning to end (no amount of our deeds could result in this). What is our part? That is the easy part...

John 3:16-18
[16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
[17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
[18] He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

 

 

Thursday, October 20, 2005
My Faith, Your Faith

In our increasingly syncretistic and ecumenical world many folks have thrown the idea that absolute truth could possibly exist out the window. When confronted with the idea of absolute truth (in the context of religion) the cry is, "well, you have your faith and I have mine". Is this a rational statement? Does it really make sense? OR is it a ploy to avoid dealing with the accountability that we all have to submit to the truth?

Let's examine this statement...

The best way I know to expose the irrational nature of this statement is by analogy. Let's see if this philosophy works in any other area of life.

Scenario #1 - A basketball player charges down the baseline, makes a quick turn to shoot and is blocked ball, arm and all! The referee's whistle blows, "foul!" The player then protests, "I didn't foul him!" The referee responds, "you struck his arm while he was shooting and that is a foul by the rules of basketball". The player looks at the ref and defiantly says, "you have your rules and I have mine, I did not foul him".

Scenario #2 - A Math teacher concerned about one of his students requests that they meet after class. "Johnny", the teacher says, "I am concerned about some of the answers on your test. Much of the math is below your level as a 9th grader and I am concerned that maybe you need to start getting some tutoring outside of class". "What part of the test are you referring to?" Johnny replied. "Well here for instance, in this problem you have 2 plus 2 equaling 5". Johnny then sits back comfortably and says, "well, you have your math and I have mine, I believe that 2 plus 2 is 5".

From these two examples you should be getting the point (many more could no doubt be given). In both cases they (the Basketball player and Johnny) both had their own ideas about what the rules should be; however, their ideas did not line up with the ACTUAL rules. In the same way we shake our fist at God and tell him, "you have your rules and I have mine!" In this way we make ourselves little "gods" to rule over our own universe. Yahweh (the God of the Bible) says to those, "Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens." (Jeremiah 10:11)

Is is funny how absolute truth is essential in every part of life but all of a sudden when it comes to how we should live our lives... or submitting our lives to a loving Creator (Who would logically know best)... well... we can't have that! Is it truly rational (in the least) to think that everything in life is absolute EXCEPT the way in which we should lead our lives?

Let's be "open minded" (lol, we'll deal with that fallicy soon) for a second. Let's be tolerant of Johnny's "faith" our belief that to him 2 plus 2 ought to equal 5. We don't want to be narrow-minded or dogmatic about the thing so let's make 2 plus 2 equal five on Mondays. Imagine the chaos! Parts would not fit! Planes would fall out of the sky! Not to mention the basic fact that 2 plus 2 could not possibly equal 5!!!

Why are so many who DEPEND ON ABSOLUTES in every part of life not willing to accept them when it comes to how we should live our lives? Consider the words of Jesus:

"[19] And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [20] For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." (John 3:19-20)

"[40] And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." (John 5:40)

And Paul:

"[1] And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;...... [3b] in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." (Ephesians 1 & 3b)

But let's not forget the GOOD NEWS!

Ephesians 2

[4] But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
[5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

[8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
[9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.

For more info on God's salvation, GO TO http://www.kism-nc.org/romanswalk.htm

 

Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Are YOU a Fundamentalist?

To be titled a “Fundamentalist” these days carries the connotation of being fanatical, crazy or some kind of fringe lunatic out to kill or destroy all those who don’t agree.

(QUICK FUN FACT: Some folks don’t like using the energy to say all the syllables, they use the word, “Fundy”.)

Whenever we hear about Islamic terrorists, the adjective “fundamentalist” is often applied. Also, conservative Christians are called “fundies” because they dare to have standards and acknowledge “right and wrong”. Are folks misusing this word OR are fundamentalists really lunatics?

To begin with, a fundamentalist is one who simply holds to the "fundamentals". So this begs the question, what does the word "fundamental" mean?

a) serving as a basis supporting existence or determining essential structure or function : BASIC
b) of or relating to essential structure, function, or facts
c) of central importance

[*Definitions taken from Merriam-Webster Online (www.m-w.com)]

We can see that a person who is a fundamentalist is one who simply holds to the "basics" of their religion. This person would believe in the "essentials". What is "fanatical" about that? What would be the point in believing anything less?

THE FACT is that folks have “assigned” a new meaning to this word. Basically, anyone that takes thier religion seriously is now labeled a “fundy”. Anyone who would dare believe in absolute truth is a “fundy”. In other words, to actually take what Jesus said seriously is unthinkable. What Jesus said is reduced some kind of "good advice" equivalent to a message found in a fortune cookie. Cute stories that one piously gives lip service to but has no intention of applying to ones life.

What is the point of being a Christian and not believing in the fundamentals of the Christian faith? What would be the point in calling oneself a Christian but not taking seriously what the Bible says? Seems like a colossal waste of time to confess a faith that one doesn't really believe. Would you call yourself a baseball player if you didn't even own a glove?

Personally I have no respect for anyone who is a so-called Christian that is not a fundamentalist. How could anyone say they are a REAL and TRUE Christian and not believe the basic and essential truths that the Bible sets forth? How could one reduce the importance in believing essential doctrines like the virgin birth, salvation by faith alone, the deity of Christ, the Trinity, the second coming of Jesus, Jesus' sinless life, His death, burial and resurrection, et al, and still dare be called a Christian? What would be the point?

Finally, we live in a world where most folks just want to "do their own thing". The Burger King doctrine, "my way, right away". Many people are content calling themselves Christians without showing one once of it in their lives. If I did not believe the Bible was the one and only, true, real, living Word of God... I would burn it and flush the ashes down the toilet. Why? If the Bible is not the Word of God, if it's claims cannot be taken seriously, then it is histories biggest fraud. Ironically, some who would be offended by the "burn and flush" statement are the ones who actually do the same in the way they live their lives.

 

Saturday, September 10, 2005
Fakes, Phonies and Misrepresentations

If you don't know at this point, I am a Christian. If someone labeled me (and they often do), I might be an "Evangelical", "Protestant" or a "Ned Flanders", et al. The truth is I am an Independent, Fundamental, Baptist. When I tell people that "title" I can't list all the FALSE premises in peoples minds that go with that "label". I am often thought to be judging, mean, stereo-typing... and lest we forget the classic, "close-minded". However (ironically), these that are quick to call me such things are thus making thier own "judgements" about me based on nothing but a title.

My biggest concern as a Christian is the amount FALSE Christianity out there. I know so many folks who THINK they know what Christianity is ("Christian" AND Non-Christian)... and most don't have a clue. Why is that? There are several reasons. All some folks know (or THINK they know) about the Bible is what they learned from the "Simpsons" (or even worse, "South Park"). All some people see is the fakes and robbers on TV like Benny Hinn, Rod Parsley, Juanita Bynum, Paula White, Robert Tilton, Steve Munsey, Mike Murdock, Oral Roberts, Charles Capps, Marilyn Hickey, etc. and think that thier behavior represents all Christians. And who among us doesn't know the so-called Christian that goes to bars, gets drunk on a regular basis and dates non-Christians? I was once myself one of these who, while claiming to be a servant of Jesus Christ, actually did nothing but bring shame to his name. How? By misrepresenting Him! My life in no, way, shape or form was remotely Christian; however, I was quick to tell folks I was. How confused they must have been!

The famine of REAL CHRISTIANITY today is sickening. Most so-called Christians have no idea what the Bible says about the most simple doctrines. Let's look at just one example, ask the average "Christian" if they KNOW (ie, not guessing) they are going to heaven. The prodominate answer will be something like, "I hope so", "I live a good life", "I am just doing the best I can" or "I know a preacher", et al. NONE of these answers are remotely close to what a person who is saved should say. Hope so? Good life? Doing the best you can? Isn't the central message of the Gospel the fact that WE ALL are "dead in trespasses and sins" BUT "while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly"? Everyone is a sinner and the "good news" is that while we are hopelessly lost and dead in sins; Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Being fully God and fully man He was able to pay the price on our sin debt that we could NEVER pay in our own efforts (Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:4-5, John 3, John 8:24, 5:24). The "hope so", "good life", "doing the best you can" answer is ANTI-Biblical at best! Yet, this most central, essential and SIMPLE doctrine of the Bible is somehow "overlooked" by those who claim to believe in the Bible. Amazing! (This is just one example of many sickeningly simple (yet essential) teachings of the Bible that are missed by those who claim Jesus Christ as thier Saviour.)

I would like to make a challenge to all those who read this article...

If you are a Christian, would you please act like it? Everyone makes mistakes and we need to have forgiveness among ourselves for these; however, there is a HUGE difference between the person who makes a mistake or occasionally slips up and the person who claims to be a Christian and doesn't even know what it means to be one!

If you are not a Christian, please read the Bible! It can be proven that the Bible is the Word of God, that Israel is His chosen people, that Jesus Christ is the one and only Saviour of sinners, etc. I know non-Christians that know NOTHING about the Bible but are all too willing to make "authoritative" statements about it. This is intellectually dishonest at best. So many people say, "the Bible is full of contradictions". When I ask them to provide JUST ONE... they cannot. Yet these are all too eager to promote a LIE that they cannot prove. Here is my solution to this problem: until you know what you are talking about... SHUT YOUR YAPPER.

Finally, I am wearied by all the false Christianity out there today. I am wearied by a world that is all too eager to promote lies about Christianity. So many souls (and thier ETERNAL destiny) hang in the balance and so many of those souls are basing what they THINK they know about God, Jesus and the Bible on faulty information. Sadly, much this "faulty information" comes from a false Christianity that knows nothing of the true Christ.