This is an excerpt from Martyn Lloyd-Jones' brilliant work,
"Studies in the Sermon on the Mount":
"The preaching and teaching of a false prophet does not emphasize repentance in any real sense. It has a very wide gate leading to salvation and a very broad way leading to heaven. You need not feel much of your own sinfulness; you need not be aware of the blackness of your own heart. You just "decide for Christ" and you rush in with the crowd, and your name is put down, and is one of the large number of 'decisions' reported by the press. It is entirely unlike the evangelism of the Puritans and of John Wesley, George Whitefield and others, which led men to be terrified of the judgment of God, and to have an agony of soul sometimes for days and weeks and months. John Bunyan tells us in his book Grace Abounding that he endured an agony of repentance for eighteen months. There does not seem to be much room for that today.
Repentance means that you realize that you are a guilty, vile sinner in the presence of God, that you deserve the wrath and punishment of God, that you are hell-bound. It means that you begin to realize that this thing called sin is in you, that you long to get rid of it, and that you turn your back on it in every shape and form. You renounce the world whatever the cost, the world in its mind and outlook as well as its practice, and you deny yourself, and take up the cross and go after Christ. Your nearest and dearest, and the whole world, may call you a fool, or say you have religious mania. You may have to suffer financially, but it makes no difference. That is repentance.
The false prophet does not put it like that.
He "heals the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly", simply saying that it is all right, and that you have but to "come to Christ", "follow Jesus", or "become a Christian". "
If there's one thing which strikes me as being a dramatic change between our understanding of salvation, and how that relates to our evangelism, and the understanding held by men like Martyn Lloyd-Jones, it's this: people nowadays emphasize, and use as proof and assurance of salvation, one's "decision" for Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us assurance that we are children of God, through many means. It's not so much that we must emphasize they "decide" for Christ, but that they truly be taught, and know, the holiness and wrath of God, their condition as fallen creatures (in light of the character of God), their need for a Savior, the lone means of salvation provided through the Sacrificial Lamb, and their need to forsake all else to follow Him. When we have labored to preach the Gospel, then we must trust in the sovereignty of God to teach and draw His own: "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws Him... All who have been taught and learned of the Father come to Me" (John 6:44-45). "For the Gospel is THE POWER OF GOD unto salvation" (Romans 1:16). Our part, after preaching the Gospel, is never to attempt to corner people into making their "decision". Again, we don't have the authority of the Pope here (which is absolutely heretical, and yet do we do no less?), and we cannot suppose it our duty to pronounce someone saved, possibly giving them false assurance, on the basis of their "decision". You will know them by their fruits, not their decision. When God saves them, He saves them. If they need further guidance, then we make that available to them; and we spend all night with them if necessary. Physical birth can take many hours, and the spiritual birth is no different (by that I refer to the time leading up to the actual moment God regenerates a person). God is sovereign in salvation, and He wants us to TREAT IT as though it were the most glorious and amazing work He does in the earth, not just give lip service to that fact.
By Grace Alone,
Thomas Karrer
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Time to Awaken
Oh how great it is to be alive at this point in history. With great fervor many seek a true revival. It is with soundness of mind, clearness of logic, and Spirit-led insight, that so many have been awakened to both, see and abhor the grave errors in doctrine and practice within evangelicalism today, and to sense and know that God isn't throwing up His hands ready to call it quits. It's inspiring to meet so many young people who are being converted and led by God to grasp and adore the theology of our Christian forefathers. What zeal for the LORD this stirs!
In contrast to that, it's sad to see how sick a state many "churches" are in. And why? Could it be because they settle for Christian clichés; and because they are not studying to show themselves approved? Could it be directly linked to their neglect of historical Christianity, as it relates to the attributes of God, and the Gospel, and the doctrine of regeneration (the weightiest of Scripture truths)? So many of our brethren in Christ, who were martyrs and scholars and passionate about Jesus and His Kingdom, have already set forth for us Scriptural boundaries as it relates to things which cannot be compromised on; things which evangelicals today call "essentials". It would be wise then for us to heed the counsel of Scripture: "Do not move the ancient boundary which your fathers have set" (Proverbs 22:28). But herein lies the problem...in our a-theological Christian culture, far too many professors of Christ spend no time whatsoever studying the works of men who God Himself gave to His Church to be our teachers: "He Himself gave some...to be teachers, to equip the saints" (Ephesians 4:11-12). Sadly, many of these same people claim the Spirit alone is their teacher. But how foolish! It is with certainty that I say that most "Christians" develop their hermeneutics, and their understanding of key Biblical doctrines, from somebody, and generally it's their Pastor. Therefore, wouldn't it be wise to be a student of history yourself to make sure your Pastor's teachings don't contradict the "ancient boundaries"? If God employed the Spirit in the way that many claim He has (and I don't deny the Spirit's work in guiding God's people "into all truth"), then why are their so many doctrinal disagreements?
True evangelical revival has already begun. I say that for this reason: it is, by and large, and to the best of my knowledge, disciples of Christ who are being awakened by God to sound theology, deeper spiritual convictions, and evangelistic zeal. God is birthing within the hearts of a multitude an emboldening passion for the glory of God. God is stirring many of His elect to retrace the steps of His ambassadors of old. In this note I want to write a bit on Jonathan Edwards; for his life and work seem to be just one example of someone God is making popular in this hour. Edwards lived in a spiritual climate very similar to ours. One key difference was that, rather than people thinking they were saved because they had walked an aisle or prayed a prayer, as is common in our day, many were deceived into thinking church membership and taking the sacraments equaled regeneration. Edwards was a man zealous for the truth and glory of God. To see so many false converts pained his soul. At a relatively young age he set out to go against the grain, and to lay down for his life certain resolutions, which can be read in their entirety by following this link: http://www.reformed.org/documents/Edwards/index.html?mainframe=/documents/Edwards/j_edwards_resolutions.html.
Two such resolutions were:
"Resolution 4: Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it".
Resolution 7: Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life".
God greatly blessed the preaching of Jonathan Edwards, and to this day the revivals that broke out, consisting of mass conversions, as well as fire being lit, and depth being brought, in the lives of saints, have been regarded as the greatest this nation has ever seen. They are known as the Great Awakenings. Now I want to, very briefly, describe for you the terrible difference which exists between the mindset of men like Edwards, along with those today who would be considered likeminded with him, and the mindset of so many today within the visible church. Jonathan Edwards is, still to this day, considered by many to be America's greatest theologian ever. The man knew the Scriptures well, to say the least. It was his God-given understanding of the Bible that informed HOW he preached, and what he preached. Jonathan Edwards taught "the whole counsel of God". Today, unlike the preaching of men like Edwards, the Bible is dummied-down, the Gospel is watered-down, and the result is, false converts seem to abound everywhere you go. People major on doctrine that is man-centered, and neglect key and central truths of Scripture, such as the holiness, justice, righteousness, and wrath of God, the true evidences of regeneration, and the call for everyone who wants to follow Christ to first understand they must forsake all else, and be willing to be united with Christ in His death. I don't question motives. I just think that masses of "Christians" have bought into this doctrine (or lack of), which is absolutely foreign to the Scriptures, as well as to the writings and teachings of men like Edwards.
Let me quote a little from a Jonathan Edwards sermon for you (which by the way was used of God for the conversion of thousands):
"thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of Hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it; and God is dreadfully provoked, his anger is great towards them...the bow of God's wrath is bent, and the arrow is made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing more than the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrows one movement from being made drunk with your blood. Thus all you that never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls; all you that were never born-again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead in sin, to a state of new, and before altogether inexperienced light and life, are in the hands of an angry God".
Men scarcely now even mention the judgment of God at all, let alone that His judgment is joined with great fierceness and fury (Isaiah18, 66:15, Revelation 19:15). But why do we withhold the words of God; the words HE CHOSE to speak out of the mouths of His prophets and apostles? Why do we preach nothing like the men of God recorded for us in Scripture? For doesn't God Himself say, "You thought I was just like you... now consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver you"; and also, "If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword. His has bent His bow and has made it ready" (Psalm 50:16-22, 7:12). Friends, we withhold truth when we fail to warn the wicked that God is angry with them everyday (Psalm 7:11)! Equally though, we fail to employ the speech and methods of God Himself, and we raise ourselves up as being wiser in speech, and more tempered and loving in our approach than He. Don't you see that? Didn't Jesus say to His disciples: "I will tell you whom you should fear; fear God, who after He has killed has power to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:5). And that was an exhortation to His disciples!
My point in all of this is that God is indeed raising up an army of saints who love His unchanging truth, and who are willing to be pleasers of God, rather than pleasers of men. These saints look nothing like the contemporary mold. They resemble their forefathers. God has been pleased to make it so. For this I greatly rejoice, and count myself unworthy to have been given the grace of enlightenment! The glory of God is the chief end of all things; and God is glorified when the truth of His Word is read, meditated upon, prayed through, loved, enjoyed, taken as sustenance, dug into as for treasure, and applied carefully. God is not glorified when men and women forsake the doctrine and principles and methodology found within His Word, and when they take it upon themselves to alter and "improve upon" them.
May Christ be ever-increasingly magnified in this world!
In contrast to that, it's sad to see how sick a state many "churches" are in. And why? Could it be because they settle for Christian clichés; and because they are not studying to show themselves approved? Could it be directly linked to their neglect of historical Christianity, as it relates to the attributes of God, and the Gospel, and the doctrine of regeneration (the weightiest of Scripture truths)? So many of our brethren in Christ, who were martyrs and scholars and passionate about Jesus and His Kingdom, have already set forth for us Scriptural boundaries as it relates to things which cannot be compromised on; things which evangelicals today call "essentials". It would be wise then for us to heed the counsel of Scripture: "Do not move the ancient boundary which your fathers have set" (Proverbs 22:28). But herein lies the problem...in our a-theological Christian culture, far too many professors of Christ spend no time whatsoever studying the works of men who God Himself gave to His Church to be our teachers: "He Himself gave some...to be teachers, to equip the saints" (Ephesians 4:11-12). Sadly, many of these same people claim the Spirit alone is their teacher. But how foolish! It is with certainty that I say that most "Christians" develop their hermeneutics, and their understanding of key Biblical doctrines, from somebody, and generally it's their Pastor. Therefore, wouldn't it be wise to be a student of history yourself to make sure your Pastor's teachings don't contradict the "ancient boundaries"? If God employed the Spirit in the way that many claim He has (and I don't deny the Spirit's work in guiding God's people "into all truth"), then why are their so many doctrinal disagreements?
True evangelical revival has already begun. I say that for this reason: it is, by and large, and to the best of my knowledge, disciples of Christ who are being awakened by God to sound theology, deeper spiritual convictions, and evangelistic zeal. God is birthing within the hearts of a multitude an emboldening passion for the glory of God. God is stirring many of His elect to retrace the steps of His ambassadors of old. In this note I want to write a bit on Jonathan Edwards; for his life and work seem to be just one example of someone God is making popular in this hour. Edwards lived in a spiritual climate very similar to ours. One key difference was that, rather than people thinking they were saved because they had walked an aisle or prayed a prayer, as is common in our day, many were deceived into thinking church membership and taking the sacraments equaled regeneration. Edwards was a man zealous for the truth and glory of God. To see so many false converts pained his soul. At a relatively young age he set out to go against the grain, and to lay down for his life certain resolutions, which can be read in their entirety by following this link: http://www.reformed.org/documents/Edwards/index.html?mainframe=/documents/Edwards/j_edwards_resolutions.html.
Two such resolutions were:
"Resolution 4: Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it".
Resolution 7: Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life".
God greatly blessed the preaching of Jonathan Edwards, and to this day the revivals that broke out, consisting of mass conversions, as well as fire being lit, and depth being brought, in the lives of saints, have been regarded as the greatest this nation has ever seen. They are known as the Great Awakenings. Now I want to, very briefly, describe for you the terrible difference which exists between the mindset of men like Edwards, along with those today who would be considered likeminded with him, and the mindset of so many today within the visible church. Jonathan Edwards is, still to this day, considered by many to be America's greatest theologian ever. The man knew the Scriptures well, to say the least. It was his God-given understanding of the Bible that informed HOW he preached, and what he preached. Jonathan Edwards taught "the whole counsel of God". Today, unlike the preaching of men like Edwards, the Bible is dummied-down, the Gospel is watered-down, and the result is, false converts seem to abound everywhere you go. People major on doctrine that is man-centered, and neglect key and central truths of Scripture, such as the holiness, justice, righteousness, and wrath of God, the true evidences of regeneration, and the call for everyone who wants to follow Christ to first understand they must forsake all else, and be willing to be united with Christ in His death. I don't question motives. I just think that masses of "Christians" have bought into this doctrine (or lack of), which is absolutely foreign to the Scriptures, as well as to the writings and teachings of men like Edwards.
Let me quote a little from a Jonathan Edwards sermon for you (which by the way was used of God for the conversion of thousands):
"thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of Hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it; and God is dreadfully provoked, his anger is great towards them...the bow of God's wrath is bent, and the arrow is made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing more than the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrows one movement from being made drunk with your blood. Thus all you that never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls; all you that were never born-again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead in sin, to a state of new, and before altogether inexperienced light and life, are in the hands of an angry God".
Men scarcely now even mention the judgment of God at all, let alone that His judgment is joined with great fierceness and fury (Isaiah18, 66:15, Revelation 19:15). But why do we withhold the words of God; the words HE CHOSE to speak out of the mouths of His prophets and apostles? Why do we preach nothing like the men of God recorded for us in Scripture? For doesn't God Himself say, "You thought I was just like you... now consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver you"; and also, "If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword. His has bent His bow and has made it ready" (Psalm 50:16-22, 7:12). Friends, we withhold truth when we fail to warn the wicked that God is angry with them everyday (Psalm 7:11)! Equally though, we fail to employ the speech and methods of God Himself, and we raise ourselves up as being wiser in speech, and more tempered and loving in our approach than He. Don't you see that? Didn't Jesus say to His disciples: "I will tell you whom you should fear; fear God, who after He has killed has power to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:5). And that was an exhortation to His disciples!
My point in all of this is that God is indeed raising up an army of saints who love His unchanging truth, and who are willing to be pleasers of God, rather than pleasers of men. These saints look nothing like the contemporary mold. They resemble their forefathers. God has been pleased to make it so. For this I greatly rejoice, and count myself unworthy to have been given the grace of enlightenment! The glory of God is the chief end of all things; and God is glorified when the truth of His Word is read, meditated upon, prayed through, loved, enjoyed, taken as sustenance, dug into as for treasure, and applied carefully. God is not glorified when men and women forsake the doctrine and principles and methodology found within His Word, and when they take it upon themselves to alter and "improve upon" them.
May Christ be ever-increasingly magnified in this world!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
His sheep will hear His voice
"I am the Good Shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me... I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd" (John 10:14-17).
Have you ever read through these verses and considered the fact that Jesus says His sheep WILL hear His voice? The significance of this can be overlooked. Ponder that my friend. Whoever the sheep are; wherever the sheep are... they WILL hear His voice. Does that leave any possibility for one of the sheep of Christ to possibly fail to hear His voice? Have you ever pondered that before? The words of Christ inform us that God knows intimately who His sheep are: "I know My own and My own know Me" (10:14). Some of these He speaks of are not yet regenerated. The Spirit enlightens us to the reality of God's foreknowledge of His elect: "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined", and also we are told that "these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified" (Romans 8:29-30). Thus we are taught that the sheep of Christ are foreknown intimately by their Father. We are also taught that the sheep of Christ, being foreknown by God, are predestined, called, justified, and finally glorified. This is an unbreakable chain that we read of. In fact, because God is outside of time, eternal, and omniscient, this redemption of His sheep is spoken of in the past tense: "He predestined...He called...He justified...He also glorified"!
Jesus already knows who all of His sheep are. The sheep of Christ were given to Him by the Father before Creation: "I do not pray on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom You have given Me", and again, Jesus praying to His Father says: "You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give them eternal life" (John 17:9, 3). The "all whom You have given Him" that Christ speaks of are the elect of God, the sheep. These people were given to Christ in eternity past.
The salvation of Christ's sheep is certain: "I MUST bring them also" (Christ said this of His Gentile sheep, who He would join together as "one flock" with His Jewish sheep). "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me" (John 6:37). Every one of them will come. And who can come but those who are born from above? "born, not of human blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13).
This beloved is the why the Great Commission exists. This is HOW we can fulfill the Great Commission. This is why we can fulfill the Great Commission with absolute confidence in the sovereignty of saving grace. Christ's sheep will hear His voice. Paul said to the Thessalonians: "We give thanks to God for you...knowing brethren, beloved of God, His choice of you" (1 Thessalonians 1:2, 4). So how do Christ's sheep hear His voice? Paul continues: "for our Gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction" (1:5). The Holy Spirit applies the redemption of Christ to the elect of God through the ministry of Gospel preaching. Paul says his Gospel didn't come "in word only". It's the Holy Spirit who produces the supernatural power of regeneration in a person, as He convicts them of their sin and draws them to Christ. This is the new birth (John 1:13, John 3:3). The Gospel which comes "in word only" isn't sufficient to convert a person. And this is the great hope in Gospel preaching. This is why we need not worry ourselves over our human weaknesses. God saves! And He has chosen to do so through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. James also testifies that: "In the exercise of His will HE brought us forth BY the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures" (James 1:18). Notice it was His will that brought us forth, and that He did so by, or through, the word of truth.
So who are the sheep of Christ? The Scriptures don't inform us who they are, but they do instruct us in how we can recognize a sheep who has been born-again already. Though I won't go into detail on this point, we are taught that Christ's sheep, in being regenerated (born from above), are given a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17). The disposition of their heart is changed. Christ has become their treasure. They're growing in their hatred for what God hates. 1 John 2:3-6 informs us that the practice of their life now is one of obedience and righteousness, rather than sin. They're no longer slaves to sin (John 8:34), but have been set free to serve Christ (John 8:36). However imperfect the sheep's love for God and hatred for sin may be, they characterize who they are in Christ (Romans 8:1-2, 4); and they're two characteristics of their lives that God will grow (Philippians 1:6, 2:13, Hebrews 12:6-10).
You who have already heard His voice and been saved, God has sheep out in the world who have yet to hear His voice. May we be burdened and inspired to reach them with the Gospel for His glory. Let us awaken our cold hearts and start getting after the Great Commission with Holy Spirit-wrought zeal! His sheep will hear His voice; and blessed are they who partake of the fruit of the salvation of souls. What further motivation do we need? For His glory friends! That the Lamb may receive the rewards of His sufferings!
If your chief motivation in missional living is that people's lives be improved, I urge you to forsake your humanistic tendencies. The Gospel is not all about man's life being improved. The Gospel is not all about man. The Gospel is about God's justice being vindicated! God has been wronged. God has been sinned against! And God's wrath abides upon sinners. Either they repent or they perish. Either they be converted or they burn in the lake of fire forever. God will draw His own to repentance. Let us be faithful to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ for God's glory, and not chiefly for man's sake. Let us be careful to not get discouraged when the masses don't seem to respond well. The sheep of Christ are but a remnant. Go out covered in tears from prayer, with the authority of God, in the power of the Holy Spirit, preaching the uncompromised message of repentance and faith, and with the confidence that Christ's sheep WILL hear His voice... and all this to the glory, and honor, and praise of the Lamb.
Have you ever read through these verses and considered the fact that Jesus says His sheep WILL hear His voice? The significance of this can be overlooked. Ponder that my friend. Whoever the sheep are; wherever the sheep are... they WILL hear His voice. Does that leave any possibility for one of the sheep of Christ to possibly fail to hear His voice? Have you ever pondered that before? The words of Christ inform us that God knows intimately who His sheep are: "I know My own and My own know Me" (10:14). Some of these He speaks of are not yet regenerated. The Spirit enlightens us to the reality of God's foreknowledge of His elect: "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined", and also we are told that "these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified" (Romans 8:29-30). Thus we are taught that the sheep of Christ are foreknown intimately by their Father. We are also taught that the sheep of Christ, being foreknown by God, are predestined, called, justified, and finally glorified. This is an unbreakable chain that we read of. In fact, because God is outside of time, eternal, and omniscient, this redemption of His sheep is spoken of in the past tense: "He predestined...He called...He justified...He also glorified"!
Jesus already knows who all of His sheep are. The sheep of Christ were given to Him by the Father before Creation: "I do not pray on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom You have given Me", and again, Jesus praying to His Father says: "You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give them eternal life" (John 17:9, 3). The "all whom You have given Him" that Christ speaks of are the elect of God, the sheep. These people were given to Christ in eternity past.
The salvation of Christ's sheep is certain: "I MUST bring them also" (Christ said this of His Gentile sheep, who He would join together as "one flock" with His Jewish sheep). "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me" (John 6:37). Every one of them will come. And who can come but those who are born from above? "born, not of human blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13).
This beloved is the why the Great Commission exists. This is HOW we can fulfill the Great Commission. This is why we can fulfill the Great Commission with absolute confidence in the sovereignty of saving grace. Christ's sheep will hear His voice. Paul said to the Thessalonians: "We give thanks to God for you...knowing brethren, beloved of God, His choice of you" (1 Thessalonians 1:2, 4). So how do Christ's sheep hear His voice? Paul continues: "for our Gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction" (1:5). The Holy Spirit applies the redemption of Christ to the elect of God through the ministry of Gospel preaching. Paul says his Gospel didn't come "in word only". It's the Holy Spirit who produces the supernatural power of regeneration in a person, as He convicts them of their sin and draws them to Christ. This is the new birth (John 1:13, John 3:3). The Gospel which comes "in word only" isn't sufficient to convert a person. And this is the great hope in Gospel preaching. This is why we need not worry ourselves over our human weaknesses. God saves! And He has chosen to do so through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. James also testifies that: "In the exercise of His will HE brought us forth BY the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures" (James 1:18). Notice it was His will that brought us forth, and that He did so by, or through, the word of truth.
So who are the sheep of Christ? The Scriptures don't inform us who they are, but they do instruct us in how we can recognize a sheep who has been born-again already. Though I won't go into detail on this point, we are taught that Christ's sheep, in being regenerated (born from above), are given a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17). The disposition of their heart is changed. Christ has become their treasure. They're growing in their hatred for what God hates. 1 John 2:3-6 informs us that the practice of their life now is one of obedience and righteousness, rather than sin. They're no longer slaves to sin (John 8:34), but have been set free to serve Christ (John 8:36). However imperfect the sheep's love for God and hatred for sin may be, they characterize who they are in Christ (Romans 8:1-2, 4); and they're two characteristics of their lives that God will grow (Philippians 1:6, 2:13, Hebrews 12:6-10).
You who have already heard His voice and been saved, God has sheep out in the world who have yet to hear His voice. May we be burdened and inspired to reach them with the Gospel for His glory. Let us awaken our cold hearts and start getting after the Great Commission with Holy Spirit-wrought zeal! His sheep will hear His voice; and blessed are they who partake of the fruit of the salvation of souls. What further motivation do we need? For His glory friends! That the Lamb may receive the rewards of His sufferings!
If your chief motivation in missional living is that people's lives be improved, I urge you to forsake your humanistic tendencies. The Gospel is not all about man's life being improved. The Gospel is not all about man. The Gospel is about God's justice being vindicated! God has been wronged. God has been sinned against! And God's wrath abides upon sinners. Either they repent or they perish. Either they be converted or they burn in the lake of fire forever. God will draw His own to repentance. Let us be faithful to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ for God's glory, and not chiefly for man's sake. Let us be careful to not get discouraged when the masses don't seem to respond well. The sheep of Christ are but a remnant. Go out covered in tears from prayer, with the authority of God, in the power of the Holy Spirit, preaching the uncompromised message of repentance and faith, and with the confidence that Christ's sheep WILL hear His voice... and all this to the glory, and honor, and praise of the Lamb.
Loving the Brethren
A prophet "named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would be a famine all over the known world...And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. And this they did..." (Acts 11:27-30).
It is a great tragedy that in our nation today, multitudes of professing Christians live in abundance, and yet do so little to "send relief" to our brethren around the world, who live in absolute poverty. Some of you reading this may be uninformed, and to your credit your ignorance up until now may have been a means of justification for your inactivity in this regards. Others of you are fully aware of how destitute such a large number of our brothers and sisters in Christ live, materially speaking; even to the point of going without food, having but one meal a day, suffering winter weather without adequate clothing, walking miles and miles just to attend church services, walking barefoot on rough terrain, not having a roof to sleep under for seasons of their lives, etc. etc. etc. In light of that, let me be very frank with you: are you so shallow in your Christian experience that you just don't care enough about your brethren to send relief according to the available proportion of means you have? If you are convicted by this, I am all the more. I am not exempt here. I myself am not a super-saint, who fasts frequently from spending on vain pleasures in order to help relieve my precious family in Christ of difficulties. But I can tell you this, time and again God has revealed to me that it is selfishness alone which causes my memory of such realities, that my brethren suffer, to slip, as I save and spend on things which will be consumed on the Last Day.
Maybe you can relate: have you ever saved your money to buy something, and then when you finally got it you realized it wasn't all you hoped it would be? It didn't satisfy your soul as you subconsciously deceived yourself into thinking it would? I sure have. In fact, I stock my library with books and more books, the half of which I won't get to for at least a few years. Couldn't that money, the fruits of which I couldn't taste for a time anyways, be better spent? Buying great Christian literature is absolutely definable as living for eternity, but not when I buy in excess. If God has blessed us with an abundance, then is it not for the purpose of spending it for His glory, and not for mere vain, carnal pleasures? For Paul himself says, in the context of Christian Giving, "God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance FOR EVERY GOOD DEED" ( 2 Corinthians 9:8).
I want to bring to your attention a ministry that I love dearly, and hope God will inspire you to give to monthly. That ministry is called "The Voice of the Martyrs". You can find them on the web at: http://www.persecution.com/ This ministry, and my involvement in it, has tremendously blessed my life. One example...a young girl was walking to a church gathering in her village when her and two of her friends were attacked my masked Hindus. The Hindu men were yielding machetes; they killed this girls two friends. She was attacked brutally and left with severe damage to her head and face. Within a week she had been able to see a local Voice of The Martyrs doctor, who, because of the fundings available through the ministry, was able to operate on the girl and enable her to eat properly and talk with little to no pain (which things she wouldn't otherwise have been able to do because of the injuries). The Voice of the Martyrs doctors are funded by people like you and me. This is just one of the thousands of ministries they provide for Christians who live under difficult circumstances.
Their monthly newsletter leaves me in tears every time I read it for four reasons:
1. The situations and conditions of life that so many of our brethren face each day are difficult to say the least.
2. So few Americans are aware of, or pay any attention to, these people who are their brethren, and who they're called to love.
3. I am so self-centered, and so often fail to pray and provide (to the extent I am able to) for these brethren of mine.
4. These Christians have such powerful testimonies, which primarily reveal to us that the true treasures of eternal life have no connection to current material blessings and prosperity, and are experienced by these suffering believers in ways that provokes me to holy jealousy. Their love for Christ, and His faithfulness to manifest Himself to them, makes me cry tears of joy and thankfulness to God.
Let this stir you to seek out the heart of God for His people, and how you might manifest this glorious love through sacrificial giving. Friends, let this not hit you as a sweeping condemnation that I lay at the feet of the church in America. The VOM ministry itself testifies of the many saints of God who support His work through them. I know that God is faithfully using His people in America. But let me also say this, we have reason to examine our stewardship. When we live in luxury and abundance, while so many live in poverty, we must ask ourselves individually if we're truly loving our neighbors as ourself, if we're Biblically loving our brethren, and if we're truly reflecting the life and love of Jesus Christ, who "being rich, made Himself poor". We are susceptible to the temptations and vanities of this world. Be not enticed carnally to live for yourself and for this life, but instead store up for yourselves wealth and prosperity in heaven. Glorify God through giving, even sacrificially. Let the world stand judged for their selfishness, and let the children of God evidence the grace of faith given unto them by God their Savior, through being increasingly conformed to the image of Christ Jesus.
"If anyone does not forsake all that he has, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:33).
It is a great tragedy that in our nation today, multitudes of professing Christians live in abundance, and yet do so little to "send relief" to our brethren around the world, who live in absolute poverty. Some of you reading this may be uninformed, and to your credit your ignorance up until now may have been a means of justification for your inactivity in this regards. Others of you are fully aware of how destitute such a large number of our brothers and sisters in Christ live, materially speaking; even to the point of going without food, having but one meal a day, suffering winter weather without adequate clothing, walking miles and miles just to attend church services, walking barefoot on rough terrain, not having a roof to sleep under for seasons of their lives, etc. etc. etc. In light of that, let me be very frank with you: are you so shallow in your Christian experience that you just don't care enough about your brethren to send relief according to the available proportion of means you have? If you are convicted by this, I am all the more. I am not exempt here. I myself am not a super-saint, who fasts frequently from spending on vain pleasures in order to help relieve my precious family in Christ of difficulties. But I can tell you this, time and again God has revealed to me that it is selfishness alone which causes my memory of such realities, that my brethren suffer, to slip, as I save and spend on things which will be consumed on the Last Day.
Maybe you can relate: have you ever saved your money to buy something, and then when you finally got it you realized it wasn't all you hoped it would be? It didn't satisfy your soul as you subconsciously deceived yourself into thinking it would? I sure have. In fact, I stock my library with books and more books, the half of which I won't get to for at least a few years. Couldn't that money, the fruits of which I couldn't taste for a time anyways, be better spent? Buying great Christian literature is absolutely definable as living for eternity, but not when I buy in excess. If God has blessed us with an abundance, then is it not for the purpose of spending it for His glory, and not for mere vain, carnal pleasures? For Paul himself says, in the context of Christian Giving, "God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance FOR EVERY GOOD DEED" ( 2 Corinthians 9:8).
I want to bring to your attention a ministry that I love dearly, and hope God will inspire you to give to monthly. That ministry is called "The Voice of the Martyrs". You can find them on the web at: http://www.persecution.com/ This ministry, and my involvement in it, has tremendously blessed my life. One example...a young girl was walking to a church gathering in her village when her and two of her friends were attacked my masked Hindus. The Hindu men were yielding machetes; they killed this girls two friends. She was attacked brutally and left with severe damage to her head and face. Within a week she had been able to see a local Voice of The Martyrs doctor, who, because of the fundings available through the ministry, was able to operate on the girl and enable her to eat properly and talk with little to no pain (which things she wouldn't otherwise have been able to do because of the injuries). The Voice of the Martyrs doctors are funded by people like you and me. This is just one of the thousands of ministries they provide for Christians who live under difficult circumstances.
Their monthly newsletter leaves me in tears every time I read it for four reasons:
1. The situations and conditions of life that so many of our brethren face each day are difficult to say the least.
2. So few Americans are aware of, or pay any attention to, these people who are their brethren, and who they're called to love.
3. I am so self-centered, and so often fail to pray and provide (to the extent I am able to) for these brethren of mine.
4. These Christians have such powerful testimonies, which primarily reveal to us that the true treasures of eternal life have no connection to current material blessings and prosperity, and are experienced by these suffering believers in ways that provokes me to holy jealousy. Their love for Christ, and His faithfulness to manifest Himself to them, makes me cry tears of joy and thankfulness to God.
Let this stir you to seek out the heart of God for His people, and how you might manifest this glorious love through sacrificial giving. Friends, let this not hit you as a sweeping condemnation that I lay at the feet of the church in America. The VOM ministry itself testifies of the many saints of God who support His work through them. I know that God is faithfully using His people in America. But let me also say this, we have reason to examine our stewardship. When we live in luxury and abundance, while so many live in poverty, we must ask ourselves individually if we're truly loving our neighbors as ourself, if we're Biblically loving our brethren, and if we're truly reflecting the life and love of Jesus Christ, who "being rich, made Himself poor". We are susceptible to the temptations and vanities of this world. Be not enticed carnally to live for yourself and for this life, but instead store up for yourselves wealth and prosperity in heaven. Glorify God through giving, even sacrificially. Let the world stand judged for their selfishness, and let the children of God evidence the grace of faith given unto them by God their Savior, through being increasingly conformed to the image of Christ Jesus.
"If anyone does not forsake all that he has, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:33).
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Beloved, that is not the Gospel!
Oh beloved who know Christ, if you're preaching a gospel that is primarily man-centered, I beg you to repent. How has the gospel become all about mankind's need for joy, peace and comfort? That's not Biblical!!! Don’t get me wrong; all who are in Christ, through the working of the Holy Spirit, do partake of the fruits of spiritual life in Christ, which these things all are. But don't you see the problem with making that the gospel; with hanging that out as bait for the unregenerate? The core of who they are is self-seeking. Then you come along and tell them God can give them joy and peace. But if the God you proclaim to them is a God who exists to better their existence, rather than inform them He's a holy God who judges sin, and a Savior who calls them to repent and believe that they might be saved from His wrath, will they not be deceived and never repent of their wickedness, and then cling to an idol? You tell them "God has a wonderful plan for your life", and inside they think "perfect, because I also have a wonderful plan for my life, and maybe this God could help me accomplish it!" Those of you who listen to Paul Washer know the essence of the last sentence I got from a sermon of his. Such a person will never see their need for a Savior. They won't repent of their sin because they haven't been informed of the realities of their condition. When things get difficult as a "Christian", they will blaspheme God and rebel even more, because they were promised a God who provides them joy, rather than being drawn to see their need for a Savior because of their terrible lost condition. Their destiny of damnation never changed. They were a false convert. Such cases abound in churches today!
Christ did not die primarily to bring us comfort, peace and joy. Christ died to reconcile us to God! Mankind's deepest need is not joy, peace and comfort. Mankind's deepest need is forgiveness. Do you not know people who run to Christ for selfish reasons and yet never bow their knee to Him? Do you then encourage that by enticing their selfish nature to follow a God who will fill the void in their heart? The problem is we've made the gospel all about mankind. I'm sorry if you've been deceived in this, but MAN IS NOT THE VICTIM! God is!! God has been wronged. God has been sinned against. God has been traded for lesser substitutes. God has been disregarded. God has been blasphemed. God has been rejected. Just look at the life of Christ. If Jesus were to have preached the way most people do nowadays, He would've never been rejected as He was! Yes mankind suffers the repercussions of the fall and their own sins, but mankind is chiefly to be understood as in need of spiritual life, not emotional stability or fulfillment.
The fruits of new life are glorious, but these are not to be the draw in preaching the gospel. There are of course exceptions to this rule... people who have already been humbled by the hand of Christ, who do not need the Law of God to shut their mouth (Romans 3:19-20). BUT THESE ARE THE MINORITY. In such cases we say "grace to the humble, and Law to the proud". I mean seriously, whatever happened to telling men to count the cost, take up a cross (death to self), forsake everything else, and hate all else in comparison to Christ (Luke 14:26-33)? Are not these the words of Jesus, spoken to "large crowds", primarily unbelievers? And whatever happened to warning people about the wrath to come? We're so superficial! We're so trite! Awaken oh bride of Christ! Repent and return to the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Forsake this man-centered, self-preserving, humiliation and rejection-avoiding gospel, and cling to what is so plainly revealed in the Holy Scriptures!!
You are a steward of the Gospel of Christ... sober up, study to show yourself approved, hit your knees in desperation, reject man-made methodology and man-centered theology. Stop viewing man as the victim! By all means, don't go off the deep end and lose sight of the grace, compassion, and kindness that ought to walk hand in hand with truth. But then again strike the balance. Pray for balance. Because when you share the glories of Eternal, God-centered truth, with indifference, dryness, and no fire, you betray your lukewarm spirit! How can we not proclaim passionately, from the rooftops, with the gracious authority of Almighty God, this life-changing, Christ-exalting good news? We most certainly ought to brethren!
If you're unfamiliar with much that I am addressing, and would like further clarity on something, please email me at blood-bought@live.com. If you're interested in furthering your understanding of the gospel, please read the article I wrote entitled, "What is the Gospel". Also, I recommend you look up Paul Washer or Jeff Noblit and "the gospel" in a search engine, to hear some great Biblical preaching on the subject of the gospel. Thanks for your time and consideration. May the Lord bless these truths to your life, that through it He might be magnified!
Soli DEO Gloria
Christ did not die primarily to bring us comfort, peace and joy. Christ died to reconcile us to God! Mankind's deepest need is not joy, peace and comfort. Mankind's deepest need is forgiveness. Do you not know people who run to Christ for selfish reasons and yet never bow their knee to Him? Do you then encourage that by enticing their selfish nature to follow a God who will fill the void in their heart? The problem is we've made the gospel all about mankind. I'm sorry if you've been deceived in this, but MAN IS NOT THE VICTIM! God is!! God has been wronged. God has been sinned against. God has been traded for lesser substitutes. God has been disregarded. God has been blasphemed. God has been rejected. Just look at the life of Christ. If Jesus were to have preached the way most people do nowadays, He would've never been rejected as He was! Yes mankind suffers the repercussions of the fall and their own sins, but mankind is chiefly to be understood as in need of spiritual life, not emotional stability or fulfillment.
The fruits of new life are glorious, but these are not to be the draw in preaching the gospel. There are of course exceptions to this rule... people who have already been humbled by the hand of Christ, who do not need the Law of God to shut their mouth (Romans 3:19-20). BUT THESE ARE THE MINORITY. In such cases we say "grace to the humble, and Law to the proud". I mean seriously, whatever happened to telling men to count the cost, take up a cross (death to self), forsake everything else, and hate all else in comparison to Christ (Luke 14:26-33)? Are not these the words of Jesus, spoken to "large crowds", primarily unbelievers? And whatever happened to warning people about the wrath to come? We're so superficial! We're so trite! Awaken oh bride of Christ! Repent and return to the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Forsake this man-centered, self-preserving, humiliation and rejection-avoiding gospel, and cling to what is so plainly revealed in the Holy Scriptures!!
You are a steward of the Gospel of Christ... sober up, study to show yourself approved, hit your knees in desperation, reject man-made methodology and man-centered theology. Stop viewing man as the victim! By all means, don't go off the deep end and lose sight of the grace, compassion, and kindness that ought to walk hand in hand with truth. But then again strike the balance. Pray for balance. Because when you share the glories of Eternal, God-centered truth, with indifference, dryness, and no fire, you betray your lukewarm spirit! How can we not proclaim passionately, from the rooftops, with the gracious authority of Almighty God, this life-changing, Christ-exalting good news? We most certainly ought to brethren!
If you're unfamiliar with much that I am addressing, and would like further clarity on something, please email me at blood-bought@live.com. If you're interested in furthering your understanding of the gospel, please read the article I wrote entitled, "What is the Gospel". Also, I recommend you look up Paul Washer or Jeff Noblit and "the gospel" in a search engine, to hear some great Biblical preaching on the subject of the gospel. Thanks for your time and consideration. May the Lord bless these truths to your life, that through it He might be magnified!
Soli DEO Gloria
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Getting back to the foundation
"Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give to you" (John 6:26-27).
Oh how wretched we are apart from the grace of God. Just like the crowd mentioned in that verse, all men would only seek Jesus for what He can do for us if it were not for God granting us repentance. Do you remember a time when you might have viewed your being saved by God as something you deserved, or earned, to a minute degree? Maybe you sensed within yourself an inclination towards God, but because of your chains to sin you were in need of God to set you completely free. You might remember thinking amongst those around you, also lost and condemned, that you seemed to at least want to acknowledge God.
DONT BE DECEIVED... any inclination you may have had WAS NOT one you conjured up, or naturally had. That line of thinking goes completely against the entirety of what Scripture has revealed about all people, universally, apart from the new birth. "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened"..."there is none who seeks God...there is none who does good, not even one" (Romans 1:21, 3:11-12). My friend, if you possessed ANY true inclination towards God, it was birthed within you by God Himself. If He were to have left you to yourself, you would've forever remained a God-hater. "It is God who works in us both TO WILL and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
Now, I said "true" inclination, because many have what may appear to be an inclination towards the one true God, yet what they actually have is an inclination towards a god they have fashioned in their own mind. Many of us know of such people. It's as if they forever "seek" God supposedly, but never actually bear abiding fruit, and more often than not, pursue their own will rather than God's will. Even Jesus said "many" such people would exist (Matthew 7:21). Also, people can pursue Jesus for selfish reasons, yet never see their own guilt and need for repentance, and perish, just as is recorded in the John passage I first quoted. Look also at the example of the rich young ruler. Who would argue that he SEEMED to sincerely be seeking life in Christ? But God knows the hearts of men! What he sought he did out of a heart which had no understanding of his own personal offensiveness to a holy and just God. Jesus gets to the root of this man's problem, and the young ruler chose to cling to his wealth rather than Christ.
It's so important for us to not manipulate people when we share the gospel. Jesus didn't. The apostles didn't. People are enemies of God, but most haven't the slightest clue of this truth. Most people assume they're genuinely good people deep down, and that they just lack a bit of commitment to God. They're deceived. But many Christians are also. How? Because we assume any person who shows any outward appearance of desire to know God, or who prays a sinner's prayer, or who attends church, must be saved or at least truly seeking God. FEW there are who not only enter through the narrow gate, but WHO WALK THE NARROW PATH (Matthew 7:13-14). "The evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person's life is a holy life" (Leonard Ravenhill). "pursue holiness, without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). "Examine yourself; test yourselves to see if you be in the faith" (2 Corinthians 13:5). Have you ever truly examined yourself? Have you ever exhorted another in this way? Isn't it Biblical though?
Let's stop this compromise when it comes to the Gospel and the Biblical evidence of true conversion. We can't disciple a person whose still God's enemy, just because they claim to be saved, or they prayed a prayer, or they walked forward at an altar call. A person who is not pursuing holiness is not pursuing God, nor are they by any means born again. How can I know this for sure? Just take a look at the book of 1 John, a book given so people might know if they have eternal life (1 John 5:19). I'll let you do your homework on this one! Jesus was very clear... it's not just the gate (His atonement) to heaven which is narrow, but the path is also. We enter through the narrow gate, and the evidence we have entered through that narrow gate and entered into eternal life is we're walking on the narrow path. For "He who began a good work in you WILL BE FAITHFUL TO COMPLETE IT" (Philippians 1:13). What's at stake when we say a person is just simply a "carnal Christian", is not their faithfulness to truly abide in Christ, it's God's faithfulness to discipline them as a Father for the purpose of their growth in holiness (Hebrews 12:6, 10-11). He's both the Author AND Perfector of our faith!
We do false converts no good when we just ignore the fact that they do not bear the marks of a truly born again, new creation in Christ. We who have the knowledge of these things ought to lovingly unveil for them the truth of what true conversion is. And when we share the gospel with the lost, we who have already been enlightened by the grace of God must unveil for them the love, holiness, and justice of God, their true condition before Him, and their need for faith AND repentance. There is no Biblical backing for the belief that Christ can be the Savior of one He is not also the Lord of. We are to proclaim to them, after they understand their wickedness, that they are commanded to believe in the "LORD" Jesus Christ. Telling them to ask Jesus into their hearts is also not Biblical. And spare them of EVER giving them a possible false assurance of salvation. That's the Holy Spirit's job (Romans 8:16)!
It's all about getting God the maximum amount of glory possible. God isn't glorified when we disregard the clear teachings of Scripture. Soli DEO Gloria!
Oh how wretched we are apart from the grace of God. Just like the crowd mentioned in that verse, all men would only seek Jesus for what He can do for us if it were not for God granting us repentance. Do you remember a time when you might have viewed your being saved by God as something you deserved, or earned, to a minute degree? Maybe you sensed within yourself an inclination towards God, but because of your chains to sin you were in need of God to set you completely free. You might remember thinking amongst those around you, also lost and condemned, that you seemed to at least want to acknowledge God.
DONT BE DECEIVED... any inclination you may have had WAS NOT one you conjured up, or naturally had. That line of thinking goes completely against the entirety of what Scripture has revealed about all people, universally, apart from the new birth. "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened"..."there is none who seeks God...there is none who does good, not even one" (Romans 1:21, 3:11-12). My friend, if you possessed ANY true inclination towards God, it was birthed within you by God Himself. If He were to have left you to yourself, you would've forever remained a God-hater. "It is God who works in us both TO WILL and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
Now, I said "true" inclination, because many have what may appear to be an inclination towards the one true God, yet what they actually have is an inclination towards a god they have fashioned in their own mind. Many of us know of such people. It's as if they forever "seek" God supposedly, but never actually bear abiding fruit, and more often than not, pursue their own will rather than God's will. Even Jesus said "many" such people would exist (Matthew 7:21). Also, people can pursue Jesus for selfish reasons, yet never see their own guilt and need for repentance, and perish, just as is recorded in the John passage I first quoted. Look also at the example of the rich young ruler. Who would argue that he SEEMED to sincerely be seeking life in Christ? But God knows the hearts of men! What he sought he did out of a heart which had no understanding of his own personal offensiveness to a holy and just God. Jesus gets to the root of this man's problem, and the young ruler chose to cling to his wealth rather than Christ.
It's so important for us to not manipulate people when we share the gospel. Jesus didn't. The apostles didn't. People are enemies of God, but most haven't the slightest clue of this truth. Most people assume they're genuinely good people deep down, and that they just lack a bit of commitment to God. They're deceived. But many Christians are also. How? Because we assume any person who shows any outward appearance of desire to know God, or who prays a sinner's prayer, or who attends church, must be saved or at least truly seeking God. FEW there are who not only enter through the narrow gate, but WHO WALK THE NARROW PATH (Matthew 7:13-14). "The evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person's life is a holy life" (Leonard Ravenhill). "pursue holiness, without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). "Examine yourself; test yourselves to see if you be in the faith" (2 Corinthians 13:5). Have you ever truly examined yourself? Have you ever exhorted another in this way? Isn't it Biblical though?
Let's stop this compromise when it comes to the Gospel and the Biblical evidence of true conversion. We can't disciple a person whose still God's enemy, just because they claim to be saved, or they prayed a prayer, or they walked forward at an altar call. A person who is not pursuing holiness is not pursuing God, nor are they by any means born again. How can I know this for sure? Just take a look at the book of 1 John, a book given so people might know if they have eternal life (1 John 5:19). I'll let you do your homework on this one! Jesus was very clear... it's not just the gate (His atonement) to heaven which is narrow, but the path is also. We enter through the narrow gate, and the evidence we have entered through that narrow gate and entered into eternal life is we're walking on the narrow path. For "He who began a good work in you WILL BE FAITHFUL TO COMPLETE IT" (Philippians 1:13). What's at stake when we say a person is just simply a "carnal Christian", is not their faithfulness to truly abide in Christ, it's God's faithfulness to discipline them as a Father for the purpose of their growth in holiness (Hebrews 12:6, 10-11). He's both the Author AND Perfector of our faith!
We do false converts no good when we just ignore the fact that they do not bear the marks of a truly born again, new creation in Christ. We who have the knowledge of these things ought to lovingly unveil for them the truth of what true conversion is. And when we share the gospel with the lost, we who have already been enlightened by the grace of God must unveil for them the love, holiness, and justice of God, their true condition before Him, and their need for faith AND repentance. There is no Biblical backing for the belief that Christ can be the Savior of one He is not also the Lord of. We are to proclaim to them, after they understand their wickedness, that they are commanded to believe in the "LORD" Jesus Christ. Telling them to ask Jesus into their hearts is also not Biblical. And spare them of EVER giving them a possible false assurance of salvation. That's the Holy Spirit's job (Romans 8:16)!
It's all about getting God the maximum amount of glory possible. God isn't glorified when we disregard the clear teachings of Scripture. Soli DEO Gloria!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
What is the Gospel?
The gospel is designed to be good news. But we must understand what that good news is and what it isn’t. The book of Romans has been understood, throughout church history, to be an exposition of sorts of the gospel message. The book of Romans, by God’s design, reveals an in-depth look at the gospel in all its fullness. Paul begins with such statements as, “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel”, and “I am not ashamed of the gospel” (Romans 1:14-16). This too is our starting point. We are under obligation to all men. In the prayer closet we will develop this sense of eagerness to preach the gospel. And how could we ever be ashamed of God’s message, which He has ordained men to be saved through?
Paul goes on to describe in detail the condition of lost mankind, and most importantly, his relationship to God. These are all universal verses; they apply to every person apart from salvation in Christ. They applied to every one of us prior to our conversion. As believers, we understand the Person and work of Christ because He’s imparted to us faith. That Christ is both Lord and Savior is the foundation of our Christian understanding and experience. The world, however, doesn’t comprehend these truths. I grew up in the Catholic church, where up on the wall right behind the priest was a statute of Christ on the cross. This crucifix, though I visibly saw it countless times, had no real meaning attached to it. Though I had been taught that Christ was the Savior of the world, I had no concept of my own sinfulness and need for a Savior. In my most solemn, honest opinion, I thought inside I was a good guy. I realized I wasn’t perfect and even recognized I was a bit rebellious, but I thought I knew my heart. I knew I sinned now and then, but I didn’t know my will was in bondage to sin (John 8:34). As an evangelist, I have found that MOST people think along those same lines. It’s extremely rare to witness to someone who God has already wrought repentance in, but beware because you just might bump into such a person. The natural tendency of man is to underestimate his wickedness. So then, why would such a person even need a Savior? Try walking someone through the “Romans road” without explanation of Romans 10&23, and you will quickly find out that they likely have no real understanding of their guilt before God.
Be on guard of altering your message to be more appealing, or altering it to say what you believe will be most effective. God’s message will do just fine. He is, after all, omniscient. Don’t follow trendy methods which attempt to “lead someone to Christ” through persuading them that Christ will fulfill them. This is a very man-centered approach to evangelism. Rather than preaching a gospel which includes essential elements such as sin and hell, some preach the gospel of “your best life now”. The content of such a message is terribly unbiblical. Friend, you must be critical when it comes to the content of the gospel and methods of evangelism. Not for the purpose of pointing fingers, but for the purpose of knowing and sharing the true gospel, without compromise. Paul himself even said, “if any man preaches to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9). This was not a subject Paul took lightly. Even behind pulpits today, people are preaching an unbiblical gospel… adding to God’s message, as well as withholding essential parts of it. Let us be aware of this and not fall into the same trap. Just as the book of Romans begins, so must the gospel we preach.
“The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).
“they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
“For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God… they exchanged the glory of God for an image…” (Romans 1:21-23).
“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever” (Romans 1:25).
“Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up for yourselves wrath” (Romans 2:5).
“There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).
These verses, in universally describing lost man’s condition and awaiting judgment, form the basis for why mankind needs a Savior. Whether or not the sinner is willing to admit it, every one of those verses describes them. They are “by nature children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3). The fierce anger of God hangs over them. It is only the good pleasure of His will which allows their hearts to continue beating. At any moment He could cause any number of things to bring them to their end, at which time their souls would be swallowed up into the gaping pits of hell, where alas torment and grief await them. Though unpleasant, we must consider the realities of hell, so that we might rightly warn people of it’s agonies and duration. Only wrath and torment await the unrepentant. It’s our job to make this reality known to them, so that God might use that knowledge to convert their soul.
As we move onto verses 19-20 in chapter 3, we learn of the law’s place in gospel preaching. Leading up to verses 19-20 we’ve read of mankind’s sinfulness, and now in them we learn of how the Law of God should be used to plainly reveal this sinfulness.
“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world become accountable to God” (Romans 3:19).
“because by the works of the Law no flesh shall be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).
The Law speaks “so that”…. “every mouth may be stopped and the whole world become accountable to God”. It is necessary for God to shut men’s mouths from self-justification. If He doesn’t, they will forever plead their goodness and innocence. If God doesn’t convict the sinner through having him measure his goodness to His Law, the sinner will assume he is the exception to the verse, “there is none righteous, no, not one”. For “through the Law comes the knowledge of sin”. Men are condemned, guilty, enemies of God and His righteousness, and slaves to sin, and it’s the duty of God’s Law to make this known to them. “The Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ” (Galatians 3:24). As in the case of the rich, young ruler, people can appear to be seeking Life in Christ, and yet not really be seeking Him as Savior (Luke 18:18-23). This young ruler may have desired eternal life, but he thinks himself to be righteous. He doesn’t realize he’s lost in sin. When Jesus tells him his righteousness is lacking something, he doesn’t repent, but instead walks away sad clinging to his wealth. Jesus didn’t tell the man to simply “ask Him into his heart”. He didn’t solicit a false conversion, as I’d imagine many would’ve if in His place. Jesus opened up the Law and uncovered a worship issue in this man’s life. “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3)… this young ruler worshipped his wealth.
Before a person can understand the work of Christ, they must first understand their relationship to God as an unbeliever; they must be given an opportunity to look into their own wicked hearts through the mirror of God’s Law. God’s holy requirements and man’s departure from them are our starting point. In hearing of God’s Law, and their condemnation, sinners begin to see who God is. God is not a lenient police officer. God is not like a strict grandpa. God is not like Santa clause. God is God!! God is “holy, holy, holy” (Revelation 4:8). God does not, and will never, compromise. God is unchanging, unwavering, and unable to overlook any transgression of His Law. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). God is not like us. Multitudes of people have already perished into hell fire, and multitudes will in the future. It’s important to remember, in evangelizing, that the gospel is primarily about God, and secondarily man. Mankind has suppressed the truth about God (Romans 1:18). Their understanding of God, from their youth, is inaccurate. “Gentiles also walk in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them” (Ephesians 4:17-19). So do not assume that unbelievers think rightly of God, judgment, or themselves. In fact, it would be biblical to assume just the opposite.
When a person understands their lost condition, who God is, and what awaits them, then they’re ready to receive the Good News. And don’t think it takes hours to reach this point in the conversation. Without rambling, just be honest with people. In just a few minutes God could use you to plow the soil of their heart with his Law, to make it ready to receive the seed of His gospel. Do they understand they need a Savior? If yes, then proclaim to them the reconciliation available in Christ, which comes through repentance, and faith in His atonement.
The good news is that God became a Man, and of His own will, suffered the agonies of hell in the place of all who would ever believe in Him. The punishment which awaited me, God the Son endured Himself. John Piper puts it this way, “He drank the cup of God’s wrath that would’ve taken an eternity to pour out on me”. Only an infinite God could endure this wrath. All the horrors which were to be mine, Jesus Christ endured in my place. In doing so, Jesus perfected for all time His own. “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). Christ accomplished the salvation of His people, thus He proclaims, “it is finished” (John 19:30).
“the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation by His blood through faith” (Romans 3:24-25).
Propitiation is a term which means “satisfaction”. The justice of God was satisfied (propitiated) in the death of Christ. Men could never merit salvation. God has ransomed sinners through the propitiatory sacrifice of His Son. Apart from the atonement of Christ, there exists no freedom from sin (John 8:34-36), relationship with God as Father (John 14:6), or salvation from hell (Acts 4:12).
UNDERSTANDING CONTEXT
So how do we prevent people from hearing verses like “call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved”, or, “whoever believes in Me shall not perish but have everlasting life”, and thinking a mental assent to acknowledge Christ’s death or vocally calling on Him will save them? How do we prevent people from thinking there’s a magic prayer that saves men? Well, the way to avoid such misunderstanding is to know and explain the context of each Scripture we quote. First off, all Bible verses must be taken in light of the entirety of Scripture. Isolating verses can be very dangerous. Also, by looking at the cultural contexts in which these verses were written, you will quickly see how one should understand them.
To call upon the “Lord” Jesus Christ is to bow to His Lordship. In desperation, and through God wrought desire, people “call” upon Jesus. To do so must entail repentance from sin. The first hearers of such a statement knew very well what it meant to declare Jesus as their Lord. “Lord” in our time however, is not a commonly used term, and therefore it’s not a well understood word. Jesus will not be the Savior of any He is not also Lord of (Matthew 7:21-23). To biblically call upon Christ is to surrender one’s will to Him. Next, to “believe” in the Lord Jesus Christ, just as in calling upon Him, a person has to have been brought to the place of understanding their need for Christ as their Savior and Lord. To “believe” in Christ is to place one’s full trust in Him as Lord and Savior. Only the repentant can “believe” in the Lord Jesus, because part of trusting His death includes obedience to Him. If I trust in Christ, I am relying upon Him for everything.
The people these verses were originally written to had a better understanding of them when they heard or read them. Any Roman citizens, in reading Romans 10:9-13, knew this proclamation of Jesus as their Lord could likely cost them their very life. If it didn’t cost them their physical life, it would undoubtedly bring upon them great persecution. So we do well to explain what we say or read, rather than assume the hearer understand what it means to “call” upon the “Lord”, or to “believe” in Him.
REPENTANCE AND FAITH
In proclaiming the gospel, Jesus and the Apostles all used the term “repent”. Repentance is a supernatural work of God wrought in a sinner’s heart, whereby he is brought to hate what God hates and love what God loves. In repenting, sinners turn from evil and to Christ. Repentance and saving faith go hand in hand. One cannot exist without the other. Both are requirements for salvation. Jesus isn’t just Savior; He’s Savior and Lord of His elect. Admitting and confessing sin are not the same as repenting from it. I can admit and confess my sin, but if God hasn’t wrought repentance in my heart, I won’t actually turn from it. This is where regeneration comes in. When a person repents and believes, they do so because they have been regenerated. God gives them a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26-27). This prophecy in Ezekiel, along with others (Hebrews 10:15-18- Jeremiah 31:33-34), are fulfilled in the new covenant. God, in saving people, regenerates their heart. There’s no such thing as a Christian who believes, but has yet to repent and be made a new creature. Obedience, which is the product of God’s regeneration and sanctification, is the evidence of a new heart. For as John says, “by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I know Him’, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-6).
“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).
The good news of Jesus isn’t that God has a wonderful plan for our lives, or that Jesus loves us. The good news of Jesus is that we are by nature children of God’s wrath, yet in His love, He has made a way for us to be pardoned through the redemption provided in Christ’s sacrifice. People can “come to Christ” for superficial or selfish reasons, and never actually be born-again, or “born from above” (John 3:3). Make sure you aren’t responsible for such a false conversion. Don’t water down the offensiveness of God’s truth. Christ sure didn’t. The Apostles didn’t. Consider the words of the Master Evangelist, “anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27), and again, “whoever of you doesn’t forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33).
Jesus also spoke of judgment and hell more often than He did of heaven. Was Jesus too negative? Were John the Baptist’s messages of repentance too negative? Friend, don’t pick and choose when it comes to sharing truth. It’s all needed, the hard parts and the easy parts. It’s all essential, the offensive parts and the not so offensive parts. Truth will inevitably offend people, but your approach and delivery should not.
Speak with grace and compassionate love… but by all means, don’t withhold truth!
IT IS GOD WHO SAVES
Because God has declared He placed His “power unto salvation” in the gospel (Romans 1:16), we must rightly conclude that only Divine power is able to convert a lost soul. Jesus put it this way, no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). “Can” refers to ability. Men are unable to be saved apart from the supernatural drawing of God the Father. People aren’t neutral towards God, they’re at enmity with Him. As we noted earlier, the will of fallen creatures is in bondage to sin (John 8:34, 44, Ephesians 6:20); their eyes are blinded to God’s truth (1 Corinthians 2:14); their hearts are wicked (Jeremiah 17:9, Proverbs 20:9); and spiritually, they’re not just sick, they’re dead (Ephesians 2:1-3). Because of this condition, “no one seeks God” (Romans 3:11). God must initiate the work of salvation (Philippians 1:6). God alone has the power to raise a spiritual corpse to life. God alone has the power to give sight to the spiritually blind. God alone has the power to liberate an enslaved will. Therefore, when we share the gospel, we must recognize that no amount of persuasion or manipulation can save someone.
Peter, as recorded in Acts 2, preached an uncompromised and powerful gospel message. He boldly pointed out sin, testified of judgment, exalted the nature of God, and proclaimed salvation through repentance and faith in Christ. But this message didn’t save anyone. Acts 2:41 records that there were 3,000 conversions that day, but notice carefully what is pointed out at the end of the chapter, “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). God must get all the glory in salvation because He’s only using us as His means. Within the hearts of those of Peter’s hearers who were being saved, the Holy Spirit was at work. Let us never overestimate our role in evangelism and leading people to Christ. God desires to, and delights in, using us, but He alone actually saves sinners. Your role in evangelism is significant because Almighty God has commanded you to “preach the gospel” and “make disciples”. He could’ve said, “preach the gospel… if you want to”! How glorious a truth, that the Sovereign Lord has called and enabled us to be used of Him, for such a marvelous work as salvation. We are dependant upon Him, and not vice versa. Take comfort in the fact that God is sovereign in salvation.
THE APPLICATION- ITS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE
Maybe you’ve already experienced this, but when a person desires to be obedient to the great commission, they are often met with much spiritual warfare. Satan and the forces of darkness will only lightly oppose you sharing your testimony, inviting someone to church, or telling someone God loves them. But when you decide to share the gospel, you may find you’re tempted to speak of everything but the gospel itself. It is the gospel message God has ordained the preaching of for the salvation of souls- don’t forget that! Avoid rabbit trails, keep focus, stick to the essentials, don’t allow yourself to get sidetracked on a million other topics of conversation. Ask questions, listen attentively, listen attentively, and listen attentively! Ask them if they have any spiritual or religious beliefs. Ask them if they believe in heaven and hell. Ask them what they think is necessary to gain entrance into heaven. Don’t offend them by being obnoxious and don’t think you have to force feed people truth. That’s not your duty. But at the same time, don’t be so passive that you pass up potential open doors for sharing.
“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for” (C.H. Spurgeon).
CONSIDERING SERIOUS MATTERS
I think we’d all agree that where a person’s relationship with God truly stands is by far the most important issue in all of life. Those who are yet to be regenerated, if they die in such a state, will be cast into hell.
Read carefully these words of Jesus:
“whoever says, ‘you fool’, shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell”
(Matthew 5:22).
“fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
“The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”
(Matthew 13:41-42).
“Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the hellfire prepared for satan and his angels” (Matthew 25:41-43).
“But these enemies of Mine, who did not want Me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in My presence” (Luke 19:27).
This is no light matter. And know this, some who think they’re going to heaven will not. Familiarize yourself with Matthew 7:13-23. In these verses we learn that both the door for entrance, and the road to heaven, are narrow. But many on the broad to destruction think they’re headed towards heaven. FEW walk the narrow path to glory (Matthew 7:14). For, “every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, you will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:19-20). There are necessary evidences for one to be assured of their salvation. Cross reference this truth with 1 John 2:3-6 quoted earlier. For Jesus says, “not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21-22). Did you catch the reason why these people were cast into darkness? Vs. 21, they didn’t practice obedience, and Vs. 22, they didn’t practice righteousness. They made the right profession, “Lord, Lord”, and they even performed some noteworthy works, but their hearts were not regenerated. Notice that Jesus doesn’t say they had backslid, or “though I once knew you, you made the choice to depart from Me”. No, He says, “I NEVER knew you”. No one who ends up in hell simply chose at some point, after once being saved, to walk away from the Lord. The fact is, they were never actually saved to begin with. For as John declares, “they went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19).
In our age, we must never forsake the gospel that Jesus and the Apostles preached. Don’t be responsible for giving someone a false assurance of salvation simply because they raised their hand at an evangelistic meeting, prayed “the sinner’s prayer”, or claim to be saved but aren’t really walking with the Lord presently.
If you have read all of this, I commend you in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, feel free to reply. I appreciate your willingness, and your desire to grow in your understanding of God's Word. I pray He makes this knowledge to bring forth an abundance of fruit in your life, to His glory! God bless you.
Soli Deo Gloria
Paul goes on to describe in detail the condition of lost mankind, and most importantly, his relationship to God. These are all universal verses; they apply to every person apart from salvation in Christ. They applied to every one of us prior to our conversion. As believers, we understand the Person and work of Christ because He’s imparted to us faith. That Christ is both Lord and Savior is the foundation of our Christian understanding and experience. The world, however, doesn’t comprehend these truths. I grew up in the Catholic church, where up on the wall right behind the priest was a statute of Christ on the cross. This crucifix, though I visibly saw it countless times, had no real meaning attached to it. Though I had been taught that Christ was the Savior of the world, I had no concept of my own sinfulness and need for a Savior. In my most solemn, honest opinion, I thought inside I was a good guy. I realized I wasn’t perfect and even recognized I was a bit rebellious, but I thought I knew my heart. I knew I sinned now and then, but I didn’t know my will was in bondage to sin (John 8:34). As an evangelist, I have found that MOST people think along those same lines. It’s extremely rare to witness to someone who God has already wrought repentance in, but beware because you just might bump into such a person. The natural tendency of man is to underestimate his wickedness. So then, why would such a person even need a Savior? Try walking someone through the “Romans road” without explanation of Romans 10&23, and you will quickly find out that they likely have no real understanding of their guilt before God.
Be on guard of altering your message to be more appealing, or altering it to say what you believe will be most effective. God’s message will do just fine. He is, after all, omniscient. Don’t follow trendy methods which attempt to “lead someone to Christ” through persuading them that Christ will fulfill them. This is a very man-centered approach to evangelism. Rather than preaching a gospel which includes essential elements such as sin and hell, some preach the gospel of “your best life now”. The content of such a message is terribly unbiblical. Friend, you must be critical when it comes to the content of the gospel and methods of evangelism. Not for the purpose of pointing fingers, but for the purpose of knowing and sharing the true gospel, without compromise. Paul himself even said, “if any man preaches to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9). This was not a subject Paul took lightly. Even behind pulpits today, people are preaching an unbiblical gospel… adding to God’s message, as well as withholding essential parts of it. Let us be aware of this and not fall into the same trap. Just as the book of Romans begins, so must the gospel we preach.
“The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).
“they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
“For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God… they exchanged the glory of God for an image…” (Romans 1:21-23).
“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever” (Romans 1:25).
“Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up for yourselves wrath” (Romans 2:5).
“There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).
These verses, in universally describing lost man’s condition and awaiting judgment, form the basis for why mankind needs a Savior. Whether or not the sinner is willing to admit it, every one of those verses describes them. They are “by nature children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3). The fierce anger of God hangs over them. It is only the good pleasure of His will which allows their hearts to continue beating. At any moment He could cause any number of things to bring them to their end, at which time their souls would be swallowed up into the gaping pits of hell, where alas torment and grief await them. Though unpleasant, we must consider the realities of hell, so that we might rightly warn people of it’s agonies and duration. Only wrath and torment await the unrepentant. It’s our job to make this reality known to them, so that God might use that knowledge to convert their soul.
As we move onto verses 19-20 in chapter 3, we learn of the law’s place in gospel preaching. Leading up to verses 19-20 we’ve read of mankind’s sinfulness, and now in them we learn of how the Law of God should be used to plainly reveal this sinfulness.
“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world become accountable to God” (Romans 3:19).
“because by the works of the Law no flesh shall be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).
The Law speaks “so that”…. “every mouth may be stopped and the whole world become accountable to God”. It is necessary for God to shut men’s mouths from self-justification. If He doesn’t, they will forever plead their goodness and innocence. If God doesn’t convict the sinner through having him measure his goodness to His Law, the sinner will assume he is the exception to the verse, “there is none righteous, no, not one”. For “through the Law comes the knowledge of sin”. Men are condemned, guilty, enemies of God and His righteousness, and slaves to sin, and it’s the duty of God’s Law to make this known to them. “The Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ” (Galatians 3:24). As in the case of the rich, young ruler, people can appear to be seeking Life in Christ, and yet not really be seeking Him as Savior (Luke 18:18-23). This young ruler may have desired eternal life, but he thinks himself to be righteous. He doesn’t realize he’s lost in sin. When Jesus tells him his righteousness is lacking something, he doesn’t repent, but instead walks away sad clinging to his wealth. Jesus didn’t tell the man to simply “ask Him into his heart”. He didn’t solicit a false conversion, as I’d imagine many would’ve if in His place. Jesus opened up the Law and uncovered a worship issue in this man’s life. “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3)… this young ruler worshipped his wealth.
Before a person can understand the work of Christ, they must first understand their relationship to God as an unbeliever; they must be given an opportunity to look into their own wicked hearts through the mirror of God’s Law. God’s holy requirements and man’s departure from them are our starting point. In hearing of God’s Law, and their condemnation, sinners begin to see who God is. God is not a lenient police officer. God is not like a strict grandpa. God is not like Santa clause. God is God!! God is “holy, holy, holy” (Revelation 4:8). God does not, and will never, compromise. God is unchanging, unwavering, and unable to overlook any transgression of His Law. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). God is not like us. Multitudes of people have already perished into hell fire, and multitudes will in the future. It’s important to remember, in evangelizing, that the gospel is primarily about God, and secondarily man. Mankind has suppressed the truth about God (Romans 1:18). Their understanding of God, from their youth, is inaccurate. “Gentiles also walk in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them” (Ephesians 4:17-19). So do not assume that unbelievers think rightly of God, judgment, or themselves. In fact, it would be biblical to assume just the opposite.
When a person understands their lost condition, who God is, and what awaits them, then they’re ready to receive the Good News. And don’t think it takes hours to reach this point in the conversation. Without rambling, just be honest with people. In just a few minutes God could use you to plow the soil of their heart with his Law, to make it ready to receive the seed of His gospel. Do they understand they need a Savior? If yes, then proclaim to them the reconciliation available in Christ, which comes through repentance, and faith in His atonement.
The good news is that God became a Man, and of His own will, suffered the agonies of hell in the place of all who would ever believe in Him. The punishment which awaited me, God the Son endured Himself. John Piper puts it this way, “He drank the cup of God’s wrath that would’ve taken an eternity to pour out on me”. Only an infinite God could endure this wrath. All the horrors which were to be mine, Jesus Christ endured in my place. In doing so, Jesus perfected for all time His own. “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). Christ accomplished the salvation of His people, thus He proclaims, “it is finished” (John 19:30).
“the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation by His blood through faith” (Romans 3:24-25).
Propitiation is a term which means “satisfaction”. The justice of God was satisfied (propitiated) in the death of Christ. Men could never merit salvation. God has ransomed sinners through the propitiatory sacrifice of His Son. Apart from the atonement of Christ, there exists no freedom from sin (John 8:34-36), relationship with God as Father (John 14:6), or salvation from hell (Acts 4:12).
UNDERSTANDING CONTEXT
So how do we prevent people from hearing verses like “call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved”, or, “whoever believes in Me shall not perish but have everlasting life”, and thinking a mental assent to acknowledge Christ’s death or vocally calling on Him will save them? How do we prevent people from thinking there’s a magic prayer that saves men? Well, the way to avoid such misunderstanding is to know and explain the context of each Scripture we quote. First off, all Bible verses must be taken in light of the entirety of Scripture. Isolating verses can be very dangerous. Also, by looking at the cultural contexts in which these verses were written, you will quickly see how one should understand them.
To call upon the “Lord” Jesus Christ is to bow to His Lordship. In desperation, and through God wrought desire, people “call” upon Jesus. To do so must entail repentance from sin. The first hearers of such a statement knew very well what it meant to declare Jesus as their Lord. “Lord” in our time however, is not a commonly used term, and therefore it’s not a well understood word. Jesus will not be the Savior of any He is not also Lord of (Matthew 7:21-23). To biblically call upon Christ is to surrender one’s will to Him. Next, to “believe” in the Lord Jesus Christ, just as in calling upon Him, a person has to have been brought to the place of understanding their need for Christ as their Savior and Lord. To “believe” in Christ is to place one’s full trust in Him as Lord and Savior. Only the repentant can “believe” in the Lord Jesus, because part of trusting His death includes obedience to Him. If I trust in Christ, I am relying upon Him for everything.
The people these verses were originally written to had a better understanding of them when they heard or read them. Any Roman citizens, in reading Romans 10:9-13, knew this proclamation of Jesus as their Lord could likely cost them their very life. If it didn’t cost them their physical life, it would undoubtedly bring upon them great persecution. So we do well to explain what we say or read, rather than assume the hearer understand what it means to “call” upon the “Lord”, or to “believe” in Him.
REPENTANCE AND FAITH
In proclaiming the gospel, Jesus and the Apostles all used the term “repent”. Repentance is a supernatural work of God wrought in a sinner’s heart, whereby he is brought to hate what God hates and love what God loves. In repenting, sinners turn from evil and to Christ. Repentance and saving faith go hand in hand. One cannot exist without the other. Both are requirements for salvation. Jesus isn’t just Savior; He’s Savior and Lord of His elect. Admitting and confessing sin are not the same as repenting from it. I can admit and confess my sin, but if God hasn’t wrought repentance in my heart, I won’t actually turn from it. This is where regeneration comes in. When a person repents and believes, they do so because they have been regenerated. God gives them a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26-27). This prophecy in Ezekiel, along with others (Hebrews 10:15-18- Jeremiah 31:33-34), are fulfilled in the new covenant. God, in saving people, regenerates their heart. There’s no such thing as a Christian who believes, but has yet to repent and be made a new creature. Obedience, which is the product of God’s regeneration and sanctification, is the evidence of a new heart. For as John says, “by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I know Him’, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-6).
“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).
The good news of Jesus isn’t that God has a wonderful plan for our lives, or that Jesus loves us. The good news of Jesus is that we are by nature children of God’s wrath, yet in His love, He has made a way for us to be pardoned through the redemption provided in Christ’s sacrifice. People can “come to Christ” for superficial or selfish reasons, and never actually be born-again, or “born from above” (John 3:3). Make sure you aren’t responsible for such a false conversion. Don’t water down the offensiveness of God’s truth. Christ sure didn’t. The Apostles didn’t. Consider the words of the Master Evangelist, “anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27), and again, “whoever of you doesn’t forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33).
Jesus also spoke of judgment and hell more often than He did of heaven. Was Jesus too negative? Were John the Baptist’s messages of repentance too negative? Friend, don’t pick and choose when it comes to sharing truth. It’s all needed, the hard parts and the easy parts. It’s all essential, the offensive parts and the not so offensive parts. Truth will inevitably offend people, but your approach and delivery should not.
Speak with grace and compassionate love… but by all means, don’t withhold truth!
IT IS GOD WHO SAVES
Because God has declared He placed His “power unto salvation” in the gospel (Romans 1:16), we must rightly conclude that only Divine power is able to convert a lost soul. Jesus put it this way, no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). “Can” refers to ability. Men are unable to be saved apart from the supernatural drawing of God the Father. People aren’t neutral towards God, they’re at enmity with Him. As we noted earlier, the will of fallen creatures is in bondage to sin (John 8:34, 44, Ephesians 6:20); their eyes are blinded to God’s truth (1 Corinthians 2:14); their hearts are wicked (Jeremiah 17:9, Proverbs 20:9); and spiritually, they’re not just sick, they’re dead (Ephesians 2:1-3). Because of this condition, “no one seeks God” (Romans 3:11). God must initiate the work of salvation (Philippians 1:6). God alone has the power to raise a spiritual corpse to life. God alone has the power to give sight to the spiritually blind. God alone has the power to liberate an enslaved will. Therefore, when we share the gospel, we must recognize that no amount of persuasion or manipulation can save someone.
Peter, as recorded in Acts 2, preached an uncompromised and powerful gospel message. He boldly pointed out sin, testified of judgment, exalted the nature of God, and proclaimed salvation through repentance and faith in Christ. But this message didn’t save anyone. Acts 2:41 records that there were 3,000 conversions that day, but notice carefully what is pointed out at the end of the chapter, “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). God must get all the glory in salvation because He’s only using us as His means. Within the hearts of those of Peter’s hearers who were being saved, the Holy Spirit was at work. Let us never overestimate our role in evangelism and leading people to Christ. God desires to, and delights in, using us, but He alone actually saves sinners. Your role in evangelism is significant because Almighty God has commanded you to “preach the gospel” and “make disciples”. He could’ve said, “preach the gospel… if you want to”! How glorious a truth, that the Sovereign Lord has called and enabled us to be used of Him, for such a marvelous work as salvation. We are dependant upon Him, and not vice versa. Take comfort in the fact that God is sovereign in salvation.
THE APPLICATION- ITS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE
Maybe you’ve already experienced this, but when a person desires to be obedient to the great commission, they are often met with much spiritual warfare. Satan and the forces of darkness will only lightly oppose you sharing your testimony, inviting someone to church, or telling someone God loves them. But when you decide to share the gospel, you may find you’re tempted to speak of everything but the gospel itself. It is the gospel message God has ordained the preaching of for the salvation of souls- don’t forget that! Avoid rabbit trails, keep focus, stick to the essentials, don’t allow yourself to get sidetracked on a million other topics of conversation. Ask questions, listen attentively, listen attentively, and listen attentively! Ask them if they have any spiritual or religious beliefs. Ask them if they believe in heaven and hell. Ask them what they think is necessary to gain entrance into heaven. Don’t offend them by being obnoxious and don’t think you have to force feed people truth. That’s not your duty. But at the same time, don’t be so passive that you pass up potential open doors for sharing.
“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for” (C.H. Spurgeon).
CONSIDERING SERIOUS MATTERS
I think we’d all agree that where a person’s relationship with God truly stands is by far the most important issue in all of life. Those who are yet to be regenerated, if they die in such a state, will be cast into hell.
Read carefully these words of Jesus:
“whoever says, ‘you fool’, shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell”
(Matthew 5:22).
“fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
“The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”
(Matthew 13:41-42).
“Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the hellfire prepared for satan and his angels” (Matthew 25:41-43).
“But these enemies of Mine, who did not want Me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in My presence” (Luke 19:27).
This is no light matter. And know this, some who think they’re going to heaven will not. Familiarize yourself with Matthew 7:13-23. In these verses we learn that both the door for entrance, and the road to heaven, are narrow. But many on the broad to destruction think they’re headed towards heaven. FEW walk the narrow path to glory (Matthew 7:14). For, “every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, you will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:19-20). There are necessary evidences for one to be assured of their salvation. Cross reference this truth with 1 John 2:3-6 quoted earlier. For Jesus says, “not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21-22). Did you catch the reason why these people were cast into darkness? Vs. 21, they didn’t practice obedience, and Vs. 22, they didn’t practice righteousness. They made the right profession, “Lord, Lord”, and they even performed some noteworthy works, but their hearts were not regenerated. Notice that Jesus doesn’t say they had backslid, or “though I once knew you, you made the choice to depart from Me”. No, He says, “I NEVER knew you”. No one who ends up in hell simply chose at some point, after once being saved, to walk away from the Lord. The fact is, they were never actually saved to begin with. For as John declares, “they went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19).
In our age, we must never forsake the gospel that Jesus and the Apostles preached. Don’t be responsible for giving someone a false assurance of salvation simply because they raised their hand at an evangelistic meeting, prayed “the sinner’s prayer”, or claim to be saved but aren’t really walking with the Lord presently.
If you have read all of this, I commend you in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, feel free to reply. I appreciate your willingness, and your desire to grow in your understanding of God's Word. I pray He makes this knowledge to bring forth an abundance of fruit in your life, to His glory! God bless you.
Soli Deo Gloria
"ETERNAL" Life pt.2
This is part two of an article I've written entitled "ETERNAL life". If you haven't read it already, part 1 is fairly short and, it'd benefit you in reading this to have read part 1 first.
In understanding what exactly “eternal life” is, we must rightly divide the word of truth, the Holy Scriptures. God’s Word contains in it what is a central theme in the arena of soteriology, or the study of salvation. To miss this central theme will negatively affect the whole of your theology. To overlook this crucial teaching will inevitably cause your theological understanding to be a bit too man-centered. This central theme, Biblically, forms the basis for our understanding of what eternal life truly is. That central theme is election. Election is God’s sovereign choosing of a people, before time began, to be His Son’s bride. In this election, God predestined the calling, justification, and glorification which He would bring to pass in each of His elect’s lives. We looked at it at the beginning of “ETERNAL life” pt. 1, from passages such as John 17:2, John 10:3, 26-28 and 2 Timothy 1:9. These were only a glance into this rich truth. Election is taught from Genesis to Revelation.
Because my aim in these articles is only to talk about what eternal life is, I will not be discussing in depth if Scripture teaches God's election is conditional or unconditional.
When God predestined people, He didn’t just predestine their initial conversion. Scripture is unmistakably clear on this. For instance, Romans 8:30,“and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified”.
This passage, historically, has been called the Golden Chain of Redemption. Before time began, God had the whole of each saint’s salvation completely planned out. God predestined our being called, our being justified, AND, our being glorified. Each aspect of our redemption has already been completed in the mind of God. If you’ve been born-again from above, yet still live on this earth, God, who is outside of time, already sees you as being glorified. THAT’S WHAT THIS VERSE IS TEACHING US!
Another powerful passage is found in John 6:“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (vs. 37). Who comes to Christ; those given to Him by the Father right? How many people who come to Christ had already been given to Him by the Father? All of them. How is that possible? It’s possible because every one of them was given to Christ before time began. If you need to, cross reference this right now with John 17:2, 9, 24. Our being given to Christ PRECEDED our coming to Him in faith. Notice what else Christ says about those who are given to Him; that He will not cast a single one of them out. He goes on to say His purpose in coming to the earth is to fulfill the will of His Father (6:38). And what is that will? Well it’s spelled out very clear in the following verse…
“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day” (John 6:39).
What’s the will of God the Father? That every person He gave to His Son, before time began, be raised up on the last day! Clear enough right? Is it even possible for Christ to NOT fulfill perfectly His Father’s will? Of course not. Who is Jesus in charge of raising up on the last day… ALL that God the Father has given Him!!! Can that possibly exclude any true saint? No it cannot.
One more verse in this passage will help solidify this truth for us.
John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day”.
Again we learn that people come to Christ ONLY BECAUSE they have been given to Him by the Father. In giving the elect to Jesus, God the Father is said to “draw” them. This “drawing” is a supernatural work of Almighty God. Apart from this drawing, as this verse explains, human beings are unable to come to Christ in faith. Why that is so I will have to explain in detail another time. For now it is sufficient to simply trust God's Word which says "no one CAN come to Me UNLESS...". Further, those who do come to Christ in faith as a result of their being drawn, are infallibly raised up on the last day.
When God predestined our conversion, He also predestined our sanctification. We know from Scripture that God has willed for us to persevere in sanctification and growth to the very end, as Jude tells us, "now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy" (Jude 24). Beloved of God, the One who is ABLE to keep us, as we learned in the earlier passages, has also WILLED that we be kept till glory. "He who began a good work in you WILL be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6). In fact, He proved that to us by giving us, as His bride, an engagement ring…
“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation- having also believed, YOU WERE SEALED IN HIM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE, WHO IS GIVEN AS A PLEDGE OF OUR INHERITANCE, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Oh dear saints, if you fail to recognize the whole of what God has done for you, your understanding is short sighted, and surely your joy is incomplete! Do you not see that God has SEALED you “in Him”? Did you earn the Holy Spirit? Of course not! Then can you keep Him through merit? NO! NO! A HUNDRED TIMES NO!!! If you truly be a regenerate, adopted child of God, you were purchased… it’s ALL been paid for. Don’t you realize that EVERY sin was paid for? “There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). And if you are to keep yourself in Christ through your own merit and faithfulness, do you not recognize you would have probably lost your salvation many times over already? Don’t you see the task is too great for you? In fact, ONLY the power of God can keep you…
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy HAS CAUSED US TO BE BORN AGAIN (similar to the drawing mentioned in John 6:44 right?!) to a LIVING HOPE… TO OBTAIN AN INHERITANCE…reserved in heaven FOR YOU, WHO ARE PROTECTED BY THE POWER OF GOD THROUGH FAITH for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-9)!!
If you have been born again, then God sealed you with His Spirit. He has predestined your salvation from beginning to end. It is ALL OF GRACE. Please repent if you’ve thought too little of God in this respect, even robbing Him of glory due Him. Please humble yourself and worship the God who saves wholly and completely!
When Jesus said “it is finished” (John 19:30), He meant it…
“For by one offering HE HAS PERFECTED FOR ALL TIME those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us… their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:14-18)!! SOLA GRATIA
In understanding what exactly “eternal life” is, we must rightly divide the word of truth, the Holy Scriptures. God’s Word contains in it what is a central theme in the arena of soteriology, or the study of salvation. To miss this central theme will negatively affect the whole of your theology. To overlook this crucial teaching will inevitably cause your theological understanding to be a bit too man-centered. This central theme, Biblically, forms the basis for our understanding of what eternal life truly is. That central theme is election. Election is God’s sovereign choosing of a people, before time began, to be His Son’s bride. In this election, God predestined the calling, justification, and glorification which He would bring to pass in each of His elect’s lives. We looked at it at the beginning of “ETERNAL life” pt. 1, from passages such as John 17:2, John 10:3, 26-28 and 2 Timothy 1:9. These were only a glance into this rich truth. Election is taught from Genesis to Revelation.
Because my aim in these articles is only to talk about what eternal life is, I will not be discussing in depth if Scripture teaches God's election is conditional or unconditional.
When God predestined people, He didn’t just predestine their initial conversion. Scripture is unmistakably clear on this. For instance, Romans 8:30,“and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified”.
This passage, historically, has been called the Golden Chain of Redemption. Before time began, God had the whole of each saint’s salvation completely planned out. God predestined our being called, our being justified, AND, our being glorified. Each aspect of our redemption has already been completed in the mind of God. If you’ve been born-again from above, yet still live on this earth, God, who is outside of time, already sees you as being glorified. THAT’S WHAT THIS VERSE IS TEACHING US!
Another powerful passage is found in John 6:“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (vs. 37). Who comes to Christ; those given to Him by the Father right? How many people who come to Christ had already been given to Him by the Father? All of them. How is that possible? It’s possible because every one of them was given to Christ before time began. If you need to, cross reference this right now with John 17:2, 9, 24. Our being given to Christ PRECEDED our coming to Him in faith. Notice what else Christ says about those who are given to Him; that He will not cast a single one of them out. He goes on to say His purpose in coming to the earth is to fulfill the will of His Father (6:38). And what is that will? Well it’s spelled out very clear in the following verse…
“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day” (John 6:39).
What’s the will of God the Father? That every person He gave to His Son, before time began, be raised up on the last day! Clear enough right? Is it even possible for Christ to NOT fulfill perfectly His Father’s will? Of course not. Who is Jesus in charge of raising up on the last day… ALL that God the Father has given Him!!! Can that possibly exclude any true saint? No it cannot.
One more verse in this passage will help solidify this truth for us.
John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day”.
Again we learn that people come to Christ ONLY BECAUSE they have been given to Him by the Father. In giving the elect to Jesus, God the Father is said to “draw” them. This “drawing” is a supernatural work of Almighty God. Apart from this drawing, as this verse explains, human beings are unable to come to Christ in faith. Why that is so I will have to explain in detail another time. For now it is sufficient to simply trust God's Word which says "no one CAN come to Me UNLESS...". Further, those who do come to Christ in faith as a result of their being drawn, are infallibly raised up on the last day.
When God predestined our conversion, He also predestined our sanctification. We know from Scripture that God has willed for us to persevere in sanctification and growth to the very end, as Jude tells us, "now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy" (Jude 24). Beloved of God, the One who is ABLE to keep us, as we learned in the earlier passages, has also WILLED that we be kept till glory. "He who began a good work in you WILL be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6). In fact, He proved that to us by giving us, as His bride, an engagement ring…
“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation- having also believed, YOU WERE SEALED IN HIM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE, WHO IS GIVEN AS A PLEDGE OF OUR INHERITANCE, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Oh dear saints, if you fail to recognize the whole of what God has done for you, your understanding is short sighted, and surely your joy is incomplete! Do you not see that God has SEALED you “in Him”? Did you earn the Holy Spirit? Of course not! Then can you keep Him through merit? NO! NO! A HUNDRED TIMES NO!!! If you truly be a regenerate, adopted child of God, you were purchased… it’s ALL been paid for. Don’t you realize that EVERY sin was paid for? “There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). And if you are to keep yourself in Christ through your own merit and faithfulness, do you not recognize you would have probably lost your salvation many times over already? Don’t you see the task is too great for you? In fact, ONLY the power of God can keep you…
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy HAS CAUSED US TO BE BORN AGAIN (similar to the drawing mentioned in John 6:44 right?!) to a LIVING HOPE… TO OBTAIN AN INHERITANCE…reserved in heaven FOR YOU, WHO ARE PROTECTED BY THE POWER OF GOD THROUGH FAITH for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-9)!!
If you have been born again, then God sealed you with His Spirit. He has predestined your salvation from beginning to end. It is ALL OF GRACE. Please repent if you’ve thought too little of God in this respect, even robbing Him of glory due Him. Please humble yourself and worship the God who saves wholly and completely!
When Jesus said “it is finished” (John 19:30), He meant it…
“For by one offering HE HAS PERFECTED FOR ALL TIME those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us… their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:14-18)!! SOLA GRATIA
"ETERNAL" Life pt.1
Let's look at the Biblical meaning of "eternal life". How one understands this will greatly affect how they view God, salvation, and themselves. This is then an extremely important topic to properly understood.
Praying to His Father, Jesus says, "even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to ALL WHOM YOU HAVE GIVEN HIM, He may give eternal life" (John 17:2). Let's exegete this passage a little. First of all, Jesus, as the humble God Man, declares His submisison to God the Father... "You gave Him authority". Secondly, we learn just what the Father gave Him authority over, and to do. We learn this through the parallel He makes of His authority over all of mankind, with His authority to "give eternal life" to every person the Father has "given Him". If you're lost already, please reread all of that lol. This text is crucial in understanding what exactly "eternal life" is. There are many, many passages which teach the same thing. That is, that God the Father, before time began, gave to His Son a people. It was this people that Jesus prayed about, and for, in John 17. God the Father had an infallible purpose, which Christ carried out, in this eternal covenant they made. That purpose was to redeem a people.
Somewhat of a parallel passage, doctrinally speaking at least, is found in John 10:
"To him (The Shepherd) the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out" (10:3).
This is an absolutely incredible passage of Scripture! Hear what Christ's says, "He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out". But leads them out of where? Go back, starting in verse 1... He's leading them out of the control and care of "false shepherds". Because it says He calls them BY NAME, we certainly must conclude this passage speaks of individual calling and election. This text leaves no room for any sheep, which He calls BY NAME, to not at least be led out of the false shepherds care. The Shepherds calling of His sheep, notice, precedes their being led out. The sheep are led out BECAUSE they are called by name.
Later in the same chapter, Jesus says:"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I GIVE ETERNAL LIFE TO THEM, AND THEY WILL NEVER PERISH; and no one will snatch them out of My Father's hand" (10:27-28).
Why do the sheep follow? Because they know their Shepherds voice. Is everyone a potential sheep then? That is an impossibility according to this text (and a multitude of others). If all COULD be His sheep, then the sheep's decision to follow would precede their hearing Him. But thats not Biblical. The sheep follow BECAUSE they are His, are known by Him, and hear His voice.
Some might say, "I agree the sheep can't be snatched out of the Father's hand, but surely they can walk away themselves". But you miss the whole point of the passage! What does it say before it says they can't be snatched out?.... "they will never perish". That is as cut and dry as it gets. Christ's sheep come to Him because they hear His voice. Others don't BECAUSE, as Jesus said, they are not His sheep (10:26). Just as He said in John 17, so also this says... Christ's sheep have been GIVEN eternal life. By that I say, they did not play a part in earning it; it was a gift. Not an ounce of merit helped secure this eternal life. In fact, this eternal life was promised to them, "before time began":
"God, who has saved us (past tense) and called us with a holy calling, NOT ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS, but according to His own purpose and grace which was GRANTED US in Christ Jesus BEFORE TIME BEGAN" (2 Timothy 1:9)!!! It was "granted" to us, "not according to works, but according to His purpose and grace"; and, it was granted "before time began". That's what we call the Doctrine of Election, or as is better named, the Doctrine of Unconditional Election. Salvation is ALL of grace!
"Eternal" life is "aionios" in the Original Language of Greek. It's a word which speaks of perpetuity. It's that which cannot cease, nor be anything else. It's a term used of the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 10:14... "the ETERNAL Spirit through which He (Christ) offered Himself without blemish to God". Could the Spirit of God ever cease to be eternal? Of course not. Eternality cannot be lost.
Because salvation cannot be earned, nor deserved, as is clearly taught all throughout Holy Writ (Ephesians 2:8-9), we are foolish to think it can be held onto through human merit, performance, and effort. If we could lose our salvation... WE WOULD. Consider these passages:
"by His doing you are in Christ Jesus" (1 Corinthians 1:30).
"saints BY CALLING" (1 Corinthians 1:2).
"Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:8).
"To those WHO ARE THE CALLED, beloved in God the Father, and KEPT for Jesus Christ" (Jude 1).
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy" (Jude 24).
To be continued...
Praying to His Father, Jesus says, "even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to ALL WHOM YOU HAVE GIVEN HIM, He may give eternal life" (John 17:2). Let's exegete this passage a little. First of all, Jesus, as the humble God Man, declares His submisison to God the Father... "You gave Him authority". Secondly, we learn just what the Father gave Him authority over, and to do. We learn this through the parallel He makes of His authority over all of mankind, with His authority to "give eternal life" to every person the Father has "given Him". If you're lost already, please reread all of that lol. This text is crucial in understanding what exactly "eternal life" is. There are many, many passages which teach the same thing. That is, that God the Father, before time began, gave to His Son a people. It was this people that Jesus prayed about, and for, in John 17. God the Father had an infallible purpose, which Christ carried out, in this eternal covenant they made. That purpose was to redeem a people.
Somewhat of a parallel passage, doctrinally speaking at least, is found in John 10:
"To him (The Shepherd) the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out" (10:3).
This is an absolutely incredible passage of Scripture! Hear what Christ's says, "He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out". But leads them out of where? Go back, starting in verse 1... He's leading them out of the control and care of "false shepherds". Because it says He calls them BY NAME, we certainly must conclude this passage speaks of individual calling and election. This text leaves no room for any sheep, which He calls BY NAME, to not at least be led out of the false shepherds care. The Shepherds calling of His sheep, notice, precedes their being led out. The sheep are led out BECAUSE they are called by name.
Later in the same chapter, Jesus says:"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I GIVE ETERNAL LIFE TO THEM, AND THEY WILL NEVER PERISH; and no one will snatch them out of My Father's hand" (10:27-28).
Why do the sheep follow? Because they know their Shepherds voice. Is everyone a potential sheep then? That is an impossibility according to this text (and a multitude of others). If all COULD be His sheep, then the sheep's decision to follow would precede their hearing Him. But thats not Biblical. The sheep follow BECAUSE they are His, are known by Him, and hear His voice.
Some might say, "I agree the sheep can't be snatched out of the Father's hand, but surely they can walk away themselves". But you miss the whole point of the passage! What does it say before it says they can't be snatched out?.... "they will never perish". That is as cut and dry as it gets. Christ's sheep come to Him because they hear His voice. Others don't BECAUSE, as Jesus said, they are not His sheep (10:26). Just as He said in John 17, so also this says... Christ's sheep have been GIVEN eternal life. By that I say, they did not play a part in earning it; it was a gift. Not an ounce of merit helped secure this eternal life. In fact, this eternal life was promised to them, "before time began":
"God, who has saved us (past tense) and called us with a holy calling, NOT ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS, but according to His own purpose and grace which was GRANTED US in Christ Jesus BEFORE TIME BEGAN" (2 Timothy 1:9)!!! It was "granted" to us, "not according to works, but according to His purpose and grace"; and, it was granted "before time began". That's what we call the Doctrine of Election, or as is better named, the Doctrine of Unconditional Election. Salvation is ALL of grace!
"Eternal" life is "aionios" in the Original Language of Greek. It's a word which speaks of perpetuity. It's that which cannot cease, nor be anything else. It's a term used of the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 10:14... "the ETERNAL Spirit through which He (Christ) offered Himself without blemish to God". Could the Spirit of God ever cease to be eternal? Of course not. Eternality cannot be lost.
Because salvation cannot be earned, nor deserved, as is clearly taught all throughout Holy Writ (Ephesians 2:8-9), we are foolish to think it can be held onto through human merit, performance, and effort. If we could lose our salvation... WE WOULD. Consider these passages:
"by His doing you are in Christ Jesus" (1 Corinthians 1:30).
"saints BY CALLING" (1 Corinthians 1:2).
"Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:8).
"To those WHO ARE THE CALLED, beloved in God the Father, and KEPT for Jesus Christ" (Jude 1).
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy" (Jude 24).
To be continued...
Who chooses who?
To some degree, and at some point, every true Christian must deal with John 6.
Why is it that Jesus said, "no one CAN come to Me, unless it has been granted to him by My Father" (John 6:65)? Grammatically it’s quite simple. Just think back to junior high and what your english teacher might’ve said to you if you asked her "can I go to the bathroom?" You might’ve heard something like, "I’m sure you can and you also may!" So why the correction? Well, because "can" speaks of ability, while "may" speaks of permission. God isnt saying men dont have permission, and that that's why it has to be granted by the Father. He’s saying they "can’t" for some reason.
The Bible teaches "no one seeks God", in the context of some very staggering truths about fallen man (Romans 3:10-18). From this, "no one seeks God", we must conclude that those who seem to seek God, or do seek God, were/are either not seeking God Himself but are maybe seeking an idol, or, they’re led by God Himself to seek Him. The latter brings to mind John 6:44, "No one CAN come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him". Again we hear from Christ that they exists an unability in man to come to Him. In fact, the word translated "draws" literally means "to drag" in the Greek.
Why exactly "can’t" anyone come to Christ apart from God’s drawing? Is it because God won’t let them? Or, is it because they in themselves are not able to? And if they’re unable to, why are they unable to? Whose preventing them? Are they being prevented by God, by themselves, or by some other outside force? Is it related to all of makind's being dead spiritually (Ephesians 2:1)? Does it have anything to do with the fact that the will of man is enslaved to sin and satan (John 8:34,44, Eph. 2:2))? Is it because spiritually dead beings are unable to even comprehend spiritual truth (1 Corinthians 2:14)? Jesus said, which parallels 1 Corinthians 2:14, that no one can "see" the Kingdom of heaven unless he is born from above, or in other words, born spiritually. The word "see" literally means "unable to comprehend or perceive" the Kingdom of heaven. Now if these are all related, and God must enable a person, draw a person to Christ, and give them spiritual life to comprehend His spiritual truth... does God do this for everyone? If yes, does He allow those who reject the gospel, after being drawn and brought to spiritual life, to go back to spiritual death and blindness. Is it Biblical to say that God brings to life some sinners, who, after rejecting the gospel go back to spiritual death?
Now, if "no one seeks God", and those who do only do after God has gave them spiritual life to see, and drawn them to Christ to choose, then is it reasonable to conclude that the "will" of man is not actually free to choose Christ, but is unable to, due to its enslavement to lesser and evil desires/inclinations? When Paul stated that "no one seeks God", he stated that, apart from God’s regenerating grace, no one would ever "will" to choose Christ. Lastly, look at John 6:37: "All that the Father gives Me, will come to Me". The "coming" of the saints to Christ is preceded by the "giving" of them by the Father. Does the Father give all people to Christ? On what basis are the given, given to Christ? Was this something planned before creation? The Scriptures reveal that this was an eternal covenant between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. John 6:37 is tough to chew for many evangelical teachers. But it’s all pretty clear isn’t it? If you reference John 6:37 to Romans 8:30, we see that not only did God predestine people, but in this predestination He, in His infinite mind, called, justified and glorified His elect. "For those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified; and those whom He justified, He also glorified". There’s a parallel to be found between these two texts (John 6:37 and Romans 8:30). In God’s mind, every person He predestined, He predestined to call, justify, and glorify. Every one. Not one that He planned on calling will He not justify, and ultimately glorify. Those He calls are the ones He gives to Christ (John 6:37). Without fail, "ALL that the Father gives" Christ, "will come to" Him.
"ALL that the Father gives Me WILL come to Me".
Do we then set aside the decision a person makes in receiving Christ? No! But we give God all the glory for it, literally. For a person to choose Christ, his will must be inclined (set free) to do so. A spiritual corpse has no such inclinations, nor can it...because it loves and lives for self.
"to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— children born NOT OF natural descent, NOR OF HUMAN DECISION OR WILL, BUT BORN OF GOD" (John 1:12-13). The spiritual birth is not a mere human decision. The power to quicken the minds and wills of dead men belongs to the omnipotent God of creation alone (2 Corinthians 4:6). We must preach an uncompromised gospel as believers, because in it God has put His "power unto salvation" (Romans 1:16). And we preach this uncompromised gospel, in love and grace, with unwavering boldness, because we know Who alone actually saves people!
If this is a tough truth for you to understand or embrace, or if you have any questions, please feel free to ask anything or comment on this. From the sincere love of Christ which abounds in my heart for my brethren, I have no desire for vain debate. I do, however, believe the truth of God’s Word ought to be clearly understood by His saints, and therefore view discussion and clarity as being necessary and edifying. Disagreement does not exclude love, it merely presents opportunity to reflect the true nature of love. For love to be love, it must be in accordance with truth. The same One who is love is also "the Truth" (John 14:6). To sit back under the banner of "love" and embrace unity through compromising truth (ecumenism), is to misunderstand love completely. Thanks for taking the time to read this. SOLI DEO GLORIA
Why is it that Jesus said, "no one CAN come to Me, unless it has been granted to him by My Father" (John 6:65)? Grammatically it’s quite simple. Just think back to junior high and what your english teacher might’ve said to you if you asked her "can I go to the bathroom?" You might’ve heard something like, "I’m sure you can and you also may!" So why the correction? Well, because "can" speaks of ability, while "may" speaks of permission. God isnt saying men dont have permission, and that that's why it has to be granted by the Father. He’s saying they "can’t" for some reason.
The Bible teaches "no one seeks God", in the context of some very staggering truths about fallen man (Romans 3:10-18). From this, "no one seeks God", we must conclude that those who seem to seek God, or do seek God, were/are either not seeking God Himself but are maybe seeking an idol, or, they’re led by God Himself to seek Him. The latter brings to mind John 6:44, "No one CAN come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him". Again we hear from Christ that they exists an unability in man to come to Him. In fact, the word translated "draws" literally means "to drag" in the Greek.
Why exactly "can’t" anyone come to Christ apart from God’s drawing? Is it because God won’t let them? Or, is it because they in themselves are not able to? And if they’re unable to, why are they unable to? Whose preventing them? Are they being prevented by God, by themselves, or by some other outside force? Is it related to all of makind's being dead spiritually (Ephesians 2:1)? Does it have anything to do with the fact that the will of man is enslaved to sin and satan (John 8:34,44, Eph. 2:2))? Is it because spiritually dead beings are unable to even comprehend spiritual truth (1 Corinthians 2:14)? Jesus said, which parallels 1 Corinthians 2:14, that no one can "see" the Kingdom of heaven unless he is born from above, or in other words, born spiritually. The word "see" literally means "unable to comprehend or perceive" the Kingdom of heaven. Now if these are all related, and God must enable a person, draw a person to Christ, and give them spiritual life to comprehend His spiritual truth... does God do this for everyone? If yes, does He allow those who reject the gospel, after being drawn and brought to spiritual life, to go back to spiritual death and blindness. Is it Biblical to say that God brings to life some sinners, who, after rejecting the gospel go back to spiritual death?
Now, if "no one seeks God", and those who do only do after God has gave them spiritual life to see, and drawn them to Christ to choose, then is it reasonable to conclude that the "will" of man is not actually free to choose Christ, but is unable to, due to its enslavement to lesser and evil desires/inclinations? When Paul stated that "no one seeks God", he stated that, apart from God’s regenerating grace, no one would ever "will" to choose Christ. Lastly, look at John 6:37: "All that the Father gives Me, will come to Me". The "coming" of the saints to Christ is preceded by the "giving" of them by the Father. Does the Father give all people to Christ? On what basis are the given, given to Christ? Was this something planned before creation? The Scriptures reveal that this was an eternal covenant between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. John 6:37 is tough to chew for many evangelical teachers. But it’s all pretty clear isn’t it? If you reference John 6:37 to Romans 8:30, we see that not only did God predestine people, but in this predestination He, in His infinite mind, called, justified and glorified His elect. "For those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified; and those whom He justified, He also glorified". There’s a parallel to be found between these two texts (John 6:37 and Romans 8:30). In God’s mind, every person He predestined, He predestined to call, justify, and glorify. Every one. Not one that He planned on calling will He not justify, and ultimately glorify. Those He calls are the ones He gives to Christ (John 6:37). Without fail, "ALL that the Father gives" Christ, "will come to" Him.
"ALL that the Father gives Me WILL come to Me".
Do we then set aside the decision a person makes in receiving Christ? No! But we give God all the glory for it, literally. For a person to choose Christ, his will must be inclined (set free) to do so. A spiritual corpse has no such inclinations, nor can it...because it loves and lives for self.
"to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— children born NOT OF natural descent, NOR OF HUMAN DECISION OR WILL, BUT BORN OF GOD" (John 1:12-13). The spiritual birth is not a mere human decision. The power to quicken the minds and wills of dead men belongs to the omnipotent God of creation alone (2 Corinthians 4:6). We must preach an uncompromised gospel as believers, because in it God has put His "power unto salvation" (Romans 1:16). And we preach this uncompromised gospel, in love and grace, with unwavering boldness, because we know Who alone actually saves people!
If this is a tough truth for you to understand or embrace, or if you have any questions, please feel free to ask anything or comment on this. From the sincere love of Christ which abounds in my heart for my brethren, I have no desire for vain debate. I do, however, believe the truth of God’s Word ought to be clearly understood by His saints, and therefore view discussion and clarity as being necessary and edifying. Disagreement does not exclude love, it merely presents opportunity to reflect the true nature of love. For love to be love, it must be in accordance with truth. The same One who is love is also "the Truth" (John 14:6). To sit back under the banner of "love" and embrace unity through compromising truth (ecumenism), is to misunderstand love completely. Thanks for taking the time to read this. SOLI DEO GLORIA
The Doctrine of Hell
"The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:41-42).
What excuse do Christians have for not warning the wicked about hell?
Are we such shallow, selfish people, that we don't take the time to grasp, to a degree which inspires compassion and action, the realities of hell?
What stops you from warning people of the most horrific reality known to man? Is it your convenience you will not have bothered? Is it your comfort you will not allow to be shaken? Are you too caught up in your own life? Listen carefully, do you really think that Christians have the right to keep to themselves such terrible news?
Imagine if I could see at a distance a bus headed quickly towards a street corner, which corner, just off the curb and on the road, stood an elderly woman. Because there is a construction sign in the bus driver's way, he cannot see the woman. I am within shouting distance from the woman, and have just enough time to warn her. If I don't, that bus will slam directly into her, and mangle her frail body. How despicable a person would I be if I just kept to myself, turned, and walked away?
But Christians forsake the Biblical command to warn the wicked of the terrible wrath to come everyday. Is that not exceedingly more despicable? This wrath of God will absolutely crush the wicked. It will be torturous and terrible. The worst of pain and suffering on this earth can't even be considered on the same plain as the torments of hell. It's indescribebable, and completely unimaginable. Our minds would melt if we were to even catch a glimpse of hell. We would be wholly consumed if we could grasp, to any true and significant degree, the true horrors of hell. This agony and torment was sufficient to crush the Son of God... how much more a weak, feeble, finite creature. And yet this experience of being crushed never reaches a point of completion... it goes on, and on, and on, and on. No relief, no help, no mercy, just furious wrath!
In light of this truth, what is the point of trying to entice the sinner by promising them fulfillment? Most methods of evangelism make little to no reference of hell at all. How unbiblical... how selfish...and yet how common. It's sad beloved. It's absolutely tragic. Do you want to hang something out on a hook for the sinner to grab, which is biblical? Then tell them they must lose their life! Tell them they must count the cost! Tell them they must take upon themselves an instrument of death (a cross: Matthew 10:38-39). Tell them they must forsake absolutely everything, or else they cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:33). "God has a wonderful plan for your life" is not the gospel, nor is it Biblical to hang out their for the sinner to grab as bait. The Gospel is a message of reconciliation. Without this reconciliation, the sinner will be damned, cast into hell, and tortured under the eternal wrath of Almighty God!
Warning people about hell is not being negative, it's needful if you want to be Christ-like. It's not being negative, it's being compassionate, real, and merciful. Jesus loved sinners enough to proclaim judgment and condemnation to them! Do you love them that much? Or is your love superficial? Is it the kind of love which withholds truth? Is it the kind of love that thinks being on people's good side will somehow lead to their conversion eventually? That's not Biblical, and it's not Christ-like. Jesus was rejected, primarily, because He didn't compromise the gospel.
"No man can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44). God draws people to Christ. "EVERYONE who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me" (John 6:45). In soul winning, you need not fear driving sinners further from Christ through proclaiming truth in love. Understand that God has chosen to use the gospel (Romans 1:16) to save sinners. When you tweak and adjust God's message, you might just be adding tares to the wheat field of God. Sinners can come to Christ for superficial reasons, never repent, never really believe, and fall into the verse I quoted at the beginning of this blog (Matthew 13:41-42). Beloved, there are many tares among the wheat, and I believe a huge part of that problem is due to the gospel message being falsely proclaimed worldwide. Don't be guilty of this! Trust in the message which proclaims the wretchedness of sinful man, the due wrath awaiting him, the lone means of salvation, and the command to repent and believe!
Jesus said, "You do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand" (Matthew 10:26-28). His sheep will hear His voice! His sheep are taught by God the Father (John 6:45)! His sheep are drawn, and can't even come to Him unless they're drawn (John 6:44)! So let us rest in the sovereign work of salvation, which is God's work. And yet let us remember the role we've been called to play in that process. He teaches through us often, does He not? Let us love sinners and warn them of the awful future which awaits them. Let us lay aside our own assumptions, follow the Biblical model, and emphasize the terrors of His Judgment. Upon hearing the bad news of the reality of man's depravity and God's wrath, sinners will be ready to learn of the Good News! All to the glory of God!!
What excuse do Christians have for not warning the wicked about hell?
Are we such shallow, selfish people, that we don't take the time to grasp, to a degree which inspires compassion and action, the realities of hell?
What stops you from warning people of the most horrific reality known to man? Is it your convenience you will not have bothered? Is it your comfort you will not allow to be shaken? Are you too caught up in your own life? Listen carefully, do you really think that Christians have the right to keep to themselves such terrible news?
Imagine if I could see at a distance a bus headed quickly towards a street corner, which corner, just off the curb and on the road, stood an elderly woman. Because there is a construction sign in the bus driver's way, he cannot see the woman. I am within shouting distance from the woman, and have just enough time to warn her. If I don't, that bus will slam directly into her, and mangle her frail body. How despicable a person would I be if I just kept to myself, turned, and walked away?
But Christians forsake the Biblical command to warn the wicked of the terrible wrath to come everyday. Is that not exceedingly more despicable? This wrath of God will absolutely crush the wicked. It will be torturous and terrible. The worst of pain and suffering on this earth can't even be considered on the same plain as the torments of hell. It's indescribebable, and completely unimaginable. Our minds would melt if we were to even catch a glimpse of hell. We would be wholly consumed if we could grasp, to any true and significant degree, the true horrors of hell. This agony and torment was sufficient to crush the Son of God... how much more a weak, feeble, finite creature. And yet this experience of being crushed never reaches a point of completion... it goes on, and on, and on, and on. No relief, no help, no mercy, just furious wrath!
In light of this truth, what is the point of trying to entice the sinner by promising them fulfillment? Most methods of evangelism make little to no reference of hell at all. How unbiblical... how selfish...and yet how common. It's sad beloved. It's absolutely tragic. Do you want to hang something out on a hook for the sinner to grab, which is biblical? Then tell them they must lose their life! Tell them they must count the cost! Tell them they must take upon themselves an instrument of death (a cross: Matthew 10:38-39). Tell them they must forsake absolutely everything, or else they cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:33). "God has a wonderful plan for your life" is not the gospel, nor is it Biblical to hang out their for the sinner to grab as bait. The Gospel is a message of reconciliation. Without this reconciliation, the sinner will be damned, cast into hell, and tortured under the eternal wrath of Almighty God!
Warning people about hell is not being negative, it's needful if you want to be Christ-like. It's not being negative, it's being compassionate, real, and merciful. Jesus loved sinners enough to proclaim judgment and condemnation to them! Do you love them that much? Or is your love superficial? Is it the kind of love which withholds truth? Is it the kind of love that thinks being on people's good side will somehow lead to their conversion eventually? That's not Biblical, and it's not Christ-like. Jesus was rejected, primarily, because He didn't compromise the gospel.
"No man can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44). God draws people to Christ. "EVERYONE who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me" (John 6:45). In soul winning, you need not fear driving sinners further from Christ through proclaiming truth in love. Understand that God has chosen to use the gospel (Romans 1:16) to save sinners. When you tweak and adjust God's message, you might just be adding tares to the wheat field of God. Sinners can come to Christ for superficial reasons, never repent, never really believe, and fall into the verse I quoted at the beginning of this blog (Matthew 13:41-42). Beloved, there are many tares among the wheat, and I believe a huge part of that problem is due to the gospel message being falsely proclaimed worldwide. Don't be guilty of this! Trust in the message which proclaims the wretchedness of sinful man, the due wrath awaiting him, the lone means of salvation, and the command to repent and believe!
Jesus said, "You do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand" (Matthew 10:26-28). His sheep will hear His voice! His sheep are taught by God the Father (John 6:45)! His sheep are drawn, and can't even come to Him unless they're drawn (John 6:44)! So let us rest in the sovereign work of salvation, which is God's work. And yet let us remember the role we've been called to play in that process. He teaches through us often, does He not? Let us love sinners and warn them of the awful future which awaits them. Let us lay aside our own assumptions, follow the Biblical model, and emphasize the terrors of His Judgment. Upon hearing the bad news of the reality of man's depravity and God's wrath, sinners will be ready to learn of the Good News! All to the glory of God!!
Theology?
My deep concern right now is that a deception looms over the broader evangelical world, which says that theology and doctrine are secondary concerns at best, and unecessary to be focused on at all, at worst. This mindset, though often only due to ignorance, undermines the very core of our Christian faith.
It must be recognized that God has chosen to speak to His people through a Book, and that this Book obviously must be read. Therefore, we can know for certain that God calls His people to be a thinking people. But more than that, this Book contains knowledge in it which can be difficult to understand. For even Peter said, "Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters... in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:15-16). First, let us recognize that Peter affirms Paul's writings as Scripture, when he puts them in a category with "the rest of the Scriptures". Secondly, Peter clearly affirms that the Bible does in fact contain teachings in it which are difficult to understand.
There's a false assumption in existence which thinks we're called to just send as many missionaries out onto the field as possible, and as quickly as possible. But did not Jesus disciple the eleven for three years? Was there not much learning to be done? Was not Paul discipled by Christ for years? Did not Paul train and teach Timothy prior to sending him out? Beloved, I echo the truth Paul Washer so boldly states in regards to this issue: "Missions is not about sending missionaries; missions is about sending truth". Do we compromise on doctrine in the name of Kingdom service? Do we compromise on doctrine in the name of Christian love and unity? If so, be assured it is a false love and unity being held.
God demands to be worshipped "in spirit AND TRUTH" (John 4:24). But how often do we neglect studying the nature of God? How often do we fail to teach new believers about WHO the God of the Bible is? He is not just "love" as many proclaim. The fullness of God's nature must be taught to believers and unbelievers alike. If you cannot list the Biblical attributes and characteristics of God, essential to true worship (with some verse references), then please, to your knees with His Word!
In Colossians 1:5, Paul says, "of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you". How often is the gospel proclaimed in error? Essential elements are neglected, while a substitute is presented. The gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it saves those who God calls to Himself. Friends, the gospel message is often mispresented because some don't take the time to study it and learn what it is (Ephesians 6:15).
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman, one who does not need to be ashmamed, accurately handling the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). Oh precious saints... ought you to be ashamed for neglecting the word of truth? This command applies to us all! Are you guilty of studying and learning just enough to get by? Or God forbid, not at all! TAKE THE TIME to glean and gain inspiration from godly men of old. Truth is old. "New" truth is no truth at all. In years past God used many men for His glory. These men were Theologians, Revivalists, Pastors, Teachers, lovers of God and lovers of truth. I encourage you to study and read the works of such men as: C.H. Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, John Calvin, Samuel Rutherford, Jeremiah Burroughs, Walter Chantry, James Petigru Boyce etc.
Standing before a council, the high priest charged the apostles with, "filling Jerusalem with doctrine" (Acts 5:28). Could that charge be brought against you? Or are you, in stark contrast to the Apostles, being "carried about by every wind of doctrine"? Let us be able to "both exhort with sound doctrine, and refute those who contradict" (Titus 1:9).
The false notion mentioned at the beginning of this "note" tends to carry the idea with it that being too into theology will only make your head swell with pride. But how foolish! True theology ought only to drive you to your knees in humility. True theology is what the church and the world need. Through it God equips us for service, missions, evangelism, outreach, discipleship etc. But more than that even, through sound doctrine we commune with the Living God, and are conformed by Him into the image of His Son. Christ was never for any type of unity which compromised truth. God ordained for us to know Him first and foremost through learning of Him. Tremble at His Word, and yet know that Christ stepped behind the veil so that we might as well! Reverently seek the deep things of God! Solid doctrine and Biblical theology, if carefully applied in our daily lives, will result in God being glorified. And isn't that our one true aim in life? Soli Deo Gloria!
Thomas Karrer
It must be recognized that God has chosen to speak to His people through a Book, and that this Book obviously must be read. Therefore, we can know for certain that God calls His people to be a thinking people. But more than that, this Book contains knowledge in it which can be difficult to understand. For even Peter said, "Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters... in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:15-16). First, let us recognize that Peter affirms Paul's writings as Scripture, when he puts them in a category with "the rest of the Scriptures". Secondly, Peter clearly affirms that the Bible does in fact contain teachings in it which are difficult to understand.
There's a false assumption in existence which thinks we're called to just send as many missionaries out onto the field as possible, and as quickly as possible. But did not Jesus disciple the eleven for three years? Was there not much learning to be done? Was not Paul discipled by Christ for years? Did not Paul train and teach Timothy prior to sending him out? Beloved, I echo the truth Paul Washer so boldly states in regards to this issue: "Missions is not about sending missionaries; missions is about sending truth". Do we compromise on doctrine in the name of Kingdom service? Do we compromise on doctrine in the name of Christian love and unity? If so, be assured it is a false love and unity being held.
God demands to be worshipped "in spirit AND TRUTH" (John 4:24). But how often do we neglect studying the nature of God? How often do we fail to teach new believers about WHO the God of the Bible is? He is not just "love" as many proclaim. The fullness of God's nature must be taught to believers and unbelievers alike. If you cannot list the Biblical attributes and characteristics of God, essential to true worship (with some verse references), then please, to your knees with His Word!
In Colossians 1:5, Paul says, "of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you". How often is the gospel proclaimed in error? Essential elements are neglected, while a substitute is presented. The gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it saves those who God calls to Himself. Friends, the gospel message is often mispresented because some don't take the time to study it and learn what it is (Ephesians 6:15).
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman, one who does not need to be ashmamed, accurately handling the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). Oh precious saints... ought you to be ashamed for neglecting the word of truth? This command applies to us all! Are you guilty of studying and learning just enough to get by? Or God forbid, not at all! TAKE THE TIME to glean and gain inspiration from godly men of old. Truth is old. "New" truth is no truth at all. In years past God used many men for His glory. These men were Theologians, Revivalists, Pastors, Teachers, lovers of God and lovers of truth. I encourage you to study and read the works of such men as: C.H. Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, John Calvin, Samuel Rutherford, Jeremiah Burroughs, Walter Chantry, James Petigru Boyce etc.
Standing before a council, the high priest charged the apostles with, "filling Jerusalem with doctrine" (Acts 5:28). Could that charge be brought against you? Or are you, in stark contrast to the Apostles, being "carried about by every wind of doctrine"? Let us be able to "both exhort with sound doctrine, and refute those who contradict" (Titus 1:9).
The false notion mentioned at the beginning of this "note" tends to carry the idea with it that being too into theology will only make your head swell with pride. But how foolish! True theology ought only to drive you to your knees in humility. True theology is what the church and the world need. Through it God equips us for service, missions, evangelism, outreach, discipleship etc. But more than that even, through sound doctrine we commune with the Living God, and are conformed by Him into the image of His Son. Christ was never for any type of unity which compromised truth. God ordained for us to know Him first and foremost through learning of Him. Tremble at His Word, and yet know that Christ stepped behind the veil so that we might as well! Reverently seek the deep things of God! Solid doctrine and Biblical theology, if carefully applied in our daily lives, will result in God being glorified. And isn't that our one true aim in life? Soli Deo Gloria!
Thomas Karrer
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
