God is not distant

  Deism is an 18th Century heresy which espouses that God, although having created the universe, really doesn't do anything.  According to this view, God created us and left us to do whatever we want, and He doesn't care at all.
  This heresy is most comfortable to believe, and tickling to the ears, for it satisfies the intellectual problems that would be created by an atheistic worldview, while allowing those who believe it to live in sin as much as they want.
  Now may I suggest that perhaps, we have incorporated some aspects of this damnable heresy into our way of thinking?
   Now hold on a minute, you may say, I know better than that! Of course you do. So does every Christian on the face of this earth! But just hear me out. There may be a reason behind my apparent madness.
   When Jesus and His disciples were out on the sea, Jesus went to take a nap, and while He was sleeping, a big tempest of a storm blew up.  The disciples awoke Him, fearing for their lives (and quite forgetting who it was they had on board!).  Jesus responded: Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? And he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm (Matt. 8:26).
   The disciples of Christ had committed the same error that we often commit - they had doubted that Jesus would actually save them from that dreadful tempest.  They cried out "Lord, save us, for we perish!", but they said it out of fear, not of faith.
   We often tend to perceive God as distant, forgetting that His spirit dwells within us. When the storms of life arise and engulf us, all we can see is the problem, and not the solution.  Even though God promises to do great things, and even work out everything for good in the lives of them that love Him (Rom. 8:28), we see no way in which we can have victory.
   I have stressed this previously, and I will stress it again - it is imperative that we make God the Father, and Jesus Christ His Son, the center of our thinking.  He is not distant!  His Spirit dwells within us! Let us never for a moment allow ourselves to forget this.  For the moment we start picturing God as the deists did, trouble starts to happen.  It is much easier then for us to be tempted with doubts, as well as being tempted to sin.
   Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).  We must trust God, although everything else may seem uncertain. 
    Let us not therefore wallow in defeat, when we could be marching in victory. Let us not lay down the armor of God, and fight using our bare hands. May we instead recognize that the eternal God is WITH US ALWAYS, even to the end of the world (Matt. 28:20).  He shall not suffer our foot to be moved (Psa. 121:3).
  

God does NOT mess with us.

  There seems to be some rather strange balderdash floating around the Christian community.  Namely, an unspoken disrespect for the Word and  promises of God Almighty.  Even those who profess to fully believe God's words seem not to go unaffected by this unbelief.  I must confess, I too have been affected by it.
   What am I talking about exactly? I am talking about a lack of faith in God's promises to us.  If we truly and fully realized the purpose and import of the gospel, it would change us completely.  If we truly believed every word the Bible said, things would be a lot different than they currently are.
   I encourage the reader to go read the book of Acts - it is simply amazing. After the Spirit of God was poured out on the Apostles in abundance, amazing things began to happen. On the day of Pentecost, three thousand souls were saved. Miracles, signs, and wonders were done, and the preaching was powerful and inspired by the Holy Spirit.  The Apostles were bold and full of faith.  In the chapters that follow Acts 2, we see this uncompromising boldness in the apostles. They were not afraid, even though the world hated them.  The Word of God spread, first among Israel, then to the Gentiles.  Sin was dealt with head-on, hardly in a seeker-friendly way!
   When we read Acts, we look at it and go, "Wow, these guys truly had God working among them!" Then we look at churches today and wonder what is wrong. What is the problem?  Why do we seem to wallow in defeat, when we could be walking in victory?
   The problem is at least in part that our focus is wrong.  If we were to truly realize the full purpose and import of the gospel, a lot of things would change.
   God is sovereign and all powerful.  There is none above Him, and there is none that can change His mind or alter His promises.  He is always true to His word, and He cannot lie. This is underscored in the Bible to the point that we cannot reasonably dispute it.
   Why then do we feel a need to doubt His promises? God promised us that He Himself would be with us to the end of the world (Matt 28:20), that He would pour out his Spirit upon us (Joel 2:28), and that if we had faith the size of a mustard seed we could literally remove mountains (Matt. 16:8).  He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could even ask or think (Eph 3:20).  In Christ we have victory (1 Cor. 15:57). Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).  If the gospel is true, we have absolutely nothing to fear, in this life, and in the one to come. Christ has already won.  The forces of evil have already been conquered through Christ's death.
   Do we truly believe this, or is God just messing with us by giving us promises that we cannot keep?
Think about it.

God is awesome

  We all know that there are certain attributes of God that we cannot fully understand, such as the fact that he is eternal (having no beginning nor end), all-knowing, all-powerful, and completely sovereign.  There is none above Him, there is none who created Him, there is none who has ever appointed Him King over all the universe - He just is God! Trying to think of this using our own fallible and limited logic simply does not work. He defies our logic, and puts it to shame.
  There is no naturalistic way we could properly explain the cause of our existence.  For in order for something to be made, there must be a maker.  And the maker cannot just exist on his own - something or someone must have made him as well! Such is the logical fallacy of trying to explain our existence apart from God.
  God does not adhere to the laws of physics - He created them.  God does not adhere to time - He made time, and operates outside of it.  God has no beginning - thinking of this is unfathomable.  He has no end  - thinking of this is equally as unfathomable.
   In the end, then, every physical law we know of was instituted by God.  And our fallible minds, trained to operate within the physical realm of reasoning, cannot comprehend things which defy physical laws.
   Consider, for example, eternity.  This is most relevant to us, for we ourselves, as God's Children, have been promised that we will be raised on the last day, to die no more.  If one truly thinks about this, it can be terrifying.  I tell you this because I know firsthand. The fact that we have been promised life eternal by the King of Kings (and God cannot lie, for He is true to His word) can cause great fear in some.
  I will confess to you now - I cannot explain eternity, and I will not attempt to.  It is something which we cannot understand.  How can God have no beginning or end? How is it even possible for something to have no beginning, nor an end? Here on this earth, we think of absolutely everything as having a beginning and an end, whether it be a camping trip, the lifespan of a new computer, the duration of a career, and even life itself.  But where God abides, things do not at all work in this way! 
  So how great a miracle, then, is it, that God sent His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, who existed with God the Father from all eternity, to walk on this earth, as a man? Many enemies of the faith have argued that it is impossible for eternal God to do such a thing, but with God all things are possible.
  When we understand the full extent, to which Christ humbled Himself, it makes us look upon Him with awe.  He emptied Himself of all the glorious majesty he had from before the foundations of the world were ever laid.

      Phillipians 2:5-11 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

  Thank you for taking the time to read my musings.  May God bless you richly.

Christ - the only atoning sacrifice

  Today I will be touching on a very crucial issue central to our faith - the means by which we are justified - and I will look at several scripture passages which talk about this issue.
  The question asked, first by the Phillipian Jailer, and by millions of poor souls since, is: What must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:30)
   It is a question for which many different men of many different ages have proposed many different answers.  Many have supposed that if we do enough good works or live righteously enough, that will be enough to get us into heaven.  Others say that we if we were to fast, pray a certain number of times a day, and do penance, God will save us.  Others yet teach that if we die for God's sake, he will let us into heaven. But will doing any of these holier things truly bring us salvation?  Most, if not all the major theistic religions of the world teach that we must do works of some sort to obtain salvation and deliverance from hell. But is this really the case?
  Think about it - if we were guilty of rebellion against a holy and righteous God, do we think that doing as many good works as possible would even lessen the eternal consequences of our rebellion?  How much more, then, would those good works atone for our sin?  If a criminal has been found guilty of multiple cases of first-degree murder, and he was sentenced to three life sentences, would doing as many good things as he could prior to his imprisonment somehow cut down on the time he would spend in prison?
  The truth is, man is guilty before God. There is nothing man can do to remedy the situation.  By works shall no flesh be justified.  Those who try to justify themselves by doing good works are doing about as much good to themselves as a vehicle stuck in a snowdrift spinning its tires in an attempt to get out.
 God is holy (Lev. 11:44).  He demands justice to be served (Ex. 20:5).  Without shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins (Heb. 9:22).  Hence, an atonement must be made.  In the Old Testament, this was done through continual sacrifices of animals.  These were temporary sacrifices, which prevented God's wrath from abiding on those covered by them - and they all looked ahead to the Great Sacrifice, God's own Son Jesus Christ, who would cover the sins of his people once and for all. He is able ... to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Heb.7:25)
  It is only by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and the blood which he spilled that we can obtain redemption. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. (Eph. 1:7).
   Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

  The statutes and ordinances commanded by God of the Israelites are a schoolmaster, to bring them to Christ (Gal. 3:24).  The law shows people their depravity and utter hopelessness, and their need of Christ's redemption.  The law brings people to faith in the only One who can save them.

  Unbelievers today nail Jesus again to the cross, and want Him dead.  They cannot stand Him.  They cannot stand to believe, even for a moment, that they are lost, depraved, guilty, and worthy of condemnation to the uttermost.  Indeed, the gospel is offensive. There is nothing more damaging to one's pride than the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it forces us to admit that we on our own cannot do anything, being lost, and the only way we can be justified is by faith through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  But God is bigger than we are, and He has already decreed the name by which we must be saved - Jesus Christ.  Men can try to create their roads ways to God, but as hard as they try, the roads that they create (as diverse as they might be) all end up at the same place - hell.

  This is what sinners need to hear.  Not some feely-goody motivational sermons, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified.  The name of Christ is the most blasphemed name in all the earth, and His people are the most hated in all the earth, but we must not let these things stop us.  For although the whole world be against us, God is still for us, and He will reign supreme.  In him, we have the victory.  What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (Rom. 8:31).

  Therefore, let us give ourselves completely up to God, for greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Because of Him, we can rejoice, and take pleasure in even the bleakest circumstances. Let us therefore go forth, for the victory has already been won.

  

   

I am coming soon ... ?

   A favorite argument of nonbelievers is that Jesus and His apostles predicted a soon return of Christ, and since He has not returned in the 2000 years since His death, He has obviously failed His promise.  This argument is an obvious favorite because it provides a rather persuasive way to explain away Christ and the gospel.  Furthermore, there are several texts that seem to strongly suggest that Christ and His apostles did in fact predict a soon return of Christ.
  Revelation 3:11 Behold, I come quickly (rendered “I am coming soon” by many versions) hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
  Philippians 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Matthew 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
  Before I get to explaining this seeming contradiction, I should say that our faith is in Christ alone.  We do not neglect or forsake the Word of God simply because there is something in it that seems to be a contradiction. We know in whom we have believed, and He does not make mistakes.  There are many hardened unbelievers out there who search the scriptures to find some seeming contradiction to exploit.  Those who are predisposed to find contradictions will find them.  Nonbelievers cannot properly understand the scriptures, since the natural man cannot understand spiritual things. (1 Cor 2:14)
  Having said that, let us take a look at the aforementioned scriptures.  I was reading revelation 3 yesterday, and it was getting to me that Jesus kept saying “I come quickly”. So I did what all educated people do – an internet search.
    I discovered this theology called preterism , that many adhere to.  According to Wikipedia:
 Preterism as a Christian eschatological view interprets some (Partial Preterism) or all (Full Preterism) prophecies of the Bible as events which have already happened. This school of thought interprets the Book of Daniel as referring to events that happened in the 2nd century BC, while seeing the prophecies of Revelation as events that happened in the first century AD. Preterism holds that Ancient Israel finds its continuation or fulfillment in the Christian church at the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
 The term preterism comes from the Latin praeter, which Webster's 1913 dictionary lists as a prefix denoting that something is "past" or "beyond". Preterism teaches that either all or a majority of Bible prophecy had come to pass by AD 70. Adherents of preterism are commonly[quantify] known as preterists.
 
  According to this view, some or all of the new testament prophecies referring to the end times and Christ’s return were referring to the destruction of Jerusalem.  In that view, Christ, in a figurative sense, did ‘come soon’.
   Is that a necessary conclusion?  Must we resort to such a strained eschatological viewpoint to explain away this seeming contradiction?
   As I read, I discovered that the phrase ‘I am coming soon’ ought to be translated as the KJV does (I come quickly) or ‘I come suddenly’.  For this is actually the more accurate translation of the phrase.
   If you want more information about this, check out the following article: (It explains a lot of things I certainly do not feel like explaining ;)
  http://www.thingstocome.org/tachu.htm
In conclusion, I would urge the reader to trust in the Lord with all his heart, and lean not on his own fallible understanding. For God is bigger than we are, and he certainly did not make any mistakes when writing His Word.

Jesus - the Only Way

  If there is a most hated truth in all the world, this is it - that Jesus is the only way.  This truth is hated, cursed, and spat upon by all nonbelievers.

  However, even Christians have a hard time accepting this truth.  They point out that a loving God cannot possibly have allowed hundreds of generations worth of natives in North America and uncivilized tribes in the jungles of Africa to  perish in hell due to their ignorance of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

  This evening I will commit what may as well be the worst transgression against this world - upholding Christ as the only way in which we can find salvation.

  Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

 John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

 John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

 Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

  To argue against Jesus as the only way to heaven is to argue against the scriptures.  Therefore, let us uphold this truth, rather than deny it.

  As for those gentiles who spent thousands of years without the gospel - who do we think God is?  God created every man who has ever lived, and he is capable of revealing Himself to those who seek Him.  There have been cases where He has done so, apart from human interference. Granted, this is rare, since man's ignorance of these things is a result of their initial rejection of God.

  What I am saying in this rather short post is that we need to stop explaining away this important truth.  What we need right now is not more compromise, but more truth.  We need people who are willing to uphold the truth of the gospel, no matter what the world says.

  Preach the gospel already, and stop puttering around and trying to douse the fires of Hell. 

I could say much more on this subject, but it is not necessary. It is time we accept even the hardest truths of the bible - those most hated by the world.  

  Romans 10:13 - 15: 

 "...whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

  I will hopefully say more in these upcoming days. Have a blessed week,

 

Answering a Fool according to his folly

Today, I am going to something really bad - I will answer a fool according to his folly. In doing so, defend the Word of God against the attacks of the enemy.
  Before I proceed, allow me to quote Proverbs 26:4 - 5:

 Answer not a fool according to his folly,

lest thou also be like unto him.

 Answer a fool according to his folly,

lest he be wise in his own conceit.

   In this case, I am not answering a fool according to his folly that I may be like him, nor am I answering him that I may cause him to stop being wise in his own conceit.  Rather, I am answering him according to his folly, lest others become like unto him.
   So here we go ...

   

No Christian out there has any need to worry about this argument, for it hinges on one assumption - that God didn't write the Bible.  If God didn't write the bible, what he said here would make a bit of sense, but if God DID write the bible, this is nothing short of heinous and damnable blasphemy.

  The Bible stresses the actuality of its inspiration in the strongest terms:

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

Revelation 22:18 - 19  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

  We believe that God wrote the Bible, and since God wrote the Bible, none of these factors even matter.  For if God can work through uneducated fishermen and kings alike to bring the gospel to a lost and dying world, he is quite capable of preserving his word.

  Was the Bible re-written? and re-re-written? and added to and subtracted from?

The Bible clearly forbids people from just randomly adding to the Bible. When Moses, as an old man, spoke to those who were to inherit the promised land, he said this :"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." (Deut. 4:2)

 Furthermore, we are warned in Proverbs 30:6: "add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar".

 With such warnings, I hardly think that that people would have added and subtracted from the Word of God at will.

Satan asked Eve, "Did God really say?".  This question is screamed at us today.  From the university classroom to the TV to even the pulpit, the Word of God is forever brought into question. If what the Word says is true, this should not surprise us.  For satan is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4).  Hence, all his agents in the world would like nothing better than to tempt us who are saved with the same question that caused Eve to sin.  

  Let us not entertain the doubts that are constantly hewn at us.  We believe that the Word of God is true, and let us never cease to do so.

Some Apologetics ...

 
   I am most certainly a fool by the world's standards.  I reject the unanimous consensus of modern scholarship, as well as the conclusions of the majority of the world's scientists. Modern psychology I reject as balderdash, yet I claim to know the truth.  How can I know that I am right?  How can I be certain that I know the truth?
   Allow me to present a rather shoddy illustration. What if Ezekiel didn't write this blog? What if he opened up a blank 'new post' page in Blogger, and left the computer alone for the day. What if, then, all the books that were haphazardly stacked upon the shelf above the keyboard and mouse came crashing down, and somehow banged down upon all the right characters on the keyboard to make this blog? And after that happened, Ezekiel came back, decided that this blog was good enough to publish, and published it. Who of you are willing to believe that?
   Anyone with a reasonable mind would reject the above story as utter balderdash. Clearly, I wrote this blog, and it was not created by a bunch of books falling successively onto the keyboard.
  Then why is it, that such fallacious reasoning is taken, and applied to much more weighty matters, such as our very existence?  Why, such reasoning cannot even be logically applied in the smallest matter! Why then would someone apply it to a matter as important as the origins of the universe?
  Evolution and the Big Bang are both logical, scientific, and mathematical impossibilities. The universe was created by God, and it is very plain to see.  It is all the plainer to see when one has to resort to such ridiculous reasoning to explain God away.
  Allow me to say that the very concept of our existence defies human logic.  There is absolutely no worldview by which we can logically explain our existence. Apart from a supernatural event, there is no way in which we could even exist. Hence, atheism falls flat on its head.  But if we believe in God, it all makes sense, for all that was made was created from nothing, because God (who is outside of the physical realm and thus not subject to the physical laws which he instituted) had the power to do so.
   In this day and age, people are beginning to wake up from the militaristic rationalism taught in the twentieth century, that so fiercely defied God.  However, instead of turning directly to God and repenting for their stringent unbelief, they will turn anywhere but to God. The rule of society is: "Everything goes, except Jesus".
   In today's western society, truth is passed off as relative.  What is true to you might not be truth to me.
  This fallacious logic, applied to any other area of life, would bring about ridiculous results. I am currently looking at the computer screen.  I am typing using a keyboard, and I will click 'Publish' when I am done, using the mouse.  You would all agree with me, that I needed these things to properly write this blog. Otherwise, you would obviously not be reading this.  But what if someone believes the screen I am looking at is an illusion?  And in reality I am typing on a non-existent keyboard?  Trying to believe such things is ridiculous, for every reasonable man will agree that if I was not using these things, but merely illusions of them, they would not be reading this blog, for it was never actually written! If moral relativity does not logically apply to any practical area of life, how much more would it apply when it comes to spiritual matters?
     Despite professing to be morally relative, there are certain 'truths' society which society demands we adhere to. Society rejects those who reject these 'truths'. Among them, we are to believe that Jesus Christ is not the only way by which we can obtain salvation.  We are to believe that the Word of God is not what it claims to be. If we believe those things (in direct opposition to the Christian faith), we can truly become friends with the World.
   However, we have chosen to live in direct opposition to what society considers acceptable.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2)
   The very exclusive opposition society harbors toward the Christians faith ought to say something.  Whilst they are willing, in this post-modern age, to embrace any and every belief system, the Christian faith is completely rejected.  This should come as no surprise, for Jesus Himself said the world would hate us (John 15:18-23).  Hence, Christianity is excluded from the postmodernist's nest of worldviews.
   Why is this so? Jesus gives the answer when He says "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: No man cometh unto the father, but by me.  If there is anything carnal man hates to hear, it is that there is only one way to God. For man, in his unregenerate state, would rather attempt to create his own way to God then to accept the way which has already been made by the blood of Jesus Christ, the son of God.
   The problem is not the evidence - I could go and write unendingly, trying to prove my faith so that unbelievers may realize they are wrong and believe in Christ. I tell you, I would not convert one sinner to Christ with unending apologetic arguments. God has already revealed Himself to mankind in His word, and if man wilfully refuses to hear that, they could not be persuaded even if one rose from the dead (Luke 16:31).
   Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).  It is only by preaching the word, and the gospel that is contained therein, that people will come to faith in Jesus Christ.  I am not undermining the usefulness of apologetic arguments, but rather saying that apologetics in themselves will not save anyone.
  Let us continue to spread the gospel, as we are called to do, and using apologetics if necessary, but remember that God's word will not come back to Him void, but it will accomplish all that He pleases (Isaiah 55:11).
 

Walking in Love

This post has nothing to do with valentine's day .....trust me ...
  It may seem as if it were sheer coincidence, but today I will be talking about what it means to love one another.
   John 13:34 - 35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 
   Love is a way in which the true Children of God are identified. We, as believers, are to love one another unconditionally. The Bible asserts this under the clearest possible terms.  (If in doubt see John 15:12, 17, Romans 12:10, 13:8, Galatians 5:13, etc.)
   God is love (1 John 4:8). If God is love, and we are his children, then our lives should be characterized by love towards others.  Indeed, he that loveth not knoweth not God. (That's the first part of 1 John 4:8).
  What is love?  It is an emotion? Is it affection?
 Love, as used in the Bible, takes on a different definition than that which we apply to Love today. The word 'Love' gets the rather sad definition "An intense feeling of deep affection". The verb form of it is even sadder:
"[to] feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment".
   For once, I feel inclined to disagree with the dictionary. Love as described in the Bible does not lend itself to the shallow definitions of the modern dictionary.  It has a much deeper meaning than that.
   The Greek word for love is agape. Agape, although translated 'love' in our English Bibles, has a radically different definition.
   " selfless love of one person for another without sexual implications (especially love that is spiritual in nature)"
    It is this agape love which we are to have toward others.  Paul does a good job defining it, so I will spend the remainder of this blog quoting him.
   (Note: This is quoted from the KJV, which renders the word 'charity'.  As you see, the KJV translators will well justified in doing so)
    "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
  God bless you all, and have a great week :).

Judge Not . . . ?

  To what extent are we to judge? Are we permitted to judge at all? If so, in what context are we to judge?
Today's post will attempt to answer these questions biblically.
  People often quote Matthew 7:1 (Judge Not, lest Ye be Judged), and from that basis argue that all judging is non-biblical,and that we should leave such things to God alone. Indeed, judging is something people often do purely for selfish reasons. It is cruel, and unloving, and just not the 'Christian' thing to do.
   Or . . . is it?
 Firstly, an honest reading of the first portion of Matthew 7 is in order, so we can see what Jesus is actually talking about here.
   "Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.  3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4.  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Matthew 7:1-5)
   Whilst we see the famous words "Judge not" in verse 1, if we actually take the time to read the following verses, we see that Jesus is not talking about just any kind of judging, but he is talking about hypocritical judging. Jesus assures us in verse 2, that the standards we hold others to, those same standards shall be held to us.  Paul echoes this thought in Romans 2.
  "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?" (Romans 2:1-3)
   Later in the same passage, Paul defines this more clearly:
 "21. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22. Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 23. Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?" (Romans 2:21-23)
  My point in quoting the above scripture is this:  We cannot judge others of things that we ourselves are guilty of, for such is hypocrisy.  God hates hypocrisy, and those who fail to live to their own standards whilst adamantly demanding others to live by those standards will be judged. Such is the point of Matthew 7:2, as well as several other passages of Scripture (Such as the whole of Matthew 23).
   Let us now look at verses 3 - 5 of Matthew 7.  Did you notice that we are actually commanded to judge?
Let us read it again. "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4.  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."
  We are (in certain situations) commanded to judge. In this case, the prerequisite is that we are completely innocent of the offence for which we are reproving someone else of.
   The question, really, is not whether we are permitted to judge.  The Bible makes it quite clear that we are (1 Cor. 5:12, John 7:24, 1 Thess. 5:21, Gal. 6:1). But what are we supposed to judge? Does not God judge?  Why then must we judge?
   There are two types of Judging which are commanded to do (More on the second type in just a moment). We are to judge those believers who fall into sin.  We are lovingly restore such a person to fellowship with God and union with the believers.
This is evident from the following scriptures:
  1 Timothy 5:20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
 Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Jude v. 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
 James 5:19-20 "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20. Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."
 This kind of judging is obviously supposed to be done in a spirit of love. We judge a sinning believer because we love him and want him to repent.  We are supposed to do it carefully, lest we become caught up in the very same sin from which we are trying to save him.
  Sadly, such judging can get pretty nasty. A very unrepentant and immoral person in the Corinthian Church caused Paul to tell the Church to put away from themselves that wicked person. However, even in such extreme cases, we are to demonstrate love to such a person, and accept them back when they repent. The point of banishing the person in the first place is to bring him to repentance. I recommend that you read 1 Corinthians 5.
  The second type of Judging we are commanded to do is judging doctrine. 1 John 4:1-3 says this. "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God; 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."
  Here, John is instructing those under his wing to test that which they hear. It is interesting to note that what he wrote here was in direct opposition to the Gnostic heresy, which gained momentum towards the end of the first century, peaking in the second century after the apostles' death. They taught exactly what John was branding as 'antichrist', namely, that Jesus Christ, as the eternal Son of God, did not come in the flesh, but rather was a man, who had the divine 'christ' enter into him upon his baptism, to leave him at his crucifixion. It was a destructive heresy which was worming its way into a lot of churches. John wanted his people to know that such teaching was heretical and of the devil, and they should be exercising discernment in everything they do, that such false teaching would not deceive and beguile them.
  Likewise, we need to be aware today, for false prophets abound, and are everywhere.  Heresies have spread in every way, shape and form. False teaching abounds wherever we look. We, as Christians, must judge what we hear. We cannot, for a moment, afford to be naive.
  How do we know which teaching is of God, and which is of the devil?
 As John said above, every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh (And hence is God incarnate) is of God. Every spirit which denies this is literally the spirit of the antichrist (satan).
  Furthermore, is the teaching you are hearing consistent with what you read in the Bible?  Is the teacher even using scripture?  It is imperative that we know that the Bible says. "Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee." (Psa. 119:11) If God's Word is not hid in our heart, we are much more likely to be deceived, and fall into error.
   When hearing sermons, or reading books, we should be prayerful about what we hear.  We have been given the Spirit of Christ, and He helps us discern whether what we hear is error.  Jesus promised that He, the Spirit, would lead us into all truth (John 16:13).
  Having the Word and the Spirit to help us discern error, we have no excuse for being led astray. We have no excuse for being naive. God has given us what we need to judge between truth in error. Let us therefore not attach ourselves to false teachings, even if they seem to be of the smallest sort. Remember, if 95% of what you believe is correct, God still disagrees with you 5%.  (With due apologies to my friend Elijah for plagiarizing his statement. I'm sure he'll understand ;)
   Finally, we are admonished to Put on the full armor of God. In doing so, we are able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  I shall close with Ephesians 6:10 -18.
   "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints"

  God bless you all :)
 
FOOTNOTE: And for those 'zealots' like me who like to go around poking at what they consider 'bad; theology, please do not take this lesson as incentive to attack your straw theology with renewed motivation.  I am talking about the defence of doctrine fundamental to the faith, not peripheral doctrines which everyone seems to have their own interpretation of.

ANOTHER FOOTNOTE:  I really welcome feedback from my readers!  If you have anything to say, (well, anything worth saying) please do go ahead and say it.  If you have any questions, concerns, or corrections, you can either reply in the comments or email me at ezekielthiessen7@gmail.com.  If you really liked this post, or if you really like my blog in general, go ahead and spread it abroad, using any medium you deem fit.

 
 
 

 
 

The Gospel, Part 2

Yesterday we explored the law, and how it leads people to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Today, I will speak of the 'good news' aspect of the Gospel.

Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

1 Timothy 1:15 “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all expectation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief”.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 8:12 “. . . I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life”

John 10:27 – 29 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto Them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My father, which gave them [to] me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand.”

John 11:25 – 26 “ . . . I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die . . .”

Romans 8:31 “What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:38 – 39 “For I am persuaded, than neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor death, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Oh, what love God pours out on those who believe on Him! Those who have been saved by grace through faith have every right to claim the above promises.

Such is the gospel. Christ Jesus came to redeem man from sin and the curse of the law. Through Him we have access to every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3), redemption and the forgiveness of sin (Eph. 1:7), and we are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). Once we have faith in Him, we are Justified (Rom. 5:1), our faith being imputed to us as righteousness (Rom. 4:24). We shall never perish, nor can anyone pluck us out of the Father's hand, for He is greater than all (John 10:28, 29).

I write these things, because it is simply amazing how often we forget them. The assurance that God is for us should fill us with joy to the uttermost! The amazing fact that God showed His love to us, even while we were yet dirty, rotten sinners should fill us with gratitude and thankfulness. We cannot repay Him for what He did, but here is what we can do:

Romans 12:2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Think carefully about the above verse. What is he asking us to do? He is asking us to surrender ourselves to him, as if we were a living sacrifice. Such is our reasonable service, or as other translations have put it, acceptable worship.

I believe, that if we all focused more on the Gospel of Christ (ultimately, on Christ Himself), a lot of the problems the Church is facing today would be greatly alleviated. Instead of having every sort of theological debate possible, why do we not just preach the gospel of Christ? I understand that doctrine is important, and we are to content earnestly for the doctrine of Christ, but at the same time I am against theological debates started simply because someone felt like winning an argument. I must confess, I am guilty of selfishly starting such debates, and I am very sorry for ever doing so, as it served no purpose, nor glorified Christ, nor advanced His Kingdom. The Bible speaks very severely of those who are divisive, and I will do my utmost not to get into such arguments again.

I will continue speaking about the gospel tomorrow, specifically as it pertains to the unity of the body of Christ.

The Gospel

It was a cold, chilly day. Darkness hung over the land. Outside Jerusalem's gate could be seen a hill, and upon that hill were three crosses. Upon the cross hung three men, condemned to death by crucifixion.

Suddenly, the Man on the cross in the middle cried out 'It is finished!'. At this cry, the ground shook, the veil of the temple was ripped in two, and many saints rose from the dead and appeared to many.

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We all know this story. Do we not read the accounts of the crucifixion every Easter? Yet if we stop to consider the significance of what Jesus actually said, it would most surely deepen our gratefulness to him for what he did for us.

Allow me for a moment to explain why Jesus said “It is finished”. What is finished? His life on earth? Yes. But that is not what he meant.

Let us now look at Jeremiah 31:31 – 34. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to take them out of the land of Egypt; why my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: but this shall be the covenant that I shall make with the house of Israel: after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and [I] shall be their God, and they shall be my people.

This prophecy found its fulfilment in Jesus Christ, who instituted the new covenant. When he cried 'It is finished', he was, in essence, saying that his redemptive work had been completed, and that man now had access to God by faith. The void was filled, and the curse of the Law was forever abolished.

What does this mean to us if we never understand the function of the law? Many times the Law is skipped over in one's presentation of the gospel, yet the Law is necessary, for it makes man realize their need for Christ. Galatians 3:24 states “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” The law is there to convict us of our sin, and our overall inability to please God by works and apart from grace. Those who break even one point of the law are seen as if they broke the entire law (James 2:10). Hence, all men are guilty, completely depraved, and subject to the wrath of God Almighty.

The gospel, is good news to mankind, but you cannot skimp over the aforementioned 'bad news', namely that mankind is guilty before God. For if someone is not aware of that aspect, it is no use preaching to him that Jesus died on the cross. This, I believe, is a major problem among some evangelicals today. They preach a custom-made feel-good gospel. They say all the good-sounding stuff (God is for you, Jesus died for you, God just wants to lavish his love on you, etc.) How can anyone truly understand their need for Christ, lest we tell them that apart from Christ, they are lost? We must give the whole counsel of God.

The grace of God is simply amazing. The very thought that God would send His only begotten Son to earth to suffer and die for us should put us in awe. Did God not have a right to leave us to perish? After all, we are the ones who sinned against him. God could have said “There is no way I am sending my son to such a vile and wicked people”. But He had mercy on us! Praise his name!

To put things into perspective, imagine for a moment that God had not sent His Son. Imagine living every day, conscious of the fact that we messed up and God would send us to hell as soon as we died, and that we would burn there forever. Would that not be terrible, knowing that there was no atonement for our every trespass?

Our knowledge of the gospel should cause us to be extremely thankful to God, for he actually sent His son to die in our place. Jesus' blood cleanses our every sin (Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:14). And not only do we have forgiveness of sins, but the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3). God has shown amazing love to us, even though we deserved nothing better than the fires of hell.

If there is anything we should take from this, it is that we are to walk worthy of this glorious calling of the gospel (Eph. 4:1). We are not repaying Jesus from the cross, but rather, we are surrendering ourselves to Him who showed us so much love. Surrender is our worship (Rom. 12:1), not simply singing a hymn or praise song.

I hope you were all blessed by these thoughts. God bless you.

Faith, Part 2

Quite a while has passed since the writing of my last post, and I finally have decided to write once more. In this post I will be exploring faith from the perspective of salvation.

    We are justified by our faith, and by our faith alone. (Rom. 5:1)  Such is the clear teaching of the new testament.   When we have faith in Jesus Christ, we do not regard him as a mere probability, but as the everlasting King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He becomes, to us, the supreme reality on which all other realities merely depend. He is the eternal Son of God, who became flesh and made atonement for mankind, shedding His blood, dying, and rising again.  He lives in the presence of the Father, making intercession for us. (Rom. 8:34)

     We are not saved by saying a 'sinner's prayer', making a 'decision for Christ', 'walking the aisle', or being raised in a Christian home. For none of these things in themselves entail faith, and no one becomes a Christian as a result of these things. It is the divine, God given faith which saves us.

    It is a mystery - how when the moment we truly believe, the Lord God justifies us, pronounces us not guilty, and makes us right before him.  But this is what he has promised to do, and God does not lie.  We can do all the works in the world to try to make ourselves right with God, but alas! it is to no avail.  Many have gone down the path of trying to do good works in the hope of meriting the favor of God, but it simply does not work.

  When we are saved, must we then try to repay Jesus for the cross? No! We are not perfected by the flesh, when we have begun by the spirit! (Gal. 3:3) We must live our Christian life in the same way in which we are saved, by faith, allowing God to work through us while we lean on him and trust him fully.

Thank you for reading these thoughts. I know that they were written in a rather abstract and haphazard way, but I hope you were blessed by them nevertheless.