Joy in Christendom

A College Student's Righteous Struggle

I received the following question from a good friend of mine.  I was very grateful to receive it as it is a sign and reminder of the struggle that we should all have.  I wonder if our "sanctification" is all too easy and taken for granted, but then I am reminded that people really do wonder, struggle and wrestle with difficult things - a true sign that the Spirit is at work.

Here is his question:

Dearest brother David, how art thou! K so, Ima try my best to phrase the question I was trying to ask :)

So here is the conflict:
Whenever I bring my sins before the Lord, I recognize what sin is and that I am a sinner, and I remember that Christ has taken their weight and punishment from me already. I pray this, but inside my head there is this nagging thought that hits me every time, telling me that I don't fully believe this. I feel as if I am saying, "Thank you Christ for dying for my sins, but I only deserve to go to hell because you created me so."

How can I be born (essentially with no choice) deserving nothing but hell? I could accept understand better the concept of deserving eternal punishment if I feel like I had a choice to sin or not, but the problem lies with me feeling my only choice is to sin.

So therefore when I am given relief from eternal punishment, I am inclined not to feel the fullness of joy and thankfulness I should, as I am only dug out of the hole I was put in.

This sounds extremely greedy and unthankful of me, but its the reality of how I feel and these questions are stopping me from feeling grace how I should, and from giving God the praise he deserves. I don't want to feel this way when I ask for forgiveness, and I guess I just want a way to accept or understand that I am believing a lie. But this lie looks so true. Anyways, yeah so thats the nuts and bolts, I'm sure the issue will become less of one through sanctification, but for now its eating me up.

Thanks for reading :P

Yeah, Bob, this is a good thought.  I can see that you don't take Christ lightly and you don't see the Faith as something silly or trivial.  I've always been encouraged by your thoughtfulness.

When I read over this, I hear a lot, perhaps more than you are meaning to say.  I believe that you are struggling with two things.  First, you don't see how utterly Holy the Lord Almighty is, and secondly, you are struggling to see how utterly holy you are not.  Yes, on an academic level you get it; you know how to say the right things, you get TULIP and the other "isms", but when I read statements from you like "dug out of the hole I was placed in", and "how can I be born, with no choice, deserving hell", there appears to be a disconnect between what you know and what you know know.  You are being tempted here, and I pray that you flee it. All that said, I believe the following will be helpful to keep in mind.

First, we must understand that there is no "I" without the Lord.  You and man are his creation.  He has every right to do with it as he pleases.

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, [2] but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. (Rom 9:14-18)

Secondly, you are being tempted to think, "this is not fair, I had nothing to do with this."  You're right, it isn't fair, but the object of fairness is backwards here.  Was it fair that man brought sin into creation?  Certainly not, is it fair that the Lord cursed man and his offspring? Yes, completely fair and just.  For if God does not punish, God becomes the harlot.  Because of His Holy Character and His Just Will, there must be payment.  Would 60 billion lost souls in hell be enough for this payment?  Would that we all died and eternally punished would certainly be fair.  But, because He is merciful, and in light of His dear son, he has sought his sheep and rescued them from what they deserve (2 Timothy 2:25-26).  How amazing is that?  How amazing was it that as soon as man sinned, the Lord provided a way. 

Thridly, having a choice to sin or not does not make us potentially Holy before God.  As I have established above, we are not born in a state of neutrality.  If we did have choice we would not choose God (Psalm 10:4, John 3:20, Romans 3:10-12), so in turn knowing this should spur us on in gratitude.

Finally, I believe that you are being honest with this, which is so encouraging to see.  This is not easy stuff, and I know that more people struggle with it but are not willing to take the time and effort to know their savior and search the scriptures, like you are.  You have been a big encouragement to me.  Let's continue the dialog.

 

 

Colonists vs. Exiles

In the modern church today, we often here that the Church, we Christians, are "exiles in Babylon" - usually this is an appeal to not care too much for this world because it will "blow away" and "burn in the end".  The strange thing is though that no where in the New Testament are we called to think of ourselves, the Church or the World in this way.  No where are we called to treat life and Kingdom as having only a short-lived, temporary value.

To be sure, there are times of retreat for the Church as she is judged for her unfaithfullness, but we do not find in the Scriptures that the Church will shrink or fail in history.  "Captivity" is not a normal mode for the Church.  Instead, what we see in the Scriptures is an overall theme of victory. Matt 13:3-23; Matt 26:51-52; Luke 17:30-31; Psa 22:27; Psa 67:7; 86:9; 102:15; Acts 2:33-35; 5:31; 7:56; Rom 8:34; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1; Heb 1:3, 13; 8:1 10:12; 12:2; I Pet 3:22; Rom 11:11-26; I cor 15:20-28

One point of confusion could be the 1 Peter 1:1 passage where it states, as Peter is writing to the church as "exiles".  But a quick look up of the word "parepidemos" (the Greek for 'exile' here) signifies a very different meaning then someone "who has been displaced in a negative situation and awaits to return home".  In fact, the word is more akin to "colonist", meaning someone who is from a foreign land and who has made this land his home and staked it for the Hinterland.

To the reader, this might seem like a slight jot and tittle but the ramifications of this shift in thinking are huge.  For instance, the colonist view encourages faithfulness in several positive ways:

1. It sets our priorities for Worship in Truth and Spirit in ALL (everything, all, total inclusiveness) that we do.
2. It reminds that God is not primarily our personal savior.  There are more important things outside of "saving souls" and that we come along side the work that is already underway.
3. We can proclaim the Truth with more vigor while at the same time having a prayerful attitude and a confidence that since the Lord has placed us in our particular context, we will provide plenty of opportunity to do the work.
4. Seek a more selfless attitude toward those in need.  We tend to care more about our surroundings if we believe that it is not all "throw-away". If we believe in a real, corporeal Kingdom, here and now, then all work that is done in His name, is for His glory.
5. Because this IS our home, we need to take care of it and be godly stewards of everything God has given us.
6. The Culture should be a reflection of the Kingdom reality and we seek to spread the Gospel into every nook and crany of the vestages of pagan culture.
7. And finally, we don't suffer in vain, we suffer by the and for the name of the Victor.  Our Victor is not in a lame duck session, loosing more and more territory to the forces of Darkness, rather He is Lord over all, now and forever more, and the Dominion (the Great Commission) mandate is a Good Work with very large scope indeed.

Finally, as we're reminded of this full hope in the Lord's Prayer, we pray with our Risen King that:

Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.

Thy king­dom come, Thy will be done
in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.
And for­give us our debts, as we
for­give our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, for ever. Amen

 

 

PS: Hat Tip to Borijar Marinov for his insights and inspiration for this post.

Does God Love Everybody? A Response to a Troubled Soul.

Friend,

I hope this letter finds you well.  I am writing this to you today as a response to the email that you sent a couple of days ago; I appreciate your patience in giving me some time to answer with scripture and careful thought.  As you have previously noted, all of our conversations do seem to run down to "God's Sovereignty", which is good because this is THE theme of the Scriptures.  Now, getting to your email.  Based on our recent conversation and the quotes in your message, here's what I believe to be your main points:

1. God is not sovereign over the wills of men, all men;  Especially in the area of "Salvation".  According to what you said, the Lord merely opens the way for those to freely (or not) choose Him.
2. Jesus died for all men, everyone who ever lived, who is living and who will ever live, even those in Hell;
3. Because some people do accept the Lord as Savior, and it is within every man to make such a decision, then there is some good born into all men.
4. God does love everyone, and you used 2 Peter 3:9 as a proof text.
5. I asked you if you had assurance that you would be with the Lord if you died tonight, and you hesitated, and ultimately said that you can't know that.  For this, you used Romans 2:16 and 2 Tim 4:1 to state that ALL judgements based on the good things man does weigh against the bad things man does at the end of History are done by Jesus and therefore no one can have assurance now or any other point in history.

In response to your points above, I will show that:

1. God is sovereign over all things.  Nothing comes to pass that wasn't ordained by God. 
2. Jesus did die for His children and only His children.  He did not come to save and "pave a way" for each and every individual.
3. Because the Lord on High is sovereign, He graciously converts our wicked hearts to hearts that willingly accept, and always accept His Son.
4. Because God is Sovereign and He elects those He loves to be His followers, He does not therefore love each and every person.
5. Finally, because God is Sovereign, He elects His Children, and provides His Children the way through the redeeming work of the Cross, His Children have FULL assurance based on this work and therefore have EVERY hope and confidence that we will remain in His Grace until Glory.

First, I'd like to establish the fact, from the Bible that God is indeed sovereign (all-powerful) and being sovereign, He is in control of all things.  There is no other doctrine or belief that so exalts God as this one does; His right to do all that He pleases.  All of the world is His (Ex 19:5) and therefore all souls are His to command (Ez 18:4). It is reasonable therefore to believe that he works ALL things after the Counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11).  I urge you Friend that you prayerfully and carefully read and study the following scriptures and consider their meanings for this IS the Word of God.  Consider then all of the uses of "Chosen", sovereignly selected by His choice (Isa 43:20, 1 Kings 3:8, Psa 89:3, 105:6, 106:5, Matt. 20:15, Matt 22:14, Mark 13:20, John 15:16, Acts 9:15, Acts 22:14, Acts 10:41, 1 Cor. 1:27, 2 Thess. 2:13, Eph. 1:4, James 2:5, 1 Peter 2:9, Rev. 17:14, Psalm 33:12, Rom 16:13, John 13:18, Deut. 7:6).  And then, there are all of the uses of the word "Elect".  The Election of God toward His Chosen people is a divine act of distinguishing Love, Sovereignty that is eternal, absolute, definite, irrevocable and personal.  Election communicates that by His divine Choice, God's predetermination of His Children are set apart as objects of mercy which become subjects of His Grace and are sanctified and prepared for Heaven (Matt. 24:22, Matt. 24:31, Luke 18:7, Rom. 8:33, 2 Tim. 2:10, Titus 1:1, Col 3:12, 1 Peter 1:2, Isa. 45:4, Isa. 65:9, 2 John 13, Rom. 9:11, Rom. 11:5, Rom 9:27, Rom. 11:7, 1 Thes. 1:4, 2 Peter 1:10, Rom. 11:28, Eph 1:9).

And like I keep stressing, there is no other doctrine that teaches the saved sinner to Love his Heavenly Father as this one does.  It is only those that have been made objects of His love, by HIS choice, can know REAL love and praise Him for it.  The saved sinner is then so encouraged to first Love his Savior and to consider is there any like our God?  Is there any other that the seraphims could say "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts" (Isa 6:3).  Saved sinners know that God is a GREAT God (2 Chron 2:5), to whom belongs righteousness (Ps 11:7), glory (John 17:5), Wisdom (Rom 11:13, Power (Ps 66:3), might (Eph 1:19), everlasting (Isa 40:28), forever (Deut 33:27), righteous in all His judgments (Rev 16:7), merciful (Jms 5:11), Love (Rom 8:39), patient (Rom 15:15), reserving the wicked for destruction (Job 21:30).

God's choice of particular and certain individuals unto salvation rests solely in His own sovereign will.  His choice of electing sinners is not based on anything good within these individuals (a choice, standing, etc).  God gives faith and repentance to each individual He elects.  Therefore those whom God sovereignly elects, through the Power of the Holy Spirit, come to a willing acceptance of Christ.  God's choice  is the ultimate cause of Salvation, not the sinners choice of Christ.  And until we realize this, we cannot be thankful to our Savior.  See Acts 11:18, Acts 13:48. Romans 9:10-21, Ephesians 1:4-11, Ephesians 2:4-10, Romans 8:29-30, Prov. 16:4, I Peter 2:8, Jude 4, II Peter 2:12, Rev. 17:17, Rev. 13:8, Luke 10:20, Phil. 4:3, Rom. 9:22, 23, Rom. 1:28, Rom. 2:5, II Thess. 2:11, Acts 13:4, John 12:39, 40, Matt. 25:41, John 9:39., Matt. 11:25, Luke 2:84.

Christ's redeeming work at the Cross and resurrection was intended for those who God chooses, a particular group of individuals - this work is powerful enough to ensure the salvation of His children.  For instance, In the Gospel of John, we see, repeatedly, that Jesus makes the distinction between those he came to save and those he didn't. 

"John 6:39: And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.  For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

The Father, though, did not give everyone to Jesus, meaning He did not merely provide a "way" to the Father for everyone because the Father does not love everyone.  Consider this passage: 

"John 10:26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

Further on in John, we see that Jesus prays only for those that are given to him by the Father (not everyone).  Jesus prays to the Father because he knows that prayer that the Will of the Father is effectual (and not up to man's whims). 

"John 17:9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours."

Because of the fall, man is unable to come to a saving knowledge of the Gospel on his own.  As I said before, the sinner is dead, blind, and deaf to the things of God; his heart is deceitful and totally corrupt. His will is not free, it is in bondage to his evil nature; therefore, he will not choose good over evil. Therefore, this dead and corrupt being must be made anew and regenerated by the Spirit.  The resulting Faith is not something that man contributes to his salvation but is the result of it.  An utter and total gift of God.  See Genesis 2:15-17, Psalm 51:5, Jeremiah 17:9, John 6:44, Romans 3:10-18, Romans 5:12, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Ephesians 2:1-10, Gen. 2:17, Job 14:4, Ps. 51:5, Prov. 30:12, Jer. 13:23, Matt. 11:25, John 3:19, John 5:21, John 6:53, John 8:19, John 3:3, Acts 13:41, Rom. 3:10-12, Rom. 5:12, I Cor. 1:18, I Cor. 2:14, II Cor. 1:9, II Cor. 5:17, Eph. 2:1-3, Eph. 2:12.

This, at times, especially for those new to it is a hard truth.  It "feels" like God is playing the puppet-master and is unfair.  Before we jump to this conclusion, however, let me remind you that Scriptures say:

Ezekial 18:25-29 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? 26 When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. 27 Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. 28 Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

Romans 9:20-24   But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?

Now on to your 2 Peter quote.  As I believe I have fully covered this question above, I will only mention here that it is important to remember the audience here in 2 Peter 3:9 that states "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."  Peter is speaking to the Church here and is evident within this verse in the use of the "you" and elsewhere in the book (See 2 Peter 1:1 and 2 Peter 3:11-14).  As I have shown above, the Lord truly does not wish and therefore does not allow ANY to perish that are his own (Praise be to God).  For what can the Lord "want" or wish that the Sovereign Holy King of the Universe not get?

Continuing, God therefore does not love everyone, as the Word states:

Psalms 5:5   The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers (notice it doesn't say work) of iniquity.

Psalms 7:11   God  a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day.

Psalms 11:5   The LORD tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.

Ephesians 2:3   among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

But the Good news for those in Christ: 

Romans 8:1   There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:4 “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

All that said, the Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has FULL assurance that the Lord will keep him until the end.  All who were chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and given this faith are eternally saved.  They are ACTIVELY kept in the faith by His work, not by our works (but good works are a fruit of this inward work of the Spirit), by the power of the Almighty God and thus persevere to the end.  See John 6:35-40, John 6:44, Romans 8:28-30, Romans 8:35-39, Ephesians 1:13-14, Philippians 1:6, Philippians 2:12-13, Jude 24-25.

But there is exceedingly good news too.  Although the Lord doesn't love everyone, He graciously, fully, loves His children.  With this love, the Christ-follower has no fear of the final judgement.  As it says in 2 Corinthians, the Believer in Christ Jesus has no fear for the Final Judgment of Man.  2 Cor 5:10.  The Christian should be free from the fear of Judgment.  Although the natural man should GREATLY fear it, the Christian should be free from such fear.  It is the universal teaching of Scripture that  Christians are delivered from this fear of the Day of the Judgment.  See Hebrews 2:15, 2 Peter 3:12, Romans 8:15, 23-24, I Cor 1:30

Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Romans 8:23-24 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.”

1 John 4:17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

Despite the Christian's unworthiness and all of their sins and filthy actions, they are Children of the High King.  The Father will NEVER reject his children. See I John 4:17.  Christians do not fear the Final Judgment, they instead rely solely on the finished work of Christ for them.  They cannot rely upon their own acts, for they are the cause of much misery and so woefully inadequate.  Thanks be to God for that.

See Rom 5:1, Phil 1:6, Jude 1:24

Phil 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Jude 1:24 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you  blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

The Lord, His Character, Holiness and Sovereignty is something with which we must all grapple.  Some choose to ignore such things, but these truths are, at the end of the day, unavoidable.  It is the foundation of all knowledge and the basis of the Believer's Faith.  I pray, dear Friend, that the Lord would cause you to study these scriptures with a fleshy heart and that you would come to realize how understanding this infects and affects every area of life and ministry.

Your Friend,

David.

 

 

 

 

Is Every Christian Commanded to Evangelize?

 

Or perhaps a better question is "Does each one of us have a personal responsibility to Evangelize?"  The answer is "no", with some heavy qualifications.  Here are six points to keep in mind when considering this topic:

1. We are to remember that Christians are interested in Evangelism.  They love God and therefore love to see him honored.  They love their neighbor and love to see them repent and worship the one true God.  They love to see the Lord's royal Headship and Kingdom increase.
2. Not all ways and means of evangelism are approved and legitimate - it, along with everything else, is limited and informed by the Word of God.  Our audience is always and primarlily the Lord.
3. The fundamental and only proper method of mass and public Evangelism is preaching by ordained ministers of the Word.  This is the divinely appointed means of preaching the good news, whether in a building or in "the open air" (Rom 10:13). 
4. It is right and good for all Christians to support the preaching of the Word.
5. Love for our neighbor must make us evangelistic in outlook.
6. Every Christian is called to bear witness by proclamation and deed.  This is brought about in our everyday conversations and deeds with the unbeliever.

Romans 10:12-13 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Love for Our Neighbor

Love to our neighbor must make us "evanglestic" in our outlook (Mat 5:43).  We are to pray for our neighbor and we are to desire that they hear and believe the Gospel (Acts 26:29). We deeply desire their conversion to Christ and this disposition ought to be common to all God's people (Romans 9:1-3). 

Mat 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Act 26:29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.”

Rom 9:1-3 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

To Bear Witness

How then does this desire for their conversion manifest itself apart from prayer?  Simply put, if we are honoring the Lord in all that we do, it will be apparent that we are Christians.  In Acts 11:26, we see this play out.  They called them Christians in a pajoritve way, but they were still known to be Christians.  Even the enemies of Christ enemies knew that they were Christians. 

Acts 11:26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

It should not be possible for people to be around us for too long without knowing that we're Christians.  And "not too long" really does mean not long at all.  There is a sense of urgency that should motivate our love to our neighbors.  The dreadful wrath of God is a reality - we shall not and cannot postpone the name of the Lord. 

How to Bear Witness

The first thing we are called to do under the umbrella of "bearing witness" is to simply to speak Christianly.  We as believers typically have two kinds of speech:  a lexicon for the believers and one for the unbelievers.  This attitude is not God-glorifying as it fails to properly proclaim and bear witness.  Our speech should not be radically different with these two audiences - after all truth is truth no matter the context.  When we're amongst the ungodly we tend to retreat our speech and presume upon "neutrality" and we then talk like atheists.  We ignore the God of Creation, and we discuss things in a "neutral" manner.  We are to never assume a common-ground with the unbeliever.  The problem, at least in part, of when to speak the gospel would generally resolve itself if our manner of talk were simply more Christian.

Secondly, we are to not remain silent when the Truth is at stake.  As we read in I Peter 3:15, Christian witness is not confined to "answering questions" in a dialogical fashion.  The readiness to speak when put on the spot is what is key in this passage.  We need to so walk with the Lord as to not be wrong-footed when taken to task by the unbeliever. 

I Peter 3:15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Thirdly we are to proclaim the truth.  For instance, in John 4:28 we see that the woman initiated testimony to what she knew.  And in Acts 8:4 we read that those who were scattered were spreading the word.  They simply did it and spoke of these things, and this kind of proclamation is certainly not confined to public preaching.  Finally, we read in Col 4:5 to "answer" the unbeliever, walking or conversion with them. 

John 4:28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”

Acts 8:3-5 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.

Col 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Fourthly, we must always be looking to "redeem the time" with the unbeliever.   Using the time in the presence of the ungodly must always remind us that every situation could be potentially beneficial.  We should use caution and thought in our speech with the unbelieving - this interaction is to be worthy of the Lord.  We need to be aware and seize the opportunity to do well with our words, always seeking to do good and speak the Truth of God.  And while we're on the subject, let's nix the formulas (Col 4:5) - our approach should use wisdom and vary depending on the situation and person.  A testimony should be conversational in nature, it is not a lecture, it is not a pamphlet, it is not a bait and switch sell-job, it is simply and honestly a conversation that is honoring to the Lord.

Finally, we must know when to stop our conversation with the unbeliever. For some initiating conversation is a problem and for others, stopping conversations is a problem.  In I Pet 3:1-2 we read that the believing wife is not to "nag" her unbelieving husband into belief (as if that could happen anyway).  Similarly, when we proclaim the good Word to the unbeliever, we are likewise not to "nag" them into confession, but we are to then live according to the word with which we brought them, much like the believing wife to the unbelieving husband.  There comes a point where we need to realize that they've heard it and they've rejected it and now there is a place for witnessing through a God-glorifying life.  In his commentary on this passage, Calvin reminds us that that "good examples are of no small help."  The chief continuing witness is a Godly life.  Please remember that if it comes to the point where the more we say, the more contempt is being heaped on the Lord, then we are to stop.  We are not to cast our pearls before swine.

I Pet 3:1-2 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that l even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct.

Therefore, the key to proper witness is to have our hearts so filled with Christ that when the opportunity arises we will first speak of Christ rather than other things.  As always, we need the Lord to help us to know when to speak and how to honor him.  Let us not be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord.  We would do well to remember that the Church doesn't need another "ministry" or "drive" to foster our guilt in this area, but what we do need, what we always need is more of our Savior.  If we really want to press upon others the need to bear witness, we only need to preach Christ and Him crucified.  Let's give people something worthly of proclamation.

PS: I receive a lot of comfort, repentance, and help through the ministry of Rev. David Silversides and for this article was no exception.  For a more complete treatment of this subject, go here.

The problem with the 'Social Gospel'...

... is that we don't do it!  For all of us who are automatically "turned off" by the phrase "social Gospel", we shouldn't be (for all of the neo-cons reading this brief article, stay with me).  Some hold to the belief that says wanting Biblical change in our culture, institutions, and families, is automatically suspect as a "secondary" concern (at best).  This theology teaches that all else besides "saving souls" is a distraction to what is truly important.  Remember, Jesus never said "come to me and escape or ignore the problems of this world".  So why do we act this way? 

Here are a few points to consider on this topic.  There is plenty of repentance in the modern Church to be had on this issue and keeping the following in mind will go along way to that end:

1. Jesus Christ and his accomplishment at Calvary is THE starting point of the Bible, but is NOT the ending point - the Christian quickly learns to love His law. Ps 119:47,97,113,127, and 159, Prv 6:23.
2. The Gospel does not just save the soul, it saves the entire person.  Matthew 7:16,20;
3. When the Gospel makes us new in Christ, we seek to transform everything according to the Scriptures;
4. Any "social" effort apart from the Scriptures is sin.  Our particular culture needs to repent of our schemes of redistribution of wealth and other legalized theft in the "name of the poor".
5. It is not wrong to be involved in activities (i.e. mercy ministries) that are not solely evangelistic. James 2:16;
6. If "social Gospel" means to apply the Scriptures to all of life (including helping the poor), then it is a worthy term.  If, on the other-hand, it is a means for unbiblical politics and other activities it is sin and completely unworthy of Christian attention.

Now, all that said, "making disciples" still requires regular Gospel-centered preaching and teaching.  For this is the true starting point of all social change.  A dead man can do nothing but a man who has a new heart in Christ can do many good things indeed.  We must be made alive in him to "walk in his statutes".

PS.  A great introductory article to this way of thinking is available here for further review.

Evangelism in the Old Testament

The great themes of the Scriptures start in Genesis and end in Revelation; where we get in trouble, as a Church, is to start imposing separations and systems that just aren't there.  One way that we do this is by placing a great divide between the Old and New Testaments.  To not see great continuity between the Testaments one has to contort the scriptures to absurdity - thankfully most in Christendom aren't consistent enough to accomplish that, even though their stated positions do.  One such contortion is to read The Great Commission and Evangelism as a completely NEW, and thus unique, call to the Church.  However, Evangelism is not new, it has been a part of the plan since the beginning.  Here are some examples:  

• Israel being called to faith and repentance: Deut. 30:8; Josh. 24:15; Lev. 5:5; 16:29-31; Deut 10:16; Ezek. 18:30-31;
• Israel being called witness to their children: Deut. 6:7, 20-25;
• Israel being called to witness to their neighbors: Jer. 31:34;
• David's call to witness to the nations: Ps. 18:49;
• David's prayer that salvation would be known among all the nations: Ps. 67;
• David's confidence that all nations would be converted: Ps. 22:27;
• The missionary work of the prophets:  Isa. 2:2-4; 19:25; 40:5, 9; 42:6; 45:22; 49:6; 56:7; 66:19; Zech. 8:23; cf. Ps. 68:31; 85:92;

So, clearly, it is established that Evangelism was prescribed and practiced in the Old Testament; but what does that buy us?  It gets us several things:

1. The consistent Character of God.  Same God, same work, same destiny.  This means, then that there has always been one plan of redemption, no changes, and no accidents.
2. More proof that God's Word (and Law) applies to all people, in every time, everywhere.  There is a modern error afoot that teaches that all has been abrogated until reinstated in the New Testament.  This is a more "palatable" form of Dispensationalism and one that is counter-Scriptural.
3. It further lends proof to the idea that the New Testament is NOT a starting point, at least not in the same way it is held in the modern church.  Now, granted most people would never admit this but practically speaking, especially when they ask the question "where do you see that in the New Testament", they are implicitly relying on this fallacy.
4. Understanding the above would also lend one to the understanding that God is at work and His work is large and grand - what He started in Israel is now EXPANDING to all the nations, and that's exciting.
5. In tends to inoculate us against the error that makes "saving lost souls" the primary concern and over-individualizing all things Evangelical.

Personally, I find it incredibility reassuring that Kingdom growth has always been a part of the plan Israel the Church, and that I get to live in the "last days" on the other side of the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15 to witness His Kingdom expansion.  What a great time to be alive!!

Exiled in Babylon

"What is a Christian to make of the phrase 'We are but Exiles in Babylon'?"

I hear this phrase (or some similar variation) thrown around a lot - some of it very thoughtfully, some not so much.  It's one of those phrases that even though it is used frequently, I wonder if the meaning of it is considered.  Hopefully this post will serve to clarify my own understanding of this topic and continue to spur on helpful dialog.

There are many, many instances of the word "exile" in Old Testament. In every case, the word is used in the earthly, corporeal, cut-off-from-the-homeland sense, as we'd expect.  And as I understand these uses, it is reasonable interpret the use of "exile" in this way. 

However, where things get a little slippery is in we translate its usage in the New Testament and in the Church today.  In most cases, I hear it in response to the call for the "cares of this world".  The cares of this world are of many kinds:  evangelism, politics, economics, inheritance, charity, etc, etc.  There really isn't any concern not on the list.  I believe that much of the misunderstanding stems from our false notion in regards to the Great Commission.  Because of this Commission, we are indeed to try to make Christian Families, Churches and even Nations.  This is part of the Gospel.  There is nothing in the Scriptures that give us an "out" in these spheres.  Remember, the Dominion Mandate (Genesis 1:26-28) has not been abrogated by the New Testament, it is further enforced and infused with much more power in the Great Commission.

If by "exiled" in reference to the Christian means that the Believer is not yet at their final destination for eternity, then I see that the usage as a fair and biblical category (see Hebrews 11).  This would have also been true for the Old Testament believer.  As only a side note, we will not be at our "final destination" even at death as we enter Heaven.  The scriptures clearly teach that our hope in eternity and the final destination is the New Heaven and New Earth that we read about in Revelations.

To say that the New Covenant believer, or Church, is in exile (in the later use of the term) is to misunderstand the Old Testament view of the Promised Land.  The Old Testament believer did not fail to see that Israel (The Promised Land) wasn't his final destination for all eternity. Likewise, for the New Testament believer, the Kingdom, the Promised Land is not only Heaven, but also Earth.  The Gospel is pouring out into all nationalities and peoples and therefore no longer restricted to ethnic Israel.

Furthermore, the term exile or sojourner does not have a hyper-spiritualized meaning.  It simply means that one is cutoff from their people or home land.  We mustn't import meaning into the text when we read in this way.  I would say then that as the Gospel does it's work and the Kingdom continues to grow it is going to get harder and harder to be "cut off from one's people", even here on Earth.

You see, we now understand, with the Great Commission in view, that our Lord intends that all nations are infiltrated and subdued with the Gospel.  The very good news is that we are no longer dealing with a specific piece of land as we were in the Old Testament but the whole Earth!  Therefore to claim that "we are exiles in Babylon", could be to misunderstand the kingship of our Lord and his work in and through the Gospel.

Hebrews 11:13 - These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

1 Peter 1:1 - Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

1 Peter 1:17 - And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,

1 Peter 2:11 - 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on m the day of visitation.

"Merciful Father, We thank you Lord for your Work in this place.  We thank you for your Church, Christ's Bride, and are hopeful for the things to come and the work that you are doing here and now.  In all these things, we give thanks to you alone.  Amen."

Biblical Warrant for Covenantal Church Government

"What is the Christian to make of 'Independent' Churches; are they biblical and should we seek independence?"

I am currently in the "application" section of the book "The Greatness of the Great Commission" by Dr. Gentry. I highly recommend the book as a whole and am really gleaning some very useful information from the application section of the book thus far.

One key aspect of the Great Commission is the mission of setting up and organizing Church Government as expressed in the Bible.  According to Gentry, Scripture has ordained a covenantal government of elected hierarchical rule in the church.  We see this patterned in the Old Testament (Exe. 18: 19-23; Deut. 1:13-15).  Elders of the Church possessed "jurisdictional" authority (Exe. 12:21, cp. v. 3) and were organized into levels (Deut. 1:15).

Similarly, the New Testament adopts the office of Elder (1 Tim 3).  We also read that the New Testament enforces the plurality of Elders (Acts 14:23; Tit. 1:5) and they are charged with the authority that was not given to everyone in the congregation (a higher calling) - our Lord gives these keys to men (Matt. 16:18-19) but not all men (1 Tim. 3:1,2,6; 5:19).

The Scriptures also ordain a system of higher courts, outside of the local body, into a denomination, as seen in Acts 15:

"There we discover the Church functioning hierarchically to resolve a doctrinal dispute in a particular church at Antioch (Acts 15: 1,2).  The matter was sent by representatives to a trial before a joint
council in Jerusalem (Acts 15:2). The matter was debated before the entire council (Acts 15:419).26 The conclusion of this non-local court action was sent back down to the court of original jurisdiction (Acts 15:20-23). lt was considered binding upon the Antiochian church (Acts 15:28) and was sent to other churches for their instruction (Acts 16:4)."

"Lord, we pray that you save your Church from the hyper-individualism that is plaguing us today.  We thank you for giving us your Word on this matter, we pray for rapid Reformation in the Church Universal, at all levels, and revival in the Land.  Amen."

Coexist OR ELSE!

"What are Christians to make of pluralism?"

I often laugh a little to myself every time I see those well-meaning (I assume) bumper stickers.  You probably have all seen them - blue background with white lettering stating COEXIST and the world's religion symbols constructing the letters.  There is one and most-prevalent world religion that is missing from the bumper sticker and that is the religion of secular humanism.  This is the religion that places the bumper sticker on the back of the automobile in the first place.  This is the ruling religion that is demanding that all other religions bow the knee to the ruling religion and "get along".

Now, that is not to say that peace is not a Christian value, it most certainly is.  However, it is NOT a Christian value to state that all religions are on the same, level, playing field and that we must ascend to each.  This is a value-claim of the secular humanist religion and is incompatible with Christianity. Christian, beware of these attempts.

I Timothy 2:1-3:  First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

"Father in Heaven, we pray that we would respect your name on earth, in all the earth.  Raise up worshipers to glorify your name and to proclaim your Love.  We thank you for your saving work and would humbly ask for a great reformation in the Land.  Amen"

The Gospel as a Chain Letter

Is the Good News of our Lord to be treated as a chain letter?

I saw the following quote in a book I'm reading on the Great Commission (The Greatness of the Great Commission).  This little nugget of text goes so deep, it'll probably span a couple of posts.

"Modern fundamentalist looks at the gospel as if it were some kind of gigantic chain letter scheme. Nothing is of value in God’s sight except keeping this chain letter going. But the gospel is not a chain letter. It is the good news that Jesus has already overcome this world and gives His disciples authority to extend His dominion in history before He returns in judgment.  It is our job to demonstrate this victory in our lives, meaning every aspect of our lives. We should exercise dominion. We should do this as church members first, but in all other realms."

When was the last time we thought of the Good News as "extending dominion" or realizing victory?

"Lord, we take great delight in the fact that you have won -  you won on Calvary and it was a decisive and complete victory.  Teach us, Savior, to apply this to every area of our lives and inspire us, Holy Spirit, to Reformation anew.  Amen"