We are, everyone of us, corrupt

I was doing some research the other day and, as a result, was led to Leviticus 15 as a reference. Someone I was reading was using this particular chapter as proof that a certain things would be sin because of the examples of uncleanness listed in this chapter. And many of these things are simply natural functions of a person’s body!

What I think Leviticus, in general, is showing us is that we human beings are truly and really broken and corrupt creations, at least compared to what we were originally designed to be. The commandments God gave Israel concerning so many things that God considered unclean, and yet were purely normal bodily functions, shows us how very unclean and unholy we human beings are to God. We are far, far removed from attaining what we once were. But, we will attain this perfection when Christ returns!

This makes it so incredibly amazing that Christ Jesus would lower himself to associate Himself not only with us, but as one of us!!

Thank you Lord Jesus! What a sacrifice to come and dwell with those whom you can barely stand to tolerate from your place high in Heaven! But, as John Stott says, “We would be mistaken to think that the Son was coerced or that He was begging God by dint of His suffering. No, the plan of salvation was agreed upon and put into motion by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

Can an unbeliever in God or Christ Jesus be tempted?

 If so, how? James clearly states that no man is ever tempted by God. Instead, as the Total Depravity adherents will tell you, we are tempted by our own lusts and selfish desires. That is not only scriptural, but also self-evident in any strata of human life. People today are praised for their “self-determination” even when the end result has nothing to do with the good of others. Good may come of their work or their purposes, but that is usually in spite of the intent that drives these self-made people.

 On the other hand, if a person who is not “born again” is totally depraved then he or she would, logically, never resist doing something that hurt others if it profited them. There would be no conscience to guide or reprimand what the natural and narcissistic want. Indeed, everyone would be living in a truly “dog eat dog” kind of world where “survival of the fittest” wasn’t just a philosophy, but a fact of daily life.

 Unlike animals, humans have the image of God implanted in their very nature. That is the only explanation for things like good-hearted and benevolent atheists, agnostics, or even deists (the majority of our founding fathers). Even in the most heathen of peoples, there is always a sense of right and wrong, even if their sense of it is markedly different than that of our culture. These folk, such as the cannibalistic tribes of the Pacific islands or the headhunters of South America, are depraved indeed, but it is primarily because they have no written laws or codes, and thus have only their individual consciences to compete with the day to day survival demands and peer pressures of the group they live with and know.
 
At the same time, humans have a propensity for cruelty far beyond that of any animal and genocide is a historical and present day fact. We wonder how a Hutu could kill a Tutsi, or vice versa, so cold bloodedly? How the Khmer Rouge could massacre so many millions of their countrymen? People claiming to be Christians participated in the Rwandan genocides. Clergy as well as laymen were witnessed killing other people from a tribe that wasn’t their own. I needn’t mention Hitler’s Holocaust, Stalin or Mao Tse Tsung’s purges, either, to make my point.

However, a person who wants to be good and wants to do what is right, can be found in any nation or location in the world. Persons who do not even know the gospel or the name of Jesus Christ have been known to be extraordinarily good people. Think of Gandhi as one example. Are, or were, they righteous? No, but neither are any of us outside of Christ.

On the other hand we have people who claim to be believers and who purport to be truly holy and righteous, because they have been perfected. Yet we know that any believer is still very capable of doing wrong and being evil. Else, there would be no reason for temptation or the flesh would indeed no longer be weak. Does this make believers depraved? I doubt anyone who believes in spiritual rebirth would agree. Rather, while all humans, saved or not, have a propensity toward evil, those who are in Christ Jesus have a motivation (hope) and a new spirit that compels them to do the right things. Paul makes it clear, I believe, that what actually changes in a new born Christian, is their mindset. Read Romans 8 and tell me if you don’t see that emphasis. Paul also points this out here:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.“ (Romans 12:2 ESV)

Being holy in Christ Jesus is a mindset that wars against our natural inclinations:

“For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Galatians 5:17 ESV)

This mindset may sometimes appear to be simply an application of willpower, but our hearts will follow the Spirit when push comes to shove. This is where I believe the difference between a converted person and a “good” unconverted person can be seen for what they are. Very few people are willing to be “good” if it means they may lose their lives or property for it.

And yet, we have people throughout history who burned themselves to protest war, starved themselves for a political cause, sacrificed their life for another, and so on. If mankind was completely depraved we would not have what appear to be examples of unconverted people outdoing, in many cases, the works of so-called believers.

Nevertheless, when people devote their lives for the sake of eternal souls and the name of Christ, it completely outweighs any other form of sacrifice. What appears to be very commendable actions, if they do not have eternal significance, they are worthless.

Augustine developed the view of Total Depravity from his conviction that every person is born with ‘original sin” and is thus guilty of sin from birth. From this came the view that even innocent babies were hell-bound (I hate the term “hell” because it is NOT where people who refuse God’s grace will end up – hell and death will be destroyed according to scripture Rev. 20:14), which is antithetical to Jesus’ view of children in Mark 10:13-16.

I would like to remind anyone reading this, that the “Fall” was caused by disobedience before the “Fall” itself! And the true effect of this “Fall” was the acquisition of the ability to know both “good and evil”. Only then were Adam and Eve condemned by their awakened consciences. This did not make them depraved, but added the propensity for sin that did not exist beforehand.  If mankind from that point was totally depraved, then how do we account for the righteous people of the Old Testament?

Was Noah depraved? Abraham? How about Moses? Which leads to the question: were they converted somehow? Samson, a man dedicated to God from before his conception and who was empowered by the Spirit of God, was a very depraved person in many ways. But, would God have used a totally depraved person to be the leading warrior for his chosen people?

This is where both concepts of Christian Perfectionism and Total Depravity fall apart, I believe. If man, in this present life could be made perfect, then the Adamic nature would have to be removed, as is claimed. However, the fact that these so-called “perfectly holy” Christians still have a propensity to sin (or at least can sin by their own will) belies the idea that they have had this fallen nature excised. Anyone who would have the nature of Adam removed would also lose the knowledge of evil. Only then would a person become truly pure and only good.  And, as a result they would be truly eternally secure because they would be unable to sin, not even knowing what that is.

So, are we humans “Totally Depraved”? Absolutely not, but neither can we be “Totally Holy” outside of Christ’s righteousness. We must depend on His righteousness, because we are, all of us, depraved, yet not completely.

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

(2 Corinthians 5:20-21 ESV)

For it is God who works in you….

Yesterday, just another ordinary day of leaving work after another routine eight hours, I was praying as I walked to the train. Still struggling with what God wants me to do with the life I have left here on earth.

When I got down to the train stop and while I was standing there, waiting for the next train, a young Hispanic fellow walks up to me and asks “Do you have a piece of gum you could spare?”

Now, I have been asked a lot of things, mostly for change, while standing at the train stop, but never this. Fortunately for him I have a small addiction to chewing gum and was able to give him a piece. What was strange was how he acted after I had kindly given him a piece of gum.

He looked at me quizzically and asked, “You’re a good man aren’t you? I can tell. You have this…this…thing about you.”

I answered, “Well, I don’t know about all that, but I am trying to live right.”

He continued to look at me strangely and said, “Do you believe in God?”

“Of course!” I answered and again he looked at me very oddly. Then he says, “I know you! I’ve seen you before!”

Now, I didn’t know what to say, since he looked vaguely familiar to me, but certainly not in a really familiar way. I thought possibly he’d been in one of my chapel services at the jail, but I didn’t want to insinuate that.

Now, granted, he’d had a few beers, but it was just uncanny how he kept coming back to me. Soon, he says, “Are you a cop?” To which I replied, “No!” and laughed.

I then asked him what his name was. He looked at me like I had accused him of something.  He shook his head and said, looking up, “What are you trying to tell me, God?” continuing with something like, “I don’t know why God won’t leave me alone. That’s why I drink, man, to get away from Him.”

I told him, “You can’t run away from God! I tried it and now I am His.”

Just at this time, the train arrived and I followed him on board.

He went off into a corner by the bike rack, his face turned from me, shaking his head. I hung around just long enough to give him a business card I use to invite folk to church. It includes my name and I told him to look me up if he wanted to talk. He still wouldn’t tell me his name, so I felt led to leave him alone and went up to the upper section of the light rail car. I found a seat toward the back and sat down. I was pondering what I should do, but felt I should just leave things to God at this point.

About five minutes later, I noticed he had taken a seat right behind me and was listening to some tunes on an MP3 player. He smiled and said “You like Pink Floyd, man? ‘Wish You Were Here’?” I said, “Yeah, I used to like them a lot” and asked him which song he was listening to right then. Rather incredulously, he says, “ ‘Wish You Were Here’, man!” I laughed and about that time the train started moving rather quickly and he hit his face on a hand rail that rose from the back of the seat row I was in. I suggested he move up beside me to avoid that happening again.

He complied and continued to listen to his music. Yet, he continued to look up at me with a mixture of profound sadness and then joy. I finally heard him say, “I hurt, man. I hurt a lot.” All I could think to say at that moment was, “I know man, I know.”

Anyway, as he talked, on and off, he alluded to the fact that he knew the Bible and that the world was soon coming to an end. I agreed and we spoke a bit about that. Then he asked, “Aren’t you scared?”

I immediately said “Not at all!” and I am not usually that confident about it, believe me.

Shortly afterwards, he said, “Faith without works is dead!” and then said he needed to get off the train now. I let him go, of course, and told him to keep looking because you cannot find what’s lost unless you look for it. Then, he seems to have figured out where he’d seen me before and said, “You and your analogies! I know where I’ve seen you before!”  But refused to tell me where.

Nevertheless, he continued to talk about how God wouldn’t leave him alone. I told him that God loved him and wanted to rescue him from this present world. He replied, “I know that, man.” The he says, “You know this is the second go around for the world? God destroyed the first one with the flood.”

I agreed that this was so and said, “God purged the earth with a ‘baptism” of water. A lot of people think baptism is only symbolic, but God uses water to clean things up and quoted John 3:5, “Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’”

He smiled and said, “I know that. Baptism does matter.” 

I felt led to show him Ezekiel 18:21 “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”

Suddenly he decided it was time to get off and we exchanged a few firm, friendly handshakes. I told him something encouraging (I hope) and off he went.

Shortly after he’d gotten off, the lady behind me said “I was praying for you.”

I turned around and said, “Why thank you! It’s pretty hard to talk to a person who’s been drinking, but I tried.” to which she replied, “At least you seized the opportunity. In season and out of season, you know?”

I then introduced myself and she did to me. Hers was the next stop, but I think we were both very blessed. I know I surely was. I felt that God had directed the whole thing from start to finish. Now, granted, I had a short period there where I almost got full of myself, picturing myself as some sort of “holy man”, but thank the Lord, that feeling was easily put down by the Spirit of God. I can see, though, how powerfully attractive this sense of “holiness” could be and why some go off on their own, drawing others after them, thinking they are “called’.

Fortunately, I have been (without knowing why) studying the old time “holiness” movers and shakers and have come to feel that some of them fell into the same pit the Pharisees did: “that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith…”

What happened yesterday was not pre-planned. I was not, in my mind, prepared for it in any way. My prayer life hasn’t been what I would like it to be lately. But, I am so heavily influenced by the “holiness” movement that I grew up in, that I always feel I have to work at this salvation, to somehow qualify to be used by God. God is showing me that I am just a lowly vessel that He can choose, or not choose, to use for His purposes and His glory. I just need to surrender myself to Him and always be ready to follow His lead, not mine.

I mean, really…. I didn’t know which train to catch that day or even when I should leave work. The train I caught was 20 minutes earlier than my usual one. I just happened to have gum on me. I just happened to sit in front of a fellow believer who prayed for me while I tried to minister to that man.

There are no coincidences in a Christian’s life! Praise God!

 

Wishing for a “to-do” list?

After the previous article, I am sure some folk think I am pretty self-righteous.

I assure you that is the farthest thing from my mind. In fact I have been really wrestling with this idea of works vs. faith, or more accurately, where do faith and works truly coincide?

Thanks to a discussion over at “The Old Adam” I have been reminded that we humans are always trying to add something to what Jesus has already done. Didn’t Jesus say “It is finished”?

Do you ever wish, like I do at time, that God would just give you a “to-do” list every morning? One that would simply list your responsibilities for the day, such as:

1.Get up early today. You need time to prepare for step three.
2. Make sure to tell your wife you love her and kiss her twice before leaving.
3. Do not catch the 6:55 train this morning. There’s a person I want you to talk to on the 7:05, so sit in the front, near the last door. They will say “Excuse me” after sneezing. That’s how you will know them. I’ll take over from there.
4. Walk up 5th instead of 3rd today. Give the lady sitting by the dumpster at Yamhill $5 and bless her with a short prayer.
5. You’ve got problems at work. The person who irritates you the most is going to try your patience today. Make sure you keep a smile on your face and BE NICE!
6. and so on…

But, God doesn’t work that way, does He? Jesus said “Each day has enough trouble of it’s own.” We are to “Watch and pray.” It would be nice to know exactly what God’s will is evey moment of every day, but Paul says “…try to discern what the will of the Lord is” and “set an example by doing good things when urgent needs arise”.

Central to my own walk is the lingering inclination from my warped upbringing to base my confidence and assurance of salvation in what I do. Did I pray long enough? Did I remember everyone I should have. Oh no! I woke up late this morning and barely had time to shower much less pray like usual. Is it enough to get me through the day?

I am slowly (thank you Lord!) coming to realize that my faith must only be in the “once for all” sacrifice of Christ Jesus for my sins. Read Hebrews 10 again, and again. We do not and cannot save ourselves. Our works are not a means of grace; they are the fruits of grace and the Holy Spirit. Too many times I have beat myself up, or let Satan do it, because I felt I wasn’t doing enough. At the same time I have people reminding me that they wish they did as much as I do. I feel that I am lazy and unambitious, to be honest. But one verse keeps popping up for me:

“So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” (Luke 17:10 ESV)

We are to always “be ready”! Ready for what?

- “…for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

- ready to share

- ready for every good work

- in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching

We have to continue…..in what?

- in His kindness

- in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard

- steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving

- in faith and love and holiness, with self-control

- continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it

The emphasis throughout God’s New Covenant through Christ Jesus is that we continue to hope, believe, love and trust in HIM. Yes, we are to pursue holiness. Yes, we are to be angry and sin not. Yes, we are to care for widows and orphans. We are to also pray for all the saints and our church and secular leaders.

Trust in God, not in yourselves or your own works.

When Christians make the mistake of thinking that they must do this or do that in order to gain God’s favor, they have entirely missed the point. We are not saved by, nor do we earn favor by what we do. No, we evidence God’s favor by always wanting to be used by God when God is ready and presents us the opportunities. Once we cross the line of checking off a list of our own or a list someone else puts up for us, we are fallen into legalism, a self-righteousnes based on what we do. That is the “un-gospel”.

Everyone of us who puts their faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus must continue to base our faith and hope in HIM alone! That doesn’t mean we sit on our lazy behinds and do nothing.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7 ESV)

A Heart disease

This is an adult oriented article, so I feel I should let you know that while I don’t intend to get graphic, the things I discuss are of a sexual nature. Specifically, this is about the bane of modern Christianity -  the sin of virtual adultery and fornication – too often excused as a “problem” or an “addiction”. This is not a physical disease folks! This is a disease of the heart!

During a search for images to associate with this article, I had to deal with the idea that some people believe sex and church services are compatible. There a scores of articles about 30 day sex challenges and “7 Day Challenge for Better Sex” seminars being held in churches. Is this the biblical approach to handling what is supposedly a “Christian” problem, namely porn addiction? On top of this there are so-called “Christian sex enhancement stores” “Christ centered sexual advice sites” and so on. Most of this stuff is really centered around the carnal and lustful desires of the flesh, not even close to being about Christ or living godly lives, in and out of the bedroom.

Isn’t the very idea of “Christian porn” or “Christian sex toys” like saying there’s such a thing as “kosher pork”?

Taking the polls for granted, which say “Every church has this problem from Pastors to laypersons” doesn’t really address the issue. Men of Purity is a start, but rather than treating men who are guilty of this sin as willful sinners, it reduces the “sinfulness”, and therefore the seriousness, of this problem. It is not the same as watching too much TV or eating too much. It is sin against God, your wife, your family, your own body, and stranger’s bodies who sell their souls in order to make money to fulfill your wicked lusts.

I am a man, and before I became a believer, I was addicted for decades to the most deviant forms of pornography I could find. I could not live without it. Single or dating, I still needed porn. Being married didn’t help. I still needed to stop by the local porn shop and pick up some videos to watch “on the sly”. When my wife and kids were away from the house, I fired up the PC and got onto all kinds of free porn sites. Most were meant to titillate you into an obsession that could only be remedied by more than a preview; you needed a paid account. I resisted that out of pure stinginess, but still subscribed to a few so-called “gonzo sex” sites now and then.

Regardless, I felt guilty about my addiction and did my utmost to keep it secret. And why? Because I knew it was not normal for a guy to spend hours online working himself up to indulge in the most bizarre fantasies that he would never ask his wife to indulge in. Or, if she were willing, I would probably completely lose respect for her as a result. When I would leave to go on business trips, I usually destroyed any and all evidence of my “crime” lest my wife or a relative should happen to discover my collections. I lived in fear of dy8ing unexpectedly and others finding out what a perverted person I really was. I have probably destroyed more porn on those occasions than most men have looked at in their lifetimes. Why did I do this? Because I felt guilty even though I wasn’t a believer in Jesus Christ as my savior, but I certainly believed porn was bad, and not at all pleasing to God. While I was hardly pleasing to God in many other areas of my life, this was one area where I was hugely conscious that I would be labeled a pervert by anyone who happened to find out about the “real” me.

Why am I sharing this? Because I am sick and tired of the church’s acceptance of this idea that men can be followers of Christ and still be actively indulging in porn. For all intents and purposes pornography is fornication. You are, when observing men and women or two people of the same sex engaging in sexual licentiousness, an active participant. You are as guilty as the man next door who’s cheating on his wife, or the wife cheating on her husband. What this really amounts to is a rebellion against the will of God.

What does Paul tell the men in Corinth, who were exposed on a daily basis to the temptation of “live sex” at the many temples in the city. Many of the pagan religions of that time and place incorporated sex into worship of the god, whomever he or she might be. Paul says, “For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

(1 Thessalonians 4:2-8 ESV) 

Paul says that those who follow their carnal passions into areas of fornication and adultery do not know God. When I became a believer, I had given up two major addictions: smoking and porn. The first was primarily because I was scared to death I had contracted mouth or throat cancer. The latter, because I did not want to continue living addicted to porn the way I was. Becoming a Christian was a RESULT of that repentance. I had started leaving off doing a lot of things that I realized I could no longer do, in good conscience, if I were to be reconciled to God through Christ Jesus.

 After coming to faith, and being baptized, I enjoyed almost 18 months of complete freedom from this attraction to porn. Since that inital time, I have rarely been tempted to check out porn in any fashion. Thankfully, sexual thoughts or urges are rarely instigated by sinful or lustful thoughts (same thing actually), but I have wrestled with my sexual urges very regularly since this time. But, thank the Lord, I have not been disposed toward taking up my old porn addiction because of one primary concept: I fear the Lord. I do not even want to presume upon His mercy of forgiveness by resuming what I know beyond a shadow of a doubt is as bad a sin as homosexuality or even murder in the eyes of God and according to His word.

 So, what I am saying, to the few, if any, who’ve read this far is this: “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. (Romans 6:16-18 ESV)

 In this verse, Paul is talking about choice. When a person “presents” himself or herself, they are showing up for a prearranged meeting or interview. Let’s call it an appointment or even a date. When you, a person who calls himself a servant of God, present yourself willingly in front of that TV or computer in order to engage in a little, or a lot, of sexual fantasy at least be honest enough to admit these things:

 1. You have chosen to put yourself where you areYou know what you are doing is wrong (aren’t you worried your wife or child might catch you?)

2. You are deliberately and willfully disobeying God (Matthew 5:28)

3. You are making choices that you will have to answer for, whether you are caught or not (Romans 2:8)

4. You can excuse it all you want, but you are deceived if you think God winks at this “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.” (Luke 11:34-35 ESV)

Joseph, who didn’t have just a fantasy to resist, but his own master’s wife, and didn’t even have a Bible or brothers to encourage him – “And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.” Eventually she got him in a position where he was trapped, but he fled, leaving her upset enough to frame him for raping her.

 Just because you aren’t actually having sex with that woman or man in the video or magazine or romance novel, doesn’t absolve you of your willful treachery. – “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness (you are coveting sex with that person who arouses you) must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness (and what is porn?) nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. “ (Ephesians 5:3-5 ESV)

 You cannot continue to be a Christ follower and indulge in pornography. God saved me from this addiction, by giving me a conviction of His hatred for it. When you see the way these women are treated and abused (apparently willingly) you cannot help but know that this is sin against God and sin against other human beings.

 I still have times when I am sorely tempted and tried, being around women who are blatantly promiscuous and/or scantily clothed. God did created me to be attracted to the opposite sex. But God has also provided an escape for every married man with a healthy wife, and for those single men and married men who cannot have their physical needs addressed by marital sex. God knows you have a sex drive, but our problem is that we men have too much free time on our hands to think about and be tempted by thoughts that lead us to sin.

 I believe this is why Paul recommends that we “work with your hands”. Too many of us spend time watching and thinking and open ourselves to many temptations. Get busy and do something useful to take your mind off sex. If you become so driven that your body becomes aroused without sexual thoughts or visual temptation, I personally believe God allows us to release that tension as long as we regard it a bodily function just like our normal functions of removing wastes from our body. If you must fantasize, then you do not need the release. You are seeking an excuse to fantasize and that will lead you down the road to addiction again. Paul tells us to be in control of our bodies.

Just be very careful that this does not turn around and control you. Paul says “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12)

I invite any and all other opinions about this. Just be gracious about your views, please. I know I am not right about everything, but this is one area where I believe the church, as a whole, has failed to called sin – sin. If you are a pastor, elder, deacon, teacher or involved in discipling anyone, you need to confess this sin, if guilty of it, and be willing to resign your position until you have things back under God’s control. 

Porn is the present day’s Ba’al and Ashtoreth. And we all know how much God hated those things. Do you really think if Christ returns just as you are lusting after some stranger on a porn site, that He will welcome you and send you along with His sheep to everlasting joy and life? Do you REALLY???

Asking for directions

I was working in my garage a while ago, trying to adjust the derailleur on my bike, when a lady walked up the driveway and asked if I could tell her where she was. Now, that was an odd question for someone in a quiet suburban neighborhood and she didn’t look old enough to have dementia or Alzheimer’s.

She mentioned that I was the first person she had seen that she could ask for a good while, everyone being at the beach, or rover, or camping perhaps. Anyway, it turned out that she had decided to walk around the neighborhood while her husband watched a track meet at the community college nearby. She had gotten distracted and lost her way. I pointed her in the right direction and offered her a ride, but she didn’t seem comfortable with that, though the way back involved at least 3 miles on a very warm day. She said she was a walker and enjoyed it, so it was no problem as long as she knew where to go. I said “Well, God bless you then” and she laughed a bit embarrassed, I think.

Later on it occurred to me I might have asked her if she knew the Lord, because unless she does, she is still as lost as she ever was, despite my directions. If she had replied in the negative, it would have been a great way to tell her she was truly lost, but I had directions that were worth more than anything in this world. I could tell her how to get to God and obtain eternal life. But, I didn’t think to say anything like that until quite a while after she’d left, headed in the right direction, I hoped.

What also struck me was what a great analogy it was to the cliche’ that men never like to ask directions. If you take the term “men” as referring to “mankind” then it is pretty much a true statement. Jesus tells us to seek, and we will find. Ask, and it will be given to you. But many people don’t want to admit they are lost and clueless. They would much rather keep going where they want to go, even if it means they have no idea where they will end up. People need to humble themselves and ask truthfully, “How do I get where I really need to go?”

God has all the answers. He made us in His image. He became one of us. He knows us better than we can hope to know ourselves. He is the Way, the Truth, the Life. He is Jesus the Christ, and no one comes to the Father of us all, except through Him.

Don’t be too proud to admit you are helpless and hopeless. Seek God and you will find Him, on His terms. Accept that and you will find the way HOME.

“Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’” Acts 17:27-28

Church uses “Thriller” dance for outreach?????

I ran across this picture of a mega-church in Munster, Indiana which is near Gary, IN. Intrigued, I wanted to find out what kind of a church goes to this kind of trouble to make a church look like a gaudy pagan Roman temple. No surprise, then, that this church, called Family Christian Center, considers the late Michael Jackson a good role model and Christian.

For some odd reason, they seem to think reenacting Jackson’s thriller on stage with dancers from the church is a great outreach tool. Sorry, but I don’t get the connection with the gospel of Christ Jesus, salvation, or the biblical principle of NOT being like the world. And apparently they don’t either. This is nothing but a glorified amphitheater where ticket prices for concerts featuring “Christian” artists cost more than tickets to see the American Idols tour.

It’s a shame that apparently none of these people are being taught what being a true disciple of Jesus is supposed to be. I am flabbergasted at the biblical shallowness of the congregation, but mostly at the audacity of their leaders. This is all about entertainment and showboating. It’s obvious they do charitable work, but the motivation behind it is to attract people to the church, not to Jesus Christ.

These are wolves in very bad costume. So, how come they fool so many people then? 

May God have mercy on these blind sheep!

The Law of Christ

The “Law of Moses” could not free anyone from the power of sin or compel us to be righteous through coercion or threats. Paul says that particular Law actually stirred up more sin.

So, if the “Law of Christ” can free us from another law, it means it is much stronger than the old law. Which reminds me of Christ speaking about “plundering” the strong man, but only after overcoming and binding him (Mark 3:27). Some take this to mean that sin literally no longer has power over us and we “cannot sin” in the truest sense of the word, according to their interpretation of 1 John 3:9 and Paul’s declaration in Romans 6.

But, we are also told that the Law of Christ sets us free from condemnation AND the law of sin and death. The “law of sin and death” IS the Law of Moses, correct? Isn’t that what Paul was emphasizing in Romans 7?

So, we are no longer under the condemnation that comes as a result of breaking Moses’ Law, our natural inclination, but the law of Christ is the OT law fulfilled for us in Christ and we are freed from it’s implied punishments. Which means we are released from spiritual death, because, obviously, no one is freed from physical death.

So, when we do sin, does that imply we are temporarily “slaves” of the flesh? I struggle with where the line is drawn in Paul’s statement that says “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? ” (Romans 6:16 ESV)

When do we cease being slaves of Christ and become slaves of sin? Is there a specific tally or type of sin that causes us to switch masters? Or are we truly “free” and simply trapped in bodies that want to sin? I believe that is the case, especially when we consider Paul’s conclusions at the end of Romans 7, “So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” and again “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.” (Romans 8:23 ESV)

It was a great enlightenment to me to see that Paul emphasizes that what counts, and is evidence of our salvation, is whether or not we are spiritually MINDED. The emphasis is no longer on what we do, but on what we honestly WANT to do, don’t you think? A carnal and unregenerate sinner doesn’t want to be righteous and doesn’t care if he sins, as long as he can postpone any consequences. Those who are in Christ DO want to be righteous and hate and detest it when they sin through their flesh.

The attitude of our hearts (our true mindset and interests) is what Paul says is what counts as righteousness, because only the Spirit of God can affect such a change of mind. This change of the mind is the effect of the Law of Christ.

Being spiritually minded is what makes you a Christian. If you are not spiritually minded, then you do not have the Spirit of God. You are still a slave to the flesh, who has not been set free in Christ.

Do you agree?

Note: This post is actually a rather lengthy response to an article on Scott Shifferd’s site .

Are you doing what you can? And how do you know?

One of my favorite verses is this one:

“She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.”
(Mark 14:8 ESV)

I believe that is all God asks of us. I often don’t have the words pop into my head that I want to say at times. I often don’t get the opportunities to witness that I wish I did. And I don’t have the gift of being able to draw attention to myself; I am very often just a face in the crowd.

But, I do believe, by God’s grace, I do what I know to do and am always looking for opportunities to serve Christ. So, I take comfort in the knowledge that while I often wish I could or would do more for Jesus, God knows I am (almost) always ready. I AM human you know.

I truly believe that God will provide opportunites for two kinds of people: those who are seeking and those who are looking for them.

Peace and grace!

Small knots are sometimes hard to unravel

Small Knot #1- We aren’t necessary to this world. There is no logical or scientific reason for humans to exist.

So, why are we here? There is no evolutionary explanation, since man is credited with destroying all kinds of species, supposedly to the extent of altering the global weather systems,  and depleting all kinds of irreplaceable natural resources.

The only explanation that makes sense is that God had a better plan, just as He said in Genesis 1:26-30: We were meant to have dominion and be stewards of the earth, but our fallen nature has completely corrupted us into self-seeking and ignorant abuser of this world.

Small Knot # 2- In both Matt 19 and Mark 10 Jesus affirms that entering into the Kingdom will be difficult for many, especially the rich. But, we are promised we will be recompensed for the things we give up for His sake, in this life and the next. Oddly enough, sons, daughter, mothers and fathers are mentioned, but never wives or husbands. I think this was omitted on purpose and thus means: God does not condone divorce, even between a believer and an infidel. Paul affirms this in 1 Corinthians 7:10-16. Many in the church wink at believers leaving abusive husbands or wives, non-working spouses, etc. But, where is the scriptural warrant?  I am not approving spousal abuse or neglect, but this may very well be the persecution one will have to bear due to poor choices made earlier in life be either or both people. Nowhere does the scripture say a man or woman may leave their spouse and divorce them for anything other than adultery.

Small Knot # 3 - Jesus states explicitly in Mark 9:38-41 that anyone not opposing the cause of Christ supports it, in effect. Not sure how this applies to different Christian sects, but it certainly sounds ecumenical. How far do we take this?

 Small Knot #4 – Water and the Bible
When the Israelites were leaving Egypt they had to pass through the Red Sea. In order to inherit Canaan they had to cross the river Jordan. God gavethem their freedom and the “land of promise” but it required obedience and effort on their part. A specific example is Jericho. They had to march around it once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day in order to possess what God had given them!

God promises us salvation, but there are things we must do in order to obtain it just as the Israelites were not just given the Promised Land without any participation on their part. Argue that God is the One who actually performs these things in us, and I won’t necessarily disagree. But, these acts of obedience must occur or we cannot be saved!

1. Repent - change our minds about how and why we are here and have godly sorrow about our rebellious form of life.  (2 Corinthians 7:10, Romans 3:11, 2 Timothy 2:19)

2. Believe the good news that Jesus has died in our place and through Him we have forgiveness of sins and peace with God. (John 11:26, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:8, 1 Thessalonians 5;10)

So why do so many say the following are NOT required?

3. Be baptized (Acts 2:38, every conversion in the book of Acts, Romans 6:3-5, Galatians 3:27, Colossians 2:12, Ephesians 5:26, Titus 3:5 )

4. Love God, not the world ( 1 John 2:15, Colossians 3:1)

Small Knot #5 – Jesus says “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” (John 12:47-48 ESV)

and yet, John says “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 ESV)

and Paul “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV)

Why does Christ seem to contradict this? I mean, surely He doesn’t, but I am missing something here, I am sure. If Jesus is the Word, and we know He is, then why would He say men will be judged by His words, but not Himself?

Small Knot # 6 - The Christian Hope; what is it?

While we are told of the Kingdom of Heaven, but that only implies the rule of that kingdom, not the location. Nowhere in scripture are we promised we will live in heaven. God, Jesus, the angels, the seven spirits, our citizenship, our treasure, our rewards, ours names, our future bodies (or permanent dwelling places – John 14:2), and our inheritance is KEPT in heaven for us. We will be united with these at the judgment after the resurrection. The Resurrection is the GREAT HOPE of the Christian. (Matt 22:30, Luke 20:36, Acts 23:6, 24:15, Romans 8:23-24, Philippians 3:10-11 to list a few).

Even Rev 19:1, which mentions a great multitude in heaven, does not imply that these are either dead or resurrected people.

I just cringe when I hear people talk about loved ones in heaven. Why then is there a resurrection? Martha knew that (John 11:24) and Paul, as both a Pharisee and Apostle believed that the resurrection of the righteous was what we were looking forward to. The resurrection is when we receive immortality. Not before. (Daniel 12:2, Romans 2:7, etc.)

Jesus stated plainly “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” (John 3:13)

There appears to be only one destination for those who are counted worthy to attain to the resurrection of Christ -  the New Earth (2 Peter 3:13, Rev 21:1) in which righteousness dwells.

Hope for the future brings power to the present

Alexis De Tocqueville, French Statesman and author, wrote in 1831: “I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers and it was not there. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her fertile fields and boundless forests, and it was not there. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her democratic congress and her matchless constitution, and it was not there. Not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her power. This explains why religious nations have so often achieved such lasting results: for while they were thinking only of the other world, they had found out the great secret of success in this.”