Saved?

Are you going to heaven when you die?  They Bible says that many who answer "yes" to that question are incorrect.  It says that many who claim the name of Jesus are actually going to hell.  Scary, huh?  Let's take a look at what the Bible actually says:

The biggest false gospel in the evangelical church today is that saying a prayer or inviting Jesus into your heart seals you for eternity and gets you into heaven.  This is a stark contradiction to what scripture teaches.  It is by belief, also called faith, that we are saved as is made clear in John 3:16 and Eph 2:8-9.  Thinking your good works will save you is another highway to hell.  But as we see in Eph 2:10, works play a major part in salvation, not as a cause or prerequisite, but an evidence of the Holy Spirit who lives inside all true believers.  Hebrews 12 teaches us that God disciplines His children, and that a continued life in sin without that discipline to correct and bring back to repentance is a sure sign of illegitimacy, in other words: those who claim to be God’s children, but are not.  Here are some passages in scripture.  Please study them, and reform your beliefs based on the word of God, not the opinion of man.

[5] Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

(2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV)

[17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

(2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

 [5] This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. [6] If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

(1 John 1:5-6 ESV)

[3] And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. [4] Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, [5] but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: [6] whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

(1 John 2:3-6 ESV)

                [15] Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. [17] And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

(1 John 2:15-17 ESV)

                [28] And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. [29] If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. [3:1] See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. [2] Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. [3] And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. [4] Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. [5] You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. [6] No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. [7] Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. [8] Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. [9] No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. [10] By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

(1 John 2:28-3:10 ESV)

[13] By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. [14] And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. [15] Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

(1 John 4:13-15 ESV)

[5:1] Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. [2] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. [3] For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. [4] For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. [5] Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

(1 John 5:1-5 ESV)

[18] We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. [19] We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. [20] And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. [21] Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

(1 John 5:18-21 ESV)

[4] For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, [5] and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, [6] and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. [7] For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. [8] But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

(Hebrews 6:4-8 ESV)

                [13] “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. [14] For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few…[17] So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. [18] A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. [21] “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [22] On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ [23] And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

(Matthew 7:13-14,17-23 ESV)

[15] “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! [16] So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. [17] For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. [18] I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. [19] Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. [20] Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. [21] The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. [22] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

(Revelation 3:15-22 ESV)

                [19] Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; [20] for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. [21] Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. [22] But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. [23] For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. [24] For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. [25] But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. [26] If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. [27] Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

(James 1:19-27 ESV)

[14] What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? [15] If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, [16] and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? [17] So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. [18] But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. [19] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

(James 2:14-19 ESV)

[4] You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. [5] Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? [6] But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” [7] Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. [9] Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. [10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

(James 4:4-10 ESV)

[34] And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [35] For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. [36] For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? [37] For what can a man give in return for his soul? [38] For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

(Mark 8:34-38 ESV)

               [4] And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, [5] “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. [6] And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. [7] And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8 And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 

                [11] Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. [12] The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. [13] And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. [14] And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. [15] As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. 

(Luke 8:4-8,11-15, ESV)

Turn to Christ and be saved today!  Please contact me at mdeezyh2@yahoo.com for more information.

The Feminine Pastorate

Hey guys.  Just wanted to give you fair warning: this post is very long, and takes about 15 minutes to read.  It is a paper I wrote for college.  I did not want to shorten it, because I believe each point is important.  If you don't have 15 minutes to read my novel, the abstract is a short summary. :-)  I will make sure my next post is more manageable.  Feel free to use any of this without prior permission, provided nothing is changed or used out of context.  Contact me at mdhagemann@gmail.com if you would like a copy of the original paper in .doc form.  Enjoy:

Abstract

Cultural values have influenced many policy decisions in the church, and gender roles are no exception.  Though difficult to shake, presuppositions must take a back seat to good exegesis of scripture.  The Bible is clear that women are not to “teach or to exercise authority over a man” (1 Tim 2:12 ESV), and there is no contextual reason to believe this is anything but a universal mandate.  So, although women can enjoy the same value, salvation, and spiritual-gifting as men; they are not allowed to serve as pastors or elders.

The Feminine Pastorate: A Biblical Understanding of Gender Roles in the Church

           

“Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.  I do not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man” (1 Timothy 2:11-12).  This rule has been widely accepted and practiced throughout church history, but has come under fire in recent years.  Growing sentiments of feminism, equality, freedom, and personal rights are much to blame.  There is not anything inherently wrong with these ideologies, but when the church puts them above the word of God, they become idols and lead many astray.  Scripture does not stutter in its assignment of roles to men and women, and the church must not either.  Though they may fill the vast majority of roles in the church, women are not to occupy the office of pastors or elder.

There are many, though, that disagree.  Some flat out deny the authority of scripture, claiming the Bible is a flawed book written by flawed human beings.  Admittedly, scripture was written by flawed human beings; but according to 1 Timothy, these authors were simply the means by which God communicated His word.  Like the prophets of old, these men were “carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21 ESV), resulting in a text that was “breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV).  Liberal churches are quickly moving away from the supremacy of Christ and His word, and in doing so are leaving the foundation they were built on.

In his article, “United Methodism and the Ordination of Women,” Rev. Frank Gulley (n.d.) says, “The result of the interplay between the Bible, tradition, reason, and experience has caused Methodists to arrive at conclusions that are contradictory to a literal reading of certain biblical passages.”  Given, there are parts of scripture that are not meant to be taken literally (psalms, parables, etc.), but opposing a literal interpretation because it goes against “tradition, reason, and experience” (Gulley), is flat out rejecting the authority of scripture.  1 Corinthians says, “Let no one deceive himself.  If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is folly with God” (1 Corinthians 3:18-19 ESV).  To filter scripture through one’s own “tradition, reason, and experience” (Gulley), instead of seeking to understand the author’s intended meaning within its context, is not only foolish, it’s blasphemy; for doing so puts one’s own wisdom and understanding above that of God Himself!

Some accept the authority of scripture, but claim commands limiting roles to a specific gender were unique to first century Jewish and Greek culture, or a specific situation in the recipient church; and therefore, no longer apply.  In The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church — 2008, the United Methodist General Conference (2008) states,

Christianity was born in a world of male preference and dominance. Practices, traditions, and attitudes in almost all societies viewed women as inferior to men, as having few talents and contributions to make to the general well-being of society aside from their biological roles. This was true of the Judaic society of which Jesus was a part (p. 516). 

It is valid and necessary to consider that scripture contains some culturally and situationally specific commands.  Doing so helps the reader properly interpret the text – context is king.  The issue with the passages in question is that there is no contextual reason to believe the contained commands were intended solely for the culture of the time, or situation at hand.  In fact, the opposite is true.

As John MacArthur (2012) points out, “When the apostle Paul said that a woman should not ‘teach or exercise authority over a man’ (1 Timothy 2:12), he did not follow that statement with a cultural argument…The reasons he gave are that the woman was created after the man, and that she was deceived when acting independently of his leadership.”  If Paul’s restriction on women was meant solely for that culture, his justification for the command would be cultural.  Yet, his reason is God’s created order, which is applicable to every society: past, present and future.  There is no alternate interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:8-15 that stays faithful to context.

The greater scope of scripture has been manipulated several ways in attempts to justify the negation of Paul’s words in 1 Timothy.  Passages that highlight gender equality, such as “there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28b ESV), are often used to legitimize the female pastorate.  Gulley (n.d.) claims that if Christians accept Biblical teachings of gender equality, they must allow both genders to occupy every role in ministry.  The United Methodist General Counsel (2008) echoes Gulley’s statements.  They say, if there are no gender distinctions in salvation, baptism, and discipleship, there is no reason to believe there would be in ministry (p. 516).

All of this logic assumes that equality and distinction cannot coexist, but scripture tells a different story.  Henry Bechthold (2011) shows that the context of Galatians 3 is clearly not speaking of leadership roles in the church.  Rather, the subject at hand is salvation and consequently becoming children of God.  Galatians 3:23-29 states that Christ justifies believers by faith without regard to ethnicity, social status, or gender.  It speaks of equality in value and sonship, not all-encompassing uniformity.  Uniqueness in gender physicality alone destroys this philosophy of universal sameness.  It is no contradiction to say that scripture affirms the equality of men and women, yet differentiates their roles.  Using Galatians to justify the violation of commands prohibiting women from teaching men (1 Timothy 2:12) or requiring them to be in submission (1 Corinthians 14:34) is unfaithful to the text and simply unacceptable.

Some bring up God’s use of certain women throughout Biblical history as a way to justify female leadership in the church.  Rev. Joy Moore (n.d.), an elder in the West Michigan Annual Conference (UMC) and instructor of preaching at Asbury Theological Seminary, argues that “The restrictive meaning of ‘accepting a position of authority’…goes against the authority afforded Deborah, Phoebe, Pricilla [sic], and Lydia.”  At first glance, this argument seems to put a roadblock between the interpreter and the literal rendering of 1 Timothy 2:12. 

Problems like this arise when words are removed from their context.  The reader must remember that Paul is giving commands specifically for the local gathering of the church.  Deborah judging Israel (Judges 4) was in a different time, society, covenant, and situation.   The church had not yet been established, so trying to draw a parallel with Paul’s commands in 1 Timothy is futile.  It is also important to remember that some things in scripture are descriptive (simply describing something as it happened), and some are prescriptive (commands intended to prescribe how things should be done).  Descriptive narrative in the Bible teaches much, but never trumps specific, prescriptive mandates.  One can use the example of Deborah to shed some light on the subject, and see that God has used women to lead in certain situations; but to say this story trumps Paul’s command is unfounded. 

In fact, upon further review of the Deborah situation, it actually does more to support Paul’s command than refute it.  The book of Judges tells the story of a dark time in Israel, as they were continuing a cycle of temporary obedience, then turning away, then suffering the consequences of their sin.  Here, God appointed a woman to lead Israel, not as a celebration of gender equality, but as a judgment against Israel.  Isaiah 3 lists, “women rule over them” (Isaiah 3:12b ESV), as a judgment against Judah after they rebelled against God.  There is much blessing in God’s intended created order.  His reversing that order is a way of removing His hand of blessing, and in doing so, pronouncing judgment.  Similarly, in Romans 1, God gives humanity over to their own desires to compromise His created order, as a harsh judgment on their rebellion.

As far as Phoebe, Priscilla, and Lydia are concerned, there is no evidence in the text to suggest they violated Paul’s commands to women in any way.  Phoebe, a servant or deaconess (Romans 16:1), is never recorded as teaching or taking authority over a man.  Priscilla (Acts 18), along with her husband, pulled aside a passionate new believer to correct him and help him preach more accurately.  This was in a private setting; and beyond that, it is not clear if she or her husband did the bulk of the explaining.  There is no reason to think that she taught (in a church gathering) or took authority over a man.  To suggest such a thing is wildly hypothetical, as there is no evidence for it in the text.  Lastly, Lydia (Acts 16:14,40) is mentioned as being saved and extending hospitality, but never taking authority in the church.  God’s use of these women, and many others throughout the Bible, are strong evidences that God highly values women and uses them in many ways.  However, they fall short of suggesting that there is no distinction between the roles of men and women in the church. 

The same paradox between distinction and value is true of Jesus.  He possesses all of the same value, deity, and privilege as the Father, yet is positionally distinct, submitting Himself under the Father.  The Holy Spirit is another example.  He is just as much God as the Father and the Son, yet is positionally subservient to both.  If Jesus, the creator of the universe (Colossians 1:16), takes no exception to holding a submissive position – but actually finds sustenance in it (John 4:34) – why would anyone?  The answer is in Genesis 3: the fall, and consequential sin nature, gave humans a sense of pride, entitlement, and hunger for power.  This is a problem for men and women alike.

It is important to remember that men are also in a submissive role: to Christ.  To think that one’s value is wrapped up in role or authority is not only wrong, it is anti-Christ.  For the teachings of Jesus are clear that all authority is God’s, and that a person’s value is wrapped up in Him, not any works or position.  It is important to accept this, for it reaches far beyond the realm of gender roles and into the very meaning of life itself!

Another thing to consider is the vastness of roles and uses that are intended for women, sometimes at the exclusion of men.  1 Timothy 2:15 says, “Yet [women] will be saved through childbearing – if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.”  By the previous verse, it is clear this is not talking about spiritual salvation, but deliverance from the stigma of leading the entire human race into rebellion against God.  What a privilege women have in continuing life from generation to generation!  Women also have specialized roles in leading and instructing other women (Titus 2:3-4), and children.  All spiritual gifts are available to women and should be used to their full capacity.  There are many teaching opportunities that do not involve teaching or taking authority over men, in the church today.  There are actually very few roles that women do not qualify for according to scripture. 

When all is said and done, women should take joy in their submissive roles, as men should in theirs, and as Christ does in His.  It is not a burden to submit and follow, it is a privilege.  If the church is going to experience all of the blessings and promises in God’s word, it must first submit itself under scripture and obey it in faith, regardless of any consequences or offenses that may result.  Worshipping God by picking and choosing what to believe and obey in His word is not true worship of Him.  For this type of worship is directed, not at the creator who revealed Himself in the Bible, but at what each person has made God to be in his or her own mind: the god who fits one’s personal ambitions and desires, the god which God calls an idol.  The Christian must repent of this, and turn back in faithful obedience to the God of the scriptures.

References:

Bechthold, H. (2011, February 06). Women elders and pastors. Retrieved April 19, 2012 from http://www.christianarticles.net/articledetail.php?artid=5884&catid=80&title=Women+Elders+And+Pastors&fb_source=message

Gulley, F. (n.d). United Methodism and the ordination of women. Retrieved April 19, 2012 from http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1086

Hoehner, H. (2007, December). Can a woman be a pastor-teacher?. Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 50/4, 761–71. Retrieved April 13, 2012, from http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/50/50-4/JETS_50-4_761-771_Hoehner.pdf

MacArthur, J. (2012). Can women serve as elders in the church?. Retrieved April 5,2012, from http://www.gty.org/resources/questions/QA127/can-women-serve-as-elders-in-the-church

Moore, J. (n.d.). Women in ministry. Retrieved April 13, 2012 from http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1087

United Methodist General Conference. (2008). The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church. Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House

To Sin or Not to Sin...That is the Question

(James 3:1-12 ESV)

 [3:1] Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. [2] For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. [3] If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. [4] Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. [5] So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
 How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! [6] And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. [7] For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, [8] but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. [9] With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. [10] From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. [11] Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? [12] Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

This short passage highlights an interesting tension we have in the Christian life.  The tension between verse 2 "we all stumble in many ways" and verses 10 through 12 "these things ought not to be so" and the pictures showing that the given duplicity is not acceptable.  In other words, even after being saved and regenerated by Christ, no one will attain perfection or completely cease to sin this side of heaven, but we should not sin.

So the question is, how do we deal with sin in our lives?  Accept the fact that it is inevitable and be ok with it?  Beat ourselves up and demand perfection of ourselves?  Scripture would condemn either approach!

In Romans 6:1-11 Paul says: "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

John says in 1 John 1:5-10 " This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."  In fact, the whole book of 1 John speaks to this issue very well.

Paul gives us the Biblical approach if we continue the passage above (Romans 6:12-14) " Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."  There is a difference between stumbling time to time and letting sin "reign in [our] mortal body".

As children of God, we should hate sin, for God hates sin.  As Colossians 3 says, we should set our hearts and our minds on things above, not on earthly things.  We still stumble, but when we do, we forsake our sin and turn back to Christ.  As Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 7:10 " For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death."  We are not to get bogged down by guilt, and the evil one attempting to render us ineffective by it.  Christ died once for all sin.  If we have repented and turned our life over to Him, we are already forgiven for all our sin: past, present, and future.

So the question is, have you already been forgiven for your sin?  A good picture I once heard is the difference between pigs and sheep (I'm not a farmer, so I don't know if it is true, but it is a good analogy nonetheless).  When a sheep stumbles and falls in the mud, they desire to get out and again be cleaned of the filth.  The pig wallows in the mud.

Are you a sheep or a pig?  You have two options.  You can pay for your own sin, and bear God's wrath on your shoulders for all eternity, or you can turn to Christ, who already bore God's wrath for sin, and allow Him to cleanse you of your filth.  The only true righteousness we can obtain is Christ's righteousness given to us when we put our faith in Him.  The choice is yours, and it is the most important one you will ever make.

Not for the Faint of Heart

Two years ago, I felt God’s call of total abandonment to Him.  This was a hard call to receive, since there were some things in my life that I liked, but would take significant blows if I was going to follow this calling.  It was all sin (idolatry), but not all what we would think of as sin.  The one that sounds the silliest was actually the hardest for me to let go of: video games.

I may not have admitted it then, but the truth of it was I did not trust God to satisfy me.  I did not trust Him as my source for pleasure and delight.  I followed Him, prayed to Him, spent time every day reading the Bible, but didn’t quite trust Him to fulfill the needs of my soul.  Life was too difficult, painful, tedious, boring, and monotonous to not have some sort of temporary escape.  Video games were a way I could forget about the rest of the world, and for a moment have peace from the anxiety that would sometimes consume me.  For me it was mostly video games.  Many people find their pleasure in work, drinking, drugs, sexual activity, eating, thrill-seeking, acquiring nice things, friendships, family, etc.  You may not be aware of it, but there’s a few simple ways to identify the god of your life.  Ask (and be honest with) yourself about where you spend your 1) time, 2) money, and 3) energy.  For me, I spent every moment of free time playing video games.  Having a family, that didn’t add up to a whole lot of time, but any chance I had to get by myself would be invested into playing my Xbox 360.  Now don’t get me wrong, there’s not anything inherently wrong with video games, but if I spend 15 minutes of my day reading God’s word and praying to him, and 2 hours of my day playing Xbox, what is truly the object of my worship?

                “Blessed is the man

                                who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

                nor stands in the way of sinners,

                                nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

                but his delight is in the law of the LORD,

                                and on his law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2 ESV)

                “Trust in the LORD, and do good;

                                dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

                Delight yourself in the LORD,

                                and he will give you the desires of your heart.

                Commit your way to the LORD;

                                trust in him, and he will act.

                He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

                                and your justice as the noonday.

                Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

                                fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

                                over the man who carries out evil devices!” (Psalm 37:3-7 ESV)

Exodus 20:5, 34:14, Deut 4:24, 5:9, 6:15, 32:21, and Joshua 24:19 are a couple of places where God is referred to as a “jealous God”.  Sometimes we shy away from certain attributes of God because they don’t mesh well with our human thinking.  Things like God’s wrath, anger, jealousy, and self-centeredness don’t sound right to us, because they usually are not right when applied to us.  In this pattern of thinking though, we forget who we’re talking about:  God.  These attributes are absolutely perfect, holy and magnificent as they relate to the creator.  In fact, if you removed one from God’s nature, He would cease to be God.  Though these beg discussion, I don’t want to get too bogged down in them right now and detract from my main point, but I would enjoy further interaction if you would like to comment below. 

The main point is this:  God created us to worship Him.  In the Old Testament, idols were primarily statues and physical objects that people would bow down and worship.  Today, in America, idols are things that take the place of God in our hearts.  Some are easy to recognize as sin: excessive drinking, illegal drugs, sexual immorality.  Others, however, not only fly under the radar, but are even sometimes encouraged: hard work, family, friends, religion.  Religion?  Yes, religion.  If your idea of being a Christian is going to church on Sundays and obeying a set of rules then you have not been saved by Jesus Christ and are currently in the same boat as Osama Bin Laden and Adolf Hitler.  The only difference is, you still have a chance to turn from your sin and trust in Jesus Christ for your forgiveness. (if you have not read my “How Good Am I” post, please read it now, for it is a necessary backdrop for the point I’m making)

According to the Bible there are two people groups:  the saved and the unsaved.  The people trying to earn their way into Heaven fall into the unsaved category.  If that is insulting to you, check it out in the Bible.  I encourage discussion, but please use scripture, for that is the final authority.  The good news is: God wants us all to be saved!  Christ already did all that was needed to secure this standing for us, all we have to do is turn from our sin and trust in Him.  Unfortunately (according to Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14), few will do that, and many will choose to reject His sacrifice and bear their own penalty for sin (Heb 10:26).

Back to abandonment.  It took a while, but I followed God’s call, and my life has never been better.  The thing is, being abandoned to God is His call for all Christians (Luke 9:23-27,62).  The “on-fire Christian” is a phenomenon that is known only where persecution is light or absent.  When we look in Acts (the book about the early church), we don’t find “on-fire Christians” and “casual Christians”, we find “Christians” and they are all “on-fire”.  The hard truth of it is, an “on-fire Christian” is a Christian, and a “casual Christian” as an unbeliever.  According to scripture (such as Ephesians 1), we learn that when God saves us, we receive His Holy Spirit to live in us.  His Holy Spirit transforms our lives (see Romans 12).  In a culture of so much false teaching, and a lot of false-assurance of salvation that is not found in scripture, thank God for books like James and 1 John that clearly lay it out what a believer and unbeliever look like.  Please read those books (each only 5 chapters) to make sure you are in the faith!  God knows better than our pastors and friends, so let’s check His word to make sure we’ve got it right!

Now let me add that this doesn’t mean that true believers are perfect in any way, for no one is, nor does it mean that those closest to God do not go through seasons of difficulty and even drought.  But, there is a clear transformation from the old to the new.  The believer is marked by a longing for holiness, knowledge of God, service, reaching the lost, and even suffering for His name.  That is very counter to our natural flesh that seeks after pleasure, comfort, recognition, and self-sufficiency. 

Abandonment to our Savior is our call brothers and sisters!  We were created for nothing less! 

There is no deeper satisfaction than that which comes from communion with the only God.

Greater Glory

"Many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God." (John 12:42-43 ESV)

"For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God."  That really sums up the reason we do a lot of the things that we do.  Romans 1:22-23 says "Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creepy things."  It's so easy for us to give up the truly wonderful thing that is more intangible and abstract, for the counterfeit that we can see and feel and experience right now.  The problem is, the counterfeit eventually leaves us empty and unsatisfied.  It pleases for a moment, but is then revealed for what it truly is.  But it's such a temptation.

So how do we combat this?  We do what Paul said in Collosians 3: "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.  Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.  Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."  (Colossians 3:1-17 ESV)

Life can be a constant battle between focusing on the temporal or the eternal.  Let's not lose that battle by settling for lesser pleasures.  There is no greater satisfaction than getting to know the God who made us.  And this comes primarily through reading His word, which is His revelation to us.  If you want to get to know Him, go to the source.  He wrote the book for you.  Open to John 1 (about 3/4 through the Bible), and just start reading.  When you finish John, just keep going.  You will be amazed at how your life is changed.

Freedom to Die

It is amazing how faithful the Spirit of God is in His ministry of interpretation, conviction, and teaching.  About 8 hours after writing the rough draft of what you will read below, I was studying the same passage again and it hit me at a whole different angle.  In short Romans 14 and 15 in context is a call for us to bear with the weakness of less mature believers and build them up where they are at, instead of being intolerant of the weakness and expecting them to be in the same place we are spiritually.  (This is not implying there is some line separating the weak and the strong, for they are relative terms.  For each one of us there are weaker brothers/sisters and there are stronger brothers/sisters.)  This truth hit me straight between the eyes and deeply convicted me, for there are specific situations in my life where I have been called to grace and selflessness but am currently living in intolerance and condemnation.  This is the aim of the author, and the way (I believe) these chapters should be properly understood.  The direction I am going below is not the aim of the author in this passage, but a truth that is mentioned that helped me connect some other things I have been studying.  Below is simply a culmination of it all…

The past couple of weeks have been difficult for me.  I have struggled to spend my full time in the word every day, and when I have I’ve been distracted.  I also haven’t spent as much time as I usually do with brothers encouraging me in the Word, challenging me, and holding me accountable.  As always happens when I am not solid in my daily reading, every day has seemed like a torturous battle between my flesh and the Holy Spirit living inside of me.  Trying to live life as a Christian in your own power (the power of your flesh) is arguably the most miserable and futile way to live.  When you are not empowered by the Spirit through soaking your mind and spirit in God’s word, pouring your heart out to Him in prayer, and spending time with other God-loving believers, you are dead in the water.

I was reading Romans this morning and an awesome truth jumped out at me that connected a lot of other truths I knew, but now make sense in a new way.  This is in the context of ch 14 where Paul is talking about not judging others according to the freedom you have received in Christ pertaining to grey areas, and to not cause a weaker brother/sister to stumble by partaking in those areas of freedom in their sight if they feel differently than you about it.  (A modern day example would be if you feel you have the freedom to drink a small amount of alcohol, and you’re with a brother/sister who feels it would be a sin to do so, you shouldn’t do it in their presence because that would be a stumbling block for them.)  That thought brings us to our current text: Romans 15:1-7…

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.  For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written,  'The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.'  For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

The part that really hit me is in verse 1:  “and not to please ourselves” which goes back to “have an obligation”.  In short, we do not have an obligation to please ourselves.  Sounds like a silly little thing, but it made a lot of connections for me about what it means to be a slave to Christ and free from sin.  Romans 6:12-23 says “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.  Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.  For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.  What then?  Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!  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.  I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.  For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.  But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.  But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

As humans, we are all slaves to something.  1 John 3:10 says “by this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.”  We are either children of God or children of the devil, there is no other option.  We are all born children of the devil, and the only way we can become children of God is by placing our faith in Christ Jesus as the sacrifice for our sins, to take our punishment for our wrongdoing so that we don’t have to.  The rest of this post will be speaking to those who have done that.  If you are not sure if you have, or if you have not and would like to, please read my previous post “How Good Am I” and/or call me right now at 708-257-9214 so we can walk through that together.

When we were children of the devil and slaves to our sin, we were just that: slaves to our sin.  We did not have a choice but to continue down that same road of wrongdoing.  Now that we have been redeemed we no longer are under obligation to follow our sinful desires.  Our only obligation is to pursue the God who created us and saved us, and who continues to sanctify us day by day.  This is such a freeing truth that we now only sin when we choose to, when we choose to turn away from the God who loves us and go back to wallow in the mud.  When we are pursuing Him, and finding our satisfaction in Him there is no longer that empty hole that we try to fill with other things.  And therein lies the power to overcome temptation.  The reason that I go through seasons of such struggle, and the reason we as believers can be caught in this same cycle of sin and repentance, is that we do not fully understand, or we are choosing not to partake in the satisfaction that God offers.  And this satisfaction is only found in a life of pursuing God.  If there is anything in your life that you pursue more than God, it has taken the place of God in your heart, and is what the Bible refers to as an idol.  Many things can be idols in our lives: drugs, alcohol, money, possessions, lust, relationships, religion, rituals/traditions, fun, food, family, children, spouses… you name it, and it can take the place of God.  Here’s a good test to see what, if any, idols there are in your life.  In what areas do you spend the majority of your money?  Are they on things that serve God, yourself, or something else?  What things do you spend most of your time doing?  Pursuing God, or pursuing something else?  A good way to find what takes first place in your heart is to ask yourself what is the first thing you would do if/when you have free time?  Do you want to spend the extra time reading the Bible or watching tv or doing something else?  Very convicting questions for all of us, but my point is, if we are struggling with the same old sin, year after year, the problem is not that God is not powerful enough or even that we are obligated to please the flesh, the problem is we are not tapping into the source of power, and we are choosing our flesh over God by not pursuing Him the way we would if we really understood the satisfaction that only He can give.  This is where I have been.  But today is the day of change.  I ask that you would take the following challenge with me: if your answers to the questions above are not God-honoring, as mine have not been, identify the idols in your heart and go to war with them.  Drastically decrease the time you spend on those things and replace them with time getting to know God by reading His word.  Our hearts will resist, but it is necessary in cultivating a heart that loves God.  If we discipline ourselves to do this, we will find ourselves craving the goodness of God that He showers on those who pursue Him.  As we become more and more satisfied in His word, we will want nothing more than to spend time with Him.  Every day is a spiritual battle, and we need to start making some drastic decisions and changes, and not just keep wishing things were different.  Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and hoping to get a different result.  Let’s make the change today!  Please call or email me so that we can do this together (708-257-9214  mdeezyh2@yahoo.com).  God Bless You.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in season, and its leaf does not wither.  In all that he does, he prospers.”  (Psalm 1:1-3)

“Whom have I in heaven but you?  And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”  (Psalm 73:25-26)