Give Me That Old Time Gospel

[Soldier4Christ]

Prayer for God's will

Sometimes prayer is not so easy. We ask, we seek, we wait, we hope, and we yearn to hear from God. Yet, many times, what we ask for does not come to pass and our prayers seem to be spoken into the void. But, that can be quite good. Have there ever been prayers that you are glad were not answered? Sometimes our short-sightedness causes us to pray outside the will of God, and that is the problem.

When Jesus was praying in Luke 22:42, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He asked the Father, "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done." Jesus did not want to go through the ordeal of the crucifixion and He asked the Father for a way out. His prayer was not answered the way Jesus requested. Nevertheless, He submitted His will to the will of the Father, and that is the key to prayer.

What would be a good prayer? Depending on the subject, it would be a request to the Lord to forgive, to heal, to reveal, to intercede, to help, etc. But, and this is important, we must realize that it is not our will that is to be done, but God's. We must primarily ask for God's will to be accomplished, not ours. This means that we must enter prayer by faith and accept, in advance, that what we are requesting may not be answered the way we hope it will. We must look to God as the wise counselor, the all-knowing Lord who loves us deeply and who hears our prayers, but has a divine plan and purpose for His creation that God will carry out. Therefore, we must not only pray for others, for forgiveness, for healing, etc., we must also pray that we are moved into the will of God in every area of our lives so that our prayers might more accurately reflect the will of God.

Furthermore, we must ask the Lord to reveal to us anything that we are doing that prevents our prayers from being heard and prevents us from being in His will. We must seek forgiveness for our sins and conformity to God's purpose and plan. Then, our prayers will be more frequently answered.

Are your prayers answered? If not, perhaps you might want to evaluate whether or not you are in the will of God? Perhaps you might want to pray specifically to be in the will of God in your life, your desires, your location, your job, your service, etc. Ask God to speak to you and to guide you into His will.

[islandboy]

Speak truly and each word of thine
Shall be a fruitful seed;
Live truly and thy life shall be
A great and noble creed.       Bonar

[Soldier4Christ]

Presenting the Gospel

How do you tell people that they need Jesus?   Do you tell them that Jesus loves them and that He wants to make their lives better?  Do you tell people that Jesus can forgive them of their sins?  Do you tell them that Jesus has a wonderful plan for their lives and that they should believe in Him and ask Jesus into their hearts?  If so, you may be doing a harm to their spiritual health.  That's right, harm.  Let me explain.

The Law must precede the gospel.  The Law must come first and kill the person so that the gospel can make him alive.  The Law must convict the person of his sins so he will want salvation.  It is simple.  You preach the Law first, then the gospel.  You must make people thirsty for the water of life before they will want to drink.  The Law makes them thirsty.

If a doctor told you that you needed to take some pills for two months but didn't tell you why, would you take them?  If he told you that the pills will make you feel better and that your life will be more pleasant, then would you take them?  What if you already felt fine and your life was great?  What then?  You might say, "Well, thanks.  Maybe I need them, maybe I don't.  I'll think about it."  Then let's say you gave the pills a try and you didn't notice any change in how you felt and your life didn't change either, then what?  You'd stop taking them because having given them a try and seeing no change, no reason to continue, you'd stop.

On the other hand, let's say that your doctor told you that you have a disease that will kill you in six months and that your death would be slow and painful.  He then hands you the pills and says, "But these pills can cure you and save your life.  I want you to take these."  Would you then take them?  Of course!  This is because you would recognize the desperate situation you are in.  You would recognize your great need and want the cure.

That is the purpose of the Law.  It shows us our sin. "...I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, Do not covet" (Rom. 7:7).  Then, because we realize we have sinned against God, the Law then shows us that we are under God's wrath:  "...because law brings wrath" (Rom. 4:15).  The Law brings both physical and spiritual death because it empowers sin to kill us: 'The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the la,'" (1 Cor. 15:56).  The presentation of the Law is supposed to show a person that he has a great need by demonstrating that he has violated the will of God and that he is going to have to face the terrible damnation of God on the Day of Wrath (Rom. 2:5).  If you don't do this when presenting the gospel, you are not presenting the real reason for the gospel and this can hinder a person from really coming to Christ.

God presented the Law before He presented the gospel -- for a reason.  "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith" (Gal. 3:24). God's Law is holy and righteous: "So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good" (Rom. 7:12).  Have you broken God's Holy Law? Have you ever lied, stolen, cheated, or been angry with someone unjustly?  If so, then you are a lying, stealing cheating, murderer in the eyes of God because you have committed those sins.  Like it or not, just doing those things a little bit qualifies you for the whole punishment of the Law. "Cursed is every man who does not abide by everything written in the book of the law to perform them" (Gal. 3:10). And also, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 11 For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not commit murder"(James 2:10-11).  God is holy and righteous and He will in no way stand for anything but absolute perfection and holiness in His presence.  This is why the Holy and Infinite God of the universe must and will punish anyone who has sinned against Him by breaking His holy Law.
The Gospel

Because of the harshness and truth of the Law, we are broken before God and recognize that we can do nothing to please Him because we cannot keep the Law of God perfectly:  "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment..."(Isaiah 64:6).  Therefore, the only thing left is to is come to the cross.  This is why it says in Gal. 3:24 "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith."  The Law pushes us towards Jesus.  It compels us to come to the only one who can forgive us of our sins.  It breaks us so that we are found hopeless inside and we then turn to another to deliver us from the wrath of God.  This is why Jesus came.  This is what the gospel is about.  Jesus died on the cross to avert the wrath of God from sinners.  Therefore, the only way to be "saved" from the wrath of God, is to trust in Christ.  This is what it means to be saved.  It means to be saved from God's wrath:  "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him" (Rom. 5:9).  The gospel is not about a "nice" God who is begging people to come to Him because He loves the sinner but hates the sin.  (The Bible never says that God loves the sinner but hates the sin.)  On the contrary:  "The boastful shall not stand before Thine eyes; Thou dost hate all who do iniquity" (Psalm 5:5).  And, "There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers" (Prov. 6:16-19).  Such biblical teaching is not in harmony with most popular Christian theology today, because it doesn't present God as the "nice" God that is begging people to come to Him.  Instead, the truth is that God is Holy and He will punish the sinner.  But that isn't all of it.  God is also love (1 John 4: which is why He sent His Son, to save us:  "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him" (John 3:17).

So, when you present the gospel to someone, make sure you preach the Law of God first.  Let that Law work on the person you speak to.  Let it break the heart open so the seeds of the gospel can take root.  Let the Law of God make the sinner aware that he has sinned against God and that there is a coming judgment because of it.  Then, when he is ready, tell him that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).  Tell him about how Jesus who is God in flesh (John 1:1,14) was able to live the Law perfectly (1 Pet. 2:22), satisfy the Father in heaven (1 John 2:2), give to us His very righteousness, (Phil. 3:9), and deliver us from the Judgment to come (Rom. 14:10; Heb. 9:27).  And when you do so, do it with grace: "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person" (Col. 4:5-6). 

[Soldier4Christ]

Rewards

Sometimes I find myself looking heavenward and wondering what it will be like to dwell in God's presence. I know it will be wonderful. But, for now I want to live for God and do as much as I can to bring Him glory and point others to Him. There is nothing else that matters when compared to His greatness, His glory, His wonder, His beauty, and His grace. What else is there? Why live if I cannot live for Him? Why strive if it doesn't glorify Him? Why seek to work and accomplish in this life if it is not for Him, the sovereign and gracious King?

We can accomplish much in this world. We can gather possessions and money. We can raise families. We can show kindness, donate money and time for the benefit of the hurting. We can give and help; yet, if it is not for God's glory, what good is it? Yes, I know that it is good to help people. But, on the Day of Judgment when we are standing in the infinite purity of holy majesty, will those things done to help others really matter? It depends.

Something is good if it is done for the purpose of glorifying God and in the name of Christ; that is, if it is done because it is a response to the Cross and for God's glory. If we feed the poor because it makes us feel better or so that we can be recognized, then our reward has already been given, "And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full" (Matt. 6:5). If we give money to help others because it is a good thing to do, then we have already received our reward in self satisfaction. But, if we help others because it is what God wants us to do, because we have been redeemed by Christ, because we are seeking to demonstrate the goodness of God's grace to others, then that is a good work and the reward is yet to come. "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done" (Rev. 22:12).

God sees what we do in secret. He knows the motives of our hearts and knows if the center of our lives and deeds is Him or ourselves. The rewards given are commensurate with the motives. Col. 3:23-24 says, "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve."

In reality, there is nothing we can do that is pure. We are touched by sin in all that we are. Yet, God says we will receive rewards in heaven. This can only be because of His goodness and grace and not because of what is in us or what we do. I see our rewards as God's gift to us...but for a reason: because He loves us and because we can bring glory to Him.

Many commentators believe that in Rev. 14, the twenty-four elders represent the Christians and the the crowns are symbolic of the rewards God gives to us. Notice what it says, "the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created." How glorious an opportunity we will have to be able to bow before the Lord and lay before Him all the good things we have done in His name. In reality, anything good we do is because of God's grace and He is the one who should get the credit. I long for that day of bearing all before the Lord and laying my crown before Him to the praise of His glory. He is worthy to receive glory and honor and power.

What is the reason for your life? What is in the depths of your heart? Who do you live for? Are you storing up rewards here on earth, or up in heaven?

[Soldier4Christ]

Sacred Labor

Blessings.  Col. 1:29 says, "And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me."  For what do you labor?  Is it to get a better car, more money, a wonderful family?  These things are fine and there is nothing wrong with them.  But, Jesus should be the center of your life, your prayer life, your work, your school, your family, etc, and out of this focus should your labor be directed as you seek to labor for the glory of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Labor is a godly blessing.  It is a reality in this fallen world, just as it was a reality in the Garden of Eden before the fall; God told Adam to take care of the Garden, giving Adam a purpose in his labor.  Therefore, labor is a God-ordained blessing.  We are all familiar with having to labor to feed ourselves and our families.  This is good, and it glorifies God to be a productive member of society.  But, our labor is not only in the secular.  As Christians, it is in the sacred as well.  Our sacred labor is vitally important, more important, than the secular labor because in the sacred the battle for souls is fought.

Sacred labor involves prayer, petition, intercession, ministering, compassion, tithing, giving offerings, sacrifice, and so much more.  Let's quickly review these.  Sacred labor is prayerful in that it labors before the Lord in petition and intercession in asking the Lord for direction, deliverance, and salvation for those that the Lord would put upon your heart to pray for.  Sacred labor is ministering in that it is other-centered.  There are so many who need to be loved, helped, and uplifted.  Do you know of anyone in need?  Do what you can for those you can help -- even if it means you must sacrifice something.  Sacred labor is full of compassion.  It sees the needs of others and feels for them, senses their hurt and need, but it doesn't stop there.  For true compassion should motivate us to do something; otherwise, it is simply empty feeling.  Sacred labor involves tithing because the reality of this world is that money is needed.  God has ordained the order and blessing of money, which makes so many things possible.  God gives it to us to use for His glory.  If you can tithe, then tithe and support your local church.  GIVE!  Sacred labor is also the giving of offerings.  These are above and beyond the tithe.  The tithe is for your local church.  The offerings are for other people, other ministries, other needs that you see.  If it makes you cringe to give even more than a tithe, then quickly look around your house and see if you have enough possessions to be satisfied.  Then look outward to the world and see where people are dying, where the gospel needs to go forth, where needs exist.  Look further into eternity and see what treasures you want stored there.  Then, look back at your possessions.  For what are you laboring?

Finally in this small list of items, sacrifice is also a sacred labor before the Lord because it is in the trust of sacrifice that you approach the heart of God.  I say "trust of sacrifice," because to sacrifice something means that you are trusting God to provide where your sacrifice has deprived you.  As Jesus trusted the Father to resurrect Him in His sacrifice, so too must you trust the Lord to bring to you your needs as you sacrifice for others.  This is the nature of true love because true love is other-centered:  "For God so loved the world, He GAVE His only begotten Son..." (John 3:16).

Do not be caught up in the comfort and security of this world so that you constantly seek to provide yourself with one more little toy, one more little pleasure while the opportunities of sacred labor go unfulfilled around you.  Stand on the word of God, by faith, and reach out to others.  Do what you can to further God's kingdom.  Pray, petition, intercede, minister, show compassion, tithe, give offerings, make sacrifices, and do whatever else the Lord would call you to do in the service of the Kingdom of God.

Eternity is where our treasures should be stored and our eyes, and goals, and hopes should be focused.  On that distant day when we bow before the Lord, we will all want to hear His words pronounced upon us, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master" (Matt. 25:21).

[islandboy]

I'll check within my own heart first,
The obvious to see,
That faults I find in others
Are really faults in me.              D. De Haan

[islandboy]

If we embrace adversity,
Accepting every pain,
Then we will learn what we should know;
Our grief will turn to gain.                          Sper

[Soldier4Christ]

Sacred Duty

Luke 17:5-10 is an interesting set of verses:  "And the apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith! 6 And the Lord said, If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, Be uprooted and be planted in the sea; and it would obey you. 7 But which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, Come immediately and sit down to eat? 8 But will he not say to him, Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me until I have eaten and drunk; and afterward you will eat and drink? 9 He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? 10 So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done."

The context is that Jesus had just instructed the disciples to forgive seventy times seven if necessary.  The disciples then ask to have their faith increased.  This makes perfect sense since the level of forgiveness that Jesus is asking of us is far beyond our normal range of tolerance.  In order to be so very forgiving we need the grace of God working in us mightily.  This level of forgiveness is an obligation of Christians.  Why?  Because we have been forgiven of far greater sins by the Lord.  As we have been forgiven, so ought we to forgive.

But then, Jesus gives an interesting story about the servant doing his standard job of serving the master.  Why did Jesus mention this here?  The answer is quite simple.  This too is an issue of obligation for Christians -- to do that which is what we are supposed to do.  In the context, we are to have faith.  The disciples asked for more faith and Jesus says, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, Be uprooted and be planted in the sea; and it would obey you."  The fact is that they did have faith -- and so do you.  Whether or not your faith is great or weak, it is faith.  With that faith, trust God.  Therefore, we are to be completely trusting of God, "faithing" our way through life, leaning on Him, trusting Him for all things.

As the disciples should not get extra praise for doing what they are supposed to do, i.e., love their neighbors, have faith in God, be honest, etc.  Likewise, we Christians have certain obligations before the Lord that we should not be patting ourselves on the back for accomplishing:  going to church, praying, tithing, worship, "faithing," etc.  The whole attitude of Christians should be one of humility, not one of "I deserve" and "I should be rewarded for my faithfulness," etc.

Now, lest we fall into legalism here, our obligations before God are not legalistic impositions that make us or break us as Christians.  On the contrary, our relationship with God is based on the work of Christ, not upon our faithfulness or lack thereof.  Jesus did it all and we are saved from the righteous wrath of God through Him.

Nevertheless, are you doing what you are supposed to be doing as a Christian?  Are you praying regularly, having devotions, forgiving, loving, being patient, etc.?  These are important questions and we need to answer them periodically and make adjustments accordingly.

But one thing is for sure.  The Lord is kind and merciful and He loves us no matter who well or poorly we do.  I thank God that my relationship with Him is not based on me, but on Him.  To Jesus be the glory.

[islandboy]

How blest is he whose trespass
Has freely been forgiven,
Whose sin is wholly covered
Before the sight of heaven.    Psalter

[Soldier4Christ]

There is a God; you are not Him

One of the best things I learned in Seminary was when a professor wrote on the board "There is a God.  You are not Him." Boy, has that proven true!  Over the years I've discovered how unwise, inexperienced, and ignorant I really am.  Also, I've noticed that God doesn't consult me with making decisions about running the universe.  And, if that isn't humiliating enough, He doesn't take any of my suggestions about how things ought to be in my own life.  I don't understand why God doesn't take my suggestions.  But, it comes down to one thing:  There is a God.  I am not Him!

The Mormons teach you can become gods.  The New Agers teach that you are, basically, already god(s) in nature.  Certain heretical "Christian" teachers on TV say we are little gods.  And, some religions teach that when you die you join with the god-consciousness so you can "realize your full potential in oneness with the divine essence"...or whatever that means.  They sure have high opinions of themselves.

When I look inside, I don't find a divine nature.  I find a sinner, a person who is struggling with sin and hoping to please the true God as he stumbles through life.  I also find the indwelling Lord who has cleansed me and continues to cleans me of my sins.  Praise be to Jesus.

"There is a God. You are not Him," is a delightful piece of truth. Think about it. Who created the universe? Was it the infinite and wise God, or was it me...or you?  I have not heard whether if God consulted any of you about how universe should be run. If He has, please let me know.  But as it stands now, He doesn't need our help.

When I look back on my life and I remember some of the prayers and desires of my heart, I find that I'm quite happy He has not answered most of them. Many times I have reminisced and winced at some of the immature and self-centered requests I have laid before God.  The older I get, the more my prayers include thanks to the Lord for not answering my prayers.  Now, I find myself praying that God do with me as He wills and that He teach me what He wants.

Since I am not God -- and the more I realize that -- the more I accept the fact that God knows a lot more than I do and is quite capable of seeing the future.  He is perfectly able to weave into my life (and yours) answers and denials to prayer requests. In fact, He is quite good at providing for us in ways that we have never even conceived of.  He is so wise and so perfect and so incredibly good, that we can trust completely Him to hear our prayers and know what is best for us, even if we don't lift it up to Him.

Now, sometimes this means that we must confess our ignorance before God since we do not understand why He will not answer some prayers such as healing others or saving others the way we want Him to.  But, it is not for us to decide what is and is not answered. It is not our world. It is God's world.  We are His people and we are to follow Him and seek His will in our lives, no matter what it is.  He is to receive the glory, not us.

Have you tried to be the God of your own life? Have you tried to inform God how things should be done? Have you spent your prayer times expressing self-centered desires and wants? I have. But, I have also sought the will of God and asked the Lord to work His will in my life -- in spite of me.  It is comforting to know that God is in control and that I am not. It is comforting to know that God loves me more than I can imagine. It's comforting to know that God can see the future and that He has it all mapped out for me. It is comforting to know that I'm trusting in an infinitely good and holy God and that He will provide for me, no matter what.

If you truly understand that there is a God and that you are not Him, then you can begin to relinquish your own rights, hopes, desires, and wants and submit them to His will.  Bend your own will to submission to His work in your life. Trust Him in all things. He is God and you are not.

[Soldier4Christ]

Trust in the Lord

Who do you know that is trustworthy?  I mean, really trustworthy.  Do you know anyone that you could trust with your life?  With your money?  With your home?  If you do, then you know there is a special bond between you.  One of the reasons you are able to trust another so much is because of the character of that person.  You can't trust a thief or a liar.  But you can trust someone who has a track record of integrity, honestly, faithfulness, etc.  So, in a very real sense, trust (faith) is only as good as the one you put it in.

God is trustworthy.  The Bible tells us to trust God.  In fact, the middle verse of the Bible is Psalm 118:9 which says "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes" (KJV).  While we sleep, the Lord is awake.  Though we cannot see the path ahead of us with all its blessings and troubles, the Lord sees it and guides us through it with His love.  These are truths we need to hear.  Has not the Lord been ruling the world before we were born?  Most assuredly, yes. Will He not rule it in the future?  Of course.  Since these are both true, then should not all of us Christians be trusting the Lord to rule not only this world but also our lives in the present?

Faith is an awesome reality when placed in the True God.  The false gods of the cults and false world religions cannot save help anyone anymore than the false gods of money, possessions, and power.  Oh sure, we can make ourselves safe by getting a good job, having good insurance, or getting check ups.  But, the reality is that all of the blessings that we receive are ultimately from the Lord (Matt. 5:43-48).  In fact, to put your trust in anything without giving glory to God, the True God, is a waste of time, since it is a temporary satisfaction.  Ultimately, we will stand before God on the Day of Judgment.

If there was any time when you need to trust anyone for anything, it is on the coming Day of Judgment when the Lord Himself will judge the works and motives of all people who have ever lived.  We need a fair and righteous Judge who will impartially and perfectly administer righteousness to everyone -- and that is just what will happen.  God's holiness requires perfection, and those who have sinned against Him will be judged.  You can trust God to do that and to do it correctly.  And that is the problem for us.  Because I can trust the Lord to do what is right, I must stand before Him and be judged...as will you.  But, for those of us who have trusted in Christ, we are the only ones who will escape the righteous judgment of God upon the sinners.  Only those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus, God in flesh, risen Lord, Savior, will be able to rest and not fear on that Day.  Why?  Because we can trust God at His word that when He says we will be saved from condemnation if we trust in Jesus, that it is true.  You see, our trust, our faith, is only as good as who you put it in.

God is not a man from another planet (Mormonism).  Nor is Jesus a created angel (Jehovah's Witnesses).  Jesus is not a mere prophet (Islam).  He is not a man in tune with the divine consciousness (New Age).  Nope.  Jesus is God in flesh, creator, redeemer, and the lover of our souls.

Therefore, trust in Him and in Him alone in all things.  Trust Him to be faithful to you.  Look to Him in all that you do and in all that you experience, even when it is difficult.  Remember, faith is only as good as who you put it in.  Since we Christians serve the true and awesome God of the universe, our faith, our trust, will not be wasted.

[Soldier4Christ]

Unity in the body

One of the biggest problems in the body of Christ is disunity.  Christianity has been fragmented and splintered into so many groups and denominations that our effectiveness is largely diminished.  After all, how are we supposed to teach the world about truth when our "truth" causes us to disagree with each other so much?

My encounters with Christians over the years has brought me to the stark awareness that far too many Christians are more concerned about a chip-on-their-theological-shoulder than they are with expanding the body of Christ.  I am constantly encountering Calvinists who attack non-Calvinists.  I find Baptists who attack Presbyterians, non-tongue speakers who attack those who speak in tongues (and vice versa), pre-tribers battling post tribers, amil versus premil, etc.  The whole thing is ridiculous.  Sure, we can have differences of opinion, and we need to because we are thinkers and we have opinions.  But our differences need to be couched in humility and love.  When these differences of opinion become more important than unity in the body of Christ, then idolatry has crept not only into the church, but also into our hearts.

The Bible tells us to have unity in the body.  Read carefully the following, "therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, 3being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.  7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:1-7,12-13).

The command is unity.  Of course, unity is never to cost us the essentials.  The essentials of the faith are what make us Christians.  These essentials are the deity of Christ, the Trinity, Jesus' physical resurrection, and salvation by grace.  It is our faith in Christ, God in flesh, 2nd person of the Trinity that makes us Christians, not if we believe in pre or post-trib rapture, infant baptism or adult baptism, or praise music or hymns.  Because we are saved by the one and same Lord Jesus, it is to Him that we must look while we remember His humility, which is a vital part to being unified in the body of Christ.  We cannot be unified if we are elevating ourselves and our non-essential doctrines into the realm of the essentials.

Humility is when a person looks at another and says, "You may be right."  Humility is when you consider another more important than yourself.  Humility is when you admit that the Lord is working through another even as He may work through you; and that unity, for the glory of God and the furthering of His kingdom, is far more important than the pet doctrines we feed and water and stick on others who disagree with us.

Here the words of the Lord: "Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God" (Rom. 14:4-6).

Why is unity so important?  Two reasons.  First, unity means that we are humble with each other, which pleases the Lord, and it brings Him glory.  Second, people are going to hell and they need the gospel.  Should we be so concerned about our non-essential pet doctrines that we take our eyes off of evangelism and let the souls of the damned slip through our fingers unnoticed or even hindered by our bickering and division?  Should we allow the enemy to sow discord among our ranks so that we are fighting each other instead of him?  Or should we gather our gifts, our talents, our monies, our resources, and direct them towards reaching the lost?  After all, there isn't a Presbyterian or Baptist or Lutheran on the throne of God.

May the Lord have mercy on us and may we put our eyes upon Him and ask Him to use us, to humble us, and to cause our hearts to elevate the preaching of the gospel to the high rank it deserves, far above our denominational differences, and far above our non-essentials.  To Jesus be the glory.

[Soldier4Christ]

What is the Trinity?

The word "trinity" is not found in the Bible, but the concept is.  All cults deny the Trinity.  Christians claim it is true.  But, what is it?  Is it an office held by three gods (Mormonism) or a pagan concept borrowed from ancient cults (as the Jehovah's Witnesses teach)?  The Oneness Pentecostal believers teach that God is not a Trinity but is really one person who takes three forms.  So, which of these is true?  None.

The Trinity is the doctrine that there is only one God in all creation, all time, and all places.  This one God exists as three persons:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Each person is not the same person as the other; yet there are not three gods, but one.

The Bible has many references to a plurality concerning the nature of God's existence.  Consider the following verses as an example:  Gen. 19:24, "Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven."  Notice that the Lord rained FROM the Lord out of heaven.  Amos 4:10-11 says, "I sent a plague among you after the manner of Egypt; I slew your young men by the sword along with your captured horses, And I made the stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils; Yet you have not returned to Me, declares the Lord [YHWH]. 11I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze; Yet you have not returned to Me, declares the Lord."  Notice here that the Lord is talking and says, "I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah."  Sometimes when I show these verses to Jehovah's Witnesses (without saying anything else), they often respond with, "Are you trying to show me the Trinity?"  I then say, "You got the Trinity out of that?  Wow!"

In the New Testament, there are several verses that show God's plurality.  Here 's two.  Matt. 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."  Note that there is one name and three persons.   Also, 2 Cor. 13:14, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." These kinds of verses, and others (see http://www.carm.org/doctrine/trinityplural.htm for more) are part of the means by which the doctrine of the Trinity is derived.

When we "theologians" use the word "person," we are not saying that God is three individual beings walking around who are actually one being.  That would be a contradiction.  Instead, we define a person as having self-awareness, identity, can speak, love, grieve, etc.  These are attributes of personhood, and we see all of these attributes, and more, in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  If you want to see a chart that exemplifies this, go to http://www.carm.org/doctrine/trinity.htm and look around.

The Trinity is a very important doctrine within Christianity.  It is the correct view of the Godhead and needs to be affirmed by Christians.  Of course, the cults deny the Trinity, often misrepresent it as teaching three gods, or that it is an office, etc.  But the truth is that the Trinity doctrine is derived from Scripture and is unique to Christianity.

Finally, the Trinity is important because only in the doctrine of the Trinity can we have the true incarnation of God (the Word become flesh as the Son - John 1:1,14).  Only the God-man Jesus can offer a sacrifice sufficient to appease the infinite Father in heaven.  No mere man can do this.  No mere angel.  Instead, God the Word, in His grace, added to Himself human nature (Phil. 2:5-8) in order to bear our sins in His body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24) so that He might become sin on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21).  This way, He atoned for our sins by the shedding of His blood (Heb. 9:22) and guaranteed that all who trust in Him will receive everlasting life (John 3:16).  Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we might then have eternal life that is received by grace through faith (Eph. 2:.  Amen to that!

[Soldier4Christ]

What is truth - John 18:38?

In John 18:38, Pilate asked, "What is truth?"  That question is one of the best questions asked in the entire Bible...and it was asked by an unbeliever.  "What is truth?"  The answer to this question is very important, since various religions, secular movements, ideologies, etc., all claim to ultimately base their presuppositions on the answer to that question.  Of course, in Christianity, we hold to the truth that Jesus is God in flesh (John 1:1,14; Col. 2:9), that He died on the cross, was buried, and rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:3-4), and that on the cross He bore our sins in his body (1 Pet. 2:24).

But truth to others can consist of believing there is no God, to believe God came from another planet (Mormonism), to God being an eternal divine essence emanating in the universe (New Age), to whatever other position that the human mind can conjure up.  The problem is that they cannot all be true, since truth does not contradict itself.  God cannot be a man from another planet and NOT a man from another planet.  We cannot have God exist and not exist.

So, what is truth?  I like to say that truth is what corresponds to reality.  Look at it this way.  Reality exists. Reality is not an illusion (if it were, the statement "reality is an illusion" would be an illusion and not true).  Therefore, truth is that which conforms to reality.  Truth is not self-contradictory, and truth exists.  Since truth exists and is not self contradictory, it is absolute.  Therefore, what is absolutely true is that which corresponds to absolute reality.

Is it reality that Jesus is God? That He rose from the dead? That He walked on water?  Yes, yes, and yes.  Of course, there are those who will disagree with these statements.  To do so, they would have to say that they are not 'real,' they are not true.  But that is another subject for another time.

The Bible does not defend itself as the truth.  It simply assumes it is the truth.  It assumes that it is the revelation of God who is true and the creator of reality.  It is self- attesting and carries the prophecies, fulfillment, and history of Jesus who, according to the eyewitnesses, died and rose from the dead.  The fact is that truth corresponds to reality in the Bible.  The Disciples preached and taught based upon the resurrection.  Their "truth" reflected the "reality" of Christ conquering death. 

[Soldier4Christ]

Who is sovereign?

In the context of Christianity, sovereignty means that God has the right to exercise supreme and final authority over all things.  This is so because God is all-knowing, all- powerful, and all-present.  There is nothing that is outside of God's knowledge, ability, and presence.  Of course, God cannot sin or stop being God, since that would violate His own nature.  But, God can do all things that He desires to do.  This means that He always does what is right.  It also means that He is sovereign over you and over me.  The problem is not comprehending that He is supremely in control.  The problem is how we work that out in our lives and the lives of others when we are faced with great difficulties.

If God is sovereign and in control, then why does He let cancer kill people?  Why is it that there are wars, famine, floods, and fire?  Why do we see children suffer.  Why?  These questions are good ones and different answers can be offered.  But basically it comes down to knowing that we live in a fallen world where the effect of sin is working its way through history.  Like a grenade thrown into a crowd, the effect of sin hits one person with a disease and not another.  Why?  Because that is what happens sometimes.  Yet, by faith we understand that God is in control of all of this.  He has a plan and a purpose for what is happening in the world and for what He permits to happen.  In this, we need to trust Him beyond our ability to understand.  That doesn't necessarily make it easy.  But, it is true.  It means that we Christians walk by faith (Hab. 2:4).

This is crux of the Christian walk through trials:  Faith.  We must trust God in His sovereignty, in His absolute right to rule His creation as He sees fit.  In this, we must humble ourselves and trust Him.  We must prepare our hearts to trust Him.  We must practice trusting Him so that when the time of true testing comes, we will trust Him to carry out His sovereign will.

How do you think the disciples felt watching their Lord Jesus being beaten and crucified?  Do you think they were all smiling through the ordeal with great confidence because they knew the sovereign plan of God?  Hardly.  They fled and they doubted.   It didn't make sense to them to see what was happening to Jesus until AFTER the resurrection of Christ, until AFTER they had seen what God was doing by providing a sacrifice for sins so that we could be saved from the righteous judgment of God.  You see, God has a plan for things and we must trust Him in His sovereignty and we must trust that He will accomplish His divine plan.  Sometimes we get the answers to our questions here in this world and other times we do not.  But, we know that God is in control and that things happen for a reason, even if we simply are bewildered by what happens.

Consider briefly Acts 4:27-28 from the NASB, "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur."   Do you see how God was at work even in what seemed to be a horrible event, the death of Christ? Do you see that even though Herod and Pilate, along with others, put Jesus to death, it was in the predestined will of God that it occur?  The point is that even though things sometimes absolutely make no sense until after we see how things work out, God is in control.  We must trust Him beyond our ability to understand.  We must trust that His sovereignty is exercised both wisely and lovingly.

It is easy to say and it is easy to read.  It is not so easy to do.  But, by God's grace all things are possible.