When I was a kid, I thought it would be neat to live like the Amish. Part of that desire stemmed from my love for horses. I see no sin in all modern conveniences, but I can see a huge advantage to not having a TV. There is so much filth on the screen that we did not even get a converter box and we do not have cable TV.
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I recently discovered that some of the Amish actually use tractors and have indoor plumbing. Most people know little about their religious beliefs beyond the issue of technology. Some of the groups really do put their confidence in Christ, while unfortunately others are simply trusting in their lifestyle. The diversity of their belief is as diverse as their positions on tractors.
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I have no intention of becoming Amish, but I do admire their simple lifestyle and how they pitch in to meet the needs in their communities. By working together they are able to share one another’s burdens. That is similar to what was happening in the early church in Acts chapter 4, where the early believers had all things common in order to benefit the group as a whole so that God might be glorified.
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Now before some of you accuse me of endorsing communism let me explain that there are some clear differences. The early church, like the Amish today, shared resources with those who shared their values. They did not divide it among society as a whole. Acts 4:37 tells us that they laid the money at the apostles’ feet, not at Caesar’s. Further, the next chapter makes it clear that it was voluntary, not compulsory. “Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.” (Acts 5:4)
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By working within a framework of common belief, they also had the ability to exclude those who did not share the same values. This is shown in I Corinthians 5:11-13, “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”
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Further, the early church had the ability to oversee one another and to make sure that everyone was contributing. “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” (II Thessalonians 3:10)
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The widows are amongst those who have the greatest need for assistance within the church and many had all their needs met by the church. There were guidelines for helping them as well. I Tim 5 lays out the standard. First, her immediate family was expected to help her first, so she would not be dependant on the church. If she did not have children or nephews to help, then she had to show that she trusted in God through her prayers. She couldn’t just be living for pleasure, but for God. Further she had to be at least 60 years old before all her needs would be met. Finally she had to have a good reputation and no other means of support.
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The widow passage also challenges the readers to take care of widows themselves so that the church not be charged. Again, we see the scriptures teaching charity. This should be the case whether we are living in a communal setting or not. Among Christians there should be an attitude that all that we have belongs to God, therefore, we should use it to help fellow believers, thus having all our possessions in common.
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We do not need to form a commune to do that, but many groups have found economic advantage to doing so. Under times of severe persecution it may be a wise step for all Christians to take. At the same time, it is quite a different approach than letting the state function in the place of the church as the distributor of the resources of a society. It would even be a mistake to give that job to a single religious group, rather than letting each individual congregation take care of its own like minded believers and other believers in similar congregations who they may choose to help. Further, this is not a suggestion that charity should not extend to unbelievers as well. May we not just learn from the Amish, but from Scripture itself.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Thursday, December 31, 2009
It's Hiding in Plain Sight
As a child I knew where Mom hid our Christmas and birthday gifts. I also knew that I was not supposed to look there. One year I snuck around to discover the toy John Deere tractor that I had been hoping for. I was wrong, for I did it in direct disobedience to my parents.
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Now as a parent myself, I face the challenge of keeping the gifts a secret from my little boys. Leading up to Christmas, I had not noticed that Crystal had taken out the new pair of boots to wrap when I got our little guy up from his nap. He was definitely excited about them but had to wait a while to open them. He was definitely pleased with them and now after Christmas he runs around the house with them on.
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Hiding gifts from a little boy is one thing, but hiding them from their mother is another. I have actually started a little game with her by hiding her gifts in plain sight. A few years ago we moved right before her birthday, so I knew it would be difficult to hide her gift through the move since she was actively involved with the packing. I solved the problem by placing her gift in the trunk of the car with some other items so that she could easily see it if she just looked. That way there was nothing suspicious about it.
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I had some more fun this year for our anniversary. I had bought some candy for her while on a trip and hid it under the front seat of the van. She did not mean to find it but as she was unloading the van, wondered what that bag was doing under the seat and discovered her candy a bit early. Of course, I still wanted to surprise here so I got another box and this one was a solid color with a stripe down the middle, so I placed it on the book shelf among the other books. On our anniversary, I called her into the office and told her to get a book from the shelf so that she would finally find it. She was surprised because she had looked at that shelf many times without seeing her box of candy.
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What a reminder that we can have something so close and so accessible and still miss it. The teaching of Christ is a lot like that. It is right there in front of us if we would only look to our Bibles, but even many that do end up missing it’s truth. Matthew 11:25 shows us that the truth is so simple a child can understand it, yet many miss it: “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”
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So how could something that is right in front of a wise and prudent man be missed? Could it be that they really don’t want to see it? The Apostle Paul shows us that the gospel is hid to many because they are lost. In other words, they don’t understand what Christ has taught and what He has done in paying for their sins because they have rejected Him as their Lord and Savior. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 says, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
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The point is, you cannot expect the scriptures to make sense if you have rejected the God of the Bible. The treasures are hid in plain sight if you will but believe in Christ alone as your Lord and Savior. “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3)
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Now as a parent myself, I face the challenge of keeping the gifts a secret from my little boys. Leading up to Christmas, I had not noticed that Crystal had taken out the new pair of boots to wrap when I got our little guy up from his nap. He was definitely excited about them but had to wait a while to open them. He was definitely pleased with them and now after Christmas he runs around the house with them on.
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Hiding gifts from a little boy is one thing, but hiding them from their mother is another. I have actually started a little game with her by hiding her gifts in plain sight. A few years ago we moved right before her birthday, so I knew it would be difficult to hide her gift through the move since she was actively involved with the packing. I solved the problem by placing her gift in the trunk of the car with some other items so that she could easily see it if she just looked. That way there was nothing suspicious about it.
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I had some more fun this year for our anniversary. I had bought some candy for her while on a trip and hid it under the front seat of the van. She did not mean to find it but as she was unloading the van, wondered what that bag was doing under the seat and discovered her candy a bit early. Of course, I still wanted to surprise here so I got another box and this one was a solid color with a stripe down the middle, so I placed it on the book shelf among the other books. On our anniversary, I called her into the office and told her to get a book from the shelf so that she would finally find it. She was surprised because she had looked at that shelf many times without seeing her box of candy.
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What a reminder that we can have something so close and so accessible and still miss it. The teaching of Christ is a lot like that. It is right there in front of us if we would only look to our Bibles, but even many that do end up missing it’s truth. Matthew 11:25 shows us that the truth is so simple a child can understand it, yet many miss it: “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”
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So how could something that is right in front of a wise and prudent man be missed? Could it be that they really don’t want to see it? The Apostle Paul shows us that the gospel is hid to many because they are lost. In other words, they don’t understand what Christ has taught and what He has done in paying for their sins because they have rejected Him as their Lord and Savior. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 says, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
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The point is, you cannot expect the scriptures to make sense if you have rejected the God of the Bible. The treasures are hid in plain sight if you will but believe in Christ alone as your Lord and Savior. “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3)
Friday, December 4, 2009
Cardboard Christmas
We don’t buy our little boys many toys. We don’t have to because Grandma does it for us. We have a special place in the corner of the living room where our little 2 year old Jared can keep his toys. The other day he had lost interest in them and began to rummage through drawers. I directed him to his corner and the brightly colored toys for him to amuse himself with. Amongst that pile of play things was a discarded cardboard insert from a fabric spool. Instead of going for the nice store bought items, he began to play with that piece of cardboard and was soon sharing it with his baby brother who also enjoyed playing with it.
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That brought to mind memories of my own childhood. We typically received a lot of toys at Christmas time. Again, my Grandma and Grandpa were big contributors. In spite of all the toys, one of the best things about the Christmas gifts were all the boxes. It was so much fun to play with the boxes that the gifts came in and the bigger the box, the better.
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I remember one year in particular because there were some especially big boxes left over after the gifts had been opened and Mom let me have them. Wow! I wasn’t all that big yet, and these boxes were big enough for me to crawl into. I then got an idea. If I taped the boxes together in an “L” shape and cut some windows in one it would look like a truck cab. I was able to talk Mom into letting me use a scissors, and have some masking tape (I had not yet discovered duct tape). Soon I had my own toy truck that I could sit in.
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I can’t remember anything else I got for Christmas that year, but I can still remember that cardboard truck, and apart from the masking tape, it was free. What a precious reminder that the best things in life really are free.
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We must not forget that the real meaning of Christmas is not about boxes and toys, or even about us giving gifts to each other. It is about God coming into this world as the Son of God in order to give the gift of eternal life to all who believe in Him. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
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The best Christmas gift of all is not a cardboard box or a fancy toy. It is the salvation that comes through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. In order to really understand that gift, we must understand John 3:16. Just as my Mom loves her grandkids so much that she wants them to have Christmas gifts, our Heavenly Father loves us enough that He provided a way for us to have eternal life.
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The reason we needed that gift is because of sin. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Notice that it is a gift, and looking back at John 3:16, we realize that all we have to do to receive that gift is to believe. Ephesians 2:8-9 also tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
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So what does it mean to believe in Jesus Christ? It means to believe God. That means believing all that God said about the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Read what God directed the prophets to write about Him in the Old Testament. Isaiah chapter 53, Isaiah 9:6, and Micah 5:2 are a few clear examples of God telling us about Christ long before He was even born. You need to believe that God said in Isaiah 6:9 that Christ is the Mighty God. That means you have to believe what Christ said about Himself when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
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Belief in Christ means believing everything He says and thus putting your complete confidence in Him alone for your salvation. If you do that, according to His words in John 3:16, He then guarantees you everlasting life. That is a gift that lasts forever. My mom threw away my cardboard truck long ago, but I never have to worry about losing the best gift of all, eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ.
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The Christmas gifts my kids get from Grandma cost them nothing, but Grandma had to spend money for them. Our salvation is also a gift, and costs us nothing but belief. Instead of cash, the purchase of salvation cost God something even more precious. It cost Him the very life blood of Christ. “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28) If you want to receive the best Christmas gift ever, realize that it is free if you will believe God, and not argue with His truth concerning Christ as Savior. Jesus promised in John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” That is good news, the good news of the gospel.
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That brought to mind memories of my own childhood. We typically received a lot of toys at Christmas time. Again, my Grandma and Grandpa were big contributors. In spite of all the toys, one of the best things about the Christmas gifts were all the boxes. It was so much fun to play with the boxes that the gifts came in and the bigger the box, the better.
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I remember one year in particular because there were some especially big boxes left over after the gifts had been opened and Mom let me have them. Wow! I wasn’t all that big yet, and these boxes were big enough for me to crawl into. I then got an idea. If I taped the boxes together in an “L” shape and cut some windows in one it would look like a truck cab. I was able to talk Mom into letting me use a scissors, and have some masking tape (I had not yet discovered duct tape). Soon I had my own toy truck that I could sit in.
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I can’t remember anything else I got for Christmas that year, but I can still remember that cardboard truck, and apart from the masking tape, it was free. What a precious reminder that the best things in life really are free.
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We must not forget that the real meaning of Christmas is not about boxes and toys, or even about us giving gifts to each other. It is about God coming into this world as the Son of God in order to give the gift of eternal life to all who believe in Him. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
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The best Christmas gift of all is not a cardboard box or a fancy toy. It is the salvation that comes through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. In order to really understand that gift, we must understand John 3:16. Just as my Mom loves her grandkids so much that she wants them to have Christmas gifts, our Heavenly Father loves us enough that He provided a way for us to have eternal life.
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The reason we needed that gift is because of sin. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Notice that it is a gift, and looking back at John 3:16, we realize that all we have to do to receive that gift is to believe. Ephesians 2:8-9 also tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
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So what does it mean to believe in Jesus Christ? It means to believe God. That means believing all that God said about the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Read what God directed the prophets to write about Him in the Old Testament. Isaiah chapter 53, Isaiah 9:6, and Micah 5:2 are a few clear examples of God telling us about Christ long before He was even born. You need to believe that God said in Isaiah 6:9 that Christ is the Mighty God. That means you have to believe what Christ said about Himself when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
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Belief in Christ means believing everything He says and thus putting your complete confidence in Him alone for your salvation. If you do that, according to His words in John 3:16, He then guarantees you everlasting life. That is a gift that lasts forever. My mom threw away my cardboard truck long ago, but I never have to worry about losing the best gift of all, eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ.
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The Christmas gifts my kids get from Grandma cost them nothing, but Grandma had to spend money for them. Our salvation is also a gift, and costs us nothing but belief. Instead of cash, the purchase of salvation cost God something even more precious. It cost Him the very life blood of Christ. “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28) If you want to receive the best Christmas gift ever, realize that it is free if you will believe God, and not argue with His truth concerning Christ as Savior. Jesus promised in John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” That is good news, the good news of the gospel.
I've Been Shot
Thanksgiving was a happy time for our family. The food was great even though I ate too much of it and the time spent with family was a blessing. I soon learned that not all families had had such a joyous holiday. In Florida, a man, suddenly, without warning, went on a shooting rampage, killing 4 relatives. Closer to home, a Russian roulette game gone wrong took the life of a Minnesota teenager. What a reminder that a harmless gun, like so many other good tools, can be deadly if used maliciously or irresponsibly by a sinful man.
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As a child, I was taught that guns could be dangerous, though not evil. I was also taught that using them in an irresponsible manner was evil. Therefore, if I ever hurt someone with a gun, the gun was not at fault, I was. Blaming guns for death and crime is symptomatic of a society that is not willing to take responsibility for sin. We must not forget that the scriptures told us that the wages of sin is death long before the gun was ever invented. It also tells us that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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I bring up the subject of guns, not to open up a debate on the Second Amendment, but to illustrate how easy it is to take a statement out of context. Let me make such a statement, “I have been shot by multiple family members.” This is a true statement. My father, both my brothers, and my brother-in-law have all shot me. If I ended the article here, you may be left wondering how we were able to have such a joyous holiday time of thanksgiving to God this year.
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Let me put the statement into a broader context. Going back to my preteen childhood years, we once received dart guns for Christmas. Now they were not the sharp darts, like the deadly lawn dart game, but the little plastic darts with a rubber plunger on the end that was shot by a spring activated gun. The plunger was to allow the darts to stick to a window, mirror, or refrigerator. Lets face it, they couldn’t be too dangerous if Mom would allow us to shoot at a mirror with them. Now we could debate the morality of shooting at each other with them, but I must admit that one of my favorite childhood memories of my father is this “mature” middle aged farmer running around the house, hiding behind the door frames, and shooting his children as they attempted to shoot him first (with a rubber dart).
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Several years later, my little brother began to play paintball with his friends and invited me to join them. This was even more exciting than playing dart guns. My brothers and I definitely had fun running through the woods shooting at one another, being careful to wear the proper safety gear before we played. It was actually much safer than football.
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After Crystal and I were married, it did not take long before my brother-in-law shot me. This time it was not during a game, and it was not a toy gun. Sure, he had shot me earlier with his super soaker, but this time could have been much more serious. We were installing soffit and facia on a house and were using an air powered staple gun to attach the soffits when the safety trigger malfunctioned and a staple brushed my face. The wound was only a scratch, but it alerted us to the danger.
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My stories about being shot have a much different meaning than the recent news headlines. Once you put them into their proper context they make more sense. I could say the same thing about our understanding of the Word of God. It would be easy to take a passage from the Bible and make it sound much different than what was actually being said. That is why we must study the scripture so that we are not ashamed for taking it out of context. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15) I encourage you to bring your Bibles to church to know if the preacher is actually doing this. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11).
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As a child, I was taught that guns could be dangerous, though not evil. I was also taught that using them in an irresponsible manner was evil. Therefore, if I ever hurt someone with a gun, the gun was not at fault, I was. Blaming guns for death and crime is symptomatic of a society that is not willing to take responsibility for sin. We must not forget that the scriptures told us that the wages of sin is death long before the gun was ever invented. It also tells us that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
-
I bring up the subject of guns, not to open up a debate on the Second Amendment, but to illustrate how easy it is to take a statement out of context. Let me make such a statement, “I have been shot by multiple family members.” This is a true statement. My father, both my brothers, and my brother-in-law have all shot me. If I ended the article here, you may be left wondering how we were able to have such a joyous holiday time of thanksgiving to God this year.
-
Let me put the statement into a broader context. Going back to my preteen childhood years, we once received dart guns for Christmas. Now they were not the sharp darts, like the deadly lawn dart game, but the little plastic darts with a rubber plunger on the end that was shot by a spring activated gun. The plunger was to allow the darts to stick to a window, mirror, or refrigerator. Lets face it, they couldn’t be too dangerous if Mom would allow us to shoot at a mirror with them. Now we could debate the morality of shooting at each other with them, but I must admit that one of my favorite childhood memories of my father is this “mature” middle aged farmer running around the house, hiding behind the door frames, and shooting his children as they attempted to shoot him first (with a rubber dart).
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Several years later, my little brother began to play paintball with his friends and invited me to join them. This was even more exciting than playing dart guns. My brothers and I definitely had fun running through the woods shooting at one another, being careful to wear the proper safety gear before we played. It was actually much safer than football.
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After Crystal and I were married, it did not take long before my brother-in-law shot me. This time it was not during a game, and it was not a toy gun. Sure, he had shot me earlier with his super soaker, but this time could have been much more serious. We were installing soffit and facia on a house and were using an air powered staple gun to attach the soffits when the safety trigger malfunctioned and a staple brushed my face. The wound was only a scratch, but it alerted us to the danger.
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My stories about being shot have a much different meaning than the recent news headlines. Once you put them into their proper context they make more sense. I could say the same thing about our understanding of the Word of God. It would be easy to take a passage from the Bible and make it sound much different than what was actually being said. That is why we must study the scripture so that we are not ashamed for taking it out of context. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15) I encourage you to bring your Bibles to church to know if the preacher is actually doing this. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11).
Friday, November 20, 2009
Once Upon A Time
My sister-in-law is a published author of children’s stories. Her most successful book is called One-Eyed Jack. It is about a little boy who finds a stray dog and has to convince his father to let him keep it. The ideas for her story came from stories my brother had told her about a dog that we had when we were growing up. Our dog had come from an animal shelter and Dad had decided we should get him, but what had really gotten Paula’s attention was hearing her husband, Travis, talk about the special bond that formed between a boy and his dog.
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I had formed bonds with that same dog, but in different ways than my brother had. Because I was older, I wanted to train him, and was quickly able to teach him to shake hands. Travis on the other hand just wanted that puppy to be his friend and soon they were spending hours together jumping on the hay stacks.
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I recently picked up Paula’s book about the little dog named Jack, and realized that she was wise enough to avoid the old cliché, “Once upon a time,” in her introduction. I began to think about that phrase and realized that it would not be fitting for her book at all, for the relationships boys and dogs have are not a one time story. In fact, that same story plays out in the lives of many children all over the world. I am confident that many of the readers of this article could share special stories of a dog that they were close to when they grew up.
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The fact that these stories are so common does not make them any less interesting, in fact, they sometimes make them more so because we are able to connect with them. At the other end of the spectrum are the stories that are so very exiting because they really did happen only once. Those once in a lifetime adventures like a solo hike to the top of a treacherous mountain or the journey of Lewis and Clark across an uncharted America continue to intrigue readers for generations. But what if an event were so special that it wasn’t just once in a lifetime, but would only occur once in forever? There is such a special event in Scripture, and that event was the death of Christ in order to pay for our sins. Consider Hebrews 9:24-28:
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24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
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What an amazing story from history. Look at verse 26. Christ appeared to put away sin and He did it once when He offered Himself as a sacrifice. Please read this passage again, for it makes it very clear that He only did it once. Do you realize how good that news it? Christ was sinless and His sacrifice was so perfect that it only needed to occur once in order to take care of the sins of those who would trust Him. Please look at verse 28 again as well.
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If these verses are true, why do some people teach that Christ needs to be reoffered weekly? If you do not believe that these verses are really part of scripture, please look them up in your own Bible and reread them again.
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Romans 3:4 tells us to let God be true, but every man a liar. I trust what the Word of God teaches. This is an issue concerning the very gospel itself. It is an issue concerning how many times Christ had to offer His body to pay for our sins. The apostle Paul warned about false gospels and was quite adamant in his warning of Galatians 1:8 when he said, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” I must say that I am more concerned about the anathemas found in the Holy Scriptures through the pen of the Apostle Paul than I am about the anathemas of men through the church. “As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:9).
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Hebrews 9:24-28 makes it very clear that Christ only paid for our sins once upon a time, and that that time was upon the cross. So are you trusting in what He did to pay for your sins then, or are you trusting in what you do in taking part in a ritual now? One is an anathema, and we must look to the Scriptures to know which one it is.
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I had formed bonds with that same dog, but in different ways than my brother had. Because I was older, I wanted to train him, and was quickly able to teach him to shake hands. Travis on the other hand just wanted that puppy to be his friend and soon they were spending hours together jumping on the hay stacks.
-
I recently picked up Paula’s book about the little dog named Jack, and realized that she was wise enough to avoid the old cliché, “Once upon a time,” in her introduction. I began to think about that phrase and realized that it would not be fitting for her book at all, for the relationships boys and dogs have are not a one time story. In fact, that same story plays out in the lives of many children all over the world. I am confident that many of the readers of this article could share special stories of a dog that they were close to when they grew up.
-
The fact that these stories are so common does not make them any less interesting, in fact, they sometimes make them more so because we are able to connect with them. At the other end of the spectrum are the stories that are so very exiting because they really did happen only once. Those once in a lifetime adventures like a solo hike to the top of a treacherous mountain or the journey of Lewis and Clark across an uncharted America continue to intrigue readers for generations. But what if an event were so special that it wasn’t just once in a lifetime, but would only occur once in forever? There is such a special event in Scripture, and that event was the death of Christ in order to pay for our sins. Consider Hebrews 9:24-28:
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24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
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What an amazing story from history. Look at verse 26. Christ appeared to put away sin and He did it once when He offered Himself as a sacrifice. Please read this passage again, for it makes it very clear that He only did it once. Do you realize how good that news it? Christ was sinless and His sacrifice was so perfect that it only needed to occur once in order to take care of the sins of those who would trust Him. Please look at verse 28 again as well.
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If these verses are true, why do some people teach that Christ needs to be reoffered weekly? If you do not believe that these verses are really part of scripture, please look them up in your own Bible and reread them again.
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Romans 3:4 tells us to let God be true, but every man a liar. I trust what the Word of God teaches. This is an issue concerning the very gospel itself. It is an issue concerning how many times Christ had to offer His body to pay for our sins. The apostle Paul warned about false gospels and was quite adamant in his warning of Galatians 1:8 when he said, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” I must say that I am more concerned about the anathemas found in the Holy Scriptures through the pen of the Apostle Paul than I am about the anathemas of men through the church. “As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:9).
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Hebrews 9:24-28 makes it very clear that Christ only paid for our sins once upon a time, and that that time was upon the cross. So are you trusting in what He did to pay for your sins then, or are you trusting in what you do in taking part in a ritual now? One is an anathema, and we must look to the Scriptures to know which one it is.
Justified
Imagine that a young man and his little sister are walking home from a ball game on a dark night. A suspicious looking van pulls up beside them, the side door opens, a man jumps out and tries to take the girl. What he does not realize is that her brother is a United States Marine, home on leave, who is trained in hand to hand combat. He quickly subdues the assailant just as a police officer arrives on the scene. Not having seen the whole incident, the officer assumes the kidnapper is being assaulted. The marine tells the officer that he can explain. The officer asks, “how can you ‘justify’ beating up this guy?” Once the evidence is presented, the officer agrees that the marine was indeed ‘justified‘. This illustration will actually help to clarify a seeming contradiction in the Scripture.
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There is a raging debate in Christianity over whether a man is saved by grace or by works. Romans 11:6 tells us, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” The point is, we cannot be saved by BOTH grace and works, it has to be one or the other. Ephesians 2:8-9 clarifies the issue, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”This passage settles the issue. Salvation is clearly by grace alone, not by works. Some confusion, however, can result if another passage is misinterpreted. Consider James 2:18-26.
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18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
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This passage from James does not contradict the Ephesians passage; instead it supports it. Some may ask, “if Abraham was justified by works, doesn’t that mean he was saved by his works?” The answer is no. That would be a misapplication of the word justification. In order to understand this passage we must understand that word. Remember the marine who gave the justification for his actions? Perhaps you as well have done something where you have been asked to provide justification for your actions. What they are asking you to do is to show them that your actions are just. In other words give them evidence that what you did was right. Justification in James 2 means showing through action that you are just. Let us break down the passage further.
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Verse 18 says, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” In other words look at what I do, and I will show you I am just. Then, verses 19-20, state, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” This shows us that there is a kind of belief that is nothing more than an understanding of the truth and there is a belief that puts one’s complete confidence in God and turns to Him as Lord and Savior. The devils did not have the second kind of belief and that was evidenced by their actions. The same can be said of humans. If they do not have a saving belief, their works will show that they are not justified before God and that they are spiritually dead.
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A question is then asked about Abraham. “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” That rhetorical question is not saying that Abraham was saved by his works, it is showing that he was shown to be just by his works. In other words, his works proved his relationship with God rather than establishing it. Notice how verse 22 is saying that his faith worked with his works. In other words the works were a result of his faith.
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So then how was his faith established? Verse 24 makes it clear that it happened when he believed God- when he put his full confidence in the Lord- not when he did the works: “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” Notice the difference in terms. The earlier verses talked of him being justified. This one speaks of him being righteous. His righteousness is his right condition before God as opposed to his justification which was the evidence of that condition.
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His righteousness came by belief, not by works, but the works which followed justified, or showed that his belief was real. “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (vs. 24) In other words, you cannot show yourself to be just if you don’t do anything. The works are the evidence, but belief/faith is the means. If all you do is exercise faith and then don’t do anything, how can you show that you really believe?
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The passage ends with another example of this principle. “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (Vs 25-26) Realize you are not saved by your works, but if there are no works there is no evidence that you are saved and you are thus unable to show yourself to be just. So what is your justification for ‘your’ claim of faith? Could you show any proof that you actually believe God like Abraham and Rahab did?
-
There is a raging debate in Christianity over whether a man is saved by grace or by works. Romans 11:6 tells us, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” The point is, we cannot be saved by BOTH grace and works, it has to be one or the other. Ephesians 2:8-9 clarifies the issue, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”This passage settles the issue. Salvation is clearly by grace alone, not by works. Some confusion, however, can result if another passage is misinterpreted. Consider James 2:18-26.
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18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
-
This passage from James does not contradict the Ephesians passage; instead it supports it. Some may ask, “if Abraham was justified by works, doesn’t that mean he was saved by his works?” The answer is no. That would be a misapplication of the word justification. In order to understand this passage we must understand that word. Remember the marine who gave the justification for his actions? Perhaps you as well have done something where you have been asked to provide justification for your actions. What they are asking you to do is to show them that your actions are just. In other words give them evidence that what you did was right. Justification in James 2 means showing through action that you are just. Let us break down the passage further.
-
Verse 18 says, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” In other words look at what I do, and I will show you I am just. Then, verses 19-20, state, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” This shows us that there is a kind of belief that is nothing more than an understanding of the truth and there is a belief that puts one’s complete confidence in God and turns to Him as Lord and Savior. The devils did not have the second kind of belief and that was evidenced by their actions. The same can be said of humans. If they do not have a saving belief, their works will show that they are not justified before God and that they are spiritually dead.
-
A question is then asked about Abraham. “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” That rhetorical question is not saying that Abraham was saved by his works, it is showing that he was shown to be just by his works. In other words, his works proved his relationship with God rather than establishing it. Notice how verse 22 is saying that his faith worked with his works. In other words the works were a result of his faith.
-
So then how was his faith established? Verse 24 makes it clear that it happened when he believed God- when he put his full confidence in the Lord- not when he did the works: “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” Notice the difference in terms. The earlier verses talked of him being justified. This one speaks of him being righteous. His righteousness is his right condition before God as opposed to his justification which was the evidence of that condition.
-
His righteousness came by belief, not by works, but the works which followed justified, or showed that his belief was real. “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (vs. 24) In other words, you cannot show yourself to be just if you don’t do anything. The works are the evidence, but belief/faith is the means. If all you do is exercise faith and then don’t do anything, how can you show that you really believe?
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The passage ends with another example of this principle. “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (Vs 25-26) Realize you are not saved by your works, but if there are no works there is no evidence that you are saved and you are thus unable to show yourself to be just. So what is your justification for ‘your’ claim of faith? Could you show any proof that you actually believe God like Abraham and Rahab did?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Reliable Salvation
Some folks have a green thumb. My little brother has a greasy thumb. He loves to tinker on old motors. Today he has a job working for Pipestone County, but after work he still loves to “play” in his shop.
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I remember when he was barely a teenager, and we pulled an old ‘36 Dodge truck up from the pasture. The motor was shot, but there was an old Dodge car in the grove that Dad said he could take the motor out of. With a lot of time and just as much determination he got the motors swapped out and that old truck running again. Sure we had to pull it to get it started and it popped and banged a bit, but he was able to drive it around the yard. The tires barely held air, the signal lights didn’t work, and don’t even ask about the brakes.
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It was exciting to get that old truck running again, but we would not have trusted it to take us very far. There is no way I would want to rely on that truck for a cross county trip, let alone a ride to town. If I ever have to drive to California, I want something much more reliable than that old Dodge truck with rotten tires, rusty valves, and useless brakes.
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We just recently bought a used van. It is much newer than that old truck, but since I have not had it all that long, I still am not all that confident in it for such a long trip. I’ve had my pickup much longer, and it has been fairly reliable, but with around 190,000 on the odometer I’m not so sure I would want to take that either. We still have our car and it is fairly new and has much lower miles on it. That is probably the vehicle I would chose for the trip. Still even with fairly reliable transportation I realize I am not guaranteed to get there. The engine could blow, the transmission go out, or a computer chip could stop working. We could even have an accident.
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What if our hope for salvation was like a cross country car drive? Sadly, a lot of people think it is like that- thinking that, maybe I’ll make it, maybe I won’t. What if instead of just taking a car or a truck, God said, “just trust me, I’ll get you there.” Now God doesn’t do that for us when we plan a trip to California, but He does do that for us when it comes to eternity.
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John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That makes it clear that if we are to have eternal life, we must believe on Jesus Christ. Instead, too many people try to find there own way to heaven and come up short as Romans 10:3 proves, “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”Let us realize if we depend on our own works, they are just as unreliable as that old truck from the pasture for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Some people suggest that Jesus does 90% of the saving and then we have to do the other 10%. That’s like saying God will get you 90% of the way to California, and then you have to drive that old truck the rest of the way. I’ve been in that truck. Trust me- it won’t make it even that far.
-C
an we really believe God when He promises to save us? Can we really have assurance of salvation? Folks, that is what faith and belief is all about. It is about putting your full confidence in Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh- trusting in Him alone to save you. Romans 3:3-4 makes it clear that God tells the truth and we can believe Him, “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” I John 5:13 makes it clear that if we believe on Jesus Christ we can know that we are saved, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (emphasis mine)
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If you are trusting in anything other than God’s power to save you, you have no reason to have any assurance. But notice the assurance that comes with exercising faith, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9).
-
I remember when he was barely a teenager, and we pulled an old ‘36 Dodge truck up from the pasture. The motor was shot, but there was an old Dodge car in the grove that Dad said he could take the motor out of. With a lot of time and just as much determination he got the motors swapped out and that old truck running again. Sure we had to pull it to get it started and it popped and banged a bit, but he was able to drive it around the yard. The tires barely held air, the signal lights didn’t work, and don’t even ask about the brakes.
-
It was exciting to get that old truck running again, but we would not have trusted it to take us very far. There is no way I would want to rely on that truck for a cross county trip, let alone a ride to town. If I ever have to drive to California, I want something much more reliable than that old Dodge truck with rotten tires, rusty valves, and useless brakes.
-
We just recently bought a used van. It is much newer than that old truck, but since I have not had it all that long, I still am not all that confident in it for such a long trip. I’ve had my pickup much longer, and it has been fairly reliable, but with around 190,000 on the odometer I’m not so sure I would want to take that either. We still have our car and it is fairly new and has much lower miles on it. That is probably the vehicle I would chose for the trip. Still even with fairly reliable transportation I realize I am not guaranteed to get there. The engine could blow, the transmission go out, or a computer chip could stop working. We could even have an accident.
-
What if our hope for salvation was like a cross country car drive? Sadly, a lot of people think it is like that- thinking that, maybe I’ll make it, maybe I won’t. What if instead of just taking a car or a truck, God said, “just trust me, I’ll get you there.” Now God doesn’t do that for us when we plan a trip to California, but He does do that for us when it comes to eternity.
-
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That makes it clear that if we are to have eternal life, we must believe on Jesus Christ. Instead, too many people try to find there own way to heaven and come up short as Romans 10:3 proves, “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”Let us realize if we depend on our own works, they are just as unreliable as that old truck from the pasture for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Some people suggest that Jesus does 90% of the saving and then we have to do the other 10%. That’s like saying God will get you 90% of the way to California, and then you have to drive that old truck the rest of the way. I’ve been in that truck. Trust me- it won’t make it even that far.
-C
an we really believe God when He promises to save us? Can we really have assurance of salvation? Folks, that is what faith and belief is all about. It is about putting your full confidence in Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh- trusting in Him alone to save you. Romans 3:3-4 makes it clear that God tells the truth and we can believe Him, “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” I John 5:13 makes it clear that if we believe on Jesus Christ we can know that we are saved, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (emphasis mine)
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If you are trusting in anything other than God’s power to save you, you have no reason to have any assurance. But notice the assurance that comes with exercising faith, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9).
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