Our little baby is starting to grow up. We got so excited when he rolled over for the first time and now he is able to scoot around and get wherever he wants to go. Since my office is right in the parsonage, he often ends up crawling under my desk and playing at my feet.
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As the rest of us were eating breakfast this morning, he was laying on the floor, happily exploring his surroundings. Suddenly our three year old exclaimed, “oh, oh, baby!” as he pointed at the little guy playing with the vacuum cleaner hose. Though the hose was harmless, it was connected to a handle that was leaning against the wall and could have hit him.
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I was quite pleased that our toddler saw the danger and warned of it. He has become quite the protector of his little brother when he is not sitting on him or trying to wrestle with him.
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In fact, when I told the baby, “no, no” as he started to crawl into the bathroom, his big brother again came to his aid- this time by grabbing his little feet and pulling him backwards into the living room. Ironically, the baby loved it. He smiled all the way, just as he often does when he is being sat on or wrestled with. As long as his brothers aren’t too rough with him, he loves the attention.
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As I began to reflect on our sons, I had to ask, “do I love God’s attention in the same way our baby loves the attention from his brothers?” Think of it this way, if God were to grab our feet and pull us away from trouble, would we be grateful for it, or would we feel mistreated by Him?
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Psalm 66 is a Psalm of appreciation and blessing to God. It speaks of how impressive and frightening His powerful works are and then concludes with a recognition of His mercy. Yet right in the middle of the Psalm we read of God actually causing trials in our lives and then delivering us from them. “For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.” (Ps 66:10-12)
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Notice that God caused the trials. He brings trials to refine man just like silver is refined- to get a better product in the end. Sometimes God gives us circumstances that we have to suffer through in order to grow us and even to give us a better life in the end. As we go through the trials, do we get mad at Him or are we grateful that He is paying attention to us? Our baby was grabbed by the feet and pulled to a better place. Shouldn’t we be pleased when God brings us to a better place in our walk with Him through trials? Shouldn’t we be happy that He cares enough about us to pay attention to us?
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As I watch our toddler wrestle with his little brother I often worry that he might get too rough and hurt the baby. I do not need to worry when God lays affliction on our loins though. He knows how to interact with us without going too far. In fact, as we trust Him, we are promised not to be given more than we can bear.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
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So the next time that you go through diverse trials in life, count it all joy, reacting like the baby did as he was drug from the bathroom floor to the soft carpet of the living room.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
Mary Was Blessed With Christ
As I was preparing to write this article, I looked over at my wife who was holding our youngest son who is now seven months old. As I watched them I began to think of Mary holding Baby Jesus so long ago. What a joy she must have had as she realized she was not holding just any baby, but the promised Messiah Himself.
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She had been told about Him before He was even born. “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33)
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What a privilege it must have been to be able to give birth to the Lord and to raise Him from a little baby. No wonder both the angel and Mary’s cousin Elisabeth said that she was blessed among women.
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The words of the angel leave no doubt that Mary was a wonderful woman. “And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” (Luke 1:28)
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Though Mary was a wonderful woman, some have raised her much higher than she deserves, even suggesting she was sinless and saying that she provides for our salvation along with Christ. Such teaching is blasphemy, for Jesus Himself said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
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Some may argue that by trusting in Mary, they are only trusting her in addition to Christ, but Acts 4:12 makes it very clear that there is no one else to trust other than Jesus Christ when it comes to salvation: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
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Even Mary’s own words show that she was not depending on her own righteousness but on God Himself. “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” (Luke 1:46-47)
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So if Mary isn’t our co redeemer with Christ, why did the angel say that she was highly favored and blessed among women? The answer is easy. It was a wonderful honor for her to be able to give birth to God in the flesh. It was something no other woman would get to do, but that did not mean that Mary was the only woman in history that was highly favored or blessed by God.
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In fact, hundreds of years before Mary another woman was also praised for the important role she played in God’s plan. “Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.” (Judges 5:24)
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Though Mary and Jael were both significant women in God’s plan and both were blessed to be used of God, neither of them can help us into heaven. There is only one mediator between God and man, and that mediator is Jesus Christ, not Mary or any other clergy for that matter. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” (1 Timothy 2:5)
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She had been told about Him before He was even born. “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33)
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What a privilege it must have been to be able to give birth to the Lord and to raise Him from a little baby. No wonder both the angel and Mary’s cousin Elisabeth said that she was blessed among women.
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The words of the angel leave no doubt that Mary was a wonderful woman. “And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” (Luke 1:28)
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Though Mary was a wonderful woman, some have raised her much higher than she deserves, even suggesting she was sinless and saying that she provides for our salvation along with Christ. Such teaching is blasphemy, for Jesus Himself said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
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Some may argue that by trusting in Mary, they are only trusting her in addition to Christ, but Acts 4:12 makes it very clear that there is no one else to trust other than Jesus Christ when it comes to salvation: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
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Even Mary’s own words show that she was not depending on her own righteousness but on God Himself. “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” (Luke 1:46-47)
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So if Mary isn’t our co redeemer with Christ, why did the angel say that she was highly favored and blessed among women? The answer is easy. It was a wonderful honor for her to be able to give birth to God in the flesh. It was something no other woman would get to do, but that did not mean that Mary was the only woman in history that was highly favored or blessed by God.
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In fact, hundreds of years before Mary another woman was also praised for the important role she played in God’s plan. “Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.” (Judges 5:24)
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Though Mary and Jael were both significant women in God’s plan and both were blessed to be used of God, neither of them can help us into heaven. There is only one mediator between God and man, and that mediator is Jesus Christ, not Mary or any other clergy for that matter. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” (1 Timothy 2:5)
Friday, December 17, 2010
The Miracle of the Virgin Birth
Christmas has become a time to celebrate the eternally existing God coming to earth as a little baby born in Bethlehem. “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)
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We know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but how was the everlasting God conceived into a human mother? One of the miracles of Christ’s birth is that He was born of a virgin. Sadly the whole concept of the virgin birth has been challenged by Bible critics. For example they have pointed out that the word that was translated virgin can simply mean a young woman. Linguists could defend the choice of the word “virgin” to describe Mary, but even without that debate, the scripture is very clear that she was in fact a virgin when Christ was born.
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Consider Matthew 1:18, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” Notice that before she had even been with Joseph, she was with child. In fact, when Mary was told she would have a baby, she was confused. “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34) She had not been with Joseph or any other man for that matter. “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)
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The Holy Spirit came upon Mary, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ entered her womb. Soon He was born, and grew into a man. This was a fulfillment of the prophecy that God would be with us. “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) These verses prove not only the virgin birth, but also the deity of Christ (that He is God).
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Joseph took Mary to be his wife because an angel had explained to him about this virgin birth, and he did not come unto her until after Christ was born. “And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” (Matthew 1:25) Mary later had other children. “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.” (Mark 6:3) Joseph did go on to raise Jesus as his own son, but Luke makes it very clear that Joseph was not His biological father. “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,” (Luke 3:23). In fact, earlier in Luke 2:43, Luke refers to the parents of our Lord as Joseph and his mother, not father and mother.
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So why does all this matter? Adam was the first man and all men since Adam, with the exception of Christ, have had a human father. Sin has passed on all men from their fathers. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12) Adam’s sin did not pass on to Christ though, because His father is God, not a descendant of Adam. Therefore Christ is perfectly sinless- not just in deed, but in position. That perfect righteousness of Christ, allowed Him to pay for our sins. “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” (Romans 5:18)
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As you celebrate Christmas, understand that the virgin birth allowed God to be born into this world in perfection so that He could pay for your sins. If you have not trusted Him, what better time of year to give your life to Christ?
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We know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but how was the everlasting God conceived into a human mother? One of the miracles of Christ’s birth is that He was born of a virgin. Sadly the whole concept of the virgin birth has been challenged by Bible critics. For example they have pointed out that the word that was translated virgin can simply mean a young woman. Linguists could defend the choice of the word “virgin” to describe Mary, but even without that debate, the scripture is very clear that she was in fact a virgin when Christ was born.
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Consider Matthew 1:18, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” Notice that before she had even been with Joseph, she was with child. In fact, when Mary was told she would have a baby, she was confused. “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34) She had not been with Joseph or any other man for that matter. “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)
-
The Holy Spirit came upon Mary, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ entered her womb. Soon He was born, and grew into a man. This was a fulfillment of the prophecy that God would be with us. “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) These verses prove not only the virgin birth, but also the deity of Christ (that He is God).
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Joseph took Mary to be his wife because an angel had explained to him about this virgin birth, and he did not come unto her until after Christ was born. “And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” (Matthew 1:25) Mary later had other children. “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.” (Mark 6:3) Joseph did go on to raise Jesus as his own son, but Luke makes it very clear that Joseph was not His biological father. “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,” (Luke 3:23). In fact, earlier in Luke 2:43, Luke refers to the parents of our Lord as Joseph and his mother, not father and mother.
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So why does all this matter? Adam was the first man and all men since Adam, with the exception of Christ, have had a human father. Sin has passed on all men from their fathers. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12) Adam’s sin did not pass on to Christ though, because His father is God, not a descendant of Adam. Therefore Christ is perfectly sinless- not just in deed, but in position. That perfect righteousness of Christ, allowed Him to pay for our sins. “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” (Romans 5:18)
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As you celebrate Christmas, understand that the virgin birth allowed God to be born into this world in perfection so that He could pay for your sins. If you have not trusted Him, what better time of year to give your life to Christ?
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Learning Through Instruction
My favorite class in high school was industrial arts. I quickly decided that I had the confidence to put in studs and hang sheetrock, but I did not have the confidence to finish the sheetrock or to put up the fancy wooden trim at the end. Any mistakes made at that late step in the process would be very difficult if not impossible to hide without much skill.
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Several years later I was putting my basic carpentry skills to use helping on a church addition. The man who was planning to do much of the trim work ended up getting cancer and was too weak to do it. I was willing, but did not have the skills nor confidence I needed. I remembered some of the basics that I had learned back in high school about coping joints for corners and a few other tricks, but I still had much to learn.
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Fortunately my friend Gerrit, the man with cancer, was patient enough to give me instruction as I worked, and the project was completed. Without him, I don’t think I would have even attempted it. Because of his help, I can now easily put up wood trim.
Instruction about the Bible is actually a lot like my carpentry instruction. Many of us know a little bit about the Bible, but we really don’t know how to use it. We need someone to explain it to us, just like Gerrit explained the carpentry to me.
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In Acts 8:26-35, the evangelist Philip is able to do that for a man who he met on the road. The man was riding in a chariot and reading from the book of Isaiah (likely chapter 53). He did not understand what he was reading. Philip then comes along and explains to him what he is reading about.
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As a pastor, I want to do what Philip did. I want to take the Bible and explain to people what it is saying so that they can understand it. But I don’t just want to show them what it says, I want them to start to use it themselves as they begin to understand it. Just as Gerrit was faithful in teaching me how to cut and nail wood trim, I want others to be faithful in using God’s Word. I want to teach them so that they can teach others just like Paul did with Timothy. “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (II Timothy 2:2)
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As I have talked to others, I have found that there are a few people that know their Bibles quite well, but there are also many who just know a few basic points from the scriptures. I have also found that there are a lot of people who really don’t know much at all about the Bible.
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If that is you and you want to know more, please do not feel ashamed. I think of what the man that Philip met on the road said as he was asked if he understood what he read. He said, “How can I, except some man should guide me?” Just as Gerrit guided me in my carpentry skills, it is my job to guide people in understanding what the Bible says. That is why at First Baptist in Bancroft, we study it verse by verse, as we explain it and relate it to our lives. If you want to learn more, you are welcome to visit our services or call me at my office anytime at 885-2702. I’d love to get together for a Bible study.
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Several years later I was putting my basic carpentry skills to use helping on a church addition. The man who was planning to do much of the trim work ended up getting cancer and was too weak to do it. I was willing, but did not have the skills nor confidence I needed. I remembered some of the basics that I had learned back in high school about coping joints for corners and a few other tricks, but I still had much to learn.
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Fortunately my friend Gerrit, the man with cancer, was patient enough to give me instruction as I worked, and the project was completed. Without him, I don’t think I would have even attempted it. Because of his help, I can now easily put up wood trim.
Instruction about the Bible is actually a lot like my carpentry instruction. Many of us know a little bit about the Bible, but we really don’t know how to use it. We need someone to explain it to us, just like Gerrit explained the carpentry to me.
-
In Acts 8:26-35, the evangelist Philip is able to do that for a man who he met on the road. The man was riding in a chariot and reading from the book of Isaiah (likely chapter 53). He did not understand what he was reading. Philip then comes along and explains to him what he is reading about.
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As a pastor, I want to do what Philip did. I want to take the Bible and explain to people what it is saying so that they can understand it. But I don’t just want to show them what it says, I want them to start to use it themselves as they begin to understand it. Just as Gerrit was faithful in teaching me how to cut and nail wood trim, I want others to be faithful in using God’s Word. I want to teach them so that they can teach others just like Paul did with Timothy. “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (II Timothy 2:2)
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As I have talked to others, I have found that there are a few people that know their Bibles quite well, but there are also many who just know a few basic points from the scriptures. I have also found that there are a lot of people who really don’t know much at all about the Bible.
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If that is you and you want to know more, please do not feel ashamed. I think of what the man that Philip met on the road said as he was asked if he understood what he read. He said, “How can I, except some man should guide me?” Just as Gerrit guided me in my carpentry skills, it is my job to guide people in understanding what the Bible says. That is why at First Baptist in Bancroft, we study it verse by verse, as we explain it and relate it to our lives. If you want to learn more, you are welcome to visit our services or call me at my office anytime at 885-2702. I’d love to get together for a Bible study.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
CHURCH WEBSITE
We now have a new church website.
It can be viewed by visiting bancroftbaptist.com
It also has a blog page where you will be able to find these same blog posts.
It can be viewed by visiting bancroftbaptist.com
It also has a blog page where you will be able to find these same blog posts.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Giving Thanksgiving to God
I think back to some of the Thanksgiving meals that I have had through the years and the word feast does not do them justice. Just think of some of the things you have eaten on that special day. Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green bean casserole, candied carrots, cranberries, fresh baked dinner rolls, lefsa, and your choice of pecan, apple, cherry, lemon meringue, or pumpkin pie. Oh and did I mention that you could have ice cream on your pie? Of course there is no need to complain over having to eat the leftovers for it is just as good warmed up. Yes, we have had much to be thankful for, but as we step back and get the bigger picture, our focus will be taken off of the food to something much better.
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As you bite into that turkey, did you stop to think where it came from? Did you thank the grocer and the check out clerk as you purchased it at the store? How about being thankful for the farmer who raised that turkey, or the farmer who raised the corn that he fed to the turkey? How about being thankful to the God who allowed that corn and that turkey to grow?
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Let us not forget that without God sending the rain and right weather conditions, nothing would grow. Consider Psalm 65:9-11, "Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it. Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof. Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness."
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The last couple of years have been good crop years for the area farmers. Sure, many of them did the right things at the right time, but notice that according to the passage in Psalms, their ground wouldn't even be soft in the spring, if God hadn't sent the rains to loosen up those dirt clods as they were wetted and dried out again.
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On an even larger scale, consider how God makes sure that we have the right amount of oxygen in the air we breath. Too much oxygen is toxic and too little we would suffocate. Consider as well that we have the sun to make the crops grow and to keep us warn without burning us up. If our earth was much farther from the sun, we would all freeze to death, yet if it were much closer, we would burn up. It is God, the creator of the universe, the creator of all, who holds it all together.
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Colossians 2:16:17 reminds us of God's role in all this. "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." A similar reminder is found in the first part of Acts 17:28, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being."
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If it were not for God, we would not even be alive and if not for Christ's death on the cross, we would have no hope for eternal life. Therefore we should give thanks through Him continually, not just at thanksgiving. "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." (Hebrews 13:15)
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As you bite into that turkey, did you stop to think where it came from? Did you thank the grocer and the check out clerk as you purchased it at the store? How about being thankful for the farmer who raised that turkey, or the farmer who raised the corn that he fed to the turkey? How about being thankful to the God who allowed that corn and that turkey to grow?
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Let us not forget that without God sending the rain and right weather conditions, nothing would grow. Consider Psalm 65:9-11, "Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it. Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof. Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness."
-
The last couple of years have been good crop years for the area farmers. Sure, many of them did the right things at the right time, but notice that according to the passage in Psalms, their ground wouldn't even be soft in the spring, if God hadn't sent the rains to loosen up those dirt clods as they were wetted and dried out again.
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On an even larger scale, consider how God makes sure that we have the right amount of oxygen in the air we breath. Too much oxygen is toxic and too little we would suffocate. Consider as well that we have the sun to make the crops grow and to keep us warn without burning us up. If our earth was much farther from the sun, we would all freeze to death, yet if it were much closer, we would burn up. It is God, the creator of the universe, the creator of all, who holds it all together.
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Colossians 2:16:17 reminds us of God's role in all this. "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." A similar reminder is found in the first part of Acts 17:28, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being."
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If it were not for God, we would not even be alive and if not for Christ's death on the cross, we would have no hope for eternal life. Therefore we should give thanks through Him continually, not just at thanksgiving. "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." (Hebrews 13:15)
Friday, November 5, 2010
Hating, Hateful Hypocrisy
I hate it when I hit my thumb with a hammer. My wife hates bugs in the house. My little boy hates it when his big brother takes a toy away from him. I think most of us could come up with some things we hate.
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Even God has a list of things that He hates. “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:16-19)
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I must admit that there are a number of things that I hate. I hate child abuse. I hate that women are raped. I hate that drug cartels are killing police officers and innocent citizens.
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Now what would you say if a drug cartel thug put a gun to your head and asked you why you hated what he was doing? He likely would try to justify his actions, even using force to do so, but that would not make it right. If you were in such a position it would be difficult not to hate what he was doing no matter how tolerant you are.
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The prophet Amos brought this challenge: “Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate:” (5:15a). Not only is it allowed that we hate certain things, it is commanded. “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 97:10) “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13)
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So based on these verses, what should be the standard for the things that we hate? The standard must be our fear and love for God and what He classifies as evil. I wasn’t the one who decided that it was wrong for drug cartels to go around killing whoever they wanted to kill, it was God who determined that.
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As I look at God’s standards for right and wrong, I hate the fact that innocent babies are killed. I hate the fact that pornography and sexual perversion are running rampant in our culture. For that I am called intolerant when the truth is that what is not being tolerated is God and His standards. Thus we have hatred on both sides. The one side hates what God calls evil and the other side hates God’s values. It is sad that those who fear God have been bullied into silence by those who hate what He stands for.
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“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20)
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Romans 12:9 tells us to let our love be without hypocrisy and to abhor evil and to cling to what is good. Christians need to stop letting others define right and wrong. They need to love and fear God and let Him define the standard. Sure they may be called hateful, but it is good and loving to hate evil. Let us not be fearful to call evil what it is and to call sin “sin.”
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Even God has a list of things that He hates. “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:16-19)
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I must admit that there are a number of things that I hate. I hate child abuse. I hate that women are raped. I hate that drug cartels are killing police officers and innocent citizens.
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Now what would you say if a drug cartel thug put a gun to your head and asked you why you hated what he was doing? He likely would try to justify his actions, even using force to do so, but that would not make it right. If you were in such a position it would be difficult not to hate what he was doing no matter how tolerant you are.
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The prophet Amos brought this challenge: “Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate:” (5:15a). Not only is it allowed that we hate certain things, it is commanded. “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 97:10) “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13)
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So based on these verses, what should be the standard for the things that we hate? The standard must be our fear and love for God and what He classifies as evil. I wasn’t the one who decided that it was wrong for drug cartels to go around killing whoever they wanted to kill, it was God who determined that.
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As I look at God’s standards for right and wrong, I hate the fact that innocent babies are killed. I hate the fact that pornography and sexual perversion are running rampant in our culture. For that I am called intolerant when the truth is that what is not being tolerated is God and His standards. Thus we have hatred on both sides. The one side hates what God calls evil and the other side hates God’s values. It is sad that those who fear God have been bullied into silence by those who hate what He stands for.
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“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20)
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Romans 12:9 tells us to let our love be without hypocrisy and to abhor evil and to cling to what is good. Christians need to stop letting others define right and wrong. They need to love and fear God and let Him define the standard. Sure they may be called hateful, but it is good and loving to hate evil. Let us not be fearful to call evil what it is and to call sin “sin.”
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