To watch the video, click on the link below:
Showing posts with label Salvation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Salvation. Show all posts
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Sermon Video: By the grace of God I am what I am - 1 Corinthians 15:8-11
Having already detailed the many witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul offers his own experience last of all. Paul does this for a very important reason, he was 'one abnormally born' in the Holy Spirit because he was called by God's grace when he was in the midst of persecution the Church. God's grace reached out to Paul in a dramatic way, turning his life of violence into a life of self-sacrifice and dedication to the Gospel. The thing is, everyone alive today is a recipient of God's grace, every breath we take is an example of God's grace falling upon the righteous and unrighteous alike {Jesus makes this point in the Gospels when referring to the beneficial rain falling for the both the just and unjust}. We are all what we are because of God's grace. As John Bradford said, "There but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford." None of us deserve God's grace, both our sinful human nature and our broken human civilization (nurture) would doom us all to lives that are 'violent, brutish, and short' if not for the grace of God. Like Paul, we too are dependent upon God's grace, and we too must respond to that grace with self-sacrificial service on behalf of the cause of the Gospel...The next time you see a Lost sinner, let this phrase be in your heart, "There but for the grace of God, go I", and then show God's love to that person.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Sermon Video: God's grace is not a license to sin - Jude 1-4
Jude, half-brother of Jesus (along with James "the just", the leader of the Jerusalem Church), begins his letter by speaking of the common salvation he shares along with those whom God has called, love, and kept for Jesus, a salvation that results in our being given mercy, peace, and love. Unfortunately, Jude cannot continue writing about these uplifting topics as he must warn the recipients of the letter about individuals within the Church who have embrace a form of Gnosticism (apparently) that both denies Jesus Christ (probably by denying that he came in the flesh, see 1 John for a parallel) and bizarrely claims that God's grace which has been given to us is in fact a license to sin. The Apostle Paul rejects this same line of thought in Romans 6, for how could God's grace take us further from God by encouraging us to continue to sin? In addition, taking advantage of grace would be an insult to the blood of Christ, poured out for us, as well as a narrow focus upon our relationship with God being only about forgiveness of sins, rather than about total transformation that must begin here and now. Lastly, any view of our relationship with God that tolerates the ongoing indulgence in sin is incompatible with the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who have been redeemed. For reasons such as these, Jude warns his fellow believers against this dangerous notion.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
While the "nones" are growing, so are those who say they are "born again".
In a recent article {More Non-Evangelicals Are Calling Themselves Born Again A growing share of mainline Protestants and Catholics have taken on the once-distinctive label over the past three decades. by Ryan Burge}, Christianity Today makes note of an interesting, and somewhat unexpected given the doom & gloom mood that seems fairly common concerning Christianity in America, trend of steady growth, across all Christian segments, of those who answer affirmative to this question in the General Social Survey (GSS): “Would you say you have been ‘born again’ or have had a ‘born again’ experience—that is, a turning point in your life when you committed yourself to Christ?” In other words, while much attention (rightfully) has been paid to the steady rise of those who claim "none" as their religious affiliation, especially among younger Americans, at the same time a growing percentage of Evangelicals, Mainline Protestants, and Catholics, across racial lines, are self-identifying as being people who have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ. The religious landscape in America is certainly changing, but in more than one direction.
One issue with Burge's reporting before pondering the larger question of why and what it might mean for the future: "The surprise comes with mainline Protestants, who have gone from 28 percent identifying as born again to 40 percent. And the portion of born-again Catholics has doubled (from 14% to 28%). Those increases are especially striking because neither tradition teaches that a born-again conversion is a necessary component of their faith." This is over-simplification at best, misleading (in an insulting way) at worst. Not every Christian community uses the same words and phrases in the same way. If you ask a Catholic, "Are you born again?" The answer is more likely to be 'no' than if you asked that same Catholic, "Have you made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ?" Does that mean that the Catholic Church doesn't teach the necessity of individuals making a commitment to Jesus Christ? Hardly they require it before any person can fully participate in the community, how else does one explain the milestones a young Catholic (or adult convert) goes through heading toward confirmation and first communion? Similar questions of phraseology could be applied to other non-evangelical Protestant denominations. The original survey question, first asked in 1988, was written from an Evangelical Protestant perspective, and likely confused many of the initial respondents from other Christian perspectives. Over the years, as the Culture Wars continued to rage, and the phrase "born again" became more a part of the cultural vernacular, it would not be surprising to see the number of those who answer the survey with a 'yes' increase as a result. Is that what's going on here or are deeper issues at work?
"Over the years, being born again may have evolved from being seen as a distinctive for evangelical Protestantism to a way to suggest that they are particularly active in their faith. Across Christian traditions, the more often a person attends church, the more likely they are to say they have had a born-again experience, regardless of their affiliation." This is a more likely explanation than the previous statement implying that Mainline Protestants and Catholics just don't teach the need for conversion.
These charts are the heart of the story, and tell the most important tale.
Some observations on the chart relating church attendance to self-identification as being "born again": (1) How is it that 50% of those who call themselves evangelicals and African-American Protestants, who NEVER go to church, still think that they're 'born again'? That's an absurdly high number or people who evidently have no real understanding of what is required of a disciple of Jesus Christ, because being a part of the body of Christ, serving the church and being under the tutelage of the Word of God isn't apparently a priority to that 50% who still identify themselves as being both 'born again' and belonging to one of those two groups without actually going to church. For Catholics and Mainline Protestants the numbers are less than 20% among those who never go to church, still higher than we should be comfortable with, but not the over-inflated 50%. (2) Going to church matters! I'm of course biased on this view, being an ordained minister called to lead a church, but that is what the Scriptures proclaim, and what 2,000 years of Church history attest, so I don't feel like I'm on shaky ground here in asserting the necessity of an individual Christian's (or 'Christian' as the case may be for those not-yet converted) connection to a local church. (3) Going to church more matters more than going to church less. That's a confusing sentence, but the charts seems fairly clear: those who go to church more regularly are more likely to have claimed to have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ than those who go to church only infrequently. Go to church! No, Christmas and Easter are not sufficient. {Please come then if you don't go otherwise to hear about the Advent of Christ and then about his death and resurrection, those are key parts of God's redemptive story (all pastors are encouraged to see visitors at the holidays, they just want to see them more than that).}
First off, I have no love for the use of the term 'literal' when talking about the Bible; few words are more abused and less well understood. Also, why was this question written to make a dichotomy between 'inspired' and 'literal'? How can Scripture be the inspired but not 'literal' (ouch, it pains me to use it even with 'quotes') words of God? {See my 3 part discourse on the Bible to learn more about revelation, inspiration, interpretation, etc. What Every Christian Should Know About: The Bible} Aside from the structural issues with the way this question was written, the data here is also interesting. The more often people attend church, the more likely they are to honor the authority of God's Word (whether calling it 'inspired' or 'literal') and the less likely they are to consider it to be simply 'written by men'. Not surprisingly, those who know more about God's Word, who hear it preached to them more regularly, and who place themselves under the instruction of the Holy Spirit, respond by embracing it. Those who avoid the fellowship of God's people, who don't prioritize worship of God, tend to view God's Word with less reverence. None of this is surprising to anyone working in vocational ministry. Not surprising at all.
"It would appear that the term “born again” has evolved somewhat among the American public. What used to be seen as a touchstone experience for many evangelicals who went forward at a revival, youth camp, or especially moving Sunday worship service, now seems to mean something more. In essence, the word seems to have been adopted by people of other faith traditions as a way to indicate that they are a devout believer. The data suggests that individuals take the term to mean that faith plays an important role in their life and their religious activity serves more than a social purpose." To quote my former college professor at Cornerstone University, Prof. Andy Smith: "Word usage determines word meaning." The term 'born again' has evolved. What was once a technical term that baffled many of the survey takers in the 1980's has now become a more general term that more broadly reflects its original biblical meaning: devout believer. It doesn't take a recitation of a 'sinner's prayer' to become a Christian, it takes a changed heart, an act of faith, that comes from the calling of the Holy Spirit and results in a life whose direction has changed and results in the ongoing display of the Fruit of the Spirit. It is a good thing if people in the Church are more focused on having one's life direction changed than on having a single experience.
What then does all of this mean? The short version is this: The decline of the 'Christian American' culture is asking casual people to make a choice. It isn't as easy as it used to be to float along in a Christian inspired river without making your own commitment. When the change required of conversion becomes more stark, and the counter-cultural cost of discipleship becomes more evident, those who never go to church, but consider themselves to be 'Christians', shrink, while those who both openly reject Christianity/The Church, and those who openly embrace it, gain numbers. As these trends continue, the commonalities between committed members of Christian communities will only grow more clear, the reasons for cooperative ministry more compelling, and if God is gracious to us, the percentage of those in some way connected to the Church willing to make a personal commitment (and follow through by being a part of the local church) will grow.
One issue with Burge's reporting before pondering the larger question of why and what it might mean for the future: "The surprise comes with mainline Protestants, who have gone from 28 percent identifying as born again to 40 percent. And the portion of born-again Catholics has doubled (from 14% to 28%). Those increases are especially striking because neither tradition teaches that a born-again conversion is a necessary component of their faith." This is over-simplification at best, misleading (in an insulting way) at worst. Not every Christian community uses the same words and phrases in the same way. If you ask a Catholic, "Are you born again?" The answer is more likely to be 'no' than if you asked that same Catholic, "Have you made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ?" Does that mean that the Catholic Church doesn't teach the necessity of individuals making a commitment to Jesus Christ? Hardly they require it before any person can fully participate in the community, how else does one explain the milestones a young Catholic (or adult convert) goes through heading toward confirmation and first communion? Similar questions of phraseology could be applied to other non-evangelical Protestant denominations. The original survey question, first asked in 1988, was written from an Evangelical Protestant perspective, and likely confused many of the initial respondents from other Christian perspectives. Over the years, as the Culture Wars continued to rage, and the phrase "born again" became more a part of the cultural vernacular, it would not be surprising to see the number of those who answer the survey with a 'yes' increase as a result. Is that what's going on here or are deeper issues at work?
"Over the years, being born again may have evolved from being seen as a distinctive for evangelical Protestantism to a way to suggest that they are particularly active in their faith. Across Christian traditions, the more often a person attends church, the more likely they are to say they have had a born-again experience, regardless of their affiliation." This is a more likely explanation than the previous statement implying that Mainline Protestants and Catholics just don't teach the need for conversion.
These charts are the heart of the story, and tell the most important tale.
Some observations on the chart relating church attendance to self-identification as being "born again": (1) How is it that 50% of those who call themselves evangelicals and African-American Protestants, who NEVER go to church, still think that they're 'born again'? That's an absurdly high number or people who evidently have no real understanding of what is required of a disciple of Jesus Christ, because being a part of the body of Christ, serving the church and being under the tutelage of the Word of God isn't apparently a priority to that 50% who still identify themselves as being both 'born again' and belonging to one of those two groups without actually going to church. For Catholics and Mainline Protestants the numbers are less than 20% among those who never go to church, still higher than we should be comfortable with, but not the over-inflated 50%. (2) Going to church matters! I'm of course biased on this view, being an ordained minister called to lead a church, but that is what the Scriptures proclaim, and what 2,000 years of Church history attest, so I don't feel like I'm on shaky ground here in asserting the necessity of an individual Christian's (or 'Christian' as the case may be for those not-yet converted) connection to a local church. (3) Going to church more matters more than going to church less. That's a confusing sentence, but the charts seems fairly clear: those who go to church more regularly are more likely to have claimed to have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ than those who go to church only infrequently. Go to church! No, Christmas and Easter are not sufficient. {Please come then if you don't go otherwise to hear about the Advent of Christ and then about his death and resurrection, those are key parts of God's redemptive story (all pastors are encouraged to see visitors at the holidays, they just want to see them more than that).}
First off, I have no love for the use of the term 'literal' when talking about the Bible; few words are more abused and less well understood. Also, why was this question written to make a dichotomy between 'inspired' and 'literal'? How can Scripture be the inspired but not 'literal' (ouch, it pains me to use it even with 'quotes') words of God? {See my 3 part discourse on the Bible to learn more about revelation, inspiration, interpretation, etc. What Every Christian Should Know About: The Bible} Aside from the structural issues with the way this question was written, the data here is also interesting. The more often people attend church, the more likely they are to honor the authority of God's Word (whether calling it 'inspired' or 'literal') and the less likely they are to consider it to be simply 'written by men'. Not surprisingly, those who know more about God's Word, who hear it preached to them more regularly, and who place themselves under the instruction of the Holy Spirit, respond by embracing it. Those who avoid the fellowship of God's people, who don't prioritize worship of God, tend to view God's Word with less reverence. None of this is surprising to anyone working in vocational ministry. Not surprising at all.
"It would appear that the term “born again” has evolved somewhat among the American public. What used to be seen as a touchstone experience for many evangelicals who went forward at a revival, youth camp, or especially moving Sunday worship service, now seems to mean something more. In essence, the word seems to have been adopted by people of other faith traditions as a way to indicate that they are a devout believer. The data suggests that individuals take the term to mean that faith plays an important role in their life and their religious activity serves more than a social purpose." To quote my former college professor at Cornerstone University, Prof. Andy Smith: "Word usage determines word meaning." The term 'born again' has evolved. What was once a technical term that baffled many of the survey takers in the 1980's has now become a more general term that more broadly reflects its original biblical meaning: devout believer. It doesn't take a recitation of a 'sinner's prayer' to become a Christian, it takes a changed heart, an act of faith, that comes from the calling of the Holy Spirit and results in a life whose direction has changed and results in the ongoing display of the Fruit of the Spirit. It is a good thing if people in the Church are more focused on having one's life direction changed than on having a single experience.
What then does all of this mean? The short version is this: The decline of the 'Christian American' culture is asking casual people to make a choice. It isn't as easy as it used to be to float along in a Christian inspired river without making your own commitment. When the change required of conversion becomes more stark, and the counter-cultural cost of discipleship becomes more evident, those who never go to church, but consider themselves to be 'Christians', shrink, while those who both openly reject Christianity/The Church, and those who openly embrace it, gain numbers. As these trends continue, the commonalities between committed members of Christian communities will only grow more clear, the reasons for cooperative ministry more compelling, and if God is gracious to us, the percentage of those in some way connected to the Church willing to make a personal commitment (and follow through by being a part of the local church) will grow.
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Sermon Video: The Messiah Needed - Ecclesiastes 7:20
Are good people in heaven? The problem with this question is that it assumes a definition of the term "good" that is not connected to the holiness and righteousness of God. If we ask the question according to that standard of purity and perfection, the answer would be "yes", but with the important caveat that there are no such people. A theme in the Bible, expressed here by Solomon in Ecclesiastes, is that humanity is fallen, in open rebellion against God, and without hope on our own of rectifying the situation. It is not enough to claim to do 99 morally upright deeds for every 1 immoral act, nor even 999 to 1, for even such lofty aspirations fall short of the standard of righteousness that God set forth for the Messiah: sinless perfection. Thus our need for a savior, a Messiah, comes into focus, if God had not come to save us, humanity would have remained in hopelessness.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Sermon Video: Sing to the LORD - Psalm 98
Why do we sing in Church? What is it about singing that connects so well to worship? If you've not thought about these questions, perhaps you should, because as the writer of Psalm 98 makes clear, the people of God need to sing to the LORD. Why? Because God has done marvelous things. In particular, God has made his salvation, his willingness to rescue humanity, known to us. That effort began with Israel, but it spread to all nations. The end result? The people of God can sing (!) while standing before the judge of all the earth. Amazingly, we will not stand before our righteous and holy judge with fear, but with gratitude and joy. Why do we sing in Church? Because our hearts are full of joy, for God has done wondrous things among us.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Sermon Video: "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved" Joel 2:12-32
In the midst of a message of woe, the prophet Joel shares the desire of the LORD to relent and heal his people. "Even now," the message begins, for it is not too late because God is "gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love," if the people will repent, God will forgive and save them. This is the heart of the Gospel. God is indeed a holy and righteous judge, and the great day of his wrath will one day come, but he also abounds in love and mercy and desires that all men would repent and be saved. Why speak of judgment when offering a message of hope? Because humanity's rebellion is a deep-seated condition, and most will not repent until they realize the extent of their danger and have given up trying to save themselves. Hope remains, all those who call upon the name of the LORD, who hope in him, will be saved.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Sermon Video: The Gospel, simply - John 3:16
Life is complicated, problems and their solutions are often difficult to understand. Thankfully, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not complicated. The message itself can be contained in one sentence, and even though entire books can hardly contain all of its implications, the Gospel can be readily understood by ordinary people, including children. What then is the Gospel? As John so eloquently summarizes it in John 3:16, it includes the following: (1) The existence of God as Creator and Judge, (2) the love of God for humanity {the world}, (3) the sacrifice on our behalf of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, (4) our needed response, "believe in him", (5) and lastly, the result, eternal life.
John 3:16 New International Version (NIV)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
This is the Gospel, the Good News about Jesus, simply.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
John 3:16 New International Version (NIV)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
This is the Gospel, the Good News about Jesus, simply.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Friday, March 15, 2019
White Nationalism and White Supremacy are an abomination to the Church
With the horror of at least 49 people killed by multiple gunmen at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, we are confronted with the danger to civil society of Nationalism and Supremacy movements, both within a given society and in the geo-political sphere between nations. And while both Nationalism and racial/ethnic/religious Supremacy movements have at times been ascendant around the globe throughout human history, with horrific results, it remains imperative that the Church purge itself of any such sympathies, rejecting them utterly.
Why is any form of Nationalism or Supremacy an anathema to the Church? Simply put, they are 100% incompatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The only way for humanity to approach God is through humility. If we cannot let go of the delusion that we can please God on our own, we will never accept that Jesus Christ died on our behalf, that he accomplished what we never could, and that our only hope is to accept his finished work on our behalf by faith through grace. We can only approach God by abandoning any pretext that there is anything about ourselves worthy of God. Not our ethnicity, not our nationality, not our gender, not our sexual orientation, not our skills or talents, not our job, not our riches, not our power or fame. Nothing about us impresses God, for we are all alike lost sinners in need of God's grace. There is no room for pride at the foot of the Cross. There is no room for considering one type of person better, or worse, than another. If we resist the call to bow our knee before God, we will remain apart from the saving grace offered by God.
How then can one person, or type of person, be better than others before God? We may not look exactly alike, and we may see many things differently, but standing before God there is absolutely no difference; we are all equally hopeless in the face of God's perfect holiness.
What hope then do we have, if nothing of ourselves pleases God? We can indeed be saved, not by anything that we are, or have done, but only when we have been clothed with Christ and transformed by the Holy Spirit. This will not result in a spirit of superiority, but a servant's heart filled with gratitude and dedication to helping others find the grace we have received from God.
Murder is a direct insult to God who gives life, a horrendous crime whatever the motive. To kill in the name of national or ethnic superiority is an even great abomination, for it also insults the willing sacrifice of Jesus and his call to share the Gospel with all nations. Nationalism and/or Supremacy has no place in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it must have no place among those who follow him, for those who embrace and advocate such ideas are not misguided, they remain apart from God's saving grace and transforming power; they are evil.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Galatians 3:26-28 (NIV)
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:11-14 (NIV)
11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Why is any form of Nationalism or Supremacy an anathema to the Church? Simply put, they are 100% incompatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The only way for humanity to approach God is through humility. If we cannot let go of the delusion that we can please God on our own, we will never accept that Jesus Christ died on our behalf, that he accomplished what we never could, and that our only hope is to accept his finished work on our behalf by faith through grace. We can only approach God by abandoning any pretext that there is anything about ourselves worthy of God. Not our ethnicity, not our nationality, not our gender, not our sexual orientation, not our skills or talents, not our job, not our riches, not our power or fame. Nothing about us impresses God, for we are all alike lost sinners in need of God's grace. There is no room for pride at the foot of the Cross. There is no room for considering one type of person better, or worse, than another. If we resist the call to bow our knee before God, we will remain apart from the saving grace offered by God.
How then can one person, or type of person, be better than others before God? We may not look exactly alike, and we may see many things differently, but standing before God there is absolutely no difference; we are all equally hopeless in the face of God's perfect holiness.
What hope then do we have, if nothing of ourselves pleases God? We can indeed be saved, not by anything that we are, or have done, but only when we have been clothed with Christ and transformed by the Holy Spirit. This will not result in a spirit of superiority, but a servant's heart filled with gratitude and dedication to helping others find the grace we have received from God.
Murder is a direct insult to God who gives life, a horrendous crime whatever the motive. To kill in the name of national or ethnic superiority is an even great abomination, for it also insults the willing sacrifice of Jesus and his call to share the Gospel with all nations. Nationalism and/or Supremacy has no place in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it must have no place among those who follow him, for those who embrace and advocate such ideas are not misguided, they remain apart from God's saving grace and transforming power; they are evil.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Galatians 3:26-28 (NIV)
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:11-14 (NIV)
11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Friday, February 15, 2019
The Church's responsibility: evangelism and transforming discipleship
One of the numerous misconceptions about the Church, coming from both those outside of it and those within, is that the Church is a place where those who are already righteous (upright morally) come together. This is not a new issue, the Early Church struggled with the question of whether or not the Church was intended to be a place for only saints to gather, or a place where both saints and sinners (i.e. those already redeemed/saved and those who had not yet committed themselves to Christ) together sought the kingdom of God. Following the persecution instituted by Emperor Diocletian (AD 303-305, during which 1/2 of all those martyred prior to Constantine were killed); those who had resisted and risked their lives rejected as unworthy of being a part of the Church those who had capitulated in order to save themselves. The courageous 'confessors' chose their own bishop, Donatus Magnus (see: Donatism), believing that only a bishop could forgive such a grave sin as 'lapsing' in the face of persecution, and that only a faultless clergy could administer valid sacraments. In the end, the North African Church was split in two, never to heal, despite the attempts of two councils, the use of Constantine's soldiers to try to force a reunion, and even the power of St. Augustine's persuasion arguing that the Church was not supposed to consist of only of those who are already pure, but of those who long to be pure.
The Church was intended, by its founder Jesus, to be a place where both evangelism and discipleship take place concurrently side by side. As a Church it is our responsibility to both share the Gospel with those who do not yet believe, and to help those who have committed themselves to following Jesus in their transformation process from someone dominated by sin to someone overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit. Thus a healthy church will contain both those who are, hopefully, being called by the Spirit of God to accept the Gospel, and those who are being led by the Spirit of God to more and more closely adhere to the example and teachings of Jesus. If a local church, or a denomination, fails to attempt/accomplish either task, the results will be grim. A church without new converts is a church whose days are numbered, it may be a great place of fellowship, and excel at making disciples of those already there, but when they grow old and die, what then? Likewise, a church that excels in "winning souls" through evangelism, but fails/neglects to disciple these converts, will result in a people of shallow faith where immorality is tolerated and the fruit of the Spirit in short supply.
It isn't easy for a local church, especially a small church with a bi-vocational pastor, or perhaps with a jack-of-all-trades solo pastor, to hit home runs in both evangelism and discipleship. In my experience, most of them are better at discipleship than evangelism, better working with the people they already have than the people outside their doors. Conversely, one of the criticisms of mega-churches is that due to their size it is easier for the numerous converts (certainly a good thing) to slip through the cracks, even with a large staff and small-group programs. All churches have strengths and weaknesses, specialties and deficiencies in their ministries, but all are equally called by God to both bring lost sinners home and work to transform those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb into practitioners of righteousness. We must share the Gospel, we must welcome outsiders and seek them out, and we must take the moral obligations of our people seriously, striving against both sins of commission and omission. The challenge is immense, the kind of thing that keeps pastors up at night, the obstacles are plentiful and diverse, but the task once it is being accomplished it certainly worth whatever we put into it, and more. Imagine a local church where new people are coming to Christ on a regular basis, where both those who have recently come to Christ and those who have journeyed with him for decades are encouraged and aided toward ever increasing Christ-likeness through righteous living and acts of service to others. Nearly every pastor wants that for his congregation, books and workshops on how to achieve it are legion, the Spirit that makes it possible is willing. Let us pray that we may be worthy of this high calling, my church and myself included.
The Church was intended, by its founder Jesus, to be a place where both evangelism and discipleship take place concurrently side by side. As a Church it is our responsibility to both share the Gospel with those who do not yet believe, and to help those who have committed themselves to following Jesus in their transformation process from someone dominated by sin to someone overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit. Thus a healthy church will contain both those who are, hopefully, being called by the Spirit of God to accept the Gospel, and those who are being led by the Spirit of God to more and more closely adhere to the example and teachings of Jesus. If a local church, or a denomination, fails to attempt/accomplish either task, the results will be grim. A church without new converts is a church whose days are numbered, it may be a great place of fellowship, and excel at making disciples of those already there, but when they grow old and die, what then? Likewise, a church that excels in "winning souls" through evangelism, but fails/neglects to disciple these converts, will result in a people of shallow faith where immorality is tolerated and the fruit of the Spirit in short supply.
It isn't easy for a local church, especially a small church with a bi-vocational pastor, or perhaps with a jack-of-all-trades solo pastor, to hit home runs in both evangelism and discipleship. In my experience, most of them are better at discipleship than evangelism, better working with the people they already have than the people outside their doors. Conversely, one of the criticisms of mega-churches is that due to their size it is easier for the numerous converts (certainly a good thing) to slip through the cracks, even with a large staff and small-group programs. All churches have strengths and weaknesses, specialties and deficiencies in their ministries, but all are equally called by God to both bring lost sinners home and work to transform those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb into practitioners of righteousness. We must share the Gospel, we must welcome outsiders and seek them out, and we must take the moral obligations of our people seriously, striving against both sins of commission and omission. The challenge is immense, the kind of thing that keeps pastors up at night, the obstacles are plentiful and diverse, but the task once it is being accomplished it certainly worth whatever we put into it, and more. Imagine a local church where new people are coming to Christ on a regular basis, where both those who have recently come to Christ and those who have journeyed with him for decades are encouraged and aided toward ever increasing Christ-likeness through righteous living and acts of service to others. Nearly every pastor wants that for his congregation, books and workshops on how to achieve it are legion, the Spirit that makes it possible is willing. Let us pray that we may be worthy of this high calling, my church and myself included.
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Sermon Video: "Persuade me to be a Christian"? - Acts 26:17-32
As his defense before Agrippa continues, Paul explains that God gave him the mission of leading people from the darkness of rebellion and sin, to the light of forgiveness and sanctification by faith. Paul was opposed for this effort, because it included the Gentiles, even though it was a continuation of what God had previously spoken through the prophets and Moses. Having said this, Paul confronts Agrippa with the key question, "do you believe the prophets?" While Festus think that Paul is out of his mind, Agrippa knows the validity of the words of the prophets and interprets Paul's question as an invitation to become a Christian, which he declines. Agrippa's response raises important questions. How does someone become a Christian? Is it an intellectual, emotional, or spiritual pursuit, or some of all three? Can a person be persuaded, making it partly a matter of human freewill, or is it solely a matter of the will of God? In the end, Paul proclaims that he will continue to hold out hope, and pray, that not only Agrippa, but everyone listening to his words will accept the gift of God's grace in Christ Jesus.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Sermon Video: God made you alive with Christ - Colossians 2:9-15
In his ongoing effort to express the supremacy and all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ, Paul compares what circumcision was unable to accomplish, the removal of the "whole self ruled by the flesh", with what baptism in Christ can accomplish, namely the destruction of that nature enthralled to sin when those who believe in Christ are "buried with him" and "raised with him" by God's power through faith. In addition, Paul reiterates that before Christ, "you were dead in your sins" but have since been "made alive with Christ." This dramatic reversal, the hinge of history, is illustrated by Paul with a courtroom metaphor wherein Jesus takes the legal charges of our debt to God because of our sins, from our powerless hands, and nails it to the cross, allowing God to then cancel out our debt as having been paid in full.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Clearing up misconceptions between Catholics and Protestants
One of the things which makes ecumenical conversations and cooperative efforts more difficult is the abundance of misinformation that Catholics have about Protestants and Protestants have about Catholics. Some of these misunderstandings are inevitable, the product of 500 years of division, partisans on both sides that feed on attacking straw men, and a general lack of first-hand knowledge. The clearing up of these misconceptions is thus an ongoing project among Christians, one that won't end anytime soon. With that being said, I'd like to respond to an article written by Father Dwight Longenecker in the National Catholic Register on April 9th. As such, I've copied his entire article below, and will intersperse my own thoughts in brackets with a red font.
Are Catholics Born-Again Christians?
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” (John 3:3)
My godly Evangelical mother used to “witness” when we were out shopping. She’d ask the storekeeper, “Have you been born again?” If the conversation got going she’d relate the story of the conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus in the third chapter of John’s gospel. I don’t know if she ever succeeded in making a convert, but she succeeded in embarrassing me somewhat. I’m now embarrassed that I was embarrassed and, in hindsight, admire her courage, faith and zeal.
The question remains, however, “Just what is a ‘born-again Christian'”? Most Evangelicals would say that being ‘born again’ or ‘getting saved’ consists of a personal conversion experience. In some way the individual has a prodigal son moment and ‘comes to himself.’ He repents of his sin and turns to Jesus Christ for salvation. He does this by saying ‘the sinner’s prayer’ which is very simply, “Lord Jesus, I’m sorry for my sins and I want to accept your gift of forgiveness and salvation. Come into my life and make me your disciple forever.” [The overemphasis on 'the sinner's prayer' is a legitimate issue within Evangelical circles, but any such prayer is simply an attempt to put into practice Paul's words in Romans 10:9-10, "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." The exact words themselves are of course not the point, it is the combination of belief and profession of faith that is at the heart of any version of a prayer of repentance which acknowledges the Lordship of Jesus, and one's own need for forgiveness though him.]
That’s all well and good I suppose, and if this is all that is required to be “born again” then every Catholic is a “born-again Christian” because at every Mass we confess our sins and accept Jesus. At every baptism we confess our sins and accept Jesus. At every celebration of the sacrament of confession we confess our sins and accept the forgiveness of Jesus.
The problem between Evangelicals and Catholics does not come with this core definition and basic experience. The difficulty comes in what comes next. Essentially the Evangelical (and I know I’m making generalizations and that there is a spectrum of theological opinions within Evangelicalism) doesn’t think there is anything next — at least not anything that is necessary. Once the person says the sinner’s prayer he’s got his ticket to heaven, and nothing else is required. This is a consequence of the Evangelical Protestant’s loathing of anything that smacks of “salvation by works.” He wants salvation to have no strings attached. Nothing else is necessary — not even the sacrament of baptism. [Here is where we need to clear some things up: Yes, there are some Evangelicals who have a 'catch and release' mentality that focuses far too much on the initial stage of conversion and far too little on the production of Fruit of the Spirit which is the necessary hallmark of authentic faith which has taken root. By and large, however, most Evangelicals, and most Protestants, are well aware that "faith without works is dead", and that if spiritual maturity and discipleship are not forthcoming after any 'conversion experience' {whatever form it takes} then the whole basis of a supposed conversion is called into question, necessitating a return to 'square one' as it were, starting once again from a confession of Christ and a commitment to repentance. It was Dietrich Bonhoeffer who labeled the tendency toward a discipleship-free faith that cost its adherents nothing as "cheap grace", an invalid version of Christianity devoid of its heart. The crux of the difference of understanding between Catholics and Protestants here seems to be on the definition of the word 'necessary'. Protestants would point to the thief on the cross as an example of one for whom nothing more than a confession of faith was possible, certainly he had no opportunity for baptism or any other demonstration of his faith, but at the same time, most Protestants (and Evangelicals) would understand that in the long-run it is expected that every true believer would repeatedly and continually demonstrate acts of obedience and service as faithful disciples of Jesus indwelt by the Holy Spirit. I will readily admit that trying to avoid "sounding Catholic", i.e. anything that feels or sounds like 'salvation by works' is certainly a problem for Protestants, although the opposite version is a hang-up for many Catholics as well, as both groups try to avoid sounding/acting like their historic rivals in ways that warp us both.]
The Catholic, on the other hand, quotes the New Testament and says, “Repent and be baptized.” The simple action of faith has to be combined with the sacrament of baptism. Evangelicals should understand that we do not regard baptism (or any of the sacraments) as something we do as some kind of good work. Instead, baptism is God’s action toward us. It is a completely unmerited outflowing of God’s grace toward us. This is why we emphasize baptism as the “born again” experience rather than the “sinner’s prayer,” which definitely is something a person does. [The emphasis by Father Longenecker is welcome here, for most Protestants do think that Catholics consider the sacraments to be a form of good works, not an act of God's grace, but by the same token, he's putting the shoe on the other foot where it doesn't fit either, for Protestants do not consider repentance {in the form of a 'sinner's prayer' or anything else} to be a work done by the Lost sinner, but rather an act of God's grace who calls the lost to repentance and makes repentance possible. This is of course delving into the time-honored debate between Calvinists and Arminians, between God's sovereignty and man's freewill; not an easy puzzle to solve, and in my opinion not one that God intended us to solve.]
This is the irony from our point of view: Evangelicals say we believe in a salvation by works because we insist on sacraments. Yet our true belief is that the sacraments are the actions of Christ through his Church pouring out his grace on us unmerited sinners. He sends out the invitations. He sets the table for the feast. He cooks the meal and serves at table. All we do is turn up. The irony is deepened because Evangelicals claim not to have a religion based on works, but they ask their converts to say the sinner’s prayer, which is a kind of work of salvation. [Here is where he swerved away from a helpful explanation and into a swipe at the opposition, unfortunately. Let's be honest, however we understand the confluence of God's grace and man's responsibility, we all agree that without God's grace we'd be screwed, and we all agree that those who repent are not robots, they are certainly 'doing something', something prompted by God's grace, enabled by his Spirit, but it remains something that we must still do as evidence of our salvation {Not to BE saved, but to show that we have already BEEN saved, the emphasis must remain on the finished work of Jesus and the ongoing Grace of God}. Both Protestants and Catholics are explaining what man has to do to be saved BY God somewhat differently, but an honest evaluation would conclude that we both believe that if God doesn't do what only God can do, anything we try to do will be pointless.]
Furthermore, for the Catholic, the action of faith is a continuing action. All our ‘good works’ are ‘works of faith.’ They are filled with faith and are faith in action. Instead of a once-and-done decision of ‘getting saved,’ Catholics know that faith is a commitment and continuance in a newly graced way of life. Being born again is all well and good, but if that’s all there is, we’re concerned at the alarming rate of infant mortality. [As I said before, only the worst examples of Evangelicals preach that salvation is a 'once-and-done' experience without the expectation of resulting righteous deeds, so don't make that a straw man to oppose any more than the Catholics who misunderstand the sacraments as good works instead of God's grace.]
Lest any Evangelicals think I’m throwing stones, I’m alarmed at the high rate of spiritual infant mortality amongst the Catholics as well as among the Evangelicals. A Baptist pastor friend of mine once asked me how many of the children I baptized grew up to be active and committed church members. I guessed maybe one in ten. He smiled and said he had about the same drop-off rate among adult converts whom he baptized. [Anecdotal evidence is only worth so much, but I find a 1/10 ongoing commitment rate for any Baptist church to be scandalous, we are talking about adults (or at least teens) making a choice in a setting that involves ongoing support. If what we're doing as a Church, Catholic or Protestant, only 'works out' 1 time in 10, we'd better be taking a hard look at our own actions, for God's grace is certainly not 10% effective.]
I mentioned that Evangelicals don’t want there to be any sniff of salvation by works. However, it would be wrong to suppose that they don’t care about spiritual maturity, keeping the converts committed and living the life of faith. They do, and they work hard to make sure the faith sticks. What Evangelicals need to realize is that Catholics are also “born-again Christians.” We’ve repented and accepted Jesus. It’s just that we’ve done so in a different context and with some different basic assumptions — ones that, if you stopped to understand them, actually complement and complete what you already believe. [There is a growing consensus among Evangelicals, and Protestants in general, that a committed/active Catholic is not a part of the mission field anymore than a committed/active part of a different Protestant denomination. There will always be those on both sides who view anyone who isn't exactly like them in belief/practice as a "heretic" to be condemned, but that attitude is decreasing, as it should. I have to say, it is refreshing to hear a Catholic use the phrase, "born again", even though I had concluded from the Scriptures, and from my own experience with Catholics, that same thing nearly twenty years ago, it is still rare to hear a Catholic use "our" lingo, which of course is the whole point, we misunderstand each other, too often, but hopefully less in the future.]
Thus ends me thoughts on the article, I found it to be refreshing, but still suffering somewhat from the same tendency toward misunderstanding and misconception that Father Longenecker is trying to correct coming from Evangelicals, thus the task remains before us of correcting our own misconceptions of each other as we seek to build the unity of the Church of Christ.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Saved in spite of, not because of, their church
Last night was the first of three classes I'm giving on What Every Christian Should Know About: World Religions (You can watch the video, read materials here: World Religions class ) During that discussion, we talked about two religious groups that are associated with, but not a part of, traditional Christianity: Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons. It was my conclusion, and I believe a fair and accurate one, that the theological differences between these two groups and traditional Christianity (as typified by the Nicene Creed, as both of them are non-trinitarian) prevents them from being considered a part of the Church/Christianity. It should be understood that such statements, whether coming from a simple local pastor like myself or an official body like the Southern Baptist Convention, the UMC General Assembly, or the Vatican (to name a few), are pronouncements directed at the official organization and its stated beliefs. Such assertions ought not, and cannot, in a blanket way apply to individuals belonging to those groups anymore than they could speak on behalf of an American Baptist, Lutheran, or Presbyterian. What applies to the whole does not automatically apply to its parts. The reason why is very simple: Not everyone in any given church believes what that church officially believes. I know, shocking, right? Each church has people who rebel against official teachings, those who mistakenly believe things other than what their church officially believes , and those who are simply ignorant on the issues.
Which brings me to the point that prompted this post: The further that a church is from the heart of the Gospel, the more likely it will be that those who are a part of it who are/will be saved (however many that might be), were/will be saved in spite of not because of that church. This could be true at a local church under the sway of a false teacher or faltering under a culture of apathy or pride, in a denomination which has forsaken its Gospel roots, or with groups that like the Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons who seem Christian to the general public despite their rejection of that which is affirmed by the Church as a whole. God, and God alone, will judge the living and the dead. He alone knows what level of belief and understanding (about who Jesus is, how redemption works, etc.) is necessary for salvation, what level of mistaken ideas can be present and yet the Spirit will still regenerate and indwell that person. It does not seem radical to me to recognize that there are people in even the most theologically correct church/denomination who are unsaved due to an unrepentant heart (they have not heard the Gospel though it was preached to them), and at the same time, that there are people in some of the worst examples of theologically warped churches (even cults) who despite being exposed to false ideas about Jesus or salvation, have been called by the Spirit of God, have repented of their sins, and have been saved by his grace. Far better, of course, for a church to be working with the Gospel than against it, far better to dwell in truth, than to see dimly through falsehood. Far better to be a part of a church where the Biblical Gospel is preached and affirmed, than one where it can barely be glimpsed.
In the end, God will judge hearts and welcome those into his kingdom whom he has called, and he isn't asking us for our opinion on the matter. As a people called to witness to the Gospel, we can only weigh statements and pronouncements whether from individuals or churches, judge them according to the Scriptures, and seek to promote truth and counter falsehood wherever it be found. May the whole Church of Christ be a benefit not a hindrance to the Gospel.
Which brings me to the point that prompted this post: The further that a church is from the heart of the Gospel, the more likely it will be that those who are a part of it who are/will be saved (however many that might be), were/will be saved in spite of not because of that church. This could be true at a local church under the sway of a false teacher or faltering under a culture of apathy or pride, in a denomination which has forsaken its Gospel roots, or with groups that like the Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons who seem Christian to the general public despite their rejection of that which is affirmed by the Church as a whole. God, and God alone, will judge the living and the dead. He alone knows what level of belief and understanding (about who Jesus is, how redemption works, etc.) is necessary for salvation, what level of mistaken ideas can be present and yet the Spirit will still regenerate and indwell that person. It does not seem radical to me to recognize that there are people in even the most theologically correct church/denomination who are unsaved due to an unrepentant heart (they have not heard the Gospel though it was preached to them), and at the same time, that there are people in some of the worst examples of theologically warped churches (even cults) who despite being exposed to false ideas about Jesus or salvation, have been called by the Spirit of God, have repented of their sins, and have been saved by his grace. Far better, of course, for a church to be working with the Gospel than against it, far better to dwell in truth, than to see dimly through falsehood. Far better to be a part of a church where the Biblical Gospel is preached and affirmed, than one where it can barely be glimpsed.
In the end, God will judge hearts and welcome those into his kingdom whom he has called, and he isn't asking us for our opinion on the matter. As a people called to witness to the Gospel, we can only weigh statements and pronouncements whether from individuals or churches, judge them according to the Scriptures, and seek to promote truth and counter falsehood wherever it be found. May the whole Church of Christ be a benefit not a hindrance to the Gospel.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Sermon Video: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace - Isaiah 9:6b
What's in a name? The Messiah promised by the prophet Isaiah is given many names in Scripture: Jesus, Emmanuel, Son of Man, Son of God, Lamb of God, and Man of Sorrows (among others). Here in Isaiah 9:6b, the prophet adds four titles given to the one who will bring God's salvation to earth: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Each of these in turn further explains who the Messiah will be and what he will accomplish.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Mt Everest vs. Space: Why we can never reach God on our own.
When trying to explain why our own righteousness, that is the morally upright things that we do, can never be sufficient to please the holy God who created us, I hit upon an analogy that might help some understand what Jesus is trying to say in Matthew 5:20 "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." Given that those two groups were believed to be the most righteous people in Israel, the words of Jesus seem like an impossibility. Later on Jesus would explain the failures of the religious leaders of his people, focusing on their pride, failure to care about those in need, and the shallowness of their devotion, but the point about righteousness remains. The statement by Jesus is intended to invoke a sense of despair, about our ability to please God on our own, hence setting aside our pride and allowing us to lean upon the grace of God.
So, how high can we climb on our own, and why isn't that good enough for God? Let's suppose that you make it to the pinnacle of human moral achievement, climbing higher than anyone else.
That seems like a tremendous accomplishment, especially with so many other people falling far short of your lofty achievement and others not even trying. But what is the goal, have you reached it, simply because you can't possibly get any higher?
But God is holy, perfect, without flaw; we are not. Our highest possible ascent toward God, on our own, leaves us far, far short. Could Sir Edmund Hillary have climbed from the summit of Everest into space? Of course not, the gap is too wide, and there's nothing left to climb. Our righteousness, whatever it might be, is equally hopelessly insufficient when compared to the holiness of God.
So, what is left for us to do, give up? In a way yes, to come to God, we need to give up trying to fix ourselves and instead trust that the righteousness of Christ, who died and rose again on our behalf, will be applied to our account by God because of our faith in him. So go ahead and climb the Mt. Everest of morality, doing the right thing is always the right thing, but not because it will make God accept you, do it because you wish to honor the sacrifice of Jesus and be as much like him in this life as possible.
So, how high can we climb on our own, and why isn't that good enough for God? Let's suppose that you make it to the pinnacle of human moral achievement, climbing higher than anyone else.
That seems like a tremendous accomplishment, especially with so many other people falling far short of your lofty achievement and others not even trying. But what is the goal, have you reached it, simply because you can't possibly get any higher?
But God is holy, perfect, without flaw; we are not. Our highest possible ascent toward God, on our own, leaves us far, far short. Could Sir Edmund Hillary have climbed from the summit of Everest into space? Of course not, the gap is too wide, and there's nothing left to climb. Our righteousness, whatever it might be, is equally hopelessly insufficient when compared to the holiness of God.
So, what is left for us to do, give up? In a way yes, to come to God, we need to give up trying to fix ourselves and instead trust that the righteousness of Christ, who died and rose again on our behalf, will be applied to our account by God because of our faith in him. So go ahead and climb the Mt. Everest of morality, doing the right thing is always the right thing, but not because it will make God accept you, do it because you wish to honor the sacrifice of Jesus and be as much like him in this life as possible.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Sermon Video: Who will enter the Kingdom of God? - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Writing to a church struggling with maintaining Christian morality, Paul reminds the people of the church at Corinth that, "the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God". Morality, that is obedience to the Law of God, is not optional for the people of God. Morality is also not negotiable, for God has defined it according to his own attributes. To imitate God is righteousness, to rebel against God is wickedness. To illustrate this, Paul lists 10 examples of immorality that are not acceptable among the people of God. As with any of Paul's lists of virtues or vices, the list is not exhaustive, but all those things listed do indeed belong on the list.
Paul begins the list of vices by saying, "Do not be deceived", which indeed seems a fitting warning as several of the things on the list are no longer considered to be immoral by segments of the Christian community in America. How is it that we think we can overrule the Word of God? All ten things listed by Paul are immoral, whether we like it or not, for God has declared them to be so through his inspired Word, and we have no right to challenge it.
Humanity is indeed wicked, fallen and lost, thankfully God has provided the solution, by washing, sanctifying, and justifying those who have faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The wicked will not inherit the kingdom, thanks be to the grace of God, which by faith has declared his people to be no longer wicked, but instead righteous, in the name of Jesus.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Paul begins the list of vices by saying, "Do not be deceived", which indeed seems a fitting warning as several of the things on the list are no longer considered to be immoral by segments of the Christian community in America. How is it that we think we can overrule the Word of God? All ten things listed by Paul are immoral, whether we like it or not, for God has declared them to be so through his inspired Word, and we have no right to challenge it.
Humanity is indeed wicked, fallen and lost, thankfully God has provided the solution, by washing, sanctifying, and justifying those who have faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The wicked will not inherit the kingdom, thanks be to the grace of God, which by faith has declared his people to be no longer wicked, but instead righteous, in the name of Jesus.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Becoming a Christian vs. Being a Christian
Ignorance and confusion are not helpful ingredients when talking about religion. With that in mind, there seems to be a significant amount of both regarding the differences between what it takes to become a Christian, and what it subsequently takes to be a Christian. Hopefully, this comparison will help.
Anyone, anytime, anywhere can become a Christian if he/she takes one fateful step: "if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Romans 10:9-10) Race, nationality, age, gender, none of them make any difference. What a person has done in the past, doesn't make him/her more or less capable of being saved if that person comes to God in faith. The most innocent child among us (though still a sinner as are we all) can be saved, as can the most hardened and vile criminal, for all alike need to be forgiven, and the blood of Jesus Christ is capable of cleansing anyone.
Work is not necessary to become a Christian, in fact, trying to work to earn salvation is a sure-fire way to fail to find it. Salvation is an act of God's grace, given to mankind through faith in Jesus. No specific words must be spoken, no setting or place is necessary, genuine faith will be sufficient. When one of the thieves being crucified alongside Jesus showed that he believed in him by saying, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus responded to this man, a criminal hours away from death, by saying, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." The thief had no chance to earn God's favor, he had no chance to make up for his past, he simply called out to God for mercy, through Jesus, and he found it.
To be a Christian requires several things, again, these things do not help anyone become a Christian, they merely confirm what God has already done for that person through grace. If a person lacks these character traits/qualities, the Scriptures tell us that such a person may not have yet become a Christian, which would take us back to square one, the need for an act of faith. There are people who believe themselves to be Christians erroneously (and thus extremely dangerously) but who are in actuality not Christians at all, having evidently never believed in Jesus Christ.
The Bible calls the character traits/qualities of a Christian his/her "fruit". Jesus was quite clear in the Gospels that someone claiming to be a Christian without any evidence of "fruit" cannot be one. "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." (John 15:1-2). Jesus' brother James reiterated this point when he wrote, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such a faith save him?...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2:14,17)
The "fruit" required of each and ever person who would be a Christian is explained in a variety of ways. Paul utilized a list, calling it the "fruit of the Spirit": "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5:22) Not that any Christian has each and every one of these perfectly, but this is the character that demonstrates the fruit that Jesus warned us we must have once we have become Christians. We haven't mastered this list, but we sure better be working on it.
The Apostle John answered the question, "Who is a Christian?" in his first epistle by emphasizing three primary qualities and repeating them each over and over. John explained that all Christians must: (1) believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, (2) obey the commandments of God found in Scripture, and (3) show love for fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. John explained that anyone who could demonstrate these three should have no fear concerning their relationship with God for they are impossible to achieve for anyone who is not empowered by the Holy Spirit as someone who has already become a Christian. {This should be obvious, nobody can be a Christian who did not previously become a Christian. Faith must come first} The converse is also true: anyone who lacks one of these three should be rightly concerned that he/she must be truly be a Christian.
If you're interested in learning much more about what John has to say about the question, "Who is a Christian?" I wrote a 155 page book on the subject which you are more than welcome to read, it is entitled Christianity's Big Tent: The Ecumenism of I John and can be found via the link.
Let me summarize the distinction between becoming and being a Christian:
Become: anyone, by grace, through faith, in Jesus.
Be: Obey the Scriptures, believe in Jesus, love fellow Christians (i.e. "bear fruit")
To be a Christian is no easy task, Jesus likened it to each of us taking up a cross of our own and following him. In light of the difficulty of the road ahead, anyone who desires to be a Christian ought to be doing so as part of the fellowship of a local church where the Word of God is respected and followed and people build each other up through service and prayer. It is beyond the ability of virtually all of us to be a Christian who bears much fruit on our own. We need to be a part of a church. We need to be corrected when we err, we need to be supported when we stumble, we need the opportunity to grow by serving others, and lastly, but very importantly, we need to worship God with the people of God.
You don't need to be perfect to become a Christian, which is a relief since nobody is anything close to perfect. You don't need to be perfect to be a Christian either, which is a relief since none of us are perfect either, but you do need to be making progress. A "Christian" who bears no fruit, is no Christian at all, that's not my idea, but a very serious warning from Jesus himself.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Sermon Video: Spiritual Discernment - 1 Corinthians 2:10b-16
Why is it that two people can look at the same evidence and arrive at contradictory conclusions? In the case of the spiritual things of faith, it should come as no surprise when an unbelievers and a believers do not see things the same way. That which we know about God has been self-revealed by God, but it also requires a further act of grace on God's part to enable us to comprehend spiritual truths because it is not only sin that separates humanity from God, but a rebellious heart and darkened mind as well. Those who have been reborn in the spirit have also been given the Holy Spirit to indwell them as a counselor and guide, thus enabling them to bridge that gap and begin to understand the mind of God.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
True Repentance comes at a cost - Psalm 6
There has been much discussion of late about the "apology" of various politicians for the immoral things which they had done which have become public. Whether or not the voters "forgive" a politician or not has absolutely nothing to do with the forgiveness that is needed from God, for this form of political "repentance" has little or nothing to do with the real thing.
To actually repent of one's sins requires a broken and contrite heart. If one brags of sin in private, treating it as a laughing matter, and makes excuses for that same sin in public, blaming it on someone else or trying to minimize it, how can this possibly reflect a heart that is broken before a holy God?
David, as a man of God, was also a man who committed heinous sins. In his most egregious sin, David was brought to repentance through God's grace in the sending of the prophet Nathan to warn David that his sin could not be ignored.
In Psalm 6, David writes about the foes that oppress him which he realizes are a sign of the judgment of God against his sin. In response he writes of the anguish caused by his guilt, "I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grown weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes." (Psalm 6:6-7) It is the attitude of genuine horror and revulsion at our offenses, committed against God, that is the hallmark of true repentance. Do not be deceived, those who "repent" for public consumption will in no way fool Almighty God. It is only by throwing ourselves upon the mercy of God and trusting in the cleansing power of the Blood of the Lamb that we can find forgiveness, cleansing, healing, and finally salvation.
To actually repent of one's sins requires a broken and contrite heart. If one brags of sin in private, treating it as a laughing matter, and makes excuses for that same sin in public, blaming it on someone else or trying to minimize it, how can this possibly reflect a heart that is broken before a holy God?
David, as a man of God, was also a man who committed heinous sins. In his most egregious sin, David was brought to repentance through God's grace in the sending of the prophet Nathan to warn David that his sin could not be ignored.
In Psalm 6, David writes about the foes that oppress him which he realizes are a sign of the judgment of God against his sin. In response he writes of the anguish caused by his guilt, "I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grown weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes." (Psalm 6:6-7) It is the attitude of genuine horror and revulsion at our offenses, committed against God, that is the hallmark of true repentance. Do not be deceived, those who "repent" for public consumption will in no way fool Almighty God. It is only by throwing ourselves upon the mercy of God and trusting in the cleansing power of the Blood of the Lamb that we can find forgiveness, cleansing, healing, and finally salvation.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Is he a Christian? Are you?
Much has been made of late about whether or not someone who claims to be a Christian can be taken at his/her word as such. Pope Francis even weighed in on this important issue, declaring that an attitude of wall building instead of the extending of love cannot reside in the mind of a Christian. The Bible says much on this topic, from Jesus declaring that "all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35) and also, "If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit." (John 15:5) The question of who really belongs to the Church became important even in that first generation of believers, as evidenced by the primary focus on that question of the apostle John's first letter. I John contains a threefold test of true Christian faith: (1) Belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, (2) obedience to the commands of God, (3) and lastly, display of Christian brotherly love. In essence, John is simply repeating the instructions of Jesus himself and adding to it the need to believe in Jesus (which Jesus was assuming by addressing his comments to his disciples, men who had already chosen to follow him).
Where does this leave us, then, when faced with someone who claims to be a Christian yet shows little or no evidence of spiritual growth in terms of obeying the commands of God by avoiding sin and seeking righteousness, nor much evidence of love, first for fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and then for the Lost whom the Gospel obligates us to pursue with God's love? If the evidence is lacking, and it ought to be clear enough to leave no doubt because we're talking about the overall direction of a life, not simply one or two moments, then the evidence is indeed lacking. Without evidence of Christian faith, without fruit of the Spirit, we dare not assume that anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ is actually a Christian.
Let me put this another way: If there is not clear evidence that the old self, the sin nature, has been crucified with Christ, that the Holy Spirit has brought about a baptism of new birth, and that the person in question is now living as a new creation, then it is foolish to believe that Christ dwells within that individual. This is not an invitation to be judgmental, nor is it any sort of works-salvation; we are absolutely and without any hesitation saved by grace alone through faith alone, but it is a reminder that we're trying to determine if someone has been transformed by the Spirit of God. This is not something that can happen without making a difference in your life or mine, it will cause change, for the better, from the old focus on self to the new focus on selflessness.
If there is no evidence Christ-like attitudes and behaviors, then there is no Christian, its as simple as that. Is he a Christian? Don't tell me what he says, what does he do? Are you a Christian, don't tell me what you think you are, how are you living your life? For those who have been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb, there is never really any doubt, they belong to him, they've taken up their own cross and chosen to follow their savior.
If you want to delve deeper into this topic, I wrote a book about I John's perspective on the question of who is, and who is not, a Christian; it's called Christianity's Big Tent and can be accessed via that link or by going to the page at the top of this website where all of my written materials are located.
Where does this leave us, then, when faced with someone who claims to be a Christian yet shows little or no evidence of spiritual growth in terms of obeying the commands of God by avoiding sin and seeking righteousness, nor much evidence of love, first for fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and then for the Lost whom the Gospel obligates us to pursue with God's love? If the evidence is lacking, and it ought to be clear enough to leave no doubt because we're talking about the overall direction of a life, not simply one or two moments, then the evidence is indeed lacking. Without evidence of Christian faith, without fruit of the Spirit, we dare not assume that anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ is actually a Christian.
Let me put this another way: If there is not clear evidence that the old self, the sin nature, has been crucified with Christ, that the Holy Spirit has brought about a baptism of new birth, and that the person in question is now living as a new creation, then it is foolish to believe that Christ dwells within that individual. This is not an invitation to be judgmental, nor is it any sort of works-salvation; we are absolutely and without any hesitation saved by grace alone through faith alone, but it is a reminder that we're trying to determine if someone has been transformed by the Spirit of God. This is not something that can happen without making a difference in your life or mine, it will cause change, for the better, from the old focus on self to the new focus on selflessness.
If there is no evidence Christ-like attitudes and behaviors, then there is no Christian, its as simple as that. Is he a Christian? Don't tell me what he says, what does he do? Are you a Christian, don't tell me what you think you are, how are you living your life? For those who have been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb, there is never really any doubt, they belong to him, they've taken up their own cross and chosen to follow their savior.
If you want to delve deeper into this topic, I wrote a book about I John's perspective on the question of who is, and who is not, a Christian; it's called Christianity's Big Tent and can be accessed via that link or by going to the page at the top of this website where all of my written materials are located.
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