Any thinking person should ask and answer this question: why do atheistic agnostic apostates maintain that their former faith was genuine? If their new-found truth is real, that there is no God, why should it matter what one believes? Why doesn’t the atheistic agnostic apostate just say, “My former faith wasn’t of the biblical saving type?”
There is one primary reason that this type of apostate will never concede the truth that he never had the belief that saves – he would knowingly establish the veracity of the Bible and its Author. This he could never do because it would prove his present worldview false and the Bible and its Author true.
Therefore, the apostate MUST maintain that his former faith was genuine or else the Bible is true. Specifically the Bible says concerning this type of apostate, “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19). If he admits that his former faith wasn’t genuine he would now knowingly establish the truthfulness of the Bible.
So the apostate attempts to make people believe that there is nothing different from what he believed and what those who are genuinely saved believe. The reason is too obvious – if he admitted to not having believed then what reason would you trust his current belief? Therefore the apostate plays the “sincerity” card. He was sincere in believing and as such should have been just as much saved as anyone else. This means that his basis for salvation was his sincerity and not that God had actually shown him that these things are really true.
Now the apostate has double trouble. He wants you to believe that he was sincere when he claimed faith and love for Christ, faith and love for God’s Word, and faith and love for God. But now he admits that he was sincerely wrong then. How does he know that he isn’t sincerely wrong now? He doesn’t!
Be sure to get this – the apostate admits to being sincerely wrong about his former beliefs and wants you to believe him on his current beliefs because of his sincerity.
The apostate cannot and will not admit that his former faith was not of the biblical saving type because he would then establish the veracity of the Bible and its Author. The apostate can only claim that he was formerly sincerely wrong which means you have absolutely no basis for believing him now.
The apostate is unbelievable!
Showing posts with label True Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label True Christianity. Show all posts
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Unwittingly Establishing the Veracity of the Bible and its Author
This is a response to Ken Pulliam, Ph.D. over at Why I De-Converted from Evangelical Christianity about his unwittingly establishing the veracity of the Bible and its Author in his post about Ken Daniels, A Former Missionary with Wycliffe Translators is now an Agnostic Atheist.
There are several problems in this post that are working against Ken Pulliam's truth claim rather than for it. Unwittingly he is establishing the veracity of the Bible and its Author instead of nullifying it. Both his testimony and Ken Daniels’ testimony are perfectly and accurately described in the Bible.
Ken Daniels said, “If I could patch things up by forcing myself to believe again, I would do so in a heartbeat. Unfortunately I have tried that several times, only to be besieged again by doubt, and have come to the conclusion that attempting to will myself to believe that which in my heart I do not believe is futile.”
The Bible declares that no man can will himself to believe – “Who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13 NASB). This verse not only does away with Daniels’ false notion that a man can believe of his own accord but also does away with his false credentials that you have put forward as evidence that Daniels was once a true Christian.
Daniels is right in this conclusion – “attempting to will myself to believe that which in my heart I do not believe is futile.” And what is necessary to be a genuine Christian? The Bible says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 NASB). The word confess, means to speak the same and be of one mind (same logic), which means that confession of Jesus as Lord is to say the same thing about Him that God says about Him because of illumination and not imitation. It’s the difference between a parrot saying that Jesus is Lord without understanding what it is saying and a person saying that Jesus is Lord with full understanding and logic so that the truth he is declaring is inline with what he believes in his heart.
The part of Romans 10:9 that says, “And believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead”, is the part that gives rise to the confession of Jesus as Lord. There is no confession of Jesus as Lord without the accompanying belief in the heart that God raised Him from the dead. The only alternatives are for one to say, “If God raised Jesus from the dead then Jesus is Lord”, or, “I sincerely know that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is false.”
For the person that says, “If God raised Jesus from the dead then Jesus is Lord”, there is no belief in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and therefore there is no confession (speaking the same thing and being of the same mind) of Jesus as Lord but only parroting Jesus as Lord. The person that does not confess Jesus as Lord and believe in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead is not a genuine Christian. He or she may profess saving faith but does not possess saving faith.
One who professes faith but does not possess faith may be sincere in his belief that he is a true Christian and as such would classify himself a “sincere Christian” but would nonetheless not be a true Christian irregardless of his sincerity.
So the combined testimonies of Ken Daniels and Ken Pulliam are this: Ken Daniels, “Attempting to will myself to believe that which in my heart I do not believe is futile”, and, Ken Pulliam, “You cannot force yourself to believe something that you sincerely know is false.”
Now if either one of you claims that your confession of Jesus as Lord was a result of believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, how did that belief in your heart come about? Did you will yourself to believe for a while against all sound reasoning? On what did you base your belief in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead?
There are several problems in this post that are working against Ken Pulliam's truth claim rather than for it. Unwittingly he is establishing the veracity of the Bible and its Author instead of nullifying it. Both his testimony and Ken Daniels’ testimony are perfectly and accurately described in the Bible.
Ken Daniels said, “If I could patch things up by forcing myself to believe again, I would do so in a heartbeat. Unfortunately I have tried that several times, only to be besieged again by doubt, and have come to the conclusion that attempting to will myself to believe that which in my heart I do not believe is futile.”
The Bible declares that no man can will himself to believe – “Who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13 NASB). This verse not only does away with Daniels’ false notion that a man can believe of his own accord but also does away with his false credentials that you have put forward as evidence that Daniels was once a true Christian.
Daniels is right in this conclusion – “attempting to will myself to believe that which in my heart I do not believe is futile.” And what is necessary to be a genuine Christian? The Bible says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 NASB). The word confess, means to speak the same and be of one mind (same logic), which means that confession of Jesus as Lord is to say the same thing about Him that God says about Him because of illumination and not imitation. It’s the difference between a parrot saying that Jesus is Lord without understanding what it is saying and a person saying that Jesus is Lord with full understanding and logic so that the truth he is declaring is inline with what he believes in his heart.
The part of Romans 10:9 that says, “And believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead”, is the part that gives rise to the confession of Jesus as Lord. There is no confession of Jesus as Lord without the accompanying belief in the heart that God raised Him from the dead. The only alternatives are for one to say, “If God raised Jesus from the dead then Jesus is Lord”, or, “I sincerely know that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is false.”
For the person that says, “If God raised Jesus from the dead then Jesus is Lord”, there is no belief in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and therefore there is no confession (speaking the same thing and being of the same mind) of Jesus as Lord but only parroting Jesus as Lord. The person that does not confess Jesus as Lord and believe in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead is not a genuine Christian. He or she may profess saving faith but does not possess saving faith.
One who professes faith but does not possess faith may be sincere in his belief that he is a true Christian and as such would classify himself a “sincere Christian” but would nonetheless not be a true Christian irregardless of his sincerity.
So the combined testimonies of Ken Daniels and Ken Pulliam are this: Ken Daniels, “Attempting to will myself to believe that which in my heart I do not believe is futile”, and, Ken Pulliam, “You cannot force yourself to believe something that you sincerely know is false.”
Now if either one of you claims that your confession of Jesus as Lord was a result of believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, how did that belief in your heart come about? Did you will yourself to believe for a while against all sound reasoning? On what did you base your belief in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead?
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Children of God (Romans 8:12-17) - Five Evidences
The apostle Paul has been laboring to show and explain how the Gospel of justification by grace through faith establishes the Law of God rather than nullifying it (Romans 3:31) and how justification by faith NEVER gives a license to sin (Romans 6:1-11) but justification by faith ALWAYS results in sanctification (Romans 6:12-23).
All of Romans 6, Romans 7, and Romans 8 is an explanation for why people who are justified by faith alone will not continue in sin and how justification by faith establishes the Law rather than nullifies it.
So, in Romans 7, Paul had to deal with both the intent of the Law (Romans 7:1-13) and the inability of the Law (Romans 7:14-25) to show that he was not preaching against the Law and that the Law was indeed that which is good (Romans 7:16). The intent of the Law is to show us God’s righteous character and our unrighteousness. The Law shows us how bad we are; it actually stirs up our badness. However, the Law also has an inability – it cannot justify a single sinner! So not only can the Law not justify – neither can it sanctify.
Then in Romans 8, the apostle Paul got to the heart of the matter as to why justification by faith NEVER gives a license to sin and ALWAYS issues in sanctification – the person who is justified by faith is given the Holy Spirit of God who is the power of godliness.
Paul has been making two comparisons and contrasts in Romans 8:1-17. He has been comparing and contrasting the lost man to the saved man; the man of the flesh to the man of faith; the self-led man to the Spirit-led man. One of the primary dangers that Paul is warning about in this section is that of having a form of godliness but denying its power. In other words Paul is warning about being controlled by the flesh and claiming to be saved when in reality that is impossible. No one is saved who does not have the Spirit of God and who is not controlled by the Spirit of God no matter how religious he appears.
Romans 8:1-4 teaches us of exempted living for the believer. The believer is exempted from the Law and its penalty because his penalty has been paid for by Christ. And now the believer can live for Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit rather than attempting to please God by the Law in his own power.
Romans 8:5-8 teaches us of the excluded life for the unbeliever – even if he claims to be a believer. The unbeliever has no power or ability to obey and please God because he does not have the indwelling Holy Spirit. The unbeliever can only live by the flesh and not by faith and therefore can never please God.
Romans 8:9-17 teaches us of the exalted life for the believer. The believer lives the exalted life; he lives on a higher plane because he has the Spirit (Romans 8:9-11) and the Spirit has him (Romans 8:12-17).
In Romans 8:12-17 Paul gave five evidences of the Spirit having the believer:
The first evidence that the Spirit has you is that by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:12-13). This means that you are committed to the Lordship of Christ in your life; that you are not leaning on your own understanding; and you are not being self-led. You are growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and are learning to obey all that He has commanded. You are not your own – you have been bought with a price – so you are learning to glorify God in your body and surrender it to Him. You have a new relationship to self and sin – you are fighting against it.
The second evidence that the Spirit has you is that you are being led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). This means that the government of your life rests on His shoulders and that He is in control and not you. This also means that you are being led by the Word of God because this is what the Spirit uses to guide God’s children. You will be growing in both hearing and obeying the Word of God. The Spirit will lead you into all truth and will give you the power to obey that truth by adjusting your life to that truth. You will begin to have discernment and will know the difference between true and false teachers because you are being guided by God’s Word which is evidence that you are being guided by God’s Spirit. All of this added together will mean that your walk is characterized by living by faith and not by the flesh.
A third evidence that the Spirit has you is that you have a new relationship to God with Him as your Father (Romans 8:15). This means that you are not a slave but a son. You obey God because you love Him and want to please Him, not because you are afraid of the consequences. Christians are not slaves afraid of a mean master but are children in awe of a loving Father. We see how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God; and such we are (1 John 3:1). This is our motivation for putting to death the deeds of the body. The Spirit does not lead us into obedience by stirring up slavish fear. He leads us into obedience by stirring up family affection – love for God as our Father. The Spirit does not make us slaves who act out of fear but sons who act out of faith. Faith is trust and trust is based on love, not fear! So not only do we have a new relationship to sin and self (putting to death the deads of the body), we also have a new relationship to God (with Him as our Father).
A fourth evidence that the Spirit has you is that He witnesses that you are a child of God to your spirit (Romans 8:16). The Spirit of God makes God’s love for us real by pouring out God’s love for us in us (Romans 5:5; 1 John 4:16). And then we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). So you see, our service to God is out of love for God and not out of fear. And since we serve God out of love we serve Him the way that pleases Him and not our own way. We do the will of God the way of God from the Word of God because we love Him – and this is how the Spirit of God witnesses to us that we are the children of God (see 1 John 2:3).
A fifth evidence that the Spirit has you is that you suffer because of your love for God and your relationship to Him (Romans 8:17). We suffer for the sake of righteousness and for the sake of Christ. The reason is because we live by faith and not by flesh and the world hates us for it. They do not know God and therefore they do not know us (1 John 3:1). This is why they hate us and why we suffer with Him (John 15:18-21).
All of Romans 6, Romans 7, and Romans 8 is an explanation for why people who are justified by faith alone will not continue in sin and how justification by faith establishes the Law rather than nullifies it.
So, in Romans 7, Paul had to deal with both the intent of the Law (Romans 7:1-13) and the inability of the Law (Romans 7:14-25) to show that he was not preaching against the Law and that the Law was indeed that which is good (Romans 7:16). The intent of the Law is to show us God’s righteous character and our unrighteousness. The Law shows us how bad we are; it actually stirs up our badness. However, the Law also has an inability – it cannot justify a single sinner! So not only can the Law not justify – neither can it sanctify.
Then in Romans 8, the apostle Paul got to the heart of the matter as to why justification by faith NEVER gives a license to sin and ALWAYS issues in sanctification – the person who is justified by faith is given the Holy Spirit of God who is the power of godliness.
Paul has been making two comparisons and contrasts in Romans 8:1-17. He has been comparing and contrasting the lost man to the saved man; the man of the flesh to the man of faith; the self-led man to the Spirit-led man. One of the primary dangers that Paul is warning about in this section is that of having a form of godliness but denying its power. In other words Paul is warning about being controlled by the flesh and claiming to be saved when in reality that is impossible. No one is saved who does not have the Spirit of God and who is not controlled by the Spirit of God no matter how religious he appears.
Romans 8:1-4 teaches us of exempted living for the believer. The believer is exempted from the Law and its penalty because his penalty has been paid for by Christ. And now the believer can live for Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit rather than attempting to please God by the Law in his own power.
Romans 8:5-8 teaches us of the excluded life for the unbeliever – even if he claims to be a believer. The unbeliever has no power or ability to obey and please God because he does not have the indwelling Holy Spirit. The unbeliever can only live by the flesh and not by faith and therefore can never please God.
Romans 8:9-17 teaches us of the exalted life for the believer. The believer lives the exalted life; he lives on a higher plane because he has the Spirit (Romans 8:9-11) and the Spirit has him (Romans 8:12-17).
In Romans 8:12-17 Paul gave five evidences of the Spirit having the believer:
The first evidence that the Spirit has you is that by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:12-13). This means that you are committed to the Lordship of Christ in your life; that you are not leaning on your own understanding; and you are not being self-led. You are growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and are learning to obey all that He has commanded. You are not your own – you have been bought with a price – so you are learning to glorify God in your body and surrender it to Him. You have a new relationship to self and sin – you are fighting against it.
The second evidence that the Spirit has you is that you are being led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). This means that the government of your life rests on His shoulders and that He is in control and not you. This also means that you are being led by the Word of God because this is what the Spirit uses to guide God’s children. You will be growing in both hearing and obeying the Word of God. The Spirit will lead you into all truth and will give you the power to obey that truth by adjusting your life to that truth. You will begin to have discernment and will know the difference between true and false teachers because you are being guided by God’s Word which is evidence that you are being guided by God’s Spirit. All of this added together will mean that your walk is characterized by living by faith and not by the flesh.
A third evidence that the Spirit has you is that you have a new relationship to God with Him as your Father (Romans 8:15). This means that you are not a slave but a son. You obey God because you love Him and want to please Him, not because you are afraid of the consequences. Christians are not slaves afraid of a mean master but are children in awe of a loving Father. We see how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God; and such we are (1 John 3:1). This is our motivation for putting to death the deeds of the body. The Spirit does not lead us into obedience by stirring up slavish fear. He leads us into obedience by stirring up family affection – love for God as our Father. The Spirit does not make us slaves who act out of fear but sons who act out of faith. Faith is trust and trust is based on love, not fear! So not only do we have a new relationship to sin and self (putting to death the deads of the body), we also have a new relationship to God (with Him as our Father).
A fourth evidence that the Spirit has you is that He witnesses that you are a child of God to your spirit (Romans 8:16). The Spirit of God makes God’s love for us real by pouring out God’s love for us in us (Romans 5:5; 1 John 4:16). And then we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). So you see, our service to God is out of love for God and not out of fear. And since we serve God out of love we serve Him the way that pleases Him and not our own way. We do the will of God the way of God from the Word of God because we love Him – and this is how the Spirit of God witnesses to us that we are the children of God (see 1 John 2:3).
A fifth evidence that the Spirit has you is that you suffer because of your love for God and your relationship to Him (Romans 8:17). We suffer for the sake of righteousness and for the sake of Christ. The reason is because we live by faith and not by flesh and the world hates us for it. They do not know God and therefore they do not know us (1 John 3:1). This is why they hate us and why we suffer with Him (John 15:18-21).
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The Blessings of Justification
When I attended Bible College I had an Old Testament professor who when he preached began by saying, “It’s a glorious experience to be a Christian!” It was Dr. J. W. Lee’s desire to express to his fellow Christians the blessings of justification. This is what the apostle Paul was doing in Romans 5:1-11. After having established the truth of justification by faith apart from works of the Law from Romans 1:1 – 4:25, Paul went on to declare six implications or blessings of justification.
Since we are justified by faith we have peace with God (Romans 5:1). This peace that we have with God which is based totally on having been justified by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ is both objective and subjective – our peace with God is based on fact first and foremost which when properly understood and applied will issue in its being felt in the heart.
Our peace with God is objective – it is based on fact (Isaiah 32:17) – “And the work of righteousness will be peace….” Our peace with God is based solely on absolute truth. Justification means that God declares us righteous, which is a declaration of peace, made possible only by Christ’s sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection. It is only through Christ that God can give a legal pardon where His justice and mercy can meet together without one violating the other – “Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Psalm 85:10).
Our peace with God is subjective – the fact produces feeling (Isaiah 32:17) – “And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” As long as our feelings of peace are flowing from the facts of our peace then all is well. However, it is possible to feel at peace but to actually be at war with God – “There is no peace for the wicked, says the Lord" (Isaiah 48:22). The false prophets declare peace to people who have no peace – “They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, “You will have peace’”; and as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, they say, ‘Calamity will not come upon you’” (Jeremiah 23:17). False peace is based on lies (false facts), which leads us to the truth that feelings are not to be our source of assurance but the facts as revealed in God’s Word are to be.
Since we are justified by faith we have access to God (Romans 5:2). In our sin we are locked out of God’s presence and do not have access or entrance into His presence. Through Jesus Christ we have access to God where God, so to speak, stretches out His golden scepter to allow us into His presence without us forfeiting our lives. Our justification through Christ’s blood gives us peace with God and access into His presence so that we can come to Him through worship and prayer and even approach His throne of grace in our time of need. The privileges of prayer and worship are based on justification. One doesn’t just go waltzing in into the presence of royalty without someone taking him by the hand and giving him an introduction into royalty’s presence. This is what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in obtaining our justification.
Since we are justified by faith we have joy in God (Romans 5:2-4). This joy in God is both future and present.
We have joy in the future sharing of the glory of God (Romans 5:2) – “And we exult in hope of the glory of God.” We all fell short of the glory of God and we all despised God’s glory and exchanged it for that which is a lie (Romans 1:23) but those who have been justified will share in the glory of God. The truth of our future glorification gives us joy in God who is able to complete what he has begun.
We have joy in the present suffering for the glory of God (Romans 5:3-4). Our suffering for the sake of righteousness proves our justification to be real (Matthew 5:10-12) and is used by God to transform our character. Also we are promised that our present suffering is producing in us an eternal weight of glory that our suffering cannot compare to (2 Corinthians 4:16-17). He who is justified by faith has peace with God, but tribulation in the world. The unrighteous have peace with the world, but distress and tribulation with God (Romans 2:8-9). The peace of the justified is eternal and his tribulation and distress temporal. The peace of the unrighteous is temporal and his tribulation and distress eternal.
Since we are justified by faith we have assurance of God’s love (Romans 5:5-8). We have the inner experience of God’s love for us (Romans 5:5). God’s love for us is poured out within our hearts through His Holy Spirit who was given to us. God’s Holy Spirit causes us to stand amazed that He could love us – sinners condemned and unclean – and yet He does. This is the basis of our loving God – “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:16, 19).
We also have the outer proof of God’s love for us (Romans 5:6-8). There is never any reason for the believer to doubt God’s love for him or her. Just one look at the sacrificial death of Christ on our behalf should dispel any doubt about God’s love for us.
Since we are justified by faith we have assurance of final salvation (Romans 5:9-10). There is no way under God’s heaven that those who have been justified by the blood of Christ will fail to be saved from the wrath of God. That in and of itself would be an insult to the Lord Jesus Christ who died on our behalf and would also nullify the purpose of His death.
Since we are justified by faith we exult God Himself (Romans 5:11). The whole purpose of God sending His Son and reconciling us to Himself through Him was so that not only would we exult in our Lord Jesus Christ but so that we would also exult in God Himself. Our love for the Father is because of His love for us by sending His Son to rescue us just as our love for the Lord Jesus Christ is because of His love for us by coming and giving Himself up for us.
“It’s a glorious experience to be a Christian.”
Since we are justified by faith we have peace with God (Romans 5:1). This peace that we have with God which is based totally on having been justified by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ is both objective and subjective – our peace with God is based on fact first and foremost which when properly understood and applied will issue in its being felt in the heart.
Our peace with God is objective – it is based on fact (Isaiah 32:17) – “And the work of righteousness will be peace….” Our peace with God is based solely on absolute truth. Justification means that God declares us righteous, which is a declaration of peace, made possible only by Christ’s sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection. It is only through Christ that God can give a legal pardon where His justice and mercy can meet together without one violating the other – “Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other” (Psalm 85:10).
Our peace with God is subjective – the fact produces feeling (Isaiah 32:17) – “And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” As long as our feelings of peace are flowing from the facts of our peace then all is well. However, it is possible to feel at peace but to actually be at war with God – “There is no peace for the wicked, says the Lord" (Isaiah 48:22). The false prophets declare peace to people who have no peace – “They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, “You will have peace’”; and as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, they say, ‘Calamity will not come upon you’” (Jeremiah 23:17). False peace is based on lies (false facts), which leads us to the truth that feelings are not to be our source of assurance but the facts as revealed in God’s Word are to be.
Since we are justified by faith we have access to God (Romans 5:2). In our sin we are locked out of God’s presence and do not have access or entrance into His presence. Through Jesus Christ we have access to God where God, so to speak, stretches out His golden scepter to allow us into His presence without us forfeiting our lives. Our justification through Christ’s blood gives us peace with God and access into His presence so that we can come to Him through worship and prayer and even approach His throne of grace in our time of need. The privileges of prayer and worship are based on justification. One doesn’t just go waltzing in into the presence of royalty without someone taking him by the hand and giving him an introduction into royalty’s presence. This is what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in obtaining our justification.
Since we are justified by faith we have joy in God (Romans 5:2-4). This joy in God is both future and present.
We have joy in the future sharing of the glory of God (Romans 5:2) – “And we exult in hope of the glory of God.” We all fell short of the glory of God and we all despised God’s glory and exchanged it for that which is a lie (Romans 1:23) but those who have been justified will share in the glory of God. The truth of our future glorification gives us joy in God who is able to complete what he has begun.
We have joy in the present suffering for the glory of God (Romans 5:3-4). Our suffering for the sake of righteousness proves our justification to be real (Matthew 5:10-12) and is used by God to transform our character. Also we are promised that our present suffering is producing in us an eternal weight of glory that our suffering cannot compare to (2 Corinthians 4:16-17). He who is justified by faith has peace with God, but tribulation in the world. The unrighteous have peace with the world, but distress and tribulation with God (Romans 2:8-9). The peace of the justified is eternal and his tribulation and distress temporal. The peace of the unrighteous is temporal and his tribulation and distress eternal.
Since we are justified by faith we have assurance of God’s love (Romans 5:5-8). We have the inner experience of God’s love for us (Romans 5:5). God’s love for us is poured out within our hearts through His Holy Spirit who was given to us. God’s Holy Spirit causes us to stand amazed that He could love us – sinners condemned and unclean – and yet He does. This is the basis of our loving God – “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:16, 19).
We also have the outer proof of God’s love for us (Romans 5:6-8). There is never any reason for the believer to doubt God’s love for him or her. Just one look at the sacrificial death of Christ on our behalf should dispel any doubt about God’s love for us.
Since we are justified by faith we have assurance of final salvation (Romans 5:9-10). There is no way under God’s heaven that those who have been justified by the blood of Christ will fail to be saved from the wrath of God. That in and of itself would be an insult to the Lord Jesus Christ who died on our behalf and would also nullify the purpose of His death.
Since we are justified by faith we exult God Himself (Romans 5:11). The whole purpose of God sending His Son and reconciling us to Himself through Him was so that not only would we exult in our Lord Jesus Christ but so that we would also exult in God Himself. Our love for the Father is because of His love for us by sending His Son to rescue us just as our love for the Lord Jesus Christ is because of His love for us by coming and giving Himself up for us.
“It’s a glorious experience to be a Christian.”
Monday, October 20, 2008
The Unique Position of Believers...Jude: About the Audience
We have already learned about the author – that Jude was saved, a servant, and he was serious. Salvation results in being persuaded about the kingdom of God and His appointed King Jesus Christ – in other words salvation always results in being persuaded about the rule of God through His Christ. So salvation always results in our humble submission to and desire to be ruled by Jesus Christ the King who died for our crimes and rose from the dead in order to transform us and guide us. Salvation through the gospel makes us into willing servants of the King. And as servants of the King we are serious because service to His Majesty matters!
Today we learn about the audience – those to whom and for whom Jude wrote his letter. Here we clearly see the biblically defined characteristics of those saved by the power of the gospel and the unique position of believers.
“To those who are the called….” The first characteristic of the saved is they are the called. In order to understand this characteristic we are going to have to distinguish between the general call of God and the effectual call of God.
The general call of God goes out to many but doesn’t necessitate, constitute, or guarantee the salvation of all who hear it. The general call of God is His invitation to salvation that He sends out to many through His servants who proclaim the gospel. However, the general call of God can be ignored, shunned, rejected, and even improperly received by those who are invited (Matthew 22:1-14). So we see in the Scriptures that many are called but few are chosen – indicating that the general call of God is not effectual for all who hear it.
The effectual call of God however results in the gospel being the power of God unto salvation for those who believe because they have been chosen by God for salvation. The apostle Paul put it this way after speaking to the Thessalonians about the apostasy and the coming of the Antichrist that must take place before the Lord Jesus gathers His saints to Him – “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). So the general call of God is the effectual call of God only for those who have been chosen by God from the beginning for salvation. So the saved who are referred to as the called are those who were invited through the gospel, made willing by the effectual call of God to receive that which by nature one rejects – namely Jesus Christ as King and his or her self as loyal servants who love and adore the King – and thereby proven to be chosen. Only the chosen are effectually called through the gospel and the gospel is the only way that God calls those whom He chose. God’s choosing and God’s calling go together, for the God who ordains the end (our salvation) also ordains the means to the end (being called through the gospel). It is for this reason that we do not use gospel gimmicks but rely solely on the gospel without being ashamed of it – for it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.
“…beloved in God the Father….” The second characteristic of the saved is they are beloved by God the Father. Here the Greek word is agapao and it means beloved or loved ones. Some translations say, “to them that are sanctified by God the Father….” While there is a different Greek word for “sanctified”, hagiazo, don’t fret. Even the word beloved has in it the idea of being set apart as the special objects of God’s love. The beloved are the permanent objects of God’s love. God’s love for His elect was demonstrated in the past through His self-sacrificing love shown at Calvary (Romans 5:8), it is demonstrated in the present through both His care for them and discipline of them (1 Peter 5:7 and Hebrews 12:5-6), and it will be demonstrated in the future and for all eternity through His delight in them and His salvation of them.
“…and kept for Jesus Christ.” The third characteristic of the saved is they are kept for Jesus Christ. The word “kept” means to preserve. Kept means to guard, to hold firmly, to watch or keep. The saints are the objects of God’s permanent, preserving, watchful care. God the Father is keeping the saints for His Son! Not only does the Bible tell us that God the Father is keeping the saints, it also tells us that Jesus Christ is keeping the saints (John 10:27-29). The eternal security of the believer is not a dangerous doctrine as some believe but it is a delivering doctrine which allows the saints to put on the full armor of God including the helmet of salvation and enter the battle for truth with courage. Any who would turn the doctrine of the security of the believer into an excuse to sin rather than the encouragement to stand for truth, is an apostate who turns the grace of God into licentiousness (Jude 4). The saved are called, beloved, and kept.
Because they are called, beloved, and kept, the saints as the King’s soldiers are the recipients of God’s choicest blessings: mercy, peace, and love – “May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you."
God in His mercy does not give us what we deserve. Instead He gave our punishment to His own Son, the King, on the cross. This means that God is for us and not against us – “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (Romans 8:31-34). Mercy be multiplied to you!
Because of Christ’s work on the cross, believers enjoy peace. Peace is to join together that which has been separated. Therefore peace is a reunion that is based on the putting away of enmity between two separated people. Peace is not just the absence of war; it is the absence of any reason for war. Therefore genuine peace is always based on purity and purity is the putting away of enmity. I’m speaking of the actual putting away of enmity and not the turning of a blind eye to it. Many in our day believe that God is going to turn a blind eye to their enmity and crimes against Him and have even been told by the false prophets, “Peace, when there is no peace.” However, God does not have a blind eye! As long as a man has not repented and Christ is not his King he has no peace with God no matter how much he believes that God is not going to do what He says He is going to do. Only those who are saved have peace with God – “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Peace be multiplied to you!
The saints also experience God’s love. God’s love is poured out within the believer’s heart – “because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). The cross is God’s demonstration of love (Romans 5:8), but His love is not experienced within until His Spirit comes into the believing heart and makes it real. As the believer grows in his spiritual life, he enters into a deeper relationship of love (John 14:21-24).
Certainly those who know Christ as their Lord and Savior enjoy a unique position. They are called by God, beloved in God and kept by God for Jesus Christ that they might enjoy mercy, peace, and love from God. What a special place believers have in the heart and plan of God!
Today we learn about the audience – those to whom and for whom Jude wrote his letter. Here we clearly see the biblically defined characteristics of those saved by the power of the gospel and the unique position of believers.
“To those who are the called….” The first characteristic of the saved is they are the called. In order to understand this characteristic we are going to have to distinguish between the general call of God and the effectual call of God.
The general call of God goes out to many but doesn’t necessitate, constitute, or guarantee the salvation of all who hear it. The general call of God is His invitation to salvation that He sends out to many through His servants who proclaim the gospel. However, the general call of God can be ignored, shunned, rejected, and even improperly received by those who are invited (Matthew 22:1-14). So we see in the Scriptures that many are called but few are chosen – indicating that the general call of God is not effectual for all who hear it.
The effectual call of God however results in the gospel being the power of God unto salvation for those who believe because they have been chosen by God for salvation. The apostle Paul put it this way after speaking to the Thessalonians about the apostasy and the coming of the Antichrist that must take place before the Lord Jesus gathers His saints to Him – “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). So the general call of God is the effectual call of God only for those who have been chosen by God from the beginning for salvation. So the saved who are referred to as the called are those who were invited through the gospel, made willing by the effectual call of God to receive that which by nature one rejects – namely Jesus Christ as King and his or her self as loyal servants who love and adore the King – and thereby proven to be chosen. Only the chosen are effectually called through the gospel and the gospel is the only way that God calls those whom He chose. God’s choosing and God’s calling go together, for the God who ordains the end (our salvation) also ordains the means to the end (being called through the gospel). It is for this reason that we do not use gospel gimmicks but rely solely on the gospel without being ashamed of it – for it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.
“…beloved in God the Father….” The second characteristic of the saved is they are beloved by God the Father. Here the Greek word is agapao and it means beloved or loved ones. Some translations say, “to them that are sanctified by God the Father….” While there is a different Greek word for “sanctified”, hagiazo, don’t fret. Even the word beloved has in it the idea of being set apart as the special objects of God’s love. The beloved are the permanent objects of God’s love. God’s love for His elect was demonstrated in the past through His self-sacrificing love shown at Calvary (Romans 5:8), it is demonstrated in the present through both His care for them and discipline of them (1 Peter 5:7 and Hebrews 12:5-6), and it will be demonstrated in the future and for all eternity through His delight in them and His salvation of them.
“…and kept for Jesus Christ.” The third characteristic of the saved is they are kept for Jesus Christ. The word “kept” means to preserve. Kept means to guard, to hold firmly, to watch or keep. The saints are the objects of God’s permanent, preserving, watchful care. God the Father is keeping the saints for His Son! Not only does the Bible tell us that God the Father is keeping the saints, it also tells us that Jesus Christ is keeping the saints (John 10:27-29). The eternal security of the believer is not a dangerous doctrine as some believe but it is a delivering doctrine which allows the saints to put on the full armor of God including the helmet of salvation and enter the battle for truth with courage. Any who would turn the doctrine of the security of the believer into an excuse to sin rather than the encouragement to stand for truth, is an apostate who turns the grace of God into licentiousness (Jude 4). The saved are called, beloved, and kept.
Because they are called, beloved, and kept, the saints as the King’s soldiers are the recipients of God’s choicest blessings: mercy, peace, and love – “May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you."
God in His mercy does not give us what we deserve. Instead He gave our punishment to His own Son, the King, on the cross. This means that God is for us and not against us – “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (Romans 8:31-34). Mercy be multiplied to you!
Because of Christ’s work on the cross, believers enjoy peace. Peace is to join together that which has been separated. Therefore peace is a reunion that is based on the putting away of enmity between two separated people. Peace is not just the absence of war; it is the absence of any reason for war. Therefore genuine peace is always based on purity and purity is the putting away of enmity. I’m speaking of the actual putting away of enmity and not the turning of a blind eye to it. Many in our day believe that God is going to turn a blind eye to their enmity and crimes against Him and have even been told by the false prophets, “Peace, when there is no peace.” However, God does not have a blind eye! As long as a man has not repented and Christ is not his King he has no peace with God no matter how much he believes that God is not going to do what He says He is going to do. Only those who are saved have peace with God – “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Peace be multiplied to you!
The saints also experience God’s love. God’s love is poured out within the believer’s heart – “because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). The cross is God’s demonstration of love (Romans 5:8), but His love is not experienced within until His Spirit comes into the believing heart and makes it real. As the believer grows in his spiritual life, he enters into a deeper relationship of love (John 14:21-24).
Certainly those who know Christ as their Lord and Savior enjoy a unique position. They are called by God, beloved in God and kept by God for Jesus Christ that they might enjoy mercy, peace, and love from God. What a special place believers have in the heart and plan of God!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Christianity: Spoken Against Everywhere!
Ours is a day of great confusion and lack of understanding. We are living in a day when false Christianity and false prophets are spoken well of and true Christianity and true prophets are spoken evil of. Evil is called good and good is called evil; darkness is substituted for light and light for darkness; bitter is substituted for sweet and sweet for bitter – but the Word of God says, “Woe to those” who do such a thing (Isaiah 5:20).
But here is the sad truth – it has always been this way and men still haven’t learned the lesson. Not only have we forgotten the example of the prophets who spoke truth in the name of the Lord and suffered because of it; not only have we forgotten the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who was truth incarnate and was spoken evil of and suffered; but we have also forgotten the example of the apostles and men of God since who spoke truth and stood for truth and were yet spoken against, mistreated, and persecuted.
Sad to say but most people’s theology is so messed up that they can’t fathom that someone in negative circumstances and in a negative light can possibly be from God. Many wrongly have a type of health, wealth, prosperity, and popularity theology that says in essence that if you are really a man or woman of God then only positive things will mark you. However, just the opposite is true and always will be. A prophet that is well spoken of and is popular is not and cannot be a true prophet. Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way” (Luke 6:26). On the other hand Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).
So here is a truth we need to grasp: if our Christianity isn’t spoken against because of our stand for and preaching of the truth, especially in this age of apostasy, then can we really say that our Christianity is true and not apostate? True Christianity has always been spoken against and always will be until the end.
Here in Acts 28:16-22 we see that true Christianity is spoken against everywhere and in fact this was the very reason that Paul was in Rome as a prisoner – not because of crimes committed but because of an unflinching and unwavering commitment to the truth.
The negative circumstances (16) – judging by appearance
Paul was under guard and in chains! But not if he were a true apostle, right? Surely God wouldn’t allow such a humiliating experience to happen to one of His own? Rememer Jesus? While being crucified, He was rejected as true and wrongly judged by appearance. Many thought that He couldn't be of God because of His circumstances - "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself, He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, 'I am the Son of God'" (Matthew 27:40-43).
We had better never judge by appearance! Look at that little Jew that preaches God’s Word and refuses to tickle the ears of the people – he can’t be true or else he wouldn’t have to endure such difficulties. Come on Paul, what do you mean telling us that you are a true apostle and that you will prove it by your difficulties? – “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendents of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? – I speak as if insane – I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked (four counting the one we just read about), a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure” (2 Corinthians 11:22-27). Danger, Danger, Danger! Difficulty, Difficulty, Difficulty! And Paul said that if that wasn’t enough, “Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28).
In this age of mega churches and the smooth sailing of apostate Christianity, how many would consider the apostle Paul and his negative experiences as the real deal?
The reasons for the negative circumstances (17-20)
First there were false accusations based on rejecting the truth (17). Paul had been accused of preaching against the people – not true! Paul had been accused of preaching against the customs – not true! And yet - he was delivered as a prisoner.
Second there was a faulty judicial system in spite of the truth (18-19). Paul had been found innocent by Rome. But he was held captive by Rome because the Jews objected (spoke against it). Because the Jews spoke against Paul and his release, Paul was forced to appeal to Caesar – not to bring accusations but to be proven innocent.
The third reason for Paul's circumstances was his faithful commitment to the truth (20) – the hope of Israel - the resurrection from the dead and God verified it by raising Jesus from the dead.
The opportunity because of the negative circumstances (21-22)
Paul was now in Rome, although as a prisoner, and yet he took the opportunity to do what he did everywhere; he would give the gospel to the Jew first and then to the Greek. Having called the leading men of the Jews to come and see him Paul began to explain his circumstances. After explaining his circumstances the Jews in Rome said that they hadn’t received any letters from Judea warning about him and that no one had spoken anything bad about him (21). While they hadn’t heard anything bad about Paul, they did know that Christianity (this sect) was spoken against everywhere (22). As a matter of truth it had only been three or so years earlier that the emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome because of riots and disturbances in the Jewish community sparked by the preaching about Christ – see Acts 18:1-2.
These Jews in Rome were curious as to what Paul’s views were concerning Christianity, this sect that was spoken against everywhere, so they set a day to come and hear Paul (23a). This is the kind of opportunity that God intends our negative circumstances to cause – that we would be able to use the Scriptures to explain, prove, and persuade concerning Jesus and the faith once for all handed down to the saints.
Our battle isn’t over opinion but over truth and we will be hated because of it!“Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you” (1 John 3:13).
But here is the sad truth – it has always been this way and men still haven’t learned the lesson. Not only have we forgotten the example of the prophets who spoke truth in the name of the Lord and suffered because of it; not only have we forgotten the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who was truth incarnate and was spoken evil of and suffered; but we have also forgotten the example of the apostles and men of God since who spoke truth and stood for truth and were yet spoken against, mistreated, and persecuted.
Sad to say but most people’s theology is so messed up that they can’t fathom that someone in negative circumstances and in a negative light can possibly be from God. Many wrongly have a type of health, wealth, prosperity, and popularity theology that says in essence that if you are really a man or woman of God then only positive things will mark you. However, just the opposite is true and always will be. A prophet that is well spoken of and is popular is not and cannot be a true prophet. Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way” (Luke 6:26). On the other hand Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).
So here is a truth we need to grasp: if our Christianity isn’t spoken against because of our stand for and preaching of the truth, especially in this age of apostasy, then can we really say that our Christianity is true and not apostate? True Christianity has always been spoken against and always will be until the end.
Here in Acts 28:16-22 we see that true Christianity is spoken against everywhere and in fact this was the very reason that Paul was in Rome as a prisoner – not because of crimes committed but because of an unflinching and unwavering commitment to the truth.
The negative circumstances (16) – judging by appearance
Paul was under guard and in chains! But not if he were a true apostle, right? Surely God wouldn’t allow such a humiliating experience to happen to one of His own? Rememer Jesus? While being crucified, He was rejected as true and wrongly judged by appearance. Many thought that He couldn't be of God because of His circumstances - "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself, He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, 'I am the Son of God'" (Matthew 27:40-43).
We had better never judge by appearance! Look at that little Jew that preaches God’s Word and refuses to tickle the ears of the people – he can’t be true or else he wouldn’t have to endure such difficulties. Come on Paul, what do you mean telling us that you are a true apostle and that you will prove it by your difficulties? – “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendents of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? – I speak as if insane – I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked (four counting the one we just read about), a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure” (2 Corinthians 11:22-27). Danger, Danger, Danger! Difficulty, Difficulty, Difficulty! And Paul said that if that wasn’t enough, “Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28).
In this age of mega churches and the smooth sailing of apostate Christianity, how many would consider the apostle Paul and his negative experiences as the real deal?
The reasons for the negative circumstances (17-20)
First there were false accusations based on rejecting the truth (17). Paul had been accused of preaching against the people – not true! Paul had been accused of preaching against the customs – not true! And yet - he was delivered as a prisoner.
Second there was a faulty judicial system in spite of the truth (18-19). Paul had been found innocent by Rome. But he was held captive by Rome because the Jews objected (spoke against it). Because the Jews spoke against Paul and his release, Paul was forced to appeal to Caesar – not to bring accusations but to be proven innocent.
The third reason for Paul's circumstances was his faithful commitment to the truth (20) – the hope of Israel - the resurrection from the dead and God verified it by raising Jesus from the dead.
The opportunity because of the negative circumstances (21-22)
Paul was now in Rome, although as a prisoner, and yet he took the opportunity to do what he did everywhere; he would give the gospel to the Jew first and then to the Greek. Having called the leading men of the Jews to come and see him Paul began to explain his circumstances. After explaining his circumstances the Jews in Rome said that they hadn’t received any letters from Judea warning about him and that no one had spoken anything bad about him (21). While they hadn’t heard anything bad about Paul, they did know that Christianity (this sect) was spoken against everywhere (22). As a matter of truth it had only been three or so years earlier that the emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome because of riots and disturbances in the Jewish community sparked by the preaching about Christ – see Acts 18:1-2.
These Jews in Rome were curious as to what Paul’s views were concerning Christianity, this sect that was spoken against everywhere, so they set a day to come and hear Paul (23a). This is the kind of opportunity that God intends our negative circumstances to cause – that we would be able to use the Scriptures to explain, prove, and persuade concerning Jesus and the faith once for all handed down to the saints.
Our battle isn’t over opinion but over truth and we will be hated because of it!“Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you” (1 John 3:13).
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