How to Live a Holy Life VIII: It’s One or the Other, Not Both

In Matthew 5:24, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters,” Jesus remarked in Matthew 12:30. You’re either with Him or against Him. There is no middle ground.

“Do not be deceived,” Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’”  As Christians, we are not to flirt with the devil.  We are to be the salt and light of the world and we are to display the fruits of the spirit if we are saved.  But Paul also tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:21:  ”You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.”

Make no mistake here.  Paul specifically warns Christians that we run the risk of having others extinguish our light if we hang around the wrong crowd.  Church is a great place of fellowship for like-minded believers and also helps to prop-up Christians struggling in their personal lives and in their faith. Does that mean we shouldn’t reach out to the lost and share the good news of Jesus’ triumph over death? Absolutely not. In fact, Paul specifically addressed this in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 when he said:

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolators, for then you would have to go out of the world.  But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler — not even to eat with such a one.  For what have I to do with judging outsiders?  Do you not judge those who are within the church?  But those who are outside, God judges.  Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

Paul discusses this topic further in 2 Corinthians 6:14:  ”Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?”  We are not of this world, and we should not be bound with unbelievers.  I believe the word “bound” here means marriage, and I make that conclusion based on 1 Corinthians 7:39, when Paul discusses a wife being bound to her husband for as long as he is alive.

Even in 1 Peter 2:12, as Christians we are to maintain “behavior excellent among the Gentiles…”  As Christians, we are already hated by the world.  We’re seen as judgmental and intolerant of other beliefs.  Instead of joining the rest of the world in acceptance and understanding of sins, we stand firmly with the absolute truth of the Bible and refuse to compromise.  But we’re not of this world and this is not our home.  We have a permanent residence in the kingdom of heaven.

So who are you going to serve today?  The God of the Bible that created all things visible and invisible or something else?  Are you still skating by with those sins you still haven’t turned over to the Lord?  Are you going to be lukewarm when it comes to Jesus or are you going to be on fire for the Lord, choosing to follow Him and spread His good news of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ?  Don’t be lukewarm for Christ.  God would rather you be hot or cold than lukewarm.  It’s in Revelation 3:15-16.  Go look it up.

The Wise Have Become Fools

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote on one of the virtues of living a holy life by exercising belief by faith and not by man. In the post, I explained how new scientific discoveries occur on an on-going basis and, often, the new discoveries overwrite the previous scientific discovery used as an explanation for certain events. While I do find science fascinating and, as I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I find astronomy particularly interesting. But as one who believes in the infallible word of God, I know that the Christian Bible is absolute truth. The events described in the Bible are true; any attempt to cast a shadow of doubt on their origins is purely deception.

How many scientific “truths” have you heard or learned over your lifetime? The Big Bang created the universe, right? How about the evolution of all species from a primordial soup? What about the demise of the dinosaurs? Weren’t they killed by an impact of extraterrestrial origins off the Yucatan Peninsula?

You could soon be unlearning that one.

A new study conducted by Sankar Chatterjee of Texas Tech University and a team of researchers may have determined that an impact to the Yucatan Peninsula wasn’t what killed the dinosaurs after all. A mysterious basin found off the coast of India could be the impact site for a projectile that really killed the dinosaurs. The basin, which may be the largest known crater on Earth, is suspected of being created by the impact of an object about 25 miles in diameter. By comparison, the impact site off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula is thought to have been created by something a little smaller, perhaps between 5 and 6.2 miles wide.

The Bible tells us that the wisdom of this world is foolish before God.

1 Corinthians 1:18-19 says, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’”  1 Corinthians 3:18-19 reads, “Let no man deceive himself.  If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolish before God.”  1 Corinthians 3:20 reads, “…’The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.’”

As Christians, we know the Bible is true because God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). There is nothing new under the sun, and there aren’t revised editions of God’s word being published periodically that rewrite the foundations of the Christian faith. For science, “truth” is only as good as the evidence on which it is based. Once a better, and more widely-accepted theory comes along, it replaces the old “truth” with new “truth,” until the new “truth” becomes obsolete by another new “truth.”

I have the only book of truth I need that’s the same yesterday, today and forever: God’s word.

Name-It, Claim-It: A Dangerous Doctrine Exposed

I’ve witnessed the teachings of false doctrines on blogs and on Twitter recently and I just shake my head at the ignorance of some who are led around by wolves in sheep’s clothing.  One of the more recent heretical philosophies I’ve encountered is something called, “Name It, Claim It,” also known as “Word of Faith” and the “Prosperity Gospel.”  I’m here to tell you today that whoever believes in that garbage is being deceived.

I’m not going to mince any words in this week’s article because too many Christians have fallen victim to shake-downs perpetrated by those who want you to believe they’re faith-filled followers of Jesus.  They’re the preachers that ask for a “seed faith” offering to bring about an increase in one’s personal wealth.  They’re the church leaders that ask for money to perform healings and, when the healings don’t occur, blame your lack of faith for God’s decision to not grant the request.  This is an unbiblical teaching that could cause the foundations of the faiths of many to be shaken.  Read my words:  there’s nothing you can do to get God to do your will.

Jesus had a very clear message about false prophets and those who bear bad fruit.  In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”  There are many in this world today that seem to be Godly men – until you examine their doctrine.  Any so-called preacher that is telling you that God wants to make you wealthy and prosperous in this life or that God can heal your afflictions for a small donation is deceiving you.  They are wolves masquerading as Christian leaders and some lead very, very large and popular ministries.

In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus told us how we should pray (verse 10 excerpted here):  “Your kingdom come.  Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  We are to pray that God’s will is done on earth.  And because we do not know how to pray as we have been taught, Romans 8:26-27 tells us the Holy Spirit intercedes for us:  “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weaknesses; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”  In other words, even though Jesus taught us how we should pray, we don’t get it right.  The Holy Spirit intercedes for us with what are described by Paul in his letter to the Romans as “groanings too deep for words,” according to the will of God.  The Holy Spirit follows the outline of prayer described in Matthew 6:9-13 and seeks the will of God.

So why won’t God do your will?  Isaiah 55:8-9 gives us an insight into the mind of God:  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  I believe what the Lord said here in Isaiah is very simple:  God, who created the universe and everything in it, knows better than you or me.  He sees the big picture and has exponentially more knowledge of a situation that humans can’t even begin to grasp.  But a quick read over in Romans 9:15-17 tells us exactly when God’s will is done:  “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’  So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.  For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.’”  God will do His will when He wants and only if it glorifies Him.

Does this mean we shouldn’t pray?  Absolutely not.  In fact, in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians in chapter 5, verse 16, we’re told the following:  “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  Does God answer prayers?  Yes, even the ones you don’t know how to pray.  Are all prayers answered?  I believe so, but not always with the result you expect at the time you expect.  Does God heal the sick after receiving prayers about that person?  Sometimes.  Does God also allow the sick to remain ill and even die?  Sometimes.  Remember, God has mercy on whom He has mercy.  But in the end, it’s all about His glory and not ours.  And there’s no amount of money you can send to a preacher on television to get God to take favor with your situation.  All you can do is pray that His will is done in your request and in your life.

How to Live a Holy Life VII: By Faith, Not Man

How do you live?  As a Christian, our hope and faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins so that we may have eternal life with Him.  It’s by faith that we are saved and blessed because we believe without seeing. (John 20:29).  It’s no surprise to many that science looks for proof in all areas of study.  From biology to astronomy, science continues to grow in its understanding of many subjects.  However, the line is crossed when scientific theory is posed as fact when, in many cases, evidence is simply incomplete, untestable or even unreproducible.

Did the Big Bang create the universe and everything we see?  Are we all made of “star stuff”?  Are humans direct ancestors of chimpanzees?  Has the Earth really been around for 4.5 billion years?  Is the universe really 13.5 billion years old?  These are many of the scientific “truths” that have infiltrated our education systems today when, in fact, none of these items are remotely testable.

The obstacle preventing many in the field of science from believing in God is the perceived lack of proof.  But as Christians, we are to live by faith and not by sight, so proof for us is not a requirement of belief.

Let me make a few examples to demonstrate how faith is not a foreign concept to science, even though their faith is misguided:

- Astronomers believe there are 100 billion stars in the Milky Way without ever having counted them.  They have faith that their calculations are correct, even though they cannot possibly count every star.

- Scientists believe the universe is approximately 13.5 billion years old.  They have faith that calculations based on background radiation are correct.  No one was there to witness the theorized event.

- Scientists also believe humans evolved from chimpanzees some five million years ago.  However, carbon dating former living things makes many assumptions about the equilibrium of carbon isotopes in the atmosphere in the past and, therefore, makes any conclusive attempts at dating fossils speculative at best.  The process of dating rocks using other isotopes makes just as many assumptions as carbon dating and, thus, is speculative.  No one has witnessed evolution on a macro scale.

So you can see that science does indeed participate in faith, but their faith is based around the assumptions of fallible humans.  Scientific discoveries occur on an on-going basis, often rewriting previous scientific attempts to explain events.  While science continues to evolve in its understanding, we as Christians have all of the truth we need.  Science wants to continue to proclaim their wisdom and have humans lean on them for understanding all the while condemning those of the Christian faith for believing in a God who created everything (Hebrews 3:4).  1 Corinthians 1:18-19 says, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’”  1 Corinthians 3:18-19 reads, “Let no man deceive himself.  If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolish before God.”  1 Corinthians 3:20 reads, “…’The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.’”

Those who reject the Holy Spirit are fools, according to scripture.  1 Corinthians 2:14 reads, “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”  Jude 1:18 reads, “…’In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’  These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.”

Now is all of this to say that I personally despise science?  Not at all.  I find science, particularly astronomy, to be a fascinating subject.  But there’s nothing new under the sun; supposed revelations made by the scientific community that explain the origins of the universe and the age of heavenly bodies earthly items I take with a very, very light grain of salt.  The Bible tells me in Genesis how long it took to create the heavens and the earth.  Anything contradictory to that is deception.  So how do you live?  By faith.  Romans 5:1 reads, “Therefore,having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Go forward today in your faith in God’s word and not in the faith of fallible men.  For the Bible was only written once and remains true.  Scientific theories are revised constantly and ever-evolving.  Where is your faith?

How to Live a Holy Life VI: Understanding Truth

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside to myths.”  2 Timothy 4:3-4

I had a conversation with a friend several years ago as I was studying lineage and timelines of the Old Testament, trying to carefully chart out the events as they happened in the book of Genesis.  I believed, and still do, that the ages of individuals and timelines given were without error, but my friend suggested otherwise, insisting that the words in the Bible weren’t really accurate.  I still wonder about folks that believe certain parts of the Bible are correct while others are probably invalid, having the original words lost to the ravages of time or some other nonsense.

Here’s how I see it:  if almighty God created the universe, He can certainly keep His words free from error over the course of a few thousand years.  How else can a Bible-believing Christian take heart that the meaning of the Word is true if the validity of the text is in doubt?  The Bible is either true, or it’s not.

So what is truth?  According to to the gospel of John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.’”  Jesus declared Himself to be the truth.  It doesn’t stop there, however.  John 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God,” and continues in verse John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness…“ according to 2 Timothy 3:16.  If Jesus is truth, and Jesus is the Word, and the Word is God and all scripture is inspired by God, doesn’t that make all scripture truth?

The times have certainly come when some will not endure sound doctrine, as predicted by Paul in his letter to Timothy.  Many discount the Bible’s truths to be irrelevant to today’s ”progressive“ society, with some countries even going so far as to declare topics preached from the pulpit every Sunday morning to be ”hate speech.“  The Bible is absolutely relevant to today’s society; it’s the people who have changed, seeking justification for their own fleshly lusts and desires rather than adhering to the so-called ”irrelevant“ word of God.

In many Lutheran, Episcopalian and Methodist churches today, truth has been thrown out the window in favor of acceptance and tolerance.  Gone are the days of abiding by the scriptures in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 that describe the attributes of a church leader.  Instead, these denominations have forsaken Biblical instruction in lieu of teachers in accordance to their own desires.  Some congregants have left these apostate churches in protest while others celebrate the new-found ”tolerance.“  What does the Bible tell us about teachers and leaders of churches?

”But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.“  (1 Timothy 2:12)

”An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.  He must be the one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity…and not a new convert…“ (1 Timothy 3:2-6)

”And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church…“ (1 Timothy 3:7)

Truth has become relative to many as they insist on compromise instead of believing in the truth given to them in God’s Word.

I recently posted an entry that contained a short video depicting the ”truth“ according to Oprah Winfrey.  Recorded during one of her weekday television programs, Oprah declared that Jesus couldn’t possibly be the only way (to heaven).  Having grown up in a Christian setting, Ms. Winfrey has forsaken truth to believe a lie – that all individuals, regardless of who or what they call God, will all end up in the same place.  Jesus told us just the opposite.  In fact, in Matthew 7:13-14, the words of Jesus further contradict the lies spewed by Oprah:  ”Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.“  If you believe the Bible to be true, as I do, then you understand that Oprah is spreading a very false and very dangerous doctrine that tickles the ears, again just as Paul prophesied in his letter to Timothy.

How do you know whether a doctrine is based on truth?  Read and study the scriptures so that you’re armed with the word of God.  As Christians, you are commanded to test the spirits:  ”Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out in the world.“  (1 John 4:1)

In the last days mockers will come but we as Christians are not of this world, for our home is in heaven with the Father.  You’re not expected to fit in on Earth and you will go through trials and persecutions for declaring the name of Christ.  But as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:17, ”for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.“  Our persecution and trials here on Earth are but ”light afflictions“ and only last for a moment when compared to the exceedingly great glory we’ll receive when we enter heaven to be with our Father for eternity.

How to Live a Holy Life V: Divorce

What does God’s word say about divorce? Let’s first get a little perspective on divorce in the United States today.

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, there were 7.1 marriages and 3.5 divorces per 1,000 people in the United States in 2008. Divorce has lost its stigma in America and in other parts of the world as the don’t-judge-me attitude continues to gain traction. Many of you may be offended by this article on divorce this week, but I’m proclaiming God’s word on divorce, and not my own. As followers of Christ, we are expected to change once we have truly been saved. While works aren’t a condition of salvation, our works are to be evidence of our salvation.

From Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels to Paul’s writings in 1 Corinthians, God’s word is very clear on the topic of divorce. While God intended marriages to last for life (1 Corinthians 7:39), He did provide some outlines on how Christians should live their lives with regard to marriage and divorce.

In Mark 10, some Pharisees questioned Jesus about the lawfulness of divorce. Jesus responded, “But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and the two shall become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” – Mark 10:6-9 (NASB) Jesus continued later in the same chapter, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.” – Luke 11-12 (NASB). Matthew had the following addition in his gospel: “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” – Matthew 19:9 (NASB)

From the scriptures in the gospels of Mark and Matthew, Jesus explained to us that marriages are joined together by God and that no man should separate, or end, the marriage. He went on to say that whoever does divorce and marries another, that person commits adultery – with the exception of immorality (in the King James version, the word “fornication” is used in place of immorality). Further reading through the New Testament tells us that’s not the end of the story.

God expands His feelings on divorce through Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians. In fact, a great portion of chapter seven speaks on marriage and divorce. Specifically for this article, however, I’ll be focusing on verses 10 and later.

In 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, God’s word gives us this instruction: “But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.”

God is very clear in this verse, saying that the wife shouldn’t leave her husband, nor should the husband divorce his wife. If the wife does leave, however, she either must remain unmarried or go back to her husband.

In 1 Corinthians 7:12-13, God’s inspired word goes on to say, “But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away.”

God provides no escape route for either a husband or a wife living with an unbeliever, provided the unbeliever consents to live with the spouse. But God gives us a reason for His desires concerning the preceding statement in 1 Corinthians 7:14: “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.”

The Greek word used here for sanctified is hagiazō, which purified. God is saying here that the unbeliever in a marriage is purified and any children are clean and holy because the believer chooses to stay in the marriage.

What if the unbeliever chooses to leave the marriage? God’s word tells in 1 Corinthians 7:15-16, “Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?” If the unbeliever chooses to leave the marriage, the believer is not bound and may marry another without committing adultery.

Living a holy and righteous life in the matter of marriage and any other teaching from God provides good witness to others. Too many times I have read about Christians who have succumbed to the desires of the flesh and it just gives more fodder for unbelievers to mock Christianity. Proclaiming a personal relationship with Christ while blatantly sinning against God is not a productive means by which to win souls for Him. Set an example. Live the way God commanded us to live as Christians. If you don’t yet know Jesus, I urge you to ask Him into your heart, repent of your sins and believe that He died for your sins and rose again. If you’re sincere, and only God knows your heart, you’ll be changed forever on the inside.

May God pour His blessings on each of you this week.

Where Did Everyone Go?

How to Live a Holy Life, Part IV: What Are Your Fruits?

I’m going to take a slightly different direction and interrupt this series to focus a different aspect of how to live a holy life and focus on the fruits of the Spirit. I’ve discussed many behaviors from the writings of Paul in the previous three articles in this series, but I feel as though I should point out what a Christian should do in his walk with Christ rather than what a Christian should not do.

James 2:26 (NASB) reads, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

Does that mean we have to perform works for our salvation? Absolutely not, and quite the opposite in fact. Works come because of faith, not the other way around. Jesus refers to these works as fruits in the Gospel of Matthew.

In Matthew 7:15-20 (NASB), Jesus tells us, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

Just as James mentioned, Jesus corroborates in this passage. Every good tree bears good fruit. But what are the fruits of the spirit?

Let’s start with what are the desires of the flesh, according to Paul’s letter to the Galatians 5:16-17, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” So Paul is telling us that the desires of the flesh are in direct opposition to the fruits of the Spirit. So what are the desires of the flesh that are in opposition to God’s word?

Paul continues in Galatians 5:19-21 (NASB), “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

I know some of you are wondering if you willfully conduct desires of the flesh and are saved, will you go to heaven. If, after having read the previous paragraph and find things you willingly do, remember that God said, “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” I don’t know if you’re saved or not, as only God knows. But those items mentioned by Paul are not of the Spirit, but of the flesh.

So what are the fruits of the Spirit? Paul outlines those in Galatians 5:22-25 (NASB), “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

The desires of the flesh have been crucified in those who belong to Christ Jesus. No man has ever been perfect, except Christ. Our flesh battles with the Spirit. Sometimes we stumble. But Jesus has come into you once you’re saved and has the power to take away all fleshly desires.

So I ask you: are you living a holy life? If so, what are your fruits? Faith without works is dead and a good tree bears good fruit. Are you a good tree or a bad tree?

Once Was Lost, Now Am Found

I can’t remember the number of times the hymn Amazing Grace has been sung in church services I’ve attended and in depictions of Christian gatherings on television and in movies.  As I sit here writing this week’s post, the song flows through my mind and, as hard as I try, I can’t remember when I first knew the lyrics by heart.  The song sums up the life of a person – any person – before accepting Christ as their Savior and after.  It all starts with grace, which is pretty amazing when you think about it.

What is grace?  The dictionary defines grace as mercy or clemency or a pardon.  Ephesians 2:45 (NASB) tells us, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”  Because God is rich in mercy, or grace, we have been made alive together with Christ and by His mercy, or grace, we have been saved.  Our God isn’t just merciful, He is rich in mercy.  1 Peter 5:14 (NASB) tells us, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”  So not only is God rich in grace, He is the God of all grace.  And it is His grace which saves us, despite our transgressions.  Or, as the old hymn goes, “that saved a wretch like me.”  ”For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” writes Paul in Romans 3:23 (NASB).  We’re all wretches.  None of us can do anything for God’s mercy and we all fall short of His glory.  It’s only by His grace that we are saved.

Before accepting the free gift of salvation by God’s grace, we were lost.  Lost to an eternity separated from God.  2 Corinthians 4:3 (KJV) tells us this about the lost:  ”But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.”  Once we turn our lives over to Christ, believe in Him and ask Him to be our Savior, we are no longer lost but the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13-14, NASB).

Not only were we lost and headed for an eternity separated from God before accepting the gracious gift of salvation through belief in Jesus Christ, we were blind.  1 John 2:11 (NASB) tells us, “But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”  But God is Light, and those who walk with Him are in the light.  1 John 1:5-7 (NASB) has this to say about the light:  ”This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”  If we are truly with God and have accepted His offer of salvation through grace, we are to walk in the Light and our eyes are opened.  If we choose to disobey God and walk in the darkness, our eyes are blinded to the truth.

Amazing grace.  How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.  I once was lost, but now I’m found.  Was blind, but now I see.  It’s only through the grace of God that we sinners can have our eyes opened to the truth.  It is only through the shedding of the blood of Jesus that, despite all of our transgressions against God and His will, we can one day be found in heaven.  If you haven’t already accepted Christ as your Savior, please do it today.  The signs of the end are all around us and time is running out.  You may not live to see tomorrow, or even the rest of the day.  No matter how bad you’ve lived your life, God loves you.  Believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and was resurrected.  When the trumpet blows from heaven, we’ll be taken to see our Lord in the clouds and receive our new incorruptible bodies and live with Him forever.  Please make your decision for Christ today.

Are Christians Under Old Testament Law?

I have taken time in the past to challenge claims by atheists, many of whom had little or no knowledge of the Bible, as to why Bible-believing Christians trumpet against homosexuality but refuse to follow many other laws of the Old Testament themselves, like eating shellfish (Leviticus 11:12) or wearing clothing comprised of two types of materials (Leviticus 19:19).  I’ve found that even Christians are sometimes not clear on the delineation between the Old Testament and New Testament, so to help sort out the confusion and bring finality to the topic, this seemed like a perfectly good subject for this week’s article.

Let’s start with the Ten Commandments handed to Moses in Exodus 20.  Have you ever worked on the Sabbath?  Have you ever coveted something your neighbor owns?  Have you ever looked at someone besides your spouse with lust?  If so, you’ve committed adultery in the eyes of Jesus as He said in Matthew 5:28: but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. I could go on, but the point is this:  no one is good enough to get into heaven based on merit.  None of us can keep the laws of the Old Covenant.

There are some parallels between the Old and New Testaments that are striking, however.  One of which is the blood sacrifices outlined in Leviticus.  In Leviticus 1, God provides instructions to Moses on the types of animal sacrifices acceptable to Him.  So in the hope that sins could be atoned at the altar, blood was shed in order to make sacrifices to God.  For Christians, however, the final blood sacrifice for all of the sins of the world past, present and future came through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  In Matthew 5:17, Jesus himself said that He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it, and He did.  The Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah were fulfilled.  All sacrificial laws were fulfilled as were all other items under Mosaic Law.  The belief that Christ died and rose again and the true repentance of sin is all that is required for salvation.  Pork can be eaten.  Animal sacrifices are no longer required.  Clothes made of various materials can be worn.  Yet homosexuality remains an abomination to the Lord, as outlined in 1 Corinthians 6:9. The purpose of Mosaic Law was fulfilled – to show man that he is not good enough to obtain eternal salvation on his own.  It was only through the shedding of the blood of Jesus that the sins of the world were forgiven.

Hebrews 8 expands on this topic considerably, and it’s where I’ll wrap up this week’s article.  Verse 13 reads:  When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete.  But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

The coming of Christ has made the old covenant obsolete.  Mosaic Laws are no longer required to be followed for eternal life and sanctification.  Hebrews 9:13-14 continues:  For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 10:4 reads:  For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.  Hebrews 10:10 continues:  By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

None of us are able to keep the Mosaic Law.  The animal sacrifices didn’t take away our sins or sanctify us.  It was only through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross that we have been sanctified and our sins washed away.  But we have to ask for that free gift.  John 3:16 tells us the way to salvation and eternal life:  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Give your life to Christ today, confess your sins and ask Him to come into your heart.  There is no guarantee for tomorrow, and by then it may be too late.

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