Collison: Doug Wilson vs Christopher Hitchens

The documentary COLLISION pits leading atheist, political journalist and author Christopher Hitchens (God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything) against fellow author and evangelical theologian Pastor Douglas Wilson on a debate tour arguing the topic “Is Religion Good For The World?”. Lives and worldviews collide as Hitchens and Wilson wittily and passionately argue the timeless question, proving to be perfectly matched intellectual, philosophical, and cinematic rivals. COLLISION is directed by prolific independent filmmaker Darren Doane (Van Morrison: To Be Born Again, The Battle For L.A., Godmoney).

How To Share Your Faith

Reliability Of The New Testament

Many are unaware that the NT has more manuscript evidence to support it then any other work in ancient history. Also the events were recorded closer to the actual events then any other work in History. Those who claim the NT is not reliable would be forced to throw out all history if they apply their standard consistently.

John Macarthur: The Modern Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

"You know enough to know that God does not want to be worshiped in illegitimate ways. God wants to be worshiped for who He is, for what He has done in the way He has declared. It is open season on abusing the Holy Spirit, outrageous dishonor of the Holy Spirit claiming He is saying things and doing things and generating things that have nothing to do with the Holy Spirit at all. It is a reckless kind of movement. It is a shameful and dangerous sin to heap such abuse on the Holy Spirit. In fact, the idea of bringing dishonor on the Holy Spirit ought to make any thinking person tremble. People think less interested, I think, in claiming that God is doing certain things, or saying certain things, or that Christ is doing things or saying certain things then they are at saying the Holy Spirit did this, the Holy Spirit said this, the Holy Spirit is producing and generating this that there just seems to be no restraint on the things that are blamed on the Holy Spirit."

Timothy Brindle with Evangel

Bible Study (1 John 2:3-6 ESV)

                  (1 John 2:3-6 ESV) 
"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."

Many Christians often wonder if they can know for certain if they are really saved. As said in a previous post 1 John gives a few tests one can look at to see if they are true Christians or not.

This verse is clear that one of the ways we can know we are a child of the King is whether we are obedient to our Master.

I have had countless Christians ask me if I believe that once a person is saved does that mean they can go and live any way you want and rebel against Christ.  I think the question has a "false assumption" packed into it. I think the scriptures teach that if one is truly been born again from above are going to be faithful to the Master.

That being said I am not saying Christians can not fall into sin because we see examples of this not only of Godly men in the scriptures, but also our own lives.

Lets look at these verses and break them down.

Verse 3 "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments."

How can we know that we are saved? One of the ways is to look at our lives and see if we are obedient to the word of God.  Do we live for ourselves or are we slaves of Jesus Christ?

                                            Great book on what it means to be a Christian!

                       (http://www.amazon.com/Slave-Hidden-Truth-Identity-Christ/dp/1400202078)

       (1 Corinthians 7:22)
For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ.

      (Romans 6:22)

" But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life."

    (Ephesians 6:6 )

"Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart."

As a Christian you are free from being a slave to sin and unrighteousness and are now a slave to Jesus Christ. Our salvation is free in that there is nothing we can do to merit or earn our salvation, however when Christ regenerates us he has given us a new heart and a love for the Triune God and his word.

Verse 4 "Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him"

So does saying a simple prayer and "Asking Jesus in your heart" make a person a Christian? Sadly this is what is common in American Evangelicalism that one just needs to say a simple prayer and now they go live there merry way and do not give another thought about Christ because after all, they are covered now

We all break the commandments and sin everyday. We covered this in earlier chapters.

(1John 3:7-10)
"Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother."

Here we see that why we as believers will not be perfect and we still sin, we are not to make a PRACTICE of sin.

The verses are very clear that to walk blatantly in sin and to make a PRACTICE of sin, demonstrates that you are not a follower of Christ.


Verse 5-6 " but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." 

We can have assurance of our salvation by looking at our walk with Christ. If you have a life of constant disobedience to the Master and refuse to submit to His Lordship then I would not say you can have assurance and would urge you to continue to repent of your sin and live a life pleasing to Christ.  I know these verses are not easy but they are there and we must heed them.

The good thing is that if you are God's elect you have the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you to help fight sin and die to yourself.

         (Romans 8:15) 

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

        (John 14:16) 

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-"


       (1 John 4:4)
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

So to sum it up, we can have assurance of our salvation and our obedience to Christ points to a life regenerated by God.  While works can not save us they are a testimony to a change transformed life marked with Holiness and obedience to the Master.

Here is a great sermon by John Macarthur on what it means to be a slave of Jesus Christ.


I pray that this Bible study is a blessing to you. I am trying to be faithful to the text and deal with the theological issues that come up and at the same time do not want to go to deep or to long because I want this to be a daily devotion for you where you are getting into God's word and thinking about some of these theological issues you may not have thought much about before.

I pray you are blessed and are growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ!

The Teachings of Joyce Meyers

I know many love Joyce Meyers and why she has some good things to say at times when it comes to theology the woman is dangerous. Please look at this picture and you can read what she teaches and the source where they are getting it from.  I am not trying to attack  her personally but her teaching is dangerous because she is not rooted and grounded in Biblical theology.


Here is a great article for those who want more information
(http://www.letusreason.org/popteac17.htm)

           (Galatians 1:6-10 ESV) 
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."





Here is the sources on the picture as I  know it is difficult to read


1-Meyer,Joyce (1991) The most important decision you will ever make. Tulsa:Harrison House 35-36  


3-Same as the reference to number 1


5-Recording of Joyce Meyer retrieved November 19 2009 from (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y4eVu2oxP8&feature=relmfu)

7-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DInxKmfgts0

9-Meyer,Joyce Witchcraft and related spirits: Audio tape part 1


11-Meyer, J- FAQ www.joycemeyers.org/aboutus/FAQ/

Let's Kill Sin: Timothy Brindle

          (Romans 8:1-11 ESV) 

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Bible Study 1 John 2:2

                  (1 John 2:2 ESV)
"He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We will pick back up in God's word. Today we will be looking at this verse and will no doubt make you think about this particular verse more than maybe you had before.

I do not hide the fact that I hold to the 5 points of Calvinism (http://www.monergism.com/directory/link_category/Doctrines-of-Grace/The-Five-Points-of-Calvinism/ )

That being said this verse comes up a lot in the discussion. For those who are not familiar with the debate please look at the link I posted above so you can see what the Calvinist believes. The third point of Calvinism sometimes called "Limited Atonement" is among the most controversial of all the points. Before we move on I would like to make it clear that I do NOT divide with those who disagree with Calvinism. I may not agree with my Arminian brothers I do respect them greatly and realize there are many who come to my blog who reject Calvinism.  

However when going through books of the Bible we interpret scripture through our theological system. If you are an Arminian you are going to view scriptures in a certain theological system. Same goes for Calvinists. That being said I must be faithful to the text and will be giving what I feel is the most Biblically accurate view of this scripture.

Those wanting to learn more about Calvinism please watch this series as one of the best defenders of Reformed theology explains each of the points in detail (http://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/chosen_by_god/)

Also

(http://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/what_is_reformed_theology/introduction-4/)

As a Calvinist I do not believe the Bible teaches that Jesus died for every single person rather I believe that Jesus died only for His elect. I think the scriptures clearly teach this.

Here is apiece from a great article written on some of the scriptures that teach Jesus died for the elect:

("He was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of My people" - Isaiah 53:8; "He shall save His people from their sins" - Matt. 1:21);

for His sheep ("I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." - John 10:11 - note that Jesus categorically states that some are not His sheep - "but you do not believe because you are not My sheep." - John 10:26)

for His friends ("Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you." - John 15:13-14;

for the Church ("... the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood."- Acts 20:28; "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her..." - Eph. 5:25, 26).

Indeed, as God allows us to gain a glimpse into the future, Revelation 5:9 reveals the song of the throngs of heaven as they sing to the Lamb upon His throne, "And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." Notice that it does not say that He ransomed everybody in every tribe, etc., but that He ransomed people for God from every tribe, tongue, people and nation." (http://www.reformationtheology.com/2005/10/understanding_1_john_22_by_pas.php)

I would really suggest those wanting to dig deeper to look into this paper and will see this doctrine explained and in the comments section will see the many objections to it answered.

The purpose of this Bible study is  more for a daily devotion so I will put this issue on the table and point you to resources that will help you become better equipped.

Here is a lecture by Dr. Sproul on limited atonement.

(http://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/what_is_reformed_theology/limited-atonement/)

I pray that some of these resources will help explain the reformed view on limited atonement. 
I had grown up in a system believing that Jesus died for every person. However I think in light of scripture I have no problem believing the Bible clearly teaches limited atonement.

Here is a great 7 minute video that will summarize what the Calvinist view of limited Atonement is. 


Controversy aside, we see the sinless Son Of God making satisfaction for us on the Cross. Every other system believes they must do something to please the deity so they offer works to please their god. However the God of the Bible tells us our works will do nothing to save us because from Adam we have been separated from God (Romans 5:12).  We read:

                  Romans 4:25 

"He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."

               Romans 5:10 

"For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"

              Romans 8:32 

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

            Romans 8:34 

"Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."

          Galatians 2:20

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Because God has justified us when we trust on the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross the debt has been paid and we have been forgiven!


Think on these wonderful truths today and take time  to thank Him For His grace and goodness to us who did not deserve it.  Take time to share the gospel with a co-worker or friend today and tell then the amazing things God has done.

Sola Deo Gloria!

Famine In The Land

WOW! This folks is why we need theology and apologetics! Biblical Illiteracy is RAMPANT in the church today. You have some like this lady that supports putting those who practice homosexuality behind electric fences and let them die off. On the flip side you have other Christians who have been completely crippled by not understanding Biblical theology and what Biblical love is and what is meant by Judging that they are not willing to say anything is sin and opposed to Holy Scripture.

A good dose of Biblical theology and apologetics is so needed in American Evangelicalism. It is a great time to be a Christian and even though there are challenges we should not lose heart but continue to fight the good fight of faith!

How to Share Your Faith

I love the method of  "Way of The Master".  We must confront sinners with the need for God's grace. We MUST give the bad news to the lost before giving the good news of salvation.

13 Letters

All of Paul's letters in the NT like you have never heard them!  You may not like rap music but I would challenge you to listen to the lyrics and you will soon see that they have more theology in them them most church's teach in a year.

Should We As Christians Judge?

(To be clear I am not saying this lady is in error. I just want to bring some clarity to the issue)





After watching this video I think it is important to make some important distinctions that was not made and will be sure to cause much confusion.

1)-The Bible is clear we can not judge a persons heart. Ultimately that is God's job.


2)-We are not to judge the unbelievers.
                
                (1 Corinthians 5:12-13 ESV)
"For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

Those who do not believe in Christ are judged already:



                  (John 3:18 ESV) 
"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."

It is right and Biblical to say that we are not to judge the unregenerate because they will face the judge of the universe and will have to answer to Him alone.

My area of concern though is a problem I have seen a lot as of late especially in light of the debates about "gay-marriage" and homosexuality.

Many believe that not judging a persons heart extends into "Christians can not judge actions or a religion as right or wrong".  And that is my fear with this video. Why I am sure this sweet young lady has the best intentions, I think we need to make sure that we understand Biblically how we are to judge things and we do make judgments everyday. Lets look at a few examples:

1)-The Atheist worldview. Why we do not judge the Atheist, we most certainly judge their worldview as being opposed to scripture and the Biblical worldview.  We would say that the worldview that "matter is all there is" would be in error and wrong.

2)-Sex before marriage. Again, we  do not judge the individual but the action of sex before marriage we are told plainly in scripture is wrong (1 Corinthians 5). 

3)-Homosexuality is a sin according to the Bible (Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6) and so we should not as Christians be voting to pass laws which will endorse this un-Godly behavior.

In Mark 6 Jesus tells the apostles to go out and preach to the surrounding area to repent

of their sin. For us to do evangelism the heart of the gospel is repentance which means we are affirming there are certain behaviors that Holy Scripture tells us is wrong.

Jesus tells us:

     (John 7:24 ESV)

"Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

We must be able to make judgement so we can be able to discern truth from error!

Here is a great piece from an article written on how we as Christians should judge:

"How to Judge the Lord's Way

How do we untangle this mess about "judging"? The solution is not difficult to understand, but it is difficult to live by. If you will remember and live by these next four principles of Jesus regarding judgment, you will be walking according to the Lord's mercy and truth in this extremely important matter of "judging".

First, we are to judge all things (people's behavior and words/beliefs) against Jesus' Words, for Jesus, who is the Word of God, is the standard of truth (John 14:6; 17:17).

(In regard to this first principle of judging, it is extremely important to distinguish between a person's beliefs/doctrine versus their amoral behaviors or physical characteristics. We are to carefully judge all beliefs against Jesus' teachings, and we are NOT to judge people's amoral behavior. Amoral behavior means non-faith customs, traditions, ceremonies or actions that have no moral or spiritual implication. For example, the way someone brushes their teeth, or how or what someone eats, or the manner of their speaking, etc. We are also not to judge someone's physical appearance i.e. their body shape, skin color or facial structure.)

Second, when judging other's behaviors and words, we are to be careful that we are not committing similar sins or errors(Matt. 7:1-6). To be correcting someone for a sin that we have not gained control over (by the power of the Holy Spirit) is hypocritical.

Third, we are to be slow to judge and quick to listen and to forgive (Matt. 7:1-6, 6:14-15).

Fourth and finally, we are not to condemn anyone as hopelessly beyond the reach of God's mercy (Luke 6:37). The follower of Jesus should never tell someone, "you're going to end up in hell, period". Not even Jesus - the only one to ascend into heaven (John 3:13), and thus could justly give that judgment, and who certainly knew many people who were going to end up in hell - brought that condemnation"

( http://www.jesusfamilies.org/Articles/Judging.htm )

 There is a real danger in telling Christians they are not to judge unless we clarify what type of judging we are talking about. Sadly some Christians refuse to even say something is sin or a worldview is wrong because they think it is wrong to judge.

We are to discern truth from error and that is only done by judging all things according to Sacred Scripture and if it goes against what the word of God says, we call it out as error.  

Sadly there are some who are so crippled by their misunderstanding of this issue they will not even speak out  against false religions and cults. When Joel Osteen was asked by Larry King if Jesus was the only way to heaven he claimed it was not for him to judge 

The Bible is clear that Jesus is the only way to heaven (Acts 4:12, John 14:6) and so when asked if another religion that denies Jesus is the only way to heaven is wrong then we should say YES! 
According to scripture all other roads are false. We do not judge the individuals heart but we MUST judge a false system that denies Jesus is the only way.  We are commanded to:


            
            (2 Corinthians 10:5)
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ"




When Joel was asked about the Mormon religion and asked if it was Biblical Joel again disgraces Christ by refusing to take a stand and call a false religious system wrong

Why I am sure this girl had good intentions I think it is important that we make sure we are clarifying what we mean. 


So in summary


1)-We do not judge anyone's heart or their eternal destiny


2)-We DO judge actions, false religious systems, and everything according to the word of God.




Watch this video of Larry King asking John Macarthur if other religions are wrong:

This is how a Christian is suppose to respond. He does not shrink back. He does not judge individuals but rather false systems as being false in light of the Bible.

My prayer is that this will clear up this often confusing issue and that as Christians we would be good examples to a watching world and even more important, that we please our Lord and Master.
            
              (1 Thessalonians 5:21 ESV )
"But test everything; hold fast what is good."

Bible Study 1 John 2:1

        (1 John 2:1 ESV)
" My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

We will continue our study in 1 John 2 looking at the first verse.

Verse 1 says   "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

We talked about this in chapter one but we will point out a few things regarding this verse.

1-The admonition we see from the Holy Scriptures is that we are to be Holy as God is Holy (Mathew 5:48). This gets to the issue of what is called  "Total Depravity" which essentially states that every part of man is depraved (Mind/Will/Emotions).  Because of the fall man is dead in sin (Romans 5:12)  and can not obey God's commands perfectly and that is why we need a Savior.  Let's look at some of the verses that support the view of Total Depravity.

(Click here to read more about this doctrine http://www.gotquestions.org/total-depravity.html)

Psalm 143:2 - Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.

Romans 11:32 - For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. (c.f. Galatians 3:22)

Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

2 Chronicles 6:36 - "there is no one who does not sin"

Isaiah 53:6 - All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way

Micah 7:2-4 - The godly has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among mankind; they all lie in wait for blood, and each hunts the other with a net. Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together.The best of them is like a brier, the most upright of them a thorn hedge.

Romans 3:9-12 - What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” (c.f. Psalm 14:1-3, 53:1-3)

1 John 1:8,10 - If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say we have not sinned, we make [God] a liar, and his word is not in us.

Mark 10:18/Luke 18:19 - And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone."

(http://www.traviscarden.com/total-depravity-verse-list)

When God the Holy Spirit regenerates us and then indwells us we are no longer slaves of sin

                     (Romans 6:5-11 ESV)

"For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

However because we have inherited a sin nature from Adam, we still continue to sin. While it is true we do not make a "practice" of sinning (1 John 3:9) we still sin because we have not gone through the final stage in our salvation which is glorification (Please Click This link to learn what Glorification is http://www.gotquestions.org/glorification.html).

John is telling us that we are given the Holy Scriptures and in them the tools to fight temptation and to flee sin  (Please listen to this great series by John Macarthur on the Full Armor of God). (http://www.gty.org/resources/sermon-series/307/the-armor-of-god )

However when we do sin (And we will) we can come with confidence to Jesus because He is our advocate. This gets into Christ's role as our intercessor. Let's look at a few verses that expound on this:

       (Hebrews 1:3-4 ESV)

"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs."

When we read about the role of the priest in the OT we notice that they never sat down. In fact they did not have a chair in the temple because the work was never done. However when Christ finished His work on the cross he was able to sit down signifying the work was done. He now is interceding for God's elect:

               (Hebrews 7:23-25 ESV)

"The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them."

Jesus as our intercessor is the one who reconciles sinful man and Holy God. 

                (Romans 5:10-11 ESV)
"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Before God regenerates us we are dead in sin and rebels against God. We are enslaved to sin and a child of wrath (Ephesians 2). After salvation though our position has changed in that Christ has imputed his Righteousness to us (Click Here to learn more about imputed righteousness http://www.gotquestions.org/imputed-righteousness.html). 


However our condition is still fallen and sinful and this is why John tells us that if we do sin we can come to Christ and He will make intercession for us.

(Click Here to read more on Christ's role http://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-interceding.html)

Meditate on this truth today friends! As said before, if you have sins that you need to confess before God,then do NOT hesitate.  

Come Weary Saints: Sovereign Grace Music

Wretched: Preaching to Goats.

This is soooo good! There is a trend in many church's to cater the service around the non believers that may wander in to the service. The purpose of church is to equip and edify the believers, NOT non believers. That being said I would not advocate not allowing non believers to come if they are truly seeking however we should never cater our service and preaching to the non-believer. John Macarthur does a great job in explaining this

What Is The Gospel?

As I have been teaching through the book of Mark on Wednesday nights and going through the essentials of the faith on Sunday the topic of why did Jesus die on the cross and how to share our faith comes up.

I have some thoughts on this and would love some feedback.

Many times when we share the gospel with people we want to go right to the good news that "God has a wonderful plan for your life". I think it is VERY important to note that we need to give people the "bad news" before rushing to the good news.

What is the bad news? That man has sinned and because of our sin we need to be reconciled to God and if we are not then we will face the wrath of God for eternity. Sadly I think we have focused so much on God's love we fail to understand God's wrath. We need to be balanced in our view of God and realize God is Holy.

The reason Jesus came was not to give us an example (Though He is an example) and neither did he come to give us a life of wealth, health and prosperity. Jesus came to reconcile fallen sinful man to himself. When we evangelize, to skip right to the good news of the gospel and telling them to come to Jesus for any other reason then that they are sinners and need to repent and submit to Jesus Christ is or will face His eternal wrath is to miss the primary purpose of the gospel.

I think we are scared to give the full picture of who God is for fear of scaring people off so often times we "De-fang" God and do not talk about His wrath and Holiness.
I often times myself when talking to others about Christ catch myself wanting to avoid talking about sin and how bad it really is. I constantly have to remind myself that salvation is of the Lord and it is not for me to try and make the message more palatable so it goes down easier.

As I have been going through the book of Mark you see Jesus is hated and chapter 6 tells us the people took offense at him. Are His slaves better than the Master?

Jesus said if they hate me they will hate us (John 15:8) and that his message is an offense (Mark 6)

PLEASE do not misunderstand what I am saying. I am NOT saying that we do not love people. I am NOT saying that we be rude and offend people just to offend them.

I am saying that if we really love people we tell them the truth even if they do not want to hear it. If they are offended at the message then that is between them and God but our duty is to share the truth of God's word and trust his word and the Holy Spirit to do the rest.

God is love but he is also just and Holy

Acts 17:30
"Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."

We are to love people and that's why when we give the gospel message we tell them the truth as to why they need to come to Christ.

Ray Comfort gives the example of a man in a plane and during the flight a employee told him if he put the parachute on it would improve his flight. He put it on and it was uncomfortable and poking him. Then other passengers started laughing at him and in anger he threw it off because the lady told him the parachute would improve his flight and instead he was uncomfortable and laughed at.

What if she would have came to the man and said the plane is out of gas and we will be in real danger soon so put the parachute on. Now he does not care if it is uncomfortable or poking him because he knows without it he will die. The fact others are laughing at him does not matter to him and he clings tight to the parachute because it will save his life. He did not put it on to "improve" his flight but rather to save his life.

One does not come to Christ for a life of care free living and no troubles. If that's how we present the gospel then as soon as troubles come then they think Christianity has failed them. However when they come for the correct reason which is that man has been separated from God and needs to be reconciled, when bad things happen he is not swayed because he did not come to Christ for a care free life but rather to be reconciled to God through His son.

I know my grammar stinks but I wanted to share my thoughts on this. Feel free to share your thoughts. God Bless

Also I am not saying I am better than anyone else or saying I am not sinful etc.....
And I certainly do not want to come off as arrogant or harsh.

I am the biggest sinner I know and I above all need God's grace!

      (1 John 1:8-10 ESV) 
"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

Today we will finish chapter 1 of this tremendously theologically rich book!

Verse 8- As we went over in my last post, the reason man can be reconciled to God is because of the atoning work Jesus did on the cross.

Some have wrongly assumed that when one becomes a Christian they can get to a point where they do not sin any longer. The book of 1 John is written to believers, not non-believers. 

That being said the apostle John is telling us that as believers we are not going to be perfected in this life to where we do not sin.
"If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves"

To deny that we are sinful is to be deceived. We need to distinguish between Justification which is the one time act of God declaring the sinner righteouss based on the work of Christ on the cross. When this happens we are brought from death to life (Romans 6:11).

This passage is dealing with sanctification. Here is a quote from an article on the gotquestions webpage and I would ask the readers look at this paper and study it so they are equipped to answer this question which comes up a lot:

"Sanctification is a three-stage process – past, present, and future. The first stage occurs at the beginning of our Christian lives. It is an initial moral change, a break from the power and love of sin. It is the point at which believers can count themselves “dead to sin but alive to God” (Romans 6:11). Once sanctification has begun, we are no longer under sin’s dominion (Romans 6:14). There is a reorientation of desires, and we develop a love of righteousness. Paul calls it “slavery to righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18).

The second stage of sanctification requires a lifetime to complete. As we grow in grace, we are gradually – but steadily – changing to be more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18). This occurs in a process of daily spiritual renewal (Colossians 3:10). The apostle Paul himself was being sanctified even as he ministered to others. Paul claimed that he had not reached perfection, but that he “pressed on” to attain everything Christ desired for him (Philippians 3:12).

The third and final stage of sanctification occurs in the future. When believers die, their spirits go to be with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). Since nothing unclean can enter heaven (Revelation 21:27), we must be made perfect at that point. The sanctification of the whole person—body, soul, and spirit—will finally be complete when the Lord Jesus returns and we receive glorified bodies (Philippians 3:21; 1 Corinthians 15:35-49)."

(http://www.gotquestions.org/progressive-sanctification.html)

Verse 9- "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

By being on our knees broken before the Lord we are confessing our need and dependence upon him. Sanctification is an ongoing process and will be until the day we die.  When we do not confess our sins we can drift from our Lord and end up very miserable and under the discipline of God.  We are told:

    (Hebrews 12:6) 

"For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

It is for our own good that God drives us to our knees and recognizing our need in him so we do not get confident in our own abilities.

As the "Prince of Preachers" Charles Spurgeon said:

"The “superior” person will always be lost, take my word for it. The more superior he
is, the more sure he is to be lost; I mean not that he is superior, but that he thinks
himself so, superior to all teaching. He is not prepared to be a learner, he is ready to
set up as a teacher, and a master of anything you like. He is not the kind of man to
enter the gates of heaven; he carries his head too high for that. He is a man of broad
thought; and, of course, he goes the broad way. Narrow-minded people go in the
narrow way; but then it leadeth to life eternal, and therefore I commend it to you."  

Verse 10- "If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

We know that God is a God who can NOT lie

         (1 Samuel 15:29) 

"He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind."

    (Numbers 23:19)

"God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"

   (Titus 1:2)

"A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time"

Take these truths friends and meditate on them. If you have sin that is separating you and your Savior then fall on your knees right away and ask for forgiveness.  Our Lord promises that He will forgive you and the discipline which we all endure is for our own good.

IN DARKNESS: History Of Jehovah's Witnesses Watchtower Bible Tract Society

Great documentarie on one of today's fastest growing cults. If you do not know much about this topic then please educate yourself.

Hell: The Final Destination of The Lost

Here is the Sunday school class I taught last Sunday on Hell and the final destiny of the lost. This will be at least a two part series.
We are going through the book "Convictions Without Compromise" and I draw from Dr. Geisler systematic theology 4

Hope you enjoy it. This is a issue that can be hard to teach on but I do my best to be faithful to the text.

 (http://www.amazon.com/Systematic-Theology-Vol-Church-Things/dp/0764225545)

Should Christians warn others about Hell? This well known outspoken Atheist say's for a Christian to believe that others are going to Hell and they will not share the truth with the lost must really hate them to not warn them and tell them the truth.  Sad day when the Atheist has to lecture the Christians on evangelism

Bible Study 1 John 1:6-7

                    (1 John 1:6-7)
"If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."

While it is true that in this life we will never get to a point of perfection and be sinless, we are to repent from sinful behavior and be grieved and broken over our sin. 

Lets jump into our Bible study  as we tackle verses 6-7


One question that I am often asked by fellow Christians is how we can know if we are truly saved and children of God?  1 John gives three basic tests:

1)-Doctrinal- That is there are certain truths we must confess to even be a Christian (Verses 2-5)


2)-Obedience- As we will see their are numerous verses that tell us that one of the way's we can know if we have been "Born Again" is by our obedience to our Master.  Lets look at a few of these verses:   (The third test is the subjective test of the Holy Spirit and we will tackle that one in the future) 


(1 JOHN 2:2-3)
"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."

We see that to profess Christ does not mean one actually possesses Christ. We do not do good works to be saved but rather because we are saved good works will flow (Ephesians 2:10).

Every other false system claims we must do something to "please" the deity. The Bible is clear that there is NOTHING we can offer in addition to the work of Christ done on the Cross

(Romans 3:28 ESV)
"For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law."

(Romans 4:1-5 ESV)

"What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness"

The OT saints were saved the same as we are today. By grace ALONE, through faith ALONE, by Christ ALONE. Our obedience to Christ demonstrates we are children of God.

(1John 3:7-10)
"Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother."

Here we see that why we as believers will not be perfect and we still sin, we are not to make a PRACTICE of sin.

The verses are very clear that to walk blatantly in sin and to make a PRACTICE of sin, demonstrates that you are not a follower of Christ.

Verse 7 makes it clear that it is the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from our sin. Not our good works but by the work and sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

(2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

The love God has poured out on his elect should fill our hearts with a desire to be obedient to the Master who bought us and redeemed us from sin and death.

Atheist Christopher Hitchens Makes Shocking Confession

(Christopher Hitchens was an outspoken Atheist who recently died do to cancer)

I must say that when I saw this I was rather amazed. I was amazed at two things:


1)-Christopher Hitchens has made millions of dollars from selling books and doing debates and is well known for his brutal attack on Theism.


As Hitchens recounts his conversation with Dawkins off camera he says in essence if he had the chance to get rid of Theism he wouldn't do it.


Could it be that deep down Hitchen's knows that God exists?



(Romans 1:18-21 ESV) 
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened."

According to Holy Scripture  ALL MAN knows that God exists but in our sinful nature we suppress this truth. The text says God's evidence for His existence is plain for all to see so we do not have an excuse.

The Atheist can not stand before the throne of the Triune God and plead ignorance. Scripture  say's we know God exists but we rather worship the created things rather than the Creator.

Could it also be that Christopher know's that with the atheist worldview it is bankrupt on issues of morality and ultimate purpose and that the atheist worldview is really not all that beautiful.

Friedrich Nietzsche is notable for having declared that "God is dead"  has written several different works. One of his more interesting pieces he wrote is a parable called 
"The Mad Man".  Here is a video of Ravi Zacharias reading this parable:

Here is the parable in written form:

                        The Mad-Man

"Have you not heard of that madman who lit a lantern in the bright morning hours, ran to the market-place, and cried incessantly: "I am looking for God! I am looking for God!"
As many of those who did not believe in God were standing together there, he excited considerable laughter. Have you lost him, then? said one. Did he lose his way like a child? said another. Or is he hiding? Is he afraid of us? Has he gone on a voyage? or emigrated? Thus they shouted and laughed. The madman sprang into their midst and pierced them with his glances.

"Where has God gone?" he cried. "I shall tell you. We have killed him - you and I. We are his murderers. But how have we done this? How were we able to drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon? What did we do when we unchained the earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving now? Away from all suns? Are we not perpetually falling? Backward, sideward, forward, in all directions? Is there any up or down left? Are we not straying as through an infinite nothing? Do we not feel the breath of empty space? Has it not become colder? Is it not more and more night coming on all the time? Must not lanterns be lit in the morning? Do we not hear anything yet of the noise of the gravediggers who are burying God? Do we not smell anything yet of God's decomposition? Gods too decompose. God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we, murderers of all murderers, console ourselves? That which was the holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet possessed has bled to death under our knives. Who will wipe this blood off us? With what water could we purify ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we need to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we not ourselves become gods simply to be worthy of it? There has never been a greater deed; and whosoever shall be born after us - for the sake of this deed he shall be part of a higher history than all history hitherto."

Here the madman fell silent and again regarded his listeners; and they too were silent and stared at him in astonishment. At last he threw his lantern to the ground, and it broke and went out. "I have come too early," he said then; "my time has not come yet. The tremendous event is still on its way, still travelling - it has not yet reached the ears of men. Lightning and thunder require time, the light of the stars requires time, deeds require time even after they are done, before they can be seen and heard. This deed is still more distant from them than the distant stars - and yet they have done it themselves."

Some great insights From this website says:

"What Nietzsche is concerned at in relating the above is that God is dead in the hearts of modern men - killed by rationalism and science. This same God however, before becoming dead in men's hearts and minds, had provided the foundation of a "Christian-moral" defining and uniting approach to life as a shared cultural set of beliefs that had defined a social and cutural outlook within which people had lived their lives."

"Nietzsche seems to be suggesting that the acceptance of the Death of God will also involve the ending of accepted standards of morality and of purpose. Without the former and accepted faith-based standards society is threatened by a nihilistic situation where peoples lives are not particularly constrained by considerations of morality or particularly guided by any faith-related sense of purpose."

(http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/philosophy/friedrich_nietzsche_quotes.html) 


Because we have been created and God has put his knowledge in us, as much as we may want to get away from Theism we can't.  

2-The second thing that amazed me is that Hitchens himself said in essence he could feel the disdain and confusion coming from Dawkins.  Here is two people that hate God and have made millions of dollars doing books and debates and here Hitchens is saying if he had his foot on the neck of Theism he wouldn't finish it off.  

Hitchens says the way Dawkins looked at him had stayed with him and he will never forget it.  Almost as though Hitchens himself got to see the anger and rage that the natural man has toward God and if given a chance to finish the theists off he would not pull the trigger.

It would definitively be interesting to have been a fly on the wall in that conversation.  

I would love to see Hitchens in eternity worshiping the Lamb of God. Some may gasp at that but we need to take a minute to look at some Biblical theology. We should in no way feel that we somehow deserve heaven and Hitchens deserves hell. Truth is that before God regenerated us we ALL rage and fight against God.  Don't believe me? What sayeth the scriptures:

                  (Romans 5:6-8 ESV)
"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

             
               (Ecclesiastes 9:3)
 -"Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead."

            (John 3:19-20 ESV)

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed."



           (Ephesians 2:1-3 ESV)you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."


As a Calvinist I believe salvation is not dependent on man but rather on God:

           (John 1:12-13 ESV) 
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."

            ( James 1:18)
"Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."

            (1 Peter 1:3)
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead"

            (Titus 3:5)

"He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit"

          (2 Thessalonians 2:13) 
"But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruitsd to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth."

        (Ephesians 1:3-6 ESV)

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved."

The truth is that salvation is of the Lord and no one should feel like he deserved Hell and we deserve heaven. The last verse I posted tells us he chose us because of the purpose of His will

 and so we should be the first to recognize the goodness and mercy of God which was extended to us was not anything in us.

Keep preaching the word of God friends and do not lose heart. Our Sovereign Savior has chosen us to fulfill his purposes of spreading the gospel to bring people to Himself for the purpose of His will!

Bible Study 1 John 1:5

We will continue with our Bible study as we have been going through the book of 1 John.
Today we will be exegeting verse five.


              (1 John 1:5 ESV)
"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."

When we say that God is light it is not just a metaphor but rather an attribute of God. Saying God is light is to say that God is the great illuminator.

            God is spiritual light.

  (Psalm 31:16 ESV)

"Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!"

(2 Samuel 22:29 ESV)

"For you are my lamp, O LORD,
and my God lightens my darkness."

God's word is our guide through a world that is dark and bound in blindness. We are told that man by nature  LOVES darkness rather than light because there deeds are evil (John 3:18-20)

(Psalm 27:1 ESV) 
"The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?"

          (John 8:12 ESV)

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Every other way than Christ will lead to a dead end. If one wants out of the darkness then the only alternative is to flee to the cross and to Christ who shines brighter than the sun!

God's glory is the outward radiance of his nature and in this light is displayed is the outward expression of the inward nature of God.

We see in the OT God's outward Glory displayed for all to see:

                     (Exodus 13:21-22 ESV) 
And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

The Israelite's kept their eyes on the light and followed the light. They were surrounded by evil and by pagan cultures yet kept their eyes on the Lord. I think that applies to us today in that we have God's word and instead of trying to compete with the culture and  the latest fads we just need to point people to the light which is the word of God:

(Psalm 119:105 ESV)

"Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path."

We see another astounding display of God's glory in Mathew 17 with the mount of transfiguration: 

                     

             (Matthew 17:1-8 ESV)

"And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only."

In closing our gracious Master has displayed his kindness and his mercy to us so we do not have to run from the light nor do we need to be scared of the light.  We can have full confidence in the work of our sovereign

King on the cross and that when we are examined under the bright light of God's perfection we can stand confident, not in anything that we have done but knowing that Jesus paid it all and all to Him I owe! 

PLEASE take time today to meditate on these precious truth's from the word of Sacred Scripture and reflect on God's kindness to us:

        (John 3:19-21 ESV)

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”