Bumper Sticker Hypocrisy

I am continually in a state of shock at the rudeness of some drivers. It seems that people think that the very laws of nature change when they get behind the wheel. They seem to think that the universe suddenly begins to revolve around them when they’re on the highway. With some people you just naturally expect them to be rude. With others, it comes as a complete surprise. This second group I call “bumper sticker” hypocrites.

Have you ever noticed all the bumper stickers with inscriptions such as “My Boss is a Jewish Carpenter”, “Got Jesus?”, or my favorite “In Case of Rapture This Car Will Be Empty”? Have you also noticed some of the different window decals and tailgate ornaments that depict a fish, or a fish swallowing the “Darwin” fish with legs, or the picture of a little boy (the same little boy that you usually see on pickup windows relieving himself upon a Ford, Chevy or Dodge logo) kneeling before a cross? Have you ever been cut off by a rude driver, and when his minivan slows down in front of you, you can read his “What Would Jesus Do?” bumper sticker? Ever been “flipped off” by a woman with a fish on her bumper? Have you ever been driving the speed limit and watched a car pass you like you’re standing still and then driven a little further and read his “Got Jesus?” bumper sticker while the Highway Patrol has him pulled over?

How about this one? One time I was in line at a convenience store and the man in front of me was buying several cases of beer. He left and then I bought my cup of coffee and as I was leaving the store, I saw the same man stocking the ice chest in the back of his pickup with beer. Can you guess what his bumper sticker read? “In Case of Rapture This Car Will Be Empty”! Of course, there will be no “rapture,” but even still if I was to see his truck moving erratically down the road I would not think that the rapture had come and that his truck was driverless, but rather I would think that he had been drinking the beer from his ice chest.

So what does all this mean? What’s the big deal here? I find it interesting that people feel the need to advertise their “spirituality” by displaying these types of religious symbols and phrases on their cars. Isn’t ironic how some people profess by the bumper sticker that they are “spiritual,” yet drive like the devil? I am reminded of Jesus’ scathing remarks about the hypocrites for their similar displays of “spirituality.” In Matthew 6:5 and 6:16, Jesus condemns such displays of outward “spirituality” in the avenues of public prayers and fasting. “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men… Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” Jesus was not condemning the act of praying or fasting, but the hypocritical attitude possessed by those who want to appear spiritual. The motive behind spiritual things must always be to the glorification of God, not the glorification of self.

So why do so many people have these types of stickers and ornaments on their cars? Is it because they are truly spiritual or because they want to appear to be so out of another motive? Of course, not everyone who puts these things on their car is insincere. Nevertheless, would they not do better to show their spirituality in other ways? If we are to truly be spiritual and glorify our Father in Heaven then we ought to show it by our actions and not simply by putting on a sticker. If we let our light shine through our chaste and pure lives, showing our devotion to God in obedience to His will, then truly He will be glorified and we will be justified.

Why Do You Believe That Jesus Is The Son Of God?

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why you believe Jesus to be the Son of God and Savior of mankind? Is your belief based on anything concrete or is it merely a belief that has been passed down to you from your parents that you have simply come to accept without ever questioning why? Do you have a faith in Jesus that is a personally held faith? Or, is your faith an “inherited” faith – one that is borrowed from someone else?

These are tough questions that we each need to ask ourselves, because there will come a time when our faith will be tested and if our faith is not our own then it will fail the test. All too often, a young person has grown up “in the church” never having developed their own personal, evidence based, faith in Christ only to have their faith destroyed the first time they set foot in a college classroom. Sadly, this very thing has happened to many a young Christian in our day.

So my challenge to you is this: Take out a pen and paper or word processing software on your computer and write a brief essay “Why I Believe Jesus Is the Messiah.” Print it out, keep it in your Bible, and every time you run across any scripture that supports or strengthens your faith write down the citation on the bottom of your paper – or incorporate it into your essay. This will be a very challenging and thought-provoking exercise that will cause you to really examine yourself and what you believe. I believe that the end result of such a study will help you to develop a faith strong enough meet any test of faith head on. With this thought in mind, here is my essay:

Jesus is the Son of God

The reasons I believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Son of God are numerous. It begins with a belief in the reliability of the Bible, especially the New Testament. The Bible has been tested and tried by skeptics for centuries and no one has ever successfully argued against its accuracy and reliability. It is, without question, the Word of God! So, without going into great detail about the evidence for the Bible’s inspiration, I will examine my faith in Jesus from the scriptures based on three major points: Jesus’ fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, the fulfillment of His own prophecies concerning His death, burial and resurrection and the resurrection itself, including the eye-witness accounts of it recorded in scripture.

OT Prophecy Fulfilled

There are approximately 300 Messianic prophecies fulfilled in the person of Jesus of Nazareth – far too many to be examined here! Let’s begin with the prophecies connected with His birth. Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” This prophecy is shown to be fulfilled in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-35. Lk.1:26-27 says, “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.” Also in Luke’s account the angel appeared to the virgin Mary and told her of her child, “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest...” (Lk. 1:31-32) That it was to be a virgin birth is clearly seen in Lk.1:34-35, “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?”

Isaiah’s prophecy was intimately connected with God’s promise to Satan made in Genesis 3:15 the “seed” of Eve would destroy his power, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” The seed of woman, not man, would triumph over sin and death. Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law...” Another prophecy concerning His birth is connected with the place of His birth – Bethlehem. Micah 5:2, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Lk. 2:4-5 records that Joseph took Mary with him to Bethlehem and that it was there she gave birth to Jesus.

Other Messianic prophecies fulfilled in the person of Christ are connected with His death. Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 both describe the crucifixion scene in great detail. Read these two chapters and compare with the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus found in Mat. 27:1-54, Mark 15:1-40, Lk. 23:1-47 and John 19:1-37. Notice Jn. 19:33, 36 “But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs... For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken...” – referencing Psa. 34:20. Also, compare Mat. 27:35, “And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.” referencing Psa. 22:18. These prophecies and many more like them prove Jesus to be the Messiah.

Jesus’ Own Prophecies Fulfilled

Jesus made several prophecies pointing to His death, burial and resurrection that later came to pass exactly as He had predicted. Notice Mat.16:21, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” Also, note Mat. 12:40, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Compare these prophecies to what is recorded later in the Gospel accounts. Jesus went to Jerusalem was persecuted by the “elders and chief priests.” He also suffered “many things” such as His beatings and tortures at the hands of the Roman soldiers. He was “killed” by the Roman soldiers when they nailed Him to the cross. He was “raised again the third day.” All of these things and more transpired according to how Jesus predicted they would.

The Resurrection

The single most compelling evidence that Jesus is the Son of God was powerfully demonstrated by His resurrection. In Romans 1:4, Jesus is “...declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” It is the power demonstrated in the resurrection that proves indisputably that Jesus IS the Messiah! All of our faith in the Gospel is based upon the fact of the resurrection – it is the corner stone of faith. 1 Corinthians 15:13-14 “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”

The fact that He rose again is proven in several ways. First notice the fact that the chief priests had to bribe the men who had guarded Jesus’ tomb so that they would say that Jesus’ body was stolen.(Mat. 28:11-16). The chief priests had ordered the tomb guarded, the guards had witnessed the resurrection (Mat. 28:2-4), and then they were paid to keep their mouths shut.

The resurrected Savior was witnessed by hundreds of people, beginning with Mary Magdalene in Jn. 20:15-16. Then He appeared to Peter and the other Apostles. (1Cor. 15:5); He was witnessed by a crowd of more than five hundred (1Cor. 15:6); He appeared to James and finally to Paul (1Cor.15:7-8).

The Resurrected Savior was not an illusion or “ghost” – He was real; He had a physical body; He ate with His disciples and they touched Him (Lk. 24:36-43; Jn. 20:25-28). The apostle John records in 1 John 1:1-2, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)” John and the other apostles witnessed the resurrection, touched the Savior confirmed without a doubt that He was risen.

The apostles witnessed Jesus’ ascension up into Heaven in Lk. 24:51 and Acts 1:9-11 “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

We can see through the fulfillment of prophecy that Jesus is the Messiah – the Son of God and Savior of mankind. We must believe this – our salvation depends upon it! Jn. 8:24 “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” The resurrection is the key point of the Gospel – it proves without a doubt that Jesus is the Messiah. When we take into account the weight of all the evidence supporting the Messiahship of Jesus we cannot come to any other conclusion than – He is Lord!

We have not even made mention of the signs and miracles that Jesus performed. Jn. 20:30-31 “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” Jn. 21:25 “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written” Signs that were witnessed by an entire nation. Ac. 2:22 “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:”

What's Your Title Preacher?

As one reads various religious publications or watches TV on Sunday morning, he will hear or read many “titles” given to various ones who preach. Some of these individuals seem to put on a title, as you or I would put on a shirt. If a person were to string together every religious title used by the denominational world, he would have to introduce himself as, the “Right Reverend, Reverend, Apostle, Bishop, Cardinal, Elder, Evangelist, Father, Friar, Minister, Missionary, Parson, Pastor, Pope, Preacher, Priest, Dr. John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt. Ph. D.”

As one who preaches the gospel and is paid to do it, I am often asked by those outside of the church what my “title” is, or what they should call me. They usually act kind of confused when I tell them that my “title” is “mister.” After having said this, they still insist on calling me “Reverend” or “Pastor” and if my contact with them is to be brief or momentary, I try not to belabor the point. However, if there is time I simply try to explain to them why I do not and will not accept any “title” other than that of “mister.”

First, let it be known that every member of the family of God, is worthy of only one title and that title is “Christian.” Moreover, since we are of one family, it befits us to refer to one another as “brother” or “sister.” The one who preaches is deserving of no “greater” title than that of “Christian brother,” or simply “mister.” Even though, the “pulpit preacher,” is often the public face of the congregation, he has no greater position than that of any other Christian. His responsibilities are no different from those of any other Christian. He is simply supported by the local congregation, as an expedient, so that he can have the time to prepare and present biblically sound lessons that will edify and teach his fellow Christians. Therefore, I can think of no “better” or “higher” title than to be called after our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Second, we are commanded by Christ to call no man “father” (except our male parent). “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:8-12). We are not to think of men more highly than we should. When the Roman Centurion Cornelius, in Acts chapter ten, met Peter, he bowed down to worship and exalt him, yet Peter would not accept such praise. Peter understood that all are one in Christ Jesus, that he was no better or higher than any other person was. Therefore, he considered himself unworthy of any greater honor or title. Later in that chapter, he would discover that there was also no difference between ethnic Jews and gentiles.

Other so-called titles such as “bishop,” “pastor,” “shepherd,” or “elder” are simply descriptive terms, describing the duties of certain Christian men who meet the qualification listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. The preacher may not be one who meets those qualifications, and therefore couldn’t properly be described as a “bishop,” pastor,” “shepherd,” or “elder.” Even so, these are not “titles” by which we ought to call men, but rather ways to describe them. Some other titles given to denominational leaders, such as “pope,” “bishop” and “cardinal,” (as they are used by the Catholic church) refer to positions that are not even biblical. These titles are part of a sectarian hierarchy that is found nowhere in scripture.

The titles, “apostle” or “prophet” are scriptural titles, by which men have been rightly called, but are no longer in use today. The sign and miracles that God worked through the prophets and the apostles were necessary to establish that they spoke with His authority and that their words were from Him. Now that their words have been authenticated as inspired, and they are now available in written form, the need for such signs and wonders has dissipated.

Finally titles such as “reverend,” “right reverend,” “your holiness,” etc., are terms that should properly be reserved for only God Himself! Nowhere in scripture do we find authority for calling anyone other than God by these kinds of titles. In the King James Version of the Bible the word “reverend” is found only one time, in Psalm 111:9, “He sent redemption unto His people: He hath commanded His covenant for ever: Holy and Reverend is His name.” For me or any other man to assume such a title for himself is little short of blasphemy!

What is Christian Fellowship?

Fellowship with the family of God and with God Himself is one of the greatest blessings of being a Christian. Fellowship is something that is shared by all faithful Christians the world over. It is comforting and encouraging to know that we have wonderful Christian brothers and sisters from all over the world – most of whom we will never meet until that great day we are united with them for eternity in Heaven!

The word “fellowship” comes from the Greek word koinonia. It is elsewere translated in the King James Version as communion (1Cor.10:16; 2Cor.13:14); communicate (Heb.13:16); or contribution (Rom.15:26). All three usages of the word koinonia suggest commonality of purpose, partnership and interest. This commonality is illustrated by the words of the prophet Amos, Amo.3:3 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

True Christian fellowship is not just pot-luck dinners, youth activities and social get-togethers. True fellowship goes beyond mere social activity. True fellowship is found in unity of the heart, spirit and understanding which can only come from a mutual acceptance of Biblical authority and a mutual love for the truth. Christian fellowship is not a club to be wielded in order to bend others to our will, as some attempt to misuse it by “witholding” it from those who differ from them in things that are strictly matters of opinion.

Fellowship is not something about which we can arbitrarily make decisions. One does not decide to “fellowship” one person or another. Such conflicts with the Biblical definition of fellowship. Fellowship with other Christians is a by-product of our fellowship with God. Our fellowship is not so much with each other as it is with God. 1Jn.1:3 ”That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

That fellowship with the Father and the Son is conditioned upon our continued faithful obedience to the gospel –i.e. “walking in the light.” 1Jn.1:6-7 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” If we do not walk in the light we have no fellowship with God. If we have no fellowship with God, then we have none with those who walk in the light!

If we are in sin, we can have no fellowship with God. Isa.59:1-2 “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Hab.1:13 “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?”

Since it is impossible for God to be in fellowship those who are in sin, it would stand to reason that a Christian also could not possibly be in true fellowship with those who are in sin. When an individual or even an entire congregation commits sin the chain of fellowship with God and with faithful Christians is broken. Eph.5:11 “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” 2Cor.6:14-17 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you...”

Howbeit, this does not mean that fellowship cannot be restored, but there must first be repentance on the part of the transgressor.

The question remains as to how we determine who we are to “fellowship.” We have already noted that we cannot be in fellowship with the works of darkness or unrighteousness. So, in determining fellowship we need to begin by differentiating between darkness and light and between righteousness and unrighteousness. The Bible clearly defines righteousness and godliness. 2Pet.1:3 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” The secret to understanding where lines of fellowship are drawn is discovered by a diligent study of God’s Word. 2Tim.2:15 “Study [give diligence -ASV; be diligent -NKJV] to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Discovering lines of fellowship requires careful study and righteous judgment on our part. 1The.5:21-22 “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” We must be very careful not to give the impression that we “fellowship” error or that we “fellowship” those who practice error. To do that would be the same as bidding them “God speed” (2Jn.1:9-11).

True Christian fellowship is a wonderful blessing, but as with all of God’s blessings, it is incumbent upon us to remain faithful. Only then will we be able to share in God’s fellowship throughout eternity.

What Kind of Preaching?

What kind of preaching is needed by the church? Do the Lord’s people need to hear dissertations on Chinese proverbs written by Confucius? Not unless they are simply used to illustrate a scriptural point. Is preaching on the ‘pet peeves’ or ‘hobbies’ of the preacher what the children of God need to hear from the pulpit? Sometimes, maybe, if they are scripturally motivated. Should the sermon be presented in such a way as to send the entire audience home feeling good about themselves? Occasionally, yes. However, if the preacher always preaches ‘sunshine’ and never preaches ‘rain,’ he is not preaching the whole counsel of God, because the whole counsel of God contains both ‘sunshine’ and ‘rain.’ Does the church of Christ need to hear sermons that are presented by way of entertainment? In other words, sermons that are ‘preached’ using drama or stunning visual effects. NO. That is not preaching! A scriptural sermon can sometimes be illustrated with the use of humor, or visual aids that are not used for the express purpose of entertainment. The occasional ‘preacher story’ is useful as an illustration, but should never take the focus of the sermon away from the Holy Scriptures. Many of the ‘sermons’ that are ‘preached’ in the religious world are nothing more than fluff and are of less value than a “poke in the eye.” At least with a “poke in the eye” you might learn not to play with sharp objects, but with many ‘sermons’ you learn absolutely nothing that is of value.

What kind of preaching is needed by the church? Bible preaching! What kind of preaching teaches the whole counsel of God? Bible preaching! What kind of preaching uplifts those who are spiritually downtrodden, or brings down those who are “puffed-up”? Bible preaching! The preaching of the Word of God is what the children of God need to hear most! Only the Gospel has the ability to meet the spirituals needs of all men, women and children. The Gospel is THE POWER OF GOD unto salvation for those who are lost in sin and for those who are found in the Lord’s church. No other preaching will suffice other than the preaching of God’s Word.

Preaching God’s word is what causes those who hear it preached to have faith. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The gospel has the power to save mankind from sin, Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” But it must be preached and heard for that power to have any effect. How can anyone believe the gospel if they do not hear the gospel? Romans 10:14 “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” What happens when there is a preacher, but he does not preach the gospel? NOTHING. Yet that is exactly how it is with many ‘preachers.’ They preach all right, but they do not preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many preachers go to God’s Word looking for scriptures that seem to support their theological suppositions, and fail to treat the Bible in a holistic manner. They dissect it in order to get what they want out of it instead of looking at the Bible as a whole and get out of it what is there and to preach it as God’s message rather than their own.

If the gospel, the whole gospel and nothing but the gospel is preached then those who hear it cannot help but benefit from it! It may not always make them feel good about themselves, just as pain doesn’t make a person feel too good. Pain oftentimes, though, serves as a warning against physical harm. For instance, you feel pain when you get your hand too close to the fire and you jerk it away. But what if you felt no pain and you were to stick your hand in the fire? You would be standing there feeling good about yourself while your body caught fire and you burned to death. Sometime the gospel warns us in a similar fashion. If there were never any pain caused by the preaching, then many people would be just standing pat, thinking that everything was fine, while all the while they were burning to death spiritually! The whole counsel of God includes such painful warnings. It must be preached!

The best formula for what true preaching ought to be is found in the Bible. In Nehemiah 8:5-8.

“And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.”

In this passage, we note that Ezra read from God’s Word to the entire nation of Israel. He was standing before such a large audience that he needed 13 other men to help him reach them all. (I guess they couldn’t find a portable PA system.) Ezra and his helpers read the scriptures to the audience distinctly, so that all could hear. They also gave the audience the sense – they helped them to make the proper application of God’s message to their lives. And they presented God’s message in such a way as to allow everyone who heard it to understand its meaning. That was preaching! That is what the people in that day needed to hear! Why would people today need to hear anything different!? Preaching the gospel means to preach the GOSPEL!

Dealing with the Past

Do you have something in your past that hinders you from doing the right thing in the present?

Have you ever, in the past, done something for which you are now ashamed? I have! I am also pretty sure that anyone who is reading this article has, in all probability, done things in their past that they now regret having done. It is human nature to look back upon the past. Some things we recall with fondness; other things with shame or embarrassment. The past often has a way of catching up with us. Our past sins, if unrepented of, must still one day be reckoned with – “be sure your sin will find you out…” (Deuteronomy 32:23). Nevertheless, even past sins for which we have been forgiven, have a way of haunting us in the present. Sometimes the consequences of our past sins are still felt many years after repentance and forgiveness. In my case, my conscience still bothers me about some of the things I have done in the past. Even though I realize that God has forgiven me of those things, I sometimes have a hard time forgiving myself.

The apostle Paul had things in his past that could have hindered him from doing the right thing. He had plenty of cause to be remorseful. He had persecuted the church in Jerusalem and other places, “…Beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it…” (Galatians 1:13); “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison…” (Acts 8:3); “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:1-2). He was even an accessory to murder at one point in his life! Remember when Stephen was stoned to death by an angry mob, that it was a young man named Saul who held the cloaks of Stephen’s assailants. “And cast him [Stephen] out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul… And Saul was consenting unto his death…”(Acts 7:58; 8:1).

Even before Paul’s conversion, Ananias was apprehensive towards him when the Lord commanded him to go to Paul and teach him what he needed to do in order to be saved. He said, “I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name…” (Acts 9:13-14). After Paul’s conversion, the consequences of his past sins were still felt. Some years after his conversion, the Christians at Jerusalem were still wary and mistrustful of him, “And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.” (Acts 9:26).

Paul had reason to regret his past. First, because of the way his conscience must have bothered him for the things he had done, and second, because of what some others thought about his sincerity. How did Paul deal with this adversity? How did he put his past behind him? Did he run away and hide? Did he forsake God? NO! In his own words, he said, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14). Paul’s answer to his regretted past was to forget it, to get over it and to reach for the things that were before him. He did not waste time on “what might have been,” but instead he strove for “what may be.” He pressed towards the mark!

Baseball coaches say that one of the most important attributes of a good pitcher is a short memory. If he throws out a pitch and it is knocked out of the ballpark, he must forget about it and move on. If he is still feeling timid after the last pitch was hit for a homerun, he has a problem. His next pitch is liable to leave the ballpark as well. The same goes with us in our religious life. If our past keeps haunting us, or if we let the feelings or attitudes that others have toward us affect our Christian walk, then we have a problem. We need to let go of the past and ignore what others may think of us, and press on in our Christian life. If we would continue to walk after the way of Christ, in the face of adversity, we will be richly blessed. It is said, “Time heals all wounds.” If we faithfully follow our Savior, in time, the guilt we feel or the negative feelings of others will fade. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33). Strive towards the mark of salvation! Do not let your past, or other people’s attitudes towards it, hinder you from doing what is right! If you do these things, you shall never be ashamed and everything else will just fall into place.

Jesus Provided Alcohol?

Many have tried to justify the consumption of beverage alcohol based upon the Gospel account of Jesus turning water into wine in the John 2:1-11. Let us begin to answer this question with the Biblical definition of the word wine. In the New Testament, “wine” is translated from the Greek word oinos. This is a generic term for the juice that comes specifically from grapes, either fermented or non-fermented. The entire context of where oinos is used will dictate whether fermented or non-fermented is meant. Just like our English word “cider,” which can be either “hard” (alcoholic) or just plain cider – non-alcoholic, it all depends on how it is used. The same principle is true of “wine” in the Old Testament. Please read the following passages and answer the questions for yourself. 1.) Isaiah 16:10 – What comes directly out of wine presses? Plain grape juice or fermented grape juice? 2.) Isaiah 65:8 – What is found inside a cluster of grapes? Fermented juice or unfermented? 3.) Deuteronomy 11:14 – What is “gathered in” when the grapes are harvested? Grape juice or alcoholic wine?

We have established the fact that the Biblical word “wine” can sometimes be used in a generic sense (either fermented or unfermented), but that still does not answer the question as to whether Jesus made an alcoholic beverage when He turned the water into wine in John Chapter Two. As was noted previously, in order to establish which use of the word applies in a certain passage, the entire context needs to be taken into account – not just the immediate context (same chapter / book), but the broader context must be accounted for. In the Biblical context in which Jesus lived and in which the Wedding Feast at Cana took place, it would be a sin for one who, like Jesus, is a Jew to consume alcohol or to give his neighbor alcohol. (Habakkuk 2:15-16).

We know that Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life – never transgressing a single, solitary commandment under the Law of Moses. 1 Peter 2:22 “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth...” Hebrews 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin...” These inspired statements are false if Jesus provided alcohol to the guests of the wedding feast. Neither did Jesus sin here nor did He tempt others to sin. James 1:13 affirms that fact. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” Therefore, we can know assuredly that Jesus did not turn the water into alcohol.

Yet, some make the objection that the immediate context gives the impression that Jesus did provide alcoholic wine. They quote the “governor of the feast” in John 2:10, “Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now...” It is assumed by some that the phrase “well drunk” refers to the guests being inebriated. That assumption does not consider the possibility that “well drunk” refers to the quantity they had consumed rather than the effect (drunkenness) it had on them. They had apparently consumed enough grape juice that their sense of taste had become dulled. The “governor of the feast” was simply noting the unusual circumstances in which the host had brought out the good quality wine after all of the lesser quality wine had been consumed.

Defending the Truth?

We are commanded to preach and teach the truth. “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke…” (2 Timothy 4:2); “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth…” (Ephesians 4:14-15).We are also commanded to defend the truth, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you…” (1 Peter 3:15). Many Christians look at these passages and go out very zealously to preach, teach and defend the truth and sin in so doing!

Yes, I do mean that a Christian can teach, preach or defend the truth and sin in the process. I am not saying that it is a sin to do these things, for it is a sin not to. However, I am saying that you can preach, teach and defend the truth in a sinful manner. Look again at the verses mentioned earlier. You probably already noticed that there are some phrases missing out of those verses. The entire passage of 2 Timothy 4:2 should read “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” The command to exhort (encourage) with all longsuffering (loving patience) is often forgotten by many. Also Ephesians 4:15 should begin, “But speaking the truth in love…” Now I am not trying to sound like a “liberal,” but brethren, “Where’s the love…?” If we zealously go out to preach the truth with some other motivation than the love of God and the love of our fellow man, we commit sin!

In “defending” the truth, do you seek to defend the gospel or do you seek to “defend” yourself? All too often, I have seen brethren seek to defend the Truth, not for the Truth’s sake, but for their own. When their belief / position is brought into question, they take it as personal insult and begin to argue their case. Though they may hold a scriptural position, their motive for arguing is a selfish one – they want to win! They want to show off their skill as a debater and extensive knowledge of the Bible. They seemingly have forgotten the rest of 1 Peter 3:15 “…with meekness and fear…” In arguing for the sake of argument, meekness is thrown by the wayside and fear, or respect for others is forgotten.

What is central to the issue is one of the worst five-letter words in the dictionary… Pride! Personal pride is the opposite of meekness and respect for others. Selfish pride has no room for love of the lost, or for “suffering long” with them. Why are there divisions in the church today? Quite often, they result from selfish pride. It goes something like this: One brother puts forth a position, either scriptural or unscriptural. Another brother disagrees with that position. The first brother is insulted that someone has disagreed with him and an argument ensues. Both brothers “well up” with selfish pride and seek to win the argument. Both brothers resort to personal attacks and in the end, no one wins, but the cause of Christ comes out the loser! Let me repeat… the cause of Christ comes out the loser! It is wrong not to defend the truth. It is a sin to “straddle the fence.” We must take a stand for Christ! But we must not do so in a striving manner. We must defend the truth, but we must do it meekly; we must do it respectfully; we must do it lovingly.

Many times Jesus debated the Truth with the Pharisees and scribes. He never railed against them personally, but rather He went after their false doctrines and after their hypocrisies. He did not do so to “win” an argument, but rather to show them the Truth, to point out how they were going wrong. We ought to follow His example in this, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously…” (1 Peter 2:21-23).

He defended the truth. It did it with love and compassion. He did not defend it to glorify Himself. He did not defend the Truth in order to humiliate His adversaries. He wanted to bring about a positive change in their lives. He wanted to save their souls. The saving of souls should be our motivation in teaching, preaching and defending the truth, not selfish pride! When we seek to “win” an argument, all too often we push others even further away from Christ.

When I was in the U.S. Coast Guard, I attended a law-enforcement training program. During “hand-cuffing” practice, we were taught a technique of twisting the handcuff on a suspect’s wrist in such a way as to cause a sharp pain. This was only to be used if they resisted being “cuffed.” However, we were warned to let up after a moment’s pressure so as not to cause the suspect’s adrenaline to come up. Our body naturally defends itself against negative stimuli. Adrenaline causes a “fight or flight” reaction in the body. If an officer inflicts pain on a suspect in order to motivate him to comply, but if he goes too far, or fails to let up after compliance, the suspect often resists even further and the situation escalates until it gets out of hand. Remember Rodney King…? The police officers tried to subdue him, he fought back, things escalated…. they beat him unmercifully and the entire city of Los Angeles nearly went up in flames because of it!

When we try to teach or defend the truth, and we let things get out of hand, and get “personal,” we do more harm than good to the cause of Christ. Rather than cause strife on our part, why not take Christ’s approach and simply end our defense of the gospel with “He who has an ear to hear, let him hear.”

War and the Christian

Can A Christian Serve in the Military?

There is a controversy among members of the church as to whether a Christian can serve in the military and fight in war. Many who support this position turn to passages such as 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)" Often, they will point to the fact that Christianity allows no hatred, or physical retaliation (Galatians 5:14, Romans 12:17-21,13:9) and that vengeance belongs to the Lord (Romans 12:19).

First, we need to understand that in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 Paul is speaking of our spiritual warfare against the spiritual forces of evil. Temptation, false religion, the lusts of the flesh, etc. In that war, our weapons are not carnal, because it is not a carnal war. Physical warfare will not defeat spiritual foes. This passage does not even address physical war among nations.

With regard to the second argument they are right about that fact that Christianity allows no hatred at all nor does it allow retaliation on an individual basis. That is what Romans 12 teaches. Romans 12:19 "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Vengeance belongs to the Lord. That is why we are not to seek personal vengeance.

The Lord executes vengeance and punishes evil doers. How does He do this? In many cases, through the ministry of civil government. God allows civil government to rule over the nations, Romans 13:1 "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." Romans 13:4 says, "For he" (the ruler / agent of civil government) "is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil" [Emph. mine]. Civil government is authorized by, and used by, God to execute His wrath upon those who do evil. It executes this wrath both domestically with its Police force and abroad with its military force.

If the civil government's use of force is authorized by God, and it is, then Christians are authorized to participate in it. If non-Christians can serve as police or in the military without sinning... If non-Christians can use carnal weapons to fight in carnal warfare as authorized by civil government without sinning, then so can the Christian. We are all under the same law! If it is sin for the non-Christian, then it is sin for the Christian. If it is not sin for the non-Christian, then it is not sin for the Christian. There is not one law for the Christian and a separate law for the non-Christian.

The Narrow-Minded Jesus

If one is “narrow-minded” or “exclusively minded” in today’s society, he will be considered bigoted, prejudiced, biased, small-minded and intolerant. To be “narrow-minded” is about the most “politically in-correct” thing that a person can be today. The politically correct, “inclusively minded” regime in our society vehemently and vocally opposes any thing that smacks of “intolerance”. This “PC” movement stems out of the belief in secular humanism – that is the idea that there is no all-sufficient standard of authority in the way mankind lives upon this earth. They say that they believe this to be true, yet they have made “tolerance” their objective standard. Tolerance, to them, means toleration of any thing that is considered by them to be politically correct. Their idea of tolerance does not include tolerance toward such things as American patriotism, monogamous-heterosexual marriage and the Christian religion. Every thing else must be tolerated or you will be “narrow-minded”.

If Jesus were here in the flesh today, He would be the most “politically in-correct” person in the world and everywhere people gathered to hear Him preach there would be hundreds of protestors demonstrating against Him and His teachings. Secular humanists would object to His system of morality. Religious leaders of the world religions would be “up-in-arms” against Him for His claim to be the ONLY way to heaven. Christian denominational leaders would object to His teaching that only a faithful few will be saved. How do I know al this? Because Jesus is the most “narrow-minded” man to ever walk on this planet. Listen to what He said when He was here in the first-century:

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 (KJV)

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” John 14:6 (KJV)

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” John 10:9 (KJV)

"He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” John 12:48 (KJV)

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23 (KJV)

This all sounds pretty “narrow-minded” and exclusive to me. These narrow-minded teachings of Jesus exclude many that would try to seek God through Muhammad or Joseph Smith; through Judaism, Buddhism, or denominationalism. With Jesus it is “His Way” (“which leadeth unto life”) or the “Highway” (“that leadeth to destruction”). The Apostle Peter said this of Christ, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps...” (1 Peter 2:21, KJV). Let us therefore in following after Jesus, be likewise “narrow-minded” and keep ourselves on the way “which leadeth unto life.”

The Beginning of Wisdom

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7) Solomon here teaches that true knowledge and wisdom can only be attained by one who has a proper respect for the Lord God and His teachings – by one who “fears” God. To fear God is to recognize His Greatness, Power and Sovereignty. To be properly “awed” by His attributes.

The fear of God has dual meaning. In one sense, it means “terror” – fear God because He has the power to judge our eternal soul. “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28) “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.” (2 Corinthians 5:11a) In another sense, it means to have a reverent awe for God. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

One cannot come to “a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4) without due respect for God and His Word. The knowledge that leads to true wisdom begins with the fear of God. True wisdom can only be found by turning to God’s Word. According to Solomon in Proverbs 1:7, “fools despise wisdom” – the wisdom of God. The fool is further describes in Proverbs 1:29-30, “For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.” The “fool” in Proverbs is the man who is identified as being "simple" or the man identified as a” slanderer" or a perverse person. The “fool” despises God and takes no thought of Him in his dealings.

The fool will not be saved unless he embraces the wisdom of God by turning to the Word of God. We are saved by faith “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) Faith comes by hearing the Word. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) The Word of God teaches obedience to all of God’s commandments. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5:3) Commandments such as, confession (Romans 10:9-10) and repentance, followed by baptism. (Acts 2:38) God wants all to be saved, even fools. [God] “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)

Do you want “To know wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:2)? Do you want to “increase learning” and become “a man [or woman] of understanding” (Proverbs 1:5)? Do you want to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18)? Then “study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) Do that and do it often and you will “love life, and see good days.” (1 Peter 3:10)

Semper Paratus!

The United States Coast Guard has as its motto the Latin phrase, “Semper Paratus” – Always Ready. The Coast Guard stands “Always Ready” to seek and save those who have become lost at sea and to defend our shores against those who seek to do our country harm.

We're always ready for the call,
We place our trust in Thee.
Through howling gale and shot and shell,
To win our victory.
"Semper Paratus" is our guide,
Our pledge, our motto, too.
We're "Always Ready," do or die!
Aye! Coast Guard, we fight for you.

The Coast Guard must be ready at all times because they never know when the SAR (search and rescue) alarm might sound off and call them out into some of the worst weather imaginable to rescue the lost. One might ask how they are able to maintain a high state of readiness at all times. The answer is simple – they train, they drill and they train some more. They train so hard to do their mission – they practice their techniques over and over again to the point that it is second nature – that when the time comes to rescue someone or to intercept a smuggler they just go out and do it. They have prepared themselves for the mission and they courageously execute it.

Christians could learn a few lessons from the United States Coast Guard. Christians ought to adopt the same motto as the Coast Guard – “Semper Paratus”, “Always Ready”. In fact, the Bible commands us to be “Semper Paratus” when it comes to defending or proclaiming the truth. 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” In the Latin Vulgate Bible, the phrase “ready always” is rendered “parati semper.” “Parati” is a derivative of “paratus” – both carry the same meaning: ready or prepared. So in essence, Peter tells us to be Semper Paratus!

Peter teaches us the need to be “Always Ready” to “give an answer.” The word “answer” here is from the Greek word “apologia”. In English, an apologia is not an admission of guilt, like an apology, but rather it is “a desire to make clear the grounds for some course, belief, or position.” (Webster’s Dictionary) In other words, “to give an answer,” means to make a scriptural defense for the things that we believe. We must be always ready to tell people the reason why we have this hope within us and to support this belief with the scriptures.

The question is how to achieve this level of preparedness and to be “Semper Paratus” to explain or defend our faith. Again, we can look to the Coast Guard for this answer as well – train (study), drill (practice), train (study) some more! Know your Bible! Peter said, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts...” “Sanctify” means to make holy, consecrate, or venerate. To “sanctify the Lord God” in our hearts means that we put Him first in our thoughts and in our daily life. We begin to do this as we, “study” to show ourselves “approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15. We are sanctified by the Word of God. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:17.

As we study and learn more about God and what He has done for us our faith increases and grows stronger. As we constantly seek to apply what we have learned to our daily lives and to carrying out the Great Commission, we become more effective at our mission of saving those who are lost and defending against those who would seek to destroy our faith. After we have sanctified “the Lord God” in our hearts by studying and applying His Word, we will find that we have become Semper Paratus – Always Ready “to give an answer to every man that asketh...”

Forty-Two

What is the meaning of life, the universe and everything? For millennia, man has tried to answer this basic question. During the Renaissance, philosophers began to believe that man could, beginning with just himself, find his own answers to this great question. Over time, though, man has discovered that he cannot do this. Instead of turning his mind toward a spiritual answer, today’s man has determined that there is no answer at all. An author named Douglas Adams accidentally came up with the right answer to this great question. In his trilogy, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, he gives his answer.

In the “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, all the great philosophers of the galaxy came together and tried to answer that question. After much debate they could find no answer, so they built a super-computer named Deep Thought to compute the answer. After Six Million Years, long after the galaxy had forgotten what the question was, Deep Thought came up with the answer. It was Forty-Two! I can tell you that we know this is the correct answer! Forty-Two is the answer to the great question of life, the universe, and everything, just not the way Mr. Adams meant it.

Douglas Adams was an atheist and, as such, he did not believe that there is an absolute standard. He, like his fellow humanistic philosophers, came to the conclusion that there is no meaning to life, the universe, and everything. Therefore, he picked for the book what he thought was a purely arbitrary answer. His arbitrary answer is as good an answer as can be found, if God does not exist.

Christians know that God does exist, and that His Two Testaments, written by about Forty different men, contain the answer. Thus, Forty-Two, otherwise known as the Bible, has the answer to the great question of life, the universe, and everything. As far as man is concerned, this great question can be broken down into three basic questions: “Who am I?”, “Why am I here?” and “Where am I going?” The Bible contains the answer to all of these.
The first question, “Who am I?” is answered in the book of Genesis. In chapter 1:26-27, we learn that we were created in the likeness of God. We were not created in a physical likeness to God, because God is a spirit and has no physical body, but we are like God in that we have an immortal soul. We have within our physical body a spiritual soul that will never cease to exist, somewhere.

The second question, “Why am I here?” is summed up by Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole of man.” Solomon taught that we are here to glorify God through our obedience to Him. Jesus states our two greatest reasons for existence in Matthew 22:37-39, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

The third question, “Where am I going?” is the most important one of all, for we know that this world is not our home. We all know that we are going somewhere. We are all going to either one of two places, depending upon which path we take. Which path we take depends upon which guide-book we choose to follow. If we adopt “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” as our guide book, we will end up some place we never wanted to go, just as Arthur, the protagonist of the Hitchhiker’s trilogy, ended up at the “Restaurant at the End of the Universe.” To him this restaurant was an eternally boring and weird place.

In reality, the destination we will find if we follow the godless philosophy behind the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” is one of eternal fire and damnation. However, if we adopt the Bible as our guidebook, we cannot fail to reach the other destination: Heaven.

Drawing Nigh to God

A new year’s beginning is the perfect time to for us to re-commit ourselves to God. The past year is now behind us, the things of that year are beyond us now and we cannot change them. If we were not as faithful as we ought to have been last year (and I would hazard to guess that none of us was as faithful as we should have been) then we need to commit ourselves, each and every one of us, to drawing nearer to God in 2006. The inspired writer James said, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” (James 4:7-8).

To submit to God means to be obedient to His Word – to yield yourself to His authority. In yielding to God, we resist the devil. In resisting the devil and yielding ourselves to God, we draw closer to Him and He draws closer to us. But, how can we submit to Him and draw closer to Him if our sins are separating us from Him? Isaiah wrote, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.” (Isaiah 59:2-3). Sin is not just actively transgressing God’s law, but sometimes it is in our passivity toward obeying His commands. James 4:17 says, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Knowing God’s will and not doing it is the same as actively working against it. “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” (Matthew 12:30). Our sins of commission along with our sins of omission pull us away from God – the opposite of drawing nigh.

Since sin has separated the non-Christian from God and will also separate the Christian from God, we each have the need to repent. Jesus made it possible for all of us to be able to be reconciled to God. His death paved the way for all mankind to become children of God through their obedience. His work in mediation also allows the erring child of God to be restored his fellowship with God – to draw nigh to God once more. We draw close to God after first submitting to His will – obeying the gospel. We cannot approach God unless we have first been cleansed. The non-Christian is cleansed (remitted) of his sins through repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38). The Christian who has fallen away can be cleansed of his sins once more through repentance, confession and prayer. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). To “cleanse your hands…” (James 4:8) means to repent of our sins and to be forgiven. To “purify your hearts ye double minded…” (James 4:8), means to approach God with singleness of heart; to devote ourselves utterly to Him and to His will. It means for us to be double-minded no longer, in other words, to stop trying to serve two masters – God and self. Jesus tells us that this is impossible, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).

In this new year, 2006, let us each submit ourselves to God and commit ourselves to resisting the devil with every fiber of our being. Let us each seek to draw “nigh” to God and allow Him to draw “nigh” to us. Just like in any relationship, communication is key. Communication is a two-way street – we must speak to God and allow Him to speak to us. God speaks to us only through His written Word. We need to read and study that Word daily in order to stay in constant communication with Him. But we also need to speak with Him on a daily basis. We can only speak to God in prayer. We need to be praying all the time – “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This year may we each seek to become closer to God than ever. I hope that by the time this year is over we each will have become a more faithful and productive child of God, drawing ever near to Him.

“Inheritance IN Christ”

A Brief Commentary on Ephesians 1:11-14

Verse 11: “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:”

In whom also we have obtained and inheritance... A child of God is not born physically, but is reborn spiritually. The first century Jews believed that they were children of God because they were born into Judaism and, as such, were entitled to the divine inheritance. When one is spiritually reborn through baptism into Christ and adopted as children of God they are entitled to the divine inheritance of eternal life. This inheritance is not based on the nationality of one’s physical descent.

Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will... Again, this word “predestination” refers to the fact that the conditions of salvation have been foreordained from the beginning. This was according to the purpose of God. God works all things according to His wisdom and will. He does not have to answer to man. His matchless wisdom, strength and power are all the counsel He needs as the supreme creator of the universe.

Verse 12: “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.”

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ... As a condition of inheritance, we must live our lives in such a way that we praise God’s glory. We must be the light of the world. Our example must be such that it leads others to God through Christ. One must first place his trust in Christ and be obedient to Him in order to glorify God.

Verse 13: “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation… Trust here equals belief plus obedience. In this part of verse 13, we see that the Ephesians first heard the Gospel and then had believed and trusted in it to the point of obedience. Paul, in 2 Timothy 1:12, gives his motivation for trusting in Christ. “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” Paul placed his trust in Christ because he believed and was persuaded, to the point that he changed the course of his entire life, that God would keep His promise on the day of judgment.

In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise... When they had believed, trusted and obeyed the Gospel of Christ, their belief was sealed by the promise of the Holy Spirit. This promise of the Holy Spirit that sealed them may have been the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon some of the members there at Ephesus to enhance their knowledge and faith in God. On the other hand, this could be referring to the Word of God, which they had received and were sealed in the faith by keeping its precepts. Most likely, it referred to both the word and the miraculous gifts.

Verse 14: “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory… The Holy Spirit is the earnest or the pledge of our inheritance. He dwells in us through the Word of God. The Word of God is our guide and our keeper until that great day of judgment when we will receive the bulk of our inheritance in heaven. Again, we see God’s motivation – the praise of His glory!

The Real "Boogey Man"

It seems that people have always loved to be frightened. The feelings of fear and fright causes our heart rate to accelerate and gets a little adrenaline flowing, thus causing a heightened sense of awareness. We begin to feel more “alive” when we are fearful. To some this feeling is quite pleasurable, at least for a short while. We should note that there is a difference between fear or fright and terror. Fear or fright is a feeling we get while we watch a spooky movie or read a horror novel in the safety and security or our own home or a movie theater. Terror, on the other hand, is something experienced. Terror is a mortal and realized fear for our own life, or that of another person. Most victims of violent crime, police officers, fire fighters and combat veterans have felt a sense of terror at some point.

Monday is All Hallows (Saint’s) Evening, a.k.a. “Halloween.” It is the evening before All Saint’s Day, which is a catholic holiday in honor of all of their “saints.” Halloween has its roots in paganism. However, today it has little or nothing in common with the pagan celebration. This day and age, Halloween is just a time for children to dress-up in costumes and get tummy aches from eating too much candy. It is a day when being frightened is fun. It is a day for hearing and telling scary stories by the light of a campfire or by the light of a flashlight held beneath a chin.

The spooky stories we hear and tell on Halloween are full of ghosts, ghouls, goblins, witches, were-wolves, vampires, and worst of all – the Boogey Man, or when I was kid the, “Booger Man.” We tell these stories, knowing full well that there is no such thing as a vampire, or a ghost, or a Boogey Man. They’re all just stories. We all know that, don’t we? However, the scary elements of the stories (ghouls, goblins, etc) all have at least one thing in common – they all represent evil and darkness. The “Boogey Man” of the story is always an evil, sinister being that wants to kill and destroy.

The stories are make-believe, but Boogey Man is real! He has a name – Satan, the Devil. He is an evil, sinister being who only wants to kill and destroy souls. He is an angel, who led a revolt against God and was cast down, along with his fellow rebel angels. For him and his angels, God has “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6). However, as of yet, the Devil is allowed to roam free. Our adversary Satan, “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (2 Peter 5:8). He is the “Father of Lies” and a murderer. “He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44).

He knows that he has been condemned to everlasting fire in Hell and seeks to take as many souls as he can into that fiery pit with him. He is the source of all that is malicious, despiteful, evil, hateful, malevolent, malignant, nasty, rancorous, spiteful, vicious, wicked, poisonous, venomous, virulent, baneful, detrimental, noxious, pernicious, envious, jealous, mean or petty. He is the ultimate liar and deceiver. He is not a physical being who stalks and kills his victims like Jason (“Friday the 13th”), Freddy Kreuger (“Nightmare on Elm Street”), or a monster in a story. He seeks to kill and destroy in other ways. He tempts mankind into sin just as he tempted Jesus, “Who did no sin” (1 Peter 2:22). He seeks to have us kill ourselves in sin, knowing full well that “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23).

We need to fear and be in terror of him and his influence. He can destroy us if we allow him to. However, in our fear and terror of him, we must not panic! We must stand firm against him and resist his temptations. Soldiers in combat experience terror, but they stand firm in the face of it. Fire fighters and police officers experience terror and fight against it. Christians face the terror of Satan and his evil works and overcome them through faith in God and the assurance of eternal life in Christ Jesus. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:28). Satan cannot snatch away your soul unless you let him. Fear him. Be wary of him. Nevertheless, stand up to him! “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7).

Redemption IN Christ

A Brief Commentary on Ephesians 1:7-10
By Jack W. McNiel

Verse 7: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

In whom we have redemption through His blood, according to the riches of His grace... Redemption is a releasing upon payment of a ransom. A ransom is the price demanded to free a hostage or one held in bondage. When a person reaches an accountable age and commits sin, they are in bondage to sin and death. But, because of God’s love for mankind, He has allowed a ransom to be paid to free mankind from that bondage. Innocent blood was the ransom demanded. In the Old Testament, the shedding of the blood of an innocent lamb on the Day of Atonement put off payment of the ransom or rolled it forward until Christ, a more perfect sacrifice, came and shed his blood to pay the ransom in full (Mat. 20:28). Now, all who have become obedient to God’s divine will have been redeemed by the blood of Christ.

The forgiveness of sins... Once the Christian has been redeemed by the blood of Christ their sins are forgiven and they are forgotten, just as if he or she had never sinned. A Christian who commits sin, after having been redeemed, must still be brought back into contact with the blood of Christ. This is done through fervent prayer and through confession, either public or private, depending on the nature of that person’s sin. (1 John 1:9).

Verse 8: “Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;”

Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence... God has given the Christian the promise of eternal life according to the riches of His grace. In fact, he has given to those who obey Him in abundance out of the riches of His grace. He has given more than is deserved by those who have sinned and who continue to sin from time to time. God’s plan of salvation is derived out of God’s love, wisdom and prudence.

Verses 9-10: “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:”

Having made known unto us the mystery of His will... The mystery of God’s will is His plan of salvation for man, through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. This plan was a mystery until God revealed it to man by the Gospel. This plan was developed before the earth was formed and was concealed in the Old Testament. But now, this plan has been revealed in the pages of the New Testament.

According to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself… This mystery was revealed to man by God in the fullness of time according to God’s will or pleasure.

That in the dispensation of the fullness of times… God’s concept of time is not ours: but when it was time, according to His divine purpose, he revealed the mystery of His plan unto man.

He might gather together in one all things in Christ… It had been according to God’s plan, from the beginning, that all things pertaining to salvation be placed in Christ. Brother Jerry Moffitt wrote in his Commentary, “We are in the dispensation of the fullness of the times. It is the last hour before judgment (1 John 2:18). All things, all loose ends, are gathered together and summed up. There will be one kingdom under one head (1 Corinthians 15:20-28; Philippians 2:5-11).[i]

Both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him... Under the Gospel plan of salvation, all things, both in heaven and in earth have been gathered together under Christ. The Apostles would receive the keys to the kingdom of heaven. The things that they would bind or loose on earth would already have been bound or loosed in heaven (Mat.16:19). All things, both in heaven and in earth are now under the authority of Jesus Christ (Mat. 28:18).

[i] Jerry Moffitt, Moffitts’s Bible Commentary, Thrust Publications, 1997, p. 342.

“Spiritual Adoption in Christ”

A Brief Commentary on Ephesians 1:3-6

Verse 3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”

Blessed be God…who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings... “Blessed be God” indicates one who is worthy, i.e. “worthy of blessing.”[1] By this Paul is saying that God the Father is worthy of blessing because He has blessed Christians with all spiritual blessings. These spiritual blessing include: grace and peace (verse 2); spiritual adoption (verse 5); redemption and forgiveness of sin (verse 7); the Gospel (verse 9); and a divine inheritance (verse 11).

In heavenly places in Christ... The word places is not found in the Greek text. The phrase directly translated from Greek would read “in the heavenlies.” “This phrase indicates the sphere of the blessing which are related to the Spirit. The term refers to heaven as seen in the perspective of the new age brought about in Christ.”[2]

Verse 4: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”

According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world... According to the plan of salvation that God had determined before the foundation of the world. Here Paul is saying that those who are in Christ are those who have obeyed the Gospel plan of salvation that God had predetermined at the foundation of the world. God in His infinite wisdom chose a plan or course of action by which mankind would have the opportunity to have their sins remitted.

That we should be holy and without blame before Him in love… This is the purpose for which God’s plan of salvation was set in place. So that through the blood of Christ man can once again be made holy and pure before God, just as if he had never sinned. He would be sanctified and made pure by obedience to the Gospel, which God has given mankind out of His great love for His creation (John 3:16).

Verse 5: “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself... Paul is saying that those who have obeyed the Gospel plan of salvation are the class of people who have been adopted as children of God through baptism in the name of His son Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). This class of people – Christians have met God’s conditions of salvation that he predestinated at the foundation of the world.

According to the good pleasure off His will... The various facets of the Gospel plan of salvation work together for the good of those that love God (Rom. 8:28) according to the good pleasure of His will. The pleasure of God’s will is significant in two ways. First of all, the plan of salvation itself came about by the pleasure of God’s will. 1 Corinthians 1:21 tells us that “it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching [the Gospel plan of salvation] to save them that believe.” Also, God derives pleasure in those that love Him, serve Him and obey His will.

Verse 6: “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

To the praise of the glory of His grace... “Our salvation is by grace (Eph. 2:8-10) and by our salvation His grace is praised.”[3] When a person obeys, loves and serves God that person’s actions glorify God before all. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16. When the world sees that person’s response to God’s grace and the good works in which that grace response in manifested, God is glorified.

Wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved... God’s grace has made the Christian acceptable in Christ Jesus, the beloved Son of God.

[1] Fritz Rienecker, Cleon Rogers, Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, Zondervan Publishing House 1977, p. 521.
[2] Rienecker, Rogers, p. 521.
[3] Jerry Moffitt, Moffitts’s Bible Commentary, Thrust Publications, 1997, p. 342.