In today's postmodern society, a few popular phrases regarding religion are "you have your religion, I have mine", or "you just need to do what works for you". Everything is relative and everyone gets to decide what they need or don't need when it comes to God. As long as you're basically "good" and follow some sort of religion or spirituality, you're probably going to heaven if there is such a place. Unfortunately, these popular ideas will lead everyone who follows them to a very unpopular place called Hell. But you don't have to take my word for it.
The Bible is filled with the idea of the sinfulness of man. It teaches that sin eternally separates us from God and causes death. But, the Bible is also filled with another idea that gives hope. The hope giving idea is the truth about Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches Christ was the son of God, who died on a cross for our sins, giving us a chance at redemption and eternal life. The Bible also teaches, that grace through faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved from our sins.
In reading Jesus' words, we have two possibilities; either Jesus was crazy because he claimed to be God's son, or he was in fact God's son. He gave many convincing proofs to the latter, with the greatest proof being his resurrection from the dead. So, if in fact Christ is God's son, His words on salvation are final. Listen to what God's son says about salvation. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." That statement stands directly against postmodernism. It's not whatever works for you, it's what works for God. We don't get to decide. That idea continues through the New Testament:
Acts 4:12 - "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
1 Timothy 2: 5-7 - "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men..."
1 John 5:11-12 - "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."
John 3:36 - "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
In today's society, claiming Jesus is the only way is probably considered intolerant or hateful. But it would be much more hateful for me to believe that Christ is the only way to God, and then tell you that whatever works for you is okay. I believe if we all do whatever works for us, we'll all end up in eternal punishment. I'm writing this truth in love today, because I wouldn't want to see anyone under God's wrath.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Protection of Church from State
As I was getting ready for church this morning I flipped on Good Morning America. They ran a segment called the "New God Squad", which included a Catholic priest and a Jewish rabbi commenting on issues in the day's news. This was supposed to reflect a faith perspective on pertinent news items.
One of the stories they chose to comment on was Governor Rick Perry's promotion of and participation in an all-day Christian prayer rally. The stories before this were fluff with politically correct, side-stepping responses. But when this story came up, both had the same strong opinion. The fact that this Governor would promote a Christian prayer event was catastrophic. Not only were fundamentalist Christians going to be there, but more importantly it was a clear crossing of the line between separation of church and state. The tone of their response was a sort of "shame on him", " how could he" tone. But if we look back at what the founding fathers meant with this language, we realize this game of telephone has gone too far.
In classrooms today kids are taught that the founding fathers were not Christians but in fact were atheists, agnostics, and deists. Looking at their own words we realize this isn't the case. The Wall Builders organization, founded by David Barton has a list of quotes from some of our founding fathers concerning religion. I will share a few of these but recommend going to the website http://www.wallbuilders.com/ABTbioDB.asp for more information.
Samuel Adams
"I recommend my soul to that Almighty Being who gave it, and my body I commit to the dust relying upon the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins."
John Jay - First Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court
"Unto Him who is the author and giver of all good, I render sincere and humble thanks for His manifold and unmerited blessings, and especially for our redemption and salvation by His beloved son."
John Langdon - Signer of the Constitution
"I commend my soul to the infinite mercies of God in Christ Jesus, the beloved Son of the Father, who died and rose again that He might be the Lord of the dead and of the living...professing to believe and hope in the joyful Scripture doctrine of a resurrection to eternal life..."
Benjamin Rush - Signer of the Declaration of Independence
"My only hope of salvation is in the infinite, transcendent love of God manifested to the world by the death of His Son upon the cross. Nothing but His blood will wash away my sins. I rely exclusively upon it. Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!"
Roger Sherman- Signer of the Declaration of Independence
I believe that there is only one living and true God, existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost...that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are a revelation from God...that God did send His own Son to become man, die in the room and stead of sinners, and thus lay a foundation for the offer of pardon and salvation to all mankind so as all may be saved who are willing to accept the Gospel offer."
John Witherspoon - Signer of the Declaration of Independence
I entreat you in the most earnest manner, to believe in Jesus Christ, for there is no salvation in any other (Acts 4:12)...If you are not reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, if you are not clothed with the spotless robe of His righteousness, you must forever perish."
As I mentioned, this is just a handful. The list goes on. I wonder what the "New God Squad's" panel would say to these founding "Christian Fundamentalist" fathers about the separation of church and state.
The phrase, "separation of church and state" is derived from a letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists Association in 1802. "I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people, which declared their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state." In other words, the church and religion should be protected from Government. Government cannot prohibit us from practicing a certain religion, and government can't make a law regarding religion. Well what about the first amendment? Same story. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
Is Governor Perry prohibiting the free exercise of religion? No. Is he establishing a law regarding religion? No. He's simply practicing his right to freely exercise religion. He's not mandating that all Texans become Christian, he's inviting people to a prayer event that believes the same things some of the founding fathers believed. We've gone from protecting religion to squelching religion. Isn't that what the founding fathers wanted to stay away from? Somehow this separation phrase has come to mean the opposite of what it intended. The first amendment gives the "New God Squad" the right to say what they think. But this talk about separation of Church and State should not be argued as a constitutional viewpoint, or something the founding fathers intended. It's a viewpoint that arose out of the courts in a culture that is at extreme odds to true Christianity.
My wife Liesl brought up a good point as we were talking about this earlier today. She said the President closed his speech about the debt ceiling as the President normally closes his speeches, "Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America." We ask for God to bless our country, while we continue to try and separate Him from any decisions our country makes. I believe this is a grave mistake that God will not reward with blessings.
One of the stories they chose to comment on was Governor Rick Perry's promotion of and participation in an all-day Christian prayer rally. The stories before this were fluff with politically correct, side-stepping responses. But when this story came up, both had the same strong opinion. The fact that this Governor would promote a Christian prayer event was catastrophic. Not only were fundamentalist Christians going to be there, but more importantly it was a clear crossing of the line between separation of church and state. The tone of their response was a sort of "shame on him", " how could he" tone. But if we look back at what the founding fathers meant with this language, we realize this game of telephone has gone too far.
In classrooms today kids are taught that the founding fathers were not Christians but in fact were atheists, agnostics, and deists. Looking at their own words we realize this isn't the case. The Wall Builders organization, founded by David Barton has a list of quotes from some of our founding fathers concerning religion. I will share a few of these but recommend going to the website http://www.wallbuilders.com/ABTbioDB.asp for more information.
Samuel Adams
"I recommend my soul to that Almighty Being who gave it, and my body I commit to the dust relying upon the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins."
John Jay - First Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court
"Unto Him who is the author and giver of all good, I render sincere and humble thanks for His manifold and unmerited blessings, and especially for our redemption and salvation by His beloved son."
John Langdon - Signer of the Constitution
"I commend my soul to the infinite mercies of God in Christ Jesus, the beloved Son of the Father, who died and rose again that He might be the Lord of the dead and of the living...professing to believe and hope in the joyful Scripture doctrine of a resurrection to eternal life..."
Benjamin Rush - Signer of the Declaration of Independence
"My only hope of salvation is in the infinite, transcendent love of God manifested to the world by the death of His Son upon the cross. Nothing but His blood will wash away my sins. I rely exclusively upon it. Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!"
Roger Sherman- Signer of the Declaration of Independence
I believe that there is only one living and true God, existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost...that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are a revelation from God...that God did send His own Son to become man, die in the room and stead of sinners, and thus lay a foundation for the offer of pardon and salvation to all mankind so as all may be saved who are willing to accept the Gospel offer."
John Witherspoon - Signer of the Declaration of Independence
I entreat you in the most earnest manner, to believe in Jesus Christ, for there is no salvation in any other (Acts 4:12)...If you are not reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, if you are not clothed with the spotless robe of His righteousness, you must forever perish."
As I mentioned, this is just a handful. The list goes on. I wonder what the "New God Squad's" panel would say to these founding "Christian Fundamentalist" fathers about the separation of church and state.
The phrase, "separation of church and state" is derived from a letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists Association in 1802. "I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people, which declared their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state." In other words, the church and religion should be protected from Government. Government cannot prohibit us from practicing a certain religion, and government can't make a law regarding religion. Well what about the first amendment? Same story. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
Is Governor Perry prohibiting the free exercise of religion? No. Is he establishing a law regarding religion? No. He's simply practicing his right to freely exercise religion. He's not mandating that all Texans become Christian, he's inviting people to a prayer event that believes the same things some of the founding fathers believed. We've gone from protecting religion to squelching religion. Isn't that what the founding fathers wanted to stay away from? Somehow this separation phrase has come to mean the opposite of what it intended. The first amendment gives the "New God Squad" the right to say what they think. But this talk about separation of Church and State should not be argued as a constitutional viewpoint, or something the founding fathers intended. It's a viewpoint that arose out of the courts in a culture that is at extreme odds to true Christianity.
My wife Liesl brought up a good point as we were talking about this earlier today. She said the President closed his speech about the debt ceiling as the President normally closes his speeches, "Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America." We ask for God to bless our country, while we continue to try and separate Him from any decisions our country makes. I believe this is a grave mistake that God will not reward with blessings.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Every Sunday
In my previous post, I tried to explain why God is not placated by human traditions such as going to church only on Christmas and Easter. Going one step further, God is also unimpressed by the act of going to church every Sunday, or twice weekly, or even going every day. The Bible teaches that there is nothing we can do in our own power to become righteous before God. If that were the end of the story, it would indeed be a sad ending for us all. The good news however, is that in Christ, God has not only made a way for us to fulfill our purpose in life, but has also provided us a way to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
I'm not a theologian by any means, but I am passionate about Christ and God's word. Because of that passion, I've spent a lot of time researching the gospel so I can hopefully present it clearly. The following paragraphs are my attempt at a clear presentation of the Gospel. It is simple in a way, but it is also very deep. I pray that if your life isn't completely devoted to Christ, that you'll stick with it through the end.
The word gospel means good news, and in this case, the good news about Christ. This good story begins with God and His original purpose for our lives. In Isaiah 43:7 we read that God created each of us to bring glory to His name. In Psalm 29 King David writes, "Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness." This idea of giving glory to God permeates the scriptures. However, another idea that permeates scripture, is that man, in his own power, can do nothing to bring glory to God.
While the world around us struggles to separate good from bad, scripture is clear on the matter, declaring we are all bad or sinful. You might be thinking of people in your life who seem basically good, especially compared to people like Hitler or Bin Laden. Those are the really bad guys right? The Bible disagrees. Romans 3:23 "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." "All" pretty much covers it. Have you ever placed any objects above God? Have you ever misused God's name? Have you dishonored your mom or dad? Have you lied? Have you lusted? Have you ever been jealous of the things other people have? The list goes on and on, but for most of us, including myself, this is probably as far as I need to go. God's standard is perfection, and none of us is perfect.
So what does sin get us? Isaiah 59:1-2 tells us, "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear." In Genesis and elsewhere in scripture we read about another consequence of sin. Romans 6:23 gets right to the point when it says, "For the wages of sin is death...". So sin ultimately separates us from God and causes death. This separation is eternal as God cannot allow unpunished sin into his presence. The Bible teaches that the eternal separation is lived out in a real place called Hell. A place of eternal punishment. Once again this would be a very sad ending, but God in His mercy comes to the rescue.
Several hundred years before Christ, the prophets began teaching about God's rescue plan. In Isaiah 53 we read about a savior that would come to pay for our sins. It says that he would be pierced for our transgressions, and crushed for our iniquities and that the punishment he would endure would bring us peace with God. This chapter also states that after the Savior's death, he would be raised to life again showing his victory over sin and death. In Isaiah 35 it says that this savior would cause the blind to see, the lame to walk and the deaf to hear. In chapter 61 Isaiah goes on to say that this savior would preach the good news to the poor. Could Jesus be this savior? John the Baptist, who was in prison during Jesus' ministry, was experiencing some doubt about the savior's identity, so he sent his friends to Jesus to ask him if he was in fact, the long awaited Savior. In Luke 7:21-22 it says, "At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, 'Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.'" In other words, "I am the Savior and the proof is my fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies". In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and in the following books that make up the New Testament, we read that Jesus fulfilled the remaining prophecies about the Savior. He was pierced and hung on a cross, died for our sins, and was raised to life after 3 days to show His victory over sin and death. So what is our response to this Savior?
The Bible teaches that if we turn from sin, and turn to faith in Christ's death for our sins, that we become righteous before God. The sins that separate us from God and from life are erased, and we are given the free reward of eternal life. Through Christ, we can bring glory to God once again, and fulfill our life's purpose. Here's the story as told by Paul in Romans 3:20-25 "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law, rather through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood." Through this forgiveness we receive eternal life. Romans 6:20-22 "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 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."
The choice is yours to make. If God has tugged at your heart through any of these scriptures, if you feel convicted of sin in your life and desire a rescuer, Christ is that rescuer. Ask God to accept Christ's sacrifice for your sins and to forgive you, then use the rest of your life to bring glory to God. In the New Testament it was a sign of obedience, that once you received salvation you would get baptized as a symbol of your death to sin and new life in Christ. Baptism doesn't save you, it's just a sign of obedience. So if you have received salvation, why not go to a local Bible believing church and get baptized to show what Christ has done for you. If you are not a believer, I pray you will consider faith in Christ. If you are a believer, I pray this (very long) post has blessed your walk with God. Thanks for sticking with it!
I'm not a theologian by any means, but I am passionate about Christ and God's word. Because of that passion, I've spent a lot of time researching the gospel so I can hopefully present it clearly. The following paragraphs are my attempt at a clear presentation of the Gospel. It is simple in a way, but it is also very deep. I pray that if your life isn't completely devoted to Christ, that you'll stick with it through the end.
The word gospel means good news, and in this case, the good news about Christ. This good story begins with God and His original purpose for our lives. In Isaiah 43:7 we read that God created each of us to bring glory to His name. In Psalm 29 King David writes, "Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness." This idea of giving glory to God permeates the scriptures. However, another idea that permeates scripture, is that man, in his own power, can do nothing to bring glory to God.
While the world around us struggles to separate good from bad, scripture is clear on the matter, declaring we are all bad or sinful. You might be thinking of people in your life who seem basically good, especially compared to people like Hitler or Bin Laden. Those are the really bad guys right? The Bible disagrees. Romans 3:23 "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." "All" pretty much covers it. Have you ever placed any objects above God? Have you ever misused God's name? Have you dishonored your mom or dad? Have you lied? Have you lusted? Have you ever been jealous of the things other people have? The list goes on and on, but for most of us, including myself, this is probably as far as I need to go. God's standard is perfection, and none of us is perfect.
So what does sin get us? Isaiah 59:1-2 tells us, "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear." In Genesis and elsewhere in scripture we read about another consequence of sin. Romans 6:23 gets right to the point when it says, "For the wages of sin is death...". So sin ultimately separates us from God and causes death. This separation is eternal as God cannot allow unpunished sin into his presence. The Bible teaches that the eternal separation is lived out in a real place called Hell. A place of eternal punishment. Once again this would be a very sad ending, but God in His mercy comes to the rescue.
Several hundred years before Christ, the prophets began teaching about God's rescue plan. In Isaiah 53 we read about a savior that would come to pay for our sins. It says that he would be pierced for our transgressions, and crushed for our iniquities and that the punishment he would endure would bring us peace with God. This chapter also states that after the Savior's death, he would be raised to life again showing his victory over sin and death. In Isaiah 35 it says that this savior would cause the blind to see, the lame to walk and the deaf to hear. In chapter 61 Isaiah goes on to say that this savior would preach the good news to the poor. Could Jesus be this savior? John the Baptist, who was in prison during Jesus' ministry, was experiencing some doubt about the savior's identity, so he sent his friends to Jesus to ask him if he was in fact, the long awaited Savior. In Luke 7:21-22 it says, "At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, 'Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.'" In other words, "I am the Savior and the proof is my fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies". In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and in the following books that make up the New Testament, we read that Jesus fulfilled the remaining prophecies about the Savior. He was pierced and hung on a cross, died for our sins, and was raised to life after 3 days to show His victory over sin and death. So what is our response to this Savior?
The Bible teaches that if we turn from sin, and turn to faith in Christ's death for our sins, that we become righteous before God. The sins that separate us from God and from life are erased, and we are given the free reward of eternal life. Through Christ, we can bring glory to God once again, and fulfill our life's purpose. Here's the story as told by Paul in Romans 3:20-25 "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law, rather through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood." Through this forgiveness we receive eternal life. Romans 6:20-22 "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 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."
The choice is yours to make. If God has tugged at your heart through any of these scriptures, if you feel convicted of sin in your life and desire a rescuer, Christ is that rescuer. Ask God to accept Christ's sacrifice for your sins and to forgive you, then use the rest of your life to bring glory to God. In the New Testament it was a sign of obedience, that once you received salvation you would get baptized as a symbol of your death to sin and new life in Christ. Baptism doesn't save you, it's just a sign of obedience. So if you have received salvation, why not go to a local Bible believing church and get baptized to show what Christ has done for you. If you are not a believer, I pray you will consider faith in Christ. If you are a believer, I pray this (very long) post has blessed your walk with God. Thanks for sticking with it!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Twice a Year
If you have ever been to church on Easter or Christmas, you know that on those days, parking spots are hard to come by. For the sake of tradition, families who may not have been to church all year come for special Easter and Christmas services. But where does that tradition come from? The idea of only needing to worship God on the days that Christ was born and resurrected is not found in Scripture. In fact, the biblical picture of Christian worship and the Christian life is the antithesis of such an idea.
In Mark 7:6 Jesus quotes an Old Testament prophecy from Isaiah about the idea of human made traditions in the church.
"Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." (Mark 7:6)
Jesus is not flattered by their holy traditions, in fact, he calls them hypocrites for practicing such things. So if tradition is not pleasing to God, what is? In Luke 9:23-25, Jesus gives insight into what is pleasing to God. "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?"
This is a much different picture from the go to church twice a year tradition. The picture of following God in the New Testament is one of abandoning your own life, goals, and even possessions to serve God and those around you. It is a daily walk, not a twice a year celebration.
My motivation for this blog is not to shame those who take part in semi-annual worship, it's to direct people away from the tradition of man and toward the gospel message about Christ. "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16)
In my next post I will explain the gospel about Christ and the reason behind my passion for you to know about it.
In Mark 7:6 Jesus quotes an Old Testament prophecy from Isaiah about the idea of human made traditions in the church.
"Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." (Mark 7:6)
Jesus is not flattered by their holy traditions, in fact, he calls them hypocrites for practicing such things. So if tradition is not pleasing to God, what is? In Luke 9:23-25, Jesus gives insight into what is pleasing to God. "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?"
This is a much different picture from the go to church twice a year tradition. The picture of following God in the New Testament is one of abandoning your own life, goals, and even possessions to serve God and those around you. It is a daily walk, not a twice a year celebration.
My motivation for this blog is not to shame those who take part in semi-annual worship, it's to direct people away from the tradition of man and toward the gospel message about Christ. "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16)
In my next post I will explain the gospel about Christ and the reason behind my passion for you to know about it.
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