There Is A Cost To Discipleschip Beloved Despite Popular Television Speakers Slant On Prosperity

There Is A Cost To Discipleship Beloved Despite Popular Television Speakers Slant On Prosperity

Jason Bryant

 

 

 

     There has always been a cost for the seeker, follower, and disciple of Christ.  To begin with, the faith that justified Abraham, cost him leaving his hometown, his family, his property, his prestige, and many heartaches in the journey of faith in which he sought a city whose Maker is Yahweh.  It cost Abraham and his male servants, nephew, and male family, even Ishmael some physical pain as they would be circumcised as adult men, and adolescent males including Ishmael.  This faith in being disciple of God in the school of faith would even cost the anguish, yet obedience when it came to sacrifice the child of promise, Isaac.

     In the days of Noah, it would cost Noah 120 years of ridicule preaching a Gospel of salvation in a type of Christ as he built the ark.  No conversions preaching to those who ridiculed him as he built a gigantic boat for a flood, on a land that had yet to see a drop of rain.  Moving down it would cost Moses his happy life in Midian as a shepherd, to a point of leading a group of people that whined and complained forty years and murmured and opposed him the entire time.  Joshua, oh Joshua, a man betrayed by his own brothers, sold into slavery, imprisoned for avoiding ALL APPEARANCES of evil, and fleeing from sin!  It cost.  Jeremiah the "Weeping Prophet" preached exactly what God said, and was cast into a well for speaking Truth.  Jeremiah preach to a godless nation that refused and ignored the message, and he penned Lamentations as Hebrews were carried into captivity, and he left to see the smoldering heap of Jerusalem.  Look beloved, look at Hosea, his faithfulness to follow God brought humiliation as he bought back an adulterous wife, and was a father to children not of his seed.  Isaiah faithful in preaching to Israel, yet saw the fall of the Northern Kingdom.  "But that is Old Testament!" "We are NOT under Old Testament doctrines...we are above them."  Both statements perpetrated mass media, books, study guides, and poor old ladies bombarded on television with "Sow a seed into our ministry, we'll even take your credit card number."  Woe on those who defraud the Saint, for the Lord is the avenger of such! (1st Thessalonians)  For those who have tore the Old testament from the Word of God, here is some Word from Jesus:

  

    ^"14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
¹⁵ Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
¹⁶ Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
¹⁷ These things I command you, that ye love one another.
¹⁸ If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
¹⁹ If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
²⁰ Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
²¹ But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me."  (John 15:14:21 KJV)
Here in John, notice the costs: 
1.) A COMMAND to do what Christ has said, from Mt. Olives, Sermon on the Mount, the parables.  Being a true servant WILL COST YOU the world's popularity.  (Jesus)

   Another Jesus teaching on the cost of discipleship:

 

2.)  WARNING  ^"2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

³ And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me."  (John 16:2-3 KJV)

3.)  EXPLICIT WARNIGN TO COUNTING THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP:
  ^"26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
²⁷ And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
²⁹ Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
³⁰ Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
³² Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
³³ So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."  (Luke 14:26-33 KJV)

    Clearly we see Christ warned of the cost.  In Acts of the Apostles, the epistles, and the history of the Saints throughout history from the days of Nero, to the blood shed in the reformation for owing a Bible, the price is paid.  Saeed Abidini is setting in Iran's most horrendous prison sharing the Gospel like Paul, whom we know paid the price.  Beloved being a disciple has its cost.  Costs being martyred, costs imprisoned, even the costs of continuing in the word, and putting off self, plans, money, homes, careers, prestige, and comfort to name a few.  What cost am I paying?  What costs are you paying?  Share with the Saints!  Love in Christ, Jason.  Happy Thanksgiving from America my Christian friends around the world.   

A Light For All The World To See

A Light For All The World To See

Robert Jason Bryant

There is a commonly held misperception in many a Christian's mind that Yahweh only sent missionaries into the world with the first advent of Christ, and His giving the Great Commission to the apostles, disciples, and church He established here on earth. This was a belief and misunderstanding the writer of this paper held himself until recently. The entire Old Testament since the fall of man in the garden of Eden is a hefty indictment against this incorrect teaching, belief, and understanding of Yahweh revealing Himself unto fallen humanity. The first missionaries were the nation of Israel. She was given the task as a whole, with manifold opportunities to be the people who were to reveal the Light, Yahweh to a dark and fallen world. She struggled to no surprise, recorded in the Old Testament pages of Scripture, and her failure was completed until the second advent of Christ, when she rejected the first coming of the Messiah. She got it wrong for now, until the Abomination of Desolation occurs, and the Messiah is received and preached by Israel. With the before mentioned statement brought to mind to the reader, are we church being the light that Christ assigned us to be? Are we church fulfilling that which Israel has failed to do so far?

" 27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." (Luke 2:27-32 KJV)

In Simeon's declaration and fulfilled prophecy, in six short verses, it is seen evidently and clearly that the proclamation that God has made since He said, "Let there be light..." that God's purpose has always been to make Himself known. To the Hebrew first, then the Gentile that He is God, and in Him alone is salvation. Notice in verses 30 through 32 God reaffirms this. He sums it up rather well with the Hebrew Simeon stating he has seen the salvation of the Lord upon seeing the Christ. He again reaffirms it in his statement that it was prepared for all people. Simeon leaves no room for error with the statement that God has prepared this before the face of all people, and it is a light to the glory of Israel, and a light to lighten the Gentile people. All bases are covered. God leaves absolutely no wiggle room. None are with excuse in this matter. The reader may be asking them self, "This is a New Testament passage, how does this show that Israel is a missionary nation or people?

"49 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. 4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God. 5 And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength. 6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up t he tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. 7 Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. 8 Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;

9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.

10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them." (Isaiah 49:1-10 KJV)

Written almost three thousand years ago, in the Word spoken to Isaiah it is even more detailed the model, purpose, and plan of God, to the nation of Israel. They were given charge, a commission to bare witness of the Light of salvation. In the mentioned passage from the forty-ninth chapter of Isaiah, glean from the very first word of verse one, "listen, hearken, ye people" these are the ones whom are charged with sharing the light. This is the Hebrew people. What are the Hebrew people to listen and hearken for? To begin with, they are servants of God! Servants have a master to serve in the very nature of the name servant. Secondly, notice the statement, "I will be glorified." God is the "I" and the servants are to bring Him glory. How is Israel to glorify God? Again beloved it is in the passage of Isaiah chapter forty-nine, verses on through ten. Hone in on verse six. God says it is a "light thing" that Israel should be His servant. God also says that Israel should be light to the Gentiles and His salvation unto the end of the earth! Here in the Old Testament, there is an unveiling, peeling back, or revealing of God's plan of redemption laid before the foundation of the earth. Where else might the reader recall the sharing of salvation unto the end of the earth? It is the Great Commission account of Mark.

"14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." (Mark 16:14-20 KJV)

It is wonderful how God ties everything together in His Word. He leaves no loopholes, and it isn't ambiguous to the seeking heart, mind, strength, and ability to the servant who seeks with all his heart what God desires. It is written in plain English for the English believer of the Way. Look at verse fifteen of Mark chapter sixteen and behold the words Jesus spoke are the same as what God spoke to and through His prophet Isaiah. Jesus said it, God the Father said it but are we obeying it? Did Israel obey it? For the most part, collectively as a whole no it isn't obeyed. The other side of the same coin is yes in faithful circles of biblical oriented Christians it is. Sound familiar reader? It should sound very familiar to the biblical Christian. Anyone who is familiar with the nation of Israel and the Hebrew people in the Old Testament, is well familiar with the reality that Israel as a whole collectively wasn't faithful, yet there was a faithful remnant in her serving the Master. In Babylon, in the wretchedness of being a Hebrew, in a lost and desolate land, four faithful Hebrew princes come easily to mind for the lay person as an example of the faithful remnant that chose to be examples of light, and thus remain loyal and faithful to Yahweh. Daniel, Meshach, Sadrach, and Abendigo were faithful to God. Was it easy? No it wasn't. Was there a cost to pay? Yes, there was. Daniel stood as a faithful old man, before the mouths of ferocious lions, yet faith in God saved him! Sadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo would not commit idolatry, and their faithfulness landed them in the fiery furnace, yet the walked out with Christ unharmed. There is a Missionary Baptist church in Lauderdale county Mississippi that averages approximately around seventy souls for corporate worship on the Lord's Day, yet the sponsor two churches overseas with an annual amount of over 100,000 dollars. That is an example of a faithful remnant in the midst of an unfaithful majority. There is a church here in Jones county, that averages easily around two hundred and fifty souls on the Lord's Day, yet only an approximate 10,000 dollars are scraped up for missions. To those whom much is given, even more is expected. Is the the larger congregation even considered faithful to the Great Commission in comparison to the smaller one? No, it isn't. There appears to be a disconnect to where the treasure of the heart is, and a willingness to be selfless. Which group of Christians are taking God and Jesus at their Word? Which group is obeying what the Master has commanded His servant to do? Which group is letting the Light of salvation shine for all the world to see beloved? The answer is obvious reader, it is the group that is letting the light shine for, the group that has it's "feelers" branching out into the dark and fallen world. Is the light shining in you? Are you letting His Light shine forth? Is a dark, dying, and fallen world seeing the Light? Is God being glorified? When these are answered to the yes, then we are carrying out the Great Commission as a whole.



What Has Happened?

What Has Happened?

Jason Bryant

 

 

 

    It is of no great surprise to the Biblical Christian, that the current situation of Western Christendom, is not too similar in what is gleaned from the pages in New Testament scriptures. Looking at non-scriptural instances of church history, in such books as "Foxes Book of Martyrs" the individual sacrifices that a Christian in the Western world, America especially is willing to offer, the cost willing to pay, is far, far, away from that of Saints in the Bible, Christians of history, and Believers around the world today. What has happened?

"17 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, 18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. 19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. 21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned and told, 23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. 24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.

25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. 26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:17-29 KJV)

What a contrast in God's Word, in comparison to American Christianity, for the most part in what is seen in this text. Boldness, loyalty to Christ, loyalty to God the Father, and the placement of self last! The common lay person with any scriptural knowledge is aware that Peter, spoken of in Acts 5, is the same Peter who denied the Lord three times, yet here he is sold out for Christ, no matter the cost. "We ought to obey God rather than men." A profound statement of eight words, located in the last part of Acts 5:29, full of underlying truth of what has happened in many American Christians and churches. Mankind is the problem. God is placed last at the priority of many a Christian life, and church mission. It is easily seen in the passage in Acts 5, that when God is obeyed above self, above man, then the Believer is empowered and the witness, testimony, and preaching of the Gospel is not hindered! God is glorified and lost people are saved. The Great Commission is fulfilled. What has happened?

Typically reader, it can be asserted to priorities. Priorities such as the following examples:

"I have a family."; "I am just too busy."; "It's the preacher's job to preach and share the Gospel." Sad, yet in many cases, these are the typical responses that heard in regards to not sharing the Gospel. Answers to justify disobedience to the last command Jesus gave before He ascended to the right hand of the Father. Horrendous excuses when souls are perishing minute by minute, day in, and day out. Perishing and spending eternity in pain, in suffering, and in hell! Woe unto those who blatantly make a lifestyle of not sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Another root issue in what has and is happening would be unbiblical churches. Yes, unbiblical churches. Can they even be called churches in the same sense and meaning of the very word that Jesus purposefully chose to use? No they can't beloved, not and maintain any integrity in the statement. The following quote in "Ten Indictments Against The Modern Church" sums it concisely.

"A Denial of the Sufficiency of Scripture “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”—2 Timothy 3:15-17Over the last several decades, there has been a mighty battle with regard to the inspiration of Scripture. Now some of you have not been a part of that battle, but many in more liberal denominations most certainly have seen this battle for the Bible. But there is a problem. When you come to believe as a people that the Bible is inspired, you have only fought half the battle, because the question is not merely “is the Bible inspired?” i.e., is it inerrant? Is the Bible sufficient,[13] Or do we have to bring in every so- called social science and cultural study in order to know how to run a church? That is the major question! Social sciences, in my opinion, have taken precedent over the Word of God in such a way that most of us can’t even see it. It has so crept into our church, our evangelism, and our missiology that you barely can call what we are doing “Christian” anymore. The majority opinion of the time is that a man of God can deal in certain tiny areas in the life of the Church; but when it really gets tough, we need to go to the social experts. That is an absolute lie! It says here that the Scriptures are given “that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2Ti 3:17). Our missionary activity, our church activity, and everything we do ought to flow from the theologian and the exegete—the man who opens up his Bible and has only one question: What is Thy will, Oh God? We are not to send out questionnaires to carnal people to discover what kind of church they would attend! A church ought to be seeker friendly, but the church ought to recognize there is only one Seeker. His name is God!—and if you want to be friendly to someone, if you want to accommodate someone, accommodate Him and His glory, even if it is rejected by everyone else. We are not called to build empires. We are not called to be excessive. We are called to glorify God. And if you want the Church to be something other than a peculiar people[14](Ti 2:14; 1Pe 2:9), then you want something God does not want." ( )

What has happened? It is clearly seen in the feeble constraints of this paper, that what is happened is a unbiblical humanized approach to "churchianity." In most cases there appears to be no zeal for doing things God's way collectively, and that begins with a lack of individual accountability for the Christian, lack of commitment, and ultimately a lack of obedience personally that drags down the whole of the body, from winning the race that has been set before us. That in itself, is horrendous enough. What is worse than that, it is that individual souls are going to hell, and perishing collectively in hell. That is the tragedy of what has happened.

Jesus Was Intentional With Every Word He Chose To Say

Jesus Was Intentional With Every Word He Chose To Say

 

 

 

 

  What is five minutes of your time worth, when it comes to your soul? There is a horrible misunderstanding, or possibly worse, heretical teaching going around that "repentance" means change your mind.  That is ONLY a tip of the ice berg.  Yes, it can mean that in the simplest of Western mindset; however, in Greek-Hebrew language that Yahweh and Jesus used explicitly and on purpose it means that, and all the below with the Scriptural references.  The Lord would not have us be ignorant Beloved!  As He says in His own Word.  Below are repent and believe, BOTH being imperative in salvation by grace.
Notice Jesus says this TWICE!  This is the double Hebrew way of stressing an important FACT, as in, LISTEN!  Don't take my word for it, nor any man's, look at what God said, and says.
"13 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?

3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:1-3 KJV  (Authored by God, hand written by a Greek named Luke)

Repent~ Vine's Biblical Dictionary

"A-1,Verb,3340,metanoeo
lit., "to perceive afterwards" (meta, "after," implying "change," noeo, "to perceive;" nous, "the mind, the seat of moral reflection"), in contrast to pronoeo, "to perceive beforehand," hence signifies "to change one's mind or purpose," always, in the NT, involving a change for the better, an amendment, and always, except in Luke 17:3,4, of "repentance" from sin. The word is found in the Synoptic Gospels (in Luke, nine times), in Acts five times, in the Apocalypse twelve times, eight in the messages to the churches, Rev. 2:5 (twice),16,21 (twice), RV, "she willeth not to repent" (2nd part); Rev. 3:3,19 (the only churches in those chapters which contain no exhortation in this respect are those at Smyrna and Philadelphia); elsewhere only in 2 Cor. 12:21. See also the general Note below.
A-2,Verb,3338,metamelomai
meta, as in No. 1, and melo, "to care for," is used in the Passive Voice with the Middle Voice sense, signifying "to regret, to repent oneself," Matt. 21:29, RV, "repented himself;" Matt. 21:32, RV, "ye did (not) repent yourselves" (AV, "ye repented not"); Matt. 27:3, "repented himself" 2 Cor. 7:8 (twice), RV, "regret" in each case; Heb. 7:21, where alone in the NT it is said (negatively) of God.

B-1,Adjective,278,ametameletos
"not repented of, unregretted" (a, negative, and a verbal adjective of A, No. 2), signifies "without change of purpose;" it is said (a) of God in regard to his "gifts and calling," Rom. 11:29; (b) of man, 2 Cor. 7:10, RV, "[repentance (metanoia, see C)] ... which bringeth no regret" (AV, "not to be repented of"); the difference between metanoia and metamelomai, illustrated here, is briefly expressed in the contrast between "repentance" and "regret."

C-1,Noun,3341,metanoia
"afterthought, change of mind, repentance," corresponds in meaning to A, No. 1, and is used of "repentance" from sin or evil, except in Heb. 12:17, where the word "repentance" seems to mean, not simply a change of Isaac's mind, but such a change as would reverse the effects of his own previous state of mind. Esau's birthright-bargain could not be recalled; it involved an irretrievable loss. As regards "repentance" from sin, (a) the requirement by God on man's part is set forth, e.g., in Matt. 3:8; Luke 3:8; Acts 20:21; 26:20; (b) the mercy of God in giving "repentance" or leading men to it is set forth, e.g., in Acts 5:31; 11:18; Rom. 2:4; 2 Tim. 2:25. The most authentic mss. omit the word in Matt. 9:13; Mark 2:17, as in the RV.

Note: In the OT, "repentance" with reference to sin is not so prominent as that change of mind or purpose, out of pity for those who have been affected by one's action, or in whom the results of the action have not fulfilled expectations, a "repentance" attributed both to God and to man, e.g., Gen. 6:6; Exod. 32:14 (that this does not imply anything contrary to God's immutability, but that the aspect of His mind is changed toward an object that has itself changed, see under RECONCILE).

In the NT the subject chiefly has reference to "repentance" from sin, and this change of mind involves both a turning from sin and a turning to God. The parable of the Prodigal Son is an outstanding illustration of this. Christ began His ministry with a call to "repentance," Matt. 4:17, but the call is addressed, not as in the OT to the nation, but to the individual. In the Gospel of John, as distinct from the Synoptic Gospels, referred to above, "repentance" is not mentioned, even in connection with John the Baptist's preaching; in John's Gospel and 1st Epistle the effects are stressed, e.g., in the new birth, and, generally, in the active turning from sin to God by the exercise of faith (John 3:3; 9:38; 1 John 1:9), as in the NT in general.

Believe ~ Vine's Biblical Dictionary

  "[A-1,Verb,4100,pisteuo]
"to believe," also "to be persuaded of," and hence, "to place confidence in, to trust," signifies, in this sense of the word, reliance upon, not mere credence. It is most frequent in the writings of the Apostle John, especially the Gospel. He does not use the noun (see below). For the Lord's first use of the verb, see John 1:50. Of the writers of the Gospels, Matthew uses the verb ten times, Mark ten, Luke nine, John ninety-nine. In Acts 5:14 the present participle of the verb is translated "believers." See COMMIT, INTRUST, TRUST.
<A-2,Verb,3982,peitho>
"to persuade," in the Middle and Passive Voices signifies "to suffer oneself to be persuaded," e.g., Luke 16:31; Heb. 13:18; it is sometimes translated "believe" in the RV, but not in Acts 17:4, RV, "were persuaded," and Acts 27:11, "gave (more) heed;" in Acts 28:24, "believed." See AGREE, ASSURE, OBEY, PERSUADE, TRUST, YIELD.

Note: For [apisteo], the negative of No. 1, and [apeitheo], the negative of No. 2, see DISBELIEVE, DISOBEDIENT.

[B-1,Noun,4102,pistis]
"faith," is translated "belief" in Rom. 10:17; 2 Thess. 2:13. Its chief significance is a conviction respecting God and His Word and the believer's relationship to Him. See ASSURANCE, FAITH, FIDELITY.

Note: In 1 Cor. 9:5 the word translated "believer" (RV), is adelphe, "a sister," so 1 Cor. 7:15; Rom. 16:1; Jas. 2:15, used, in the spiritual sense, of one connected by the tie of the Christian faith.

[C-1,Adjective,4103,pistos]
(a) in the Active sense means "believing, trusting;" (b) in the Passive sense, "trusty, faithful, trustworthy." It is translated "believer" in 2 Cor. 6:15; "them that believe" in 1 Tim. 4:12, RV (AV, "believers"); in 1 Tim. 5:16, "if any woman that believeth," lit., "if any believing woman." So in 1 Tim. 6:2, "believing masters." In 1 Pet. 1:21 the RV, following the most authentic mss., gives the noun form, "are believers in God" (AV, "do believe in God"). In John 20:27 it is translated "believing." It is best understood with significance (a), above, e.g., in Gal. 3:9; Acts 16:1; 2 Cor. 6:15; Titus 1:6; it has significance (b), e.g., in 1 Thess. 5:24; 2 Thess. 3:3 (see Notes on Thess. p. 211, and Gal. p. 126, by Hogg and Vine). See FAITHFUL, SURE.

Notes: (1) The corresponding negative verb is apisteo, 2 Tim. 2:13, AV, "believe not" RV, "are faithless," in contrast to the statement "He abideth faithful."

(2) The negative noun apistia, "unbelief," is used twice in Matthew (Matt. 13:58; 17:20), three times in Mark (Mark 6:6; 9:24; 16:14), four times in Romans (Rom. 3:3; 4:20; 11:20,23); elsewhere in 1 Tim. 1:13; Heb. 3:12,19. (3) The adjective apistos is translated "unbelievers" in 1 Cor. 6:6; 2 Cor. 6:14; in 2Cor. 6:15, RV, "unbeliever" (AV, "infidel"); so in 1 Tim. 5:8; "unbelieving" in 1 Cor. 7:12-15; 14:22-24; 2 Cor. 4:4; Titus 1:15; Rev. 21:8; "that believe not" in 1 Cor. 10:27. In the Gospels it is translated "faithless" in Matt. 17:17; Mark 9:19; Luke 9:41; John 20:27, but in Luke 12:46, RV, "unfaithful," AV, "unbelievers." Once it is translated "incredible," Acts 26:8. See FAITHLESS, INCREDIBLE, UNBELIEVER.

(4) Plerophoreo, in Luke 1:1 (AV, "are most surely believed," lit., "have had full course"), the RV renders "have been fulfilled." See FULFILL, KNOW, PERSUADE, PROOF."

 

Share with the Beloved!  Love in Christ, Jason


Social Club? Or New Testament Church That Jesus Designed?

Social Club? Or New Testament Church That Jesus Designed?

  It is no secret to the Biblical minded, living, seeking Christian that you WILL FACE OPPOSITION IN THIS WORLD.  It comes from manifold directions, people (non Believers, Believers), friends (so called and genuine) and sometimes even family as Christ Himself faced.  The last three semesters have brought eye opening Truth to surface, and realities I have shunned off in the past as insignificant, but when the facts, the Word of God, circumstances, and REALITY jump up and bite you like a serpent, that vicious pit viper, you may start glancing to the sides, in front of you, behind you just to make sure you are not snake bit again.  That is the plain simple reality of this fallen world and human nature.  Although we be saved, we still reside in a fallen, sin bent, misguided and selfish oriented flesh tent, and He the Holy Spirit, the Word of Yahweh, and Jesus are the ONLY absolutes that can be depended on without any fallacy or human mistakes or presuppositions. 
  With the obvious above stated, Paul tells us to examine ourselves and see if "we" be in the faith.  Not examine others.  Collectively as a church we examine ourselves collectively.  The for sure fire way is follow the money.  For where our treasure is, there is our heart, motive, intention, and sum of our collective faithfulness.  Our pocket books, treasury, and time speak more than our words and appearances.  The below missions lecture is louder than words.  It is a gauge to measure ourselves and our fellowships, individually and collectively.  No single person, no single congregation is being singled out, rather all of us.  People are dying and going to hell.  Are we in a social club, or are we in a New Testament church?

 

Lecture 11

THE MODERN PRACTICE OF MISSIONS
AND ITS PROBLEMS

"In our last chapter we took a look at CHURCHIANITY. We learned how the devil has corrupted and complicated and confused and cluttered and created a MESS. Many of the churches of today have moved away from the SIMPLICITY that is in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3) and have become CORRUPTED with all kinds of TANGLES.

Missionaries are generally sent forth from churches. The barrooms of the land do not send forth missionaries. The great universities of the land do not usually send forth missionaries. The government may send forth ambassadors and "special envoys" to foreign lands, but does the government send forth missionaries? No unless you count the Vatican as a sovereign nation. Missionaries usually come out of churches and are sent from churches:

 

Churches Reproduce After Their Kind

Tangles in the churches at home will produce tangles on the foreign fields. When Baptist and Congregational and Catholic and Methodist and Presbyterian missionaries go forth, what kind of churches do you think they will reproduce on the mission field? If the churches have different ideas about water baptism, do you think the missionaries that come from these churches will have different ideas about water baptism? Yes. If there is confusion at home, there will also be confusion on the mission field.

Every missionary carries with him certain ideas and practices and ways of doing things. The missionary’s job is to preach the gospel and to plant churches in areas where there are no churches.
If you plant a tomato seed, what do you think will grow up? A tomato plant. If you plant an apple seed, what do you think will grow up? An aplle tree.  If you plant a sunflower seed, what will grow up? A sunflower.   If you plant a Methodist seed, what will grow up? Methodist.   If you plant a Catholic seed, what will grow up? More papal religion or Catholics. CHURCHIANITY produces more CHURCHIANITY. The tangle seems to get worse and worse.

The churches that are planted on the field will usually not be very much better than the churches at home. If your fishing line is all tangled up at the boat, is it still going to be tangled up if you cast it far away from the boat? Yes.  In many ways this is a picture of modern missions. Many tangled lines have been cast out into the world and the problems of CHURCHIANITY have been reproduced on the mission field.

We should remember that when Paul was sent out on his first missionary journey, he was sent forth from a very strong church (Acts 13:1-3). The church at Antioch was a praying church (Acts 13:2-3). It was a Bible teaching church (Acts 11:26; 13:1). It was an evangelistic church where the gospel went forth and people were being saved (Acts 11:24). It was a church that was known for its CHRISTIANITY (Acts 11:26) not for its confusing CHURCHIANITY.It was a church which had an UNTANGLED FISHING LINE. When this line was cast forth it remained untangled.

Different Concepts and Ideas

A true missionary must have a correct concept of the PROVISION OF GOD and the NEED OF MAN:

1.    THE NEED OF MAN:
Man is needy. He needs salvation.
Man is lost (Romans 3:10-23).
Man is perishing in sin (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Man cannot save himself (Ephesians 2:8-9).

2.    THE PROVISION OF GOD:
God can meet the need of man (Hebrews 7:25).
Only God can meet the need of man (Acts 4:12).
There is no other Saviour apart from God (Isaiah 45:21-22).
Apart from God’s grace, man is doomed (2 Timothy 1:9).

These are the simple facts that every missionary should know backwards and forwards. These simple facts are like the "A,B,C’s" of missions. If a student does not understand the simple "A,B,C’s", then it is certain that he will not do very well in reading and writing. If a person does not understand that 1 + 1 = 2, then he will certainly have trouble with more difficult math problems.

What about you? Do you understand that you are needy, lost, perishing and cannot save yourself? Do you understand that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only One who can solve your problem and save your soul, and that apart from Him there is no hope? If you understand these things, then how have you responded? What have you done? Have you come to the Saviour? Have you believed on Him? Have you called upon the name of the Lord and asked Him to save your soul (Romans 10:13)?

It is a sad thing that many people (including missionaries) do not understand these simple truths. They are confused when it comes to the "A,B,C’s"! They do not see man’s need and they do not understand God’s provision.

Some are confused so they ask the question, "Can people be saved without hearing the gospel? Can a person be saved if he has never heard about Jesus?" They wonder about the poor native who lives deep in some jungle. If no missionaries ever reach him, is there still a way for him to be saved? Then as they get more confused they might say, "It is nice to go to the heathen with the gospel but it is not essential. They can be saved without a preacher. If they have never heard about Jesus then God will not judge them too severely." Is this really true? Is a PREACHER essential or not essential (see Romans 10:13-14)? Yes.   Can a person be saved apart from the Name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12)? No.

Some are confused so they ask the question, "Will God give people a second chance after death?" If this were really true then missionaries would not be so essential because people would always have a second chance. According to the Bible, does God really give people a "second chance" (see Hebrews 9:27)? No.

Some are confused so they ask the question, "Will all people eventually be saved some day?" If this were true, would it be necessary to send out missionaries preaching salvation? No.  Are all people walking down the road that leads to salvation (Matthew 7:13-14)? No, to the contrary by reason and result of the Fall of Humanity ALL are on the road, the wide road, the wide gate to destruction, unless they accept Jesus.

Some are confused so they ask the question, "Is there really a hell? Is there really such a thing as eternal punishment? Would a loving God really condemn people who reject His Son? Would God really condemn people who have never heard about His Son?" Does the Bible teach that there is a real hell (Mark 9:43-48)? Yes.   Does the Bible teach that there will be such a thing as eternal punishment (Matthew 25:41,46)? Yes.   ETERNAL JUDGMENT is one of the "first principles" or one of the "A,B,C’s" that every believer should know and not be confused about (see Hebrews 5:11,12; 6:1-2).

Confused About What Our Mission Really Is

Why do missionaries go into the world? What is their real mission? What are they supposed to be doing? It would be foolish to send a soldier out into the middle of the battlefield if he does not know what he is supposed to be doing and if he does not even know who he is supposed to shoot at! Sad to say, there are many missionaries that are on the Lord’s battlefield and they do not understand why they are there or what they should be doing. Here are some of the ideas that people have:

"I’m going into all the world to make the world a better place to live."

"I’m going into all the world to improve society."

"I’m going into all the world to clean-up society."

"I’m going into all the world to change the world."

"I’m going into all the world to educate people so that they can live better lives."

"I’m going into all the world to provide food for the poor and medicine for the sick and clothes for the naked."

"I’m going into all the world to help people to love their neighbors and to do good unto all men."

All of these things sound very nice and good, but we must not forget why the Lord Jesus Christ has sent us into the world. He has told us to go into all the world and what are we to do (Mark 16:15)?

"Go ye into ALL the world, and PREACH the Gospel."  Jesus

The Lord has never told us to go and SAVE THE WORLD or CHANGE THE WORLD. God’s plan is not to save this world. Instead God’s plan is to reach down and save INDIVIDUALS out of this evil world (Galatians 1:4; Colossians 1:13; John 15:19; John 17:14). Think of a large ocean liner that is sinking (like the great ship TITANIC):

 

Does the New Testament Pattern Really Work?

God’s program of missions is spelled out very carefully and very simply on the pages of the New Testament, especially in the book of Acts and in the letters of Paul. God has given to us all the information that we need to have in order to carry out His Great Commission.

The problem we face today is this: There are many people who do not believe that the New Testament pattern would really work today. They might say something like this: It worked well back then in the days of Paul but it would never work today. They somehow feel that New Testament methods and practices have become out-dated and that more "modern" methods are needed for today. As a result much of the New Testament is ignored and God’s perfect blueprint for missions is not followed. They somehow feel that man’s tangled up ways are much better than God’s untangled and simple ways!

 

 

God’s Simple Program of Missions

God’s program for missions can be described by 8 simple words:

1.    PRAYER--the early church was a praying church and prayer is the very heart-beat of missions (compare Matthew 9:36-38). The first missionary journey was bathed in prayer (Acts 13:2-3).

2.    POWER--The power of the Holy Spirit is the dynamite of missions (Acts 1:8; 4:33; 6:8; 10:38). Man’s programs and methods are never a substitute for the power of God.

3.    PREACHING--preaching the Word of God was the very backbone of missions (Acts 4:2; 8:5; 8:25; 8:35; 13:5; 14:7; etc.).

4.    PRACTICE--The early Christians not only preached the Word but they practiced it. They were DOERS OF THE WORD (James 1:22). They not only preached the gospel, they lived the gospel.

5.    PLANTING--The early missionaries, such as Paul, spent their time and energy in planting local churches. Paul did this in Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica and in many other cities. The local church is at the very center of God’s program for missions.

6.    PERFECTING--The believers in local churches must be perfected (equipped) so that they might be able to minister and serve the Lord (Ephesians 4:12). The local churches must be Bible teaching centers so that believers might be strong in the Word of God (Acts 20:27,28,32). Instead of the pastor or missionary doing all the work there is a whole trained army of believers who are spiritually healthy and equipped and able to serve the Lord.

7.    PERSECUTION--God’s true missionaries have never been popular with the world. In 1 John 3:13 we read, "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hates you." We find God’s missionaries facing persecution in almost every chapter of the book of Acts.

8.    PROCLAMATION--Persecution did not stop the message from going forth and being proclaimed. Instead, "they that were scattered abroad (by persecution) went 
preaching the Gospel." (Acts 8:4).

In 1 Thessalonians chapters 1-2 Paul gives us a glimpse into his missionary work in the city of Thessalonica. As you look through these two brief chapters, can you find any of our 8 words exemplified and illustrated in the ministry of the Apostle Paul?

God’s Work and Man’s Work

There has always seemed to be confusion concerning GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY (what God chooses to do) and MAN’S RESPONSIBILITY (what man is responsible to do). The Bible clearly teaches that God is sovereign and that man is responsible, but down through the centuries people have taken these two ideas and have really gotten them tangled up:

1. SOME EMPHASIZE SOVEREIGNTY AND FORGET RESPONSIBILITY.

Many have fallen into this error. In Chapter 8 this was illustrated by Dr. Ryland’s speech to William Carey: Young men, sit down! When God pleases to convert the heathen He will do it without your aid or mine! This man wrongly thought that God must do it all and man must do nothing. It is true

that God is the One that must save and God is the only One who can save. But God will only save those who accept Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:21). People cannot believe unless they hear the gospel message, and therefore God saves those who believe by "the foolishness of preaching." (1 Cor. 1:21). Thus we see the responsibility of believing men (which is what Dr. Ryland failed to see). Those who are unsaved are responsible to BELIEVE and those that are saved are responsible to PREACH. God’s responsibility is to SAVE! Man must do the believing; God must do the saving.

2. SOME EMPHASIZE RESPONSIBILITY AND FORGET SOVEREIGNTY.

This is another great error men fall into. The first error was to say that God will do it without man’s help. This second error is to say that man will do it without God’s help. Thus we have men running around with all kinds of gimmicks and programs trying to get men saved, instead of seeking to do it in God’s way and in God’s time using God’s methods and with God’s help. If God does not do it, all of our labor is in VAIN (see Psalm 127:1).

A Right Concept of the Bible

A missionary must have a right concept and understanding of God’s Word, the Bible. The Bible is the missionary’s most important tool and this tool must be used properly.

Albert Schweitzer was a man who lived from 1875 to 1965. He was a brilliant man who lived a very useful life of service to his fellow men. He was a religious scholar, a gifted musician (organist) and a skilled physician. He was also a philanthropist (a lover of men, a lover of mankind, and thus one who performs acts of goodness towards his fellow men). He spent years of his life in tropical Africa doing all that he could for the welfare of the natives who loved him. With his own hands he built a mission hospital and served for years as a missionary doctor, skillfully battling the tropical diseases which were so destructive to human life. Much more could be said about this man. His life was full of good deeds towards others in need.

We must, however, tell you something else about this man. This is the sad part of the story. Albert Schweitzer wrote a religious book entitled, The Quest of the Historical Jesus. This book makes it very clear that this man did not really believe the Bible and did not really believe that Jesus was the Son of God. He believed that there were many things in the gospels that were not really true. Here was a man who did much good in the world, but he was also a man who did not believe the Word of God. We can be sure that Albert Schweitzer never preached the true gospel to the African natives, and because of this he cannot be considered a true missionary of God. Because he failed to tell them the true Bible message of salvation, we must say that this man helped the Africans FOR A MOMENT but he hurt them FOR ETERNITY.

The same is true with poor and needy people anywhere. We can feed their stomachs and provide medical care for their bodies. We can put them in better homes and clothe them with better clothes. However, if we never give them the message of the Bible, then what have we really done for them? Someday they will die and enter into eternity WITHOUT CHRIST. Have we really helped them? Have we taken care of their greatest need?

Living By Faith

The life of a missionary and the life of every believer is to be a life of faith. This means we are simply to depend on the Lord and look to Him alone to supply all of our needs (Philippians 4:19).

The great pioneer missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, established what was called THE CHINA INLAND MISSIONS. This mission believed that missionaries were to operate by faith. In order to maintain this faith principle they followed certain rules. For example, they were never to ask for funds. They believed God would supply their needs in response to believing prayer. Also the missionaries were never to have a "fixed income," because God was the One who supplied, and whether little would come in or whether much would come in, God would take care of His servants!

In order to live and be content, what two things do people need (see 1 Timothy 6:8)?  Does God promise to supply His children with these two things (Matthew 6:25-34)? Yes.   Those who faithfully do God’s Work ("seek first the kingdom of God"--Matthew 6:33) will never lack God’s supply ("all these things shall be added unto you"--Matthew 6:33)!

Old time missionaries used to get on the boat and sail to the foreign field often with very little funds. They looked to God to meet their needs and they found that God was faithful. Today some missionaries believe that they need thousands and thousands of dollars before they will even consider going to the mission field. MONEY and FINANCES have become quite a problem. More and more people are looking to MEN to meet their needs and less and less are looking to God. How does God’s Word say that we should live and walk (2 Corinthians 5:7)?  We walk by FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT.

In this chapter we have seen just a few examples of how people have "tangled up" the simple truths of missions. May God help us to go back to the Bible and back to the simplicity that if found in Christ. God is looking for those who have "untangled lines" who will go fishing for Him (compare Matthew 4:19). When the Lord cries out, "WHOM SHALL I SEND, AND WHO WILL GO FOR US?" may we give the answer that Isaiah once gave:

"Here am I; send me. " (Isaiah 6:8)"

 

  There is a tremendous difference between "Here I am, and here am I."  One denotes physical location, the scriptural denotes spiritual willingness and open submission.  Which is it church, Christian, my fellow ministers?  Are we just functioning as social clubs, or are we New Testament churches that are after Biblical model, designed by the Bridegroom Himself?  Share with your fellow ministers, and Believers.  Love in Christ, Jason

 

Old Testament Application of Grace (Chen)

Old Testament Application of Grace (Chen)

Numbers 11:1-23 KJV

 

 

 

   

Rolling through The Word of God and continuing with "first mention" we pick up in Numbers 11 on mention and application of GRACE: (Numbers 11:1-23KJV)
"11 And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.
2 And the people cried unto Mose...s; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched.
3 And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the Lord burnt among them.
4 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?
5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:
6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
7 And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.
8 And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.
9 And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.
10 Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.
11 And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour (chen~grace~charis) in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?

12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?
13 Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.
14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.
15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour (chen~grace~charis) in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

16 And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.
17 And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
18 And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.
19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;
20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?
21 And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.
22 Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?
23 And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord's hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not."

(There is no word in Hebrew that can represent all the meanings of charis, and in the Septuagint charis itself is used, practically, only as a translation of the Hebrew chen, "favor," this restriction of meaning being due to the desire to represent the same Hebrew word by the same Greek word as far as possible. And chen, in turn, is used chiefly only in the phrase "find favor" (Ge 6:8, etc.), whether the reference is to God or men, and without theological importance. Much nearer Paul's use of charis is ratson, "acceptance," in such passages as Isa 60:10, "In my favor have I had mercy on thee"; Ps 44:3, "not.... by their own sword.... but.... because thou wast favorable unto them." Perhaps still closer parallels can be detected in the use of checedh, "kindness," "mercy," as in Ex 20:6, etc. But, of course, a limitation of the sources for the doctrine to passages containing only certain words would be altogether unjust. The main lines seem to be these:

(1) Technically, salvation by grace in the New Testament is opposed to an Old Testament doctrine of salvation by works (Ro 4:4; 11:6), or, what is the same thing, by law (Ro 6:14; Joh 1:17); i.e men and God are thought of as parties to a contract, to be fulfilled by each independently. Most of the legislation seems to presuppose some idea of man as a quantity quite outside of God, while De 30:11-14 states explicitly that the law is not too hard nor too far off for man.

(2) Yet even this legalism is not without important modifications. The keeping of the law is man's work, but that man has the law to keep is something for which God only is to be thanked. Ps 119 is the essence of legalism, but the writer feels overwhelmed throughout by the greatness of the mercy that disclosed such statutes to men. After all, the initial (and vital!) act is God's not man's. This is stated most sharply in Eze 23:1-4-Oholibah and her sister became God's, not because of any virtue in them, but in spite of most revolting conduct. Compare De 7:7, etc.

(3) But even in the most legalistic passages, an absolute literal keeping of the law is never (not even in such a passage as Nu 15:30,31) made a condition of salvation. The thought of transgression is at all times tempered with the thought of God's pardon. The whole sacrificial system, in so far as it is expiatory, rests on God's gracious acceptance of something in place of legal obedience, while the passages that offer God's mercy without demanding even a sacrifice (Isa 1:18; Mic 7:18-20, etc.) are countless. Indeed, in Eze 16; 20; 23, mercy is promised to a nation that is spoken of as hardly even desiring it, a most extreme instance.

(4) But a mere negative granting of pardon is a most deficient definition of the Old Testament idea of God's mercy, which delights in conferring positive benefits. The gift to Abraham of the land of Canaan, liberation from Egypt, food in the wilderness, salvation from enemies, deliverance from exile-all of Israel's history can be felt to be the record of what God did for His people through no duty or compulsion, grateful thanksgiving for such unmerited blessings filling, for instance, much of the Psalter. The hearts of men are in God's keeping, to receive from Him the impulse toward what is right (1Ch 29:18, etc.). And the promise is made that the God who has manifested Himself as a forgiving Father will in due time take hold of His children to work in them actual righteousness (Isa 1:26; 4:3,1; 32:1-8; 33:24; Jer 31:33,14; Eze 36:25,26; Zec 8; Da 9:24; Ps 51:10-12) With this promise-for the Old Testament always a matter of the future-the Old Testament teaching passes into that of the N

Most of the discussions of the Biblical doctrine of grace have been faulty in narrowing the meaning of "grace" to some special sense, and then endeavoring to force this special sense on all the Biblical passages. For instance, Roman scholars, starting with the meaning of the word in (say) 2Co 12:9, have made Ro 3:24 state that men are justified by the infusion of Divine holiness into them, an interpretation that utterly ruins Paul's argument. On the other hand, Protestant extremists have tried to reverse the process and have argued that grace cannot mean anything except favor as an attitude, with results that are equally disastrous from the exegetical standpoint. And a confusion has resulted that has prevented men from seeing that most of the controversies about grace are at cross-purposes. A rigid definition is hardly possible, but still a single conception is actually present in almost every case where "grace" is found-the conception that all a Christian has or is, is centered exclusively in God and Christ, and depends utterly on God through Christ. The kingdom of heaven is reserved for those who become as little children, for those who look to their Father in loving confidence for every benefit, whether it be for the pardon so freely given, or for the strength that comes from Him who works in them both to will and to do.)

Easton, BurtonScott. "Grace", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia. Blue Letter Bible. 1913. 5 May, 2003 14 Nov 2013.
<http://www.blbclassic.org/search/Dictionary/viewtopic.cfm?topic=IT0003910>



The Rotten Stench of Worldliness

The Rotten Stench of Worldliness

Compliments of The Berean

John W. Ritenbaugh

 

  "

  Genesis 19:14

(14) So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, "Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!" But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.
New King James Version   Change Bible versions

Do we live in a spiritual Sodom and Gomorrah? Is the end coming? Is Christ returning? Is the Kingdom of God fairly close? Are we lingering in the worldliness that surrounds us? It will take faith to walk away. Lot believed to such depth that he urged his sons-in-law, and yet he lingered. Lot knew the angels were there, standing by and waiting for him and his family. Even they tried to hasten him out, and yet Lot lingered.

He was slow when he should have been quick. He was backward when he should have been forward. He was trifling when he should have been hasty. He was cold when he should have been hot. He was loitering when he should have been hurrying. We might say today, "Was this man out of it, or what?" In a major sense, he was, yet he was a converted man.

The world around us is smoldering embers that will soon burst into the flames of the greatest tribulation that has ever hit the entirety of the earth. Unfortunately, many linger while the world is getting ready to burn. Lot is an example of a true Christian, who appears to know far more than he lives up to; he can see and understand far more than he practices.

Such people are thrilled to hear good, sound preaching. They believe in the doctrines of God, and yet they are constantly doing things that disappoint others around them. They believe in the Kingdom of God, and even seem to yearn for it. They hate Satan, believe in the Lake of Fire, yet it seems as if they do things to tempt Satan into testing them, putting the screws to them. They believe that time is short, but they act as though they wish it were long. They know that holiness is a beautiful thing—they like to read about it in books and love to see it in others—but they have the notion that it is impossible for them to be that holy and spiritual.

Lot represents those who dread personal sacrifice and shrink from self-denial. They have a horror of being considered narrow-minded, and so they tend to go to the opposite extreme, becoming so tolerant that they try to please everybody. They forget that they should first please God. These people are trying to keep up with the world. They are ingenious at discovering reasons for not separating from it, giving themselves all kinds of justifications for attending questionable amusements; wild, violent, sexual movies; or holding on to questionable relationships. They persuade themselves that it does good to mix a little with the world.

They cannot find it in themselves to do battle with their besetting sin, whether it be laziness, a bad temper, pride, excessive self-concern, vanity, or impatience. They allow it to remain in their mind, justifying it by thinking, "Well, that's just the way I am. My daddy before me was the same way, and that's the way mama was, and I guess that's the way I'll always be." They are lingering while the world is beginning to burn. These people are not really happy, for they know too much and are conscience-stricken. They are not really committed and they know it."

— John W. Ritenbaugh