Archive for Salvation
Conversion
Posted by: | CommentsI’m increasingly appalled at the lack of conversion I see in many churches. I think those who’ve presided in church leadership positions have fostered and even encouraged this anti-conversion atmosphere. When churches are about programs, activities, and services then the man or woman in the pew begins to sense that they, as a consumer, are in charge. The church quickly devolves from a fellowship of committed and steadfast Christians pursuing a relationship with Christ into a shopping mall full of idols. No, you read that sentence correctly! The church changes from a fellowship or gathering of family into a shopping mall. Fellowship to shopping mall. The church changes from feeling like home to feeling like Victoria Street. Instead of meeting with friends and family and spending time with the Father, you hop from one shop to the next- sometimes you have a specific item you’re shopping for; most of the time you are simply window shopping having become dissatisfied with your current wardrobe, tennis shoes, or some other trivial commodity.
Seal and Signature
Posted by: | CommentsWhen I approached my university graduation from Dallas Baptist University I was offered the opportunity to purchase a class ring. This ring bore the crest and seal of Dallas Baptist University, and it had some other fancy junk on it as well. You could get it super tricked out with lots of bling, or you could get the generic gold ring with nothing but the school crest and seal and your name on it, or the year you graduated. It was a nice and very beautiful ring. I knew a man who was so jubilant to finally be graduating from university that he paid top dollar and got the thing covered with diamonds. The thing was very flashy and could blind you on a bright sunny day. Other guys, just got a low-key ring.
I personally didn’t buy a class ring. I’m not much for jewelry. However, as a caveat, if I was the third-string, bench-warming, no-talent water boy for the Dallas Cowboys and we won the superbowl – I would probably get the superbowl ring and wear that around. That would be cool.
Did you know that all Christians all wear a symbol of their special status as being christians? It’s true. We who claim the name of Christ all wear a special symbol. But it’s not a ring. We actually put on the living God. He’s our class ring. Seriously. Three passages of scripture indicate a work of the Holy Spirit revealed under the symbol of “sealing” (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 4:30). The context of these passages indicate that the sealing is a ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian.
All the passages make clear that the act of sealing is accomplished entirely by God. It is never given in the form of an exhortation or a command to the believer. It is not a goal to which the Christian should strive. You, Joe Christian, don’t need to actively pursue the sealing of the Spirit. Being sealed with the Holy Spirit is a glorious act by God performed by Him alone upon those whom He has saved. Unbelievers are not sealed.
2 Corinthians 1:22 shows that the sealing of the Christian by God is done by putting the Holy Spirit upon the person. God, in his mercy, has provided a seal of greater significance than could be found in anyone or anything else. The figure is that of a finished transaction.
A seal signifies identification and ownership. I will always be a graduate from Dallas Baptist University (even though I dont wear a ring to show it). Nothing changes that fact. No matter what happens- I graduated from DBU. It’s a finished, accomplished fact of history. A class ring shows the world that I have successfully graduated from DBU, and the world can plainly see that I satisfied the requirements necessary to obtain a Bachelor’s degree from DBU.
God seals us with His Holy Spirit. God himself is our class ring. His seal shows the world that we belong to him and that we are certified owners of citizenship in heaven. In light of this fact take care, Christian. We who believe in Christ are God’s seal and signature in this world. You are the temple of the living God. The Holy Seal of the Universal Emporer rests upon your soul. Don’t act like a rebel. Dont trash the Seal. Dont treat God with disdain or contempt. Live like the ambassador that the Holy Spirit makes you. Live like you are worthy of the Seal.
Bankrupt in Kamloops, BC
Posted by: | CommentsI must confess, I am bankrupt. I’ve come to the end of my rope and I realize that I am worth nothing. I have debts that I cannot pay. My creditor is standing at the door, but I am broke.
As we look at the economic turmoil around our world, it is no secret that many people are in trouble. GM just announced that they are cutting 2,000 jobs. Air Canada is temporarily laying off 345 people. Without a doubt, The economic situation is grim.
Just like our economic status – our moral and spiritual status is grim too. Let’s look at the situation for just a moment. God gave us a moral and spiritual law to keep. We know these as the Ten Commandments. Take a look at Exodus 20.1-17. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God. The last six commandments focus on our relationships with each other. The Ten Commandments focus on our morality and our spirituality.
Now, can anyone honestly say that they have always kept these commandments? Ask yourself a few questions – have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen anything? Have you ever taken God’s name in vain? Romans 8.7 says that we cannot keep the law. Furthermore, Romans 2.14-15 reveals to us that the law of God, His moral and spiritual standards, are written on our hearts. Basically, we all know right from wrong. Rightness and wrongness is something that is inherent within every humans heart.
As Tom Hanks said (in Apollo 13), “Houston, we have a problem.” God gave a standard for us that we cannot keep (remember the 10 commandments). Actually, you and I have a standard that we can’t keep. That’s right, we don’t live up to our own moral goodness. This leaves us with a moral and spiritual bankruptcy problem. Because we have a law written on our hearts – when we break that law – we sin (Romans 3.20). Romans 3.23 continues to say that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Additionally, we find in Scriptures that our payment for sin is death (Romans 6.23).
This is where I have become bankrupt. Apparently, my sin is a debt owed to God. By nature, my sin becomes an infinite debt owed to an infinite God. I’m not alone in this bankruptcy. You, me, and everyone else has fallen short of God’s standard.
There is a false understanding that says something like, “when you die, your good and bad deeds will be weighed. If the good outweighs the bad, then you are in favour with God. However, if your bad deeds outweigh the good, then you are not okay.” This is a nice sentiment, but it is completely false.
Scripture is clear that we have a problem that cannot be fixed by our own merrit. However, Scripture clearly gives us the remedy. Romans 10.9-13 shows that our remedy is found in Jesus Christ. Our faith and trust in Jesus Christ is what “justifies” us before God. Justification basically means that we are in a right standing before God. This is critical. Jesus Christ, by dying on the cross, paid the debt for my sin (remember, wages of sin is death). It was his death that satisfies the wrath of God for me and for you.
You need to know that salvation is available to all, but it is not automatic. By trusting in him (Jesus), this salvation will be appropriated to you.
Yes, we are bankrupt, but our bankruptcy is paid in full by Jesus Christ.
For more information, listen to this message.
Where Did my Inner Prompting Go?
Posted by: | CommentsIt is too frequent of an occurrence. Our lack of understanding the Bible is ever widening and opening the door for the enemy to toy with our minds and affections, to produce worry and anxiety, and to distract and divert us from the business of Gospel Truth Proclamation. Our lack of understanding is killing our joy.
By this point I’m sure you’re asking, “What is he talking about?” I’m talking about eternal security, and a personal assurance that we are truly the children of God. “Am I going to heaven? Am I truly saved? I know that I’ve sinned several hundred times since I accepted Christ earlier this morning, so I just want to make sure that I have not lost my salvation.” These are good concerns to have, but they should not be perpetual irritations about which we go on ever fretting ourselves to death. I believe we can safely and correctly answer the question of a man’s salvation, and move on confidently to other items of pressing concern such as our neighbor’s salvation, or the salvation of the guy who works in the office cubicle down the hall.
There is too much Christian literature which compels us to consistently revisit this question. In a recent book Edmund McDavid asked, “Does God’s Spirit testify to me that I am a Christian?” In response to his own question, he answered with a scripture recitation: “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,” (Romans 8:16). Without further explanation and moving on to some other point, McDavid leaves his readers thinking that the Holy Spirit must speak to us in the dark of night as we drift off to sleep, whispering to us, “Hey Josh, this is the Holy Spirit talking, not your imagination. I just wanted you to know that you are in fact going to heaven. I just wanted to share that with you. Have a good night’s sleep. See ya in the morning, buddy.”
So many Christians worry about their salvation because they receive no similar whisperings or inner promptings from the Holy Spirit. The question frequently arises, “Where did my inner prompting go? Did I ever have an inner prompting? I know something happened… but now I’m not so sure what it was that happened. Am I really saved?” The problem is in the fact that you are not reading the verse correctly, and guys like McDavid are twisting it to make it say something that it is not saying. The verse says that the Holy Spirit testifies with your spirit that you are a child of God. The verse is NOT saying that the Holy Spirit is testifying to you. There is a huge difference between “with” and “to.” A correct reading should be, “The Spirit himself testifies WITH our spirit that we are children of God.”
Since this verse is so frequently twisted to suggest that the Holy Spirit is talking to us, we probably need to ask the question, “If the Holy Spirit is NOT talking to us, then who is He talking to?” In the Old Testament, and in Rabbinical law -the rule was that you could not accept the testimony of only one witness. Nothing could be accepted in a court of law that did not have at least two witnesses. Therefore, what this passage of scripture is saying is that when we show up at the Pearly White Gates and God asks us, “Why should I let you into my Heaven,” we can respond to His question, but we will not be the only one responding. As we testify to God that we are His children, there is another One who will add His voice to our own individual testimony: the Holy Spirit. God may not accept our testimony, but He must accept the testimony of the Holy Spirit. The best understanding of this verse is, “The Spirit himself testifies WITH our spirit [TO God] that we are children of God.”
So it’s okay if you don’t have inner promptings from the Holy Spirit every night before you drift off to sleep. I don’t have those mystical experiences, and so I don’t expect you to either. However, this does bring me to an interesting second question. The verse says that “the Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit…” Do you know for a fact with your understanding of God and the Scriptures that you have satisfied His requirments for holiness and righteousness? Do you know for a fact that you will go to Heaven when you die? Let’s forget for a second about all this stuff concerning the Holy Spirit. Let us imagine that we are face to face with God, and there’s no worry about anyone else testifying or not testifying on our behalf. Let’s just imagine for a second that as we stand before God He asks the famous question, “Why should I let you into this most glorious and most wonderful place?” What do you say to Him? There is an exclusively correct answer, and if you dont know what it is, then you are in trouble. If you can’t answer that question correctly, then you should not assume that the Holy Spirit is going to testify on your behalf. If you have trouble answering that question, then maybe you should chat with either me or Donnie about it this Sunday morning. We’d love to talk to you about it. We can give you the correct answer to that question. We can help you figure out for sure if the Holy Spirit is on your side or not.
See you Sunday.
In Christ,
Josh