To the first of the seven Churches listed in the Book of Revelation Jesus Himself declares we have lost our first love. What really amazes me is the consequences of losing our first love as described in the last Church listed. When the Church loses her first love she inevitably turns to love another - the love of money takes the place of the love of Christ! In the eyes of our Lord His Church is going from Ephesus to Laodicea - from a loveless Church to a naked Church. But in the eyes of men the "hard-working" Church becomes a prosperous Church. Why? God's people love the Church of Christ more than the Christ of the Church! The Church makes them rich but Christ doesn't.
The Lord said to the Church in Ephesus (first Church listed):
"I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love" (Rev. 2:2 - 4, NIV, emphasis added).
The Lord said to the Church in Laodicea (last Church listed):
"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked" (Rev. 3:15 - 17, NIV, emphasis added).
I believe the Church in Laodicea is a vivid description of the Church today - the end-time Church. I also believe the Bible is more up-to-date than today's newspapers. The love of money, which is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim. 6:10), has taken the place of the love of Christ. Clearly the driving force behind it is growth (in number) and prosperity of the Church. That's why there are now many nega-churches with thousands of churchgoers. The Church says, "I am rich; I have acquired wealth" because they have more and more people in the pews. And more people means more collection of tithes and offerings. People love to attend Church services because the gospel message had been diluted and in many cases replaced by "itching ear" messages (2 Tim. 4:3).
The Church in Ephesus - A bit of history
The Church in Ephesus had its beginning on Paul's second missionary journey (50 -52 AD) when he visited this city with Priscilla and Aquila. In Acts 19, we see the outbreak of a great revival in Ephesus with many people being saved, filled with the Spirit, healed, delivered from demonic oppression, and completely changed.
The Ephesian Church had experienced a glorious beginning and had risen to prominence among first-century Christians. There were many commendable qualities in these believers: They were an active hard-working group of people; they persevered in the face of strong obstacles; they were intolerant of evil men, false apostles, and those who were distorting the gospel; and they have not grown weary following the Lord. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with them because they had left their "first love" - the Lord Jesus Christ!
The greatest pursuit in life
Our ultimate love and loyalty belong to God and therefore Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30, NKJV).
Jesus also said, "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who love son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me" (Matt. 10:37).
Our Lord couldn't have spoken in more graphic terms to describe the importance of our relationship with Him. He assumes we do love the members of our family, but He requires us to love Him even more. He requires our love for Him as the greatest pursuit in our lives.
The Ephesian Church was diligent in doing good deeds and enduring in their Christian faith, yet God was not satisfied. Their origianl love was gone. Just being busy didn't impress Him at all. He wanted their hearts. He got their labor - it wasn't enough.
How does our first love fade?
For many of us, our spiritual walk may have gotten off to a good start, but God is concerned about how we are doing today. We may be involved in essentially the same activities (going to Church, attending praying meetings, attending home-cell groups, attending Christian meetings and conferences and attending Church family camps) as we were when Christ first came into our lives, but now these activities have lost their joy and meaning for us. Or, we may even begin to grow apathetic and uninterested in spiritual things. We then gradually pull away from God and away from any meaningful Church involvement. Anger, exhaustion, and exasperation then start to show up in our attitudes. The desire to draw close to God diminishes. Our first love begins to fade.
Many people think the opposite of love is hate but I believe the opposite of love is indifference, apathy, and with an "I don't care" attitude. This is precisely what happens to the Laodicean Church, being lukewarm - neither hot nor cold (Rev. 3:15).
Commitment to the Lordship of Christ
In God's perspective we should grow in our love for Him daily. If we are focusing all our efforts on simply hanging on, we are bound to make little progress. We must arise and not just "sit there until we die" (a recent message). It does not take many people to change the Local Church, it just takes commitment.
In general, commitment means to entrust or to pledge involvement. For Christians, commitment is a means by which we enter into an obligation of relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, we are committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives. Every thing our lives involved in as Christians hinges on our attitude of commitment to our declaration that Jesus Christ is the Lord of our lives.
The principles of commitment
The Lord has committed to us His faithfulness, His righteous judgment, His trust, His trustworthiness and His Word. We in turn commit to Him in His Lordship, our faithfulness to His Gospel, our trust in His Word, and our entire lives in His service. It is a mutual commitment of love relationship. We have to fulfill or obligation to Him because we are His purchased possession (Eph. 1:14). We are obligated by this purchase to serve Him with love.
Paul wrote to Timothy, ".... According to the glorious gospel of blessed God which was committed to my trust" (1 Tim. 1:11).
"O Timothy! Guard what what was committed to your trust, ..." (1 Tim. 6:20).
"For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day" (2 Tim. 1:12).
The nature of commitment
1. Commitment demands the exercise of responsibility otherwise it is not a commitment.
2. Commitment demand the exercise of self discipline.
3. Commitment is an attitude which can be developed. It is an attitude which God's grace can work in our hearts if it is not there to begin with.
4. Commitment is designed to go hand in hand with hard work.
5. Nothing prospers, nothing grows, nothing increases, and nothing gets better unless there is commitment.
6. There is nothing more powerful in the earth today than a human being who is totally committed. You can see it in every walk of life, in every kind of vocation, in every kind of pursuit. Famous athletes and other successful sports stars are all committed.
7. True Christians are committed to the Lordship of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
8. Christians who are being used tremendously by God are committed. They deny themselves and carry the cross daily and follow Christ (Luke 9:23). They remain as amateurs and never professionals. There is no such thing as professional Christians.
9. The only difference between the men in the Bible and you and I is the level of commitment to our callings. Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Paul and many others have much higher level of commitment than most of us.
Spiritual Diseases
In our walk in obedience to the Lord we must beware of spiritual diseases. Briefly, here are two common spiritual diseases.
1. Spiritual Old Age
There are Christians who are relatively young in the Lord, but already have evidence the characteristics of what we called "spiritual old age". The resulting symptoms closely parallel the same conditions we often observe in those older people who have become set in their ways:
a. Unteachableness
Some Christians think they have arrived at a sufficient level of spirituality as compared with other believers. They may then develop judgmental attitudes towards other believers who are not as knowledgeable. When their "mature and seasoned" point of view is not accepted, they often become offended.
b. A loss of flexibility
Some Christians live in a predictable manner so as to avoid the threat of uncertainty and so as to maintain a sense of control. In so doing they become satisfied with a mere mechanical performance of their traditions, with little or no dependence upon God.
c. Focus on past events
Many Christians begin with a powerful revelation of God's love and grace, but do not continue on to stay in touch with Him. They try to live off the strength of their initial experience. They fail to cultivate a fresh, daily relationship with Him. Their spiritual walks are leading them nowhere.
d. An inward orientation
Some of us in the beginning had an outward focus that motivated us to extend ourselves to others in love, but after a time we may selfishly turn inward. By so doing we miss the opportunity to reach out for Christ to those around us.
2. Barrenness in Busyness
A Christian began his spiritual life full of zeal. He was the kind of person you never had to motivate in his devotional life, spending several hours each day reading the Bible and praying. Later on in life, he found a demanding job in a large corporation. Dealing with the daily pressures he encountered not only sapped his energy, but robbed him of time he needed with the Lord. This was a new phase of life for him and much had changed. The stress of handling work obligations and providing for his family was extremely taxing on him.
We all face the problem of losing sight of Jesus in the crowded events of the day. Jesus Himself spoke to this issue in Luke 17:26, 27, unsing both Noah and Lot from the Old Testament as examples:
"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; ..." (Luke 17:27, 28, NKJV, emphasis added).
Obviously Jesus was not condemning eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building and marrying. He was condemning our excessive preoccupation with these things, preoccupation that dulls us to the sound of His voice. It is impossible to maintain a love relationship with someone whom you cannot hear!
Have you left your first love because you are preoccupied with worldly cares and concerns?
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
God's Mandate for Fathers
Many Local Churches have recently celebrated Fathers Day and Mothers Day. I am prompted to post a message, written Biblically from God's perspective, to Christian fathers. It is good to remind Christian fathers their God-given mandate (role and responsibilities) in Christian families. I believe many fathers take their fatherhood too lightly and many failed to fulfill their role and responsibilities toward their families. As you read on you'll discover that it is not easy to be a father if you are going to take God's mandate seriously. Someone said, to become a father is easy but to be a father is almost impossible.
Fatherhood on earth is an extension of Fatherhood in Heaven
Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesus, "For this reason (seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ), I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named - (that Father) from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name" (Eph. 3:14, 15, The Amplified Bible, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Every fatherhood on earth is named after the Fatherhood of God in heaven. In other words, fatherhood is a projection on earth, the divine and eternal Fatherhood of God in heaven.
2. Before creation ever took place God was already a Father - the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The relationship of Fatherhood and Son-ship within the Godhead is eternal. Therefore fatherhood on earth is also eternally ordained. This revelation is of tremendous sanctity and importance.
Family on earth is an extension of the Family in Heaven
Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many mansions; ..." (John 14:2, NKJV).
The word "house" in Scripture is never used to indicate a physical or material building. In Greek the word is "oikia" - means a home or a family. Jesus was telling us God has a heavenly Family.
Therefore from eternity two things are always true - God is a Father and Heaven is a Home. Our home-life on earth is an extension of the Family in Heaven. In fact our home-life is derived from the eternal being and nature of the Godhead.
The concept of headship and authority
Together with the concept of fatherhood there is another concept that is also eternal - the concept of headship.
Paul said, "But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God" (1 Cor. 11:3).
Note the descending chain of authority - from God to woman and from eternity into time. God the Father is the Head of Christ eternally, Christ is the Head of the husband (male) and the husband is the head of the wife (female). Therefore the husband-wife relationship transcends time in this world. It is a projection in the Family Life of eternal relationship of God and Christ. This also gives us the pattern of authority.
Chain of authority in a family (home)
We all have authority by taking our right relationship in the above chain. Every chain of authority in the universe goes back to one source - God the Father.
In a home there will be God-ordained chain of authority when the husband is subject to Christ and the wife is subject to the husband. If either of these relationships is broken down the authority of the home is also broken down. If the husband is not subject to Christ he does not have the authority he should have; and if the wife is not subject to the husband she does not have the authority she should have.
The secret of authority is summed up by the Centurion whose servant was sick:
"For I also am a man placed under authority, having solders under me" (Luke 7:8, emphasis added).
The centurion didn't say he had authority, but said he was under authority. He knew that because he was under authority he had authority. He took his right place in the chain of authority. By saying the word "also" he revealed that he knew the concept of authority; and more importantly, Jesus was under the authority and headship of the Father!
When the husband is under the authority of Christ he has behind him the authority of Christ. Similarly when the wife is subject to her husband she has behind her the authority of the husband, which is the authority of Christ, which is the authority of God the Father. If the chain is broken at any point then authority in the family is broken down.
I believe this happens in majority of Christian homes today. This could be one of the reasons why Rick Warren wrote in his book "The Purpose Driven Life" - "Our families on earth are wonderful gifts from God, but they are temporary and fragile, ofter broken by divorce, distance, ..." (Pg. 118).
Paradox in the husband-wife relationship
Many women object being told they should be in subjection to their husbands. They feel that this put them in a position of inferiority. But the truth is, subjection is not inferiority.
Jesus said, "I and My Father are one" (John 10:30).
There is complete unity between Jesus and the Father; He is equal to the Father. On the basis of what we are discussing, there is also complete unity between the wife and the husband - they are equal and they are one.
Later on Jesus said, "I am going to the Father for My Father is greater than I" (John 14:28, emphasis added).
So, there is an apparent paradox here; Jesus is equal to the Father and yet the Father is greater than Him! This paradox is resolved if we read what Paul said:
"Who (Jesus) being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:6, 7, emphasis added).
Exactly the same is true in the relationship between husband and wife - they are one and yet the wife is subject to the husband. Just like Jesus who is not inferior to the Father, the wife is also not inferior to her husband. If the wife loses the subjection she loses the unity; you can't have it both ways! This is the divine pattern of headship and subjection and it never changes.
Divine pattern for home-life
Paul said, "Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all" (1 Cor. 15:28).
Paul was talking about the "fullness of time" (time to the end). The Father through His eternal relationship with Christ has put everything under Christ. Then in the fullness of time, Christ will then turn around and put Himself again under the Father, so that in their relationship, God through Christ will be all in all throughout eternity.
This is a divine pattern for home-life. The husband should delight to honor his wife. He should do everything possible to "lift up" his wife, and make her feel respected and honored and esteemed. Likewise, the wife when she is treated that way should in turn gladly and willingly honor her husband's headship. The Christian home should be the closest thing to heaven made heavenly available on earth by God so that every home on earth should be a reproduction of the Father's Home in heaven.
The responsibilities and ministries of fathers
In every home, in every dispensation, every father by virtue of his fatherhood, has three specific ministries delegated by divine authority from which he cannot abnegate in the sight of God.
These three ministries are: Priest, prophet and king in this divine order.
1. Priest of his home. As priest he represents his family to God. His primary job is to pray and intercede for his family.
2. Prophet of his home. As prophet he does it the other way round - he represents God to his family. In other words, he stands between his family and God.
3. King of his home. As king he governs his family on behalf of God. He also provides for hie family.
No father can ever delegate the above responsibilities to the mother, to a pastor, a Sunder school teacher, a counselor, a youth worker or any other such persons.
Renegade and delinquent fathers
Today there are many renegade fathers. A renegade father is one who reneges from the three primary responsibilities ordained by God as head of his family - husband, father and a spiritual leader.
These three responsibilities may be seen in the life of Noah (Gen. 7) and Abraham (Gen. 18:17 - 19).
Someone said there is no such thing as delinquent children, but many delinquent fathers - delinquent fathers produce delinquent children. If your children fail you fail. You can be very successful in you job, you can be a senior Pastor, a president of many Banks, a sports star, but if you are not successful as a husband and a father in your home you are a failure in the sight of God. I believe both wife and children, in their hearts know a man ought to lead. Most women if they have to lead, they are forced to do so by default because men fail to fulfill their functions.
Result of the father's failure
When a father fails to fulfill his function ordained by God the result is a curse.
1. "You shall beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours; for they shall go into captivity" (Deut. 28:41).
Because of a curse your children shall go into captivity and bondage of the occult and drugs.
2. "Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children" (Hosea 4:6).
Surely it is a terrible and dreadful thing if God forgets your children!
3. "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse" (Malachi 4, 5).
Notice that the last word of the Old Testament is a curse. If God had not given us the New Testament His last word to the human race would be a curse. What will bring a curse? Failure of the father to maintain right family relationship! God demands the fathers to repent and turn their hearts back to their children.
God is merciful:
"And he (John the baptist) will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:16, 17).
Please also read my earlier posting "The Elijah Ministry" (1st. March 2005).
Promise of restoration foretold
Says the Lord, "As for Me, this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants' descendants, from this time and forevermore" (Isaiah 59:21, NKJV).
The Lord demands that Christian fathers filled with the Holy Spirit and heed His Word and submit to the Lordship of Christ.
Fatherhood on earth is an extension of Fatherhood in Heaven
Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesus, "For this reason (seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ), I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named - (that Father) from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name" (Eph. 3:14, 15, The Amplified Bible, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Every fatherhood on earth is named after the Fatherhood of God in heaven. In other words, fatherhood is a projection on earth, the divine and eternal Fatherhood of God in heaven.
2. Before creation ever took place God was already a Father - the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The relationship of Fatherhood and Son-ship within the Godhead is eternal. Therefore fatherhood on earth is also eternally ordained. This revelation is of tremendous sanctity and importance.
Family on earth is an extension of the Family in Heaven
Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many mansions; ..." (John 14:2, NKJV).
The word "house" in Scripture is never used to indicate a physical or material building. In Greek the word is "oikia" - means a home or a family. Jesus was telling us God has a heavenly Family.
Therefore from eternity two things are always true - God is a Father and Heaven is a Home. Our home-life on earth is an extension of the Family in Heaven. In fact our home-life is derived from the eternal being and nature of the Godhead.
The concept of headship and authority
Together with the concept of fatherhood there is another concept that is also eternal - the concept of headship.
Paul said, "But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God" (1 Cor. 11:3).
Note the descending chain of authority - from God to woman and from eternity into time. God the Father is the Head of Christ eternally, Christ is the Head of the husband (male) and the husband is the head of the wife (female). Therefore the husband-wife relationship transcends time in this world. It is a projection in the Family Life of eternal relationship of God and Christ. This also gives us the pattern of authority.
Chain of authority in a family (home)
We all have authority by taking our right relationship in the above chain. Every chain of authority in the universe goes back to one source - God the Father.
In a home there will be God-ordained chain of authority when the husband is subject to Christ and the wife is subject to the husband. If either of these relationships is broken down the authority of the home is also broken down. If the husband is not subject to Christ he does not have the authority he should have; and if the wife is not subject to the husband she does not have the authority she should have.
The secret of authority is summed up by the Centurion whose servant was sick:
"For I also am a man placed under authority, having solders under me" (Luke 7:8, emphasis added).
The centurion didn't say he had authority, but said he was under authority. He knew that because he was under authority he had authority. He took his right place in the chain of authority. By saying the word "also" he revealed that he knew the concept of authority; and more importantly, Jesus was under the authority and headship of the Father!
When the husband is under the authority of Christ he has behind him the authority of Christ. Similarly when the wife is subject to her husband she has behind her the authority of the husband, which is the authority of Christ, which is the authority of God the Father. If the chain is broken at any point then authority in the family is broken down.
I believe this happens in majority of Christian homes today. This could be one of the reasons why Rick Warren wrote in his book "The Purpose Driven Life" - "Our families on earth are wonderful gifts from God, but they are temporary and fragile, ofter broken by divorce, distance, ..." (Pg. 118).
Paradox in the husband-wife relationship
Many women object being told they should be in subjection to their husbands. They feel that this put them in a position of inferiority. But the truth is, subjection is not inferiority.
Jesus said, "I and My Father are one" (John 10:30).
There is complete unity between Jesus and the Father; He is equal to the Father. On the basis of what we are discussing, there is also complete unity between the wife and the husband - they are equal and they are one.
Later on Jesus said, "I am going to the Father for My Father is greater than I" (John 14:28, emphasis added).
So, there is an apparent paradox here; Jesus is equal to the Father and yet the Father is greater than Him! This paradox is resolved if we read what Paul said:
"Who (Jesus) being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:6, 7, emphasis added).
Exactly the same is true in the relationship between husband and wife - they are one and yet the wife is subject to the husband. Just like Jesus who is not inferior to the Father, the wife is also not inferior to her husband. If the wife loses the subjection she loses the unity; you can't have it both ways! This is the divine pattern of headship and subjection and it never changes.
Divine pattern for home-life
Paul said, "Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all" (1 Cor. 15:28).
Paul was talking about the "fullness of time" (time to the end). The Father through His eternal relationship with Christ has put everything under Christ. Then in the fullness of time, Christ will then turn around and put Himself again under the Father, so that in their relationship, God through Christ will be all in all throughout eternity.
This is a divine pattern for home-life. The husband should delight to honor his wife. He should do everything possible to "lift up" his wife, and make her feel respected and honored and esteemed. Likewise, the wife when she is treated that way should in turn gladly and willingly honor her husband's headship. The Christian home should be the closest thing to heaven made heavenly available on earth by God so that every home on earth should be a reproduction of the Father's Home in heaven.
The responsibilities and ministries of fathers
In every home, in every dispensation, every father by virtue of his fatherhood, has three specific ministries delegated by divine authority from which he cannot abnegate in the sight of God.
These three ministries are: Priest, prophet and king in this divine order.
1. Priest of his home. As priest he represents his family to God. His primary job is to pray and intercede for his family.
2. Prophet of his home. As prophet he does it the other way round - he represents God to his family. In other words, he stands between his family and God.
3. King of his home. As king he governs his family on behalf of God. He also provides for hie family.
No father can ever delegate the above responsibilities to the mother, to a pastor, a Sunder school teacher, a counselor, a youth worker or any other such persons.
Renegade and delinquent fathers
Today there are many renegade fathers. A renegade father is one who reneges from the three primary responsibilities ordained by God as head of his family - husband, father and a spiritual leader.
These three responsibilities may be seen in the life of Noah (Gen. 7) and Abraham (Gen. 18:17 - 19).
Someone said there is no such thing as delinquent children, but many delinquent fathers - delinquent fathers produce delinquent children. If your children fail you fail. You can be very successful in you job, you can be a senior Pastor, a president of many Banks, a sports star, but if you are not successful as a husband and a father in your home you are a failure in the sight of God. I believe both wife and children, in their hearts know a man ought to lead. Most women if they have to lead, they are forced to do so by default because men fail to fulfill their functions.
Result of the father's failure
When a father fails to fulfill his function ordained by God the result is a curse.
1. "You shall beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours; for they shall go into captivity" (Deut. 28:41).
Because of a curse your children shall go into captivity and bondage of the occult and drugs.
2. "Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children" (Hosea 4:6).
Surely it is a terrible and dreadful thing if God forgets your children!
3. "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse" (Malachi 4, 5).
Notice that the last word of the Old Testament is a curse. If God had not given us the New Testament His last word to the human race would be a curse. What will bring a curse? Failure of the father to maintain right family relationship! God demands the fathers to repent and turn their hearts back to their children.
God is merciful:
"And he (John the baptist) will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:16, 17).
Please also read my earlier posting "The Elijah Ministry" (1st. March 2005).
Promise of restoration foretold
Says the Lord, "As for Me, this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants' descendants, from this time and forevermore" (Isaiah 59:21, NKJV).
The Lord demands that Christian fathers filled with the Holy Spirit and heed His Word and submit to the Lordship of Christ.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Teach Us to Number Our Days
The psalmist (Moses) said, "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalms 90:12, NKJV).
Moses prayed that God would instruct us how to make full use of the limited number of days of our lives. Let Him grant us wisdom that we may act and live wisely. Moses said this because life is only a short journey and we must make full use of it before it vanishes away.
James said, "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14).
I believe we don't ask ourselves this question often enough - What is your life? Even if we did ask we would be shocked with the answer. We tend to take life for granted - we just live on and believe that we are just here, we are going to do certain things today and tomorrow, with little or no purpose.
The fact is life is just a vapor, it is passing away quickly. Once it is passed away it will never return again. If you are to ask a 13 year-old teenager how old is he, the answer you are likely to get is - "I'm nearly 14". When you get to the age of 40 and above, you don't tell people what you are going to be next year; you begin to realize that your life is just a vapor.
We need to take heed to the fact that there are many different forces at work to blind you from realizing what your life is. There are all sorts of entertainment (Films, TV, Computer games, and Internet surfing) and other things that demand our precious time. People come away for holidays to forget. There is an atmosphere of forgetfulness that permeates the culture and keeps us from facing reality. Life goes at the same speed for everybody, it does not matter whether you are a king, a queen or a president or a janitor. You can't hold on to one minute. People lament if they lose a $50 bill, they get upset about it naturally. Have you ever thought if you lose 50 minutes of your time you'll never get them back again? But you can get another $50 bill. Time is beyond your control.
One appointment we all have to keep
As believers in Jesus Christ one day we are going to answer for the way we spend every minute of our time. There is one appointment that every human being is going to keep. You might say "death", but it isn't because there will be those alive when Jesus Christ comes again - they will not die naturally. The one appointment that we all (saints or sinners) are going to keep is the Judgment of God on our life - The Eternal Judgment. Please read my earlier postings - "Judgment of True Christians" and "Total Judgments of God". Eternal Judgment determines your destiny for eternity. Different judgment seats for the unbelievers and those who don't know God and don't submit to Him - this judgment is called the Great White Throne Judgment.
There is a different scene of judgment for those who have known Christ (born again Christians). This is called the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10) which is not a judgment of condemnation (1 Cor. 3:12 - 15). He will either reward you or penalize you. If you fail to get your reward, your soul will be saved but you are just a naked soul. There are only two kinds of action or behavior: Either good or bad, nothing in between; either white or black; and either the light or the darkness. In my opinion if you are one of those people (there are many in the average Local Church today) who thinks how little do you have to do to be saved, then you are not saved. You have the wrong motive. That attitude is totally contrary to God.
Jesus said, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad" (Matt. 12:30).
Clearly there are only two kinds of relationship or activity - gathering or scattering. What would God hold you accountable for scattering? For wasting your time, your talent, your gifts and your money. You'll have to give an account of every one of those things wasted.
The danger of passivity
I believe the greatest single frustration in the ministry is passivity of Church leaders and members. It is much easier to deal with opened opposition than it is with passivity.
Jesus spoke to His disciples, "Do you not say, 'there are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together" (John 4:35, 36, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Jesus was talking about procrastination - about putting it off, not now, let us begin in another day. Satan will entice you and then let you go. But when he finally lets you go, it would be too late for you do what you ought to have done earlier! Satan does not have to prolong you for good; he just has to hold you long enough to keep you from doing things that matters most.
2. Notce the two things that Jesus mentioned - wages and fruit.
Wages - Wages are the things (money or kinds) you received for a job done. Jesus said if you reap you'll receive your wages. You may have to go through difficulties and trial; you may have to live in the bare minimum, but sooner or later He will adequately remunerate you.
Fruit - Your fruit (in this context) is not here on earth but in eternity. You will only see your fruit in eternity.
Why are we sitting here until we die?
There is an interesting picture in the Old Testament (2 Kings 6 and 7). The Northern Kingdom of Israel was attacked by a large army from Syria. Samaria, the capital city was being besieged and the people were just in the verge of total famine - "until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one-forth of a kap of dove droppings for five shekels of silver" (2 Kings 6:25).
It gives me a picture of the spiritually famished Church today. All you can get is the donkey's head of liberal modernistic theology and man-made rules. Instead of the visitation of the Holy Spirit (dove) you only get a measure of droppings of the dove! You can laugh, but it is a very sad picture.
At the gate of Samaria sat four leprous men who were not allowed in because they were unclean. They said to one another "Why are we sitting here until we die" (2 Kings 7:3)? Does that describe some of us? We are not lepers, but we are just the same, sitting (inside or outside the Church) until we die!
The leprous men decided to do something. They reasoned that they had nothing to lose; if they enter the city they will die there - either be killed or because of famine. If they sit here they would also die. But if they would surrender to the Syrians they may be allowed to live. But what they didn't know was that God created great noise of chariots and of a great army. The Syrians were so frightened that they run away in such a hurry that they left everything behind. So the leprous men had more than what they could eat and took away their spoils.
The moral of this picture is very simple - If you are not satisfy, go forth and do something and God will surely satisfy you! Don't just sit there and perish.
Progress in the Christian life
All progress in the Christian life is by faith. If you are not willing to go forward in faith you cannot go forward. Christians are like bicycles. You can't steer a bicycle unless it is moving. God cannot guide you unless you are moving. As long as you are stationary you can't ask God to guide you - you have to begin to move in faith.
Basically our priorities are what determine our life. You say you have no time to pray, but you have time to eat. You have time to eat because it is your priority. Jesus said there is only one top priority for Christians:
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matt. 6:33, emphasis added).
You cannot have righteousness apart from the Kingdom of God.
Paul said, "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17).
Many of us have a false picture of being a Christian. We wear a little tag showing that we are born again; we are baptized in the Holy Spirit and we speak in tongues. But what have we done about our Christianity?
John said, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God. even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12, KJV, emphasis added).
Notice we only become sons of God when we begin to exercise the power He has given to us. Christianity is never static. If we fail to exercise the power and authority given to us we will not be sons of God!
Solomon said, "But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto a perfect day" (Prov. 4:18, NKJV).
If you are walking in the path way of righteousness (or just) the light is going to be brighter today than yesterday and brighter tomorrow than it is today. If it is not true of you, you have better check if you are on the path of righteousness.
Walk with sacrifice
Whenever we walk in faith, we also walk with sacrifice. Christianity is a life of sacrifice.
2 Samuel 6 describes how David brought the Ark back to Jerusalem.
"And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep" (2 Sam. 6:13).
The above gives us a picture of the Christian life. It is impossible to follow Jesus without sacrifice. That is how far you can go, six paces, if you do not offer any sacrifice - a long way from your destination. What are we going to sacrifice? The answer is obvious; you have to sacrifice your time, your inconveniences, your money and your entertainment.
In my opinion committed Christians should enjoy celebration and not entertainment. Entertainment basically means you sit there watching other people do something. The longer you do it, the further you get from reality. Celebration means you are in it, you get involved, you are a part of it, and you are on the stage dancing, singing and making joyful noise to the Lord!
The most important ministries in the Local Church
The preaching of the Word is important but not the most important. You can hear a good sermon and be blessed by what you heard, but as long as you just sit there, remain passive and do nothing about what you heard, you'll soon forget.
I believe the most important ministries in any Local Church are:
1. Prayer and intercession
Any believer can pray and ask for God's mercy (supplication), but intercession is a ministry gift. There is nothing more important in the Kingdom of God than prayer and intercession. I don't think the Local Church and individual members can accomplish significant things for Christ without prayer. As we approach the end of time, forces of evil are becoming so much stronger and so much bolder. If we think we can do away with prayer and intercession and spiritual warfare in the Local Church and still please God, we are deceiving ourselves.
2. Mission outreach
Paul gives an answer to the problem of bringing the gospel to the lost:
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they ar sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring food news!'" (Romans 10:14, 15, NIV).
Here Paul reiterates the need for mission of the Church. The mission of Christ was in behalf of those who had rejected God the Father. The rejected Father sent the Son and the Son sent His Church. That is the basis for the world mission of the Church. It is the mandate of Christ that those who have not heard do hear. They cannot hear without a preacher, and there cannot be a preacher without a "sending". The mandate of Christ is that the gospel be preached in every land and nation, to every tribe and tongue, to every living person.
Moses prayed that God would instruct us how to make full use of the limited number of days of our lives. Let Him grant us wisdom that we may act and live wisely. Moses said this because life is only a short journey and we must make full use of it before it vanishes away.
James said, "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14).
I believe we don't ask ourselves this question often enough - What is your life? Even if we did ask we would be shocked with the answer. We tend to take life for granted - we just live on and believe that we are just here, we are going to do certain things today and tomorrow, with little or no purpose.
The fact is life is just a vapor, it is passing away quickly. Once it is passed away it will never return again. If you are to ask a 13 year-old teenager how old is he, the answer you are likely to get is - "I'm nearly 14". When you get to the age of 40 and above, you don't tell people what you are going to be next year; you begin to realize that your life is just a vapor.
We need to take heed to the fact that there are many different forces at work to blind you from realizing what your life is. There are all sorts of entertainment (Films, TV, Computer games, and Internet surfing) and other things that demand our precious time. People come away for holidays to forget. There is an atmosphere of forgetfulness that permeates the culture and keeps us from facing reality. Life goes at the same speed for everybody, it does not matter whether you are a king, a queen or a president or a janitor. You can't hold on to one minute. People lament if they lose a $50 bill, they get upset about it naturally. Have you ever thought if you lose 50 minutes of your time you'll never get them back again? But you can get another $50 bill. Time is beyond your control.
One appointment we all have to keep
As believers in Jesus Christ one day we are going to answer for the way we spend every minute of our time. There is one appointment that every human being is going to keep. You might say "death", but it isn't because there will be those alive when Jesus Christ comes again - they will not die naturally. The one appointment that we all (saints or sinners) are going to keep is the Judgment of God on our life - The Eternal Judgment. Please read my earlier postings - "Judgment of True Christians" and "Total Judgments of God". Eternal Judgment determines your destiny for eternity. Different judgment seats for the unbelievers and those who don't know God and don't submit to Him - this judgment is called the Great White Throne Judgment.
There is a different scene of judgment for those who have known Christ (born again Christians). This is called the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10) which is not a judgment of condemnation (1 Cor. 3:12 - 15). He will either reward you or penalize you. If you fail to get your reward, your soul will be saved but you are just a naked soul. There are only two kinds of action or behavior: Either good or bad, nothing in between; either white or black; and either the light or the darkness. In my opinion if you are one of those people (there are many in the average Local Church today) who thinks how little do you have to do to be saved, then you are not saved. You have the wrong motive. That attitude is totally contrary to God.
Jesus said, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad" (Matt. 12:30).
Clearly there are only two kinds of relationship or activity - gathering or scattering. What would God hold you accountable for scattering? For wasting your time, your talent, your gifts and your money. You'll have to give an account of every one of those things wasted.
The danger of passivity
I believe the greatest single frustration in the ministry is passivity of Church leaders and members. It is much easier to deal with opened opposition than it is with passivity.
Jesus spoke to His disciples, "Do you not say, 'there are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together" (John 4:35, 36, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. Jesus was talking about procrastination - about putting it off, not now, let us begin in another day. Satan will entice you and then let you go. But when he finally lets you go, it would be too late for you do what you ought to have done earlier! Satan does not have to prolong you for good; he just has to hold you long enough to keep you from doing things that matters most.
2. Notce the two things that Jesus mentioned - wages and fruit.
Wages - Wages are the things (money or kinds) you received for a job done. Jesus said if you reap you'll receive your wages. You may have to go through difficulties and trial; you may have to live in the bare minimum, but sooner or later He will adequately remunerate you.
Fruit - Your fruit (in this context) is not here on earth but in eternity. You will only see your fruit in eternity.
Why are we sitting here until we die?
There is an interesting picture in the Old Testament (2 Kings 6 and 7). The Northern Kingdom of Israel was attacked by a large army from Syria. Samaria, the capital city was being besieged and the people were just in the verge of total famine - "until a donkey's head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one-forth of a kap of dove droppings for five shekels of silver" (2 Kings 6:25).
It gives me a picture of the spiritually famished Church today. All you can get is the donkey's head of liberal modernistic theology and man-made rules. Instead of the visitation of the Holy Spirit (dove) you only get a measure of droppings of the dove! You can laugh, but it is a very sad picture.
At the gate of Samaria sat four leprous men who were not allowed in because they were unclean. They said to one another "Why are we sitting here until we die" (2 Kings 7:3)? Does that describe some of us? We are not lepers, but we are just the same, sitting (inside or outside the Church) until we die!
The leprous men decided to do something. They reasoned that they had nothing to lose; if they enter the city they will die there - either be killed or because of famine. If they sit here they would also die. But if they would surrender to the Syrians they may be allowed to live. But what they didn't know was that God created great noise of chariots and of a great army. The Syrians were so frightened that they run away in such a hurry that they left everything behind. So the leprous men had more than what they could eat and took away their spoils.
The moral of this picture is very simple - If you are not satisfy, go forth and do something and God will surely satisfy you! Don't just sit there and perish.
Progress in the Christian life
All progress in the Christian life is by faith. If you are not willing to go forward in faith you cannot go forward. Christians are like bicycles. You can't steer a bicycle unless it is moving. God cannot guide you unless you are moving. As long as you are stationary you can't ask God to guide you - you have to begin to move in faith.
Basically our priorities are what determine our life. You say you have no time to pray, but you have time to eat. You have time to eat because it is your priority. Jesus said there is only one top priority for Christians:
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matt. 6:33, emphasis added).
You cannot have righteousness apart from the Kingdom of God.
Paul said, "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17).
Many of us have a false picture of being a Christian. We wear a little tag showing that we are born again; we are baptized in the Holy Spirit and we speak in tongues. But what have we done about our Christianity?
John said, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God. even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12, KJV, emphasis added).
Notice we only become sons of God when we begin to exercise the power He has given to us. Christianity is never static. If we fail to exercise the power and authority given to us we will not be sons of God!
Solomon said, "But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto a perfect day" (Prov. 4:18, NKJV).
If you are walking in the path way of righteousness (or just) the light is going to be brighter today than yesterday and brighter tomorrow than it is today. If it is not true of you, you have better check if you are on the path of righteousness.
Walk with sacrifice
Whenever we walk in faith, we also walk with sacrifice. Christianity is a life of sacrifice.
2 Samuel 6 describes how David brought the Ark back to Jerusalem.
"And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep" (2 Sam. 6:13).
The above gives us a picture of the Christian life. It is impossible to follow Jesus without sacrifice. That is how far you can go, six paces, if you do not offer any sacrifice - a long way from your destination. What are we going to sacrifice? The answer is obvious; you have to sacrifice your time, your inconveniences, your money and your entertainment.
In my opinion committed Christians should enjoy celebration and not entertainment. Entertainment basically means you sit there watching other people do something. The longer you do it, the further you get from reality. Celebration means you are in it, you get involved, you are a part of it, and you are on the stage dancing, singing and making joyful noise to the Lord!
The most important ministries in the Local Church
The preaching of the Word is important but not the most important. You can hear a good sermon and be blessed by what you heard, but as long as you just sit there, remain passive and do nothing about what you heard, you'll soon forget.
I believe the most important ministries in any Local Church are:
1. Prayer and intercession
Any believer can pray and ask for God's mercy (supplication), but intercession is a ministry gift. There is nothing more important in the Kingdom of God than prayer and intercession. I don't think the Local Church and individual members can accomplish significant things for Christ without prayer. As we approach the end of time, forces of evil are becoming so much stronger and so much bolder. If we think we can do away with prayer and intercession and spiritual warfare in the Local Church and still please God, we are deceiving ourselves.
2. Mission outreach
Paul gives an answer to the problem of bringing the gospel to the lost:
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they ar sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring food news!'" (Romans 10:14, 15, NIV).
Here Paul reiterates the need for mission of the Church. The mission of Christ was in behalf of those who had rejected God the Father. The rejected Father sent the Son and the Son sent His Church. That is the basis for the world mission of the Church. It is the mandate of Christ that those who have not heard do hear. They cannot hear without a preacher, and there cannot be a preacher without a "sending". The mandate of Christ is that the gospel be preached in every land and nation, to every tribe and tongue, to every living person.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Conscience and Guilt
It is never easy to understand what "conscience" is. It is even more confusing if you fail to understand that there is a difference between the "soul" and "spirit" of man. Please refer to my earlier posting "The Saving of Souls" (17th Oct 2005) before you read on.
Briefly, the soul of man relates man to the intellectual and emotional realm. It is that part of man which consists of his mind, his will and his emotion; whereas the spirit of man relates man to the spiritual realm. It gives man the ability to relate to God and to know about God. It makes him God conscious. Conscience is a function of the human spirit. It has been created by God with the ability to "see" general moral truths (such as honesty and faithfulness) and the ability to apply them to particular cases so that we have the desire to tell the truth, and to keep our promises even when it is inconvenient to do so. People everywhere, irrespective of race and culture, have an inner sense of right and wrong and an inner fear of judgment. This inner judge is called conscience. Therefore even in the fallen state, the natural man has a measure of conscience. The natural man is not totally immoral and lawless but has some desire to do "good". This can be attested by the Scripture.
The Unbelievers' Stand in God's Sight
The question we need to ask is - How God deals with people who don't have a revelation of Him in the Word, either in the Law or subsequent portion of Scripture?
Paul said, "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them)" (Romans 2:13 - 15, NIV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. The law refers to bothe Moses Law (God give perfect Law) and other forms of law - verified by Greek Lexicon.
2. There are only two ways of achieving righteousness, one is by keeping rules and the other is by trusting God in faith.
3. The natural instinct of every human being when challenged in the issue of righteousness is to start to think in terms of rules. Rules have a place in life, but Christianity is not a set of rules.
4. Unbelieving Gentiles don't have the direct revelation of God's Law, but there is something inside them which does the same for them as the law would do, so that they show the work of the law written in their hearts. This is the work of conscience. What is written in their hearts is not the law but the working of the law.
5. The work of conscience is not to make us righteous but to bring us to the point where we see we need G0d's mercy to be made righteous.
6. Paul pictured a kind of court scene going on inside us. Conscience is our prosecutor. But we are all inclined to justifiy ourselves - one thought says we tell a lie, the other says n0, we just exaggerate a little bit.
There are no innocent people in the world
In God's perspective there are no innocent people in the world. It is in fact a careless presumption to believe that some people who have not heard of Christ are innocent. The opposite of innocent is guilty. And so, if the natural man is never innocent then he must be guilty.
Let us apply some simple logic. If the natural man is truly an innocent person, he needs not hear about Chirst. He has no need of redemption. God never punishes innocent people because such people are also righteous. The innocent person needs no Savior; he can save himself by his innocence.
The fact remains the people who die without hearing the gospel will be judged according to the knowledge they have. They will be judged guilty for rejecting God the Father. God never condemns innocent people.
The following paragraphs explain why:
Every person knows about God
The New Testament reveals the universal guilt of man - all natural men are sinners and they need a Savior. It announces the coming Christ to a world that had already rejected God the Father!
Jesus said, "For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Matthew 9:13, NKJV).
Paul said, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be know of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans 1:18 - 21, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. God's wrath as revealed is not against innocence or ignorance but against ungodliness and unrighteousness - which is suppressing of truth. Men know the truth about God, but they do not allow this truth to work in their lives. They suppress it in order that they might live their own lives and not be convicted by God's truth.
2. God reveals what theologians called "general revelation" about Himself. So every man knows God. But man's problem is not that he doesn't know God but that he refuses to acknowledge what he knows to be true.
3. The revelation of God has been going on since the foundation of the word. It is not a once-for-all event but continues in a constant way. The revelation comes by way of creation. God's invisible nature is revealed "by the things that are made".
4. The revelation of God is sufficient to render man inexcusable. Since all men know God and all distort or reject that knowledge, they are not innocent. No man can plead ignorance as an excuse for not worshiping Him.
God judges according to the knowledge people have
The New Testament makes it clear that people will be judged according to the light that they have. This is implied by Paul:
"For as many as have sinned without the law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law" (Romans 2:12).
Applied generally, this means that each person will be judged according to the measure of moral light and understanding made available to him. Those who have had the full knowledge of God's moral standards revealed to them through the Law of Moses will be judged by that law. But those who did not have the fuller revelation of the Law of Moses will not be judged by that law, but only in accordance with the general revelation of God granted to the human race as a whole through the wonders of creation (Rom. 1:20).
It is important to mention here that idolatry as a "religion" does not please God but adds insult to injury to the glory of God:
"I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images" (Isaiah 42:8).
"Religion" does not redeem people but may add to their guilt.
Briefly, the soul of man relates man to the intellectual and emotional realm. It is that part of man which consists of his mind, his will and his emotion; whereas the spirit of man relates man to the spiritual realm. It gives man the ability to relate to God and to know about God. It makes him God conscious. Conscience is a function of the human spirit. It has been created by God with the ability to "see" general moral truths (such as honesty and faithfulness) and the ability to apply them to particular cases so that we have the desire to tell the truth, and to keep our promises even when it is inconvenient to do so. People everywhere, irrespective of race and culture, have an inner sense of right and wrong and an inner fear of judgment. This inner judge is called conscience. Therefore even in the fallen state, the natural man has a measure of conscience. The natural man is not totally immoral and lawless but has some desire to do "good". This can be attested by the Scripture.
The Unbelievers' Stand in God's Sight
The question we need to ask is - How God deals with people who don't have a revelation of Him in the Word, either in the Law or subsequent portion of Scripture?
Paul said, "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them)" (Romans 2:13 - 15, NIV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. The law refers to bothe Moses Law (God give perfect Law) and other forms of law - verified by Greek Lexicon.
2. There are only two ways of achieving righteousness, one is by keeping rules and the other is by trusting God in faith.
3. The natural instinct of every human being when challenged in the issue of righteousness is to start to think in terms of rules. Rules have a place in life, but Christianity is not a set of rules.
4. Unbelieving Gentiles don't have the direct revelation of God's Law, but there is something inside them which does the same for them as the law would do, so that they show the work of the law written in their hearts. This is the work of conscience. What is written in their hearts is not the law but the working of the law.
5. The work of conscience is not to make us righteous but to bring us to the point where we see we need G0d's mercy to be made righteous.
6. Paul pictured a kind of court scene going on inside us. Conscience is our prosecutor. But we are all inclined to justifiy ourselves - one thought says we tell a lie, the other says n0, we just exaggerate a little bit.
There are no innocent people in the world
In God's perspective there are no innocent people in the world. It is in fact a careless presumption to believe that some people who have not heard of Christ are innocent. The opposite of innocent is guilty. And so, if the natural man is never innocent then he must be guilty.
Let us apply some simple logic. If the natural man is truly an innocent person, he needs not hear about Chirst. He has no need of redemption. God never punishes innocent people because such people are also righteous. The innocent person needs no Savior; he can save himself by his innocence.
The fact remains the people who die without hearing the gospel will be judged according to the knowledge they have. They will be judged guilty for rejecting God the Father. God never condemns innocent people.
The following paragraphs explain why:
Every person knows about God
The New Testament reveals the universal guilt of man - all natural men are sinners and they need a Savior. It announces the coming Christ to a world that had already rejected God the Father!
Jesus said, "For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Matthew 9:13, NKJV).
Paul said, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be know of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans 1:18 - 21, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. God's wrath as revealed is not against innocence or ignorance but against ungodliness and unrighteousness - which is suppressing of truth. Men know the truth about God, but they do not allow this truth to work in their lives. They suppress it in order that they might live their own lives and not be convicted by God's truth.
2. God reveals what theologians called "general revelation" about Himself. So every man knows God. But man's problem is not that he doesn't know God but that he refuses to acknowledge what he knows to be true.
3. The revelation of God has been going on since the foundation of the word. It is not a once-for-all event but continues in a constant way. The revelation comes by way of creation. God's invisible nature is revealed "by the things that are made".
4. The revelation of God is sufficient to render man inexcusable. Since all men know God and all distort or reject that knowledge, they are not innocent. No man can plead ignorance as an excuse for not worshiping Him.
God judges according to the knowledge people have
The New Testament makes it clear that people will be judged according to the light that they have. This is implied by Paul:
"For as many as have sinned without the law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law" (Romans 2:12).
Applied generally, this means that each person will be judged according to the measure of moral light and understanding made available to him. Those who have had the full knowledge of God's moral standards revealed to them through the Law of Moses will be judged by that law. But those who did not have the fuller revelation of the Law of Moses will not be judged by that law, but only in accordance with the general revelation of God granted to the human race as a whole through the wonders of creation (Rom. 1:20).
It is important to mention here that idolatry as a "religion" does not please God but adds insult to injury to the glory of God:
"I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images" (Isaiah 42:8).
"Religion" does not redeem people but may add to their guilt.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)