Tag Archives: 1 John

The relevance of the Bible in today’s world

Posted on November 9, 2015 by | Comments Off on The relevance of the Bible in today’s world

holy-bibleSince our society has now entered into what the definition of marriage should be, there has been a question posed by the American mainstream media and stars from the entertainment industry. It is nearly impossible to visit the society section of Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, or any other major media website where the author of the commentary is addressing the need to either abandon traditional Biblical teachings or to abandon Christianity altogether in favor of new societal norms. There are articles all across the web that were authored by sociologists and psychologists claiming that freewill and self-determination are illusions, homophobia and being in opposition to homosexuality is a mental disorder, and even religion and the belief in God itself is a mental disorder. Some even press the notion that those driven by obedience to their faith in God to do good works are actually self-centered. With the increasing anti-Christian rhetoric and critics driven by what has become regarded as science, it is easy to understand why so many people – and Christians – question the relevance of the Bible today.

Since the days of the apostles, Christians have been told by the lost that we should not share our faith because it might offend or cause others discomfort. We’ve been told that our faith teaches intolerance, hate, racism, and any other derogatory thing they can decide that Christianity seems to promote. At the heart of the lost world’s rejection of Christianity is the faulty belief that man does not need God and a rejection of Jesus as the sole means of salvation. Christians today must stand strong on the authority and the basic teachings of the Bible because it is the foundation of our faith. Within its pages are life’s lessons, comfort during times of need, and guidance in all of life’s difficult situations. 

The Bible’s relevance: An unchanging God

The apostle Paul understood the eternalness and the changeless nature of God and explained it as he wrote, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8).The Bible is relevant because within its pages it contains a chronicle of the unchanging nature of God. It takes faith to believe the Bible is the word of God; it should be recognized it also takes faith to claim the world view that it is not the word of God. The Holy Spirit led Malachi to write, For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed (Malachi 3:6) as a testimony and promise of God’s unchanging nature. The unchanging nature of God is essential within the Judeo-Christian world; it is especially important to the Christian concepts of atonement and the sacrificial work of the Lord Christ Jesus. The disciple John understood this very concept and wrote, These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:13).

John also testified in other writings of the unchanging nature of God and the timelessness of God’s plan for mankind’s salvation when he wrote, And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). We often approach God and matters of faith from our own particular perspective so it is hard for us to even begin to understand God’s plan for the redemption of man being the same from the very earliest days of creation. We are accustomed to living in a society where everything is fluid. We also approach God and matters of faith through our own sense of fairness, justice, and understanding, which is why God reminds us through scriptures, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9) and Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? (Ezekiel 18:29). The scriptures contained in the Bible have testified not only about the timelessness of God’s values but about the differences between our understanding and that of the Lord. We need this testimony of God’s unchanging nature, more specifically of His unchanging grace towards mankind. It is reassuring to the believer that the same salvation offered freely to the disciples, to the patriarchs of Israel, and to those who heard the sermons of Jesus as He walked the shores of Galilee.

Continued on the next page.

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The dangers of social Christianity

Posted on October 26, 2015 by | Comments Off on The dangers of social Christianity

Biblical-Studies-DegreeThere has been a trend in both American and western European societies that has led to a lot of scriptural misunderstanding. This trend, known as social Christianity, is a delusion that leaves the soul hungry for truth, is spiritually void, and does not have the power to save. It is a false gospel that serves no other purpose than to confuse, to distort the love of God, and to remake the faith that God has called Christians to have. Social Christianity, and the social gospels it teaches, is acceptable and appealing to the world because it sets aside the standards set by God and replaces them with a non-threatening interpretation of the gospel of Jesus where the distinction between unrepentant sinner and sinner saved by grace are distorted.

Social Christianity compared to biblical Christianity

The true gospel of Jesus is much different from the social gospel in many areas. The Bible is very clear in its presentation of the gospel: 1) there must be genuine repentance for sins [Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19)], 2) conversion (salvation) happens when we call upon the  Lord [For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:10), For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16), and For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13)] and 3) our belief in Jesus is our only means of salvation [Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6) and Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12)]. There are literally hundreds of other verses I could use to show the Lord’s plan of salvation that is freely offered through His grace and love for us, but I believe Paul said it best: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:5-9).

Biblical Christianity places the focus of the relationship between the individual believer and the Lord Jesus Christ. That focus is centered upon the concept of individual repentance, individual recognition of our original state of being a sinner and the recognition of our need for redemption from the wages of sin [For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23)]. It is placing our full and complete faith in the completed works of Jesus, His death, burial, and resurrection, the sacrifice of His sinless, spotless life in the place of our sin-stained life as our only hope of Heaven. The Bible clearly teaches that just one of our sins places us in need of judgment; Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life (Romans 5:18), but that through Jesus’ sacrifice, we are offered the free gift of salvation. Salvation is not earned by our own perception of righteousness, fairness, or by good works, but by the standards that have been set by God, of whom Paul wrote, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). 

Social Christianity has a number of teachings within its framework that cloud the simplicity of the true gospel of Jesus. Within the last three years, there have been a number of national-level politicians within the United States who have used the phrases national salvation and national redemption as calls for Americans to support their various agendas. Even Israel, a nation and kingdom established by God never had this kind of total and complete redemption for all its citizens. Even the Old Testament teaches salvation of the individual believer but does offer national blessings when the nation is in obedience to the will and teachings of the Lord. Will God bless our nation, if as a nation, we are obedient to the will and teachings of God? Yes. But this is not the same as national redemption or national salvation. Salvation is, even under the New Testament teachings, a relationship between the person and God.

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The gospel of Jesus and technology

Posted on October 16, 2015 by | Comments Off on The gospel of Jesus and technology
© Pamela Hodson Dreamstime Stock Photos

Image © Pamela Hodson Dreamstime Stock Photos

Technology is all around us and can be a very powerful tool, increasing our productivity or even expanding the reach of the gospel. It can also be a great distraction, often keeping us from being as productive as we possibly could be throughout the day. Earlier this morning as I was on Facebook taking a break from grading exams, I and an acquaintance of mine began discussing whether the Lord would approve of Christians linking the gospel of Jesus and technology. Folks, keep in mind that I have never been to Bible college or any seminary. I simply began studying the Bible the way that I studied for the various exams in graduate school. In other words, I approach the Bible with an understanding based on common sense and that the Bible says what it means.

Jesus and technology – an implied understanding

Within the Bible there is no mention of the use of contemporary technology such as television, radio, Internet, or even text messaging. We all have seen the postings on Facebook that tell us that if we really love Jesus we will post something on our wall or share it (and I can tell you this, posting a picture of a cross or of some artist’s interpretation of what Jesus looks like does not mean the person sharing it is a Christian). Yet, various radio ministries have been in existence for nearly a hundred years. In fact, KHJ-AM Radio which began broadcasting in April 1922 (the three-letter call sign was the initials for Kindness, Happiness and Joy, a part of the Immaculate Heart Radio Network founded in the early 1920s) was the first FCC licensed Christian broadcaster in the nation. From those humble beginnings of early mass communication, the gospel of Jesus has expanded its reach as new mediums for mass communications have become available. With each new development, there are men and women who feel led by the Holy Spirit to share the gospel using the latest developments in mass communications technology. In fact, even in the days of the disciples, the gospel of Jesus and technology have always had a close relationship.

Within the book of Acts, it is recorded that Jesus told His disciples: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8). As they heard Jesus charge them with spreading the gospel message to the uttermost parts of the world, there had to have been a feeling of being given an overwhelming challenge. In our era and with the use of modern technology, today’s Christian can actively participate in the spread of the gospel to those uttermost parts of the world. Even this website is viewed in eighty-six countries – more countries than I could ever visit in one lifetime! Whether it is through a website such as this one, a YouTube channel, or through a simple text message, technology can and should be used to expand the reach of the gospel.

Jesus expected the disciples to use whatever means they had at their disposal to spread His gospel. Paul wrote, And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (Romans 10:15) as a testimony to the most obvious means of sharing the message of Jesus – the feet of the believer. The other way the disciples possessed is stated by John, These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:13). One involves being there in a literal presence, sharing the gospel by presenting to a specific audience. The other is to send the message of the gospel to be presented by some other indirect means of presentation – such as the writing of this letter by John. With either case, we see the gospel of Jesus and technology working together to reach the lost. It reminds me of the verse, So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it (Isaiah 55:11).

Technology does not excuse us from personal evangelism

While it is possible to reach others for Jesus through Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, our use of technology does not excuse us from our responsibilities of personal evangelism. After Jesus’ resurrection, He met with the remaining eleven disciples and he charged them, And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). The disciples were given the personal responsibility to go out and to share the gospel with all they would come across. Our personal evangelism efforts must be sincere. Each of us have a story of what the Lord has done for us; without any great training, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? (John 4:29). The book of John tells us this woman at the well, after meeting Jesus and realizing she was in the presence of the Messiah, went out and immediately brought others to Him.  She had experienced the saving grace of Jesus and wanted all around her to experience the same peace, joy, and forgiveness she enjoyed. 

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