Christian Living

The New Testament has a great deal to say about living as Christians. We will look to the Old Testament for context and background, but focus on the New in these blogs.

Ordinary Grace from Whitehorse Inn

Faithful Stewardship Leave a comment

While we are still on a bit of a break from our normal blogging schedule, I get to spend more time listening to podcasts and sermons I don’t normally get around to. I found this podcast from the Whitehorse Inn to be a wonderful reminder of the beauty of God’s ordinary grace.

Ordinary Grace

Have you grown weary of Christian fads promising to transform the world, or your own approach to the Christian life? On this special edition of the program, Michael Horton calls us back to an appreciation of ordinary grace that can sustain us for the long-term. Recorded at a recent Gospel Coalition conference in Boston, Massachusetts, Dr. Horton encourages us not to be taken in by the excitement and hype of “the next big thing,” but instead to focus our attention on the ordinary means of grace.

http://podbay.fm/show/356920632/e/1435467600?autostart=1

Be blessed this summer, and do spend some time in the Word.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

Friday Sermon | Alistair Begg – Friendship Matters (2 Timothy 4:11-13)

Faithful Stewardship Leave a comment

2011-alistair-begg

Today, we’ll visit TruthforLife.org for a sermon by Alistair Begg.

Sermon link: Friendship Matters

The Apostle Paul faced his approaching death with confidence in God, but also with real vulnerability. In this message from the concluding verses of 2 Timothy, Alistair Begg directs our attention to the important roles that Luke, Mark, and Tychicus played in the life and ministry of Paul. By their loyalty and usefulness, these men illustrate the practical value of faithful ministry to Christ and the providence of God in ordering even missteps and failures for His glory.

Sermon Text

2 Timothy 4:11-13 (ESV)

11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.

John called Mark

Now, for a little background (some of which Alistair Begg will provide), let’s take a walk through Acts, noting where John called Mark interacted with the Apostle Paul. In chapter 12 of Acts, James killed and Peter imprisoned. God sends and Angel to free Peter from the inner jail, though Peter initially thinks it is a vision or a dream. Let’s pick up with the story in verse 11:

Acts 12:11-25 (ESV)

11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and tothe brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.

18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.

The Death of Herod

20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain,they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

24 But the word of God increased and multiplied.

25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.

So we see here introduced this John whose other name was Mark in the heart of what is going on among the brethren in Jerusalem. He is witness to the miracle of Peter’s release and probably to a great deal more. The Word of God increased and multiplied. Upon leaving Jerusalem, Saul and Barnabas brought along John-Mark as they returned to Antioch.

Acts 13:1-14 (ESV) | Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

13 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Barnabas and Saul on Cyprus

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas at Antioch in Pisidia

13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, 14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.

The Holy Spirit sends Paul and Barnabas out on a missionary journey, and John-Mark goes with them to assist. We aren’t given much detail on the matter, but for whatever reason, John-Mark leaves the mission at Perga in Pamphylia to return home to Jerusalem. There could have been some majorly compelling reasons for why John-Mark chose to return to Jerusalem, or it could simply have been fear or immaturity. Whatever it was, the Holy Spirit did not include it in Scripture. Suffice it to say that it left a mark on Paul. Paul and Barnabas travel throughout the region preaching the Word of Christ. Meanwhile, the council of Jerusalem regarding the matter of Gentile Believers and the Mosaic Covenant convened. Paul and Barnabas returned to Jerusalem to testify of the Holy Spirit’s work among the Gentiles, and the council came to an agreement and drafted a letter to be sent out to those outside of Jerusalem. We pick up in Acts 15:22.

Acts 15:22-41 (ESV) | The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, 23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia,greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. 33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

Paul and Barnabas Separate

36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Barnabas chose to mentor John-Mark while Paul chose another to travel with him to do the work of the ministry. Too often, this becomes a matter of friendships being broken or family discord, but this was about the work of the ministry. Paul sought to encourage and strengthen the planted churches and John-Mark was not up for the task. Barnabas, on the other hand, felt led to pour into John-Mark’s life, to nurture him, to equip him for the ministry. Luke goes on to follow Paul’s ministry rather than that of Barnabas, but in Paul’s letter to Timothy, we see that John-Mark becomes a particularly useful brother in the faith. Despite all that has taken place, most of it not recorded, when Paul was at the end of his race, he wanted the company of friends… of whom John-Mark was mentioned by name.

May God bless you and keep you,
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

CTT | The Fool

Faithful Stewardship 1 Comment

I do my best to avoid what is on mainstream news media (MSM), I really do. Now, I fight against it because I work in an office that has FoxNews playing all day, so this takes a great effort. In fact, despite listening to sermons and discernment ministries in earbuds, I still pick up news stories in the natural pauses and when someone in the office reacts to a news story. Our church has been going through the Proverbs this summer, so today I want to take some time to remind by brothers and sisters in Christ what the Bible has to say about the fool. Our secular society has muted the understanding of “fool” to be something silly but otherwise harmless. We tend to resort to stronger language to emphasize the type of foolishness that is to be avoided.

Instruction, Knowledge, Wisdom

In my mind, it is often helpful to define terms by understanding their polar opposite. To get a picture of what a Fool is, in the Bible, we should look at its polar opposite, Wisdom.

Proverbs 1:1-7 (ESV) | The Beginning of Knowledge

1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 To know wisdom and instruction,
    to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
    in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple,
    knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
    and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 2:1-15 (ESV) | The Value of Wisdom

2 My son, if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
    and watching over the way of his saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
    and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you,
    understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
    from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
    to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice in doing evil
    and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose paths are crooked,
    and who are devious in their ways.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. What does that mean? It means that the path to true wisdom, knowledge, and instruction begins with a fear of the Lord, acknowledgement of our Creator, serving Him as God. There is no knowledge or wisdom to be gained from the one who has rejected God, who has no fear of Him.

The Fool

Sure, the unbelieving world has what it claims to be knowledge, even wisdom, but it is all folly and leads to their destruction.

Psalm 53 (ESV) | There Is None Who Does Good
To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David.

1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
    there is none who does good.

2 God looks down from heaven
    on the children of man
to see if there are any who understand,
    who seek after God.

3 They have all fallen away;
    together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
    not even one.

4 Have those who work evil no knowledge,
    who eat up my people as they eat bread,
    and do not call upon God?

5 There they are, in great terror,
    where there is no terror!
For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;
    you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.

6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
    When God restores the fortunes of his people,
    let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

At the time this Psalm was written, Israel was waiting in anticipation for the Messiah to come. As we read it today, we are waiting in anticipation for His return. The unbelieving world remains the same… a world that has foolishly denied God and does not search for Him.

Romans 1:18-23 (ESV) | God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Paul wasn’t treating the unrighteousness of the world lightly or being kind in his word-choice of calling them fools. This is a serious charge. Jesus didn’t consider the charge of a fool lightly either.

Matthew 5:21-22 (ESV) | Anger

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

When we covered this passage in our Gospel Wednesday segment, we focused on the inescapable application of the Law such that we are all guilty of murderous sin even if we’ve not physically committed murder. But this time, I want to point out that Jesus isn’t making any light charge against a person equal to that of murder. “You Fool!” is a serious charge against someone, one that suggests a complete rejection of the knowledge of God. Let’s look at some more of what the Proverbs has to say about the fool.

Proverbs 15 (ESV)

15 A soft answer turns away wrath,
    but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
    but the mouths of fools pour out folly.
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
    keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
    but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
5 A fool despises his father’s instruction,
    but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.
6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
    but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
    not so the hearts of fools.
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
    but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
    but he loves him who pursues righteousness.
10 There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way;
    whoever hates reproof will die.
11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord;
    how much more the hearts of the children of man!
12 A scoffer does not like to be reproved;
    he will not go to the wise.
13 A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
    but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.
14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
    but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
    but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
    than great treasure and trouble with it.
17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is
    than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
    but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.
19 The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns,
    but the path of the upright is a level highway.
20 A wise son makes a glad father,
    but a foolish man despises his mother.
21 Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,
    but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.
22 Without counsel plans fail,
    but with many advisers they succeed.
23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,
    and a word in season, how good it is!
24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent,
    that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.
25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud
    but maintains the widow’s boundaries.
26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,
    but gracious words are pure.
27 Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household,
    but he who hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
    but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
    but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
    and good news refreshes the bones.
31 The ear that listens to life-giving reproof
    will dwell among the wise.
32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,
    but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.
33 The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
    and humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 29:9-11 (ESV)

9 If a wise man has an argument with a fool,
    the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.
10 Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless
    and seek the life of the upright.
11 A fool gives full vent to his spirit,
    but a wise man quietly holds it back.

I highlighted the phrase in v28 because of how closely that line matches v2. Folly and wickedness are often held in close company throughout the Proverbs. They are not always interchangeable, as they have distinct definitions, but notice that their paths intertwine. The way of a fool is not to be followed. Destruction and death are in his wake. He is in the company of the wicked, the slothful, and the scoffer who reject God and His reproof.

With the definition of the fool in mind, Solomon later uses the fool as a measure of warning for specific problems of men.

Proverbs 29:20 (ESV) 20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Proverbs 26:6-12 (ESV)

6 Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
    cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
7 Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless,
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
8 Like one who binds the stone in the sling
    is one who gives honor to a fool.
9 Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 Like an archer who wounds everyone
    is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.
11 Like a dog that returns to his vomit
    is a fool who repeats his folly.
12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
    There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Wow, what a way to close out that train of thought. A man who is wise in his own eyes… one who deems himself fit to declare what is true or false, what is or isn’t,… there is more hope for a fool than that man.

Christ is the Wisdom and Power of God

Fear the Lord your God, and avoid the path of the fool. Proclaim the knowledge of God, preach Law and Gospel. Have no fear of men or what they call knowledge or wisdom. From time to time, for the sake of communication, we have to accept that the world has its own measure of wisdom and knowledge, though it is a false measure due to their rejection of God. I think the Apostle Paul does so quite well in his letter to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 1:17-31 (ESV) | Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
    and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God,righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Fellow stewards of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, rest in the knowledge that flows only from God’s Word. Pursue wisdom and Godly instruction found within the Scriptures. Grow in the Knowledge of Christ…. preach Christ and Him crucified.

Romans 11:33-36 (ESV)

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

Friday Sermon | Worldliness / Godliness by Matt Chandler

Faithful Stewardship Leave a comment

MattChandlerIt has been some time since we last visited the Village Church for a sermon given by Matt Chandler. They are still in their series on the book of James. Today, we’ll be watching part 8 in the series entitled Worldliness / Godliness.

If we can have real talk with one another today, we are really perverted, dark people. We really are! Look at me. If we thought we could get away with it, we would do the most horrific of things. If we thought we could get away with it, that there would be no cost here and now and there was no judgment to come, we would give ourselves over to the most deplorable, dark things imaginable. That’s exactly what happens when you walk in false wisdom, because there’s no truth except what you decide is true. There’s no end except your personal happiness. Regardless of who gets destroyed, who gets heartbroken, who gets left behind, you’re going to be happy, and that’s false wisdom. The Bible says it ends not just with a life of conflict but also with eternal damnation. Maybe you’re a guest, and you’re like, “Oh surely you don’t believe in that archaic eternal damnation nonsense.” No, I believe the holiness of God is so serious that rebellion against it would require such, and that the punishment fits the crime. Then James also contrasts false wisdom with true wisdom. True wisdom categorically embraces God is for God, and the commands of God in Scripture are about leading me into life for his glory. What God wants for me in his commands is for me to surrender to his kingship, to his lordship, to lead me into the fullest possible life for the praise of his glorious grace. How is God most primarily about God? By growing joy in my soul toward him, like a happy marriage would encourage a confidence in the institution of marriage in those around it. This is what James says, that we have eternity in view. Those who walk in true wisdom have eternity in view. We do understand there is more coming. As the apostle Paul would argue in the midst of his suffering, his current suffering isn’t worthy to be compared to the future glory. I heard a man one time say the first second of glory will make years of suffering vanish. The first second would make years of suffering vanish. (ref: The Village Church Sermon Transcript)

Sermon Video

http://www.thevillagechurch.net/resources/sermons/detail/worldliness–godliness/

Sermon Transcript

Click to access 201504191115FMWC21ASAAA_MattChandler_JamesPt8-WorldlinessGodliness.pdf

Sermon Text

James 4:1-12 (ESV) | Warning Against Worldliness

1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Have a blessed weekend, and I pray you are encouraged by this sermon.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

CTT | Male and Female He Created Them

Faithful Stewardship Leave a comment

Genesis 1:26-28 (ESV)

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them.

28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Genesis 2:23-24 (ESV)

23 Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man.”

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

We are living in a time of great confusion, a strong delusion where man thinks that they can unmake or remake God’s design to suit their will. Some even go so far as to claim that they are correcting God’s mistakes. May God have mercy. With such an introduction, you might think today’s post is about homosexuality and man-made “gay-marriage”, but we already addressed that to some extent in CTT | Born That Way? Yes.

Transgenderism… is that even a thing?

It’s a mental/emotional disorder with no physical markers. None. Why all the fuss about it now? The normalizing of LGBTQ+ into mainstream society has opened the floodgates of Liberal Progressives thinking they can change reality by inventing new terms, categories, and labels to suit their desires. God created man, and He created them male and female. When sin entered (through Adam) our flesh and all of creation was cursed. God’s good creation was defiled by sin. We have death, sickness, and mutations as a direct result of sin. However, no mutation has ever changed the substance of what God created into something else. Progressive evolution is a lie. Natural Selection and Man-made selection are valid concepts (breeding), but the idea that mutations lead to substantive changes to any living organism is fantasy that comes from a decidedly anti-Biblical framework. God created male and female differently. Archeology and Forensics can identify gender from bits of bone and drops of body fluid. That is how extensive our physical differences are. Transgenderism is at-best a mental disorder that for some may be started at birth (who’s to say how sin has affected the mind of each person born in sin?) and for others it was encouraged or brought on by the environment. Mental illnesses are real sicknesses brought about by the curse of sin in a fallen world.

Our Secular society has struggled to deal with the sin of homosexuality for a long time. While the sexual revolution has pushed, and pushed for normalizing homosexuality, we’ve also had a weird fascination with drag queens.  I believe the big shift in now comes from man’s pride in their technological advancements in body mutilation. They’ve found ways of making the drag costume more and more permanent. They’ve now decided that their technology is so advanced, that their manipulation of cosmetic appearance, to the very mutilation of the “less honorable” members of our physical bodies. If a man claims to be a bear, psychologically, what does his biology say? He is a man. If a man claims to be a woman, psychologically, what does his biology say? He is a man. And it says so at the genetic level. Sure you can cut him up, implant foreign material in specific places, and throw off his biochemistry in some ways via drugs, but he is still a man… though the hormonal treatment will eventually make him a less physically capable man than he was created to be. But society wants its Tower of Babel. An evil and adulterous generation seeks to make a name for himself in the heavens, they want the power to determine what is or is not a man or a woman, by their will, their choice, and by the work of their hands.

Romans 1:18-32 (ESV) | God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

And in this culture, many who do not struggle with homosexuality are now included their sin by advocating for their acceptance as transgenders… men and women who’ve rejected God’s design and decided to mutilate their bodies in their defiance. They demand that you bend the knee to their rule over their identity, their biology, even their very existence. The idolatry varies a bit, either they demand you worship their self-made identity or their technology, they’ve rejected the Creator and insist that you do, too.

Strong Delusion

I’ve seen several blogs and Facebook posts of Christians freaking out over this garbage, though. That needs to stop. Stop being surprised by the lawlessness of a world that Hates God. Many who have not been paying attention to false teachers, wolves, who’ve infiltrated the Church are suddenly being shocked and surprised by Apostate churches… stop. It is not like we haven’t been warned in the New Testament, time and time again.

2 Thessalonians 2 (ESV) | The Man of Lawlessness

2 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Stand Firm

13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

We do not need to adopt a new language or new paradigm for dealing with sexual immorality, idolatry of self, transgenderism, or open defiance of the Lord God. We have the Truth of God’s Word, both Law and Gospel. Stand firmly on that, and keep preaching the Word of God.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge