Complete the Thought (CTT)

When quoting scripture it is vitally important that we not pluck small segments out of context. Sometimes that means reading the verses leading up to the quoted text… many times it involves reading on beyond the quoted text. Sound doctrine demands we check our cliches, church-isms, and quick-quotes against the whole of scriptures, lest we deceive ourselves and those who follow.

DiM | “Cast My Cares” by Finding Favour

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Presentation1Today is “Discernment in Music” (DiM) day here at Faithful Stewardship (2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (ESV)).

August 11, 2015. Today we’ll be taking a look at “Cast My Cares” by Finding Favour which currently sits at #16 on 20theCountdownMagazine’s top 20 and at #10 on the KLove top 10.

This song is a goal-setting motivational song. The goal is scriptural for Christians. Unfortunately, the song doesn’t provide any indication in how to achieve the goal, nor does it share the Gospel or call people to repentance. It doesn’t stand on its own, but I think if we take some time to study what God’s Word says, we can make the best of hearing this song played the radio. Let’s give it a listen, examine the lyrics, and then search the Scriptures for the clarity this song sorely lacks.

Official Lyric Video

Lyrics (via Air1.com)

Finding Favour – Cast My Cares Lyrics

When fear feels bigger than my faith
And struggles steal my breath away

When my back’s pressed up against the wall
With the weight of my worries stacked up tall
You’re strong enough to hold it all

I will cast my cares on You
You’re the anchor of my hope
The only one who’s in control
I will cast my cares on You
I’ll trade the troubles of this world
For Your peace inside my soul

This war’s not what I would’ve chosen
But You see the future no one knows yet

And there’s still good when I can’t
See the working of Your hands
You’re holding it all

I will cast my cares on You
You’re the anchor of my hope
The only one who’s in control
I will cast my cares on You
I’ll trade the troubles of this world
For Your peace inside my soul

I’m finding there’s freedom
When I lay it all on Your shoulders

Cast my cares
I will
Cast my cares
I will
Cast my cares on You

Publishing: © 2014 Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publishing (ASCAP) / Songs Of Emack (ASCAP). All rights for the world on behalf of Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publishing and Songs Of Emack administered by CapitolCMGPublishing.com. Sony/ATV Timber Publishing/Not Just Another Song Music (SESAC). Shivel Songs a div of Daywind Music Publishing/Sesac (admin. by ClearBox Rights).
Writer(s): Blake NeeSmith, Casy Brown & Sam Tinnesz

Discussion

Let’s knock out the obvious… this song doesn’t bear any Gospel message. There is no call to repentance. No mention of sin. It doesn’t even clearly identify the “You”. This song most assuredly does not stand on its own. If this song is to have any value or provide any degree of encouragement, it must be heard by Christians with solid theology. The allusions to Scripture are so pale that they can be hijacked by the most amateur false teacher. Nevertheless, this song can be an encouragement for one who has a good foundation of solid theology, and for that it does not get a flat-out disapproval.

I think the best place to begin this discussion is in Peter’s letter to the Church. We are going to look at the closing chapter of his first letter, because in his closing he is leaving general marching orders to the Church. These apply to us directly, so let us examine what the Holy Spirit wrote via the Apostle Peter:

1 Peter 5 (ESV) | Shepherd the Flock of God

5 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.14 Greet one another with the kiss of love.

Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Peter first addresses the Elders of the Church, and he includes himself as their fellow elder.  He then addresses the need for the younger ones to be subject to the elders. Peter than shifts to “all of you” for his exhortation. Notice that Peter begins the command to Humble ourselves… casting all our anxieties on [God], because He cares for us. Is it not pride / arrogance / selfishness that motivates us to insist that we do things on our own, carry loads we weren’t meant to carry, and refuse help? Notice something else here… Peter begins with humbling ourselves, flows into casting our anxieties upon God because He cares for us, and then moves directly into resisting the devil. James also put these things together in his letter.

James 4:1-10 (ESV) | Warning Against Worldliness

4 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.

Now James was addressing different issues, but notice the submission to God, humbling of ourselves, purifying our hearts of double-mindedness (Someone who doubts God James 1:5-8). The connection to our song is right here, I think, in the purifying of our hearts of doubt and holding on by faith as the intersection with what Peter described as casting our anxieties on God. The heart of a double-minded man is filled with anxiety and tossed by the seas of circumstance. Let us look to one more passage of Scripture found in the letter to the Philippians from the Apostle Paul. Again, we’ll be looking at the concluding portion of the letter, beginning in verse 1 of Chapter 4:

Philippians 4:1-9 (ESV) | Exhortation, Encouragement, and Prayer

4 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

So much good stuff in this passage. I want to start with the highlighted portion… The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious… That’s vital. It isn’t just an empty imperative or command to “stop being anxious”, not at all… it flows as a result of the acknowledgement of the Truth that the Lord is indeed at hand. Read it as you did Peter’s exhortation to cast your cares on [God], because He cares for you. The Lord is at hand. You are not alone, you are not on your own, it isn’t your burden to carry… put your faith in Him and purify your heart of doubt (double-mindedness).

We see something else here in Paul’s conclusion that can help us in our next step… searching for the “how” in casting our cares upon God. Paul doesn’t begin with the “thou shall not be anxious”… he begins with rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Don’t make this a commandment as in “be happy or else!” because just as we saw in verse 6, Paul is making this commandment a reflection of the previous statement whose names are in the book of life. Yes, at the Resurrection every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, but Paul is urging us to rejoice always (x2) in knowing that our names are written in the book of life. We are to rejoice in the Grace God has shown toward us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By faith we have been redeemed and our names have been written in the book of life. Rejoice in that, brothers and sisters in Christ. The Lord is at hand… cast your cares on Him. In everything… by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests to God. Prayer and supplication require humbling yourself in the sight of the Lord. In verse 7, we see that the peace of God will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ… from whom? The devil and his temptation. We are not to be ignorant but vigilant and sober-minded, as Peter wrote. That brings us the finally of Paul’s exhortation… think about these things.

We are not ignorant of the trials and tribulations that lie ahead… in fact, we are to count it all joy (James 1). But we know that it isn’t by our strength or might that we are to face these challenges; rather, we are to cast our cares on the Lord who is at hand, because He cares for us. Rejoice in the Gospel of Grace, think on whatever is praiseworthy, and the God of peace will guard our hearts.

Conclusion

The song doesn’t stand on its own, but for those who are in Christ Jesus, it can be a reminder that we are to humble ourselves before God, casting our cares and anxieties upon Him, and trusting in Him in everything. There are some other nuggets than can be fleshed out, but I think we’ve covered the heart of the intent of the song here. Think on these things, trusting in Him who paid the price of our sin, suffered and died on a cross, rose from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and Promised to return once more.

Romans 15:13 (ESV) 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

CTT | What I decree and declare…

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418px-Ary_Scheffer_-_The_Temptation_of_Christ_(1854)There is a lot of bad teaching out there regarding prayer and spiritual warfare. Today, I want to address the blasphemous “I decree and declare” type prayers. We aren’t called to pray that way. If you are reading this blog and are unfamiliar with Pentecostal or Charismatic teaching on spiritual warfare, I don’t want to create a strawman in your mind, take a moment to see the sort of teaching we are addressing.

Source: Charisma Mag (read with caution)

Decreeing and declaring are becoming more popular in Christian circles.

Often people begin their prayers by saying, “I decree and declare. …” The two words have distinctly different meaning though, and by understanding what they mean, we can more powerfully harness the power of what each does.

The word declare comes from the Hebrew achvah, meaning “to make known” or “to set forth an accounting.” It is commonly used by customs agents who ask international travelers, “Do you have anything to declare?” The agents are asking for specifics of what you have, what you are carrying.

As it pertains to us spiritually, declarations are what we speak into the atmosphere, making known what we already have possession of. We can declare our righteousness, our salvation, our eternal victory and our friendship with God.

Into the atmosphere? No. We don’t pray to the atmosphere, to nature, to men, to angels, or to demons. We pray to God. So, unless we are offering up prayers to false gods, this should severely limit what we should be decreeing and declaring to God in our prayers to Him.

What we already have possession of? Repentance. For it is by God’s Grace that we have been saved, through Faith, and that faith isn’t of ourselves, it is the Gift of God… that no one should boast (paraphrasing Eph 2:8-9).

We can declare our righteousness? Sure, if by doing so you are confessing you have none of your own. Your greatest good work is stained by sin. Declare your unrighteousness… by confessing and repenting to God.

We can declare our salvation, our eternal victory? Yes. If we are talking prayer, it still falls under confession and repentance because we are talking to God. I would rather this declaration be set in the context of Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to both the believing and the lost.

Source: Charisma Mag (cont…)

By contrast, decrees are a tool by which we cause the truths of the heavenly realm to be manifest into the natural realm so they become our daily reality. We decree healing when we are sick. We decree provision and abundance when we are lacking. We decree peace when there is turmoil. Decrees are a tool to fulfill Matthew 6:10: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (KJV). Decrees manifest heaven on earth.

The English definition of decree is “a statement of truth that carries the authority of a court order.” For example, when a defendant is convicted of a crime and sentenced to prison, he cannot ignore that sentence because the authority of the court order is such that upon conviction, he has no further say in the matter.

The same is true with decrees in the spiritual realm. When we decree God’s provision and blessings over our lives, then anything purposed against our provision and blessing can have no further say in the matter. When we decree God’s peace and unity in our family, then anything purposed against peace and unity has no valid objection or standing to come against us.

We cause the truths of the heavenly realm to be manifest into the natural realm? No, no, no…. no… no. Just…. no. God does the work as He sees fit. He is sovereign over all of creation. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords, and we do not cause anything to be manifest in the natural. I mean, this is supposed to be prayer, right? We are praying to God and telling Him what we truths we will cause to be manifest? Seriously? No. To presume to do the work of telling God what to manifest is to commit the sin of blasphemy. He alone is God.

When we decree God’s provision and blessings over our lives, then anything purposed against our provision and blessing can have no further say in the matter. What a lie. God made no such promises in Scripture. This false teaching is what shipwrecks faith… by leading sheep to place their faith in empty promises. This isn’t prayer… this is sorcery. This turns the notion of prayer into a “spell of protection”. This is dangerous theology… blasphemous within the context of prayer. This isn’t prayer. And when these false promises turn up empty, you’ve left the sheep completely exposed to the wolves to be devoured… and their blood is on your hands.

It is Written

Let’s get a little perspective now.

John 1:1-16 (ESV) | The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life,and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

Jesus is God in the flesh, the God-Man. It is as inexplicable as it is inescapable. Jesus Is. Through Him all things were created and with Him not anything made was made. This is important to note going into the next couple of passages.

Matthew 4:1-11 (ESV) | The Temptation of Jesus

4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
    and him only shall you serve.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

A couple of notes here. Firstly, Satan came to Jesus to tempt and distract Jesus. Jesus responds “it is Written”. Such a powerful response coming from the One who Is the Word Made Flesh. If anyone could have decreed and declared of His own, it would be Jesus… yet He deferred to what He has already said and caused to be Written. Even when He told Satan “Be gone” Jesus qualified it “for it is written”. Secondly… Jesus isn’t praying to Satan. He isn’t praying to the atmosphere. He was fasting (an act of humble Worship to God the Father), became hungry, and Satan came to tempt. Notice how Satan first tempted Jesus… to have Him command (decree) the stones be made into bread.

On the issue of prayer, we’ve addressed how Jesus answered the request of His disciples to teach them how to pray. Teach Us to Pray.

What I decree and declare

That I am a sinner in need of a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was in the Beginning, who came to fulfill the Promise, pay the price of sin I couldn’t pay by His death on the cross, who rose victorious over sin and death, and ascended into Heaven until the Day of His Return to judge the living and the dead. Let’s look at what Paul declared in his letter to the Philippians.

Philippians 3 (ESV)| Righteousness Through Faith in Christ

3 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Straining Toward the Goal

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Please stop reading books and magazine articles by self-proclaimed “spiritual warfare” gurus that teach you to treat the Bible as a spell book, and encourage you to blaspheme what you do not understand (Jude 8-10; 2 Peter 2).

James 1:2-5 (ESV) Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Many misuse this verse as a springboard to promoting direct-revelation from God. God has already given us all that we need in the Scriptures. Learn to read the Bible as a revelation of Christ (how the Bible describes itself) rather than some guidebook about you.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Learn to pray the Lord’s Prayer as He taught His disciples to pray. Learn to pray the Psalms, in many of them the first-person pronouns are Jesus, not David or you. Prayer is a gift from God for those who have been adopted through His Son, Jesus. And when it comes time to pray ex corde (from the heart), let the Lord’s Prayer and the 10 commandments guide your prayers. Remember to whom you’re praying (1-2 Commandment), honor Him in your prayer, do not make petitions based on anger (murder), covetousness, jealousy, etc. Finally, I do not recommend reading Charisma Mag for any spiritual guidance whatsoever. It is one of many “christian” tabloids spreading false-doctrines and promoting false teachers.

Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

CTT | Sowing Discord

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The visible church is suffering from a lack of discernment; either a lack of noble Bereans who receive the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so (Acts 17:10-12) or worse, a total unwillingness to listen to them and concerted efforts to silence them. These two possibilities are both true and they contribute to each other. Today, we are going to look at one of the ways discernment ministries and noble Bereans are silenced… they are accused of sowing discord.

Proverbs 6:16-19 (ESV)

16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
    seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
    and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
    feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies,
    and one who sows discord among brothers.

This is a hard-hitting proverb, and effective for intimidating noble Bereans into silence and capitulation for the sake of “unity” and to avoid being an abomination to the Lord. The error here is in the definition of on who sows discord among brothers. Is Solomon issuing a blanket statement that anyone who disagrees with the majority or the leadership, for any reason, is sowing discord and as such is an abomination to the Lord? No. First, let’s look at the verses preceding this section.

Proverbs 6:12-15 (ESV)

12 A worthless person, a wicked man,
    goes about with crooked speech,
13 winks with his eyes, signals with his feet,
    points with his finger,
14 with perverted heart devises evil,
    continually sowing discord;
15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
    in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

There it is. You see, even in the case of the one congregant who always seems to be sounding the discernment alarm, there are a number of possibilities… most notably, either that individual is indeed attempting to sow discord, or the individual is being faithful to the Word, not being heeded, and there are continuous doctrinal problems that need to be addressed. Either way, it is insufficient to silence the individual with this intimidating accusation of “sowing discord”.

So what shall we do? Thankfully, we can look for specific instruction in Paul’s letter to Titus.

Titus 3:1-11 (ESV) | Be Ready for Every Good Work

1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

If the person in question is in sin, or espousing falsehood, or stirring up division (rather than seeking to point out error), the person is warped and sinful and is self-condemned. He has stood and railed against sound doctrine (The Word of God, not the doctrines of men). We see the charge in verse 2 to speak evil of no one, be gentle, and show perfect courtesy. Strawman fallacies, Ad Hominem attacks, or marginalizing the brother or sister who is exercising discernment runs contrary to scripture. Even the best of our good works is tainted by our sinful flesh; however, that does not excuse any pre-emptive or reactionary gag-order. If the noble Berean is in error, the elders should teach, explain, exhort, and even rebuke when necessary according to the Scriptures. Truth doesn’t need defending, opinions do.

Are there errors in the congregation? Absolutely, that is why the need shepherds. But there are also errors in leadership, and if the leadership doesn’t catch the error, we who are of the same faith, same baptism, same Holy Spirit are charged to do the work of the noble Bereans to see if these things are so. The leaders will be held accountable, for they will have to give account as it is their calling to watch over our souls (Hebrews 13:17). Pastors, your congregation won’t always “do it right”, and there will be cause for instruction and correction regarding their approach, their attitudes, and even their mistrust… but none of these negate the point being brought up. There is a logical fallacy fallacy, where a failure to logically articulate an argument is used to invalidate the argument. The argument’s validity is unaffected by its articulation, it just makes convincing someone else of the point extremely difficult. Thankfully, we are talking about Scriptural matters; therefore, the ultimate arbiter and objective standards is God’s Word. My fellow Berean… be ready to confess and repent of your sin, even while pursuing the most noble good work by the Grace of God.

1 Timothy 6 (ESV)

6 Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 2 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.

False Teachers and True Contentment

Teach and urge these things. 3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Fight the Good Fight of Faith

11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

Grace be with you.

 Amen.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

CTT | ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ should suffice

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CTTThis week we are hoping to get back to our weekly posting schedule. I’m particularly looking forward to our Gospel Wednesday reading through the Gospel According to Matthew. Today’s Complete the Thought (CTT) post will reflect back on a portion of the Lord’s sermon on the mount found in Matthew 5.

Matthew 5:33-37 (ESV) | Oaths

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

The passage should be familiar to most of us. As a father of 2 beautiful, wonderful, sinful little children this passage comes to mind time and time again. You see, my kids have already adopted the dubious habit of hyper-emphasizing one of their claims or sweetening the deal for one of their negotiations with each other or with their mom and me. The phrase “I promise” is wildly abused in our culture… and my kids have picked it up. I regularly have to remind my children, “you don’t have the power to guarantee such promises, don’t make them. This is a good lesson for our children, but for them to truly learn these lessons, we adults need to stop abusing promises ourselves.

Notice the second half of verse 37 just after the semicolon, anything more than this comes from evil. This really jumped out at me this weekend. Now, we know that lying is evil for the devil is the father of lies.

John 8:43-45 (ESV)

43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.

But there is more going on here than simply lying. Jesus is saying there is something inherently wrong with exceeding your ‘yes’ and ‘no’ by tacking on oaths (I promise, I swear, etc). Let’s look at some of the ways this holds true in our lives.

  • When we start accepting oaths where a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ should be sufficient, we start to accept lying in the everyday things. It doesn’t happen in an instant, but when we allow our children to make oaths for things they shouldn’t be swearing to, then we unintentionally give them a buffer to lie or reconsider commitments that were made without the oath. That’s a problem. It devalues our word, even when we make good on our promises.
  • When we offer oaths in trying to add weight to our verbal commitments, we are tacitly acknowledging that we’ve sinned before by bearing false witness and untruthful speech in the past. This is a problem on 2 levels, the first is that this tacit acknowledgement falls short of confession and repentance. The second is that we are now trying to buy trust and credibility on credit or on a loan. When our brother/sister asks us to do something, or refrain from something, they are asking us to help them in some way. By tacking on the oath, we are then asking them to place their trust in us, while on some level acknowledging that we haven’t earned such trust in the past though but we are not really confessing and repenting from those sins. Earlier in the sermon on the mount, when addressing murder of the heart, Jesus follows that up with a charge to be reconciled with our brothers even before offering our gifts to the Lord. Offering an oath to a brother to whom you’ve been unfaithful or untruthful before is not reconciliation, even if you manage to fulfill the oath. It’s an attempt to side-step confession and repentance, which often comes from a place of pride.

Matthew 5:21-26 (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. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

  • The other side of this is that as sinful beings, we knowingly add oaths to our lies to ensure manipulation of the situation and secure the unwarranted trust of our neighbor. This is evil… even with the so-called greatest of intentions or extenuating circumstances. Incidentally, the so-called “law of attraction” nonsense with speaking lies over ourselves, even invoking scriptures that don’t apply, fit into this category… be careful. But let us look at how Scripture characterizes Peter’s oaths of “no”… in a time of intensely extenuating circumstances that in no-way exonerate him.

Mark 14:66-72 (ESV) | Peter Denies Jesus

66 And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. 69 And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” 72 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Peter’s denial of Christ the first two times are grave, death-worthy sins on their own. Peter lied, and not only did he lie, his lie was a denial of the Messiah. Then he swore and invoked a curse upon himself (probably 2 different statements made, I don’t think this makes a blanket equation of oaths being equal to curses) to convince the crowd to accept his lie. Regardless of whatever emotional intelligence someone may try to bring into this equation, this is evil. It comes from a place of fear and unbelief. This is sin. Human emotion does not trump the Truth of God’s Word… ever. Peter broke down under the conviction of his sin… and he repented. He learned a hard lesson that night. Our Loving Savior, Jesus Christ extended grace and forgiveness and restored Peter later on (John 21:15-19).

James 5:7-12 (ESV) | Patience in Suffering

7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Notice how James framed this, but above all… we need to dispense with verbal commitment buffers. As children of the Light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we need to treat our ‘yes’ or our ‘no’ as binding commitment. We need to put away all falsehood and coarse joking from our lips. And when we fail, and we will, we are to confess our sins to one another, repent, and ask for forgiveness from our brothers and sisters and from the Lord God. Don’t flirt with adding condemnation upon our sins… don’t add oaths where they do not belong.

And let us not be one-note about our communication. It is not our speech alone that makes the whole, but our speech in addition to our actions. In closing, let us look to a parable shared by Jesus shortly after the triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Matthew 21:28-32 (ESV) | The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

This is wonderful parable with a ton of Truth packed in here, but for today’s topic, notice the repentance was walked out, not merely spoken after-the-fact. And this son… did the will of his Father, though initially he dishonored the verbally Father. We are sinful creatures, indeed… but God’s Grace to convict to repentance is a beautiful thing… as is His mercy to forgive us of our sin.

Jude 24-25 (ESV) | Doxology

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

CTT | Condemned Already

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John 3:16 is a common reference in Internet Memes and Sporting events (though the latter will see a decline in today’s antichrist climate). It’s a wonderful verse; however, I find myself unwilling to limit the citation to the singular verse. I prefer to cite John 3:16-18 or more. Let us look at the verse and discuss the impact of the fuller context.

John 3:16-21 (ESV) | For God So Loved the World

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

My favorite weekly segment at Wretched Radio with Todd Friel is Witness Wednesday. Todd does a great job of engaging young men and women on college campuses with Law and Gospel. A common response to the question of “do you think God will let you into heaven” goes along the lines of “I don’t think I’ve done anything too bad”. Many in the western culture who acknowledge there might be a God and that there might come a judgement once they’ve died have a picture of that judgement that they’ll somehow have an opportunity to make their case for admittance into heaven based on weighing the good they’ve done against the bad and most think they will come out positive in the end, if not at some sort of break-even. Sadly, many of these individuals consider themselves “Christian”.  These are quick to cite John 3:16, some might even echo a colloquial version of 17 (Jesus didn’t come to judge but to save), but few have ever read verse 18. Verse 18 makes it clear, those who do not believe are condemned already. What does that mean? It means they are already guilty.  Many who object to this truth of the Law (that we are already guilty) will make defenses that equate to “that’s not fair to judge me based on what I haven’t done”. They do not understand the nature of sin and the Law of God, nor of His Grace.

Genesis 2:15-17 (ESV)

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Satan tempted Eve and she ate, and Adam followed suit. When God sought them out, the investigation began (not for God’s sake, for He is all-knowing, but for the sake of His creation):

Genesis 3:8-13 (ESV)

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Each tried to assign fault with another, but confessed their action. They admitted the sin, but tried to assign blame elsewhere. We continue to do this to this day. God, in His Holy Justice and Grace, pronounces judgment.

Genesis 3:14-19 (ESV)

14 The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
    cursed are you above all livestock
    and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
    and dust you shall eat
    all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
    and you shall bruise his heel.”

16 To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
    in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for your husband,
    and he shall rule over you.”

17 And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
    and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
    ‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
    in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
    and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
    you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
    for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return.”

Did Adam die in that day? Yes. However, by God’s Grace, man was given time. Adam would live to see his children, knowing they would die, knowing they would have to work the ground that is cursed by his sin. God also gave us a Promise, sometimes referred to as the protoevangelium, that He will crush the head of the serpent by the seed of woman. This points forward to Jesus, born of a virgin, son of the Living God, He who came to save the world by His substitutionary death on the cross.

In the case of mankind’s sin, the verdict is already in. Death is inescapable, the wages of sin is death. It has been appointed to every man to die once and then face judgement. You see, our temporal life is by the Grace of God, so that we might come to penitent faith in Jesus Christ who has already borne the full wrath of God against sin. We are born on death row…the delayed eternal punishment is by God’s Grace so that we might hear the Word of Christ and come to faith.

Romans 5:12-21 (ESV) | Death in Adam, Life in Christ

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ephesians 2:1-10 (ESV) | By Grace Through Faith

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

It is good to share John 3:16, for it is a central truth in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but without the Law, the Gospel seeks to resolve a need that is not acknowledged by the unbelieving. I, for one, am leaning more and more toward John 3:18 as the lead-in, but I digress. Mankind needs to hear both Law and Gospel, for only by hearing the Word can anyone be granted faith by grace.

Romans 10:14-17 (ESV)

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

The world stands condemned already by their unbelief. Rather than seeking to sell them on “making a decision for Jesus” or even “asking Jesus into their hearts”… preach the Word of Christ. I like how the Apostle Paul addressed this in 1 Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 1:17-21 (ESV) | Christ the Wisdom & 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.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge