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.

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

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

CTT | Do you do well to be Angry?

Faithful Stewardship Leave a comment

Jonah 4:1-4 (ESV) | Jonah’s Anger and the Lord‘s Compassion

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”

It’s such a simple question.   God is addressing His sulking prophet, Jonah, and rhetorically asking him, “Do you do well to be angry?” Why was Jonah angry? Let’s look at what happens in chapter 3, to see if we can grasp what it was that had Jonah angry enough to forfeit his very life.

Jonah 3 (ESV) | Jonah Goes to Nineveh

1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth.4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

Notice the wording here… it doesn’t say they believed Jonah… the people of Nineveh believed God. Jonah was preaching the Word of the Lord.

Jonah 3 | The People of Nineveh Repent

6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

God relented… He did not bring about disaster upon them because of their repentance by faith. Why do I say faith? Because they believed the Word of God spoken through the prophet Jonah. The people of Nineveh believed God, by faith, and turned from (repented) their evil way, and God forgave them and relented. And that is what displeased Jonah exceedingly, and made him angry.

Do you do well to be angry?

Jonah strongly reminds God, of why he ran in the first place. Jonah wasn’t afraid of Nineveh, and he had no doubt of God’s ability to destroy Nineveh. Jonah knew full-well it was God who caused the storm to attack the boat and he knew that God was responsible for the fish… but he also knew of God’s Mercy and Grace. He knew that if Nineveh believed the Word of God and repented, that God would show mercy. He knew it… and He didn’t want Nineveh spared. Nineveh was guilty… her walls were painted with graphic murals of her king’s torturous treatment of captives. Justice demanded Nineveh’s destruction. Jonah demanded justice. He was so angry that God relented, that Jonah decided he’d rather die than live with the knowledge that Nineveh had repented at his preaching and been forgiven.

Jonah 4:5-11 (ESV)

5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind,and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

What right does Jonah have to be angry at God for sparing a repentant Nineveh? None. Jonah doesn’t have the right. He is in no way entitled to this anger. He is angry at God for His mercy and grace to the people of Nineveh. And that same God shows him mercy and grace in this rebuke. Nineveh’s faith wanes and she is later destroyed by God (Book of Nahum)… but for now, God extends grace and delays justice.

Matthew 12:38-42 (ESV) | The Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

God is still extending Grace and Mercy… this time coming to perform an act of mercy far greater than was witnessed by Jonah. Jesus came to bear the full brunt of God’s wrath on the cross… in our place. The Pharisees lacked faith, and Jesus told them they would be condemned by the men of Nineveh who repented.

We, too, struggle with forgiveness, don’t we? We insist on earning our forgiveness… paying penance, “making things right”. Is it not because we fail to understand the gravity of our sin, of our wrong, of our guilt? Surely this is the case, because we who long for forgiveness for ourselves seem awfully keen to withhold forgiveness from others. Sure, we’ll forgive, but Justice must be served! We are entitled to closure… to satisfaction that justice has been served and that the wrongs have been made right… right?

Matthew 18:21-35 (ESV) | The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him,“I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

For a laborer, a talent was about a year’s wages. 10,000 year’s wages was forgiven him. A denarius was about a day’s wage… He couldn’t see fit to forgive the debt of 100 day’s wages in light of having been forgiven 10,000 years worth of debt.

Dear Christian… do you do well to be angry? Is there any sin your brother, sister, or neighbor can commit against you that compares to eternity? Do you think you have the right to insist on justice over forgiveness on behalf of another?

Matthew 6:7-15 (ESV)

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them,for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

The world speaks with confidence of things it doesn’t understand. The world demands Justice while it rejects the God of creation. We who are called in Jesus’ Name, out of the darkness and into the Light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we know better than to demand Justice over Mercy and Grace. At least, we should. You see, Justice comes from the One who also extends Mercy. Jonah wasn’t seeking really seeking Justice to be poured out on Nineveh… he wanted vengeance.

Do you do well to be angry?

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

DiM | “Something Beautiful” by Steven Curtis Chapman

Faithful Stewardship Leave a comment

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

June 02, 2015. Today we’ll be taking a look at “Something Beautiful” by Steven Curtis Chapman which currently sits at #18 at 20theCountdownMagazine.

We’ll continue using this top 20 song list until I find a better list. Your feedback in this would be greatly appreciated.

I love Steven Curtis Chapman’s writing, music, and ministry. I don’t think this is one of his stronger songs. This is a song of encouragement generally based on the idea that for Believers everything that we think is “bad” will be turned into something “good” by God. This is based on a commonly held interpretation of Romans 8:28 that isn’t quite right. We’ll look at that later. There are some generically positive themes in this song, but the details are a little “off”.

Official Pseudo Video

Lyrics (Partial Lyrics from Air1)

Something Beautiful

I see you sitting over there with your head in your hands
And the mess life’s made of your best laid plans
You really want to shake your fist
But you don’t know who to blame
Well, you can blame yourself or the man upstairs
Or the guy on the screen who says he cares
But all the shame and the blame won’t change a thing
What’s done is done
But grace has just begun

And God says
I’m gonna turn it into something different
I’m gonna turn it into something good
I’m gonna take all the broken pieces
And make something beautiful like only I could
So put it all in the hands of the Father
Give it up, give it all over to
The only One who can turn it into
Something beautiful
Something really beautiful

We know the world got broke when it took the fall
And here we are living in the middle of it all
Longing, waiting for the day when everything’s restored
But the best of the beauty that we get to SEE
While we’re living down here in this “yet to be”
Is to watch God take the most broken things
And to hear Him say
“When I get through, you’re gonna be amazed”

‘Cause I’m gonna turn it into something different
I’m gonna turn it into something good
I’m gonna take all the broken pieces
And make something beautiful like only I could
So put it all in the hands of the Father
Give it up, give it all over to
The only One who can turn it into

Something beautiful
Something beautiful
Something beautiful
Put all the pieces in His hands
And watch Him turn it into something beautiful

God’s gonna turn it into something different
He’s gonna turn it into something good
He’s gonna take all the broken pieces
And make something beautiful like only He could
So put it all in the hands of the Father
Give it up, give it all over to
The only One who can turn it into
Something beautiful
Something really beautiful
Something beautiful
Something really beautiful

Publishing: © 2013 One Blue Petal Music / Primary Wave Brian (BMI) All rights admin. by BMG Rights Management. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Writer(s): Steven Curtis Chapman

I love Steven Curtis Chapman’s writing, music, and ministry. I look forward to hearing a new song from him on the radio. He has a signature style and is easily recognizable. However, the more I listen to this song, the bigger its problems seem. Is I mentioned in the intro to this post, the premise of this song is based on a common misrepresentation of Romans 8:28. Let’s look at it in its immediate context.

CTT | Romans 8:28

Romans 8:18-30 (ESV) | Future Glory

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

To what is the Apostle Paul referring when he talks of the glory that is to be revealed to us? Is he speaking of glory promised us in this life? No. Paul always points to the Resurrection in the Last Day, when Jesus Christ returns in Glory. Paul points to a creation that is subjected to futility, by the sin of Adam. Though we are individually made new by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the whole of creation remains cursed. It groans for the day of its redemption, just as we (Believers) groan for the redemption of our bodies, when we will be given new and perfect bodies in the resurrection. This is all resurrection, return-of-the-King language. As long as sickness, death, plague, and calamity exist on this earth, in creation, we remain in the not-yet. Paul is pointing to the New Heavens and the New Earth, when all of Creation is finally made right again in Christ Jesus.

Revelation 21:1-8 (ESV) | The New Heaven and the New Earth

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

This is the “new” and “the good” that God is working all things for those who are in Him. That is the context of Paul’s writing in Romans 8:28. Does God give good gifts to us here in the temporary? Absolutely, but that is not where we lay our hope, and definitely not where we lay up our treasures. Therefore, whenever someone invokes Romans 8:28 as a blank check from God that every disappointment in this life will be converted into something awesome in this life, know that they are lifting the passage out of its context, twisting the scripture (whether or not they realize they are doing it). We have a wondrous and blessed hope of glory in the Resurrection… it is marvelous and magnificent and it is assured for all who are in Christ Jesus. This Promise is sealed by God the Holy Spirit as a gift to every believer. That is why Paul asserts so strongly that the suffering of this present time are worthless by comparison. Paul was well acquainted with suffering as an Apostle of Jesus Christ. Dear Christian, the focus of Scriptures and the heart of Prophecy is Jesus Christ, not us in this temporal life. Jesus is returning, and His return is our Hope.

Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV) | Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Discussion of Song Lyrics

Verse 1. The singer is addressing an individual who has either sinned or experienced hardship or both. It isn’t clear if this is a believer or an unbeliever. We’ll assume for now that Steven intends to address the believer. There is a glaring problem in this verse, though, in how the song deals with ascribing the source of the individual’s problem. Life’s made a mess of your best laid plans? What does that mean? Sin leads to death. Sometimes plans crumble due to sin. Sometimes they crumble because they were sinful in themselves, and sometimes God is the one doing destroying the sinful schemes. As the verse progresses, it seems to lean toward a sin that was committed “you can blame yourself… all the blame and shame won’t change a thing what’s done is done“. What is that? That’s not repentance. At best it is an acceptance that something bad happened, and there’s nothing I can do to change that. Let’s put a sin in there, and see if this logic holds as doctrinally sound. Say the man with his head in his hands has committed adultery and lost his wife and kids as a result. Is there anything he can do to fix any of that or undo any of that? No. Does saying, “I can’t change it, what’s done is done” pass as repentance? No. Does accepting the blame for having committed the adultery fix the marriage after the divorce? No. So, does that make accepting the blame for the sin of adultery a pointless act? Absolutely not. The Gospel of Jesus Christ isn’t that the results of our sins will be erased; rather, that the sins will be forgiven for those who rightly confess that they are indeed sinners in need of a Savior, repent, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I find this verse overly dismissive of the need to rightly confess our sinfulness. While I believe Steven is trying to convey, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus“ (Romans 8:1 ESV), you cannot simply skip over confession of sin and repentance from sin and work to alleviate condemnation… because prior to confession, repentance, forgiveness what you are really mitigating is conviction of sin. The purpose of the Law is to identify sin and convict us of our sinfulness. The Law isn’t to be mitigated, its purpose is to push us toward repentance and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Only way of Salvation. But in this verse, we minimized personal conviction and are jumping straight to Grace, without repentance. Not good.

Chorus. Does God say that He’s going to take everything we break, every sinful act we’ve committed and turn it into something good? Remember how we discussed the context of Romans 8, Paul is not limiting our Hope to this temporal life. If your sin leads to a wrecked marriage, a wrecked home, there is no guarantee that he’ll take that broken home/marriage and make it into something beautiful in this life. What the Bible does teach, is that for those who are in Him (penitent believers), God will use this life to grow you in Him for His Glory, and in the Resurrection you will definitely be free from all the pain and the hurt caused by sin (by your sin and the sins of this world). In this life, worms and rust will destroy and thieves will steal. Our hope rests in Heaven and the Great Day of Christ’s return. At the end of the chorus, there is a turn in the lyric that is true, and I do want to highlight that. God is the Only One who can turn our lives around, who can forgive our sins, and heal our brokenness. He will DEFINITELY do it when Christ returns, and He does it in many ways, by His Will and His Grace for us in this life, too. He blesses us every day according to His goodness and mercy. Please understand that we do serve a loving, caring, and gracious God. But that isn’t to say that everything will be made new in this life. God is growing us, molding us, and He is willing to use rebuke, reproof, and even hardship to work in us. As a father disciplines his son, so does our Heavenly Father discipline us.

Verse 2. I am disappointed again in the presentation of the sinful state of man. The first 2 lines in this verse present sin as something that happened to the Earth and man just finds himself living in the mess that was made. That is skirting the truth that Adam sinned, and we are born into that sin and bear the guilt of sin. It is our sin. We are simultaneously victim and culprit. We are unholy and unrighteous, deserving of death and destruction for our sin. Creation is cursed because of our sin. But God, in His Great Mercy and Grace, has made a Way for us in the sending of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus, to atone for our sin at the cross, so that by faith we might be made righteous in His Sight, washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb, clothed by His righteousness. If we held this verse in isolation from the rest of the song, I think we’ll see a better reflection of Romans 8… we can at least interpret it in the eternal rather than the temporal sense. Still bothered by the deflection of sin at the start.

The rest of the song plays out the “give it all to God and He’ll fix it” theme. As far as this temporal life goes, sometimes what is broken remains broken by His design for our benefit and for His Glory.

Conclusion

In general, the encouragement to take all of our hurts, fears, tears, sins, and failures to God the Father is true. The suggestion that God will fix everything we break in this life isn’t Scriptural. The fix would be to maintain a heavenly focus, a focus on the Great Day of the Resurrection in Christ Jesus. We need to be presented with the reality that sometimes our best-laid plans were sinful, and that God is the one who destroyed them. This song doesn’t leave room for that as it presents a sort of guarantee that whatever mess “life” has made for you, God will turn it into something beautiful. Vaguely positive, but problematic in its detail. While every good gift in this life and the next come from God, that doesn’t mean we can expect every good gift in this life. God is Sovereign and He is working to build up His Church for His Glory. We will face trials of many kinds, both from the enemy and from our own sinful flesh. We will also be disciplined by a loving Father, and the goal is repentance from a humble spirit and a contrite heart. All of creation indeed groans and awaits the return of our blessed Savior, Jesus Christ. In the meantime, we walk this earth in exile (as the Apostle Peter called in 1 Peter 1), no longer a part of the kingdom of darkness, not yet given our heavenly bodies. We walk by faith, keeping in step with the Holy Spirit, worshiping a Living God and serving our neighbors.

Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

CTT | Salvation by Works?

Faithful Stewardship 5 Comments

Ask an evangelical Christian what distinguishes his/her church from the Roman Catholic Church and you may get a wide range of possible answers. These days, “I don’t know” might be the most honest and accurate response, based on what we are seeing among popular evangelical teachers/preachers/musicians. But there are still enclaves of protestant denominations where you’ll hear the answer, “Catholics believe in salvation by works, and we believe Salvation is by Grace Alone”. Though that answer is true, doctrinally, the phrasing is overly simplistic and might actually set up the young protestant for an ill-prepared defense of the Gospel of Grace from a studied Roman Catholic.

Roman Catholic Church Affirms Salvation (Being Born-Again) by Grace

While the Roman Catholic Church does have 7 Sacraments, Pergatory, Indulgences, etc. it does not teach that any of works can earn a sinner his salvation. They teach that we are all born sinners, dead in the sin of Adam, and thus are incapable of earning salvation or getting any credit for any of our so-called good works. Let’s look at some of the canons of the Council of Trent (the very council that anathematized Protestant teaching). We’ll just look at the first 3 canons:

  • CANON I.- If any one saith, that man may be justified before God by his own works, whether done through the teaching of human nature, or that of the law, without the grace of God through Jesus Christ; let him be anathema.
  • CANON II.- If any one saith, that the grace of God, through Jesus Christ, is given only for this, that man may be able more easily to live justly, and to merit eternal life, as if, by free will without grace, he were able to do both, though hardly indeed and with difficulty; let him be anathema.
  • CANON III.-If any one saith, that without the prevenient inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and without his help, man can believe, hope, love, or be penitent as he ought, so as that the grace of Justification may be bestowed upon him; let him be anathema.

So you see, this is why the aforementioned statement is overly simplistic. Their doctrine does have a role for the free Grace of God. Is it correct? Not really, but you have to follow the doctrine further on down the line to discover the error.

  • CANON IV.- If any one saith, that man’s free will moved and excited by God, by assenting to God exciting and calling, nowise co-operates towards disposing and preparing itself for obtaining the grace of Justification; that it cannot refuse its consent, if it would, but that, as something inanimate, it does nothing whatever and is merely passive; let him be anathema.

This canon specifically targets the teaching that is now considered the “I” in TULIP for those of the Calvinist framework. The teaching that God’s election of an individual to receive Salvation is irresistible, that man is just as incapable of denying saving grace as he is incapable of earning it. While some of the wording in this cannon also rubs against Lutheran and Arminian doctrines, I think the target with this one is pointedly Calvinist. We’re going to skip a few canons and get to the heart of the distinction between protestant and Catholic doctrine:

  • CANON IX.- If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema.
  • CANON XI.- If any one saith, that men are justified, either by the sole imputation of the justice of Christ, or by the sole remission of sins, to the exclusion of the grace and the charity which is poured forth in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, and is inherent in them; or even that the grace, whereby we are justified, is only the favour of God; let him be anathema.
  • CANON XII.- If any one saith, that justifying faith is nothing else but confidence in the divine mercy which remits sins for Christ’s sake; or, that this confidence alone is that whereby we are justified; let him be anathema.
  • CANON XIII.- If any one saith, that it is necessary for every one, for the obtaining the remission of sins, that he believe for certain, and without any wavering arising from his own infirmity and disposition, that his sins are forgiven him; let him be anathema.
  • CANON XIV.- If any one saith, that man is truly absolved from his sins and justified, because that he assuredly believed himself absolved and justified; or, that no one is truly justified but he who believes himself justified; and that, by this faith alone, absolution and justification are effected; let him be anathema

Whoa. The Catholic Church has declared anathema (accursed) any who would hold to these doctrines (and more). So, the trick here is to recognize the forced synergy in the theology. While they have a category of God’s Grace, it does not do the full work of salvation, man must do his/her part. Did the Roman Catholic Church invent this? No. The first form of this synergistic approach to the gospel is the central teaching that the Apostle Paul was confronting with his letter to the Galatians (interestingly enough, it is Paul’s writing that the Council of Trent emulates when it declares teaching to be anathema).

Galatians 3:1-9 (ESV) | By Faith, or by Works of the Law?

1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Galatians 5:1-15 (ESV) | Christ Has Set Us Free

1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. 7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

So, what we see happening in Galatians is a group of Judaizers came to the Galatians and gave verbal ascent to the Gospel of Grace as preached by Paul, but they would hijack the Gospel by insisting that in order to “truly live the Christian life” one would have to submit to keep the Law of Moses. Paul called this out plainly as submitting again to a yoke of slavery.  The Catholic Church has shuffled around words and definitions but has done essentially the same thing, only instead of the yoke of slavery belonging to the Mosaic Covenant, they’ve instituted their own church doctrines and their own list of sacraments. So, even though the first 3 canons seem to proclaim Gospel truth, the remaining list of canons are a return to Law and an all-out rejection of assurance of salvation. The Catholic church elevates “uncertainty” of one’s salvation to a level of virtue and a measure of piety. It is in this sense, that the Catholic Church indeed teaches Salvation by Works.

If Only it were limited to the Catholic Church

A lecture by Dr Rod Rosenbladt we shared recently took a hard look at where bad preaching even within Lutheran and Reformed churches has run afoul of this phenomenon. If you haven’t watched that lecture, I strongly encourage you to find some time to do so.

There is also a surprisingly strong connection to this works-based theology of the Catholic Church within the Pentecostal/Charismatic camp, where I grew up. Pentecostalism is emphatic in man’s synergistic role in salvation, as evidenced by the generic altar-call (every head bowed, every eye closed, no one looking around… raise your hand and then come forward), give your live to Jesus, give Jesus a try, just say the sinner’s prayer through the airwaves, etc. But these are not the major problem of works… it’s what happens after they’ve become members of that church… do they hear the Gospel preached to them? Not really, it become something that is recited for an altar call or summarized as “the day you were born again”, and from then on the focus is on being “baptized in the Holy Spirit” or “operating in the Gifts of the Spirit”, which then becomes a series of unofficial sacraments of Pentecostalism. Are you hearing from God in a still, small, voice? Are you experiencing life change? Are you walking in victory? Are your prayers being answered? Are you receiving healing? Are you in transition? Are you practicing spiritual warfare? Are you severing soul ties? Are you pressing into the Presence of the Holy Spirit?…

Even in the diluted Pentecostal churches who’ve dropped the Pentecostal affiliation and focus more on “churching the unchurched”, there is a hyper focus on good works. Are you progressing in your Christian walk steadily eliminating sin from your life? Is your marriage healthy/fulfilling/satisfying/exemplary? Do people look at your life and wonder what it is you have that they don’t? When the world looks at you do they see Jesus? Would your closest friends say that you have a heart that is after the things of God?

I’m not saying that each of these things is bad on their own, but we have become fixated on the externals of Christian living at the expense of the Gospel. We’ve become rather dismissive of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as merely a “step 1” to becoming saved and then we spend the rest of our energy trying to be perfected by the Law (3 principles to living a victorious life, 1 discipline to make your marriage fireproof, 5 fundamentals to financial freedom, etc). Stop. We are to lead in with the Law of God at full volume, so that it exposes sin in our lives, leading us to repentance… and then we are to be reminded of the Gospel of Grace, so that when we repent we KNOW with full assurance that He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (1 John 1 ESV).

Philippians 3  (ESV) | Righteousness Through Faith in Christ

1 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. 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.

Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

— Read More on the Basic Catholic Doctrine of Justification by Faith