Gospel Vision, Part 1

The word gospel appears 98 times in the New Testament and its mystery still defies our carnal understanding. How could our Creator love us in spite of our rebellion? It is almost incomprehensible, but it’s absolutely true. Many still feel they are undeserving of forgiveness, which is understandable for a person who is first beginning to understand the riches of Christ, but it’s also a work of Satan’s deception. It is my intent to demonstrate the incredible impact the gospel has on a believer’s life. In fact, life is only understood through the lens of the gospel. The gospel is everything to a believer and its implications pertain to everything we do and every thought we have. But it means nothing if a person has never truly believed upon the gospel message of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for the forgiveness of their sins. Their mind and heart will never be set free to understand the glory of the gospel upon their life. You see, “the gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). It’s the gospel’s supernatural message that transforms the hearts and minds of believers. It’s the inconceivable gratitude filling a believer’s heart that compels them to obey everything Christ has commanded (Matthew 28:20). The gospel enables believers to surrender to the Lordship of Christ. It’s what empowers us to submit to God and offer our lives as living sacrifices. Its belief in the gospel that seals us with the Holy Spirit as He begins teaching and convicting us of truth and sin. It’s because of the gospel that every believer first understands God’s grace. Our faith in the gospel declares us not guilty (justified) before God, setting us free to a life without condemnation.

Paul preached passionately that believers are not be ashamed of the gospel but to stand upon its message as the foundation of their life and to share it clearly and unapologetically. In Galatians 2 Paul wrote about the antagonistic false Christians who were opposing the gospel. He exhorted the Galatian church to defend the gospel, because it was certainly worth dying for. To further encourage them Paul wrote “…that the truth of the gospel might continue with you” (Galatians 2:5). Paul knew the gospel of Jesus Christ would be challenged, altered, and hated by many, however he expected the Galatians to stand firm and never compromise or yield to anyone attempting to pollute the purity of gospel by adding human works to it. Paul knew that if “the truth of the gospel continued with them,” they would have the courage to accomplish all God needed them to do, to include defending Christ.

At the beginning of our salvation, the gospel saves and then it’s established as the foundation of our lives. When the supernatural events that occurred on Calvary are understood and alive in a our daily life, confidence fills our hearts with truth.  

Your Way Versus God's Way: His Is Better

Why do so many people choose their own way? What we know is that people are sinful, have hearts that are desperately wicked, (Jeremiah 17:9) and naturally conform to the ways of this world. With nearly 90 million evangelical Christians living in America the spiritual condition and moral direction of our country should not be as it is. I could certainly go into a lengthy discussion as to the reasons why this is, but for the sake of this devotion I am going to focus on just one, Christians choosing their own way. This disobedience and sin has caused the downfall of every major empire since the beginning of time and too many lives to count. The Bible is full of scriptures about choosing the right way, God’s way, but so few choose it. The power of deception is strong and the power of delusion is even stronger.

In the book of Proverbs King Solomon had a great deal to say about the consequences of a man’s choices. In chapter four, Solomon wrote about the two ways of life, one leading to destruction and one leading to life. For the thousands of years since this passage was written people have continued to choose the path that seems right to them, even millions of Christians. Solomon wrote that “there is a way that seems right to a man. But its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12) and of course Jesus Himself said that everyone who hears His words and doesn’t act on them is foolish (Matthew 7:26). Why do Christians want to be foolish? Why do believers live and act so carnally? Could it be they really don’t believe? Why don’t they have the desire to seek God’s way? These are questions I ask all the time as I encounter people with overwhelming problems. There are severe consequences for sinful choices and everyone is fully responsible for the results of their choices. Alcohol, drugs, cohabitation, premarital sex, crime, these sinful decisions lead to crushing consequences and incredible stress which often causes a person to abuse one or more of these sinful vices to a greater degree.

Paul said “those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). There is only one solution, complete and absolute surrender to Christ and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Our thoughts and motives must be informed by God’s Spirit and His Word. It’s a non-negotiable for the born again believer.

When something seems right to your carnal mind, beware, it will lead you to death. A follower of Christ lives by the Spirit, where life and peace are found. A spiritually minded person has discovered God’s way and never looks for an alternative. 

MISSION West Virginia

Coming December 2014!

The Solution to Overcoming Sin

It’s the power of Christ in a believer that provides him or her the power to conquer sin in their life. John wrote that “whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him” (1 John 3:6). Those who have read chapter one of 1 John might think there is a contradiction with 1John 1:8 where John wrote that “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” There is actually great harmony in these verses. With Christ a believer has deliverance from the power of sin despite their sinful nature. Its Christ holiness, perfection, and our union with Him that allows us to overcome sin. In other words His life becomes ours.

I asked a guy the other day if he considered himself a Christian and he replied that he did. He then proceeded to tell me that at no point since his so-called “conversion” had he read the Bible or sought to obey God, yet he claimed to love God. I told this gentlemen that he was not a believer because he had never repented and sought to abide in Christ. This man had never acknowledged Jesus as his Lord., thus he “has neither seen Him nor known Him.” This man made a false profession and never truly believed upon Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of his sins. This man, like so many who have been deceived by a pastor or someone else preaching easy believism, universalism, and casual sin, has stood in contempt of the Lord his entirely life while falsely believing he was saved.

Will true believers sin, of course. Will they practice habitual sin, absolutely not. Will sin dominant their life, absolutely not. The essential word John uses is “abide.” To abide means to dwell, remain, and stay in relationship with Christ. Jesus said “abide in Me and I will abide in you” (John 15:4). He said this because it is impossible to produce any spiritual fruit unless we abide in the Vine as His branches. As Jesus goes on to say, He wants His words to dwell in us. Far too many Christians have never abided in Christ and have no desire to study His word. They live in deception as cultural Christians and blend in with the masses having never separated themselves from their previous corruption.

Abiding in Christ leads to action and obedience. Listen closely to the way South African pastor Andrew Murray describes our union with Christ and our ability to "have no sin," “when abiding in Christ becomes close and unbroken, so that the soul lives from moment to moment in the perfect union with the Lord its keeper, He does, indeed keep down the power of the old nature, so that it does not regain dominion over the soul.”

In summary, abiding in Christ makes it possible to keep us from sinning. Have you ever abided in Christ? If not, you are not saved and your soul faces eternal damnation. Repent and abide in the grace and mercy found Jesus Christ.

Baptism: Buried With Christ and Raised to New Life

Tonight was our church's annual outdoor Baptism service and what a great time it was. 84 men, women, and children were baptized this evening. I had the privileged of baptizing 20 children myself. It was an honor and I pray they understand baptism true meaning.

During baptism, believers are symbolically buried with Christ as they are immersed under water and then raised with Him to a new life. However, without genuine belief in the gospel message of Jesus Christ, a person is simply dunked under the water. While baptism is only symbolic, nevertheless, once a person makes a commitment to follow Jesus Christ, He will empower them through His Spirit to obey His teachings and do great works for the kingdom. Ultimately, a person who receives the gift of salvation has agreed to take off their "old self" (Romans 6:6) and put on the new.

It is my prayer that these boys and girls who received Christ tonight and were baptized will begin to learn what it means to crucify their "old self." It's no longer about them, they now have a Lord to obey.

There Is Nothing Limited About Christ's Atonement

To believe that Jesus only died for some, “the Elect,” is a damning doctrine. Furthermore it cannot be supported by scripture. How can a person who believes that Christ’s substitutionary atonement was intended for just a selected few ever share the gospel indiscriminately or with love. The doctrine of limited atonement directly contradicts John 3:16. It’s actually a doctrine that angers me in many ways. God loves the world (the people) and because He loves the world (the people) He has offered up His Son to satisfy His wrath for their sin. Throughout John 3, Jesus Himself says “everyone who believes” (v. 15), “everyone who believes” (v. 16), “anyone who believes” (v. 18), and “the one who believes in the Son has eternal life” (v. 36). To summarize these scriptures, anyone and everyone who believes in Jesus Christ has eternal life.

There are many other scriptures both in the gospels and the epistles which clearly show that Christ died for all who truly “believe.” First, in John 1:29, John the Baptist cried out that Jesus was “the Lamb of god who takes away the sin of the world.” Second, in Romans 5:18, Paul writes that “…as one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.” Third, in Romans 11:32, Paul writes that “…God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.” Fourth, in 1 Timothy 2:5, 6, Paul writes to Timothy that “…the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all…” Fifth, in Hebrews 2:9, the author writes that “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” Sixth, in 1 John 2:2, John writes that “Jesus is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” Finally, in 2 Peter 3:9, Peter writes that “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Love never fails and the love of God saves. Jesus was the embodiment of love while He walked this earth and ultimately came because of the love of His Father. He came for all and died for all and that is not limited. Without that belief, how can any Christian walk up to a non-believer and tell them “God loves you?” They can’t because they’re unsure that person is part of the Elect. Do children who die in the womb, during abortion, or before they consciously understand their sinful nature go to hell? They might for a person who believes in limited atonement.

We should rest assured that Christ has died for “all” who truly believe in Him.  Place your faith in Him and repent of your sins. His grace is sufficient for you and for “all.”

Together As One: The Word Unifies

God’s people love the word of God. Love for God’s word is born from a regenerated soul. When a person is transformed by the Holy Spirit, they begin to crave the spiritual food of the word of God like new born babies crave their mother’s milk. The word of God also unites. In the book of Nehemiah “all of the people gathered together as one man” (Nehemiah 8:1) to hear the word of God read. Not some, but all gathered. We later read that “men, women, and all who could hear…and understand” (8:2, 3) came to hear the word of God. The people of Israel had returned to Jerusalem from the exile, rebuilt the temple, rebuilt the walls, and now it was time for revival and repentance. Revival always begins with seeking God and that is exactly what you see from both Ezra and Nehemiah. Both had also been praying and now it was time to read the word. Nehemiah goes on to describe the result of Ezra reading the word, (1) Ezra “blessed the Lord” (8:6), (2) the people lifted their hands and shouted Amen, (3) they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

Not only do people need to hear the word of God, but they also need to understand it. Amazing things happen when people understand the word of God. In the days of Nehemiah, the people rejoiced, wept, and experienced inexpressible joy. In summary, revival happens when people hear and understand the word of God.

In fact, Ezra’s reading of God’s word resembles a modern day revival or church service where a pastor or evangelist stands above the crowd in a pulpit and preaches from the Holy Bible. Even Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah many years later during a visit to a synagogue. Is the Bible important, you better believe it. There is nothing comparable to it and nothing that can replace it.

Ultimately, Nehemiah describes why people need to come to church, because people need to hear the word of God preached. There is something special about hearing the word read and preached and when it’s done right, souls are stirred and hearts are convicted. The word brings awareness of our guilt before God. The word can rebuild and stabilize our spiritual lives. The word demands worship. Prepare your heart and never forsake meeting together as “one man.”

Awake Out of Your Sleep: Lethargic Christianity

Lethargy is a serious problem for Christians in America. It was a problem in Rome. American culture has a way of drawing Christians into a stupor, into selfishness, into sin and away from God. If we have put on Christ, lethargy is the indication we have taken Him off. Lethargy destroys the spiritual energy of the church, it suppresses the zeal of Christians to share their faith and leaves congregations lifeless. How can we afford to disregard that every day brings “our salvation” closer? Each day our death is closer, each day the rapture is closer, and each day hundreds of thousands of people die and go to hell. Can we afford to be lethargic? Absolutely not. In Romans 13:11-14, Paul exhorts the Christians in Rome to “awake out of their sleep” and to love one another. Just like us, they were living in the last days and had failed to remain alert and watchful.

Paul issues several critical commands (1) “cast off the works of darkness” (repent and confess your hidden sins) (2) “put on the armor of light” (prepare yourself for spiritual battle) (3) “walk properly” (not as the world, but as one who has put on Christ) (4) turn from revelry, drunkenness, lewdness, lust, strife, and envy (cast these off and replace them with the fruits of the Spirit) Finally, (5) “put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:12-14).

A spiritually lethargic mind “makes provision” for the flesh by contemplating sin before they act upon it. The lethargic mind conforms to the world becoming contaminated and unfit for kingdom work. The lethargic mind seeks to justify sin and make excuses for why it can or cannot do something, such as attending church or studying the Bible. The lethargic mind becomes self-centered and engages in arguments and dissension. The lethargic mind drifts from God into worldly waters where they are battered and eventually taken captive to the darkness.  Finally, a lethargic mind leads the heart to become linked and corrupted by the world, putting out their spiritual fire and zeal for a strong evangelistic witness.

Wake up from your spiritual sleep and put on Christ.

 Ask the Lord to restore your zeal and give you a passion for the Great Commission and for eternal things…the fullness of our salvation could be right around the corner.