From the recent shooting in Virginia of a reporter and cameraman to school shootings to terrorism, murder is prevalent in our society. So why does murder happen? Liberals blame guns, secularists both liberal and conservative blame it on psychological problems. Are these groups right or are they totally off base?
Many liberals blame guns but people commit murder not guns. Did murder not happen before guns existed? Secular liberals and secular conservatives usually place the blame on mental or psychological problems within the person committing the crime. Whether you turn to MSNBC, CNN, or FOX News you usually get a secular worldview. They operate on the assumptions that people are basically good and that God is basically irrelevant or does not exist.
In reality the real problem is evil. People are not basically good but sinful. In Genesis 3 man sinned and rebelled against God. As a result all of creation is fallen and under the sin curse. All human beings are now born sinners, it is our very nature. Shortly after the fall in Genesis 3 we find the first murder taking place in Genesis 4 when Cain murdered Abel.
Every intention of men's thoughts are evil continually (Genesis 6:5). We are born in sin (Psalm 51:5), and the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). There are none who are righteous (Romans 3:10) and all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). (Matthew 15:19) "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander." (ESV). Evil is in the heart of man and not a basic goodness. This is the Biblical doctrine of total depravity.
The shocking truth is that we are all guilty of murder. Whoever has hated another person is guilty of murder (Matthew 5:21-22). We may not have committed the physical, external act but we have violated the internal spirit of the law. In reality none of us have kept any of the Ten Commandments. We are all guilty before God. Our only hope is to run to Jesus, to repent of our sins and trust in Christ alone for salvation.
The Biblical worldview presents us with the reality that man is sinful and evil is real. The secular worldview cannot face the reality of evil, it has no basis for the category of evil. It does not want to deal with the reality of evil because it does not want to deal with the reality of God. Only the Biblical worldview gives us the truth.
Evil can be restrained by strong families, strong communities, and a strong justice system. But in our modern society we do not really have any of these. Even if we had a strong society all murder and all evil could not be stopped. Evil is a reality in our fallen world. What we need is a changed heart and only God can gives us this. We must ultimately look to heaven and Jesus is the only way there.
Monday, August 31, 2015
Monday, August 24, 2015
Are You A Real Christian?
Knowing if you are a true Christian is of the utmost importance because it has eternal consequences. The real Christian will go to heaven while those who are not true Christians will go to hell. A person is not a true Christian just because he has said a prayer, raised his hand, or walked an aisle. A person's own thoughts and feelings are not a sure guide. The only sure standard to determine whether one is a true Christian is the Bible, the Word of God. We will look to the Book of 1 John which deals specifically with this issue.
1 John
(1:6-7) Walks in the light, not in darkness
(1:8-9) Faces reality of sin, confesses sin, receives forgiveness
(2:3) Knows God, keeps his commandments
(2:5) Keeps God's word, love of God
(2:6) Walks in same way as Jesus
(2:10) Loves his brother, abides in light
(2:15) Does not love the world or the things of the world
(2:17) Does the will of God
(2:21) Knows the truth
(3:6) Does not keep on sinning
(3:7) Practices righteousness
(3:9) Born of God, does not make a practice of sinning
(3:13) Is hated by the world
(3:14) Loves the brothers
(3:23) Believes in Jesus Christ, love one another
(3:24) Given the Holy Spirit
(4:2) Confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
(4:7) Loves, born of God, knows God
(4:13) Has the Spirit
(4:15) Confesses Jesus is the Son of God
(4:21) Loves God, loves brother
(5:1) Believes Jesus is the Christ
(5:2) Loves God, obeys his commandments
(5:4) Overcomes the world
(5:20) The Son of God has given understanding
Marks Of The True Christian
Sound doctrine
Obedience
Love
1 John
(1:6-7) Walks in the light, not in darkness
(1:8-9) Faces reality of sin, confesses sin, receives forgiveness
(2:3) Knows God, keeps his commandments
(2:5) Keeps God's word, love of God
(2:6) Walks in same way as Jesus
(2:10) Loves his brother, abides in light
(2:15) Does not love the world or the things of the world
(2:17) Does the will of God
(2:21) Knows the truth
(3:6) Does not keep on sinning
(3:7) Practices righteousness
(3:9) Born of God, does not make a practice of sinning
(3:13) Is hated by the world
(3:14) Loves the brothers
(3:23) Believes in Jesus Christ, love one another
(3:24) Given the Holy Spirit
(4:2) Confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
(4:7) Loves, born of God, knows God
(4:13) Has the Spirit
(4:15) Confesses Jesus is the Son of God
(4:21) Loves God, loves brother
(5:1) Believes Jesus is the Christ
(5:2) Loves God, obeys his commandments
(5:4) Overcomes the world
(5:20) The Son of God has given understanding
Marks Of The True Christian
Sound doctrine
Obedience
Love
Monday, August 10, 2015
The Danger Of The Sinner's Prayer
Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (ESV)
The sinner's prayer usually consists of an admission of sin, asking for forgiveness, asking Jesus into your heart, and thanking God. A person is usually told to repeat the words of this prayer in order to be saved. After the person has said the prayer he is told he has assurance of salvation and is told never to doubt his salvation.
Has anyone ever considered that the sinner's prayer is not in the Bible? Why do we insist on it if it is not even in the Bible? Could it be that our evangelism is not Biblical? And could it be that we are getting things wrong by making our evangelism man centered? We have tried to reduce the gospel down to three easy steps or four spiritual laws. The gospel is much deeper and richer than a few easy steps.
How many times have we heard about someone who lives a worldly lifestyle but points to a time in their past when they prayed the sinner's prayer to give assurance of their salvation. The Bible never tells anyone they are saved if they have said the words of the sinner's prayer. Instead we are told to examine ourselves by God's Word to make sure of our salvation.
The sinner's prayer and our whole man centered evangelism produces many false converts. Many people are deceived into thinking they on their way to heaven when in reality they are on the road to hell. The true believer is not someone who has said some words to a prayer but the one who does the will of God.
A true believer was dead in his sins and has now been made alive by God. He has been born again or regenerated. He was dead to God and is now alive to God. If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The true Christian trusts in Christ alone for salvation. He has repented of his sins and continues a life of repentance. A true believer is characterized by living in obedience to God. The true believer still sins but his life is not characterized by sinful living.
A person is converted to Christ through the proclamation of the full gospel. It is the work of God and not the work of man. We cannot create true belief in any person, it must be done by God and his Word. God draws the person to himself and he then repents of his sin and places his faith in Christ for salvation.
Unfortunately many false converts have been assured of their salvation wrongly by others telling them they are okay because they prayed the sinners prayer. The churches are filled with people who have never been regenerated or born again because of our man centered, easy believism evangelism.
We need to know who God is and what he is like. People need to be presented with the attributes of God. Only when we understand who God is, will we understand that we are totally depraved sinners in need of a Savior.
The sinner's prayer usually consists of an admission of sin, asking for forgiveness, asking Jesus into your heart, and thanking God. A person is usually told to repeat the words of this prayer in order to be saved. After the person has said the prayer he is told he has assurance of salvation and is told never to doubt his salvation.
Has anyone ever considered that the sinner's prayer is not in the Bible? Why do we insist on it if it is not even in the Bible? Could it be that our evangelism is not Biblical? And could it be that we are getting things wrong by making our evangelism man centered? We have tried to reduce the gospel down to three easy steps or four spiritual laws. The gospel is much deeper and richer than a few easy steps.
How many times have we heard about someone who lives a worldly lifestyle but points to a time in their past when they prayed the sinner's prayer to give assurance of their salvation. The Bible never tells anyone they are saved if they have said the words of the sinner's prayer. Instead we are told to examine ourselves by God's Word to make sure of our salvation.
The sinner's prayer and our whole man centered evangelism produces many false converts. Many people are deceived into thinking they on their way to heaven when in reality they are on the road to hell. The true believer is not someone who has said some words to a prayer but the one who does the will of God.
A true believer was dead in his sins and has now been made alive by God. He has been born again or regenerated. He was dead to God and is now alive to God. If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The true Christian trusts in Christ alone for salvation. He has repented of his sins and continues a life of repentance. A true believer is characterized by living in obedience to God. The true believer still sins but his life is not characterized by sinful living.
A person is converted to Christ through the proclamation of the full gospel. It is the work of God and not the work of man. We cannot create true belief in any person, it must be done by God and his Word. God draws the person to himself and he then repents of his sin and places his faith in Christ for salvation.
Unfortunately many false converts have been assured of their salvation wrongly by others telling them they are okay because they prayed the sinners prayer. The churches are filled with people who have never been regenerated or born again because of our man centered, easy believism evangelism.
We need to know who God is and what he is like. People need to be presented with the attributes of God. Only when we understand who God is, will we understand that we are totally depraved sinners in need of a Savior.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Your Own Personal Jesus
In modern America there are many different views of Jesus and most of them are wrong. People have a tendency to make him like themselves. In effect they create their own personal Jesus. We will look at some of the different views on the modern American landscape.
The Jesus Of The False Religions
False religions usually view Jesus as a prophet or good teacher, someone who offers good advice or provides a good example to follow. He is seen as just a man and is not the Messiah or the Son of God. The false religions deny that Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of his people. They also deny his resurrection from the dead. Jesus is not seen as Savior because people must earn their own way to heaven or something like heaven. The Jesus of the false religions is of course a false Jesus.
The Jesus Of Liberalism
Liberalism denies the supernatural, seeking to reconcile Christianity with modern secularism. It denies miracles such as the virgin birth and the resurrection. Jesus is no longer God or the Messiah. He is just a good teacher who is a good example to follow. Liberals do not emphasize the need for personal salvation but instead focus on the social gospel. They often speak of social justice which tends to mean socialism. Liberals see man as basically good and deny the doctrine of total depravity. In Liberalism there is no hell, wrath, or judgment. Liberals tell us that Christianity is life and not doctrine. They have denied the authority of Scripture and created a false Jesus.
The Jesus Of Traditional America
Traditional America tends to wrap Jesus in the American flag, making it seem as if being an American patriot and a Christian are one and the same. The Christian life becomes nothing more than living the American dream. It is about nice houses, nice families, and a life of comfort and ease. This view has tended to emphasize morality over theology. But without the Christian theology the Christian morality falls. Traditionalists tend to make the family the ultimate priority. But Jesus said he came not to bring peace but a sword and members of families will be turned against one another. This view tends not to emphasize Jesus' call for radical, costly discipleship. This view is a distortion of the real Jesus.
The Jesus Of The Prosperity Gospel
The prosperity gospel is popular among charismatics. You find prosperity preachers all over television talking about sowing the seed. Of course you must send your money to the prosperity preacher in order to activate the blessing that God is obligated to give you. If you just have enough faith health and wealth will be yours. In the prosperity gospel Jesus exists in order to give you things. It is not about holiness but instead it is about your happiness. The focus is on this world and accumulating the things of this world. It is about living your best life now. The Jesus of the prosperity gospel is also a false Jesus.
The Jesus Of Postmodern America
This group tends to be primarily composed of the millennials (those born from 1980-2000) but also includes many from other age groups. In this view Jesus is basically just a counselor or coach. You do not exist for him instead he exists for you. He is not God who makes demands and is not the Lord to whom you must submit. He is just there to help you through your problems. This Jesus just emphasizes being nice and tolerant. He will not confront people with their sin and there is no judgment, wrath, or hell to worry about. The Jesus of postmodern America is also a false Jesus.
People tend to make Jesus into their own image. They end up creating their own personal Jesus. Those looking for the real Jesus need to turn to the Bible because our view of him has eternal consequences.
The Jesus Of The False Religions
False religions usually view Jesus as a prophet or good teacher, someone who offers good advice or provides a good example to follow. He is seen as just a man and is not the Messiah or the Son of God. The false religions deny that Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of his people. They also deny his resurrection from the dead. Jesus is not seen as Savior because people must earn their own way to heaven or something like heaven. The Jesus of the false religions is of course a false Jesus.
The Jesus Of Liberalism
Liberalism denies the supernatural, seeking to reconcile Christianity with modern secularism. It denies miracles such as the virgin birth and the resurrection. Jesus is no longer God or the Messiah. He is just a good teacher who is a good example to follow. Liberals do not emphasize the need for personal salvation but instead focus on the social gospel. They often speak of social justice which tends to mean socialism. Liberals see man as basically good and deny the doctrine of total depravity. In Liberalism there is no hell, wrath, or judgment. Liberals tell us that Christianity is life and not doctrine. They have denied the authority of Scripture and created a false Jesus.
The Jesus Of Traditional America
Traditional America tends to wrap Jesus in the American flag, making it seem as if being an American patriot and a Christian are one and the same. The Christian life becomes nothing more than living the American dream. It is about nice houses, nice families, and a life of comfort and ease. This view has tended to emphasize morality over theology. But without the Christian theology the Christian morality falls. Traditionalists tend to make the family the ultimate priority. But Jesus said he came not to bring peace but a sword and members of families will be turned against one another. This view tends not to emphasize Jesus' call for radical, costly discipleship. This view is a distortion of the real Jesus.
The Jesus Of The Prosperity Gospel
The prosperity gospel is popular among charismatics. You find prosperity preachers all over television talking about sowing the seed. Of course you must send your money to the prosperity preacher in order to activate the blessing that God is obligated to give you. If you just have enough faith health and wealth will be yours. In the prosperity gospel Jesus exists in order to give you things. It is not about holiness but instead it is about your happiness. The focus is on this world and accumulating the things of this world. It is about living your best life now. The Jesus of the prosperity gospel is also a false Jesus.
The Jesus Of Postmodern America
This group tends to be primarily composed of the millennials (those born from 1980-2000) but also includes many from other age groups. In this view Jesus is basically just a counselor or coach. You do not exist for him instead he exists for you. He is not God who makes demands and is not the Lord to whom you must submit. He is just there to help you through your problems. This Jesus just emphasizes being nice and tolerant. He will not confront people with their sin and there is no judgment, wrath, or hell to worry about. The Jesus of postmodern America is also a false Jesus.
People tend to make Jesus into their own image. They end up creating their own personal Jesus. Those looking for the real Jesus need to turn to the Bible because our view of him has eternal consequences.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)