Think Better, Live Better is the title of a recent book by Joel Osteen. It is not a bad title because it does contain some truth in it. Of course Osteen encourages us to think positive and rid ourselves of all negativity. We might call this teaching Osteenism. But is the teaching of Osteen in line with the teaching of the Bible. We will compare Osteenism with the Biblical worldview.
First we will look at the view of God. If you do not have an accurate view of God you will not have an accurate view of yourself. The God of Osteenism basically exists for you. He is there to make you happy and help you achieve health, victory, and success. This God is kind of a life coach who makes no demands on you. He is not a judge and you do not need to worry about his wrath.
In contrast the Biblical view of God is very different. God is Trinity (3 persons of 1 essence), he is the infinite, personal Creator. He is sovereign, holy, and the ultimate authority. He is loving and merciful but also displays his wrath against sin and judges you. God is more concerned about your holiness than your happiness. In the Biblical view we exist for God and our ultimate purpose is to glorify him.
Next we will look at the view of man and his problem. In Osteenism the big problem is that we have to much negativity and are just not thinking positive. If you start thinking good, positive thoughts about yourself it will become reality (kind of like name it claim it). Joel Osteen actually says there is nothing wrong with you.
In sharp contrast the Biblical view says there most definitely is something wrong with you, it is called sin. We were born sinful (Psalm 51:5), we are not righteous (Romans 3:10), and all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). God is holy and therefore hates sin. Our sin makes us objects of his wrath (Ephesians 2:3). In contrast to Joel Osteen's view of man as basically good the Apostle Paul described himself as "wretched man that I am" (Romans 7:24) and "the chief of sinners" (1 Timothy 1:10).
Finally we look at the solution to man's problem. In Osteenism the solution comes from within yourself. You must stop all the negativity and just think those positive thoughts. Then you will achieve that happy, victorious life. You will have your best life now.
On the other hand the Biblical view presents a much different solution because the problem is entirely different. The solution is not found within ourselves but from outside of ourselves. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. God sent his Son, Jesus to save his people from their sins. Jesus lived a perfect life to provide righteousness for us and he died on the cross to pay for our sins. He was raised from the dead victorious over sin, death, and the devil. Those who repent of their sins and trust in Christ alone for salvation will be saved and go to heaven.
It should be quite obvious that Osteenism and the Biblical view are totally different. Those strictly adhering to Osteenism will be led astray and on the road to hell. Joel Osteen is preaching a different gospel (Galatians 1:6-10). He simply tells people what they want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3-4). The true church must call out Joel Osteen for what he really is, a false teacher peddling a false gospel.
Monday, June 26, 2017
Monday, June 12, 2017
Bernie Sanders Attacks Christians
Bernie Sanders is a U.S. Senator from Vermont and of course was a Democrat presidential candidate. The intolerance of this tolerant man was astounding.
The incident occurred recently in a hearing for Russell Vought, who was nominated for Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Bernie Sanders called Vought Islamophobic and hateful for comments he had previously made. Vought had pointed out that Muslims do not know the true God and stand condemned because they reject Jesus who is the Son of God. Sanders then asked Vought if he thought his statement was Islamophobic and if he believed Muslims would be condemned. Sanders also asked him if he thought Jews would be condemned. Russell Vought tried to explain to Sanders that these were simply Christian beliefs, the teaching of the Bible. But Bernie Sanders would never allow him to finish his explanation, continually cutting him off.
Sanders concluded that Vought was unfit for public office and that there was no place for these beliefs in the public square. Bernie Sanders apparently believes that no Bible believing Christian should be allowed in the public arena.
Sanders is of course a socialist and a secularist. If you do not tow the secular line you will be silenced. All religions are not the same and they do not worship the same God. Jesus is either God or he is not God. It has to be one or the other. Of course Sanders does not care about the Bible or the U.S. Constitution for that matter, he rejects both of them. He imposes a religious test for government officials and is more than willing to stifle religious liberty. Bernie Sanders is actually practicing Christophobia.
Sanders colleague Senator Christoper Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland also chimed in on the matter. Van Hollen said he was a Christian and that he thought part of being a Christian was recognizing that there were many paths to God. Van Hollen also concluded that Vought was unfit for public office. Of course Van Hollen holds to theological liberalism.
Theological liberals embrace secularism while trying to retain the Christian label. As J. Gresham Machen said, liberalism is not Christianity at all. If there were many paths to God, Christianity would make no sense. If there are many ways to heaven then Christ died on the cross for no purpose.
This is the view of two prominent Democrat leaders. Technically Sanders is an Independent but for all practical purposes he is a Democrat. The Left is only tolerant of those with whom it agrees. Sanders actually had significant support during his presidential campaign especially among millennials. This is very frightening. Why would any Christian support the Democrat Party?
(John 14:6) "Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (ESV)
(Acts 4:12) "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (ESV)
The incident occurred recently in a hearing for Russell Vought, who was nominated for Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Bernie Sanders called Vought Islamophobic and hateful for comments he had previously made. Vought had pointed out that Muslims do not know the true God and stand condemned because they reject Jesus who is the Son of God. Sanders then asked Vought if he thought his statement was Islamophobic and if he believed Muslims would be condemned. Sanders also asked him if he thought Jews would be condemned. Russell Vought tried to explain to Sanders that these were simply Christian beliefs, the teaching of the Bible. But Bernie Sanders would never allow him to finish his explanation, continually cutting him off.
Sanders concluded that Vought was unfit for public office and that there was no place for these beliefs in the public square. Bernie Sanders apparently believes that no Bible believing Christian should be allowed in the public arena.
Sanders is of course a socialist and a secularist. If you do not tow the secular line you will be silenced. All religions are not the same and they do not worship the same God. Jesus is either God or he is not God. It has to be one or the other. Of course Sanders does not care about the Bible or the U.S. Constitution for that matter, he rejects both of them. He imposes a religious test for government officials and is more than willing to stifle religious liberty. Bernie Sanders is actually practicing Christophobia.
Sanders colleague Senator Christoper Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland also chimed in on the matter. Van Hollen said he was a Christian and that he thought part of being a Christian was recognizing that there were many paths to God. Van Hollen also concluded that Vought was unfit for public office. Of course Van Hollen holds to theological liberalism.
Theological liberals embrace secularism while trying to retain the Christian label. As J. Gresham Machen said, liberalism is not Christianity at all. If there were many paths to God, Christianity would make no sense. If there are many ways to heaven then Christ died on the cross for no purpose.
This is the view of two prominent Democrat leaders. Technically Sanders is an Independent but for all practical purposes he is a Democrat. The Left is only tolerant of those with whom it agrees. Sanders actually had significant support during his presidential campaign especially among millennials. This is very frightening. Why would any Christian support the Democrat Party?
(John 14:6) "Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (ESV)
(Acts 4:12) "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (ESV)
Monday, June 5, 2017
Jesus Is God (The Gospel Of John)
The Gospel of John proclaims Jesus is God. Throughout it is very strong on the deity of Christ. We will look at a few verses from John's Gospel.
(John 1:1-2) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." (ESV)
"The Word" relates to the Old Testament in the sense that God spoke, he spoke things into existence. He is a personal God. "The Word" is also superior to the Greek concept of an impersonal force that orders the universe.
The Word is Jesus. He has existed eternally, has a personal relationship with God the Father, and Jesus is God. We see that two different persons are referred to as God. We begin to see the teaching of the Trinity. There is one God in three persons. That is three persons of one essence (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The Jehovah's Witnesses translate the phrase as "was a god" instead of "was God". But the context clearly shows that the correct translation is "was God".
(John 1:3) "All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." (ESV)
Jesus was not created, all things were made through him. All that exists besides God was created. Jesus is the Creator, therefore he is God.
(John 1:18) "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known." (ESV)
In this verse God is spoken of as two persons just as he was in John 1:1. We see both the Father and the Son. Some translations have "only Son" instead of "only God" but "only God" is found in the earliest manuscripts. Jesus became man (see John 1:14), he has most fully revealed God to us. Jesus is both fully God and fully man.
(John 20:28) "Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" (ESV)
Thomas had doubted the resurrection of Christ but when Jesus appeared to him and showed him the marks in his hands and side he proclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus accepts being called Lord and God because that is who he is. This verse is one of the strongest affirmations of the deity of Christ in the New Testament. Some cults who deny the deity of Christ have tried to say it was just a statement of astonishment by Thomas. Basically saying that Thomas was taking the name of the Lord in vain. But this interpretation is of course nonsense. John's purpose in writing the book is that others will proclaim Jesus is their Lord and God.
(John 20:31) "but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (ESV)
(John 1:1-2) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." (ESV)
"The Word" relates to the Old Testament in the sense that God spoke, he spoke things into existence. He is a personal God. "The Word" is also superior to the Greek concept of an impersonal force that orders the universe.
The Word is Jesus. He has existed eternally, has a personal relationship with God the Father, and Jesus is God. We see that two different persons are referred to as God. We begin to see the teaching of the Trinity. There is one God in three persons. That is three persons of one essence (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The Jehovah's Witnesses translate the phrase as "was a god" instead of "was God". But the context clearly shows that the correct translation is "was God".
(John 1:3) "All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." (ESV)
Jesus was not created, all things were made through him. All that exists besides God was created. Jesus is the Creator, therefore he is God.
(John 1:18) "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known." (ESV)
In this verse God is spoken of as two persons just as he was in John 1:1. We see both the Father and the Son. Some translations have "only Son" instead of "only God" but "only God" is found in the earliest manuscripts. Jesus became man (see John 1:14), he has most fully revealed God to us. Jesus is both fully God and fully man.
(John 20:28) "Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" (ESV)
Thomas had doubted the resurrection of Christ but when Jesus appeared to him and showed him the marks in his hands and side he proclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus accepts being called Lord and God because that is who he is. This verse is one of the strongest affirmations of the deity of Christ in the New Testament. Some cults who deny the deity of Christ have tried to say it was just a statement of astonishment by Thomas. Basically saying that Thomas was taking the name of the Lord in vain. But this interpretation is of course nonsense. John's purpose in writing the book is that others will proclaim Jesus is their Lord and God.
(John 20:31) "but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (ESV)
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