“To Titus, mine own son after the common faith.” (Titus 1:4)
Paul was ultimately a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, but his ministry of evangelism, discipleship, church planting/establishing was not an island unto itself. Rather, it was “in accordance with the faith of God’s elect.” (Titus 1:1) Paul’s calling was from God, his anointing was from God, his orders were from the Lord Jesus; but all of it was designed to be carried out within the context of the Church – “the faith of God’s elect.” As he addressed this letter to Titus he begins by saying, “To Titus, mine own son after (according to) the common faith.” Paul was unique, special, and set apart, but the message he was preaching, and the churches he was building was not a particular brand or sect of The Faith, but his service was rather among all of God’s people – the faith which was common to all of God’s elect. In this article I would like to explore what is meant by the phrase, “the common faith,” and how we can apply that knowledge to how we minister in the world today?
The word “common” here is the greek word koinos (κοινός), which means shared by all. The word is used in both a negative and a positive way. Negatively, it is the idea of unclean, defiled, or profane, whether physically or spiritually. If we think of a “common bath” that is “shared by all” then we get the idea. In the Jewish mind, any belief or practice of worship that was not unique to Yahweh and according to His Law were considered “unclean” or “common,” and therefore sinful. When Peter saw the vision of the heavenly sheet with various kinds of meat which were forbidden by the Law of Moses, the Lord told him to rise and eat, but Peter said, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” That which is sacred is pure, special, unique and holy, because it is in union with God and separate from the world and other false religious systems. A special faith is one that is not base or ordinary. In this sense a “common faith” would be a bad thing, it would be a faith that is shared by everyone and would be based on the least common denominator of beliefs and practices that are shared by all.
But here in Titus the word is used in the positive sense, meaning, that the faith is communal – the invitation into this faith is offered to all; acceptance into the faith is granted to all who repent and come through Jesus; all of the benefits of this faith are equally accessible to all, etc. “The Faith” of Christianity is not a faith only for Jews, or men, or priests, or the rich, or the intelligent. It is not a faith which is reserved to a particular camp, or sect among the Christian church either. The Faith is common to all who are in it. Christ is shared as Savior and Lord equally by all. The Spirit knows no denominational boundaries. The Bible, and it’s correct interpretation is not retained by one particular school of thought.
The major point of emphasis which jumps out to me about these verses is that Paul identified himself with The Faith which was common to all of God’s elect. His vision was not to minister only among churches that he started, or only among churches that were “Pauline” or “Gentile” or “Asian.” He saw himself as part of a Body that included all of the apostles, all of the prophets, all of the nations, all ethnicities, all languages; all the different kinds of people in the world, with all of the differences and difficulties that arise from having this mix. I think too often in the Evangelical, Bible-believing, Born-Again Christian world, too many believers focus their identity more on their denominational identity rather than simply on the faith that is common to all of God’s elect. It is “cleaner” that way. We have our particular flavor and style and kind that we all like, and we can serve Jesus together in this way. But what this does is rob us from showing the power of the cross and the glory of the Gospel to reconcile all things to Himself. In environments that are highly focused on their own distinctives there tends to be an emphasis more on the superficial rather than on the heart of what we truly have in common.
What is common to all true Christians? Without getting too much in depth here, (I am planning to write on this more particularly, and to cite all of this with support) I think it would suffice to simply state that mostly all believers pretty much already know what is common to us all: every Christian believes that Jesus is God in the flesh, who died on the cross for all of our sins. He rose from the dead and ascended back into heaven. He gives eternal life and the gift of the Holy Spirit to anyone and everyone who repents and trusts in Him as Savior. He is our Lord whom we ought to obey. All of this is in accordance with the Word of God, which we have been born again by: which we love, and confess is the Word of God, which we live by. What kinds of practices are common to all born again Christians? We gather for worship; we sing praises to God; we share communion together; we preach the gospel and teach the believers the Word of God; we strive to live holy lives and to obey the Word of God. These beliefs and practices are the common faith. This is not a comprehensive list, and there may be variation and nuance in the way we understand and practice these things, but all of this is the foundation and heart of what it means to be a Christian. It is not to say that we cannot have variations among us – that is healthy and is to be expected. But we should not see the things that make us different as things that make us any more special to God or superior to others. The things which are truly foundational and essential are things that are shared by us all.
May the Lord be pleased to lead us into all truth, and at the same time to love and embrace all of God’s true children who are humbly seeking after Him.
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Book of Jude, verse 3)
“Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7)
When David received news that King Saul was killed in battle, he “took hold on his clothes, and rent them.” (2 Sam. 1:11) Then David wrote a song – a funeral dirge – in honor of him. If you are not familiar with the story of Saul and David this may sound normal, but if you remember the story of Saul & David, this sounds unthinkable! David, writing and singing a song in honor of Saul!? The Saul who rebelled against the LORD and refused to obey Him? The Saul that tried to fasten David’s body to the wall with his spear – on more than one occasion? The Saul that ran David out of Israel, raised a national slander campaign against him, and caused many in Israel to disdain him? The Saul that didn’t give David his rightful wife, and then later took away David’s wife and gave her to another man? The Saul that persistently tried to hunt David down to kill him around Israel? The Saul that David could have killed on multiple occasions, but spared his life, and then that same Saul still continued to seek his life? The Saul that turned demonic and sought familiar spirits because the LORD left him? The Saul that tried to kill his own son, David’s best friend (Jonathan)?
Saul was David’s worst enemy. He made David’s life miserable for many, many years (I’m not sure how long, but I think it was at least 10 years, maybe 15 years?). Yet, in Saul’s death, David chose to honor him, and to encourage others to honor him.How would you have felt about Saul if you were David? How would you have spoken about him at his funeral? I think that most people if they were David would have killed Saul at the first opportunity they received. Most would have rejoiced at Saul’s death. Most people would have publicly used Saul as an example of God’s just judgment on someone who is in disobedience and rebellion. But David did not do any of this. He honored Saul. This is the heart of what I would like to relay from this story: we should be people of honor. We should do our absolute best to highlight the good about other people, and choose to keep silent about their shortcomings. Titus 2:8 says that we should have“Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.”
In David’s lamentation, he called Saul “the beauty of Israel.” “Saul and Jonathan were lovey and pleasant in their lives…they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.” He reminded the people of Saul’s accomplishments and the good things that he had done for Israel. Again, you can look back and easily recount the bad things Saul did – raising taxes on people, robbing families of their youth so they could serve in his army, sacrificing the good of the nation so he could search after David, etc. But David chose to honor Saul.
How do you speak about your parents? Do you murmur and complain about them or do you intentionally highlight the good they have done for you? How about your teachers or pastors? Or your superiors at work? Or the leaders of your state/country? You say, “They are not godly.” Neither was Saul. “Well, they haven’t done anything worth being honored for.” Are you sure about that? Everyone has some kind of redeeming quality to them – especially those who are amidst the people of God. “They sinned and God punished them, we should point out this lesson to the world.” Do you think the people of Israel didn’t know about Saul’s disobedience and the consequent judgment on him? God doesn’t need us to speak evil of people in order to get the lesson across.
Are there Christian leaders who fall? Yes, but be very careful about quickly, and freely speaking evil of them. If we follow David’s example we will publicly highlight the good that came out of their lives. Can God shoot straight shots with a crooked arrow? Whatever it was in David that felt compelled to highlight Saul’s goodness, I want that in me. I’m sure David received a lot of flak for honoring Saul. People probably charged David with evil for honoring Saul, but he did the right thing.
None of this is to say that we should overlook sin – we should never do that. All sin should be confronted and dealt with. There are also consequences for sin that should not be disregarded. But the focus here is on how you personally process someone’s life who has done evil, and how you speak of them publicly. I hope you take David’s course of action, which is to honor that person.
Have we not all done evil? How do we want our reputation to be in public? How do we want to be remembered at our funeral? Would we not want people to remember and highlight the good things we had done, and the redeeming qualities of our life and character? Be slow to see the bad in others, and quick to see it in yourself. Be quick to highlight your own faults and slow to highlight others.
May God help us, like David, to be people of honor and great respect towards all people – especially to those in the faith; to trust God for outcomes and the reputation of others, and to justify us in due time, not by our own strength or manipulation, but by His own mighty power.
The example of David is so powerful here. I encourage you to speak well of even your worst enemy. Don’t be fake; don’t lie, but be gracious and honorable. Vengeance belongs to God – He will repay. Your enemy, if they truly are in the wrong, will have to pay. How glorious is it, that David spoke well of his enemy, and in the end God exalted him above his foe!
“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:20-21)
Scripture shows us the way to have consistently happy and cheerfully obedient children. I believe the way mainly involves 3 things: #1 Clear Instructions, #2 Swift & Appropriate Discipline, and #3 Consistency, Consistency, Consistency. The set-up is pretty simple: Give your children crystal clear instructions and expectations. If they do not cheerfully obey, right away (slow obedience is no obedience), then they must be swiftly and appropriately corrected. The Bible’s clear means of correction is corporal punishment; the Biblical terminology is “the rod;” or otherwise known as a good ol’ fashioned spankin.’ And this pattern of clear instruction/swift appropriate discipline must happen every. single. time. Let’s look at these things more closely…
Step #1 Crystal Clear Instructions
It’s not always easy to serve God, but it is usually not complex. Certainly our Father only chastises us for things we clearly know that we should not be doing. Following our Lord’s example, we must make our will very clearly known to our children. We must give them crystal clear instructions, such as: “Johnny, pick up your toys and put them in this toy box.” Your tone of voice should be calm, cool and collected. What you instructed was not confusing or too difficult. The outcome is purely a matter of THE WILL – Is Johnny going to submit to your will, or is he going to demand that you submit to his? Johnny may rebel quietly and just look at the floor; he might look at you sweetly and cheerfully say, “No mommy;” he may yell and scream and throw a fit. Regardless of how he disobeys, if he does not immediately, cheerfully submit to your will, then he is in a state of rebellion. This is when we must go to step #2…
Step #2 Swift & Appropriate Discipline
When Johnny chooses to disobey your clear command, it is time for your appearance as Instructor to morph into that of a Judge (while still continuing to be an instructor as well). Johnny crossed the line, is currently in sin (Honor thy father and thy mother), and must be helped out (and stopped). What are we supposed to do? Does the Bible speak about how to penalize a child for disobedience? Let’s first talk about what not to do, then we’ll discuss what we should do.
First, do not react by raising your voice. The Bible does not instruct us to yell at our kids. If Johnny disobeys your command and your reaction is to raise your voice, so as to threaten him into submission, what have you just done? You have communicated to him that it is acceptable to disobey quiet commands- he should only obey when you are yelling and threatening him. We don’t want that. You have also told him that it is acceptable to disobey, at least once anyway. Yeah, he may have to deal with a little backlash, but other than that he’s good to go. You are also training him that if he does not get his way, that the way to get it is by yelling at people and threatening them. Is this the way you want your child treating other people? Could it be that his fits of rage at Walmart are at least in part an imitation of how you react to him when he is trying to assert his authority over you?
What usually, unfortunately happens, in scenarios like this one with Johnny? After the initial instruction and disobedience, little Johnny will just repeatedly disobey. Mommy (or Daddy) will keep saying the same command, a whole bunch of times, increasingly getting more and more frustrated and loud. Eventually she gets up, angry, frustrated and now physically does something to Johnny, like picking him up and removing him from the situation. Then Johnny flips out as though he is being assaulted by someone, kicking, screaming, and yelling – as though mommy is the one who is being evil and unreasonable. Then what usually happens is there is some kind of compromise, “Now Johnny, if you do what I ask I’ll give you a snack.” Then to some degree or another there is a compromise.
Johnny learned, yet again, how many times he can disobey without without mommy doing something to him. If you do this regularly you are training him to disobey that many times. How many times? perhaps 2, 3, 4, 8, 10 times??? What has also happened is that Johnny is completely ruling the roost. He made you completely stop what you were doing to tend to him. He went into an all out tyrannical episode right in your living room, and ended up getting a cookie out of the ordeal.
Now, what does Scripture tell us we should do?
Proverbs 13:24He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes (early, diligently).
Proverbs 22:15Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Proverbs 23:13-14Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
Proverbs 29:15The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
The Bible is very consistently clear – God’s preferred method of discipline is not yelling; it is not giving them a “time out;” or putting them on drugs; but is rather corporal punishment (physical punishment). Is there any question about that from these passages?
So, let’s apply this to Johnny’s situation…when Johnny disobeys: calmly, confidently, look him straight into his eyes, tell him that he is sinning against God; that he is in a state of rebellion against you; and that according to God’s command you are going to punish him. Go retrieve your appropriate tool for discipline and apply it to Johnny (I would suggest something that brings stinging power rather than force. The goal is not in any way whatsoever to damage Johnny’s body – a bee sting will go away soon enough, but it will certainly get his attention. Perhaps a switch or something of a similar slender, flexible, but firm composition. Also, since the Bible speaks about “the rod,” I think we would be wise to follow God’s advice: so don’t use your hand. It has been pointed out that our hands should be symbols of comfort for our children, but a rod is a neutral object that they should fear). When you apply the rod correctly it should sting. If it doesn’t actually hurt then what have you accomplished??? Nothing. Well, actually you have – you’ve accomplished communicating to them that sin doesn’t have real consequences, it doesn’t really hurt. “Son, sin may threaten you, but it won’t actually hurt. It may bark at you, but it will never bite.” If it doesn’t hurt, then it is a fake punishment. There needs to be consequences that strike fear. Johnny is not getting punished for making the floor messy with his toys – that kind of problem is easily removed. Rather, he is being punished because he has been mounting a direct assault on the most fundamental authority in his life – his parents. He is a rebel, a tyrant who is resisting his God given authority. This is a serious and high crime. Johnny’s heart should melt and his flesh should sting. He should be crying out in his heart, “I do not want this to happen to me ever again!” Don’t spank a child over his jeans – the spanking is for Johnny, not Johnny’s jeans.
After you have applied the rod, Johnny should have a submissive spirit. He should be broken and totally obedient and submissive to you. If he is, he will humbly and cheerfully obey your every request, with no resistance – no arguing, no pouting, no murmuring or complaining. There should only be quiet, cheerful submission. If there’s not, then there is still sin present, and the same process needs to happen again, until there is absolute compliance. If you discipline, even if it really stung, and he leaves that encounter still defiant, in any way, then you have failed. His will was not broken. The only reason he obeyed you this time is because you are stronger than he, but that will change. Or, he will walk away plotting how he can still act the same without getting the same consequences.
Once Johnny regains his composure, this is a wonderful, wonderful moment to bond with him and to teach him the Gospel. Say something like, “Jonathan, I love you very much. I don’t ever want to see you upset, angry, or hurt in your life. You have to understand that when you sin there are consequences. I am doing this because I love you and because I don’t want to see you get hurt by making the wrong choices. I forgive you for what you have done. I love you and no amount of wrong choices will ever make me love you less, or think less of you. You are my Son and nothing will ever change that…Son, you have disobeyed me, but more importantly you have sinned against God. You have disobeyed God and God is committed to punishing sin. Thankfully, Jesus came to suffer for your sins. Your bottom may sting a little right now, but Jesus gave his whole body and soul to be tortured for you. He was suffering God’s wrath for your sins. Johnny, you need to ask God to forgive you for what you have done, so that you are not “spanked” by God in Hell forever. In the same way I love you, God loves you, but you must submit to him, just as you are submitting to me right now.”
After instructing him, this is a wonderful moment to pray together. Encourage him to pray out loud to God and ask for forgiveness. Lead him in a prayer if he needs it. Then pray for him. Pray that God would help him to be an obedient child and to be joyful in his calling in life and to have God’s strength and help to do it well.
If all of this process is done correctly, you both should emerge from training with a sense of cleansing, freedom, peace and joy. The toys will be quietly and promptly picked up, but much more importantly there will be a stronger bond between you both because your friendship and fellowship has been restored. You will be happy and refreshed and so will he. Before, when Johnny would throw a fit to get his way, did he look happy? Was he really happy? No. True happiness comes from doing what is right. Parent, it is your job to insist that he does do what is right. Purity, justice and following God’s order produces peace and joy. Sin unleashed and not dealt with produces division, anger, and decay.
#3 Consistency, Consistency, Consistency.
How many times is it ok for a child to disobey? Not once. Not one time. This verse comes to mind: “For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward…” (Hebrews 2:2) God does not play games. He does not give us optional commands. When God tells us to do something, and we do not do it, there is always some kind of negative consequence. If we are to be like God, and love our children, we must consistently give them clear instructions and follow through with them. Johnny knows that you are supposed to spank him if he is disobedient. If you don’t, you are training him that it is ok to disobey God. If he follows your example then he will not obey you. If you tell him, “If you do that one more time, you’re gonna go into the corner,” and do not follow through then you are lying to your child. What motivation does he have when a liar is asking him to do something?
Is it inconvenient and a bother to have to go through this whole ordeal every time Johnny does something wrong? Yes, it is. But what is your calling in life? Is there anything more important than your kids? Maybe you need to stop playing on your phone so much and pay more attention to your actual responsibility.
But here’s the really special thing – If you are consistent and you discipline correctly, the amount of times you are going to have to deal with it will be significantly less, or perhaps even non existent. If Johnny knows, from experience, that if he does not cheerfully obey you, submissively, that it is a guarantee that in about 60 seconds his behind is going to feel like a huge bee stung it, how many times do you think Johnny is going to want to disobey? The problem with repetitive disobedience and “fits” is that you have trained him to be rebellious, by consistently allowing it.
The hardest part is going to be the very beginning. If your child is 3, 4, 5 years old, and you have not insisted on unquestioned obedience and submission, then you are going to be turning his world upside down by following this. Don’t give up. You have to stick with it for days, weeks, months and years. But the major results should be seen within the first instance.
I hope that something here is helpful to you, and I hope that you enjoy the good fruit of following God’s way in this matter. Please contact me if you would like to discuss these things further.
By “Fundamentalism” I mean specifically 21st century, American, independent, Baptist (with a big B), King James Only, dispensational, premillennial, fundamentalism. The fundamental flaw is that of elevating secondary, non-essential doctrines & practices to that of Orthodoxy (correct doctrine) & Orthopraxy (correct practice). By “secondary” and “non-essential,” I mean beliefs and practices that are not essential to salvation or godliness. Everything we do as Christians is important, but not everything is a matter of salvation or even godliness – there is room for theological and practical disagreement among godly believers. This flaw is certainly applicable to other sections of Christianity, but I have this particular tradition in mind, since most of my experience and relationships have revolved around IFB churches, and because I believe this is a particular vulnerability in this branch of Christianity. The results of this flaw are an unhealthy over-emphasis on non-essentials, separation from other Christians on non-Biblical grounds, and an ever so slightly-to-potent spirit of fear. These errors oftentimes produce isolated, lopsided, fearful, and sometimes ignorant Christians.
Mention of Charity
I cannot speak for every circle of IFB (Independent, Fundamental, Baptist) churches, but the associated churches that I come from are in general genuine, humble, truly-saved, godly, loving, zealous, wise and God-fearing people. No one is perfect, neither is any church or denomination, but I am thankful that my spiritual upbringing came through churches where Jesus is Lord, the Holy Spirit is obeyed, and the pure Gospel is proclaimed. Amen for that.
However, when Jesus came to speak to His churches in the book of Revelation, he found things that He had against most of them – even the good churches, where He was still present in the midst of them. So just because I mention a flaw does not mean that God is not there, or that they are not saved or godly, or “bad churches,” but rather to point out a weakness, in the hopes that some will be sensitive, thoughtful and hopefully grow in Christian maturity through this (or, in the words of Jesus to His churches who were in disobedience…to repent). So, this is not bash-Fundamentalists time. We need you. The whole Body of Christ needs you and we want to partner with you. I would love to hear some feedback and dialogue with Fundamentalists on this issue.
Here’s how I believe it works (and this is still part of the charity section) – An IFB brother or sister believes, for example, that the pre-tribulation rapture is so crystal clear in the Bible, and of such gravity, that if someone denies it, they are denying a cardinaldoctrine of THE Faith. And so, the unfortunate reality is that when a brother falls into serious doctrinal error, we are commanded by our Lord to “touch not the unclean thing,” and to “come out from among them,” and “mark that man and have no company with him.” And so, out of a sincere desire to please Jesus and obey the Word of God, they hesitatingly and broken-heartedly, out of necessity, separate from their once beloved brother. (I know for sure that there are times when Christians separate in anger, and do not handle situations with love and care. This certainly happens, but even when separation is handled somewhat correctly, the fundamental issue I think with Fundamentalists is not how separation is handled, but why?)
Stated simply, I think most times IFB’s are trying to walk in love and truth simultaneously – but in elevating their tradition (perhaps even unintentionally) above the Word of God, this causes them to react to others who differ with them in non-Biblical ways.
What Saith the Scriptures?
My challenge to IFB’s is this – and I have yet to barely have a response at all to this, nevermind a good response – “Please demonstrate from Scripture how “such and such” doctrine or practice is an issue of salvation or godliness?” I know you believe strongly what you believe and that you think it is a huge deal, but show us where God says that if you do not hold this particular belief or practice you are still lost, or an ungodly person? If we are going to go to the extreme measure of denouncing a particular belief or practice, it ought to be clearly spelled out in Scripture, correct?
For example, the Bible is clear that if someone denies the deity of Jesus Christ, then they are not saved: John 8:24 Jesus said, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” Jesus clearly taught this. Therefore, if someone denies the Deity of Christ we should treat them as an unbeliever – loving, but gracious separation. They are not saved, and they are not godly. We shouldn’t call them brother and they are to be disciplined out of the church. If they teach this doctrine then we should publicly expose them for it and denounce their teachings.
Another example would be: if someone is walking in open, public, unrepentant adultery then they should be disciplined out of the church and treated as an unbeliever, because adultery is clearly condemned in Scripture.
But show us where Scripture specifically condemns things such as: plural church leadership, or use of other Bible versions, or amillennialism/postmillennialism, or calvinism, or different music/dress standards, or infant baptism, or practicing a balanced view of charismatic gifts, etc.? (These things are not a catalog of my personal doctrinal positions, but they are positions which are often held by saved & godly Bible believing Christians, which I have personally seen a very unhealthy and extreme repudiation of by IFB’s, even though none of them are remotely condemned in Scripture. If you want to know what I believe personally, ask me, I’d love to talk to you about it). I know, you think those doctrines & practices are wrong, unbiblical and perhaps even devilish – but that’s not the issue. That’s not the question! The question is – Show us where Scripture specifically condemns those things??? If you cannot demonstrate that, then you have no right treating other believers as though they are in grave error. Is it possible that what is actually happening is that they are in serious error according to Your tradition (which you have elevated to the status of the Word of God), but are not in error according to the Word of God? Your interpretation of the Scriptures is not equivalent to the truth of the Scriptures themselves – unless you believe that your interpretations are infallible – Are you willing to say they are? If not, then give grace and liberty to people.
Who determines Orthodoxy?
Everyone agrees that we can disagree about certain things, but who ultimately becomes the judge of what is considered within the bounds of sound doctrine/practice? Of course, each church can decide this for their own members, but who decides for the whole of Christianity? In other words, if another Christian down the street goes to another church, what guidelines should we hold them to in order for them to be considered in the “safe zone,” or saved and godly, even though we differ on things?
To me it seems the IFB default is to make their own doctrinal & practice standards to be The Ruler by which all Christians are to be regarded as saved and sanctified. “How do we know what is right and wrong?” – Well, what do we believe and practice? The local church statement of faith and written or unwritten rules of conduct becomes the arbiter of sound doctrine for all of Christianity, and for the last 2,000 years??? Please think about that long and hard if that is your position. The founders of this nation and most of your favorite Christians from history were not of the equivalent doctrinal persuasions and character of today’s IFB’s.
Among Bible-Believing Christians there is a very high level of agreement on certain doctrines & practices, and also a wide variety of disagreement about other doctrines & practices. The things in which there is a high agreement on are the fundamentals of the faith – The Bible being the Word of God, the Trinity, the virgin birth, sinlessness and deity of Christ, the death, burial, resurrection and return of Christ, the Gospel of grace through faith in Christ, etc. The reason why there is a large consensus is because they are very clearly delineated in Scripture, and because they arethe fundamentals – the things that are vital to our faith – God has made them very plan. These are the beliefs in which we can find Scripture actually condemning people who do not confess them. Contrarily, the reason why there is a wide disagreement about the non-fundamentals, or non-essentials, is because they are not clearly delineated in Scripture. There is room for disagreement. The Bible is not crystal clear, which is why honest, studious, careful Bible believers come to different conclusions.
Christianity is much bigger than Fundamentalism. Of course, there is apostate, liberal, compromised “Christianity,” but there are also other genuine Christians out there, much different than yourself, who are just as saved, just as godly, just as loving, just as zealous, just as committed the the authority of Scripture, just as balanced and wise, and just as evangelistic as you are – and might I even say – more so than you are. If you do not believe this, you are believing a lie, you’re living in an echo chamber, and you are cheating yourself of benefiting from the Holy Spirit’s work in the lives of countless other modern Christians and giants of the past. Sometimes there is hypocrisy as well, because an IFB will study, benefit from and even promote saints of the past who they would strongly condemn and separate from if they were actually alive today.
Individuals and the various traditions that makeup Christianity in the world all have strengths and all have weaknesses. Be quick to identify and work on improving your weaknesses and slow to point out and condemn others for theirs. I encourage you to get to know Christians who go to churches much different than your own. Be thankful for them and bless them. You don’t have to adopt their beliefs or practices, just love them. Receive them (Romans 14). If you truly think that you are the stronger brother, then follow the instructions of Galatians 6:1. Have you tried to lovingly, patiently, with understanding, show them the error of their way???
And another thing – Don’t be afraid. If you are afraid of associating with Christians of another stripe, thinking that you will be condemned by your brethren along with those “ungodly” non-Fundamentalists, then you are being ruled by the fear of man, not love. Jesus was no respecter of persons, neither should we be. Being more concerned about your reputation than you are about loving a fellow Christian is selfish, cowardly and hypocritical.
Lastly, consider this. If Jesus came to your region of the world, would he only visit your church? Would He visit other churches as well? If he did, would he call them, “My people?” So, if Jesus would visit other churches and call them “My people,” then why would you not do the same? Why do you condemn others for doing what Jesus would do?
Would Jesus eat with them, laugh with them, pray with them, and serve with them? If He would, then why aren’t you? Would the Lord have something against the other churches in your area? Yes? Would He have something to say against your church? If so, what would it be? You condemn that Christian girl for wearing a small nose ring, yet you look like a prostitute with that super short, tight skirt, or elongated underwear. Is she really that bad? In the words of one beloved IFB brother, sometimes we need “a check up from the neck up.”
I hope and pray that God will pour out a spirit of honesty, humility, kindness, grace, patience, and wisdom on all IFB churches in America. May the Lord unite all of His people in Truth and Love.
In the previous article we observed seven lessons we can learn from the story of Job. Here we will look at six more. If you have not read or listened to the first article I would recommend it. It lays some groundwork for what will be discussed in this article. May some things here prove beneficial to you as you navigate the difficulties of life…
Many times God chooses the most righteous people to endure the most tragedy.
The book of Job intentionally highlights the godliness of Job. The truly pious are not exempt from tragedy. As we saw in previous lessons, our sufferings always have a higher purpose than what only concerns our personal lives. No where in the Bible are righteous people promised to escape all pain and suffering. In fact, there is actually a warning for the righteous that they will probably encounter much suffering on account of their righteousness. Jesus cautioned, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23). Remember, the cross was a torture device. The apostle Paul, who had suffered much for the cause of Christ, said in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” The sufferings of the righteous, though, are on a greater level than the natural toil of partaking of a fallen race and living in a fallen place – there is no guilt or shame involved. Rather, the sufferings of the godly are vicarious sufferings – they work in tandem with God’s good purposes in the world. Paul interestingly described this process about his own ministry this way, “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church.” (Colossians 1:24) I believe what he is saying is that the progress of the Gospel and the growth of the Church are not independent from the personal involvement and struggle of the people of God. God is the one who saves – Yes. The Holy Spirit is the one who causes the people of God to grow – Yes. But God has ordained, oftentimes, that He does His work through the toil, struggle and perhaps tragedy of the people of God. Our bodies are not our own. We have been bought with a price, and the Spirit within us yearns, “Father, if it is possible for this cup to pass from me— nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.”
No one compares to the ultimate expression of this truth, as seen in the Suffering Servant Himself – the Lord Jesus Christ. The most righteous man to ever live (perfect righteousness) was acquainted with the most grief, during his lifetime. Then, in His death, He experienced the most pain, horror and torture ever experienced. But, Why? Because mankind sinned. And in His godliness he took our sins upon Himself, so the world may be saved (the vicarious atonement). The righteous do not look for or ask for suffering – they want to avoid it. Yet, they know that if suffering is the means by which God’s will is determined to be accomplished, then by God’s grace they embrace that road.
The correct response to tragedy is GRATEFUL WORSHIP.
This is one of the most important lessons from the story of Job. When the unthinkable happened to Job, this was his response: “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” (Job 1:20-22) Job recognized that everything ultimately belongs to God; that any good thing we partake of is a gift from God; and that God is absolutely free to take those things away whenever He chooses. Instead of bitterness and anger, Job prayed, worshiped, thanked and blessed God for His actions. The wrong reaction to tragedy is found in Job’s wife: “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” (Job 2:9-10) Becoming bitter and angry at God accomplishes nothing except making your own sufferings worse. Gratefulness is the balm of tragedy, the ointment that quickens healing. Are you thankful for all that God has given you? Are you thankful for all that He has taken away? Are you grateful for all of the good, and all of the privileges, that God has allowed you to enjoy? Are you grateful for all of the evil, and of the oppression, that God has allowed into your life? We must give God praise for everything, otherwise we are declaring that we are wiser than God, and more suitable than He to govern our lives. This is foolishness, as Job said.
The way Satan gains a victory in our lives is not through inflicting pain or suffering upon us, but rather through manipulating us to react in ways that do not accurately reflect the nature of God. If he can get us to say or do anything which hints that God is not good, or that God doesn’t care about us, or that God wasn’t able to come through for his beloved: then he has won in our lives. The testimony is of utmost importance. Our job here on the earth is to magnify the goodness of God, whether it be by life or by death. If we succeed in this, the Devil has no power over us. Job championed over Satan in this skirmish. May we do the same in our lives.
Some people serve God for what they can get from Him…we should not be one of them.
Satan made an accusation against Job, that the only reason he served God was because God had blessed him in every way, and that if God were to remove the blessings then Job would curse God to His face. Thankfully, Job proved the Devil to be a liar, as we saw in the last point. It is unfortunately true, however, that some people do reallyonly serve God for the blessings: whether it be for a “get out of Hell” free card, or for financial prosperity, or physical protection, etc. God is worthy of our worship, praise and obedience merely on the basis of Who He is. His own character and Person demands awe and obedience. I love the words to the song Settled at the Cross. It says,“So if You never speak another word of blessing, And the silence leaves me with a sense of loss, I’ll remember when my heart begins to question, Any doubt that You love me was settled at the cross.” We have been given enough reassurance from God that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8). We must remember this when tragedy comes, and remember to give Him praise through it all. God is good, and He does good to those who love Him, but He will not be reduced to an ATM or good luck charm. At some point you will turn away from following Him if your ultimate motivation to believe is self-centered.
It is natural and acceptable to grieve, but we must be careful that our grief does not turn into ungodly unbelief & despair.
Job expressed grief in his trial. The initial tearing of clothes and shaving his head were not signs that he was angry at anyone or angry at God, but a common expression of deep sorrow. It is natural to grieve. When Lazarus died Jesus wept because he loved him and his family. We all want life and healing, and ultimately for the righteous we will experience them perfectly and eternally, but until then there are moments in this life where it is appropriate to mourn the loss of these things on account of sin and the fallen state of this world.
We do need to be careful though, because the Bible speaks about a sorrow of the world that produces death. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10) Godly sorrow is sadness over the consequences of sin or heartbreak over displeasing God, but the fruit of this kind of sorrow always leads to sweetness and peace, and the sorrow always has an end. Jesus said, “Blessed (happy) are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) The sorrow of the world has no end, and it is hopelessness and despair. Wordly sorrow does not break you free from a difficult circumstance, but rather drowns you in it. Don’t go there. There are real, evil spirits and people in the world, but rest in the fact that ultimate judgment will come one day. There is real pain and suffering in this world, but rest in the fact that one day it will be completely abolished; even death itself will die. God makes no mistakes. Everything from His perspective makes perfect sense. Rest in the fact that one day it will all make sense to you as well.
“Why?” is the wrong question.
The bulk of the book of Job is him wrangling with his friends on the deep subjects about the nature of God, the meaning of life and the reason for this trial. It gets deep. Job really struggles with his situation, and is asking the question, “Why?” “God, why are you letting this happen to me?” The answer God gives is so profound, and is so important for us to embrace. God doesn’t actually give Job the reason why, but what He does give him is better…
The LORD challenges Job with a series of questions, basically saying, “If you tell me the answer to my questions, then I will tell you the answer to your questions.” God demands of Job things such as, “Job, tell me the dimensions of the universe.” “Have you gone into the places where I store the snow, for the time when I need it.” “Can you send out lightning bolts?” and a number of other details only the infinite God of the universe would know or be able to do. Why was God confronting Job like this? I believe what was happening was God saying to the effect, “Job, what is more important than you understanding why all of this is happening, is you understanding that you can trust ME even when there seems to be no natural answers.” Essentially God’s answer to Job’s questions is, “You don’t have the right to ask me, “Why?” or, “Asking, ‘Why?” is the wrong question to be asking.”
This reminds me of what is said in Romans 9:20-21, “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” Clay is not able to, nor is meant to know the will of it’s maker, or the reason why it was molded the way it was. The role of the clay is simply to be formed and used for what the potter desires for it. Compared to God, we are just as intellectually bankrupt as a piece of pottery is, as it relates to understanding the eternal and perfect plans of God. Our place is simply to be and do what our heavenly Potter desires from us. If His will for us at this time is tragedy, then we must submit to it cheerfully. “Father, I do not need to know, “Why?” Knowing You is good enough.” The instructions of Philippians 4:6-7 are very fitting, “Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication withthanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Job’s restoration was in connection with him releasing his antagonists.
The end of Job’s story is really amazing. Job is set straight. Then the Lord confronts Job’s friends, even more directly than Job, and tells them that they need to repent, offer sacrifices and basically apologize to Job for the words they had wrongly spoken. The special part though is this verse, “And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends.” (Job 42:10) You would think that God would have turned things around for Job at the point when Job surrendered to God’s will, but not so. Healing lined up with Job releasing his friends from their misunderstandings. I know I don’t comprehend this fully, but one major thing it makes me think is that sometimes it’s not so much the painful events that happen themselves that really bother us, but more so the people involved in them. It may be someone who has died that we’re upset with, and they’re not even here any more. Or it may be someone close to you who has done you wrong that you are angry with. It may simply be someone who is trying to interpret your situation, but is completely wrong. Whatever the situation, and whoever is involved, our job is always and ever to simply FORGIVE and to release them from any obligation to explain themselves to us or make any kind of atonement for things they have wrongly done to us. Let go and let God. Unless we forgive, then we will not be forgiven ourselves. If we hold on to anger and bitterness and try to punish others, our captivity will continue. Release them and you will be released. God will deal with them, just as he dealt with Jobs friends – directly and sternly. Leave that to business to Go and focus on your relationship and understanding with the Lord. Amen.
May God have mercy upon us all, to lead us away from trials and difficulties. But if it is in His wise providence to lead us into tragedy, may we have His grace, wisdom, courage, and patience to embrace it joyfully, never forgetting His glory and reputation through the whole thing. And hasten be the day when we see the Devil, that old Serpent, cast into the lake of fire, to be torment day and night forever and ever; the day when God’s infinite perfection, beauty and wise governance of all things is clearly manifested for all to see! Peace.
What is God’s preferred method of delivering his truth (the Gospel) to the world?
The Bible is clear that Jesus Christ is the hope of the world. The Church has been entrusted with the task of representing God and being witnesses for Him – I think most evangelical Christians would agree on this point. Where I believe much more of the divergence occurs though is in the area of methods – not so much about what the message is, but how are we to get the message out? How is it to be delivered? Does the Bible speak to this subject?
Some think the best way is through legislation – If we can change the laws of the land to be favorable to Christianity, then more people will come to Christ. Some think the best way is through building relationships (lifestyle evangelism) – If we can gain people’s trust, then they are more likely to hear and believe what we have to say about Jesus. Others focus on good deeds or acts of community service – If our community sees the church as the ones who bring blessing to this city, then they are more likely to believe. Still others emphasize the church building, services, events – If we can have the absolutely best community programs and get people in the doors, then we will more effectively assimilate them into the body of Christ. So there are many methods (and I am not in any way shape or form saying those activities are wrong. I believe all of the ones I just mentioned are good and to one degree or another should be done), but the specific question I want to answer is, “What is the Biblical method of evangelism?” How did the men of God in Scripture get the Gospel to the world? Are there any specific commands to us about how to deliver the message? I am going to present a quick survey of the New Testament, which demonstrates clearly that God’s preferred method is that of…preaching.
Mark 1:1 “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” The word gospel simply means good news, however the word has a very rich history. Consider the following description: The term εὐαγγέλιον (gospel) was used at the time of the Roman Empire to herald the good news of the arrival of a kingdom – the reign of a king that brought war to an end, so that all people of the world who surrendered and pledged allegiance to this king would be granted salvation from destruction. This term “gospel” was applied to the birth of Caesar Augustus, who was labeled as a “god,” who reigned as “Lord,” and who arrived to bring “salvation” to people. This can be found on the Priene Calendar Inscription. The simple fact that the message we are given to bring to the world is called a “gospel” tells us much about the method. It is a message of grand proportions, a world shaking message, one that is to be proclaimed throughout the earth – the announcement of a new, special emperor who has come to bring in an age of peace and righteousness. It is similar to the news of a new President winning the election, but just greater. It is news that must be published everywhere, now! It is not a message to slowly, carefully, cautiously weave into the lives of friends or family members, but rather to be announced, right now, with great joy! It is not a message that we are to slowly, strategically dovetail into our culture, but rather a bold message, to call our nation, cities, culture, families, schools, businesses, entertainment industry – everything and everyone – now, to bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ!
How did Jesus get the gospel to His world? Mark 1:14-15 says, “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”The first thing we see Jesus doing in his ministry is publicly preaching the Gospel. In this passage, do we find Jesus building relationships, priming them for his message of repentance? Was he striving in the Sanhedrin to pass new legislation? What was Jesus’ preferred method of evangelism? Preaching. If it was good enough for Jesus…
Notice that Jesus says, “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.” The message Jesus proclaimed was urgent. There was no time for delay – everyone needed to hear, now. It is no different today. People’s souls are in the balance, death comes unexpectedly, and their hope is to hear a call for repentance and faith in the Gospel. Jesus said in another place, “Today is the day of salvation.” If to day is the day of salvation – then the appropriate time to bring forth the call of repentance and salvation is today.
What does it communicate to people if we wait a long time before sharing the gospel with them? Say you have coworkers that you have labored with side by side for months or years, and all of a sudden you begin to tell them the gospel message: “My friend, you are in a grave situation before God, in danger of Hell, and you have been since the day that I met you. If you had died since the time I met you, you would be in Hell right now. But Jesus did die for you and you can be totally forgiven today if you will call upon him.” Doesn’t that actually appear very offensive – even more offensive than sharing the Gospel with them right off the bat?You knew that they were lost, and how they could be found, but you never told them??? The most appropriate time to deliver the gospel to every sector of your life is…today. Another thing is, this may be your last opportunity to share the Gospel with this person – they could die, you could die.
Luke 8:1 says,“And it came to pass afterward, that he (Jesus) went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him.” Along with Jesus going about the nation preaching the Gospel, he sent out his disciples to do the same. Among the instructions he gave them was this, Matthew 10:27 “What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.” Jesus instructed them how to deliver the message – preach it from the housetops! The message was urgent and universal; they were to be bold, loud and thorough.
As Jesus left this earth, he commissioned his followers with a very specific task. Mark 16:15, 20 says, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature…And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” The Church should feed the poor, live holy lives, seek legislation that accords with Scripture, be a blessing to the community, do everything with excellence, etc. However, the Great Commission: the thing that should be infused in everything that we do; the thing that at all costs should not go without being done, is to preach the gospel to every creature. Every other method of evangelism, or means we use to bring people to Christ, must fall underneath the plain proclamation of the Gospel. Other methods must be accessories to this main task.
The word “preach” used in the Great Commission and throughout the New Testament is the Greek word “kerusso,” which means “to announce, proclaim aloud, or to herald.” We are to trumpet forth the knowledge that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. All power, or authority has been given to Him in heaven and on the earth, so therefore, Go!
After Jesus ascended, his disciples, in obedience to the Lord’s command, waited in the city of Jerusalem, until the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them. This happened at the feast of Pentecost, when the small city of Jerusalem was swelling with crowds of people. When the Holy Spirit came and filled them all, what were they prompted to do? They were compelled to go out into the open air and preach the gospel. Acts 2:14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words…This was the first sermon preached after Jesus left. They simply continued to do exactly what Jesus had been doing while he was here. This practice continued in the early days of the church in Israel: Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. Again, what specifically did the Holy Spirit prompt them to do? Speak the word of God with boldness. Acts 5:19-20 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.Acts 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
An important passage to highlight is Acts chapter 8. Acts 8:1 says “And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.” So the apostles stayed in Jerusalem, but everyone else left. Now, what did they do as they were scattered? Acts 8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. This is important, because sometimes it is said the ministry of gospel proclamation was only given to the apostles, but here we see that everyone was preaching the word. The ministry of preaching is for everyone in the church, not just the pastors, evangelists, leaders, etc.
The latter half of the book of Acts details the conversion and ministry of the apostle Paul. Hear this scripture: Acts 9:19-20 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. What did Paul do when he was saved? Immediately he began to preach Christ! It barely even needs to be said that the entire life of Paul – through and through – was a ministry of proclamation. Paul was one of the greatest preachers, if not the greatest preacher to ever live. For the rest of this article, I want to draw scriptures from Paul’s writings which demonstrate the preeminence of preaching as the main method the church must use for evangelism…
Romans 1:14-16 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. We are debtors to the world. We have received the message that can deliver people from Hell and has the power to bring people into a personal relationship with God. We owe it to everyone to share this message with them. We should not be ashamed of our Lord. We may be ridiculed, laughed at, mocked, or even physically assaulted, but any sacrifice given to announce this message is worth it!
Notice in this passage also – what is the power of God unto salvation? The power is contained in the message of the Gospel. “For therein the righteousness of God is revealed…” (Romans 1:17 The power to convert a sinner is not in us being a good testimony or building relationships with people. Though this may help, the power comes when someone discerns the contents of the gospel and it is applied to their lives.
Romans 10:13-14 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? The regular means by which God converts a sinner could be stated this way: God elects – The Holy Spirit, at the appropriate time begins to woo and convict the elect – a Christian is move by God to evangelize that person – the Holy Spirit speaks through the word of the gospel being presented – faith is created and the sinner is born again.
The process I just described is further confirmed a few verses later…So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. There are absolutely a thousand other ways that God may bring someone into the faith (dreams, hearing a testimony, fear of death, etc.), but the normal means, the overwhelming amount of times it happens regularly is through the preached word. It is simply what God has chosen. Let us not neglect it!
1 Corinthians 1:17-18For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. Again, what is the power of God? The preaching of the Cross. I think that many times the method of preaching is not followed because of the offense of the cross. The preaching of the cross to an unbeliever is foolishness. This is why when we evangelize, many times we are scoffed, mocked and ridiculed. Sometimes it is because the preacher is being harsh and not compassionate, but even when the gospel is being preached with love and grace, the reality is that we are telling people that they are sinful and worthy of Hell, and that only the death of Jesus on a cross can reconcile them to God. Unless they are being called by God, we are going to attract the disgust of our hearers, just as Jesus did. Paul said the apostles were the offscouring of the world. It is way more comfortable and easy to do good deeds and love on people, because it gives you a good reputation in the world. But the reality is that our good deeds do not convince people of their sins, rather the Law of God needs to be shone on people’s lives and then the cross will become powerful. Preaching is hard and intense, but it is powerful. 1 Corinthians 1:23-24But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
There is a very powerful, key verse mentioned in Titus 1:2-3,In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour.
God’s plan all along, before the foundations of the world, was that Jesus would come, die, rise again and be the Savior of the world. In God’s timing Jesus stepped into the world and accomplished the long awaited plan of God. Paul tells us how God determined that this message would be delivered to the world – through preaching.
Finally, as the apostle Paul passed the baton on to Timothy, he gave him this parting charge; which word I will part with for this article: 2 Timothy 4:2 says simply, “Preach the Word.”
God’s preferred method of delivering the Gospel to the world is through preaching! If you are a Christian you should be a preacher. Preach! Love preaching, encourage preaching, financially support the preaching of the gospel, pray for those who are preaching, and ever be grateful to those preachers who had beautiful feet as they came to bring the gospel to you. Freely ye have received, freely give!
Brother Lee 