How do we gain favor with God? Many people think that we “earn” eternal life by being good, religious and charitable, but works won’t work. Come see what the Bible says will work . . .
We intuitively know that God wants us to be good and do good. We know that God is good and glorious, so it naturally follows that if we’re to be welcomed into his presence (favorably) then we ought to be good and seek for his glory. This human focused tendency is manifested in every religion mankind has come up with. Though culturally religions vary widely, the core principle of the systems are the same: God requires us to do certain things in order to gain his favor. Roman Catholics must follow the sacraments to hopefully gain eternal life; Muslims must faithfully observe the 5 pillars to gain paradise; Jehovah’s Witnesses must witness and obey the watchtower; Hindus achieve liberation through respect to Karma, etc. It all comes down to being good and doing good. But what does Jesus and the Bible teach?
Jesus said, “Many will say to me in that day (the day of judgment), Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto you, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:22-23 It is clear from his teaching here that there are many people who are professing worshippers of God who will be rejected by him. They say, “Lord, Lord…” showing repetition. These are people known to be religious and are consistent in their practice. Not only so, but they even carry a spiritual power: they perform wonderful works. There are people who can do supernatural things and are capable of doing unusual levels of philanthropy and altruism that will be rejected by God. Their works won’t work. Jesus told us in this passage that the person who will enter the kingdom of heaven is “he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21 What is God’s will? “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:40 Everlasting life is not earned by religious or good things we do, but is rather a gift given to those who believe in Jesus, who trust in the work that HE has done on our behalf.
The apostle Paul made it abundantly clear when he said, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 Eternal life is too precious to be purchased with our good deeds. It is and always will only be a gracious gift from God. Works won’t work, but faith will. Paul, in speaking about his own conversion wrote that God, “…saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” 2 Timothy 1:9
He made this very plain in another passage as well, “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7 Favor with God is predicated on the fact that he has shown us mercy. In other words, we have all done wrong and need to be forgiven – this is the first step towards God. Criminals go to jail, not because of their lack of philanthropy, but because they have committed crimes. God has laws, and we have all broken those laws: do not lie, do not steal, honor your parents, etc. We deserve death and judgment from God. If we are attempting to argue our innocence before God’s throne on the basis of our good works, it won’t work. We don’t need a larger portfolio of charitable action, we need a changed heart. Our problem is internal. This is why the passage says that we needed “the washing of regeneration” and “renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Our lives are not naturally like spiritual soup kitchens that just need to feed more people. Rather, we are like abandoned, condemned sleaze motels that need to be torn down and rebuilt by God himself if we are to please him at all.
Even if it were possible to work your way into heaven, no one’s work would be good enough. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 2:23 Do we really think that we could approach the God who made this universe and has continued to sustain it perfectly would be impressed with our accomplishments??? God rejects sinners who try to pay him off like he’s a corrupt judge. God is good and glorious. The way that pleases him is when we come to him humbly, with repentance, pleading for mercy, and receiving his wonderful gifts. Ultimately, it is set up this way so that he receives all of the glory. “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.” Romans 3:27 There will be only one person receiving praise in heaven for all of the souls saved and welcomed in – and that is Jesus Christ!
A simple note of reasoning to think about – If you could work your way into heaven, then why did Jesus need to die???
Good works are good. We should be abounding in good works and pure forms of worship. However, it is only good if it is done from a heart of gratitude and to earn nothing from God.
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!
Periodically (and sometimes regularly) I hear Christians express that the Biblical doctrine of salvation is confusing to them, especially the relationship between faith & works – “Wait, so are we saved by faith alone, or is there something we need to do? If all we have to do is believe, then does it matter how we live as long as we have been “saved?” Can we lose our salvation? How do we know that we have truly believed? Etc.” I wish here to gather up some statements about salvation (with supporting Scriptures), along with qualifying statements, that will hopefully bring clarity to some reader. We cannot overemphasize how important it is for our soteriology (doctrine of salvation) to be crystal clear – It is the foundation, the bedrock of all that we believe. So, here we go…
Salvation/forgiveness of sins is totally, 100% a gift from God. It is not in any way, shape or form earned by any actions that we do. It is totally based on the merits and works of Jesus Christ. It is by grace alone.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
The merits of Jesus Christ are applied to us by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Both repentance and faith are internal realities, or spiritual experiences – a change of heart and mind. No outward actions are required.
Mark 1:15 The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
No “religious” activities are required for salvation (repeating the sinner’s prayer, being baptized, partaking of the Lord’s supper, going to church, reading the Bible, praying, evangelizing, etc.). However, a regenerated heart will cheerfully seek after these things to one degree or another. The activities are born out of a heart of worship and love, as opposed to a checklist someone forces themselves to follow.
Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
A change in lifestyle is not required for salvation. However, a change in life is inevitable if someone has experienced true salvation.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
We are not in any way shape or form saved by our works, but works (good fruit) assure us that we have been saved, along with the inward witness of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 7:20-21 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Someone can have all of the outward signs of salvation, but not have not experienced genuine regeneration.
Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Being born into a Christian home does not in any way, shape or form guarantee salvation.
John 1:12-13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
If someone has truly been born again, they will never and can never become un-regenerated (un-born-again). The gift of eternal life is a gift, and it is eternal.
Hebrews 10:10,14 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all…For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Ultimately, salvation is based on Election- God’s choosing us, as opposed to us choosing God. If God be for us, who can be against us? The ultimate power that brought us to Christ is the same power which will keep us in Christ.
Romans 8:29-30 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
A true Christian will not be sinless, but he will sin less. There should be a hatred of sin and love for righteousness. A true Christian can sin, but does not want to sin. There should be a war inside during temptation, and guilt after sinning.
1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
A true Christian can sin; even have a besetting sin, and perhaps even be out of fellowship for a while, but he will always return to Christ. The only way we can have confidence that we have been truly saved is if we are currently in a state of repentance and faith in Christ- however little strength we may have.
1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
We cannot (and should not) ever make a final judgment about whether someone else is saved or not. God is the ultimate determiner of salvation.
In Conclusion, if we acknowledge our need for forgiveness from God, and our hope of forgiveness is resting in Christ, and in Him alone, we have no need to fear the judgment of God (Hell). If we are trying to earn anything from God on the basis of our efforts, we are sadly mistaken – our works will never be good enough.
I hope you have the sweet assurance of salvation in your life!
1 John 5:11-13 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
He “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.” Ephesians 1:11
The first feature of the Gospel that we must grasp a hold of is the absolute and supreme Authority of God. Everything in this universe finds its proper place in relationship to GOD. If we are to see the picture clearly it must fit within the frame. “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36) We exist purely because He willed it to be so: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure (or, because you desired) they are and were created.” (Revelation 4:11) We were brought into life for God’s purposes; we continue to live here and now for God’s purposes; and one day we will return back to God for his purposes.
Authority by definition is, “the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.” The Bible is explicitly clear that the world and everything in it is under the complete and total rule of God. “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1) The universe (including earth) is all in God’s jurisdiction or domain. He is the Lord, not only over the land, but also over all the souls. “Behold, all souls are mine…the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4). Jesus’ authority extends, “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.” (Ephesians 1:21) God owns, rules and controls all lands, souls, spirits, governments, plans, powers, etc.
AUTHOR
Related to the idea of “Author-ity” is the word Author. An author is an originator or creator of something, especially a plan or idea. God is the ultimate Author of everything that exists. Everything in this life first existed in the mind of God before it came to be a reality in history. If we could imagine the totality of this world from beginning to end as a giant book, God wrote the whole thing before it was put to the press. The characters and events of the story are not determined by themselves. The author does not ask permission of his characters to make them the way they are. “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?” (Romans 9:20-21) The Bible is plain that God has endowed man with a will, and that man is totally responsible and accountable for all of his decisions, but in an ultimate, overarching sense man can do nothing to change the will of God. Whether he is directly making it happen (earthquake) or allowing it to happen (bullying), history (His-story) is reading just as He wrote it. “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:35).
We find ourselves in quite a dilemma here: God has the absolute “power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience,” and we have to make decisions every day that we will be held responsible and accountable for. There are two ways to respond to this: surrender or resist. But more about that in a little bit. Let’s meditate a little more on how central God is to everything that exists.
CREATOR
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) How do we know that there is a Creator? Because there is a creation! Every building has a builder. When we see a building, we do not question how it got there. Most times we do not even question why it is there, because it is self evident. You drive by and see a playscape in a local park. How did it get there and why is it there? We already know the answers.
Why do we even begin to question the creation of this world? We know how it got here: “The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead.” (Romans 1:20) The Bible also gives us the answer to why mankind so desires to question God as our Creator. It says that men “suppress the truth in their unrighteousness.” (Romans 1:18) They try to smother their conscience so that they can enjoy their sin. Creation points to a Creator; a conscience points to a Moral Creator. We are beings with a con-science (con–with, science–knowledge). The only reasonable explanation is that a Beingwith-knowledge put us here. A Being who cares more carefully about right and wrong, purpose, meaning, and stuff like that.
Fallen mankind needs to find out a way to vanquish God if he is going to be the master of his own destiny. The problem is our eraser ain’t big enough. We are trying to press an impenetrable beach ball to the bottom of the ocean and expect it to stay. We can’t even swim down that far; and even if we could the ball would rise to the top before we ourselves surfaced. We are not free to do whatever we want and we know it.
We must be humbled before God and surrender to his will. Otherwise we become fools. “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:21-22) “The fool hath said in his heart, ‘No God’.” (Psalm 14:1).
God remains our Creator. He gets to make the Rules. Need help understanding how to play a new board game? Consult the rule book included with the game which was written by the creators. Need help understanding life? Consult God’s Book (The Bible) and find the answers. Without turning to God we assemble our lives with a bunch of pieces still left over, much of the hardware in the wrong place, and “Oh, no…we assembled it upside down!”
PROGENITOR
Progenitor: A person from which a person originates; a parent.
Should children obey their parents, or should parents obey their children? Come on, I know you know the answer. The important word here is “should.” We know many children don’t obey their parents, but they should. How sweet it is when children do cheerfully submit to their parents! (The assumption here is of course with normal, loving relationships) The children come from the parent, not the other way around. The child is an extension of the parents’ very nature. A child does not know the responsibility that a parent carries. The parent loves, feeds, protects, guards, thinks about the child, etc. It is proper and right and godly for children to recognize their place.
God is our universal Progenitor.* “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” (Acts 17:24-29) This passage also tells us why God made everything and made it the way he did, “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” (Acts 17:26-28).
SURRENDER
What’s the point? Whether we see God as the Author of history, Creator of the world, or the Progenitor of life, the point remains the same – our working properly in this life is inextricably tied to GOD. We did not decide to be born, but here we are. We did not decide the most basic, fundamental things about ourselves (gender, personality, family, nationality, social status, etc.) but here we are. We didn’t request a rational mind and will, but, Oh, do we love to use it! What can we do, but yield ourselves to God? “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea…If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” (Psalms 139:7-9,11-12) No matter where we go, God is not only there, but is inControl there, and we remain accountable. One says, “I will end my life, so I can get out of this!” But suicide will only escort you to the unveiled, naked Face of God, who is a consuming fire. Suicide is the worst option for avoiding God.
What is the best option?
Surrender to His Supremacy. Be a loyal subject. Acknowledge your role in His-Story. Sit comfortably on his divine Knee as an obedient child. Play by His rules. Do what David did, “When thou sadist, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Yahweh, will I seek.” (Psalm 27:8) Or even better yet, follow our Chief example, the Lord Jesus Christ! “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” (John 6:38) Also Hebrews 10:7, “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”
Our prayers and our posture must be, “Not my will, but thine be done.” It is only then, as we are surrendered to the supreme wisdom and free decision-making of God, that we are in a position to rightly understand the Gospel.
*”God is our universal Progenitor” – This is meant only in the sense that everyone has been created by God. Not everyone born into the world are children of God. We must be Born-Again to become to children of God (John 1 & 3)
This is my sermon from this past Sunday. The outline is as follows:
THY WILL BE DONE…
Partnering with God in our lives as well as in our prayers.
“God, accomplish your will. Fulfill your desires.”
Introductory thoughts :
In one sense – God will accomplish all he has determined. “Father, we know that you are committed to accomplishing all that you have determined to do. Thank you that we can rest in this assurance.”
Everything was created because that’s what God wanted. Rev. 4:11
Everything (who, what, when, where, why, how, why) that has come into existence was also determined by God.
God has a specific plan for each part of creation as well. His desires for each creation will be accomplished as well. Rom 9
Ultimately, History will be exactly as God had wanted it to happen. Daniel 4
In another sense – God’s expresses his nature, but doesnt assert his will. “Father, we don’t see your nature being reflected in our lives and those around us. Come and create in us your likeness. Make in us now today that qualities of your character and the realities of heaven.”
God is Love. God is generous; he is a blesser; he delights in forgiveness and reconciliation. He is a savior, redeemer from all danger and harm. This is who He is. We can choose to reflect those attributes in our thoughts, words and actions, or we can choose to resist those attributes in our lives.
We are free to cooperate or not.
How do we cooperate with God to see this prayer come to fruition ?
SCRIPTURE – saturate in scripture General will
God’s desires are most purely communicated to us through his Word.
The Word imparts to us the nature of God. what he loves, what he hates. What he values alot, what he values little, etc.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Matthew 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
John 6:38-40 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Ephesians 1:1,4-5,9,11
[1]Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
[4]According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
[5]Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
[9]Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
[11]In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
2 Corinthians 8:5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.
The poor Macedonians gave generously to supplying the needs of other poor saints. The desire for them to do this is traced back to the will of God.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
Gal. 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Peter 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
1 Peter 3:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
1 Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
SURRENDER – Surrender to the Spirit Specific will
Rom. 12:1-2“Help me to die”
If our minds are not renewed – – – we might trick ourselves into thinking that what seems right to us must be what God wants. (American dream)
Jesus greatest example of surrendered life.
He was a completely surrendered channel through which the will of God was expressed in the real world.
John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Hebrews 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Matthew 26 *Gethsemane
The Spirit is WILLING to do the WILL of God.
Angels came and strengthened him.
He arose and boldly faced what was coming with the Cross.
Scripture is where we find the General will of God.
Prayer is where we discern the specific will of God, and the strength to do the will of God.
Question #1 may seem like a weird question, but do you believe that there are genuine, Born-Again Christians who identify with a different denomination than your own? I said it might sound like a weird question, but the reality is, that some Christians truly do think that the only real believers are the ones in their own tradition – or even that the only true believers are to be found in their own local congregation! Some believe this wholeheartedly and will come right out and say it. Others may not actually verbalize it, but in their heart and mind, the salvation of another is at least highly suspect, if they do not identify with their particular denomination. I hope you do not fit into this category.
Now that you have taken a deep breath, and feel content that you do not fall into the first category we just mentioned, here’s the second question: Do you believe that there are godly, Born-Again Christians (or churches) who identify with a different denomination than your own?In other words, Do you think it is possible, for believers (or churches) different from your own, who are just as holy, wise, humble and mature; just as zealous for the Gospel; just as surrendered to Christ; just as important to the kingdom of God; and just as beloved and precious to the Father? Or, even another to put it: Is it a possibility that the most Christ-like, Spirit-filled person in the world, identifies with a denomination different than your own???
I hope there are some people who read this who are immediately convicted, and long for their hearts and minds to be changed about how they view and treat God’s precious people. I know believers personally, who immediately doubt the genuine character of another brother, sister or church on the simple hearing of their affiliation with a different denomination. This doubting, or we could say ‘judging,’ is not on the basis of examined fruit from another’s life (or, life of a church), but upon the mere mention of denominational affiliation. “My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” (James 3:10)
Who is on the Lord’s side?
One day the disciples of Jesus encountered a man who was casting out devils in the name of Jesus. John reported to Jesus (and it seems from the context in a sort of proud spirit), “We forbade him, because he followeth not with us.” (Luke 9:49) Apparently the loving disciple John came to the presumptuous conclusion that the only worthy ministers of Christ were to be found in his group. Did Jesus praise him for sticking up for “the team?” No, Jesus rebuked him, “Forbid him not: for he that is not against us, is for us.” (Luke 9:50) Mark’s account adds Jesus saying, “There is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part. For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.” (Mark 9:39-41) Jesus here makes a blanket statement that we should really give heed to: “He that is not against us, is for us.” This means that if someone from another denomination is a Christian, then you are on the same team. The prerequisite for the team is not having every jot and tittle lined up with your own. Those who make the cut for the team, according to Jesus, are those who “belong to Christ.” If you want to be right with God, and do right by yourself, then you need to begin thinking of other believers in these terms.
Jesus has one team, one family, one bride, one house, one vineyard, etc. “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6) There is only one Holy Spirit who washes and regenerates sinners who trust in Christ, regardless of which denomination they are a part of. There is only one Jesus who saves them all. There is only Father in heaven whom all Born-Again believers pray to. There is only one Heaven that all Christians look forward to, and no, there will not be separate divisions of Heaven for the various Christian communities. Those other believers in your area from other churches are your family members, and they will be for all eternity.
A main point I am trying to make is, that there are believers different than yourself, who are not merely sneaking into Christ by the skin of their teeth, but are rather first-string, special forces, champions in the faith. In every Bible-Believing denomination there are people you will find that are weak in the faith, and strong in the faith. In each tradition you will find people strongly committed to the authority of the Bible and some not; you will find zealous, passionate witnesses and you’ll find believers doing very little for Christ; you will find mature, holy, strong character and you will find carnality and worldliness; you will find strong, loving biblical home life as well as weak, hurting dysfunctional family life. You will find vibrant, Spirit-filled churches, and you will find dead and dying churches.
So, what is the common denominator? Why are there strong and weak representatives from each tradition? It is clear that the difference is not the fine points that make the groups distinct. Godliness is not the result of loyalty to denominational distinctives, but rather loyalty to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Spiritual strength is produced from obedience to the Spirit of God and the Word of God. I hope you realize that Spirit and the Word of God is not only in the possession of your church, or kind of church.
Another thing to consider: If it is true that there are mature believers in other denominations (and there are), then that must mean that the grace of God is abundant in places where you might not feel personally comfortable. Does that make you happy or angry? Do you want the grace of God reserved for you and your own, or lavished all over? Do you have sins of your own and weaknesses? Is your church perfect, with bright clear vision in every area of doctrine and practice- or is it possible that it may have some weaknesses or blind spots? If Jesus is in their midst, why would you be ashamed to be associated with them?
Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Repent. If you have looked down on, written off, or been partial in your judgments towards other believers and churches purely on the basis of names, that is sinful (Read 1 Corinthians). If you think that your kind are automatically the greatest in the kingdom simply because they are in your group, there is some pride that needs to be exposed and put to death. I know that with some people this mindset is in large part a result of ignorance – they have never been exposed to the ministries of other believers, or have never met a godly person from another tradition. But sins of ignorance are still sins, and as soon as you are aware of them, you should humbly repent of them.
Receive them. Romans 15:7 says, “Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.” How has Christ received you, since you have placed your faith in him? Has he received you part way? Like a step-brother or something? No. Absolutely not! He has received you fully! So, receive your brother as Christ also received you! This instruction in Romans 14 & 15 is the conclusion of Paul’s discussion about Christian Liberty. Paul lays out the fact that it is to be expected that there will be differences of opinions (in minor issues) among believers. These differences are not supposed to divide the believers. Those who desire to be mature in Christ will follow the instructions, “Let not him that eateth despise (have a low opinion of, reject, disdain) him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge (prefer, separate, pass an unfavorable judgment on) him that eateth: for God hath received him.” (Romans 14:3) There are believers different from you. Don’t despise them; don’t think little of them or write them off; don’t automatically have low opinions of them; don’t judge them – don’t consign them the Hell, or to being perpetually second class citizen-saints just because of some differences of opinion.
Remind yourself that there are some crazy characters in your own circle- Immature, carnal brothers. Are they that way because of your mutual convictions? No. It is because of a lack of obedience to Christ and his Word, not a lack of obedience or adherence to your particular denominational emphasizes.
Be open to meeting believers from other stripes. Come to admire their godliness, zeal, and faithfulness to Christ. What accounts for this? It is not the particular fine points of their denomination, but rather the result of a humble submission to Christ, the Spirit of God and the Word of God. You don’t have to approve of everything they teach and practice to be their friends, or even to work together at certain levels. Unity is possible without uniformity.
Check your fears. Who do you fear more – God or Man? Are you afraid of what people in your group might think about you if you befriended Chrisitians from other persuasions? If Jesus has received them, then why would you stand back from them? If Jesus came to your town, do you think he would visit churches other than your own? Do you think he would be friends and laugh with those other Christians down the road? You say – “I think Jesus would visit those churches, but I also think he would be carrying a whip!” So he wouldn’t have any reproofs or warnings for your church if he visited there? It seems to me, that there are some of us, who would rather keep our distance from Jesus if it meant being close enough to other Christians and possibly being associated with them. “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)
Think carefully about what is your actual standard of orthodoxy. What do I mean by this? Ask yourself what are the doctrinal and lifestyle guidelines by which someone could potentially be classified in your mind as a “good brother,” or “sound, or mature in the faith.” Actually write them down. Then ask yourself this all important question: “Are these standards the same as God’s?” Do I know for sure, that this particular standard comes from Scripture or is it derived from my own opinion; is it from the doctrinal standing of my local church; is it from non-spoken standards of my circle of believers? An example of what I mean would be this – If a church has a different form of church government than yours, what category do you place them into in your mind? Can they still potentially be on the starting team for Jesus? If not, then where does it say in Scripture that you should demote a believer based on their form of church government? Soon I would like to post another article expanding on this topic.
Yeah, BUT…
There are many, many objections I can hear coming from people who read this. This article has a specific purpose and is not meant to cover the entire field of discussion as it relates to how believers from various persuasions should interact with each other. Doctrine is important – there are cardinal beliefs that other “Christians” do nothold that should cause us to separate fellowship from them. There are also lifestyle issues, sin issues, that should cause us to rightly separate from other believers. Also, just because another denomination is “Christian” does not mean that they are actually Christian. I am not suggesting in the least bit that we should abandon all our convictions and just be all one church (ecumenicism). I hope to address some of these details in future writings. The point here is to strive for understanding and unity where God is striving for unity; for us to seek to know and understand other believers instead of just judging them from far away.
Psalms 133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
Brother Lee 