The Anti-Pharisee Pharisee

Having been brought from the depths of legalism, and having been a "Pharisee of Pharisees", I often find myself fighting with my old self, or wrestling with a new version of that old self. For example, in Jesus story of the Pharisee and the publican in Luke 18, we see a contrast between them, and their dispositions by what they both say, and how they both consider themselves as they respond to God...

The Pharisee stood and prayed, "God, I thank you, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." The publican, however, standing afar off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast and said, "God be merciful to me a sinner."

Knowing what this story teaches, and having once been that Pharisee, I no longer find myself standing upright and thanking God that I do so much good, and that I am not a publican, but I have found myself postured differently, praying something along the lines of "God, I thank you, that I no longer think as I once did, self-righteous, prideful, boastful, thinking that I can earn my way to heaven, etc., etc., and that I am no longer a Pharisee", and inevitably, "God, I thank you, that I am no longer like those Pharisees...".

I see that, even though the posturing may have changed, and the words have been modified appropriately, the old man, although disguised, still rears his ugly head...

"God be merciful to me a sinner".

Pointless Grace

It was John MacArthur who wrote, "Grace means nothing to a person who does not know he is sinful and that such sinfulness means he is separated from God and damned. It is therefore pointless to preach grace until the impossible demands of the Law and the reality of guilt before God are preached." This is as simple as telling a patient that he is sick before telling him that he needs a cure. Why would any patient want a cure if he isn’t first convinced that he is sick? The Law must precede the Gospel to convince the sinner that he needs the Savior. Charles Spurgeon said, "I do not believe that any man can preach the Gospel who does not preach the Law." There goes another minute. Gone forever. Go share your faith while you still have time.

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[Taken from: http://www.wayofthemasterminute.com/]

1st Corinthians and Unity

Saturday, a bunch of us were at the church building holding a hot dog sale when a neighbor came in and sat down for a while. Now, this man is a Church of Christ member who lives a mile or so from our congregation but attends church in the next town over. He's known for changing congregations frequently and always finding fault with the one he's at.

I listened to him and another man talking about all of the church splits that had happened in the last year or so, and about how people were leaving this congregation for that, and people were meeting in hotels and funeral homes because of things that had gone on at their previous congregations.

Then the talk turned to Norway Avenue. Some of you might have heard of this church (Fred Peatross used to be an elder). This man had attended there a little while, and had left because they "mixed acts of worship" by singing during communion (at least that's what I was told, although I was initially told that he was going to straighten them out).

General consternation was expressed about the possibility they would go instrumental, and the man named someone we all knew and said he couldn't believe it, but this man had started attending there.

I left the room rather than get into the conversation. This was a man I knew not to argue with anyway; he prides himself on his "directness". The thoughts that were going through my head were about Jesus' call for unity, about how our love for each other was supposed to be the determining mark that would hold us together, and how we were willing to throw this away over stuff the Bible didn't even talk about, mostly so we could get our own way.

I knew how I would be answered, though. I've been on the other side of the conversation, and the verse I liked to use was 1 Corinthians 1:10, I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Paul then lit into the Corinthians about how they were following man instead of Christ, and about how if they just followed God's word, they'd have the same opinions about everything. But is that what he was really saying? Was this what unity of mind and thought supposed to be?

I considered this a while back, and I kept reading. Just a few verses later, right after the "I of Paul, I of Cephas", he starts talking about the cross:

"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.' "

is that it, then? Just preach the cross? Could that be the basis of our unity of mind and thought?

It seemed like a stretch, but he did put that line in there about wisdom and intelligence not being the point. If we are supposed to reason it all out for ourselves, then wisdom and intelligence would be the point, wouldn't it?

Then I read the next verses.

"Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength."

We preach Christ crucified? Is that really it? I mean, Paul couldn't mean that's all there is, could he? That has to be hyperbole. By "Christ crucified" he has to still be reminding them not to follow men, but follow the Bible, doesn't he?

But that's not what he said. And he does keep going on about human wisdom.

And there, in the next chapter, was the clincher:

"When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."

There's that verse. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Man, could that be it? Could it be that, after telling the Corinthians to be united in mind and thought, then telling them not to trust in their own wisdom, he tells them that this one thing is what matters, nothing else?

It sure seemed like it.

After this, he talks about wisdom coming from the Spirit, and how we won't recognize it if we don't belong to God, and how we should become fools instead of boasting about what we know. I won't quote it, but it's there. You can read it.

So is this the key to unity? Nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified?

If so, where does that leave us? Weak. Helpless. Dependent. Those aren't places we want to be. Those are things that make us...uncomfortable.

But we become uncomfortable in our brokenness and look to Him for comfort.

Why do we not have unity? Because there are things we want more. It's that simple. We want to have our say about doctrine. We want correctness. We want our own rightness. Unity's inconvenient. Unity means sacrificing ourselves and submitting to others.

I'm not good at that.

But if we don't have unity, we will not be the church that God wants us to be. We cannot be His presence on Earth in the sense that He wants if we are fragmented and arguing and showing twenty-four other emotions before we show the love for each other that He said would identify us.

If we are to be united in the same thought and the same mind, then Paul has told us what that thought is:

Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

If we preached that, if that was really at the center of everything we did, then maybe everything else, including the unity of the Spirit, would follow.

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[Written by Marc Shoemaker, and posted here with his permission.]

Are you ready for the lions?

Come back with me to the year 51AD. Look on, as another Christian is about to be thrown to the lions. This man has one last chance to publicly deny his faith in Jesus Christ, but he doesn't. The awaiting crowd roars with delight. Once again, the grizzly sight of blood and bone will be spread across the blood-soaked soil of the arena.

These Christians rarely disappointed the bloodthirsty mob. There weren't many backsliders. Despite the entertainment, it was a continual mystery to the crowd as to why anyone would willingly allow himself to be torn apart by ferocious lions when a simple nod of the head would free him to go back to his beloved family. So, why is this man ready to be torn limb from limb by ferocious teeth?

A few years earlier, this godless man had been in Athens on a business trip and had heard the gospel from the lips of an apostle preaching on Mars Hill. He heard the apostle say that his hearers had sinned against Heaven, and therefore needed a Savior because God "had appointed a Day in which He would judge the world in righteousness." He listened as this faithful apostle spoke of that "righteousness of God apart from the law," and showed him that he was under God's dreadful wrath.

As he stood among the crowd, he heard that Jesus of Nazareth had said "Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery already with her in his heart." He had violated that Commandment many times. He also heard that God would send all thieves and liars to Hell -- "All liars will have their part in the lake of fire," and that He considered hatred to be murder. His conscience began to stir within him and remind him of his guilt. This Judgment Day of which the apostle preached would be a fearful thing. He began to feel a very real dread that he truly was under God's wrath, and would end up in the lake of fire. As he hung his head in a strange mixed sense of sorrow and dread, he heard the preacher explain that this same Jesus of Nazareth--the Lamb of God--had suffered and died on a Roman cross in his place. God Himself had provided a Savior. The Messiah took the sin of the world upon Himself. He paid for our sin in His life's blood by suffering and dying in our place. But death could not hold Him. He burst from the grave; and through faith in His Name eternal salvation was offered to all men.

This sinful man lifted his head in unbelief that God would love him that much. He listened closely to hear what he should then do. He was simply to "repent, and believe in the gospel" and call upon the Name of the Lord. That's what he did. He bowed his head once again and earnestly prayed, "God forgive me for sinning against you. Jesus Christ -- be my Lord and Savior . . ."

It was then that he found that Almighty God was almighty indeed. He made him a new creature. He was born again, with a new heart and new desires. God wrote His Law upon his heart and caused him to walk in His statutes. This man, who once lived for sin and drank it in like water, suddenly found that he thirsted for righteousness, and wanted, above all things, to please the God that gave him life. It was a miracle. One day he had no thoughts of God. Not for a second. The next day the love of God was shed abroad in his heart. The Holy Spirit made His abode in him. This gospel of salvation came to him with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance.

This man, whose only concern had been for himself, suddenly became possessed with an all-consuming passion to share the Gospel of salvation with a dying world. It was as though he was filled with rivers of living water. But there was more. When he prayed, he had an inner conviction that God heard his every whisper. It was as though he had been given the gift of faith. He believed without effort. The Name of Jesus was sweet to his ear, and Jesus Christ became more important to him than his own life. The cross he had been told about shone before him with the intensity of the noonday sun. He gloried in it. He found himself weeping at the thought that God in Christ would suffer in his place. Guilt no longer plagued his sinful heart. It was removed as far as the east is from the West. Secret and sinful passions fell off his flesh like unwanted and rotting clothes. Old things passed away--behold, all things became new. He bubbled with an unspeakable joy and relished a peace that passed all understanding. God had given him the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. His faith was solely in God through Christ, and His sure promise of life.

So, why is this man ready to be torn limb from limb by ferocious teeth? It is because he came to actually know the God that he once only knew about. This is why he, and multitudes more, were "faithful unto death."

One day, you and I will also be thrown to the lions. If God allows us to live to a ripe old age, our bodies will become ravaged with time, and we will face the yawning teeth of death. Not too many of us will have a pleasant demise. Most will be ripped apart by some terrible disease, until the ferocious beast of death devours what's left of our bodies.

Such thoughts are not pleasant, but they are true to life. Are you ready for that brutal attack? How deep is your faith in God? Can you say from your own conviction that the Holy Spirit has regenerated you? Does the evident fruit in your life reveal that you are born of God? Don't give a quick answer. This question is far too important for you to give a thoughtless, "I'm okay. I believe in God," or "I have given my heart to Jesus." The Bible warns in Matthew 7:21-23 that there will be many who, on the Day of Judgment, will cry out to Jesus, "Lord, Lord!" But He will say to them, "I never knew you. Depart from me, you that work iniquity." Can you imagine the horror of that happening to you? On that fearful day there will be a huge category of people who will say that they knew the Lord, but they were in truth "hypocrites." A hypocrite may deceive friends and family, but he can never deceive God. What is really happening, is that he is deceiving himself.

Maybe, like millions of others, you have made a commitment to Christ but you didn't have a Road to Damascus experience. Or perhaps you don't even know the date you decided to follow the Savior. That doesn't matter. What matters is the present. Where are you at this very moment? If your heart gave out right now, how would you respond in those few moments that your life drained from you -- in absolute trust, or total terror? Don't deceive yourself any further by saying, "That would never happen to me." Human nature tends to think that way -- that death is something that happens to other people. But every single day 150,000 people die, and no doubt each of them that are now in eternity, thought just like you -- that death "will never happen to me."

Please, think about the day death comes to you. Let your imagination work for you for a moment. A massive crowd of demons is calling for your blood. You stand helplessly in front of the vicious jaws of death. It opens wide its mouth. Can you face it with courage? Is your conversion experience that real? Are you ready?

Be wise. Examine yourself, and see if you are in the faith. If you are not, then don't be like this godless world and leave yourself vulnerable to the ultimate of life's terrors. Get on your knees today -- right now, and let the Ten Commandments search out your secret sins. Have you put God first? Have you made a god in your own image? Have you ever blasphemed His name? Or looked with unclean sexual desires? Ask God to shine a spotlight on your heart and remind you of those things that you have thought and done that He saw. Nothing is hidden from His eyes. He even sees the darkness as pure light. Realize that if God gave you justice, you would end up in Hell for eternity. We only get one chance in this thing we call "life." Don't blow it for eternity. Confess your sins to God. Name them. Be sorry for them. Plead with Him to open your understanding to the great truth that God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Make your calling and election sure, until you can say with the apostle Paul, "For me to live is Christ. To die is gain." Then your love for God will become so real, you couldn't deny it even if you wanted to. That was the kind of unwavering faith that gave courage to stand before the lion. You need that same faith today.

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(This article was written by Ray Comfort.)

Out Of The Abundance Of The Heart

A few years ago, a brother and I went to study the Scriptures with a few men who also professed a faith in Jesus Christ. Our intention was to demonstrate that these men possessed an erroneous understanding of the word of God, especially when it came to the issue of salvation.

After arriving, we exchanged pleasantries, and sat down across from one another at a large table. Before we could start our discussion on the "issues", one of the men asked me a question. He said, "if you died today, and stood before God in judgment, and He asked you, 'why should I let you in to my heaven?', what would you tell Him?".

Without hesitation, I looked at him and answered, "I would say: Because I've done your will... I believed, repented of my sins, was baptized, preached the word, and lived faithfully...". The one who asked me the question then asked, "is there anything else?" I then listed off a few more things that I had done, and told him that that was about it. He then said to me, "so, salvation is about what you do, then?... you mentioned everything that you do, and have done, but did not mention what Jesus did...".

As realization set in, I felt as if I had been punched in the stomach. I knew that Jesus had to be my answer, but when asked, I pointed to myself, and to my works. This answer was deeply unsettling to me, and continued to haunt me until the Lord allowed me to fully realize that I had been trusting in my own works for salvation, more than I was trusting in Jesus Christ. I answered the way that I did because, as Jesus said, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (cf. Matt. 12:34).

Today, when I speak with people about the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, and ask them the question that I was asked, I often hear responses that are similar, if not identical to the one that I had given years before. I realize that many are under the same deception that I was under, in some form or another, and need to be pointed to Jesus Christ. Their works, their this, their that, their whatever is the thing that they point to when faced with judgment. Instead of Jesus, and His shed blood, the reason that God should allow them into heaven is because of something that they did, or are doing.

Jesus said, "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." (Matt. 7:20-21) .

May the abundance of our heart confess Jesus on that day, and on the days leading up to it... May we look away from ourselves, our works, and what we do, and truly trust in Him.

New Year, New Direction?

With another calendar year upon us, resolutions abound. Whether it be weight loss, exercise, eating better, or whatever, it is obvious that the majority of people are not comfortable with themselves and recognize a need for change. But why does the new year cause so many people to think in such a way? What about 12:01 am, January 1st will spur such thoughts, from millions of people, all at the same time?

The fact of the matter is, our lives on earth are limited. With the changing of years, we realize, whether consciously or subconsciously, that another year is behind us, and another year of our life is gone. We realize that we are closer to the end, and that we only have so much time left. That is why the resolution of many is to eat better, exercise, stop smoking, or do something else along those lines because the changing of those habits seem to be able to extend one's natural life.

But New Year's resolutions reveal more to us than just our desire to postpone death. Many resolve to change other types of habits, and other facets of their lives. It seems that, as people, we are mostly unsatisfied with ourselves, and desire to change more than just our bodies. This unsatisfaction is absolutely warranted, and can only be resolved one way...

I read a sign in front of a church building, recently, that said, "New Year's resolution: Go back to church". The sign made the announcement, but many people will make that resolution, regardless of the sign. The problem, however, is that the answer to our unsatisfaction is not going to church. The answer is not trying to be more religious, or doing good things. The answer is Jesus Christ.

When man disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, the relationship he once enjoyed with Him was severed. Along with man's sin came guilt and shame. As a result, Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves with fig leaves to hide their nakedness, their guilt and their shame from God, and from one another. But fig leaves were not sufficient to cover them. They could not hide from God.

It seemed that man needed a sufficient covering, and God gave them a shadow of that covering by taking the skins of an animal and making clothes for Adam and Eve. It was through the sacrifice of life, and through the provision of God that man could be sufficiently covered. However, in the garden, God's provision only served to cover man's nakedness... It did not cover his sin.

About 4,000 years later, God took on human flesh, and made provision for man's sin to be covered, and forgiven. Through the suffering and death of Jesus Christ on the cross, and through repentance, and faith in Him, His blood will wash away our sins. We can put on His righteousness like a garment, and our sins, our guilt, and our shame will be covered before God. No longer will our relationship with God be severed, but we will be reconciled to God, through Him...

We are unsatisfied in this world because of sin, and because our relationship with God has been severed by our sin. We know that we need a change, and a new direction, and that our efforts are insufficient. As the years pass us by, we grow closer to death, and our impending judgment before God. If our sins are not covered on that day, we will be eternally separated from Him, and cast into the place called Hell. If we change our direction (repent/turn from our sins), and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, this new year will not be one more year lost, but the beginning of eternal life gained. May this new year bring that new direction... May He be our resolution today, and for the rest of our lives!

Merry Christmas!

For many, Christmas is a time to remember the birth of Jesus Christ. For His followers, however, every day, and every moment of every day is a time to remember Him. Almost 2,000 years ago, the Son of God, God in the flesh was born into the world to pay the price for sin. Although He kept God’s law perfectly, and never sinned, He died a gruesome death for your sins, and mine. He did this because it was the only way that our transgressions against God could ever be paid for. Nothing that you do, or I do, can ever pay for sin. The price is too high. Through His suffering and death, He paid that price once and for all... We broke God’s law, and Jesus paid our fine.

Three days later, God raised Him from the dead. The tomb was empty, and is still empty to this day. After He was raised, Jesus appeared to many people, including over five hundred at the same time. His resurrection from the dead was proof that He was the Son of God, and that death is not the end. It also proved that God accepted Jesus’ payment on the cross for sin. Eternal life is now available, but only through Him. By the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, His blood will cleanse us from all of our sins. Even though we deserve the consequences of our sins, death and hell, the slate can be wiped clean, and we can be made righteous through Him. This is the Good News that is also known as the Gospel... It is God’s love and grace... And it is what many truly celebrate on Christmas Day, and every day.

Dear friend, are you a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ? If you were to die today, and had to stand before God in judgment, do you know, beyond a shadow of doubt that you would spend eternity with God? If not, why not? God has given mankind the greatest gift that we could ever receive... Forgiveness of sins, and eternal life are waiting for you. Through repentance, and faith in Jesus Christ you can accept His gracious, free gift today. Have you accepted this gift? As a result of repentance, and faith in Him, have you been baptized in His name? Are you living your life to please Him, each and every day? If not, remember what Jesus said, "If anyone will come after me, he must take up his cross daily and follow me". If so, continue in Him... Read the Bible daily, obey what you read, and share the Good News with others.

Merry Christmas, and may God be with you...