The Bible . . . Redacted - Jeremiah 26:2

 “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word.” - Jeremiah 26:2
                   
    According to Merriam-Webster to redact something is: to select or adapt (as by obscuring or removing sensitive information) for publication or release. Coming from the Latin redactus, it’s original meaning was to “drive back.” To obscure (hide) - remove (edit) - or drive back. This is the very essence of the word, redact.
     We’ve all seen reports or documents which have been redacted. We see that where the pertinent information originally was there is now only a blackened space amongst the words, thus effectively obscuring, hiding, removing, editing, and driving it back from revelation. Can you imagine reading a copy of the bible that has been redacted? That is exactly what far too many evangelical churches are doing to the holy words revealed in the bible these days.
    There is no discussion of hell or judgment at Sunday service any longer. Yet the bible is full of such discourses on these very issues. Jesus Christ, Himself, had more to say on the subject of hell than any other figure in the bible - Old or New Testament! Jesus warned us of the coming judgment against mankind. Yet the evangelical pulpit remains curiously silent on these subjects today. Ask yourself: why would a Christian pastor purposely refuse to deliver the unbridled and entire word of God to his flock every-time he stepped up to the pulpit? Calvin certainly did! Edwards did! Spurgeon did! Does yours?
    In our title verse God speaks to the nation of Israel. His command is to stand in the Lord’s house; to speak all the words he has commanded, and do not diminish a word! Take a moment: are you hearing the undiminished word of God in your church on Sundays?
    Have you ever heard evangelists like Pat Robertson, Joel Osteen, or any of the other “popular TV evangelists” speak on the coming judgment of God? On the pain and eternity of hell? On any aspect of the gospel that doesn’t start off cheerfully, continue cheerfully, and end cheerfully? Is this a problem you encounter in your own church? Are you hearing far too much about your best life now and not enough of the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit in your lives? Are you hearing what Christ said about taking up our crosses and following Him? Are you hearing about how truly difficult it is to be a Christian in this Godless world today?
    “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.” - Deuteronomy 12:32. Is there something inherently difficult to understand about that particular command of God?
    The dangers of “Sunshine and Rainbows Evangelism” ( i.e the Emerging Church) are a greater threat to true Christianity than the dangers of secular progressives and Muslim extremists combined! No outward attack on the true word of God has ever succeeded in destroying the core doctrines of Christianity. The church has survived thousands of years of persecution only to arrive at a place in time when we have to fear those who call themselves “Christians” more than we have to fear those who would legislate us into hiding or attempt to kill us off!
    Perhaps the apostle Paul said it best: “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” - Acts 20:27.  Tell your pastors today to put down their lattes and pick up their bibles! Let us always seek the whole counsel of God rather than the vain imaginings of men who would rather redact His holy word than speak all He has commanded.
       

Flesh Works - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

    I really should be hesitant to approach this subject yet once again (http://maranathia.blogspot.com/To Tattoo Or Not To Tattoo - 1 Corinthians 10:23, Sunday, September 1, 2013)  but upon seeing the multitude of people walking around exhibiting the most garish artwork (tattoos) on their bodies I feel compelled once again to speak out. The subject is sensitive, I know, and to those I offend I would beseech you to do as the Bereans did - “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” - Acts 17:11. Please remember: this post is not addressing what we did yesterday; it addresses what we do today and in the future.
    The commonality of tattoos and body piercings today is out of control.  One need only attend a large public event or work in a retail business to see the sheer number of individuals sporting these violations of the body.  The immediate defense is that such practices are culturally accepted today more than in past years. That is tantamount to using the same rationalization for the increase in abortions or the homosexual lifestyle. Cultural acceptance? Scripture warns us of seeking cultural acceptance, of being part of this world - “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.’” - Revelation 18:4. Are we aligning ourselves with “the world” when we engage in worldly practices which no reasonable Christian would suggest is edifying to other Christians?
Let’s not forget that tattoos and body piercings were originally condemned by the bible because they were pagan practices! (Leviticus 19:28) For those of us who counter that Jesus did away with the Old Testament “ceremonial laws,” remember that a sin so abhorrent God specifically prohibited it has probably not taken on a new-found holiness. That would be the same as submitting that worshiping a golden calf is now allowable under the doctrine of grace found in the New Testament! Remember: there is no where in the New Testament that Christ said, “Oh, and those tattoos? They’re okay now.” So at the very least we have determined that tattoos and body piercings are “of the world.”  “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” - 1 John 2:15-16.
    God has spoken to us in no ambiguous terms regarding being a part of the world -  “Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.’” - 2 Corinthians 6:17-18. The follow-up lies in the very next chapter, verse 1: “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” - 2 Corinthians 7:1.
    Perfecting holiness. It is a God-given command - “ . . .but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,  because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” - 1 Peter 1:15-16. Holiness as defined by the Greek term “hagiŏs” means “clean.”  “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:7.
    We must ask ourselves (as we should with anything we are about to think, say, or do) - “Does this glorify God?” It’s a simple question, the answer to which can have dire effects if we choose wrongly because it could most certainly determine our commitment to Jesus Christ! Would we carve our initials into the bible? Would we frivolously take a crayon or marker to its pages to mark and deface the holy word of God? Don’t our bodies deserve as much consideration? Do we really believe someone with a tattooing instrument can improve upon what God has created when He knit us together in our mother’s wombs?
    As a final consideration allow me to add just a bit more fuel to the fire: the tattooing of images of Christ, the cross, or other images of heaven are expressly forbidden by the 2nd Commandment of God -  “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth . . . .” - Exodus 20:4. Obviously those of us who insist upon having a tattoo of such nature on us have either(1) never read the Ten Commandments; (2) don’t understand the Commandments; or (3) simply don’t care. Either way, in all three possible cases it is apparent that God is not being glorified. The only thing being glorified is the ego of man!
    At this point I would like to add that aside from the theological implications involved there is the consideration of one’s health. Study after study has been done regarding the dangers of both tattooing and body piercing. The best news for those inclined to engage in such practices is that the jury is still out on many of the perceived health threats; however, there are very clear indications that there are numerous and often fatal Transfusion-Transmitted Diseases (TTDs) including Hepatitis and HIV associated with both tattooing and body piercing. Google “The European Commission’s Review of Health Effects from Tattoos, Body Piercing and Related Practices,” for a completely secular, eye-opening, and unbiased report on the possible physical dangers involved.
    Then there is the issue of “risk-taking behavior.” The study (and similar ones) concluded that those most likely to engage in tattooing or piercing their bodies also tend to engage in risky behavior, i.e., drugs, binge drinking, smoking, criminal behavior, and sexual impropriety. It doesn’t take a strong set of eye-glasses to see how such behavior is “of the world,” and NOT “of God.”
    As I said to begin with: this is not about what we did yesterday; it IS all about what we do henceforth as Reformed Christians. Lord knows we don’t have enough space here to devote it to past sins. Mine alone would fill the Encyclopedia Britanica . . . and then some!
    So let me close now with a verse from the Letter of Paul to the Romans: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” - Romans 12:1-2.
    Each and every day may we place the glorification of God and the edification of our brethren at the forefront of all our thoughts, words, and deeds. May God bless us all.

What Is Truth? - John 18:38

Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all. - John 18:38

    Perhaps the most demonized man in history asked the most fundamental question any man has ever asked: “What is truth?” His question still resonates today in the shrill voices of unrepentant relativists. Even in Christ’s day relativism held a firm grip on the hearts and minds of humanity. But let us see the question in the context it was presented - “Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You a king then?’”
    “Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’” - John 18:37. Christ stood before Pilate accused of claiming a kingdom for himself. As it happened, Pilate didn’t understand the truth because the truth so often eludes those who are blinded to it. This is the curse of relativism: the inability to recognize the truth when we hear it or see it!
    Truth isn’t malleable; it isn’t putty, to be shaped and reshaped again to suit the moment. Truth is the rock upon which actuality rests. Truth is reality. Truth is insensitive. Truth is harsh! Truth is the brightest of lights shining in the darkest of nights. Christ is truth! “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” - John 14:6.
    This is what inflames the post-modern relativists into anger and accusation. The relativists today submit the same question Pilate posed to Jesus, in the same accusatory tone. “What is truth?”
    They tell us that we cannot know the truth, that the truth is incomprehensible. But that is exactly what Satan tells us! Christ called out the relativists in his time. He had a just response for them when they questioned the truth - “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.  Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?  He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” - John 8:43-47.
    What is truth? Christ is truth. He is the only truth, the only way, and the only life. May God grant us the discernment to always know the truth from the lie, especially in these post-modern times.
   

Bad Company - 1 Corinthians 8:9

 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.  - 1 Corinthians 8:9

    This post is directed not to the weak but those who believe they are strong in the faith. As a Christian blogger I watch the news for stories that deserve Christian scrutiny. I also observe the popular culture to see how many and how awful the things are that we replace God with. And I am specifically referring to Christians here, not unbelievers. Those who have no belief in God never surprise me with the levels of debauchery they sink to. It is the behavior of those who claim the mantle of “Christian” that astounds me.
    In an earlier post this year I wrote that we shouldn’t over-emphasize the small differences between our Christian brothers and sisters. If scripture doesn’t specifically deal with an issue on moral grounds then the chances are we need only use the litmus test of edification to determine whether or not the thought, word, or action is appropriate for a Christian.  “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.”  - 2 Corinthians 13:5.
    How often is it that we partake in an activity (i.e speech, movies, television, books, magazines, music, socializing, etc.) that we should take a step back and ask ourselves - “How will what I am about to say or do influence another Christian?” Will it weaken the brother’s or sister’s resolve because they look to me as an example? Perhaps even more important: how will it influence an unbeliever? Will it further distance them from God? Will it further encourage them to mock God? “How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood?” - Psalm 4:2.
    As Christians we simply must adhere to the words of Isaiah - “Depart! Depart! Go out from there, touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her, be clean, you who bear the vessels of the Lord.” - Isaiah 52:11. If our words and deeds don’t edify then neither do they glorify God Almighty. Let no man ever scoff at God because of our words or behavior and may we always present ourselves as holy before men and our Lord.

True Faith Remains - 1 Peter 1:6-9

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. - 1 Peter 1:6-9

    Our lives witness many trials, Some we barely escape, others force us to hold onto the moorings of our persistent and trustworthy true faith in God to get through them. These are the trials I address in this post.
    The death of a loved one, a parent, a spouse, a child, a dear friend. These are experiences that test even the strongest faith. When the dead are buried, true faith remains!
    National tragedies like 911, Columbine, or Newtown test the strength of our true faith. But think of faith as “knowledge.” We know the sun rises every morning. Some days there are clouds but we still know that the sun is rising on the other side of that obscurity. Even on the cloudiest of days, true faith remains!
     “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” - 1 John 5:4-5. The victory that overcomes the world is true faith; faith in God. We face a myriad of worldly obstacles on a daily basis. Some are minor irritations while others may mean life or death for us or our loved ones. Such is the nature of the modern world, a world steeped in wickedness and depravity. What greater weapon do we have against such utter destruction and perdition than our true faith in God?
    “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” - 1 Timothy 6:12. We are tested by the Great Deceiver, Satan, on a daily basis. Each day he throws his worst at us trying desperately to bring us down into smoke and ruin. To deny his presence in our lives is to place ourselves in denial and denial leads to corruption. We must fight the wiles and the methods of the devil if we are to stand strong in true faith.  “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one”.
 - Ephesians 6:14-16.
    No matter what we face in our lives; no matter what fears or realities we are forced to deal with, true faith will bring us through it. We may not come through unscathed . . . but we will come through to the glory of God which most assuredly awaits us on the other side. “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” - Psalm 62:8.  In the face of our worst trials we must always remember - true faith remains!

Inseparable - John 3:16-18

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” - John 3:16-18

    When we at first read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12), we hear Christ teaching us how we are to behave as believers. His teachings are recognized and respected by most rational human beings around the world. When Christ teaches us the two greatest commandments in Matthew 22:36-40, we again hear Him declare what our purpose and duties are as believers. In neither instance does He ever mention HIS purpose for coming into the world. Both of the above mentioned instances describe Christ’s teaching. In a word, “love.” Love is the core of Jesus Christ’s teachings to the world: love of God and love for our neighbors. But His message differed from His purpose!
    Christ came into the world so that by his death we could have eternal salvation. He came to die for us. His death was the propitiation demanded by a just God for the sins of the world.  No mere mortal could ever have accomplished what Christ did by His death on the cross. As our title verse states, “He did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world.” God’s purpose was not to have his Son come down to convict and condemn mankind. The conviction of men was reserved for the Holy Spirit. The condemnation, as our verse tells us, was already in place. It has been in place since Adam and Eve ventured forth from the Garden of Eden at the command of God. No, God didn’t send His Son to condemn us; He sent Him to save us.
    So on one hand Christ is teaching us how we are to behave towards God and our fellow men. On the other hand He has a more dire mission to accomplish: his own death as a substitutionary payment for the sins of the world.  So, yes -  Christ’s teachings were important enough for Him to spend the last three years of His life drumming them into us. If His teaching were unimportant then he could have just as easily come into the world and immediately died for us. But it was not so. Christ spend endless hours teaching both His disciples and the crowds that came to hear Him speak. He was, as I implied earlier, an accomplished teacher of men. Yet, His teachings are not he reason He came to us; our redemption through belief and faith in Him is!
    So to understand - Christ’s teachings and commands in Matthew 5:3-12, Matthew 22:36-40, and His final command, Matthew 28:19-24, were all vitally important to us as believers. Though His teachings represent the sinless obedience of His life and set forth the example we are to follow it is His death which atones for our sins and gives us the assurance of our salvation. In His life we find the example of sinless obedience to God. In His death we are blessed by grace with our redemption and salvation. The one we must strive for; the other is a gift from God. Both are entwined in what we call belief, and belief leads to faith in God. Belief and faith: different yet inseparable. Should we ever attempt to separate the two than we are no better off than the demons. “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe — and tremble!” - James 2:19.
    Faith implies belief in and assent to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May our actions always be seen in such a light.

Humbled By Holiness - Luke 5:8

                   
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” - Luke 5:8

    What awe must Peter have felt for it to force his guilt to the surface of his conscience. His awe was inspired by the presence of the Lord. As Peter stood before Christ and felt the raw power of God in his midst his immediate response was to humbly admit that he was no more than a sinner, unworthy of Christ’s divine presence. Peter’s humility stood in stark contrast to his life  . . . before Christ. As a sinner Peter was constantly exposed to the pitfalls of a fallen world. As a sinner Peter constantly fell to the excesses of his own human pride, to the temptations and vexes of the world. But once in the presence of Jesus his worldly pride was ripped away from him as the angst of his guilt was fueled by the work of the Holy Spirit in his life. He stood, convicted of his sin before his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
     “The centurion answered and said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.’ ” - Matthew 8:8. Humility often manifests itself in our unwillingness to seek the presence of God for fear that our sins are too great. Guilt makes us shrink away from holiness because we have finally recognized its power! Repentance abides in a man who humbles himself before the Lord. Why else would we take such a submissive position before God were we not confessing our sins? And if we are confessing our sins are we not also asking for forgiveness? “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin, For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.” - Psalm 51:2-3.
    Let us be clear: humility has never existed side-by-side with pride. It cannot; it will not. We must lay our proud hearts aside. But unlike Peter we should bid our Lord to come nearer to us rather than leave us. As in the words of C.H. Spurgeon - “Come near to me, Lord, since I am a man and, being a man, am weak—and nothing can make me strong but Your Presence. I am a man so weak that if You depart from me, I faint, I fall, I pine, I die! Come near to me, then, O Lord, that by Your strength I may be encouraged and be fitted for service. If You depart from me, I can render You no service whatever. Can the dead praise You? Can those with no life in them give You glory? Come near me, then, my God, though I am so feeble! And as a tender parent feeds his child, and the shepherd carries his lambs, so come near to me.”* 
    May we always prostrate ourselves before the Lord God in humility and leave the pride of the world behind us.

*“Peter’s Prayer”, C.H. Spurgeon, Sermon # 3407, delivered 6/10/1869